Welcome to the May 7th Inside The Ropes Live blog, bringing you the latest news from WWE, AEW, NJPW, IMPACT Wrestling and more.
Today’s biggest stories:
Our friends over at Inside The Ropes have uploaded another fantastic video – this time Sgt Slaughter speaks exclusively to Inside The Ropes about who’s to blame in the Montreal Screwjob incident.
Check out the video below!
Wrestling legend Jim Cornette didn’t hold back in praising WWE’s Bron Breakker on the latest episode of his Drive-Thru podcast, calling the powerhouse “a f**king superstar” after his standout performance on Monday Night Raw.
Cornette lauded Breakker’s new alignment with Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman, noting how well the former Intercontinental Champion fit in with top-tier talent:
“Bron immediately fits in with a suit. He looks like a million dollars, like a top f**king star coming out with the other top stars.”
His admiration extended beyond presentation, with Cornette highlighting Breakker’s in-ring work, particularly his match against Sami Zayn on last week’s Raw. He praised Breakker’s physicality, timing, and classic wrestling fundamentals:
“Bron Breakker is a pro wrestler doing pro wrestling things… This guy’s a f**king superstar.” [h/t WrestlingNewsCo]
While Cornette expressed minor reservations about the broader pacing of the storyline, he underscored that Breakker’s offense, charisma, and polish make him one of WWE’s most credible rising stars — and a legitimate future main eventer.
WrestleMania 41 was a career-defining moment for Lyra Valkyria, but it came with emotional complications as her breakthrough came at the expense of someone she considers a true mentor — Bayley.
Teaming with Becky Lynch, Valkyria captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships during Night Two of WrestleMania. However, it was later revealed that Lynch only got the spot after attacking Bayley the night before, sidelining her from the match. The situation has since sparked two rivalries for Valkyria: a bitter feud with Lynch, and a complicated sense of loyalty to Bayley.
In a recent interview with My Mom’s Basement, Valkyria opened up about her emotional turmoil:
“Having my Mania moment come at the expense of [Bayley], that was genuinely very upsetting… She’s everything I thought Becky would be.” [h/t Fightful]
Valkyria praised Bayley for guiding her since her main roster arrival, calling their chemistry “natural” both inside and outside the ring — a stark contrast to the betrayal she later experienced from Lynch, who turned on her after they lost the titles the next night.
Looking ahead, Valkyria is set to defend the Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Becky Lynch at WWE Backlash on May 10, marking her fifth title defense since becoming the inaugural champion in January.
The WWE Vault YouTube channel continues to be a delight as WWE has uploaded a full documentary looking into the history of the nWo Wolfpac.
The description reads:
“Watch the rise and rapid fall of The nWo Wolfpac — Kevin Nash, Sting, Randy Savage, Lex Luger and Konnan — as the “bad boys of wrestling” battle the likes of Hollywood Hogan, Bret Hart and Goldberg, from 1998’s SuperBrawl VIII to 1999’s infamous “Fingerpoke of Doom.”
Check out the full documentary below!
Two more names have departed All Elite Wrestling, and this time it wasn’t simply a case of contracts expiring. Dutch and Vincent of The Righteous have officially exited AEW after personally requesting their release from the company.
While their removal from AEW’s official roster page sparked speculation, PWInsider has since confirmed that the decision was made at the request of the tag team themselves.
Despite their contracts reportedly running into late 2025, AEW granted the release, and the split has been described as amicable. One source noted that a future return to AEW or ROH isn’t off the table, but no such plans are currently in place.
Dutch and Vincent’s AEW run began in 2023, but their presence was far more prominent in Tony Khan’s Ring of Honor brand. Their most high-profile AEW moment came at WrestleDream 2023, when they challenged MJF for the ROH Tag Team Championships in a two-on-one handicap match. MJF retained the titles despite Adam Cole being sidelined with injury.
Their final ROH appearance took place in April 2025, when The Righteous teamed with The Premier Athletes to defeat Spanish Announce Project & The Kingdom.
Also quietly removed from AEW’s roster is former WWE coach Sarah Stock, whose departure was anticipated following reports in April.
The first official matches for WWE NXT Battleground have been confirmed, with three championship bouts now locked in for the premium live event, taking place Sunday, 25 May at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida.
In the men’s division, Myles Borne secured his title opportunity by winning a 25-man battle royal on this week’s episode of NXT, outlasting key contenders to earn a shot at Oba Femi’s NXT Championship. Despite an internal power struggle within No Quarter Catch Crew, Borne stood firm against teammate Charlie Dempsey, insisting the title match was his alone. Femi and Dempsey will square off in a non-title match next week.
Meanwhile, in the women’s main event scene, Jordynne Grace defeated Giulia to become the No.1 contender for Stephanie Vaquer’s NXT Women’s Championship. Grace and Vaquer ended Tuesday’s show with a tense face-to-face, setting the stage for a highly anticipated showdown at Battleground.
In a historic development, the TNA World Championship will be defended on an NXT premium live event for the first time ever. Reigning champion Joe Hendry will put his title on the line against Trick Williams, with a contract signing scheduled for next week’s show.
Confirmed Card for WWE NXT Battleground:
In a surprising twist, Elijah—formerly known in WWE as Elias—made his return to the company on this week’s episode of NXT, entering as the final competitor in a 25-man battle royal to determine the No.1 contender for the NXT Championship.
Though competing under his TNA name, the crowd instantly recognized him, erupting in chants of “Elias” and “Welcome home” as he grabbed a mic and asked, “Do you want to walk with Elijah?”
Elijah delivered a strong performance, even eliminating Trick Williams following a distraction from Joe Hendry, but was quickly ousted by Shawn Spears.
Ultimately, Myles Borne scored a shocking win, last eliminating Spears and Ethan Page to earn a title shot against Oba Femi at Battleground on 25 May.
WWE veteran Shelton Benjamin did not hold back after Hulk Hogan misnamed him during recent interviews, referring to him as “Benjamin Shelton.”
The slip came during Hogan’s appearances on The Pat McAfee Show and TMZ, where he praised amateur wrestling talent in WWE—but failed to get Benjamin’s name right.
Benjamin quickly took to social media to issue a scathing response:
“Message to @HulkHogan. You lost me forever with your ‘don’t get caught’ …or as you would call it ‘apology’ speech. So rather than screw up my name and pretend we ever had any sort of camaraderie which we never had. Please do me a favor & [Will Smith gif captioned ‘keep my name out of your f****** mouth’]”
The reference was pointed not only at Hogan’s recent fumble, but also at his infamous 2015 scandal, in which leaked footage from a private sex tape showed Hogan using racial slurs. While Hogan apologized for being recorded saying those things, critics—including many WWE stars—felt his remorse fell short, especially due to the nature of his “don’t get caught” comments in the locker room.
Benjamin’s response was soon echoed by his former Hurt Business ally MVP, who replied bluntly on social media:
“Pathological lying piece of human excrement.”
Both men have been vocal in the past about their discomfort with Hogan’s actions and his limited accountability. This latest misstep only reignited long-standing tensions, particularly among Black wrestlers who felt Hogan’s conduct was never fully addressed.
Hello and welcome back to the ITRWrestling live blog
My name is Liam and I will be with you from 2pm to 6pm (UK) covering all the biggest stories from the past 24 hours across the world in wrestling.
Kicking things off today we have:
