Matt Riddle revealed that Brock Lesnar deviated from the planned script during the 2022 Men’s Elimination Chamber match, frustrating many participants. The match, held under WWE’s banner, saw Lesnar entering earlier than scheduled, disrupting the flow and original storyline designed for the WWE Championship contest.
Planned Match Sequence and Key Moments
On the Rewind Recap Relive podcast, Riddle detailed how the match was originally designed. Lesnar was slated to enter last after several sequences involving Riddle himself, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Austin Theory, and the reigning champion Bobby Lashley. A significant moment was intended to be Rollins performing a buckle bomb on Theory into Lashley’s pod, which was scripted to injure Lashley and remove him from the competition due to a storyline concussion.
Riddle stated,
Brock Lesnar was supposed to get out last,
outlining the planned order:
So you got myself, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Austin Theory, Bobby Lashley.
Lesnar’s Early Entry and Impact on the Match Flow
Contrary to the original plan, Lesnar entered the match ahead of schedule, cutting into the time reserved for other wrestlers’ sequences. Riddle explained,
Technically the next entry was supposed to be Bob, but Bobby’s not there,
adding,
Even though when the bell goes off, his pod lights up, Brock still has to wait like another five minutes.
This unscheduled entrance led to the scrapping of several planned spots aimed at showcasing different wrestlers’ characters. Lesnar largely ignored direction from anyone other than his advocate, Paul Heyman. Riddle summed it up,
Well, what happens? Brock Lesnar not listening to anybody but himself and maybe Paul Heyman,
which resulted in Lesnar quickly dominating the other competitors.
Frustrations Among Wrestlers After Lesnar’s Actions
Lesnar’s early takeover led to him eliminating Riddle, Rollins, Styles, and Theory in rapid succession, eventually capturing the WWE Championship. This sudden shift angered multiple participants involved in the match. Riddle shared,
AJ Styles was furious, I was furious, Seth, everybody was furious,
emphasizing the widespread displeasure backstage.
Riddle also downplayed the significance of Lesnar breaking out of his pod, stating that the structure is not particularly difficult to break. Following the match, Lesnar reportedly appeared amused and dismissive of the backlash, as Riddle recalled,
And then after the match, he’s laughing,
followed by Lesnar’s remark,
He goes, ‘Oh, sorry. I forgot.’
Ultimate Outcome and Future Implications
Despite the controversy, Lesnar left the event as WWE Champion, setting up a major showdown against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania later that year. This incident highlights ongoing backstage tensions in WWE regarding match control and creative direction, especially in high-profile events. How WWE addresses similar situations moving forward could impact the organization’s match productions and locker room dynamics.
