Matt Riddle says he has more creative freedom in MLW than he had in WWE.
The former WWE United States Champion compared the two companies during an interview with The Takedown on SI.
MLW definitely has a game plan. I definitely have more freedom here than I did in WWE. 100%.
Riddle claimed his pitches in WWE were often shot down, only to show up in his material soon after.
In WWE, most of the time when I suggested something, somebody would say it was dumb, and then two weeks later it would be part of the promo or part of the sketch. MLW kind of lets me rock.
He did not name who rejected his ideas or say which ideas were later used.
Riddle also praised how MLW treats its roster backstage.
They run MLW professionally. They’ve got good catering. There’s water, Gatorade, and sodas. It’s pretty sick.
WWE released Riddle in September 2023. He returned to MLW in January 2024 for his first match after leaving WWE. He later held the MLW World Heavyweight Championship from January to September 2025.
