Former WWE Superstar Matt Riddle has claimed that he was supposed to win the 2022 men's Royal Rumble match, only for Brock Lesnar to force his way into winning the bout instead.
Speaking during an online signing session with Signed By Superstars, Riddle explained:
"So I believe — you know, it’s sports-entertainment — that I was told at one point, yeah, I was gonna win the Rumble [...] and then what was it? Bobby Lashley beat Brock Lesnar because somebody came in and hit him with the belt or what have you. Then Brock came in, didn’t wanna do business with everybody, said he was winning, and then he won. [...] None of the producers, nobody stood up to him and they let him do it. I didn’t either, I didn’t either. I’m like, f*** man, I’m just here."
At the time, Riddle was indeed reported as a potential original winner of the match shortly after Lesnar's victory.
In the same session, Riddle also claimed to have been the planned winner of the 2022 men's Money in the Bank ladder match, instead won by Austin Theory. He stated:
"Wanna hear something else cool? I was supposed to win Money in the Bank but Vince [McMahon] really likes Austin Theory and literally hours before, they changed it and Austin was added in and threw me off the ladder. After I took two huge ladder bumps off the RKO and everything else [...] but I love Austin Theory and I’m happy for him. Keep killing it, bro."
Riddle was released WWE in September 2023, and is set to challenge New Japan Pro-Wrestling legend (and new company president) Hiroshi Tanahashi.
H/T to POST Wrestling.