Matt Riddle Abandons 'Goofball' Gimmick Following WWE Release

Matt Riddle’s run on WWE main roster saw the former UFC fighter turn into a scooter riding airhead, with the ‘King of Bros’ very mellow when not in the ring.

Now back on the independent scene following his WWE release in 2022, Riddle is set to return to MLW and has challenged Hiroshi Tanahashi to a match in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and as he revealed to Ryan Gaydos of Fox News, Riddle intends to leave his ‘goofy’ gimmick behind:

"So, the last three months, I kinda just had my first vacation in a really long time. I had a kid. A little son, Matthew. So, it was really getting ready and kinda like a reset button. The last couple of months, I totally just didn’t want to do anything other than work out, relax and take care of my family. And now that (it’s) the New Year and I got that time and everything else like that, I think it’s just time to cook again and just really been focusing on that and what I want to do in the ring. I feel like before was more of a … it’s always entertainment, but it was a lot of entertainment before. And now, I think, the direction I’m going in, I’m going to be able to show the world what I can do in the ring and just present that version of myself rather than kind of a goofball on TV,” said Riddle.