Matt Riddle Reveals What He Would Have Called Himself If WWE Made Him Change His Name

In an interview with The Miami Herald, Matt Riddle spoke about meeting William Regal for the first time and revealed what he would have picked for his name if WWE made him change it when he arrived in NXT. Here are highlights:

On calling William Regal ‘bro’: “He said, ‘How dare you disrespect me,’ and I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He got all carried away, but that was years ago, Me and Regal now have a much better and respectful relationship, and I call him ‘Bro’ all the time, and he understands where I’m coming from now, and we’re better people for it.”

On if WWE made him change his name: “So when I talked to them [after signing], somebody said, ‘Are we changing your name?’ I was like, ‘If you’re gonna change it, I don’t want to, but if you’re gonna change it, I only want it to be one other thing.’ They said, ‘What would that be?’ I go, ‘Ratthew Middle.’ My [birth] name is Matthew Riddle, so I wanted to change the letters around so I can be Ratthew Middle, and the crowd could chant, ‘Ratth-ew Mid-dle. Ratth-ew Middle.’ It has a ring to it.”

On getting pumped for his entrance: “I’m usually just so laid back most of the times. I’m usually just chill in the back, having a Body Armor [sports drink], just relaxing. Then when I see the people, and they got the fists extended for the fist bump, and they’re Bro-ing it out, I get pretty wound up. I get juiced, man… It’s really out of my control. I really can’t control my actions at that point. It’s not me. It’s the crowd that’s making me do it.”