Matt Riddle’s departure from the WWE was a shocker for many fans in the WWE universe. He seemed destined to be one of the biggest stars in the promotion, or so it seemed. One half of the ‘RK-Bro’, Riddle’s exit, was surrounded in mystery.

While many claim that a major reason behind his exit was the incident at JFK where he accused a port authority agent of inappropriately touching him, some claim that Riddle was just not a part of WWE’s creative plans following the incident. But the former UFC star thinks otherwise, as he recently outlined another factor that could’ve led to his firing.

Original Bro blames the $21B merger

When news hit that Endeavor, the company that owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), acquired WWE, fans of the pro-wrestling promotion expected to see some major positive outcomes and changes. The creative minds of the WWE and Dana White could create wonders, right? But no one saw the talent cuts that followed suit. And Riddle was one of the few unfortunate.

And according to Riddle, this merger and Dana White might’ve impacted the decision to cut him off. In an interview on ‘The Kurt Angle Show’ he stated, “I think that definitely didn’t help things. Me and Dana White don’t have the greatest relationship, and I know he’s definitely a big part of that. It definitely played a part. Also, I know that they’re making budget cuts regardless, and I was getting paid quite a pretty penny.”

He further added, “I think that was a big contributing factor. I was gonna get paid a million dollars starting next year, but I also think, you know, the merger didn’t help, and then also my behavior didn’t help either. You know, I ruffled some feathers with HR in the last couple months I was there. I asked a couple questions, this, that, plus other things. So I think there’s multiple reasons why they got rid of me,”

Well, this isn’t the first time that Riddle has talked about other influences that have tried getting him fired, as he once opened up about how another WWE superstar thought of getting him axed from the biggest promotion in the world.

‘RK-Bro’ – not a bromance from the get-go

When RK-Bro was made a tag team, nobody believed that it could work. With Riddle being the ultra-chill surfer dude and Randy Orton being the apex predator that he is, it was something out of a movie script. But to everyone’s surprise, the duo gained a massive following and adulation as a pairing.

ALSO READ: List of WWE Stars Currently Sidelined on the Roster Due to Injury

A major part of their storyline was Orton constantly getting frustrated with Riddle but later taking a liking toward him, and apparently, it also happened behind the scenes as well. In an interview with ‘Signed By Superstars’, the 38-year-old revealed how, due to his laid-back attitude and comfort with the locker room from the get-go, the ‘Viper’ actually thought of getting him fired.

He said, “Like I think Randy didn’t like me the first time we met. I didn’t want to bother him and he’s going up to everybody I just had my headphones on I was chilling and I didn’t go up and say hi to him. And I remember Randy going, I’m going to figure out a way to get this guy f**king fired and I was like you said that dude and ‘he’s like yeah but you’re cool now’.”

Well, the fans can thank their lucky stars that Orton did not go ahead with the plan. In fact, not everything in the Original Bro’s career went according to plan. But fans sure hope that they get to see him again in WWE. What do you think? Did the merger actually affect Riddle’s career in the WWE? Let us know in the comments!

Watch This Story: Roman Reigns Title Defenses Spark Controversy A Cinematic Parallel With-Arnold Schwarzenegger Legacy