A professional booking dispute has escalated into a public relations crisis for Matt Riddle, resulting in the cancellation of a planned convention appearance following a series of inflammatory comments regarding sexual assault and domestic violence. The pop culture convention SiouxperCon announced it has pulled Riddle from its event scheduled for September 19-21.
In a public statement, the organization explained its decision was a direct response to Riddle’s recent remarks. “The statements that were made in no way represent our organization or event, and are not aligned with the mission, vision, and values of our organization,” the announcement read. SiouxperCon affirmed its goal to be a safe space and stated that all advance photo op purchases for Riddle would be automatically refunded.
The controversy originated from Riddle’s failure to appear at a Global Wrestling Kingdom charity event in the United Kingdom on August 31. The promotion labeled it a “no-show,” while Riddle contended he chose not to travel due to unmet booking requirements, including unsatisfactory flight arrangements. He also claimed the event was not initially presented to him as a charity fundraiser. The financial component of the dispute has since been resolved, with GWK confirming Riddle returned his deposit.
In response to public criticism over the UK incident, Riddle released a video statement containing the comments that led to his cancellation from SiouxperCon. During the rant, he stated, “Most of you m—therf—kers are dumb f—king c—ts. Just like when you believed that #MeToo bulls—t, all the other f—king garbage.”
The reference to “#MeToo” relates to sexual assault allegations made against Riddle in 2020 during the #SpeakingOut movement, which he has consistently denied and which resulted in a since-dropped lawsuit.
In a move to support its community, SiouxperCon and its partner promotion, New Sound Wrestling, will donate 10% of proceeds from their SiouxperMania ticket sales to The Compass Center, an organization that provides services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.