8 Wrestlers To Carry NXT Over The Next Year
4. Matt Riddle
Matt Riddle has a similar, but shorter, background to Kushida. He is a former MMA fighter, who then moved onto professional wrestling. His mix of MMA-style striking and amateur wrestling has made him a popular star wherever he has gone.
One little known fact about the Las Vegas born star is that during his high school career, Riddle pinned future UFC champion Jon Jones in State Wrestling. As we now know, ‘Bones’ Jones has gone on to have an incredible career in UFC.
‘The Original Bro’ also possesses an incredibly likeable personality to go along with his athleticism. Since arriving at Full Sail, the former-UFC competitor has been a crowd favourite and been treated like a star.
At NXT TakeOver: New York, Riddle challenged Velveteen Dream for the NXT North American Championship. However, he would defeat Riddle ending his near six-month undefeated streak in WWE. The 33-year-old has come into NXT as a star, and has been treated as such.
We will not have to wait long until his rise to the top. This ‘Bro’ is destined for the main roster, but until then he will feature prominently on NXT and NXT TakeOver Specials.