Matt Riddle Talks Life After WWE, MLW Return & Adult Film Star Girlfriend Misha Montana

After his run with WWE ended, Matt Riddle returned home in many ways to Major League Wrestling. It was a place where the polarizing figure achieved tremendous success as a franchise player when the promotion was revived in 2017. The former UFC fighter turned pro wrestler collected some major wins in a short amount of time including against former champ Jacob Fatu and Davey Boy Smith Jr. With the free spirit spreading his wings once more, he has rededicated himself.

His biggest test to date in the company will happen during the War Chamber TrillerTV+ streaming event and TV tapings on March 29 from The Coliseum in St. Petersberg, Florida. It’s when he’ll pull double duty by first putting his New Japan Pro Wrestling TV Championship on the line versus Kosei Fujita and then facing a familiar opponent in Timothy Thatcher.

Here Riddle opens up about entering a new phase of his career and personal life.

What made MLW the best landing spot for you after your WWE release? 

Matt Riddle: The reason I love MLW is before WWE, they were one of the few bigger companies that gave me an opportunity and believed in me. That is where I first met Bruce Prichard when he was one of the producers there. [MLW Founder] Court Bauer and everyone there has been behind me from day one. Now that I’m a free agent, we both have an opportunity to work together. That’s why I went back. It is like a homecoming. Court has always been nice to me. MLW has a good spot in my heart.

After some time has gone by since your WWE release, how do you reflect on the way things played out? 

Like when I got fired from the UFC around the time I had my third kid, my son Zach. I got fired two months after that. With WWE, it was something similar to me having a kid and getting fired. Things happen. When one door shuts, another opens. When I got fired from the UFC, it allowed me to finally pro wrestle. It has probably been the best thing. I’ve always loved pro wrestling. The fact I wrestled at WrestleMania and did everything. To think, I reached that pinnacle. Even getting released from WWE, I finally get to do what I want to do, wrestle the way I want to wrestle. I’ve always wanted to wrestle for New Japan. I was literally just there in February and won the Television title. I was upset when I got fired from UFC. I was upset when I got fired from WWE.

At the same time, getting fired from both of those places I was extremely relieved because ever since I was younger, since 20, I’ve been under contract for someone for fighting or wrestling. Even now I’m still wrestling and traveling and just as busy as before, but I finally have control. I know people might not understand that, but having the ability to say no and the ability to hang out with your family and just do what’s best for you sometimes is a breath of fresh air. It really takes a lot of stress out. It has been a relief to me, but at the end of the day I like working hard, wrestling hard fighting hard, and I’m in demand. It is fantastic. Even since I was released, I got to wrestle RVD. We’ll probably get a rematch really soon. One door shuts and others open, My big thing is you just can’t quit. You have to keep grinding. You have to keep going to the gym, tanning, looking good, brushing those teeth. Do your thing and keep getting better and never stop improving. That’s what I do. Who knows? Maybe I make it back to the UFC one day or WWE. Maybe I don’t, and that’s okay because I’ve done it all and done it well.

MLW

You’ve faced your share of controversies and personal issues. At this stage of your life, having another child recently, how would you say you’ve grown as a person? 

I think I’m at a stage of my life where I want to get control of it. I want to be in control of it. That’s why when WWE let me go it was the best move for everyone at the time. WWE merged with UFC under TKO, not that it played a huge part but was probably the cherry on top. I do think at the end of the day the schedule was getting to me. I didn’t want to believe that. Having another kid is extremely stressful. I just bought a house. I’ve been taking care of a lot of things. When I was working for WWE, I never had a vacation. I never had one vacation day. The only time I took off was those two or three months when they sent me away to clean up. That was also on me.

You certainly had a lot going on. 

I was dealing with a divorce and other things while working as much as I did. Not being able to see my three kids that I have with my ex-wife. There were a lot of variables that played a part. On top of that, Randy [Orton] was my best friend when we wrestled together and traveled together. He was helping me get through a lot of these things. We talked about him going through a divorce and things like that. When he got hurt, I felt on my own. I still had people in the locker room, but not with the same amount of life experience as Randy. He really opened up to me on a lot of things. Things happen for a reason. I think I had a great run with WWE. I got to team with Randy. RK-Bro was pretty sick. I got a great match with Roman [Reigns], been in Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, and Survivor Series. You name it.

