Matt Riddle Rumored to Have Backstage Heat in WWE, Punished With Quick Rumble Elimination

– During today’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed while addressing how Aleister Black was considered as one of the possible choices to win the Royal Rumble match that Matt Riddle was not one of the prospects considered for the matchup to ultimately face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36. Meltzer added that there is “a lot of heat on Matt Riddle right now” backstage in WWE.

When asked by Bryan Alvarez if Matt Riddle was in the list of considered prospects to win the Royal Rumble and get the Brock Lesnar, Meltzer noted definitively that Matt Riddle was not in the running for the Rumble win and the Lesnar spot at WrestleMania. Meltzer stated Riddle not being in the running is more due to Vince McMahon’s influence.

Additionally, Meltzer claimed that the heat on Riddle explains his quick elimination during the men’s Royal Rumble match at the event on Sunday. Riddle entered in at No. 23, and he was quickly eliminated in just 40 seconds by Baron Corbin, which was reportedly not just a way for Corbin to get some heat from the crowd during the match.

Meltzer isn’t sure if the heat on Matt Riddle is due to his attitude, which he hasn’t heard anything negative about. He said, “I haven’t heard anything negative on his attitude, but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing there, or it doesn’t mean that somehow he just rubbed somebody the wrong way with whatever, whatever it is that he’s done.” He continued that he’s unaware of what Riddle could’ve done, stating, “I don’t know what it would be other than that it is the case.”

As previously reported, Matt Riddle and Lesnar allegedly had a backstage verbal confrontation at the Royal Rumble before the event started. It’s unknown if this is the source of Riddle having apparent backstage heat in the promotion.