The promotion Global Wrestling Kingdom (GWK) has issued a detailed statement via Facebook directly challenging claims made by former WWE star Matt Riddle regarding his failure to appear at their charity event in Barnsley, England, on Sunday, August 31st. After Riddle released a video on Twitter/X alleging the promotion was lying about the situation, GWK’s rebuttal provides a timeline of events that contrasts sharply with the wrestler’s account. The event was a fundraiser for ‘Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide’ and ‘Help 4 Homeless Veterans’.
In the statement, GWK asserts that Riddle’s flights were booked and approved by his manager in April 2025 and that no issues were raised at the time. This counters Riddle’s public complaints about the quality of the flight arrangements. While Riddle was booked for the GWK show, it was documented that he appeared at other U.S. independent events over the same weekend, including Boca Raton Championship Wrestling in Florida.
GWK also addressed a key part of Riddle’s argument: a lack of additional paid appearances to justify an early arrival. The promotion stated they agreed to share Riddle’s weekend with a Paris-based promoter at the request of his manager, but that promoter ultimately decided against working with him. “We simply can’t force promotions or gyms to work with him if they don’t wish to,” the statement reads.
The promotion detailed a breakdown in communication leading up to the event. After receiving a promised promo video from Riddle on the Wednesday before the show, GWK said they received no further responses to messages sent on Thursday and Friday morning. It was only on Friday evening, after a driver had waited for several hours at the airport, that Riddle replied, stating he was unhappy with his flight and had taken other bookings instead.
This occurred despite the promotion reminding him that fans had paid to see him at an event explicitly announced as a charity fundraiser in July. Riddle did not respond again until three days after the show had concluded.
GWK also systematically addressed specific complaints from Riddle’s videos. “In his many videos, he’s stated that his flights didn’t include meals. Screenshots clearly show that 2 meals were included in his flight and these screenshots were sent to him on Friday night,” the promotion wrote. They added that seat allocation happens during online check-in, which Riddle had not completed.
The promotion confirmed that Riddle has since returned his deposit and has given his word to reimburse his expenses.
With Riddle absent, Grado was brought in as a last-minute replacement to face Simon Miller in the main event. GWK concluded its statement by praising the talent and fans who attended, noting the “incredibly positive” atmosphere backstage.