Pro wrestlers Matt Riddle and Jesús Rodriguez are familiar with Philly fans, who are ‘raw,’ ‘real,’ and … ‘smarks?’

Major League Wrestling is returning to Philly for the first time in over two years with two nights of action this weekend at the 2300 Arena. MLW has history with the venue, hosting its debut event, Genesis, at the arena in 2002. Since, it has operated in major markets like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

As part of the promotion’s 24th anniversary, it’s returning to Philly for a doubleheader that includes a national taping of the new season of MLW Fusion and its signature event, Summer of the Beasts.

Across both nights, fans can expect appearances from the promotion’s biggest stars, including Karrion “Killer” Kross, Shotzi Blackheart, CONTRA Unit, and Don Gato. There will also be Allentown native Matt Riddle, and behind the scenes, Jesús Rodriguez, a Lancaster resident.

The “Rude Dude” Riddle has a chance to reunite with the title on Saturday night as he prepares for his second match against Kross, the current world heavyweight champion, for the evening’s main event.

“The Rude Dude’s not going to lose two times in a row,” Riddle said. “So I think the fans can expect to hear, ‘And new MLW champion, the Rude Dude Riddle.’ Whenever somebody like myself and Kross get in the ring and then we get in the ring again, we just end up — it’s going to be more intense and crazier.”

The last time they met in the ring, Riddle lost to Kross by a rear-naked choke. But this time around, Riddle will have an advantage performing in front of a crowd he knows well.

“I’m really excited to be in front of that Philly crowd,” Riddle said. “They’re a little raw. They’re a little more intense. In the wrestling business we call them smarks. Because they’re not only wrestling fans. But they’re smart, intelligent, educated wrestling fans. They’re intense. They like you to make it feel real and that’s what I’m good at.”

Competing for championships against big names like Kross isn’t new for the 40-year-old Riddle. In high school, he defeated former UFC champion Jon Jones on the wrestling mat to become the 2004 New York state champion.

“Daniel Cormier used it to talk trash [against Jon Jones] but then Jon Jones beat Daniel Cormier,” Riddle said. “So, at the end of the day, isn’t it just making me look good?”

Riddle made the move to upstate New York and attended Saratoga Springs High School. He returned to his home state to attend East Stroudsburg University on a wrestling scholarship.

After dropping out during his third year, Riddle transitioned into Mixed Martial Arts — training out of Palmerton, Pa., at Rat Pack Fighting Systems. Riddle’s MMA career lasted from 2008-2014, and included an appearance on The Ultimate Fighter 7 and an 8-3 record in the UFC before he was released in 2013.

Eventually, Riddle decided it was time for a career change. In 2014, he started training at Monster Factory, located in Paulsboro, to begin his transition to professional wrestling.

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“Growing up as a kid, I always wanted to be a pro wrestler,” Riddle said. “But as I got older, I just felt like I wasn’t big enough to be a pro wrestler. But when I was released I was like, you know what? I just knew it was time to start pro wrestling.

“[Monster Factory] had a legacy of high-end talent. Sheamus. Big Show. There’s a huge list of people, including myself now. When I moved back to Pennsylvania, I was just looking for the hardest working gym in the area and the Monster Factory was that. My buddies Q.T. Marshall and Damian Priest were training there and they probably are the ones I hold most responsible for getting me up to speed.”

Riddle took on a persona of a carefree, surfer boy, wrestling barefoot in the ring. He signed with the WWE in 2018, where he won the NXT tag team championship, the United States championship, and the RAW tag team championship alongside Randy Orton.

After getting released by the WWE in 2023, Riddle returned to MLW in 2024 — and recorded a 245-day title reign before losing to Mads Krule Krügger — following his initial stint with the promotion in 2018.

This weekend, he wants to get his belt back.

While Riddle will be front and center, Rodriguez will be behind the scenes producing some of the women’s matches at the former ECW arena.

“It’s such an iconic building,” Rodriguez said. “It has so much history. And to be able to perform in a venue that has such a long history of pro wrestling is surreal. And to feel that passion that the Philadelphia fans have is so real and it’s something that has to be experienced.”

Rodriguez has been with MLW for the last three and a half years, taking on multiple different roles — working as a backstage talent producer, getting involved with the production side, and working as an on-air talent.

“It’s been an amazing journey,” Rodriguez said. “I have been very blessed that I have been in the industry for 20 years now. And through my ventures — not just in the U.S., but internationally — I’ve gotten experience with major TV companies, not just in wrestling, but also in production aspects. Now I’m able to put it all together and share my knowledge.”

Rodriguez previously worked for the WWE under the ring name Ricardo Rodriguez. He also worked as a manager for Alberto Del Rio for the promotion Nación Lucha Libre, and worked as an announcer for Combate Americas and AEW.

But throughout his wrestling journey, he found himself battling addiction. Years after his departure from the WWE, Rodriguez made the move to Lancaster to get help from Blueprints rehab facility.

After rehab, he decided to give back to a community that gave him so much. To do that, he started Three Legacies Wrestling Academy in Lancaster in 2022. The academy includes seminars and lessons from himself and other WWE alumni.

“I feel like I was at the right place at the right time,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of times when folks battle issues, it’s a lack of focus. So, having the academy and then having MLW, and the fact that both entities are able to collaborate together has given me purpose and focus. Can it be stressful at times? Absolutely. But at the same time, this is also what I wanted and the choices that I made for something greater.”