WWE’s ‘Original Bro’ Riddle opens up about stiff matches and teaming with Randy Orton
Current Raw Tag Team Champion and former United States Champion Riddle sat down to talk with PhilSTAR L!fe and and other media outlets to discuss his wrestling career at a virtual roundtable.
Brooooooo…
The moment WWE fans hear that line hit the arena speakers, they know they’re in for one of two things: some fun stoner comedy or an awesome match with stiff strikes.
Riddle, The Original Bro and formerly known as Matt Riddle, is currently one of WWE’s most popular characters thanks to his off-beat personality and amazing in-ring skills, a lot of which he picked up through his MMA career. Mixing up his laid back persona with intense wrestling skills has made Riddle one of the most engaging wrestlers to watch on Monday Night Raw.
Having a background in MMA definitely helped Riddle get used to the bumps and bruises that come with being a professional wrestler. Riddle had a series of matches with Sheamus in 2020, some of which were incredibly violent. Despite some of the stiff punches and knees he’s absorbed, Riddle does elaborate that despite the aches, you won’t have to worry about a serious injury, barring any accident that might happen.
“They are very similar because you can get hurt doing both,” said Riddle. “I think the difference is if you work well with somebody in professional wrestling, the match is going to be hard hitting. It should be. But I’m not going to get brain damage, I know where I’m going, I know where to turn. And with my MMA career, it’s like a game of tag where you’re not trying to get touched—while wrestling is where you test each other’s might or test each other’s will. I think it’s different when you look at it like that.”
Being a quirky wrestler who can kick your ass has made Riddle a fun partner for more serious wrestlers like NXT’s Bruiserweight Pete Dunne, who he held the NXT Tag Team Championship with, and Randy Orton, Riddle’s current tag partner and co-holder of the Raw Tag Team Championships.
When speaking on the unique chemistry he has with his more serious companions, Riddle had this to say, “Whenever you see people on-screen, for the most part, it’s a group of people with a lot of interest or a lot of common things. They have a lot of personality traits that are similar.”
“When you mix Yin and Yang, when you got me and Randy, or me and Pete, They’re so serious,” Riddle continued. “Randy likes putting people on fire, Pete is a Broserweight, he likes breaking people’s fingers. Then you got The Bro, I can kick your head off or maybe choke you out but I ride a scooter and I’m kinda goofy.”
Embracing your comedic sensibilities can be a mixed bag in WWE, as having a comedy role on Raw or SmackDown doesn’t always ensure that the audience will take you seriously. Thankfully, Riddle mixing up his goofiness with intense wrestling has been a hit with audiences, with The Original Bro crediting that to people realizing that this is who he really is outside of the ring.
I love working at WWE, I’ve loved every opportunity.
“What goes on with me is it’s real, it’s natural, I’m really enjoying myself and I think it’s contagious,” said Riddle. “If you go to a party or you go to dinner and somebody is over the top and having fun, you kind of end up having fun yourself.”
Despite his success in the independent scene, it’s clear that his current Raw Tag Team Championship run with Randy Orton has been his biggest career highlight thus far. Though Riddle has been a constant presence on television and having awesome matches with AJ Styles, he admits that performing in SummerSlam was a moment that overwhelmed him.
Riddle recalls, “Wrestlemania was big, but Summerslam was humongous. It was a spectacle There were so many people there. It was one of those things—and I talked to Triple H a while ago and he’s like ‘When you’re in these moments, it’s hard because you got stuff to do and you’re working, but try to take it in.’ And at Summerslam, walking out there with Randy, down that huge ramp with thousands of people on every side, seeing the reaction, seeing all the RK-Bro shirts, getting that love. It was super special and an amazing moment. Then to have to share that moment with Randy Orton, to be able to strike that Viper Pose, It was awesome.”
Fans won’t be surprised to know that given all of his success, Riddle is currently satisfied with how he has been portrayed in WWE thus far.
“I, Personally, Me, Riddle The Bro, The Original Bro, I love working at WWE, I’ve loved every opportunity,” Riddle enthused. “If it’s me doing a party in the background, popping a bottle of champagne for somebody else’s win or if I’m the one at Summerslam holding the RAW Tag Team Championship above my head, or even if it’s just me cracking jokes with the absurd ideas that I have. I love it all. I really enjoy my job. I enjoyed my job before I was in the WWE when I was making scraps, making pennies, struggling to get by, selling t-shirts out of my suitcase. This is something that I really love and something I really love to do. It entertains me and it keeps me happy. I couldn’t be more happy working for the WWE. I’m stoked.”
How long will Riddle be Tag Team Champions with Randy Orton? You can find out by catching Monday Night Raw live on TAP Sports, alongside NXT 2.0 and NXT UK.