On Sunday night the annual Royal Rumble aired live on the WWE Network, and both Royal Rumble matches featured appearances from NXT stars.
Fans were excited for a possible Matt Riddle/Brock Lesnar face off in the Royal Rumble match, but Lesnar was eliminated before Riddle entered, and Riddle didn’t last very long in the match.
Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that there’s a lot of heat on Matt Riddle right now, which is why Riddle didn’t have a good showing in the Royal Rumble.
It’s being said that Riddle’s quick elimination was more than just a way to get heat for Baron Corbin, and that it was more of a Vince McMahon call than a decision made by Paul Heyman. There’s speculation that he may have rubbed someone the wrong way.
It’s also worth noting that prior to the show going live on the air it was reported that Matt Riddle got into a verbal altercation with Brock Lesnar backstage.
