Davey Richards Announces Retirement In Wake Of Backlash Over Domestic Violence Allegations

Former Ring of Honor World Champion Davey Richards has announced his retirement from professional wrestling in the wake of numerous organizations — including Prestige Wrestling, St. Louis Anarchy, and Team Ambition Wrestling School, which was strongly branded around Richards' wrestling persona and where he worked as a trainer — cutting ties with him on Friday after allegations of domestic violence emerged.

"I have not been arrested and no charges have been filed and I maintain these allegations are 100% false," Richards said in a statement to Wrestling Inc. "Maybe it's just my time to step aside. I don't want to affect anyone or any promotion. People need this sport — it gives them a place of belonging and hope, I don't want to be the one to take that away or tarnish it. I'll be okay, and boy will I miss you all."

Wrestling Inc. has learned that Richards' disavowal by the aforementioned organizations was precipitated, in part, by a screenshot circulating around his local St. Louis wrestling scene. The screenshot is an accurate representation of a court document that Wrestling Inc. obtained, in which an ex-partner alleges that Richards "engaged in inappropriate and unreasonable behavior ... including significant use of cocaine and other substances and domestic violence [toward a different partner]."

While neither Prestige Wrestling nor Team Ambition explained why they were parting ways with Richards, Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp said on Twitter that the promotions terminated their association with Richards for "violating their policies and code of conducts, due to allegations of domestic abuse." St. Louis Anarchy told Sapp that Richards was fired due to a code of conduct violation, which Wrestling Inc. has confirmed. Moreover, Wrestling Inc. has learned that in a Facebook message to a member of St. Louis Anarchy management, Richards, upon being told that he was being removed from shows because evidence had been brought forward, volunteered that he knew of a photo showing an ex-partner with facial bruises, but asserted that it was not proof that he caused the injuries.