WWE News: ‘NXT’ Superstar Officially Called Up To ‘Friday Night SmackDown’
On tonight’s episode of WWE’s Friday Night SmackDown, Matt Riddle ended speculation about his future by officially joining the blue brand roster, per Sportskeeda.
Kurt Angle, who refereed Riddle’s last match in NXT this past Wednesday, appeared in a segment to break the news. “The King of Bros” is expected to make his debut in the coming weeks, and it will be interesting to see which superstar his first feud is against.
The show also featured a promo package for Riddle in an effort to build hype for his debut. The WWE Universe will be excited to see him in action as he’s one of the most popular and outspoken superstars to emerge from NXT in recent memory.
Riddle also arrives off the back of a huge year in NXT, in which he won the prestigious Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament with Pete Dunne. The duo then went on to win the Tag Team Championships, dethroning The Undisputed Era in the process.
Riddle’s move to the main roster has been set in stone for weeks now. On the last episode of NXT, he lost a Cage Match to Timothy Thatcher, which felt like the definitive end to his run on the black-and-gold brand. Riddle put over his former friend in the match, as is common for NXT stars to do before they make the leap to Monday Night Raw or Friday Night SmackDown. The match was also one of the most brutal WWE bouts in recent times.
BROOOOOOOOO!!!@SuperKingofBros is coming to Friday Night #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/pfIIezaooA
— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2020
Riddle’s move to Friday Night SmackDown will fuel the rumors about his alleged backstage beef with Brock Lesnar. Earlier this week, The Inquisitr noted how WWE management refused to bring him to Monday Night Raw in case he got into a confrontation with “The Beast Incarnate.” Lesnar reportedly dislikes Riddle because “The King of Bros” has repeatedly stated he wants a match with him. Lesnar, meanwhile, reportedly never intends to work with him.
While Lesnar isn’t a fan of Riddle, WWE management supposedly is. As The Inquisitr report highlights, Vince McMahon is said to be a fan of the superstar’s rebellious attitude and outspoken persona. The chairman reportedly sees Riddle as a new Shawn Michaels, as the Hall of Famer had similar personality traits during his WWE days.
Even if he never works with Lesnar, Riddle has the potential to be a main event star in WWE. That’s if he stays out of trouble anyway, as he has also upset legends like Bill Goldberg in the past.
