Matt Riddle Denies Skipping Charity Event, Received “Death Threats” – Matt Riddle has addressed the backlash over his no-show at Global Wrestling Kingdom’s debut event in the UK, firing back at the promotion in a lengthy video statement and a follow-up interview on TMZ Inside The Ring. The former WWE star and current MLW World Champion denied the reports that he skipped out on a charity booking, instead accusing GWK of mishandling travel, misleading fans, and falsely advertising his appearance.
In his video response, Riddle said the main issue stemmed from GWK booking him a flight to London on Thursday for a show scheduled on Sunday, without arranging any additional appearances, meet-and-greets, or matches in the days prior. “GWK, the reason I didn’t go is because you booked me a flight for Thursday for a show that was happening Sunday and you said you were booking me meet and greets, other matches and appearances. You did none of that,” he explained. Riddle claimed he told the promotion “multiple times” he wouldn’t sit in a hotel room for two days and instead took other bookings.
On the same weekend, Riddle wrestled for Boca Raton Championship Wrestling in Florida, which overlapped with the GWK show. He insisted that he offered to fly to London on Saturday night at the promotion’s expense, but claims they refused. “You also booked me the worst flight in history, bro. Middle seat, no meal, no checked bag. GWK, this is probably your last run,” he said.
Riddle also pushed back against reports that the event was always a charity show, calling the charity element a “last-second” addition. “Four months ago, this wasn’t a charity event. Three months ago, it wasn’t a charity event. This week was the first time I got a message saying, well, you’re gonna do this to a charity event,” he told TMZ. Riddle added that the backlash has led to him receiving death threats from angry fans.
He further accused GWK of continuing to advertise him even after knowing he wouldn’t attend, calling it “a scumbag move.” As for claims that he has not returned his deposit, Riddle said, “I never said I wouldn’t pay you guys back, that’s a lie.”
Analysis: This situation has quickly become a messy back-and-forth, with both sides presenting conflicting accounts. While GWK has said Riddle left them scrambling and forced refunds, Riddle argues that the promotion failed to uphold its end of the booking. Regardless of who is at fault, the incident continues to damage Riddle’s reputation in wrestling circles, as it adds to a growing list of no-show controversies attached to his name in 2025.
Matt Riddle Denies Skipping Charity Event, Received “Death Threats”
