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What's the story?
Matt Riddle is widely considered to be the hottest prospect on the Independent scene currently. His career has been impressive in both MMA and in professional wrestling. Currently the EVOLVE Champion, there are innumerable rumours linking Riddle to WWE.
Amidst all these rumours, Riddle was a guest on Sean Waltman's podcast, 'XPAC 1-2-360 podcast at AfterBuzz TV' (H/T SEScoops), where he talked about fighting a former WWE superstar, James Ellsworth.
In case you didn't know...
Matt Riddle recently backed out on several Independent Show bookings during WWE's SummerSlam weekend, which has given rise to speculation that the star may appear at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 4.
Although his other bookings with EVOLVE still remain, as they have a working relationship with WWE, the star may appear for both promotions if need be.
Both New Japan and WWE have shown interest in signing Riddle, and he may be the latest addition to WWE's NXT roster. To add further fire to the rumours, Combat Zone Wrestling put up a graphic where they pitted Riddle against Johnny Silver, saying that it might be Riddle's last match before joining WWE. They took it down soon after and put up a graphic without any mention of WWE.
The heart of the matter
Riddle talked about one particular match that he remembered, and this was one with former WWE star, James Ellsworth. According to Riddle, the two were set to face off, but Ellsworth was terrified of facing him. He said that Ellsworth was shaking while talking about their upcoming bout, and Riddle told him to relax.
He admitted that he had been told by other talents to beat him up, but he said that he was not the kind of person to do that. So, while Ellsworth was terrified, Riddle comforted him by saying:
"Bro, relax. It’s like a 5 minute match and we’re gonna kill it, it’s gonna be easy."
The two went on to have a good bout, after which Ellsworth thanked him for the great experience, and then again thanked Riddle for not killing him.
What's next?
NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 4 is set to take place on the 18th of August at SummerSlam weekend. Riddle is free from his bookings on that week and may appear as part of the crowd for the show.
Meanwhile, Ellsworth was fired by Paige on SmackDown Live, but there are rumours that he may appear again at SummerSlam anyway.
You can listen to the entire podcast here:
What do you think of Riddle's experience with Ellsworth? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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