Matt Riddle had the makings of a top Superstar in WWE. Before arriving in that company, he was fired from UFC for testing positive twice for marijuana (he had an 8-3 record with two no-contests, both of which would be counted as wins if not for those failed drug tests).
Despite that, the sports entertainment giant gave him a chance and he worked in NXT for less than two years before moving to the main roster where he'd eventually become Randy Orton's tag team partner.
There were controversies along the way, including altercations with Bill Goldberg and Brock Lesnar; Riddle was also accused of sexual assault and, after a series of drug-related suspensions, was eventually fired from WWE after a drunken incident at a New York airport in 2023.
Now, he's working the independent scene but, in an interview with Sports Illustrated, the former WWE Superstar shared his belief that the door isn't closed on a possible WWE return.
"I would agree I am my own worst enemy. I'm also my best friend. I always have my back. I always know what I want deep down in my heart," Riddle started. "I have a lot of buddies [that] still work with WWE. If you knew how they feel and how they act and how they hold back every second. They want to do this, but they can't do that."
"Trust me, people live and like, especially when you work somewhere like that, it's all about image. A lot of them just want to paint that picture of perfection. Hide anything that might be judged. You know what? I don't blame them. Well, me, I am my own worst enemy. I'm very transparent. I'm somebody that'll go right on Twitter if somebody talks crap, and I'll literally, make a video being like, 'You're full of it.'"
The King of Bros added, "A lot of people just hide. At the same time, that's who I am. I love me. I always have loved me. I’m going to continue to love me. And if I'm my own worst enemy, so be it. But I'm also the only one that's going to pay my bills, take care of me and help me every time."
And, even after everything that's happened, the 38-year-old Riddle still believes a WWE return could indeed become a reality for him one day.
"The chances of me going back, I think they're extremely high," Riddle said. "If CM Punk, who filed a lawsuit against WWE, and then raked them through the mud for a decade, then goes to the competition, I'll tell you this, if he can do that, everything can be forgiven. I know I wasn't the easiest to work with at times. I think the door is always open.
"I think the longer I'm away, the harder I work, and the more I do, the more likely I could come back. But I'll also say this, if I never go back ever again, and they never talk to me again, I'll be ok with that," he concluded.