5 Reasons why Matt Riddle is moving to SmackDown and not RAW

The King of Bros Matt Riddle is officially set for a move to Friday Night SmackDown. It was WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle who announced on SmackDown that Riddle will be making his debut for the Blue brand.

Angle is a bit more familiar with Matt Riddle now after being the special guest referee for his match against Timothy Thatcher - the first-ever "Fight Pit" match in WWE history. Thatcher won by making Matt Riddle pass out via submission, concluding the latter's run in NXT that lasted nearly two years.

It's good that WWE chose to take their time with Matt Riddle in NXT even though he could have joined RAW or SmackDown right away without missing a beat. Now that his run in the third brand is done, it's time for a new journey - Friday Night SmackDown.

Here are a few theories as to why Riddle was chosen for SmackDown over RAW:

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#5. Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar didn't cross paths with Matt Riddle at the Royal Rumble 2020

Since this was most probably on your mind, we'll address this first. Brock Lesnar is on Monday Night RAW and will be on the Red brand for the foreseeable future. There were rumors about a verbal confrontation he had with Matt Riddle, telling him to keep his name out of his mouth and that they'll never work together.

WWE likely considered this and didn't want the two to cross brands at any point. We can't confirm whether this is true or not, but it could be a two-way street. Maybe the entire verbal altercation was just a work and it was spread to fuel the fire of a future Riddle vs Lesnar match.

On the other hand, it could be WWE wanting to keep things safe and wanting to keep the two separately.

#4. A more logical path for him to take before a move to RAW

Paul Heyman could do wonders with Matt Riddle

Just because Matt Riddle is going to debut on SmackDown, it doesn't mean that he's never going to move to RAW. There are very few Superstars on the current roster who have stuck with one brand since the 2016 Draft or their debut, with Seth Rollins, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Carmella being a few such examples.

Matt Riddle may not fall into that category unless he becomes a "SmackDown great". Even then, there will always be trades, shake-ups, and drafts and that will be when Matt Riddle can make an eventual jump.

But it's too early to talk about all of that. We anticipate that Matt Riddle will have a 1-2 year run on SmackDown as a logical path to take before he makes the jump to Monday Night RAW. Riddle has enough talent to establish himself well on both brands, but WWE officials might feel that SmackDown is the best place for him to start. Any talk of a move to RAW is a year or two down the line.

#3. RAW is already stacked with talent

Apollo Crews is one among many rising stars on RAW

Sometimes, timing is everything and 2020 isn't the year that Matt Riddle should be on Monday Night RAW. While he would be an exciting addition to either brand, the move to SmackDown was logical because RAW is stacked with talent.

We all know of Paul Heyman's famous "list" of Superstars that he's been pushing, including the likes of Drew McIntyre, [Buddy] Murphy, Aleister Black, a recent addition in Apollo Crews, and more.

Heyman has done well to utilize Superstars who didn't have much momentum previously and every single one of them is benefiting under Paul Heyman's leadership as Executive Director.

RAW is far too talent-stacked right now for Matt Riddle to have a place. Heyman and others have been investing in various Superstars for the long-run and if Matt Riddle were to appear, it's quite clear that he would be lost in the shuffle.

While it can happen down the road with different trades and drafts, this isn't the year for that to happen.

#2. To test the waters for the future

Matt Riddle against Velveteen Dream

Matt Riddle is a Superstar that any promotion would want. In 2018, he was among the hottest names on the independent scene and could have opted to work for virtually any promotion of his choosing.

He was dubbed as the future of the business and even WrestleVotes is now reporting that backstage officials on SmackDown have "high" hopes for Matt Riddle. As a result, we might see him have a slow build to the top, if the intention is for him to reach there.

Those in power have very “high” hopes for Matt Riddle on SmackDown.

— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) May 30, 2020

With Superstars like Matt Riddle, an instant monster push with the rocket strapped on their back simply won't work. The audience needs to get to know Matt Riddle as a character and get invested in him and his story in the long run.

Matt Riddle's move to SmackDown might be with the purpose of "testing the waters" and seeing what works and what doesn't. We anticipate that he's going to have a slow first year, but as long as he's regularly featured on television, he should be fine.

#1. To be the face of the brand

Could Kurt Angle's prophecy come true?

It was Kurt Angle who revealed that Matt Riddle will be joining the SmackDown roster. Having witnessed his war against Timothy Thatcher up-close just a couple of days prior, the Olympic Gold Medalist was full of praise for The King of Bros.

Angle made an interesting proclamation - that he believes Matt Riddle will become the face of Friday Night SmackDown. While many people might judge him at first without knowing too much about him, he's as talented as a WWE Superstar gets.

He has exactly what it takes to be in that spot and for all we know, Angle's prophecy could end up coming true. SmackDown needs top babyfaces right now and with Roman Reigns' future uncertain as of this writing, WWE has to carry on with the assumption that he won't be around.

Matt Riddle might have been brought to the Blue brand with the intention of becoming the face. It was a spot that AJ Styles held for over 2-and-a-half years and Matt Riddle would be an interesting pick.