Following CM Punk’s return at WWE Survivor Series, ending nine years away from the company mere months after AEW fired him with cause, former WWE Superstar Matt Riddle has taken a dig at the company and their new hire. Riddle took to X (formerly Twitter) to react to the news, making light of his own firing and CM Punk’s brief stint in UFC. 

“Hey @WWE you thought I was hard to deal with… have fun with 0-2 @CMPunk,” he wrote. 

Hey @WWE you thought I was hard to deal with 😂 have fun with 0-2 @CMPunk

— matthew riddle (@SuperKingofBros) November 26, 2023

Riddle is taking a dig at Punk’s UFC record, where he would lose fights against Mickey Gall and Mike Jackson. His second fight against Jackson has since been overturned to a no-contest after Jackson tested positive for marijuana after the fact. But Punk also left AEW earlier this year clouded in controversy, his firing a supposed result of his alleged backstage altercation with Jack Perry. 

Riddle’s own WWE departure came amidst controversy, reportedly a result of burning too many bridges after a career marred with allegations of sexual assault arising from the #SpeakingOut movement, real-life issues with current WWE World Champion Seth Rollins, and multiple wellness policy violations leading to a suspension.  The straw that broke the camel’s back proved to be an incident at JFK airport in New York which had led to a police investigation. Likewise, his own UFC career – from 2008-2013 – came to an end under controversy, failing two drug tests through marijuana use and having two of his fights overturned to no-contests. He left MMA after his last fight in 2014, boasting a record of 8-3-0.