Welcome to the April 2nd Inside The Ropes Live blog, bringing you the latest news from WWE, AEW, NJPW, IMPACT Wrestling and more.
Today’s biggest stories:
Hologram (and sadly HarleyGram) transport next to RJ City to discuss how he came to be, the future, AI, technoethics, N46, his portal, Justin Roberts, the Golden Girls, RJ’s mom, lucha, sex robots, referee robots, Zoom, the lightening box, blowing on cartridges, and being human?
Check out the full interview below!
Watch the best of The American Nightmare at WrestleMania, featuring battles against Roman Reigns, The Rock, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, and more.
Check out the live stream below courtesy of WWE!
As excitement builds for the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2, 2K has officially announced that several major titles will be coming to the new console — including WWE 2K, NBA 2K, and Borderlands 4.
These popular franchises will be joined by a host of other high-profile games, including:
For longtime Nintendo fans, classic GameCube titles will also be made available via the Nintendo Direct subscription service — an exciting nod to retro gaming lovers.
What About WWE 2K?
It’s worth noting that the game listed is WWE 2K, not specifically WWE 2K25, which was released in March on other platforms. This is the same version announced for Netflix Games recently, meaning players can soon enjoy the wrestling title on both mobile devices and the Switch 2.
Nintendo Switch 2 Launch Info
With WrestleMania 41 on the horizon, fans have been wondering why former WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax has been absent from TV—and now there’s some insight into the situation.
According to WrestleVotes via Sportskeeda’s Backstage Pass podcast, Jax is currently not cleared to compete for an undisclosed reason. While the expectation was that she would be cleared by March 22, her return has yet to materialize.
“Nia Jax has been… I want to phrase this properly. Not cleared. That’s the best way I can put it. She was due to be cleared I believe two weeks ago. Don’t know if that’s happened… I do know internally that she’s not been cleared for action, which is why she hasn’t been on TV.” [h/t to Wrestling News.co]
It’s still unclear whether the issue is injury-related or not, and WrestleVotes noted they didn’t want to speculate on the cause of her absence.
The last time Jax competed was at Elimination Chamber in February, where she and Candice LeRae lost to Tiffany Stratton and Trish Stratus in a tag match. Prior to that, she began 2025 as Women’s Champion but lost the title when Stratton cashed in her Money in the Bank contract.
NXT Stand & Deliver is set for Saturday, April 19, 2025, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, with a special start time of 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
The event will stream live on Peacock in the United States and on Netflix in most international markets.
As of April 2, 2025, the confirmed matches for the event include:
WWE Hall of Famer Scott Steiner has officially ruled out a return to the ring, firmly closing the book on his storied wrestling career.
The former WCW World Champion last competed in 2023 and has only laced up his boots a handful of times since 2020.
Speaking on Casual Conversations, Steiner was asked whether fans could expect to see him in action again — and his answer was crystal clear:
“Probably not… Let the younger guys do their thing.”
At 62 years old and with a legacy that spans WCW, WWE, TNA, NJPW, and ECW, Big Poppa Pump has done it all. Now, he’s happy to leave the spotlight to the next generation — including a very familiar name.
Stephanie Vaquer’s reign as NXT’s double champion has officially come to an end — but she’s still very much in control.
After defeating Giulia at NXT Roadblock to become both the NXT Women’s Champion and the NXT Women’s North American Champion, Vaquer was riding high. She solidified her dominance again on the March 25th episode by pulling double duty, successfully defending both titles against Jaida Parker and Fallon Henley.
But on the April 1st edition of NXT, General Manager Ava made it clear that the North American Title deserves a spotlight of its own — and frequent defenses.
With that in mind, Vaquer was asked to relinquish the gold.
While the move could’ve sparked tension, Vaquer agreed — with one major condition: she will handpick her challenger for the NXT Women’s Championship at Stand & Deliver.
Before a decision could be made, both Jordynne Grace and Jaida Parker stormed the ring to plead their case, setting the stage for what could be a heated road to Stand & Deliver.
Meanwhile, the now-vacant NXT Women’s North American Title will be up for grabs in a six-woman ladder match at the event.
Ricky Saints is wasting no time making waves in WWE.
Just weeks after making his NXT debut, the former Ricky Starks has already captured championship gold. On the April 1 edition of NXT, Saints defeated Shawn Spears to win the NXT North American Championship — his first title since leaving AEW earlier this year.
After enduring interference from The Culling, Saints landed his signature Roshambo to put Spears away in what was only his third match under the WWE banner. The win marks a major milestone in Saints’ transition to WWE, with many already tipping him as one of NXT’s most exciting new faces.
But the celebration didn’t last long.
As Saints soaked in his victory, All Ego Ethan Page made a surprise appearance, ambushing the new champ from behind and laying him out. Page, another former AEW star, then held the NXT North American Title high as the show faded to black — a clear message that Saints’ first challenge as champion has already arrived.
Have you enjoyed Ricky Saints’ NXT run thus far? Let us know using the thumbs below!
Bret Hart has never been one to hold his tongue, especially when it comes to his legacy — or those who’ve tried to downplay it.
In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, the WWE Hall of Famer addressed Hulk Hogan’s past criticisms and spoke candidly about how today’s generation of wrestlers reflect the legacy of technical greats like himself.
Back in 2023 and again on Logan Paul’s podcast in 2024, Hogan claimed that Bret blamed him for sabotaging his career, alleging that Hart thought he “should have been the greatest wrestler that ever lived.” But Hart didn’t flinch when responding.
“I heard something a few months ago where Hulk Hogan was talking about me. He said, ‘The problem with Bret Hart is that he really does think he was the greatest wrestler of all time.’ I remember thinking and going yeah, maybe. That might be the most truthful thing he’s ever said,” Hart said with a smirk.
But rather than dwell on Hogan, Hart took the opportunity to speak about something more important: the legacy he’s left behind in the ring.
After a video message from CM Punk played — with Punk crediting Hart as a core influence on his career — The Hitman made a pointed observation about the evolution of in-ring style:
“I think when you watch a lot of the wrestlers today, you don’t see anybody imitating Hulk Hogan or Ultimate Warrior,” Hart noted. “You see a lot of the wrestlers today really trying their best to capture my style or some of the guys I worked with like Dynamite Kid, Curt Hennig, and my brother Owen. Yeah, they are wrestling my style. That’s the biggest compliment I can get from today’s generation.”
Ahead of being honoured at the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame for his iconic WrestleMania 13 match against Steve Austin, Bret Hart continues to prove why his influence is as undeniable as it is enduring.
Do you agree with Bret Hart’s comments? Let us know using the thumbs below!
Hello and welcome back to the ITRWrestling live blog
My name is Liam and I will be with you from 10am to 6pm (UK) covering all the biggest stories from the past 24 hours across the world in wrestling.
Kicking things off today we have:
