Matt Riddle Talks NXT And NXT UK Brand Unification

Matt Riddle wants to win the NXT and NXT UK titles and unify the two brands into one NXT.

Speaking to the New York Post, Riddle says that his goal before departing NXT is to win titles, specifically the brand’s top belt.

More than that, Riddle (who really made his name on the UK scene wrestling for PROGRESS, RevPro and WCPW) wants to beat WALTER to capture the NXT UK title and merge the two brands.

“I would like to win a title or two here. I want to beat Dream. I don’t want him just to beat me where I don’t get to do it [again] unless I say, “I want to beat Velveteen Dream.”

Oh, and I want WALTER. Before I leave the NXT brand, what I ideally want is I want to win the NXT title. I want to win the NXT UK title from Walter and unify the titles and have one NXT.”

What are the chances of it happening?

While this might sound like a tantalising prospect, the chances of it happening are slim at best.

WWE is committed to its “Global Localisation” strategy, which means more and more NXT offshoots are expected to pop up. There are already strong rumours about NXT Germany, NXT Japan, NXT Mexico and NXT Saudi Arabia.

It would take a colossal failure from NXT UK for WWE to abandon that strategy and merge the brands. That does not look likely any time soon. The show is one of the most watched on the WWE Network in any given week.

More realistically the top stars from NXT UK and the various other future NXT brands will be brought into NXT. That gives WWE its very own farm system to bring talent in early and give them somewhere to work and learn.

And keeps them away from other would-be suitors, of course.

• Walter
• NXT UK
• Matt Riddle
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