WWE star Matt Riddle was involved in an incident at an airport in New York City over the weekend. In a social media post that was later deleted, he alleged he was sexually assaulted by an airport cop, but hours later, alternate stories started making the rounds claiming the Port Authority officers were only called to the scene because Riddle was allegedly being “disorderly” while getting off the plane. What exactly happened is still very unclear, but in the meantime, the incident is causing many fans to question what it could mean for Riddle’s partnership with Drew McIntyre and even his future in WWE.
We can get to Riddle and Drew McIntyre’s future later in the article, but first, let’s run down the basic facts of what allegedly happened here. We know there was some kind of incident immediately following Riddle’s flight into JFK Airport on Sunday. The WWE star posted a picture of an airport cop’s face and claimed that he was touched without his consent. He didn’t leave the post up for long, but you can read a transcription of his allegation below…
Nothing like being sexually assaulted by an officer and harassed at the jfk airport, no means no and just because I’m nice doesn’t mean yes!!! Asshole!!! Don’t know they’re Twitter or instagram handles, but I took pictures, normally I’m like whatever but today was really weird and uncomfortable but they made a point to make me feel small and useless. Definitely one of the most uncomfortable travel days I’ve ever had thanks NYC you’re so progressive and accepting.
In the hours after the social media post, various outlets started picking up the story and adding more context. TMZ spoke with law enforcement sources who claimed they were “shocked” by Riddle’s allegation and confused given what allegedly happened on the ground. They said they were called to the gate and told a passenger was being “disorderly” during the deplaning process.
When they arrived, they were told the passenger in question was Riddle. They allegedly interviewed him and other witnesses about what happened on the plane and decided to just let him go. They didn’t file a police report, and he supposedly “seemed apologetic” about whatever behavior caused them to get called. Not long after, however, he made the sexual assault allegation on social media. In response, The Port Authority has launched an investigation to look into the encounter between Riddle and one of the officers.
Ultimately, I don’t know what happened here. I don’t think anyone who was not directly involved in the incident knows what happened here. All allegations of sexual assault should be taken seriously, and in many ways, it feels wrong to speculate about someone’s work future following a sexual assault allegation. But it’s also fair to point out what many are seeing as a troubling pattern.
Back in December, Riddle was abruptly taken off WWE television. At the time, many reported it was because of his second violation of the company’s wellness policy. He was allegedly told he needed to enter rehab or he’d lose his job. Prior to his WWE stint, he was a mixed martial arts fighter, but despite a lot of success, he was ultimately let go from UFC in the wake of a failed drug test. In more recent years, he’s also been the subject of several viral tweets that have involved allegations about his love life and/ or alleged drug usage.
Prior to Riddle’s alleged suspension back in December, he was very near the top of the card. His tag team alongside Randy Orton was among the more popular actors on the roster prior to The Rattlesnake’s injury, and he defeated main eventer Seth Rollins in pretty clean fashion during the Extreme Rules PPV. Many thought WWE might be grooming him for a possible world championship run.
When Riddle returned earlier this year, however, it was quickly followed by rumors WWE writers had decided they would no longer push him to the top of the card. He took a clean loss to Imperium henchman Ludwig Kaiser in one of the more shocking results of the year, and he didn’t even get a music entrance during the Slim Jim Battle Royal at SummerSlam. Over the last few weeks, he’s been working alongside Drew McIntyre as part of a new tag team that could have been a potential path forward, but now, many fans are waiting to see whether that will be impacted by this incident with law enforcement.
Drew McIntyre is in desperate need of a program that works. He took a loss to Gunther following his post-WrestleMania hiatus, and there are some fans who have argued his character has gotten stale, as rumors have swirled about contract issues and/ or creative tension. This tag team with Riddle has brought some new energy and led to several instances of McIntyre getting extremely upset on camera. Some fans have argued it’s all to set up a heel turn. Others have argued it’s just a little momentary tension and/ or growing pains to help add layers to this new Riddle and McIntyre partnership. Either way, it’s been some of the most high profile TV time Riddle has gotten since his return and a very new direction for McIntyre. Now it all feels up in the air.
WWE Monday Night Raw airs this evening. It remains to be seen whether WWE will mention any of this or whether the storytelling will give us some clue as to how they feel.