Matt Riddle has shown off his brand new look on social media as his post-WWE career begins
Matt Riddle, who was released from WWE in September, has dramatically changed his appearance as he begins his life away from the company.
Two months ago, following the official confirmation of their sale to Endeavour and merger with UFC, the WWE roster was heavily trimmed. In terms of releases, the number of wrestlers who lost their jobs wasn’t as high as it has been in previous years, with those in charge choosing to restructure the backroom staff rather than in-ring talent.
The Fall of Matt Liddle
Under the usual justification of ‘budget cuts’, we saw people that many assumed were WWE-lifers like Dolph Ziggler and Shelton Benjamin who could’ve easily settled into producer roles after their in-ring retirements having to leave the company.
Also, higher-ups took the merger as an opportunity to let talent go who may cause an issue for them in terms of PR going forward, including Riddle, a former United States Champion.
WWE fired Matt Riddle in September 2022
Riddle was one of the most popular wrestlers that WWE had on their books in the years prior to his release, but on September 22 his time with the biggest wrestling company in the world came to an end.
He has always been someone who has divided opinion among wrestling fans, and the former UFC star’s departure came in the midst of a controversial incident.
In mid-September, Matt took to social media to accuse an employee at JFK airport of inappropriate conduct, even claiming that he had been sexually assaulted. Of course, people were initially very sympathetic towards The Original Bro, but the Instagram post was quickly taken down with it coming out soon after that Riddle was intoxicated while at the airport, including video footage showing him acting in a disruptive manner.
As such, the company felt as if it was best for all involved to separate themselves from the 37-year-old, despite him being a useful star on their roster. It was reported that Triple H and co felt as if Riddle has ‘burned too many chances’, and many of his fans have been wondering what could be next for him, with his non-compete expiring this month.
Matt Riddle has changed up his look
However, despite there being no indication for over two months as to his future, viewers are starting to think that may be gearing up for his next move, as Riddle has revealed a new look on social media. In WWE, the star was always been known for his long hair, but as seen on his Instagram story, he now has much shorter hair akin to that of his UFC career.
To speculate on his future plans, perhaps his haircut is a clue that he will be making an MMA comeback soon, alternatively, this may just be him deciding to freshen up his presentation ahead of a return to the professional wrestling ring away from WWE.
Whatever his next step, Riddle will almost certainly continue to divide opinion, and his fans will likely follow him wherever he chooses to do. As always, as more comes out about Matt Riddle and what he might do next, GiveMeSport will keep you informed.