10 WWE Stars Who Are Horrendously Miscast

10. Matt Riddle

Is playing:

The goof in an odd couple tag team, Matt Riddle is currently undergoing what appears to be an ethically suspect experiment of sorts on NXT. It's as if he is being injected with trope after trope of the worst of the WWE style guide in order to suffuse him with enough antibodies to withstand the main roster. TitanTron karaoke, catchphrase singalongs, quiz shows with Byron Saxton: the man is weeks away from getting his own talk show and mocking the recently-deceased family member of one of his peers, and by God, it's alive! It's alive! NXT has built a star so dumbly engaging that he can actually get that sh*t over, and he's rather helped by the idea that he is absolutely killer in that ring. WWE has a genuine superstar on their hands with Matt Riddle. The only thing they need to not do here is deliberately f*ck it up!

Should be playing:

The top guy on SmackDown because WWE, inexplicably, has a good top guy on RAW. Riddle is 34, he's in his prime, he has the look, skill, smile and balls coveted by Vince McMahon and should be transitioned from supporting actor to leading man yesterday.

Authored by Michael Sidgwick

Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!

Posted On: 13th May 2020

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Matt Riddle