WWE Star Reportedly Receives Backstage Heat Over Roman Reigns Comments
RAW Tag Team Champion Riddle reportedly received backstage heat over his recent comments aimed at WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
We noted before how Reigns recently took a shot at AEW star CM Punk while speaking with BT Sport.
When it comes down to it, CM Punk was not as good or as over as a John Cena, wasn't as good or as over or moved the needle like The Rock. It just was what it was," Reigns said. You can read his full comments here.
Reigns then tweeted a reaction to WWE's announcement on SummerSlam pay-per-view success and said that was "legitimate needle moving." There was other instances of "the needle" being referenced in the world of pro wrestling that week, as detailed at this link.
Riddle then spoke with Graham Matthews of Bleacher Report for a recent interview where he had some strong words for The Tribal Chief.
"No disrespect to Roman, he seems like a swell fella, but at the same time, it's like when people say they're a good parent," Riddle said. "You know what? If you were a good parent, your kids would be telling you you're a good parent. When he's saying 'Acknowledge me' or 'I move the needle,' no, you don't. You're related to The Rock. Shut up. Like, I'm not impressed, I can beat you up in a real fight. So, shut your mouth. You're not moving needles. I'm the real stallion, RK-Bro is moving the merch, we're moving the needle, and that's it. I don't want to say too much, I'm not trying to get in trouble. Hey, hats off to him. He's amazing at what he does. I do like what he does, but at the same time, it's like, get off your high horse. You're in that spot for a reason. You're not a bro. You're second generation. I'm first generation."
In that same interview, Riddle referenced Brock Lesnar's SummerSlam return and said The Beast and The Head of The Table don't want to get hurt, noting that they both are making a wise decision in avoiding an in-ring collision with him.
"Brock came out at the end of the show," Riddle said. "I saw a sign on a door say Mr. Beast and I was like, 'Who the hell is Mr. Beast? I got a feeling that's Brock.' You know, hey, I'm glad Brock's back. Fans missed him and he's one hell of a competitor. I personally think he went for the wrong man—he went from Roman—but people love that Universal Championship, so I get it. I think they're both doing the right thing because they don't want to get hurt."
In an update, there was said to be a lot of heat on Riddle within "certain circles" due to the comments about Reigns, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
While there was some speculation on the nature of Riddle's comments, it was confirmed that this was not storyline related, and was very much considered a negative by many with the idea that Riddle is incredibly talents, more than he gets credit for being, but he's not very astute politically in the company.
It was also noted on a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that Riddle "ruffled some feathers" with people in WWE over the comments.
Riddle has had issues with Brock Lesnar and WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg in the past, and has talked about them publicly, so Reigns isn't the first. Riddle recently noted to Sony Sports India that he and Goldberg are on better terms after years of heated interactions. He noted in this new interview with Bleacher Report that things haven't really improved with Lesnar, and they remain at odds following their backstage incident at the 2020 Royal Rumble.
"I don't see Brock [burying the hatchet]," Riddle said to Bleacher Report. "The way we talk to each other when we talk to each other, he is not a fan. He thinks I'm extremely arrogant and disrespectful."
Stay tuned for more.