Matt Riddle thinks he has a better reputation than CM Punk — and apparently he doesn’t mean just inside an MMA cage. Riddle took another little shot at Punk while discussing their fighting backgrounds, although this one ended with a surprisingly friendly twist.
During an interview with That Sweet Pop in New Zealand, Riddle was talking about how his MMA career helped him make the jump into professional wrestling. He admitted he didn’t come into wrestling with the same name recognition as Brock Lesnar or Ronda Rousey, which eventually brought Punk’s own MMA run into the conversation.
When it was pointed out that Riddle had a better reputation than Punk inside the cage, Riddle basically said, why stop there? As far as he’s concerned, his reputation is better than Punk’s across the board.
“Well, I got a better reputation than CM Punk just in general. Yeah, you know, but he’s looking good these days. I’ll say he’s working out, you know. Good for him. Nothing but kudos.”
That’s a pretty big change in tone from August 2025, when Riddle was openly questioning Punk’s wrestling and fighting ability. He also claimed friends still working in WWE considered Punk difficult to work with, although even then Riddle gave Punk credit for packing arenas, moving merchandise and making the company money.
Riddle and Punk obviously aren’t about to start exchanging friendship bracelets anytime soon, but this was definitely less hostile than what we’ve heard before. Riddle still got his shot in — he just decided to sprinkle a compliment on top of it this time.
Do you think Matt Riddle has actually softened his stance on CM Punk, or was this just another shot disguised with a compliment? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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