WWE Rumors: Matt Riddle Reportedly Slated For Huge ‘SummerSlam’ Match

Citing Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WrestleTalk reported that WWE’s Matt Riddle will face AJ Styles for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam. This comes after the Friday Night SmackDown newcomer defeated the champion in a non-title match in his main roster debut.

Riddle’s win over Styles in their previous match makes him a suitable number one contender for a title shot, at least by WWE’s usual booking logic. Picking up an instant win against one of the blue brand’s top champions — especially right after Styles won the title — could also be a sign that Riddle is being fast-tracked to the top of the card.

Vince McMahon is reportedly a huge fan of Riddle and wants to push the superstar. According to the rumors, the WWE chairman sees Riddle as a young Shawn Michaels. Previous reports suggested that McMahon disliked the young superstar for disrespecting legend and calling out Brock Lesnar, but that doesn’t appear to be the case anymore.

Riddle has also been given more luxuries than most newcomers so far. During the most recent Friday Night SmackDown, the superstar explained why he wrestles barefoot, and his story reportedly went down well with McMahon.

The superstar is believed to have been allowed some creative freedom with his promo, which indicates that McMahon and other officials think highly of the superstar. WWE’s product is often criticized for being micromanaged, and only a select few performers are entrusted to cut unscripted promos on live television.

While the rumors propose that Riddle is being tipped for a match with Styles, Meltzer also reported that Riddle could feud with King Corbin, with the winner going on to face Styles for the title at the pay-per-view.

Riddle got into a confrontation with Corbin on the latest episode of Friday Night SmackDown, but there is plenty of time to wrap up that angle for WWE’s biggest show of the summer. However, it’s also possible that he might not face Styles at all.

As documented by Ringside News, the company’s plans for SummerSlam are currently subject to change. Nothing is set in stone for the event at the time of this writing, as WWE must get Extreme Rules out of the way first.

The latest development suggests that Riddle’s WWE career won’t be affected by the recent misconduct allegations against him. As The Inquisitr previously reported, independent wrestler Candy Cartwright has spoken out against the WWE superstar, but he’s denied that he forced her to do anything.