Matt Morgan Talks Rich Swann's Arrest, Meeting Swann In The Past
As previously noted, former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann was arrested following a argument and alleged altercation he had with wife and independent wrestler Vannarah Riggs, known in the wrestling circuit as Su Yung. As a result, WWE issued a statement suspending Swann, stating, "WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving domestic violence, and per our policy, Rich Swann has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest."
Matt Morgan, who is now the City Commissioner of Longwood District 4, was interviewed by FOX 35 regarding the incident, as seen in the video above. Morgan stated that he was "shocked" when he first heard about the arrest.
"A lot of these times when you see these types of situations when one of these guys get arrested for anything kind of violent, I'm always very surprised by it, because, even though that's what we do as entertainment, it's the complete opposite of the spectrum as to how were are in real life," Morgan said.
Recalling when he met him while an enhancement talent, Morgan said that Swann was "always really talented and really athletic," and it's "a real shame that he had anything to do with something like this." Morgan added, "what I would tell that young boy watching at home is that it's not okay. It's not okay to put your hands on a female, it's not okay to put your hands on anybody for that matter."
According to an update provided by PWInsider, Swann has been released from the Alachua County Jail in Gainesville, Florida, but under a couple of conditions. First, he had to sign a release agreeing that he would not have any "direct or indirect hostile contact" with Yung. This was not a restraining order, though, as they are still allowed to live together. However, if Swann is reported to threaten, argue with, or belittle her, he would violate the release agreement and account for the violation accordingly. Swann also has to be in contact with court services within 24 hours of his release. According to the police report, Swann and Yung were driving home from her independent show, and Swann started to critique her performance on the show.
Yung became afraid that the argument was going to escalate, and proceeded to leave the car. Swann would then leave the car, chase after Yung, and place her in a headlock in order to force her back in the car. Yung stated that Swann is known to have a temper sometimes, and was afraid that it would escalate to physical violence. Swann denied these allegations, stating that Yung went into the car without force. He also stated that the GPS was on Yung's phone and he "needed her to come with it."
Until Swann is cleared of all charges, he will not be allowed to return to WWE. If he is charged, he will be terminated immediately.
Be sure to check out the WrestlingINC podcast following Raw tonight featuring Matt Morgan, Glenn Rubenstein and Justin LaBar for more on this story.