WWE's Matt Riddle Says NXT Can Be Bigger Than Raw or SmackDown

Just four months into his WWE career, NXT superstar Matt Riddle has put Raw and SmackDown Live on notice.

Per TMZ Sports, Riddle thinks WWE's developmental brand can eventually be bigger than its two flagship shows.

"Funny enough, I was thinking about that the other day," he said. "And I want to get to the main roster, but then I was thinking, 'Maybe I'm thinking about it wrong,' because NXT is so hot, maybe we should stay and try to build NXT and make it bigger than Raw and SmackDown and just be the big guy, which isn't impossible."

As ESPN.com's Tim Fiorvanti noted in July 2018, NXT has arguably become the most successful brand in WWE because its approach to wrestling and storytelling is much more cohesive than what's often found on Raw and SmackDown Live:

"First and foremost, NXT offers a commitment to telling a cohesive story on both an individual and a roster-wide basis. Granted, it's a much simpler task to tell a story with a consistent through-line when there's only an hour of TV per week and five TakeOver specials to worry about per year, like NXT, rather than three live hours a week for Raw, two live hours of SmackDown and a 3.5-to-4-hour pay-per-view once a month. The roster sizes are also dramatically different."

The brand has also played an instrumental role in shaping WWE's main roster over the past four years. NXT graduates Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch are currently involved in the main storyline heading into WrestleMania 35 on April 7 with Ronda Rousey.

NXT Takeover specials have become must-see television for wrestling fans, on par with most of the traditional WWE pay-per-views.

Even though the ultimate goal is to make it to the main roster, Riddle makes an excellent point about the possibility of making NXT at least as big as Raw and SmackDown. It will only help generate interest in the product, leading to more lucrative opportunities for the company and the Superstars.