Matt Riddle Confirms He’s Been in Talks with Tony Khan for an AEW Run

Matt Riddle’s time with WWE was characterized by several controversies and off-ring issues, culminating in his surprising release last year. Despite these challenges, Riddle has confirmed that he has had discussions with Tony Khan.

Since parting ways with WWE, Riddle has been actively involved in various wrestling promotions, including Major League Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling, among others.

While speaking in an interview with Steven Muelhausen of SI’s The Takedown, Riddle discussed the possibility of joining AEW and his meeting with Tony Khan. Riddle praised AEW, acknowledging its quality and expressing appreciation for the people who work there. He mentioned that after his WWE departure, he found relief and realized the high level of stress he experienced while being on TV.

Riddle noted that his provocative character often intensified the scrutiny and pressure, as he was on TV multiple times a week. Although he thrives under pressure, he felt overwhelmed and preferred to take a break from the spotlight.

Riddle considered AEW as a potential opportunity for better pay and a more manageable schedule. Riddle emphasized his desire to step away from the TV scene for a while and focus on working in the independent circuit instead.

“With AEW, I think AEW is a fantastic product,” Riddle admits. “I know a lot of the people that work there. I like the company. I like the way they work. I like the people that work there. I think with me, and it’s one of the things I’ve noticed, I’ve been relieved after getting fired from WWE. I felt that because I was on TV, and I’m such a provocative character at times, everything was magnified so much because I was on TV. The stress of working on TV two to three days a week was a lot. I like pressure. I like stress too, but it was a lot. The best answer would be to go to AEW, get more money, and work a decent schedule. I didn’t want to work on TV again. I didn’t want the attention for a while. I wanted to step away. I just wanted to do Indies.”

Riddle also pointed out that MLW’s partnership with New Japan and New Japan’s connections with AEW might lead to future appearances on AEW platforms, though he couldn’t confirm specifics. He recounted his interaction with Tony Khan, where he was unsure if Khan appreciated his sarcastic humor. Despite feeling that Khan was pleased, the encounter left Riddle somewhat uncertain due to a miscommunication.

“I know MLW works with New Japan. New Japan works a lot with AEW. Maybe you’ll see me on an AEW channel or broadcast sooner rather than later. Maybe you won’t,” he said. “I talked to Tony (Khan). I don’t know if he likes me. He seemed happy. I wrestled Zach Sabre Jr. in Chicago. He seemed cool about it. I don’t know. When you meet me, I’m very sarcastic. But when I met him, I was like, ‘Oh, you like that match’? But I said it a different way, and he looked at me all confused. And I was like, ‘Never mind, dude’. I just walked away. So that was my experience with that.”

Matt Riddle also believes that he has a high chance of returning to WWE. We will have to wait and see whether The Original Bro will make his way to Tony Khan’s company, as there might not be any spot left in the company by the time he goes there.

Do you believe Matt Riddle will make his way to AEW somewhere down the line? Sound off in the comments section below!