Matt Riddle: 'I Don’t Think We’re Soft, We’re More Intelligent'

During a recent interview with Vicente Beltran, Matt Riddle discussed The Undertaker's comments about WWE today's wrestlers being "soft" compared to his generation:

“I would tell Undertaker or anyone else—times have changed, the human race and everyone is evolving, and yes, we don’t carry knives and guns to work because we have metal detectors and things keep us safe, so people don’t do that. We have a Wellness Policy where we are all getting tested regularly, so we are safe and in our right state of mind. I’ll tell you this—I love my job, I show up to work and mind you, I am a former professional UFC fighter that broke people’s jaws in a steel cage,” Riddle noted, “something that wasn’t around when he was a young man, and I bet if it was, he still wouldn’t have stepped up because it takes a different breed.”

“So, that’s that and he shouldn’t say certain things that—he knows there’s an upcoming roster of real savages, not pretend ones, so he should watch out. But—I still respect him, I think he’s just a little overzealous and I don’t think meant any ill-will or meant anything mean, I just think he thought his time was tougher and I will say this, when he worked, times were tougher—they weren’t as smart either and they were dumber, so they abused certain things, they abused their bodies and they’re all paying the price for it. Today’s wrestler, we’re smarter, you work smarter and if even if you think we’re taking more bumps,” Riddle explained, “we still don’t work the same schedule you’re working. And you can say we are softer for that, but I would say we’re just smarter and more educated, just like the modern-day athlete. Notice that most modern-day athletes aren’t getting hurt as much, they’re not doing this, we train smart and we eat healthier, we do things better, and it’s because people in the past made so many mistakes that we’ve learned from them. Now, we don’t make those same mistakes anymore.”

“So Undertaker says 'soft', but I don’t think we’re soft, we’re more intelligent. That’s why we don’t get hurt and that’s why we don’t put ourselves in stupid situations like bringing guns to work. So, Undertaker, nothing but respect,” Riddle said, “but at the end of the day, respect and understand evolution—regardless of if it comes with man or it comes with etiquette in the locker room—realize that we’ve evolved. We have better etiquette in the locker room and we don’t do certain things like that anymore. We do things right.”