Matt Riddle and Misha Montana (Misha Montana/Instagram)

When you see the headlines of Matt Riddle having a baby with adult film star Misha Montana, people give their opinions. What makes her the one for you? 

It can be hard. I try to make time for everyone. With Misha, I don’t think anyone has accepted me as much as she has and been there for me. Even with the short amount of time we’ve been together. People show their true colors when things get tough. She has always shown her true colors and been the trock when I needed her. I’ve always been a rock for her. A lot of times I think because I’ ‘m a pro wrestler, and cage fighter, things like that, you judge a book by a cover. A lot of times it is the same with Misha. She is slathered in tattoos, curvy, and an adult film star. People may be like, “Oh my God.”

At the end of the day, we’re really good for each other. We make each other better. We improve each other. I think in a relationship that’s the big thing. It can’t just be attractiveness or occupation. Being a famous pro wrestler and fighter, a lot of worms can come out of the woodwork and try to get involved. Misha has been great to me and honest. And it’s the same with me to her. Honesty is part of any successful happy relationship. We have a little boy now. Matthew and I are stoked about that. I have three others. Twin daughters Amy and Allison, who will be 14 this June, and a son named Zach, who is 11. I’ve got quite the roster. I get how girls want to have kids with me because my genetics are sick. All my kids are super athletes and good-looking. I’m very happy. At the time, I was always scared to have a kid, but once they are here, it’s awesome. It’s perfect and I couldn’t be happier.

How has it been weathering through your complicated family dynamic? 

She is an adult film star. I travel all over the world and wrestle and do crazy things. I think people try to say a lot of things are different. Acting, wrestling, fighting, and adult films, are all forms of entertainment. We work with a lot of people in the entertainment business who aren’t honest all the time or sugarcoat things. So when she says I’m messing up, I’m messing up. Same with me to her. I think we stay honest, even with what we do. We like to have fun. We’ve built a strong relationship.

I think a lot of people may have fetishes or kinks that they don’t tell their partner, and it comes out later. Even on a sexual level, even being honest and open about everything and having open dialogue, and looking people in the eyes. I don’t think everyone is meant to date an adult film star. You have to be a certain kind of person. You have to be confident. For me, I’m confident. For me, my problem is I may find women who are not as confident as myself and that causes problems too. But with Misha, we are both very confident, extremely beautiful people in my opinion, and love each other greatly. In that aspect, it’s awesome for both of us.

NJPW

You have two matches coming up in one night. Talk first about defending your NJPW Television title against Kosei Fujita in an MLW ring. 

I love it. I love defending my championships. That’s how you elevate a title. I couldn’t be happier. Fujita is one of the top wrestlers in the world today. I know he can push a pace. I know I can push a pace. We’re going to be on my home turf of Florida. I know what I do every time I’m out there and know what he will do. It’s going to be a great night of wrestling. Plus there is a War Chamber match. It’s sick. The roster at MLW is pretty stacked. The good thing about the free marketplace is it’s like the wild west. Anyone can show up at any time and wrestle. MLW has a stacked roster, so the matches are endless for me. Fujita, I’m not ready to lose this championship quite yet bro. So good luck.

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And you also have Timothy Thatcher. Having so much history with him, what’s it like for you to come full circle and have this next match at the TV tapings? 

I haven’t seen him in a year or two. We used to wrestle a lot. When I came to Evolve, he was my first nemesis and rivalry. The first guy I had a feud with because I was so new to professional wrestling. To see where we’ve gone from the Fight Pit in NXT with Kurt Angle as special referee, which is pretty sick. I kicked Tim’s teeth out in that match. Timothy Thatcher, we were also NXT tag champions before when he filled in for the stallion Pete [Dunne]. We’ve traveled the world. I’ve wrestled him in Germany, England, a bunch of states in America. It’s nice to bring it back home and see what kind of magic we can put together this time.

MLW War Chamber, March 29, 7/6c, TrillerTV+

MLW Fusion, 10/9c, Saturdays, beIN Sports