Matt Riddle has taken NXT by storm since arriving in the company in 2018 and he gave talkSPORT a very honest insight into his future plans and life inside WWE

Matt Riddle is one of NXT and thus, WWE’s brightest stars today and fans are already clamouring for him to make the step up to the main roster.

While Riddle himself can make you believe his date with Brock Lesnar is a question of when not if, he still has plenty of business with the yellow brand for the time being.

WWE 4 Matt Riddle during his NXT TakeOver debut Vs Kassius Ohno

talkSPORT’s Pro Wrestling Show caught up with the Original Bro at Download Festival on Saturday and we dived into a myriad of interesting topics with the candid star.

Getting back to the UK

I can’t wait, it’s been too long. I’ve been trying to get over for the NXT UK tapings and the TakeOvers when I can and right now, they’re trying to keep us separate. And I’m like ‘I don’t think you should. I wanna go back over there’ because the English fans, the UK fans are so ravenous. I miss it.

Walter is on my list. I’ve had battles with him in England, Germany, America, Ireland – I have fought him everywhere and they’ve always been pretty good! And, he has a title. I wouldn’t mind that NXT UK belt. Maybe have the North American title and be a double champion?

The step from independents to WWE

For me, it was more of a step up in professionalism. Not so much the wrestling, per se, but more so how you handle yourself in and out of work and how you go to work, showing up, looking proper and things like that; well, you know me, I’ll just show up in some flip-flops and that, which, they still kind of let me do because it’s a part of my character. So, I still get away with a lot of stuff I probably shouldn’t! I think it’s changed in that sense and I think if anything it has made me more professional and better at what I do.

On being impressed with WWE’s production

I was blown away. A couple of years ago at an Evolve show, it was Royal Rumble weekend and I went to a TakeOver and Shinsuke Nakamura came out. And I’ve seen him on TV but I was never impressed. I was like, yeah his moves are cool, but I just don’t get it. And then when I saw him in person and I saw the atmosphere that was created for him and what he did with it, I was like ‘holy crap, this dude is a star!’, my mind was blown. I’m doing the Nakamura thing now! [gestures like Nakamura’s hands]. But on the indies, you don’t really get that. You’re larger than the show but in WWE, the show is larger than you because it’s such a big production and there are so many moving pieces. And that’s why it’s so attention-getting.

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On ever having the itch to return to MMA/UFC

I have no itch. I’m happy wrestling. One of the big things I hate about fighting – and I love fighting – is hurting people. And in MMA when you beat somebody they usually get fired, they get less money; it’s like I’m hurting people physically and financially and at the end of the day I didn’t want to do that. For me, I have no itch to go back to fighting. The only way I’d go back is if I could fight like Jon Jones for millions of dollars, but, other than that, there’s no reason. I don’t see how I win even if I win. If I win that fight, I don’t see how I benefit. I already fought in the UFC, killed it there, they fired me on a winning streak because I was too badass [smirks] and that’s about it.

‘Bro’ being over in WWE immediately

Even if they wanted to change the name, they had to just stick with the ‘bro’. Even if it wasn’t the Original Bro or King of Bros, they’d still be chanting ‘bro’. But I also think I’m connected with the people enough where if I wanted to change it and I was like ‘hey everybody, instead of the bro I’m the dude now’ …’Dude, dude, dude,’ I’m pretty sure the crowd would start chanting dude and saying dude. The bro thing was just easy and I say it a lot. It works, it’s a part of my character, demeanour – at least this version of bro. You know, there’s Zack Ryder but that’s a Jersey Shore ‘bro’. I’m more of a like ‘what up bro?’ – a laid back bro.

On all the Goldberg talk

The thing for me is, and one of the reasons I was never a fan of Goldberg in the beginning when everybody was like ‘oh, he’s so good!’ I was like ‘no, he’s terrible, he’s hurting people’ and there’s nothing else. He just has three-minute matches. And that was my thing and when people say ‘who was your favourite wrestler?’ I really don’t have one. I just liked really good wrestling. That’s why I fight and I do that. So for me, I don’t care how much money he makes, I’m just glad people were entertained. But, stick to your wheelhouse, bro. And stop headbutting doors before you wrestle. And I’m not hating – I’m not hating – I’m just spitting facts and these are all facts and things he should take into consideration. And not just for me, not because he got made fun of, but for his health as well.

On respecting Brock Lesnar

I have a huge amount of respect for Lesnar [as opposed to Goldberg]. You know, he’s done everything since he came into it. He works hard. You don’t look like Lesnar without working hard. You don’t pick up things, get to the top of multiple industries and sports without working hard. Do I like his work, per se, and his attitude right now? No. But, I think that’s why it’s good [between them]. He’s the complete opposite of me, but we’re the same.

