Former WWE Superstar Matt Riddle recently spoke with Going Ringside for an interview, during which he offered candid thoughts on both a potential move to AEW and his opinions on CM Punk and John Cena.
Riddle, who was released from WWE in September 2023—just two months before CM Punk made his high-profile return—didn’t hold back when Punk’s name came up. When asked whether he still had interest in joining AEW, Riddle confirmed that he would be open to the move, but used the opportunity to share his unfiltered take on Punk’s backstage behavior, claiming he remains a problem in WWE.
“They’re still rebuilding. You know, I’m not a big fan of that guy either. That guy sucks. He’s a bitch to work with in the back,” Riddle said. When asked why, he added, “Because he just belly aches and complains. This guy complains about getting multiple world title runs. I’ve heard from my boys that still work there (WWE) that he is a headache, and this isn’t a storyline, this is the facts. So, this is what it is.”
Riddle also shared a story about working with John Cena, reflecting on their early interactions. While he had praise for Cena’s professionalism, he admitted their first meeting didn’t go as smoothly as he might have hoped.
“I’ve worked with Cena. I like working with Cena. He was a great guy, a nice guy, professional,” Riddle said. “Yeah, I mean, we’ve had our little tiffs. The first time I met, I accidentally said I thought he would be bigger. I don’t think he likes being called small, which isn’t what I said, but I thought he’d be bigger. He kind of gave me a verbal lashing back and forth. He gave me crap for being the king of bros, tried to get me to explain what that was, and no answer was good enough for John Cena.”
(H/T to Fightful.com for transcribing the above quotes.)
