Last Wednesday on NXT, Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher engaged in a Fight Pit match. The unique set-up included a no-rope cage with a platform across the top. The design gave fans flashbacks to the famous Lion's Den match between Ken Shamrock and Owen Hart (and later Shamrock against Steve Blackman) in the late 90s.
Appearing on WWE Backstage, former UFC fighter CM Punk gave his thoughts on how the bout unfolded.
"I liked it and hated it. Shocking, right? When I hear fight pit, I'm not thinking a wrestling cage match. I didn't need the platform on the top. Sometimes they do different things just to do different things. These two could have gone out there, taken the ropes off the ring, and a worked shoot fight. It's a hard style to work. There were some elements I liked and they did things well, some elements I didn't like. It's difficult to do in sports entertainment. I appreciated Riddle giving Thatcher the rub. There's some interesting things for Riddle on SmackDown," he said.
Riddle is a former UFC fighter himself, finding a tad more success than Punk inside the Octagon. As mentioned by Punk, Riddle appears to be done with NXT following his fight pit against Thatcher as a vignette aired for him on the most recent episode of WWE SmackDown.
Punk's idea sounds similar to what Riddle presented at the first Bloodsport in 2018. Josh Barnett has since carried the Bloodsport tradition following Riddle signing with WWE.
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