Matt Riddle isn’t holding anything back when it comes to Brock Lesnar — and this time, his strongest claim isn’t about what happened in the ring, but who was afraid behind the scenes.
While reflecting on the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble during an appearance on Rewind, Recap, Relive, Riddle zeroed in on what he says is a long-standing issue backstage: fear of Brock Lesnar. Riddle explained that during the final production meeting for the Royal Rumble match — where the last group of entrants were laying out the finish — Lesnar walked in heated following his earlier match with Bobby Lashley.
“I forget who was supposed to win. Maybe it was Brock. But Brock comes in and he’s heated. I’m pretty sure he got smacked pretty good in that Bobby Lashley match. They both German suplexed each other really cracky. Not flat — like Bobby landed on his head, Brock landed awkward. Two jacked guys going hard.”
Riddle then described what he says happened when Lesnar addressed the group.
“So we’re at the end of the Rumble. It’s like the last five or six of us, we’re calling spots. And Brock comes in there and goes, ‘I just did business. That’s how it’s done. You guys are going to do business for me.’”
But for Riddle, the bigger issue wasn’t the directive — it was the reaction in the room. He claimed that Lesnar’s presence creates an environment where no one pushes back. Riddle went even further, suggesting that the intimidation factor surrounding Lesnar has gone too far.
“Every producer fears Brock Lesnar. It’s kind of — I respect everybody, I love everybody — but I hate seeing people get scared. You shouldn’t be.”
“If this guy attacks you, have him arrested. That’s against the rules. We are a society. You can’t just act like a Neanderthal.”
Despite acknowledging Lesnar’s size and presence, Riddle made it clear he personally wasn’t intimidated.
“Granted, he is intimidating. He grabbed me by my neck before, but I wasn’t intimidated. He grabbed me quite gently, actually. He does know how to work.”
According to Riddle, Lesnar didn’t want to rehearse or collaboratively structure the ending of the match. Instead, he dictated the outcome.
“He didn’t want to talk or put anything together. He just said, ‘Do business for me.’ So it was like, okay… Randy, I’ll clothesline you. Everybody else, I’ll belly-to-belly you over the top or F5 you out. We were all getting thrown out by Brock.”
Lesnar would go on to win the 2022 Royal Rumble and headline WrestleMania, but Riddle’s comments paint a picture of a locker room where Lesnar’s influence extends beyond storyline dominance.
Riddle has built a reputation for speaking bluntly about WWE politics, and this may be one of his most direct shots yet — not just at Lesnar, but at the power structure around him.
If producers truly fear Brock Lesnar backstage, what does that say about WWE’s creative environment at the top level? Let us know what you think in the comments and join the conversation.