Paranoia Takes Over The WWE Locker Room; April 20th Live Wrestling News Round-Up

Mark Henry has responded to a viral clip from Bianca Belair on Kevin Hart’s ‘Cold as Balls’ show, where The EST details how important ‘The Worlds Strongest Man’ was in getting her WWE career started.

During the interview, Belair would reveal that she initially thought the DM from Mark Henry offering her a WWE try-out was a fake before realising it was the real deal weeks later.

Bianca would thank Henry for the impact he has had on her life, something that Mark Henry graciously accepted while noting that all he did was open the door.

Taking to Twitter, Henry would state:

“I opened the door. She walked in and turned it out.”

You can watch the full Bianca Belair interview down below ⬇️

On April 19th, AEW rolled into Pittsburgh for Dynamite, Rampage, and the latest set of Ring of Honor tapings.

Below you can find the spoilers for tomorrow’s [April 21st] episode of AEW Rampage.

Spoiler warning… obviously.

• Jon Moxley def Christopher Daniels
• The Hardys, Hook, and Isiah Kassidy came to the ring for a promo. On the big screen, Stokely Hathaway interrupted and demanded to know the details about The Firm Deletion match. Matt Hardy said he would reveal the details when the time was right, and the trio was attacked by The Firm.
• Julia Hart def Kiera Hogan.
• FTR & Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal def Slim J & The Varsity Athletes.
• El Hijo del Vikingo (c) def Dralistico – AAA Mega Championship. La Faccion Ingobernables attacked Vikingo after the match.

WWE Hall of Famer RVD took to Twitter today to wish fans a ‘Happy RVD Day’ in reference to the internet led holiday of April 20th AKA 4/20.

RVD famously was stripped of the WWE Championship back in 2006 following a drug arrest after being pulled over for speeding in Ohio, ‘The Whole F’In Show’ was found in possession of 18 grams of hashish and five Vicodin pills, while Sabu was in possession of drug paraphernalia and nine tablets of Testolactone.

Since his departure from the WWE, the former WWE Champion has continued to be open and transparent about his Marijuana use stating that he feels like it gives him ‘clarity.’

Earlier this week, responding to fan questions on Twitter he would reveal that he is not ‘addicted’ in anyway to the substance and that he smokes around one ounce per week when he isn’t travelling and whenever he needs to he is able to stop smoking without any withdrawal symptoms at all.

“I smoke about an oz a week when I’m home. I’ve always been able to stop anything, weed, alcohol, pills, caffeine, etc with zero withdrawal and if someone can’t understand because they themselves are different, they miss the point. Perhaps all sheep are identical.”

Happy “RVD DAY” everyone! pic.twitter.com/9xrTPiXjZl

— Rob Van Dam (@TherealRVD) April 20, 2023

Spike Dudley may have been the ‘runt’ of The Dudley family but according to Bully Ray he was also ‘the man’ with an incredible ability for getting talent ‘over.’

Responding to a TikTok compilation, reposted on Twitter, of Spike Dudley’s nastiest WWE bumps, the IMPACT Star would heap praise on Spike commenting on his dedication to the business and ability to use his own body to get other talent over.

“Spike is the man and got everyone over!! Fkn love him!!”

Spike Dudley hasn’t had a match in over seven years, with his final in ring appearance being a triple threat match against Jason Axe and Jimmy Olsen for 2CW back in 2015.

Spike was also not inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame alongside ‘brothers’ Devon and Bubba back in 2018.

Do you think Spike Dudley deserves a place in the WWE Hall of Fame? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

The Bollywood Boyz may have been released by the WWE but their legacy lives on.

Ahead of Backlash 2023 on May 6th, WWE’s official Twitter account shared some iconic ‘Backlash Memories’ including a now iconic clip of Samir Singh being back body dropped onto the announce table by Randy Orton at Backlash 2017.

Taking to Twitter, The Bollywood Boyz would react to the clip stating that ‘this moment will live forever.’