4 Matt Riddle has been chasing Brock Lesnar since he stepped foot in WWE

How WWE are with him calling out top stars on Twitter

Just like with the Goldberg stuff – I’m me. I let them know before I signed, because I had opportunities to go work other places and we were discussing and my thing was, I didn’t want to let them down. I’m going to tell you who I am, I’m very honest and even with [Matt] Bloom, we’ve gotten into it where I’m like ‘hey man, I think you’re disrespecting me’ and he’s like ‘what!’ and we get into it but then we’re better afterwards because I don’t hold anything back. I’m very honest. I’ll talk, and I’ll talk some sh*t, I’ll say some stuff. But, at the same time, it’s usually true, I back it up and I think they [WWE] respect that. I think if I was a bad worker and then I did everything that I do, they’d be like ‘hate this guy’. But, all the talents like Triple H and Shawn Michaels, they know I’m legit as hell and they love it. Same thing with [William] Regal and [Robbie] Brookside or anybody else, they all know.

WWE 4 Matt Riddle meeting Triple H in NXT

How working with legends like Triple H and HBK has helped him

It’s just a confidence. That demeanour, what you do in between the moves and everything else. I think just having guys like have my back, or, when they do critique me and tell me something, it’s true and I need to work on it. Or I’ve been lazy about something, and it happens because you get comfortable. If the crowd are chanting ‘bro’ and you’re super over, why should I change anything, right? But sometimes you change something and now you got more fans, you’re getting even better. Plus, you want to make Vince [McMahon] happy! [laughs]. I’m trying!

On his classic with Velveteen Dream at NXT TakeOver: New York and who put it together

I’ll be honest – not that Dream didn’t put his pieces in – but I feel like I called that, I called that. I was just like ‘this is what’s happening. I want to look like a killer, but you’re still going to beat me.’ Because I still want to look strong, I don’t want to look weak in a loss. You can lose a match and look a million dollars and I lost that match but I knew I was money afterwards with the crowd reaction and everything else. And I think I showed that angry side. People just see the happy-go-lucky, smiling bro so when they got to see the intensity turn up… and you know, it’s good for me too, I like to be pushed that way. I’m aggressive, I’m trying to win.

4 Matt Riddle German Suplexing Velveteen Dream

I think he was [receptive] because my style is something much different than what he has worked with. And, he put his pieces in. It’s not like I was like ‘hey, you’re going to do this here,’ he had all his moves in, but it was more I wanted to tell the story of me being aggressive, really coming for that title and pushing him and him being able to overcome. Even maybe being able to match me later on with strikes and surprise me. I wanted that rollercoaster and because of his style being so 80’s pro wrestling, it’s hard to mix MMA with that but I think we did a pretty decent job.

Any trepidation in the NXT locker room with getting called up to the main roster

I’ve heard about the ‘curse’ or whatever it is [laughs]. I think that’s on you. Because there is other people that have gone up there and they have run with the ball. And I do believe you have to have a certain look that Vince likes, or they like; it’s not one person. One person might make the decisions at the end of the day, but a lot of people talk to that one person. If everybody is on your side, probably not going to hurt, right? So I like at it like this, got to play politics. But I’m not worried, I think once I get up it will be the right time. They’ll know what to do with me. They’re not just going to pull me up and just be like ‘let’s get him now’. I think when I go up, I’m going to come after Lesnar and I’m going for him. That’s it, I don’t know what else I would be doing! Unless they want to give me Bill Goldberg as a warmup first, I’ll take him. Then I’ll take Lesnar.

"I wanna cost him cashing in, then have him face me at @WWENXT Takeover!" Turns out wrestlers fantasy book too! Here's how @SuperKingofBros would like to see his call up to the main roster, with a shocking twist involving @BrockLesnar! @WWEUK Subscribe – https://t.co/w2dIgrB143 pic.twitter.com/dSa169kyMJ — The Pro Wrestling Show (@ProWrestleShow) June 16, 2019

Fantasy booking Vs Lesnar

See, what I would like to do is attack Lesnar as he is cashing in and cost him it. After he cashes in so he can’t win. And then, have him attack me at NXT TakeOver. And when the Beast’s music hits I’m like [shocked face] but like ‘yeaaaaah! let’s go!’ and then I’m quickly like ‘Oh noooooo, he’s huge! [laughs]. It’s going to happen. if it doesn’t happen, I’d be shocked.

The full interview will be available on the Pro Wrestling Show’s YouTube channel and on our podcast next week.