Former WWE star Matt Riddle says he was close to signing with New Japan Pro-Wrestling before a call from Triple H ultimately changed his career path.
Riddle discussed the situation during an appearance on Rewind Recap Relive, where he explained that NJPW had already expressed interest in bringing him in for the prestigious New Japan Cup tournament.
At the time, Riddle said the opportunity appealed to him because he had always wanted to wrestle in Japan.
“New Japan hit me up and I was like, ‘Sick. Always wanted to wrestle for you guys. Awesome.’”
However, before making a final decision, Riddle contacted EVOLVE promoter Gabe Sapolsky, who was working closely with WWE as a talent scout.
Riddle explained that he informed Sapolsky about the NJPW offer and asked whether WWE might also be interested.
“I hit him up and go, ‘Hey Gabe, I’m gonna ask you to release me in my contract. I just got a call from New Japan and they’re making me a better offer than what you are giving me now.’”
According to Riddle, Sapolsky quickly reached out to WWE, which led to an immediate response from Triple H.
“Two minutes later, I got a call from Triple H being like, ‘Hey, we’d love to have you at NXT.’”
Riddle said the offer ultimately made his decision easy, especially because WWE was offering better pay and the chance to remain in the United States with his family.
“They were paying more. Also, I got to stay in America, be with my family and stuff like that. So it’s kind of a no-brainer.”
After accepting the offer, Riddle relocated to Florida to begin his WWE run in NXT.
The former MMA fighter had been building momentum on the independent wrestling scene at the time, competing for promotions such as EVOLVE and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla following his transition from mixed martial arts to professional wrestling.
