Could former WWE Champion return after 451 days to face Matt Riddle on RAW?

On tonight's WWE RAW, Matt Riddle will be squaring up against an undisclosed opponent in the Money in the Bank qualifiers. It'll be a golden chance for The Original Bro to inch closer to getting a title shot. Speculations are rife about his rival, with names of Ludwig Kaiser and Finn Balor in the mix, but a former world champion's theorized return has taken the wrestling world by storm.

A few days ago, World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins issued an Open Challenge on Twitter. He gave a shout-out to Big E, the last world champion to defend his title in such a manner. The New Day member commented on the post. Subsequently, countless fans backed him to accept the challenge or even compete at the Money in the Bank qualifiers to eventually win the briefcase and dethrone Rollins.

Big E was last seen on the March 11 episode of SmackDown last year. Can he return to fight Matt Riddle and add himself to the Money in the Bank proceedings? Unfortunately, the answer is a no based on his latest injury report. The former world champion claimed that his bones aren't completely healed. He also needs more time gearing up for a return to wrestling action.

The former WWE Champion suffered fractures to his C1 vertebrae during an outside-the-ring spot. He underwent scans during the one-year mark of his injury. The Powerhouse of Positivity revealed more about his neck issues on the Battleground podcast in April, 2023.

"It's just a complicated fracture. I broke my C1 in two places (Jefferson fracture), it just takes a little bit more time to heal," said Big E. "I feel great, I have no function issues, no pain issues, I've been at the gym since two weeks after I broke my neck. I'm just feeling great. It's just, obviously, your neck has to be in a certain condition to deal with the rigors of being in the ring."

A surreal comeback against Matt Riddle on WWE RAW has been ruled out. However, Big E may not be done with wrestling yet. He hinted at a retirement earlier this year but subsequent reports claimed that The New Day member has been pitched for a rivalry with Imperium upon return.

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Big E hasn't had a singles match against WWE RAW star Matt Riddle

One of the reasons why Matt Riddle and Big E haven't locked horns is that both are top-card babyfaces. They have either teamed or fought in multi-man matches. Both superstars are also mainstays of separate brands, with Riddle being on RAW since the 2020 Draft and E being mostly stuck to SmackDown from 2017

This could change in the future though. Big E is expected to join his New Day teammates, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, who are now on WWE RAW. Meanwhile, fans are insisting on Matt Riddle's heel turn as it will give him the license to show his brutal MMA nature on RAW.