Matt Riddle just dropped a verbal haymaker on CM Punk—and made it clear he’s not buying the legend hype.
During a Going Ringside interview, the former WWE star didn’t hold back when asked about potentially joining AEW. What started as a measured response quickly turned into a direct shot at Punk’s reputation behind the scenes.
Riddle said he’d work for AEW, but criticized the promotion’s past strategy of signing too many ex-WWE talents who, in his view, didn’t deliver. That’s when he brought up Punk.
“Yeah, I would totally work for AEW. I feel like when they first started, they hired a lot of former WWE guys and I think that left a bad taste in their mouth, because other than Moxley and maybe another couple, it didn’t really work out too well. Most of them just got fat checks and didn’t do much. So, and I think they don’t want to deal with that.”
He then blamed CM Punk specifically for damaging AEW’s momentum:
“That’s why they’re using more homegrown talent. They had that issue with CM Punk and that went belly up for them—belly up and cost some fans, money, and everything else. They’re still rebuilding.”
When pressed further, Riddle delivered the knockout line:
“You know, I’m not a big fan of that guy either. That guy sucks at fighting and he’s a b** to work with in the back.”*
He added that Punk’s attitude is consistent with what others in the locker room have told him.
“Yeah, because he just bellyaches and complains. This guy complains about getting multiple world title runs. We hear that stereotype, but you say backstage that is accurate? That is accurate. I’ve heard from my boys that still work there that he is a headache. And this isn’t a storyline. This is the facts.”
Punk’s rocky UFC career is part of the picture Riddle was painting. After leaving WWE in 2014, Punk signed with the UFC to pursue MMA—a move that many saw as ambitious but questionable. He fought twice: a brutal submission loss to Mickey Gall in 2016, followed by a unanimous decision loss to Mike Jackson in 2018. He quietly exited the sport soon after, with no official retirement but zero signs of return.
Riddle, on the other hand, came from the opposite path. A former UFC fighter himself, Riddle had four wins in the Octagon before getting cut for repeated failed drug tests due to marijuana. He later reinvented himself in professional wrestling and climbed to major success in WWE—until he was released in 2023 following multiple controversies, including airport-related incidents and backstage heat.
Now, both men have scars from MMA and drama in the locker room—but Riddle is making it clear: if Punk returns to AEW or WWE full-time, he’s not interested in working with him.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
Is Matt Riddle right to take shots at CMPunk’s MMA past and locker room rep—or is he just bitter over his own exit? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.