Matt Riddle confirms release by WWE, thanks fans

The biggest name to be released by WWE this week came at the very end.

The unfortunate wave of WWE talent releases this week was already uncomfortably long, but as it turns out, the biggest name on it was still to come.

As reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, Matt Riddle has also been released by WWE.

Riddle confirmed the news on his own social media accounts, saying he was “no longer with WWE” and thanking the fans.

A follow-up report on Fightful Select (subscription required) stated that Riddle was never planned for any more appearances after he was involved in an incident at JFK Airport earlier this month, and “was not factored into immediate creative plans.” A Fightful source also said Riddle “burned through too many chances while in WWE.”

Those chances included WWE putting Riddle back into high profile programs despite being suspended twice for violating the company’s wellness policy, most recently in December 2022. Reporting around that discipline made it sound as if it would be his last chance to stay on the straight and narrow.

If the terms of Riddle’s departure are the same as most of those released this week, he’ll be under a 90-day no compete clause that will prevent him from wrestling elsewhere until near the end of the year. He could also explore a return to MMA — Riddle fought in UFC and elsewhere before turning to pro wrestling — but at age 37, that might not be a path he’s super psyched to walk down again.

AEW has shown a willingness to take chances on performers with outside-the-ring issues (such as Jeff Hardy) and provide them with the structure they need to succeed. It’s worth watching to see if Tony Khan feels his company can do the same with Riddle. In the meantime, however, there will be no more Original Bro in WWE.