Former WWE Talent Alleges Brock Lesnar Took Matters Into His Own Hands to Secure Victory

In a surprising turn of events, former WWE star Matt Riddle has revealed that initial plans for him to win the 2022 Royal Rumble match were altered due to the unexpected inclusion of Brock Lesnar. The renowned RK-Bro tag-team, consisting of Riddle and Randy Orton, had been gaining popularity in the lead-up to the highly anticipated event.

Despite the anticipation surrounding Riddle’s potential victory, both he and Orton were ultimately eliminated by Brock Lesnar, the eventual winner. Lesnar, who had earlier lost his WWE Championship to Bobby Lashley, emerged as a surprise entrant and changed the course of the match.

During a Signed By Superstars virtual signing, Riddle disclosed that he had been informed at one point that he was slated to win the Royal Rumble in 2022. However, plans took an unexpected turn after Bobby Lashley defeated Brock Lesnar earlier in the night, leading to Lesnar’s last-minute decision to claim victory in the Rumble.

Riddle explained:

“At one point, I was told I was going to win the Rumble (in 2022), and then Bobby Lashley beat Brock Lesnar, hit him with the belt. Brock came in, didn’t want to do business with everybody and said he was winning. Nobody stood up to him. I didn’t either.”

While PWInsider initially reported that Riddle was the frontrunner to win the match and plans changed with Lesnar’s addition, Fightful had reported that Lesnar had been scheduled to win the 30-man match at least two weeks before the event.

Post his WWE release in September 2023, Riddle made a surprising appearance via video at NJPW New Year Dash, issuing a challenge to NJPW WORLD TV Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi.