Just days after a public dispute over a missed booking in the United Kingdom, Matt Riddle has once again targeted CM Punk, escalating their real-life animosity with sharp, personal accusations. Speaking on the TMZ Inside The Ring podcast, Riddle labeled Punk “fake” and a “creep,” and made a specific insinuation about Punk’s frequent presence in the NXT locker room.
During the interview, Riddle reiterated his long-standing issues with the top star and issued a challenge. “Well, let’s be honest. Did I lie? CM Punk’s a b*tch,” Riddle stated. “He can’t beat me if he wants to step up. He can meet me in a bare-knuckle boxing fight. He can meet me in an MMA cage, whatever, dude… I think he’s fake, and I think he’s a creep. And that’s coming from me. And people think I’m a creep. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
When asked by the hosts to elaborate on why he used the word “creep,” Riddle directed his comments toward Punk’s mentorship role with younger talent, specifically mentioning Cora Jade. “I don’t know. I feel like he’s just lingering around the NXT locker room a little too much…that’s one way of putting it,” he said, before adding, “Dude, I don’t care. I didn’t come on here to talk about CM Punk.”
Riddle’s comments come as he navigates another public controversy. On August 31, he did not appear for a scheduled main event match against Simon Miller for the Global Wrestling Kingdom (GWK) promotion in Barnsley, England. The event was billed as a charity fundraiser, and Riddle’s absence required a last-minute replacement in Grado.
The promotion stated that Riddle, after being booked months prior, raised issues with his “cheap” flight and hotel stay. After they were unable to secure additional paid seminars he requested, Riddle allegedly informed them he had accepted another booking but could “potentially” still appear, before he stopped responding to messages. GWK also noted that Riddle’s deposit has not been returned.
Riddle publicly refuted these claims in a video statement, asserting he never canceled. He stated the reason for his absence was the promotion’s failure to book the additional work promised after flying him in two days before the Sunday show. According to Riddle, his offer to fly in later at his own expense was refused. He also called the promotion’s claims about the event’s charity status and his deposit “lies.” During that weekend, Riddle was present at a Real American Freestyle event on August 30 and wrestled at a Boca Raton Championship Wrestling show in Florida on August 31.