WWE may not bring back former US Champion for fear of facing heat from CM Punk, according to veteran

CM Punk is one of the biggest wrestlers in WWE today. Former manager Dutch Mantell doesn't think the company would want to re-sign a former United States Champion for publicly calling out one of their top stars.

Matt Riddle hasn't shied away from taking shots at WWE and CM Punk since his controversial exit from the company in late 2023. He criticized The Best in the World for his work style during a recent interview with TMZ Sports.

The Original Bro said the Chicago native wouldn't be in the promotion if he hadn't been a proven draw in the business.

Speaking on the latest episode of Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the veteran stated that Matt Riddle's disparaging comments could be one of the reasons why WWE hasn't brought him back yet.

He thinks Riddle may face heat from Punk and several other talents whom he has blasted in recent years.

"This may be a reason why they hadn't picked him up because he's talking about one of the top guys in WWE, and, you know, CM Punk is going to read this. So if they brought him in, would there be heat between CM Punk and Matt Riddle? I'd say yes, and they don't want to bring in something that's going to be a distraction from the rest of their talent or that they would have to deal with, you know, behind the scenes, so and CM Punk may be a lot of those things, but as he said, he more than pays his salary by his merchandise and all this other stuff that he does," Mantell said. (From 1:35:54 to 1:36:32)

You can check out the full podcast below:

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Matt Riddle has some unfinished business in WWE

During a conversation with TMZ Sports, Matt Riddle reflected on his dynamic with Randy Orton as RK-Bro. The duo quietly parted ways without having a payoff due to The Viper's back injury in 2022.

The Original Bro said he would like to finish his story with The Apex Predator if he returns to WWE in the future.

"Well, if it’s up to me, yes. I want to finish my story with Randy. And I know Randy really wants to finish it with me as well. And I know the fans, if I could say anything, the amount of fans that would be happy if we did, even if it was a couple month run, they would be ecstatic and feel complete." (H/T - TJRWrestling)

Riddle has found tremendous success on the independent circuit, having become the MLW World Heavyweight Champion. Will Triple H bring him back anytime soon? Only time will tell.

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If you carry quotes from the first half of the article, please credit the Story Time with Dutch Mantell podcast and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for transcription.