Matt Riddle Recalls His First WWE Appearance, Says He Bought New Flip-Flops For The Occasion
Matt Riddle had a unique way of celebrating his move to WWE.
Matt Riddle had a unique way of celebrating his move to WWE.
Former UFC fighter Matt Riddle becme a breakout star on the independent scene, as he competed for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, PROGRESS, and various other promotions before he signed with WWE in 2018. Riddle was announces as WWE’s newest signing when he appeared in the crowd at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV.
Speaking on WWE’s The Bump, Riddle was asked to look back on his first WWE appearance, when he was shown in the crowd at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV. Riddle recalled how he bought new flip-flops, as he thought it was time to do so alongside his move to WWE.
“I remember this night vividly because I bought a pair of new flip flops for the first time in years. I was like, you know what, I made it to WWE. It’s time to buy some new flip flops, and I did, and I had the suit. I normally don’t get nervous about anything, but that night I was nervous because I knew they were gonna put me on-screen, and I was like, ‘What are they gonna do?’ I’ve put all this work in, all those matches with Gunther on the indies and others and everything, and this is finally my moment. When I got on that screen, the whole crowd just started chanting, ‘Bro,’ and it was going to the beat of my grip. I’m like, I’m here, I’m in, I made it. I got the ball, now it’s just time to run with it,” Riddle said.
The former WWE United States Champion was also asked to describe how the Riddle fans saw whe he arrived in NXT differs to the one they see today. He described how he has grown a lot, and he is living his dreams.
“You know, that was a bro with all of his aspirations, hopes and dreams ahead of him. Now, the bro sitting in front of you is living those aspirations and dreams. I think I’m a more complete bro today. I feel like I’ve grown up a lot,” Riddle said.
During his time in WWE, Riddle has won the NXT Tag Team Championship, the WWE United States Championship and the Raw Tag Team Championship.
Riddle and Misha Montana are expecting their first child together. More information is available here.
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