Controversial Ex-WWE Champion May Never Return Because Of CM Punk

CM Punk has many friends but even more enemies in the wrestling world. One star who is notably not fond of him is Matt Riddle.

Matt Riddle’s WWE tenure was marked by both highs and controversy. He signed with WWE in July 2018 and rapidly rose through the ranks, winning the United States Championship and forming the successful RK-Bro tag team with Randy Orton.

However, a combination of personal struggles, legal issues, including a 60-day suspension in late 2023, and controversial backstage behavior culminated in his release from WWE in September 2023. His outspoken personality and conflicts made him a divisive figure behind the scenes, affecting his standing with WWE management.

Since his release from WWE in September 2023, Riddle has been vocal about his disdain for The Second City Saint, openly criticizing him in interviews and on social media. This public animosity may be one of the reasons WWE remains hesitant to bring Riddle back despite his in-ring talent and popularity.

WWE Won’t Bring Back Matt Riddle Because of His Heat With CM Punk

Speaking on the Story Time podcast, veteran manager Dutch Mantell believes that Matt Riddle’s outspoken criticism of CM Punk is likely a significant factor preventing WWE from re-signing him. Mantell noted WWE wants to avoid potential backstage heat or distractions that could disrupt locker room harmony.

This may be a reason why they hadn’t picked him up because he’s talking about one of the top guys in WWE, and CM Punk is going to read this. So if they brought him in, would there be heat between CM Punk and Matt Riddle? I’d say yes.

And they don’t want to bring in something that’s going to be a distraction from the rest of their talent or that they would have to deal with, you know, behind the scenes, so and CM Punk may be a lot of those things, but as he said, he more than pays his salary by his merchandise and all this other stuff that he does.

Matt Riddle has called Punk a b**ch in the past. In an exclusive interview with TMZ’s Inside The Ring, he reiterated that CM Punk is still a “b***h” to work with, a sentiment shared by some WWE roster friends. However, Riddle acknowledged Punk’s talent for selling tickets and drawing attention, giving credit where it’s due despite their backstage issues.

I have good friends on the roster that still say he’s a b***h to work with.