TMZ releases footage from Matt Riddle airport incident
TMZ has obtained some footage from Matt Riddle’s recent incident at JFK Airport in New York City.
In the video, Riddle can be seen grabbing a microphone at a front desk in the airport. TMZ writes that Riddle seemingly had a few too many drinks while his plane was delayed. A witness told TMZ that Riddle was ‘”incredibly obnoxious” during the delay and was “extremely loud and rude.”
TMZ wrote:
A witness tells us their flight to Orlando was postponed multiple times, so Riddle and his friend waited it out by enjoying drinks at a nearby restaurant.
The witness says Riddle was becoming ‘incredibly obnoxious’ throughout the delay … being ‘extremely loud and rude.’
Once it was almost time to board, the witness noticed Riddle walking around, yelling and asking when the plane would take off — before going up to the gate’s front desk and grabbing the mic.
In the video, Riddle — who’s holding a drink — is heard asking fellow passengers if they’re capable of flying the plane. It’s all in a playful manner, but staffers were quick to put an end to it.
The passengers eventually got on the plane … except Riddle, who was denied entry due to his state.
Our witness tells us he grew upset, asking ‘So are you telling me I’m not going home today?’
The video from TMZ can be seen below:
The video obtained by TMZ doesn’t include the interaction between Riddle and Port Authority police. An investigation was launched after Riddle made an Instagram post accusing a Port Authority police officer of sexually assaulting him during the incident. Riddle deleted the Instagram post shortly after making it and did not file a police report regarding the sexual assault allegation.
Riddle wasn’t detained or arrested following the incident.
The incident happened on September 9. Riddle was released by WWE on September 22. His release came during a round of roster cuts.
The roster cuts were made after Endeavor’s acquisition of WWE became official.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.