WWE are no strangers to making odd choices, especially when it comes to the names of their wrestlers. We just got Chad Gable away from being known as Shorty G, and now they have a new name change to baffle fans. Monday Night RAW would gain Matt Riddle in the recent draft, and after starting his tenure there with losses to Sheamus & AJ Styles, he would then lose his first name.
Matt Riddle Is Now Just Riddle
After years of going by his real name in MMA, all around the world on the independent circuit, and through a stint in NXT, he has lost his first name. Going forward, Matt Riddle is simply Riddle. He’s not the first to lose part of their name, and joins the likes of Big E, Rusev, Cesaro, Neville, Otis and more in recent years to have this happen. Some like Apollo Crews & Mustafa Ali would later regain the lost portions of their names, but this seems unlikely for Riddle.
He is personally not opposed to the change. “People, it’s okay. I’ve been called Riddle most of my life, I actually prefer it and it’s my real last name” is what he would say, taking to Twitter & Instagram to try and calm fans down. It did little, and most are still made about this change.
A Possible Reason Involves Google
While this name change seems like a bump move that harms the brand of Matt Riddle, there actually might be a good reason for this. Most of this year for Riddle has been spent dealing with an issue from his past, with a lawsuit being filed against him and WWE. This is easily found by googling his name, and WWE likely wants to avoid this.
If you feel like you need to change someone’s name to try to hide them from their actions, you need to wonder why WWE keeps featuring them. Many have felt that Riddle should be sidelined while the situation involving the lawsuit is dealt with. This also fails miserably, as searching “Riddle WWE” gets you the same results.
Do you think the name change will harm Matt Riddle in the long run, or do you prefer this change? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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