WWE’s Rich Swann Suspended After Arrest on Battery and Kidnapping Charges (Update)
Update: WWE wrestler Rich Swann has been suspended following his arrest in Florida, where he is charged with battery and the kidnapping or false imprisonment of his wife, Vannarah Riggs, better known under her ring name, Su Yung.
“WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving domestic violence, and per our policy, Rich Swann has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest,” WWE said in a statement Sunday morning.
Previously: WWE wrestler Rich Swann has been arrested, authorities told TheWrap. The former Cruiserweight Champion is currently sitting in an Alachua County, Florida jail, where he faces charges of battery and the kidnapping or false imprisonment of an adult.
The 26-year-old “Monday Night Raw” and “205 Live” standout — who resides in Orlando, Florida — was arrested around midnight on Sunday morning. Here is his mugshot:
Also Read: Sounds Like Dolph Ziggler May Be Leaving WWE Soon - And Possibly for Fox News (Audio)
According to the arrest report, Swann was critiquing Riggs’ performance in a match when he “began getting angry with her. [Riggs] got scared that the argument was going to escalate and got out of the car.” It goes on to say that Swann gave chase, “grabbed [Riggs] by her arm and then around her neck and arm. He placed her in a headlock and dragged her back to their vehicle.”
A witness at the scene said that Riggs was “beating on the window screaming for help as they drove away.”
Swann denied the allegations, saying that Riggs got in the car on her own and he never physically touched her.
Also Read: How WWE's TV Ratings Are Doing This Year
Swann, who came up through WWE’s minor league system NXT, competed in June 2016’s WWE Cruiserweight Classic. The charismatic and high-flying wrestler then made his “Raw” debut on Sept. 19 of the same year.
On the Nov. 29, 2016 series premiere episode of “205 Live,” Swann defeated Brian Kendrick to win the Cruiserweight title. He lost the belt to Neville at the 2017 Royal Rumble.
In March, Swann married Su Yung — real name Vannarah Riggs — a fellow professional wrestler working the independent scene.
Related stories from TheWrap:
Becky Lynch Shares Next Milestones for WWE's 'Women's Revolution'
WWE's Becky Lynch Explains Why I Like Sheamus So Much
Alberto Del Rio: 90 Percent of WWE Wrestlers Have Never Been in a Real Fight
