The 2022 WWE Elimination Chamber event saw Brock Lesnar capture the WWE Championship, but according to former WWE star Matt Riddle, the match deviated significantly from the planned structure due to Lesnar’s actions. Riddle alleges that Lesnar “went into business for himself,” disrupting the flow of the match and frustrating his fellow competitors.
Riddle detailed his account of the events during a recent appearance on the “Rewind Recap Relive” podcast, claiming Lesnar entered the Elimination Chamber far earlier than scheduled. The match, originally intended to see Lesnar emerge as the last entrant, was thrown into disarray when he broke free from his pod prematurely. This unexpected move, Riddle asserts, robbed other wrestlers of planned moments and opportunities to showcase their characters.
The Elimination Chamber match featured a lineup including Riddle, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Austin Theory and Bobby Lashley, with Lashley initially holding the WWE Championship. The original plan, according to Riddle, involved Rollins executing a buckle bomb on Theory into a pod, intended to create an opening for a medical stoppage of Lashley, paving the way for Lesnar’s eventual victory. However, Lesnar’s early exit from his pod disrupted this sequence.
“Brock Lesnar was supposed to get out last, you realize,” Riddle explained. “So, you got myself, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Austin Theory, Bobby Lashley. Seth Rollins buckle bombs Austin into the pod. This is all the plan to kind of concuss Bobby and medical takes him out. So now everybody’s out, but technically the next entry was supposed to be Bob, but Bobby’s not there. Even though when the bell goes off, his pod lights up, but Brock still has to wait like another five minutes. Now in that five minutes, there’s multiple spots, multiple moves that everybody wanted to do to showcase their character work, and everybody was like supposed to get a pin. Well, what happens? Brock Lesnar not listening to anybody but himself and maybe Paul Heyman.”
Lesnar’s Early Exit and Competitor Frustration
Riddle downplayed the difficulty of Lesnar breaking free from the Elimination Chamber pod, suggesting it wasn’t a particularly challenging feat. He stated he believed he could have accomplished the same thing, diminishing the impact of Lesnar’s action. The core issue, according to Riddle, wasn’t the pod break itself, but the disruption it caused to the planned match flow and the resulting frustration among the other participants.
“And AJ Styles was furious, I was furious, Seth, everybody was furious, you know,” Riddle recalled. “And then he eliminated all of us. And then eliminated Theory.” The frustration stemmed from lost opportunities for character development and planned in-ring moments. Riddle alleges that Lesnar then proceeded to eliminate all of his opponents, including Austin Theory, before seemingly dismissing the disruption with a nonchalant remark.
“And then after the match, he’s laughing. He goes, ‘Oh, sorry. I forgot.’” Riddle stated, expressing his disappointment at Lesnar’s lack of apology for altering the match.
The Concept of “Going Into Business For Himself”
The term “going into business for himself” is a wrestling term used to describe a performer deviating from the planned match layout and improvising, often to highlight their own skills or character. While sometimes lauded for creating exciting moments, it can also disrupt the overall narrative and frustrate other performers involved. theringreport.com notes this is exactly what Riddle claims Lesnar did at Elimination Chamber 2022.
This incident isn’t the first time Lesnar’s in-ring behavior has been questioned. Yahoo Sports reported on a previous instance where Lesnar allegedly cut a match short because he forgot his spot. This pattern of behavior has reportedly led to growing backstage concerns, as highlighted by wrestling-world.com.
What’s Next?
The allegations made by Matt Riddle shed light on the potential challenges of working with a performer like Brock Lesnar, known for his unpredictable nature and dominance in the ring. While Lesnar’s current status with WWE is subject to change, these claims raise questions about the balance between individual creativity and collaborative storytelling within professional wrestling. The long-term impact of these events on relationships between wrestlers and the creative process remains to be seen.
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