You can watch the full match from Backlash 2017 below ⬇️

Footballing legend Cristiano Ronaldo made headlines this week, not for an incredible goal but instead for a bizarre “WWE-esque” challenge during Al Nassrs’ 2-0 loss to Saudi Pro League rivals Al-Hilal.

The challenge in question saw the disgraced for Man United striker jump onto the back and around the neck of Al-Hilal player Gustavo Cuéllar before pulling him to the ground, in a challenge many were comparing to ‘The ZigZag’.

WWE Legend Shane ‘The Hurricane’ Helms took to Twitter to reach to the challenge, which was bizarrely only deemed a yellow card, by sharing a clip of himself performing the vicious takedown on current WWE COO Triple H.

You can check out the hilarious Tweet below ⬇️

Ronaldo hit em with the ZigZag! 🤣🤣 https://t.co/kb4LUN6KaX pic.twitter.com/bDxPbUTNYe

— Hurricane Helms (@ShaneHelmsCom) April 19, 2023

According to a new report from WrestleVotes, WWE and USA Network are working together on a new show currently titled “WWE: Tall vs Small.”

The report claims that show will feature WWE Superstars taking on children in a trivia challenge, seemingly similar to ‘Am I Smarter Than A 5th Grader’ but featuring WWE Superstars.

The report states:

“I’m hearing there is a new joint show in the works between WWE & USA Network where kids will compete with Superstars in a trivia challenge, currently titled “WWE Tall vs Small”.

Which WWE Superstars do you think would do the WORST in a trivia competition? Let us know hitting the button at the top of the page or by clicking here.

With the WWE draft on the horizon, fans have begun speculating over who could make the jump from NXT to Raw or SmackDown.

Tyler Bate’s name has been circulated as a rumoured call up falling a fantastic reception to his WWE Main Event clash with former World Champion Dolph Ziggler.

One name that hasn’t been mentioned is NXT Superstar Von Wagner, who despite significant support from WWE management, hasn’t hit it off with fans in the same way that some of his fellow NXT 2.0 colleagues, such as Carmelo Hayes, Tyler Bate and Pretty Deadly, have managed.

Dave Meltzer’s of the Wrestling Observer has now reported that WWE and Triple H view Von Wagner as someone they want to main event a future WrestleMania, adding that he believes the 6’5 three-sport-star is nowhere near close to being ready.

“He’s tall, he’s got blond hair, they want him to main event WrestleMania, but you need charisma to get to that level.” [h/t WrestleTalk]

Do you see Von Wagner making it to the main event of WrestleMania? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

April 20th 1997 saw WWF present “In Your House 14: Revenge of the ‘Taker” live from Rochester, New York in front of 6,477 fans.

On the show:

• The Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) defeated Tag Team champions Owen Hart and The British Bulldog
• Savio Vega defeated Rocky Maivia
• Jesse James defeated Rockabilly
• The Undertaker retained the WWF Championship against Mankind
• Steve Austin defeated Bret Hart by disqualification

Do you have any memories from the show? If you have never checked it out, or are feeling nostalgic for some late ’90’s WWF action then you can watch the full PPV, here.

Sid spoke to Inside The Ropes own Kenny McIntosh at For The Love Of Wrestling 2019 about being Shawn Michaels’ bodyguard, wrestling him at Survivor Series, winning the title and more.

Check out this never before seen exclusive footage below ⬇️

Happy Birthday to IMPACT Wrestling star Brian Myers!

Myers is best know for his work in WWE as Curt Hawkins, across two spells with the company Hawkins would feature prominently as part of ‘The Edgehead’s’ with former WWE Star Matt Cardona [FKA Zack Ryder] and then as WWE’s record setting loser in 2019.

Myers recently appeared on IMPACT Wrestling’s 2023 Rebellion PPV teaming with Bully Ray, Kenny King, Masha Slamovich & Moose to take on the team of Bhupinder Gujjar, Frankie Kazarian, Killer Kelly, Tommy Dreamer & Yuya Uemura in a Hardcore War.

Eva Marie has claimed that the “door is always open” for her to return to WWE.

