Conflicting Reports On Why Matt Riddle Was Taken Off WWE TV With Injury Angle
Matt Riddle was taken off WWE TV recently due an injury angle, but there are conflicting reports on what he is dealing with.
During his WWE career, Matt Riddle has become one of the most popular superstars in the company. From his very successful RK-Bro tag team with Randy Orton that saw them win the Raw Tag Team Titles together to his reign as the US Champion, Riddle is considered by many to be a rising star based on his work in the ring and the way crowds react to him.
In the summer and fall, Riddle had a lengthy feud with Seth “Freakin” Rollins that saw Riddle pick up a huge win at Extreme Rules on October 8th in a Fight Pit Match. Since then, Rollins was pushed more than Rollins, who started playing the bongos as an ally of Elias.
On the December 5th episode of Raw, Riddle and Kevin Owens failed to beat The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles. After the match, Owens chased The Usos and Sami Zayn, which left Solo Sikoa alone with Riddle. That didn’t go well for Riddle as “The Enforcer” Sikoa destroyed him with a steel chair attack, which included a running hip attack while a chair was wrapped around Riddle’s neck. Riddle was taken away in an ambulance for the storyline injury while WWE is saying he is out of action for at least six weeks due to the injured throat and other injuries.
In a story originally reported by Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net, Matt Riddle recently failed a drug test for the second time this year and that meant he was in rehab trying to get better. It is believed that Riddle’s first failed drug test came around SummerSlam, which was in late July.
That report may not be entirely true because, in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that a source close to Riddle said that report is wrong. The reason Riddle is taking time off is that he recently got divorced. The divorce has really been hard on him and as he has said on WWE TV, Riddle barely sees his children. Riddle has three children with his ex-wife. Meltzer added that his sources that are also close to Riddle denied comment on the story.
Meltzer went on to explain why the failed drug test story may be false because evidence suggests it would be against WWE’s own drug policy.
“WWE officially has not addressed the story, not responded to questions on the story. If accurate, the story contradicts its drug policy because there was no 30 day suspension for the first offense, which was claimed to be over the summer and the claim is resulted in him being removed from a planned SummerSlam match against Seth Rollins.”
“Riddle did not wrestle between a 7/25 Raw show in Madison Square Garden and an 8/20 house show in Kingston, ONT, but that is less than 30 days. The policy is also that all drug test failures and suspensions are to be announced publicly, which didn’t happen.”
“WWE also has not commented on questions regarding if there was a policy change that was never publicized, nor denied the story being inaccurate. Within WWE, that was the story believed to be why they did the angle writing him out and went on television saying he would be out of action for six weeks.”
Matt Riddle has also been seen publicly with a porn star named Misha Montana, who recently posted a photo kissing Riddle on her Instagram account.
No matter what the truth is regarding Riddle’s absence, WWE has said it will be about six weeks out of action for him. That would give him plenty of time to be ready for the Royal Rumble on January 28th if he’s going to be a part of it.