Matt Riddle Quotes

You realize, as time goes on, there is a certain expectation now in 2018 where fans want to see cool, exciting, hard-hitting sports entertainment or hard-hitting pro wrestling, and there are ways to give them that without necessarily putting yourself in the hospital that night or not being able to move the next morning.

When you go into a 'WWE' ring, you know you're going to compete. You know that things are going to hurt. It is a dangerous, dangerous place. No matter what people think or say, it's a very, very dangerous thing.

We've finally told the world that this is sports entertainment, and I think one of the best forms of entertainment is anything that's fun or funny, something that you really enjoy watching or listening to.

Daniel Bryan is a good athlete, but he's a better entertainer.

Pro wrestling is entertainment, but people get hurt all of the time.

Wrestling has gotten so show-biz, it's to the point where people scoff at it.

My No. 1 dream match is Brock Lesnar. And I want that to be a WrestleMania match. I don't know if the WWE will ever let that happen, because they might be afraid he might legitimately hurt me pretty bad.

Modern day wrestlers are fans of the performance of wrestling instead of the concept of wrestling.

When I'm in the ring I've got a million people watching me weekly, looking for me to present something memorable to them.

Obviously, when you come to WWE, the level of spectacle and production in what we do is far and above anywhere else I worked, so it's kind of cool to be a part of the big show now.

There's a misconception about wrestling, that it's really fake, but it's real, and you can really get hurt, even though a lot of it is performative.

If you ever dissect '205,' take a hard look at it, it's always been a fantastic show. Regardless of what's been going on, the wrestling has been the best not only in the company but on the planet. The only critique, if you really dissect it, is that the crowd isn't into it; the crowd doesn't care.

Sometimes, you know how good certain people are and then you actually get to see them have the kind of matches you know they can have in front of an audience that isn't used to seeing that. Then, in a few minutes the audience is on the edge of their seats, just through the sheer craftsmanship of their abilities.

When something special happens in wrestling, it's that much more special to me and for me to go, 'That was awesome,' because I'm as bitter as there is, so if you can get me to go, 'Woah, that was cool,' a couple of times, it's a special show.

People go into that arena, and they know the fix is in. They know what pro wrestling or sports entertainment is. That being said, they want it executed to the highest level so that they can suspend their disbelief and buy in, and so, in a world of make believe, you make people believe in you. It's as real as it can be.

I'm not someone who concerns himself with whether people pay to cheer Roman Reigns or whether people pay to boo Roman Reigns. People pay to see Roman Reigns. They pay to react to Roman Reigns.

If you think TNA sucks, you're right.

As great as Hulk Hogan was, he still wasn't that great a worker.

I'm not interested in WWE at all.

People love to be entertained and love the different storylines that go on in pro wrestling.

If I had a son, I would steer him away from wrestling. It was fun for me, but for most it's not healthy in the long run.

People want to see blood. They don't care anymore if you can box for 12 rounds. They don't appreciate the art of the good boxer.

Johnny Valentine's the one who said, 'I can't make them believe that wrestling is real, but I can make them believe I'm real.' It would take him forever because he was just stinkingly boring for 30 minutes of the 40-minute match, but he would let people hit him as hard as they could, and he would hit people as hard as he could.

I'm an artist, a performer... There's an art to what we do to the wrestling... I don't want to really fight anybody.

Even though MMA and pro wrestling are very different, at the end of the day, it's all about entertaining. They are amazing athletes who go out there and give 100 percent.