Eva Marie returned to WWE after weeks of hype videos in June 2021. The star featured alongside Doudrop (Piper Niven) before breaking up with her protege just two months later. Marie made her final appearance on WWE television on September 27th where she was attacked by Shayna Baszler. The star was released for a second time that November.

In a new video on her YouTube channel, the star explained that she couldn’t give fans a yes or no answer regarding a return. However, she noted that it is a definite possibility.

You can check out the full video down below ⬇️

You can read more about a potential Eva Marie WWE return, here.

Would you like to see Eva Marie make a return to the WWE? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

When Gable Steveson signed with WWE in September 2021 he was dubbed the next Kurt Angle and was expected to make a big splash with the company sooner rather than later.

Fast forward two years and despite being drafted to Monday Night Raw in 2023, Steveson hasn’t even made a puddle in professional wrestling, never mind a big splash.

To make matters even more bizarre, Steveson recently confirmed his return to amateur wrestling.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer laid out WWE’s original plans for the star.

Meltzer revealed that both Steveson and Bron Breakker were expected to have made an impact on the main roster by now, but that hasn’t happened. He added that Steveson “hasn’t lit the world on fire” in training.

” In January of 2022, over a year ago, I remember being told Gable Steveson is going to be fast-tracked to the main roster right after the college season is over and Bron Breakker was going to be called up pretty soon as well, which also didn’t happen,”

You can check out the full scrapped plans for Gable Steveson in the WWE, here.

Do you think we will ever see Steveson compete in the WWE? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

Hollywood icon Kevin Hart has revealed that he has previously considered getting into the ‘squared circle’ for a one off WWE match, following in the footsteps of his best friend Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

Kevin Hart would appear on his hit  LOL! Network show ‘Cold as Balls’ alongside RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair.

During the interview, Hart would thank WWE for ‘showing him a lot of love’ and reveal that he has even considered having a match before, although it is something that has never come to fruition.

“WWE have shown me a lot of love, a lot of wrestlers coming on here. I don’t know if you know this or not but I thought about wrestling at one point, they [WWE] can probably feel it in my blood because we share a lot of the same synergy.”

You can check out the full interview below ⬇️

Would you like to see Kevin Hart make his WWE debut? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

Jim Ross has revealed that during his WWE run RVD began to get a reputation for working ‘stiff’ leading to a complaint being made by ‘The Deadman’ himself The Undertaker.

Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross would recalls Rob Van Dam busting Kurt Angle during a match and the conversation he was forced to have with the former ECW Star as a result.

“Yeah, of course. Out of respect to the Undertaker, I’m not gonna ignore him.

So Undertaker would not have any issues with me going to RVD and say hey look, you’re getting a bad rep on stiffing people and the latest one to complain was Taker.

Taker don’t complain about nothing unless it’s fair and it is real. So you gotta be more aware of some of the things you do that are marginal. If you dismiss it this much, we’re cool. But if you’re off this much, it’s dangerous.

So, you know, I don’t know how it all worked out, but I don’t remember having ongoing issues with it. And then you read a statement somebody’s written about, I don’t know, it was not as bad as the media and the dirt sheets and all that other stuff would like for it to have been. It wasn’t that way. It was addressed. What the hell am I supposed to do? Put him in front of a chalkboard saying I will not potato I will not potato?

Do you think JR did the right thing? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

When it comes to Mount Rushmore’s there is always debate over which four names are big enough to be given the title of wrestling most important superstars.

That is, unless you are Dominik Mysterio – then there is only one name deserving of the honour.

Taking to Twitter, Mysterio would respond to a question from WWE on Fox asking fans “Who deserves a place on your Mount Rushmore of WWE Women Superstars?”

The former SmackDown Tag Team Champion would reveal that he believes all four spots on Mount Rushmore should be reserved for his ‘Mami’ Rhea Ripley. Although he made sure to give a shout out to WWE Hall of Famer Torrie Wilson as his fifth pick.

