Welcome to the September 4th Inside The Ropes Live blog, bringing you the latest news from WWE, AEW, NJPW, IMPACT Wrestling and more.
Today’s biggest stories:
Watch the beginning of The New World Order’s hostile takeover of WCW, from Scott Hall and Kevin Nash’s debuts to Hulk Hogan’s transformation into Hollywood and the shocking twists and turns over the course of the first year of The nWo.
nce McMahon turned 80 on August 24, and the former WWE Chairman marked the milestone with a star-studded birthday celebration at the luxurious Baccarat Hotel in New York City. The event was attended by several wrestling legends and close friends, including The Undertaker, Kane, John Cena, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, The Miz, JBL, Jerry Lawler, Teddy Long, Ron Killings (R-Truth), and McMahon’s son, Shane.
Among the guests was WWE Hall of Famer Charles Wright, better known as The Godfather, who shared some behind-the-scenes details on his Poddin’t Ain’t Easy podcast. Wright revealed that he and McMahon arrived at the party together, with the former Chairman emphasizing how much the gathering meant to him.
“He goes, ‘Charles, I just want you to know there’s nobody here that’s not my true friend,’” The Godfather recalled.
Wright also joked that McMahon’s suit reminded him of something “Dr. Evil” would wear. But the biggest revelation of the evening came when McMahon personally introduced The Godfather to his new girlfriend.
“He [McMahon] introduced me to his girlfriend, or whatever she was,” Wright disclosed. [H/T WrestlingNewsCo]
McMahon has been separated from his longtime wife Linda McMahon since before 2022, though the couple never formally divorced. His public introduction of a new partner at such
Check out the latest episode of WWE Evolve in full courtesy of the WWE!
Taz is inducted into the 2300 Arena Hardcore Hall of Fame before AEW Dynamite!
Check out the full video below courtesy of AEW!
CM Punk has never been short on enemies, and one of his loudest critics remains former WWE star Matt Riddle. The two men have traded shots in interviews for years, with Riddle recently accusing Punk of being a “fake” and a “creep,” while also challenging him to a bare-knuckle fight or MMA bout.
Now, Riddle has dragged Punk’s wife, AJ Lee, into the feud with remarks that have raised eyebrows.
During an appearance on TMZ’s Inside The Ring podcast, Riddle was asked about AJ Lee, who is expected to make her WWE return after a decade away to team with Punk in a storyline against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch. While Riddle initially claimed he had “no problems” with the former Divas Champion, he followed up with a controversial comment:
“AJ, you know, I have no problems with her. She never stepped into it. I mean, to be fair, and I’m not one to talk – I’m a little f*cked up myself – but she did go get around from what I heard. But no disrespect to that. Hey, it’s whatever. People like to hook up, people like to hook up. And if that’s the worst thing he did, whatever, dude. I’ve done it too. But yeah, no ill will towards anybody else.”
The remark sparked immediate backlash online, with many fans criticizing Riddle for making disrespectful insinuations about AJ Lee, especially with her long-awaited WWE return rumored to be just weeks away.
Meanwhile, CM Punk has not publicly responded to Riddle’s latest comments. The former United States Champion’s interview comes shortly after his expletive-filled rant on social media regarding a separate controversy with indie promotion GWK, leaving fans and industry insiders once again baffled at Riddle’s unpredictability.
WWE’s new broadcast deal with ESPN is set to kick off with a bang at Wrestlepalooza on September 20th, but some early friction has emerged between the two sides — and Stephanie McMahon may be the cause.
The new partnership will see WWE premium live events stream exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States. The deal launches with a stacked card featuring Brock Lesnar’s highly anticipated return match against John Cena, plus the return of AJ Lee, who is expected to team with her husband CM Punk against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch in a marquee mixed tag bout.
But while excitement around the event is high, McMahon raised eyebrows during a recent episode of her What’s Your Story? podcast. In an ad-read for a VPN sponsor, she encouraged listeners to use VPN services to access WWE events through Netflix — WWE’s international streaming partner — rather than ESPN.
According to Wrestling Observer Radio, ESPN executives were not pleased. “I heard ESPN’s p*ssed. And they should be,” said Dave Meltzer, pointing out that McMahon’s comments effectively undercut ESPN’s new domestic exclusivity.
Although Stephanie McMahon no longer holds an official position within WWE, her comments carry significant weight given her long association with the company. That fact may complicate matters as WWE looks to solidify its relationship with its newest U.S. broadcast partner.
Former WWE star Matt Riddle is once again at the center of controversy after being accused of no-showing a UK charity wrestling event. According to GWK, Riddle was meant to wrestle Simon Miller, but not only did he fail to appear, the promotion claims he also refused to return his deposit.
Now, Riddle has fired back in a furious rant on X/Twitter, denying the allegations and accusing GWK of lying. He claimed the event was not originally a charity show and that promoters had booked him a flight two days before the scheduled match, without arranging the additional appearances and meet-and-greets he was promised. Riddle argued he had other work commitments and told the promotion to deduct travel costs from his pay.
The former WWE United States Champion doubled down, saying:
“This show wasn’t a charity event. That’s a lie. That was a last second change. You also booked me the worst flight in history, bro. Middle seat, no meal, no checked bag.”
But things quickly escalated, as Riddle launched into an expletive-laden tirade aimed at both promoters and fans, dismissing criticism and proclaiming he didn’t care what anyone thought. Calling detractors “dumb f***ing c***s,” he insisted he’d continue to get bookings and even teased a possible return to fighting.
The outburst has shocked many in the wrestling community, with fans and insiders questioning why Riddle would choose to escalate the situation so aggressively. Since leaving WWE in 2023, the “Superking of Bros” has remained a polarizing figure, and his latest tirade only adds fuel to that fire.
You can watch the full rant and read a full breakdown of Riddle’s comments, here.
Former WWE star Matt Riddle has branded CM Punk a ‘creep’ in a scathing new interview.
Riddle, who has faced large scale controversy this week after no showing a UK based charity wrestling show, spoke to Inside The Ring earlier this week, during the explosive interview Riddle would put CM Punk on blast for his attitude backstage at WWE NXT and the paternal role he has taken in the career of Cora Jade.
Speaking with TMZ, Riddle noted:
“I have no ill will towards CM Punk, he’s a nice enough guy and you agree with it, but I don’t and I think he’s fake and I think he’s a creep and that’s coming from me, and people think I’m a creep and I haven’t done anything wrong. I don’t know, I feel like he’s just lingering around the NXT locker room a little too much, you know.”
Reaction to Riddle’s comments have been mixed with some agreeing with his statement, pointing to the large volume of pictures where CM Punk is photographed alongside NXT’s female roster, particularly Roxanne Perez & Cora Jade, however, a much larger number of fans have mocked Riddle for this take calling him ‘bitter’ & ‘jealous’ and coming to the defence of CM Punk.
Hello and welcome back to the ITRWrestling live blog
My name is Liam and I will be with you from 1pm to 5pm (UK) covering all the biggest stories from the past 24 hours across the world in wrestling.
Kicking things off today we have:
