Matt Riddle recently opened up about a tense backstage encounter he once had with Brock Lesnar during a WWE Royal Rumble event.
Speaking with R3 Interviews, the former United States Champion recalled being confronted by Lesnar while walking into the arena. According to Riddle, the situation stemmed from years of him publicly calling out “The Beast” in interviews and media appearances.
“When I got to a Royal Rumble, I was really excited to get in the ring,” Riddle said. “All of a sudden, a guy grabbed me by the back of the neck when I’m walking into the hall, and I turn around and it’s Brock Lesnar.”
Riddle explained that Lesnar physically pulled him aside and delivered a direct message about their potential in-ring future.
“He pulls me in. He didn’t hurt me, and he just dragged me. It was a, ‘Hey, just want you to know we’ll never work, never get in the ring. Just keep my name out of your mouth.’”
Despite the intense nature of the moment, Riddle said he stayed calm and clarified that his public comments were simply meant to generate interest rather than cause real friction.
“I’m like, ‘Dude, I’m not gonna force you to do anything you don’t want to do. I was just talking trash. And if it got you this worked up, it must have worked.’”
Riddle added that he respected Lesnar’s stance and the conversation quickly ended once both men understood each other.
The story took an unexpected turn afterward. Riddle claimed that he shared the incident with Kevin Owens in the locker room, only to see the details appear online shortly after.
“I went to the locker room and told Kevin Owens, and then five minutes later it’s on the dirt sheets,” Riddle said. “So if you ever wonder where news is coming from, bro, that guy just loves to spill beans.”
Riddle finished the story with a tongue-in-cheek apology directed toward Owens, who is currently dealing with an injury. “Hey, hope it gets better too. Sorry about the injury, bro. I didn’t do it.”
