WWE News: Update on Rich Swann's WWE status
What’s the story?
Yesterday, Triple H was asked about the status of Rich Swann after his arrest for kidnap and battery charges, and his subsequent indefinite suspension from the company and whether he has a future with the company.
In case you didn’t know…
As well as being a WWE Legend, Triple H is also WWE’s executive vice president of Talent, Live Events and Creative - so who better to give an update on the status of Swann?
The former Cruiserweight Champion was arrested on charges of false imprisonment/kidnapping and misdemeanor battery for allegedly using a headlock to drag his wife with him after she escaped from their vehicle.
Fans can read reactions to the incident in the WWE locker room right HERE.
His wife, Su Yung, real name Vannarah Riggs, told police that Swann was critiquing her performance on the way back from a show, and she feared Swann may get violent as he’s known to have anger issues.
This is her reasoning for escaping from the situation, but Swann allegedly chased after her and forcibly brought her back to the vehicle, driving away against her will.
The heart of the matter
Triple H pulled no punches when commenting on the matter.
“We are just waiting on the legal,” the 14-time WWE Champion said.
“We have a zero tolerance policy on that, as you’ve well seen, so he’s suspended until it is determined legally one way or the other.”
Stephanie McMahon added “If he’s convicted, he will be released.” With Triple H adding, "Immediately.”
This really reiterates what WWE's initial statement said, "WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving domestic violence, and per our policy, Rich Swann has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest,” but it is always more stern when it comes straight from the mouths of two people at the very top of the chain.
What’s next?
Well, it's really just a waiting game. As Triple H and Stephanie McMahon said, their hands are tied until there's a legal verdict on the matter.
Rich Swann remains suspended indefinitely, facing both his contract with WWE being terminated and the possibility of jail time.
Per the police report, Swann claimed that he did not use physical violence to get his wife back into the vehicle, however two witnesses have stated that he put Yung in a headlock before dragging her back to the car.
Author’s take
This is a real shame because Rich Swann looked to be on the right track and these events are beyond the limitation of any of our imaginations. We heard all about his problems as a child during the CWC and how he'd got his life on track, and I think almost everyone had great empathy for him.
Swann's career until his arrest was very successful, not to mention he was in the fray for a Cruiserweight title shot, with WWE having to quickly eradicate him from the competition and replace him with Cedric Alexander.
However, in cases like this, the Superstar we see on TV has to take a back seat and justice will take its course.
If found guilty, there is absolutely no way back for Swann - and rightly so. WWE has always remained incredibly strict on matters of domestic violence for good reason. It's even one of the reasons why we almost never see male and female Superstars facing off in the ring, with Becky Lynch v James Ellsworth being a notable exception.
This doesn't seem like a case where there can be many positive outcomes unfortunately. We can only hope Swann and Yung get closure on this incident at the earliest possible juncture.