Matt Riddle: Wrestler Corroborates Allegation Of Inappropriate Behaviour

A veteran wrestler has corroborated an allegation of inappropriate behaviour that was levied against Matt Riddle during the Speaking Out movement in 2020, David Bixenspan has reported. 

An allegation made against Riddle on June 19, 2020 in a since-deleted tweet by Indiana-based wrestler Thunderkitty claimed: "Remember that time one of my friends/well respected veteran lady wrestler told Matt Riddle to stop changing into his 'gear' in front of everyone in a WOMENS locker room & leave and he got sh*tty to the point they were in each other's faces? I remember."

The incident took place on September 17, 2016 at the National Guard Armory in Gastonia, North Carolina when there was a double-header of pro wrestling of The Queens of Combat from 4 pm until 6 pm ET and PWX from 7 pm ET. 

Thunderkitty's allegation was corroborated by veteran Malia Hosaka, who told Bixenspan: "We were all in there, our show was going on. I didn't know who he was, but I was sitting with my feet propped up and eyes closed. When I opened them[,] he was on my right stripped down to his underwear and I got mad at the lack of respect from today's generation. For him to come into the locker room to change while the women had the room[,] and to strip down and change was disrespectful. There was a bathroom down the hall that fans couldn't get to that he could have used. [In m]y generation[,] the men and women respected each other enough to at least ask if it was ok or to ask for privacy. It p*****d me off[,] and then his attitude that he had underwear on and that it wasn't a big deal p****d me off more[,] so I told him how I felt about the lack of respect."

Hosaka also told Bixenspan that Riddle called her a "b*tch", possibly in a confrontation that she "didn't need to be such a b*tch about it." 

Riddle has responded to the allegation of inappropriate behaviour, telling Bixenspan: "The PWX thing wasn't even an incident. [T]here was only one locker room [and] the promoter told me to change in there[,] so I did. Malia confronted me on my way out, I explained that the promoter told me to go change in there and she talked to the promoter and that was the end of it."

Sources of Bixenspan stated that PWX always ensured there were two locker rooms if women were booked on the show, particularly when running events at the National Guard Armory. It was also stressed that even if a singular locker room was used for both events, men from the PWX show were told not to enter the space until all of the women had exited. It was stated that Riddle also "would have had no reason to change into his gear at any point when the all-women's show was ongoing."

Allegations of sexual misconduct were also made against Riddle during the Speaking Out movement by Samantha Tavel (AKA Candy Cartwright) in which she claimed Riddle sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions between April 2017 and January 2020. Tavel filed a lawsuit against Riddle that she dropped in 2021. 

Riddle had been a part of WWE until his release on September 22. This came a couple of weeks after he accused a police officer at JFK Airport of sexual assault. Riddle was drunk and causing a disturbance at the airport. TMZ have since released footage of the incident.