10 WWE Match-Ups That Were Better In Another Promotion

4. Ricochet Vs. Matt Riddle

Ricochet Raw
WWE.com

Ricochet has one of the flashiest offences in all of wrestling but cannot catch a break. He's dealing with a full-on burial at the hands of McMahon, with the boss losing faith in him.

Having him face down Matt Riddle, a former UFC fighter whose grounded attacks contrast perfectly with Richochet's high flying assault could have been just the spark to ignite a monster push. The fight even had the intrigue of being a cross-brand battle. All the intangibles coalesced in favor of this match in particular.

Instead WWE decided to barely have a match at all, letting the two of them fight for 3 minutes before Cesaro and Nakamura interfered.

Riddle and Ricochet fought before in EVOLVE, where they at least had enough time to allow them to tell a proper story, showing Riddle's struggle to keep Ricochet on the mat. Their NXT edition makes the EVOLVE bout look like a master class. Still, most fans can't help but anticipate a day where the two are both given enough time to do something spectacular. Until that day, these two matches are all fans have.

Contributor
Contributor

A former NCAA runner turned writer, and an ardent aficionado of all things academic, aesthetic and athletic.