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Showing posts with label Matt Riddle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matt Riddle. Show all posts

July 13, 2021

Matt Riddle's Accuser Drops Sexual Assault Lawsuit

The woman who accused WWE star Matt Riddle of choking her and forcing her to perform oral sex has dropped her lawsuit against the wrestler ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Court docs show Candy Cartwright -- a pro wrestler whose real name is Samantha Tavel -- filed for the dismissal on Monday.

It's unclear if the two sides reached a monetary settlement ... Cartwright's attorney, John Chwarzynski, tells us only, "The parties have put this in their past and are focused on the future." Riddle's attorney has not commented.

March 24, 2021

WWE And Gabe Sapolsky Dismissed From Samantha Tavel Lawsuit, Riddle Request Denied

A judge has dismissed WWE and Gabe Sapolsky from the lawsuit filed by Samantha Tavel, a.k.a. Candy Cartwright, against both parties and Matt Riddle. United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois Judge Manish S. Shah dismissed WWE and Sapolsky “without prejudice for lack of personal jurisdiction.” Riddle’s motion to dismiss was denied.

Tavel had filed a civil lawsuit against WWE, Sapolsky and Riddle last October seeking $10 million per defendant for various damages, emotional distress, attorney’s fees, and court costs. Tavel claimed that Riddle committed a series of assaults against her from 2017 through January 2020. She alleges that Riddle first sexually assaulted her in April of 2017 in a parking lot after an EVOLVE show. She claims that Riddle forced her to perform oral sex on him on a bus with other wrestlers after an EVOLVE show on May 19, 2018. 

Judge Shah ruled that Tavel failed to demonstrate specific personal jurisdiction lies over WWE. In a sworn affidavit, WWE stated that they had no involvement in the May 2018 wrestling event and didn’t even employ Riddle at that time.

“Tavel offers no evidence to rebut these facts, so I accept them as true, notwithstanding the complaint’s allegation that WWE controlled Evolve’s events,” Judge Shah wrote in the ruling. “To establish personal jurisdiction, Tavel needed to come forward with evidence to establish a prima facie case over WWE. Because WWE wasn’t involved in the May 2018 event around which Tavel’s injury occurred, her injury didn’t arise out of WWE’s Illinois-related activities. And though she vaguely refers to WWE’s holding events worldwide, and specifically in Illinois, she doesn’t explain when or how WWE held events in Illinois. WWE’s connection to Illinois is vaguely sketched, and its connection to the conduct alleged in Tavel’s suit is nonexistent.”

As for Sapolsky, the judge ruled that Tavel failed to meet her burden regarding Sapolsky. According to Sapolsky’s affidavit, Riddle and Tavel took different transportation after the May 2018 Evolve show to the next event in Michigan and he wasn’t in the minibus where the assault occurred.

“Tavel doesn’t rebut these facts either, so I take them as true,” Judge Shah stated. “Tavel hasn’t sufficiently established a connection between Sapolsky’s Illinois contacts and the claim at issue. She accuses Sapolsky of encouraging or assisting Riddle’s behavior. But Sapolsky didn’t know about the assault and wasn’t in the minibus where it happened. And there’s no allegation that Sapolsky encouraged Riddle’s behavior in the course of his contacts with Illinois. It’s unclear when or where that alleged encouragement occurred. Tavel argues only that Sapolsky was physically present in the state at the time of the assault. Of course, physical presence in the forum state is a ‘relevant contact.’ But when there’s no connection between the defendant’s contacts with the state and the underlying controversy, ‘specific jurisdiction is lacking regardless of the extent of the defendant’s unconnected activities in the State.’ Tavel hasn’t sufficiently linked Sapolsky’s activities in Illinois with the conduct underlying her suit.”

The court ruled that although Tavel’s allegations are contested, they are plausible “and they suffice to put Riddle on notice of the conduct he’s accused of.”

Riddle’s answer to the complaint is due on April 14, 2021, “and the parties shall file a joint status report on April 21, 2021, with a proposed discovery schedule.”

source: wrestlinginc.com

October 8, 2020

WWE Issues Statement On Reported Lawsuit Filed By Matt Riddle's Accuser Candy Cartwright

Samantha Tavel, a.k.a. Candy Cartwright, has filed a civil lawsuit against Matt Riddle, WWE, and former EVOLVE owner Gabe Sabolsky, which was first reported by the Chicago Sun Times.

According to court documents acquired by Fightful, Tavel is seeking $10 million dollars per defendant for actual damages, damages from emotional distress, punitive damages, attorney's fees, and costs.

