Matt Riddleâ€s name always seems to come with controversy attached, whether itâ€s backstage behavior or viral headlines. But Rob Van Dam isnâ€t jumping on the hate train — instead, heâ€s defending his longtime friend as someone people just donâ€t fully understand.
While speaking with Bill Apter, the WWE Hall of Famer opened up about his relationship with Riddle and why he still stands by him. According to RVD, thereâ€s more to Riddle than people online give him credit for.
“Mattâ€s a good dude, from what I know of him. Heâ€s one of my friends. He definitely has some crazy sides to him and some parts I donâ€t really connect with, but thatâ€s normal — everyoneâ€s got different sides. The parts I do relate to are the ones that matter.â€
RVD admitted he sees why people often lump them together. The stoner image, chill attitude, and even the barefoot wrestling style connect the two — even though most fans forget RVD used to wrestle without boots, too.
“People always compare Matt to me, probably because of the cannabis thing, maybe the laid-back attitude. We both wrestled barefoot too, though most people donâ€t even remember that about me. I think the cannabis connection is what people see most.â€
But itâ€s Riddleâ€s loud personality and tendency to stir things up that gets him into trouble, RVD says. And while itâ€s easy for fans to pile on, he believes the hate is often overblown.
“He likes to fight, heâ€s not passive, and heâ€s not afraid to speak his mind. Heâ€ll stir things up and say, ‘Iâ€m just telling the truth, man.†Maybe some of that comes from inexperience or being younger — maybe he still has something to prove to himself or others.â€
Referencing past incidents like the backlash Riddle received for no-showing a UK charity event, RVD called out internet fans for reacting before knowing the facts.
“When that recent scandal happened, headlines said he no-showed a fundraiser — and thatâ€s all people needed to attack him. They donâ€t read the article or wait for his side. Three words in a headline and theyâ€re ready to hate, hiding behind keyboards. Thatâ€s society today — internet marks with short attention spans.â€
Despite the constant scrutiny, RVD says Riddle isnâ€t fazed by the backlash. In fact, he sees right through the fake outrage and moves on.
“Matt knows that, though. He shrugs it off because he understands how shallow that loyalty really is. So, no concern.â€
RVDâ€s loyalty to Riddle is clear — he sees a friend trying to navigate fame in a world where one wrong word can trend in minutes. Whether Riddle can stay out of trouble going forward is anyoneâ€s guess, but according to RVD, the hate isnâ€t always earned.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
Do you think Matt Riddle has been misunderstood or is the criticism fair? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
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