Matthew Riddle

Matthew Fredrick Riddle was born on January 14, 1986, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He later relocated to Saratoga Springs, New York, where he completed his high school education at Saratoga Springs High School, graduating in 2004. During his time in high school, he excelled in wrestling, clinching a National wrestling championship and becoming a New York state wrestling champion in his senior year. He continued his academic and athletic pursuits at East Stroudsburg University for two years on a wrestling scholarship. Following the dismissal of his head coach, Riddle lost his scholarship, which led him to transition into mixed martial arts (MMA). His early MMA training involved working as a roofer by day and practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in his apartment during the evenings, often utilizing B.J. Penn’s “Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge” as a guide.

Riddle entered the professional MMA circuit in 2008, gaining initial recognition through SpikeTV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 7.” His amateur MMA record stands at 1-0. A notable moment from his time on The Ultimate Fighter was a knockout victory against Dan Simmler, which Dana White acclaimed as one of the most significant knockouts in the show’s history. He made his official UFC debut at “The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale” in June 2008, securing a unanimous decision victory over Dante Rivera. His UFC tenure included a period of a four-fight winning streak. However, his MMA career with the UFC concluded in 2013 after multiple positive tests for marijuana, leading to his release. Following his UFC departure, Riddle briefly signed with Legacy Fighting Championships and then Bellator MMA, but injuries led to his retirement from MMA due to financial considerations.

In 2014, Riddle embarked on a new career path in professional wrestling, commencing his training at the Monster Factory. He made his professional wrestling debut in February 2015, quickly achieving success by winning the Monster Factory Heavyweight Championship in the same year. His career in professional wrestling saw him sign with WWNLive and perform in various independent promotions, earning recognition as the “Rookie of the Year” and “Most Improved” wrestler in 2016 by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Riddle joined WWE in 2018, initially in their NXT developmental brand. During his NXT run, he became a one-time NXT Tag Team Champion with Pete Dunne. He was then promoted to the main roster in May 2020, where he captured the WWE United States Championship in 2021 and subsequently held the Raw Tag Team Championship twice as part of the tag team RK-Bro with Randy Orton. He departed from WWE in September 2023 and has since competed in Major League Wrestling (MLW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), winning championships in several of these promotions, including the MLW World Heavyweight Championship, NJPW World Television Championship, and AAA World Cruiserweight Championship.