Fightful noted that the suit alleges that Riddle committed a series of assaults against Tavel from 2017 through January 2020. She alleges that Riddle first sexually assaulted her in April of 2017 in a parking lot following an EVOLVE show. She claims that Riddle bragged about the incident with Sapolsky and two others from WWE who "tacitly approved" of the assault.

According to the Chicago Sun Times, after leaving an EVOLVE event on May 19, 2018, Tavel - who was in a relationship with Riddle at the time - said that Riddle forced her to perform oral sex on him on a bus with other wrestlers. Tavel says that she was not comfortable doing the act with other wrestlers on the bus and said, "No." Tavel claims that Riddle then put his hands on her neck and said, "What if I just made you?"

"I never thought he would do anything to hurt me and, in that moment, I was terrified," Tavel said at a news conference on Thursday.

Tavel's attorney, John Chwarzynski, said that the incident was one of the "multitude of sexual assaults committed by Matt Riddle against my client, Candi Cartwright."

"The WWE has painted a picture over the course of the years that female performers are to comply with certain rules," Chwarzynski said. "The WWE, since its inception, has hyper-sexualized female performers and they've profited from male aggression against these female performers."

According to the Chicago Sun Times story, Tavel claims that EVOLVE terminated her in January after she refused to continue to perform "forced sexual acts" on Riddle.

Cartwright first made the allegations against Riddle in June. Riddle admitted that they had an affair, but denied any allegations of sexual assault. In September, Riddle dropped a petition for a restraining order against Tavel. Riddle announced on September 17th that he would be filing a civil suit against Tavel, however the suit has yet to be filed.

February 17, 2019

Matt Riddle Thinks NXT Has Potential To Be WWE'S Top Brand

TMZ Sports recently interviewed Matt Riddle. "The King of Bros" compared NXT to WWE's main roster and the possibility of NXT rising to the top of the company food chain in the future. Highlights and video are below.

NXT:

“I think we’re just different, and I know that’s easy to say. But we’re different, we’re new, we’re fresh, and we’re not the same watered down child’s product that WWE has kind of turned into a lot. And when people watch us — even though it’s scripted a lot of the time — it’s more real. It’s more believable.”


Moving To Main Roster:

“You know, funny enough, I was thinking about that the other day, and I want to get to the main roster. But then I was thinking, ‘Well, maybe I’m thinking about it wrong’ because NXT is so hot. Maybe we should stay and try to make it bigger than RAW and SmackDown, and just make it one—like the big guy, you know, which isn’t impossible I don’t think.”


NXT Being On Top Of WWE:

“The big thing is Vince [McMahon] owns RAW, SmackDown— he owns everything, and those are his babies. He’s had them forever. So, I think the probability of NXT taking over at that level is probably hard. But at the same time, I don’t see it too far from the future with us being on the same playing field as RAW and SmackDown.”

August 23, 2018

Triple H Comments On Signing Matt Riddle To WWE Despite Past Failed Drug Tests

Triple H is regarded by many WWE fans as perhaps the smartest guy in professional wrestling. That’s due not only to his ability to transition from the ring to the executive level. It’s also due to his vision.

The Game saw WWE’s developmental brand NXT for what it could be and helped mold it into a highly successful, highly entertaining product. He gives guys opportunities to prove themselves, not just because WWE wants to turn a profit. He does it because if a talent wants to succeed bad enough, then he or she will put in the work to earn it. Shaping those talents now could prove highly beneficial in the future.

One of those talents is Matt Riddle, who recently signed with WWE. Riddle transitioned from the UFC to pro wrestling and quickly became one of the most popular hands in the business. But his past sins in the MMA world can certainly not be forgotten.

Riddle’s UFC run ended due to failed drug tests and his reputation was perhaps forever affected by it. Triple H, real name Paul Levesque, recently spoke to CBS Miami about Riddle specifically.

“I believe in him, and I believe he has a lot of potential and talent,” Levesque said. “But again, just like everybody else as they walk in the door, we’ll see.”

Hunter’s quote was in reference to an earlier statement regarding the type of people he wants in the WWE locker room.

“Somebody can be very, very talented, but not be the right human being or the right support system for everybody else or be detrimental and the fly in the ointment. Then, I don’t want them there. I don’t care how talented they are. You can be really talented but go be talented somewhere else. If you’re going to mess up my locker room, I don’t want you here.”

Triple H’s assessment does seem to point directly to Riddle, who may or may not be fully embraced by his peers or perhaps even the company. But Hunter seems confident that Riddle has what it takes and it’s difficult to argue with The Game’s track record thus far.

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