Matt Riddle Concedes 'My Personal Life Is In Shambles'

Matt Riddle will have the attention of the wrestling world on October 8 when he takes on Seth Rollins in the Fight Pit match at WWE's premium live event "Extreme Rules." But while he is now enjoying a professional high, he admitted during an interview with "WWE After The Bell with Corey Graves" that his life outside of the ring is considerably more challenging.

"Well, I'll say this: My personal life is in shambles," Riddle said. "I'm not gonna cry on the show ... My personal life is pretty brutal. It's been a rough year for me, you know, it was rough couple years, dude."

Riddle did not go into detail regarding the "shambles" of his personal life, which involved marital problems after an acknowledgment of adultery in 2020 amid a scandal where fellow wrestler Candy Cartwright accused him of sexual assault, a charge that he denied. Riddle's ex-wife, Lisa Rennie Riddle, announced on Instagram that their divorce was finalized last March, adding that "the kids and I are enjoying our new adventure, and are grateful for everyone that's been by our side through all of this." 

If the real world hasn't been serene for Riddle, he admitted satisfaction with what the WWE is offering.

"Professionally, though, my life is amazing – it's great," he continued, noting how he is moving beyond "my apex of tag team wrestling" with ring partner Randy Orton into a renewed focus as a solo wrestler.

"When it comes to my singles career, I'm still in its infancy," he added, comparing himself to the children's book character The Little Engine That Could for his dogged determination to succeed. "I'm chugging along – chugga, chugga, chugga – but once I get to the top of the hill I don't run out of steam."