Former WWE Star Matt Riddle Turns Heel in MLW, โขAnnounces “rude Dude” Persona
PHILADELPHIA, PA – October 5, โข2025 โ – In a stunning turn of events atโ the MLW “Slaughterhouse” event Saturday night, former WWE United States Champion Matt Riddle โunderwent a character transformation, defeating Alex Hammerstone via โขunderhandedโข tactics and declaring โthe โคend of โhis popular “King of bros” โคpersona. Riddle now goes byโข the moniker “Rude Dude.”
The heel turn unfoldedโฃ during the closing moments โof Riddle’s match against Hammerstone, the former MLWโ World Heavyweight Champion. โฃInterference from Mads Krugger and Dijak,โ the latter wieldingโข a steel chair, โcreated chaos โขas Hammerstone โprepared to execute his โ”Nightmareโ Pendulum” finishing move. With โคthe referee distracted, Riddle delivered a โlow blow to Hammerstone โbefore โฃtheโค official couldโฃ regain control and count the pinfall. โFollowingโ theโฃ match, Riddle โaddressed the crowd,โฃ officially โannouncing the โคretirement of โtheโข “King ofโ Bros” and the โarrival of a more aggressive chapterโ in hisโค career.
Riddle’s “King of Bros” character propelled him โfrom a career in mixed martial arts to prominence within WWE.โข Signing with the โขcompany in 2018, he quickly gained popularity in โNXT before achieving success on the โmain roster, โcapturing theโ United States Championshipโค and twice winning the Raw tag Team Championship alongside Randy Orton as part of the “RK-Bro” team.
Since leaving WWE, Riddleโข has competed for several top promotions, including New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he held the NJPWโ World Television Championship. This shift to โa heel role in MLW โrepresents โฃa important reinvention โfor the wrestler, signaling his intent to explore new facets of hisโฃ character and โขevolve within โthe professional wrestling landscape.