WWE’s Matt Riddle and Randy Orton have been an odd couple on Monday Night Raw for some time now with their tag team RK-Bro. Sadly, it seemed that team-up might have officially come to an end in the latest episode after Orton finally snapped on Riddle and delivered an RKO that could spell the end of their friendship and alliance, and maybe even turn into a match at SummerSlam. The friendship may be dead on-camera, but are the two actually friends in real life?
Matt Riddle recently spoke to Sportskeeda Wrestling about ideal tag-team partners and whether or not he’d love to team up with a noted wrestler with a similar gimmick to Riddle’s, Rob Van Dam. Riddle gave props to RVD, and in the process also described why he loves his chemistry with Randy Orton and talked a bit about their dynamic behind the scenes:
On camera, we are complete opposite people, you know, because he’s very serious. He lights people on fire. You know, I ride my scooter and kick my flip flops off, so we’re two different people on camera [laughs]. Off-camera in the locker room, we really [bumps knuckles together]. We meet, we connect, we’re cool, we get it. Even though Rob Van Dam’s the man and I’d love to be part of any team with him, I think for success teams like me, and Pete [Dunne] and Randy work better. I feel like so many teams are like two people that are very alike. When you get a team where two people are opposites, and they’re working together? It’s refreshing for the audience.
For all the tension shown on camera, Matt Riddle indicated at the very least that he and Randy Orton work together to make sure that polar opposite dynamic comes across on Monday Night Raw. Riddle gave no signs of tension between the two, and certainly nothing like the disdain we see Orton has for Riddle during wrestling events.
Hilariously enough, Randy Orton admitted months ago on The Kurt Angle Show that he didn’t have a good first impression of Matt Riddle when he first met him. Orton shared the story, which is a good lesson in respecting the veterans of your organization. As he put it:
The funny thing with Riddle is when I first met him, we were in Miami. The entire locker room of NXT was in Miami. So now our locker rooms, which aren't the biggest, are now jam-packed with NXT guys, who aren't working the show, but you know, in the wrestling business, you bring your gear to the show. You are always prepared, brother, and so, you got all these NXT guys with all their sh, taking up all the space in the locker room. Me, especially being a vet, being around for a while, and I see this, and now I already got a hard-on for these guys, right? So, it doesn't help when I walk by Matt Riddle, and my olive branch was basically me all looking at Matt, and I just said, I go, 'Oh, there he is, there he is!' Just kind of icebreaker, expecting maybe a, 'Oh, hey Randy. My name is Matt; nice to meet you.' But instead, Matt just kind of barely, you know, with the bloodshot eyes glanced over at me, he is just like, and he just kept walking. I remember thinking, 'That mother fucker.’ So, for quite a while, I didn't like Riddle, and it was because of that little scenario. One little incident. And it wasn't even an incident. It's just I took it as a lack of respect, and when you come back there, and your brand new, and no one knows you, you want to introduce yourself because we are a band of brothers. I have got to trust you with my body in that ring. And you, the same. You've got to trust me. We should probably make an introduction at some point. We should probably shoot the sh a little bit, and so, back to Matt Riddle. I love the guy now.
Randy Orton may look seconds from murdering his tag-team partner on Monday Night Raw, but he’s a fan of Matt Ridd in real life. It’s kind of a shame to learn now that the two’s run as a duo may be over, but perhaps the two can mend that bridge?
Monday Night Raw airs on USA Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. For more on behind-the-scenes wrestling gossip, read up on which former WWE superstar just blasted Goldberg and isn't sure why he's performing at SummerSlam.
