10 Great Wrestlers WWE Must Sign For The Cruiserweight Revival

10. Matt Riddle

Former UFC Welterweight and Middleweight fighter Matt Riddle, has only been wrestling for 18 months after switching over from MMA, but he brings considerable grappling pedigree to the table.

A former high school national wrestling champion and brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Riddle left MMA with a record of 8 wins, 3 losses, and 2 no contests, and a reputation for dragging his opponents to the mat and not letting them up again.

His transition to professional wrestling has been seamless. Working primarily with EVOLVE, Riddle brings an obvious MMA influence to his wrestling style, taking crisp striking, powerful takedowns, and smooth technical transitions to the table.

More importantly, he’s an exuberant performer who exudes energy and confidence, which helps him connect with audiences while his character work continues to develop.

Riddle is far from the finished article, but he’s already putting on great matches with the likes of CWC participants Drew Gulak and Cedric Alexander in one of the USA’s most popular indies. If he’s already this good after such a short spell in the business, Riddle is going to be unstoppable in a couple of years, and WWE would be wise to invest in his potential immediately.

Authored by Andy H Murray

Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.

Posted On: 19th Jul 2016

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