Matt Riddle hasn’t been seen in an Octagon in a year and half, and according to him, we might never see him again.
The former welterweight says that he is ready to try his hand at pro wrestling and sign with World Wrestling Entertainment.
In a recent interview, Riddle (who was an amateur wrestler at East Stroudsburg University) says that he started thinking about the idea after ordering the WWE Network a few months ago. After watching John Cena and company, he realized that he was tired of cutting weight for MMA fights and wanted to stop his own suffering.
“I did it for a while,” Riddle told MMAFighting.com. “It wasn’t something I wanted to do, it was something I was good at. They wanted me to fight at 170 or 185 pounds. When I get below 190, my kidneys hurt, my lower back hurts, it’s not safe for my body. I don’t get joy out of suffering, especially if I don’t get paid. I’m no longer 22, I don’t care about tough man contests. This has been my goal my entire life.”
He continues to say that he is confident in his ability to transition into the world of sports entertainment.
“I looked in the mirror four months ago. I was tired of cutting weight, getting sick, I got the (WWE) network for $9.99 and started reliving the Attitude Era and got that spark that I’ve been missing since I was 20. I knew I could make money doing that. I saw the guys I grew up watching, I’m watching the new guys and these guys aren’t bigger than me, I’m a little more ripped than they are, I’m a cage fighter so I have skills, so maybe this is my shot to make it. If worst comes to worst, they say ‘No.’ I’m going to keep trying. I’ve proven people wrong in the past.”
