Highlights

• Matt Riddle takes a shot at WWE for hiring CM Punk, pointing out a double standard in their treatment of him and Riddle.
• Riddle has a history of personal conduct issues and substance use, while Punk is straight edge and has personal issues.
• WWE needs to keep a tight leash on Punk to avoid past issues resurfacing, as they have a low tolerance for anything that damages their public image. AEW lacks this system.

Matt Riddle decided he wanted to take a shot at WWE on Saturday night. Following the return of CM Punk to the company, and the insane reaction from fans who watched something many thought would never happen, Riddle saw the opportunity to criticize his former employer for what he hinted what a double standard.

Riddle was released by WWE earlier this year for reasons related to personal conduct and Punk has a history of bad behavior. Whether Riddle took it personally that Punk was being given another chance to make good in WWE and Riddle wasn't. Or, that he's just bitter about his release and looking for ways to take shots at the company, he took to social media and set his sights on Triple H and WWE for hiring a guy with such a public reputation for problematic behavior. He noted, Hey @WWE you thought I was hard to deal with have fun with 0-2 @CMPunk." Tweeting at both the company and Punk, it was clear Riddle wanted them to see the tweet.

Before his WWE departure, Matt Riddle found himself in a tumultuous incident at JFK Airport in NYC after returning from WWE's Superstar Spectacle event in India. Numerous efforts were made to defuse the situation with Riddle before it escalated into something that caught national attention. Sources also indicated that Riddle seemed to be under the influence of alcohol during the incident. He's also got a storied history with substance use and was booted from UFC for failing drug tests. Two of his victories there were overturned to no contests due to the positive drug tests.

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Punk doesn't have the same history with substance use. In fact, he tags himself as straight edge, not doing drugs or alcohol in any capacity. His issues behind the scenes are merely personal ones, Triple H having said in a previous interview that Punk is a bit of a loaner and has a hard time communicating and fitting in. But, Triple H also said during the post Survivor Series press conference that it's been 10 years and everyone changes and grows.

WWE Won't Tolerate Punk's Issues

One thing that WWE likely knows is that they have to run a tight leash on Punk to make sure that past issues don't pop up again. Whether that be via fine or suspension, they have a system there that companies like AEW seem to lack. The company has a very low tolerance level for things that make their publicly traded company look foolish. Now under the owernship of TKO, they are trying to distance themselves from problems, not add to them.