In an interview with Scott Johnson on the Going Ringside podcast in March 2025, Matt Riddle discussed the toughest opponents he’s faced throughout his career. He highlighted Sheamus for his physicality and ease of collaboration, but then shifted to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn when discussing communication.
Here’s what the former United States Champion said:
“Hardest opponent? Hardest opponent in the ring? I would have to say Sheamus. Sheamus, easy to work with, hits really hard. So hardest in the ring. But, then when I think about who’s harder to maybe work with, I would have to say Sami Zayn or Kevin Owens.
It’s hard to put a complete sentence together with those guys if you know what I’m saying. Very difficult. Sheamus hits you hard, but it’s easy to put together.”
During an interview on My Mom’s Basement podcast, Robbie Fox asked Kevin Owens if he was surprised by Riddle’s comments.
Here’s what the former Universal Champion said:
“No, it didn’t take me by surprise but I did see it. It’s funny, you know, because coming from him… I have nothing against him at all, but you know, he’s to me, he’s a guy who had really amazing opportunities handed to him, like being Randy’s tag team partner for so long and basically getting to ride the coattails of a legend. And he managed to screw it all up, not because of his abilities because he’s very talented and very athletic, but because of his own attitude and poor choices.
You know, for him to say that we’re hard to work with or whatever it is and he couldn’t get a word… there is a pretty good reason for that. You look at his track record and you look at our track record, I think that speaks for itself. But that’s how he felt. It’s fine.
I can’t even say he’s wrong. When he said like it was hard to get a word in, probably was because we didn’t, we probably didn’t let him get a word in too much just because we’ve been around him and we work a certain way and it works. So, yeah, it’s fair.”
Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn had a brief on-screen alliance following WrestleMania 39 in 2023, teaming together in three tag team matches during Owens and Zayn’s Tag Team Championship reign.
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