1. @RheaRipley_WWE
2. @RheaRipley_WWE
3. @RheaRipley_WWE
4. @RheaRipley_WWE

Honorable mention
5. @Torrie11 https://t.co/LDDJoESZDA

— Dominik (@DomMysterio35) April 19, 2023

Who would be on your Mount Rushmore of Women’s Wrestling? Let us know by hitting the button at the top of the page or by clicking here.

During a recent fan Q & A on Twitter, Mustafa Ali would reveal the worst bump he as ever taken, his favourite spot he has ever done and who he considers his greatest mentor in wrestling.

The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion would name his 2019 Satellite DDT onto Buddy Murphy off the steel steps has his favourite spot ever and name Bryan Danielson’s Running Goat from Fastlane 2019 as the most painful bump he has ever taken.

Ali would also reveal that he considers ‘The Rated R Superstar’ Edge as his ” greatest mentor in wrestling.”

https://t.co/8KyBvcw20E pic.twitter.com/aIptsPKMJK

— Mustafa Ali / Adeel Alam (@AliWWE) April 18, 2023

During a recent appearance of After the Bell with Corey Graves, Edge would open up on offering advice to younger talent such as Mustafa Ali revealing that it is something he ‘loves’ to do.

“Sitting there the other day with Carmelo (Hayes) and (Mustafa) Ali, we sat and talked for an hour and they just picked my brain.”

“I loved it. It was so much fun and so nice, to see these guys at that stage of their careers. I remember being at that stage and being oblivious as to what to do. How do I make this work here? I could wrestle and do moves, but that’s not going to cut it.” [h/t to Fightful]

Would you like to see Mustafa Ali featured more on WWE TV? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

Bianca Belair is known for being the fast-est and strong-est WWE Superstar but recently she was the cold-est as she appeared alongside Kevin Hart on his hit  LOL! Network show ‘Cold as Balls’.

Speaking with Hart, Belair would reveal that prior to signing with the WWE she had a very ordinary, yet very surprising 9-5 job working for a flavour company, selling impressive tastes to companies.

“So I worked for a flavour company, so everything that you eat has flavour in it. Whether it’s a blueberry muffin, a lot of the time it ain’t the blueberry that your tasting but a blueberry flavour, so I sold the flavours to these big companies”

You can check out the full interview below ⬇️

What is the strangest job you have ever had? Let us know by hitting the button at the top of the page or by clicking here and we will share some of the best responses.

WWE may have missed out on some major free agents recently, but AEW is not making that same mistake.

Following on from the signing of former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White, Tony Khan has now announced that AEW has signed Lucha Libre sensation Komander following a series of well received appearances on AEW Dynamite.

Tony Khan would take to social media to welcome Komander to the All Elite family.

“He’s one of the most incredible athletes in wrestling, and after his great effort tonight on #AEWDynamite, now it’s official: @KomandercrMX is ALL ELITE!”

You can read more about AEW’s latest signing, here.

Who would you like to see AEW sign next? Let us know by hitting the button at the top of the page or by clicking here.

In the time since Bobby Roode last wrestled for the WWE, Vince McMahon has retired, and come back, and the company has agreed a merger with UFC.

Fans of the former NXT Champion had been hoping that Roode might see a career resurgence under Triple H’s management, however it now appears like we will be waiting a while longer to see if that will be the case.

Roode underwent surgery to have his C5 and C6 vertebrae fused in late 2022 and is now recovering, according to a new report from Fightful Select, Roode is expected to remain out for “quite some time.”

You can read the full report, here.

Do you think Roode could make his way back to the top of the card under Triple H’s management? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below.

Good Afternoon!

After an eventful week, we are back with the Inside The Ropes Live Wrestling Blog.

I will be with you from 12pm – 6pm [GMT] this afternoon, covering some of the biggest news stories from the world of wrestling.

We will be kicking things of this morning with a report that “paranoia” is “bubbling” backstage in the WWE and a daunting warning from John Morrison to the WWE Universe following the WWE and UFC merger.

As always we will be looking for your opinions on everything that is unfolding throughout the day, so make sure to ‘Get Involved’ by hitting the button at the top of the page or by clicking here.