Welcome to the July 21st Inside The Ropes Live blog, bringing you the latest news from WWE, AEW, NJPW, IMPACT Wrestling and more.
Today’s biggest stories:
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WWE has confirmed that tickets from WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia will go on sale in just under a month on August 18th 2023!
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Tickets for #WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia will be available Friday, August 18!
👉 https://t.co/VzQVTP4v9Q pic.twitter.com/J2vCriUFP1
— WWE (@WWE) July 21, 2023
Tonight Ring of Honor presents it’s annual Death Before Dishonor PPV event, and after Tony Khan was forced to rewrite plans for the show, it looks set to be a belter!
Here is everything currently announced for the show:
Will you be checking out tonight’s show? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!
William Regal is a respected legend in professional wrestling, but according to WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross, ‘The Gentleman Villain’ was underutilised by Vince McMahon but it wasn’t entirely his fault.
Speaking on his podcast, Grilling JR, Jim Ross would recall William Regal falling asleep during a big meeting with Vince McMahon and how stunts like this negatively impacted the Brits career.
“I’ve always been in his corner, sometimes to my own chagrin,” Ross said.
“When you take a guy that you really believe has something to offer, that I did with Regal, and you take him into Vince McMahon’s office, the three of you are sitting at Vince’s table, and I get a kick in my shin. I just think Vince moved his leg and he’s got big feet and inadvertently hit me, but he was trying to get my attention. ‘Look over.’ I look at Regal and he’s asleep.
So, that kind of killed my pitch. Not even my salesmanship could salvage that one.
So, he did some things that were self-destructive, but it didn’t mean he didn’t have a good heart, it didn’t mean he didn’t have great knowledge of the business.
He’s a really good teacher and has a great eye for talent, but when you fall asleep in your big interview in the boss’ office, you kind of cut your feet out from under you because the old man just looked at it like, ‘He just wasted my time, this guy.’”
Is William Regal the greatest British wrestler of all time? Let us know by using the thumbs below!
Ahead of ‘The Biggest Party of the Summer”, Inside The Ropes has put together a list of the top ten WWE SummerSlam records!
Check it out and let us know what is your favourite SummerSlam moment using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page.
During a recent interview on NXT, the WWE Women’s Champion revealed her favourite thing to do with Dominik Mysterio and well… she says it like it is.
Check it out!
TOMORROW @RheaRipley_WWE answers the internet…#WWENXT #UpNXT pic.twitter.com/VovapVn5G6
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) July 20, 2023
WWE’s programming in the UK officially has a new platform, after the former BT Sport is rebranded to TNT Sports.
The company ended its lengthy UK and Ireland deal with Sky Sports in 2019 after spending decades with the provider. They then signed a deal with BT Sport, who began broadcasting WWE programming in January 2020.
Warner Bros Discovery, the parent company of rival promotion AEW’s broadcasters TNT and TBS in the US, acquired BT Sport in April 2022 and announced in February that BT Sport and Eurosport would be merged and rebranded to TNT Sports.
Paul Heyman talks exclusively to Kenny McIntosh on tour with Inside The Ropes back in 2016 about the true legacy of ECW. Heyman explains how he overcame ECW’s financial issues and how the product inspired the loyalty of its locker room and the fans.
Check out the full video clip below!
Changes may be coming to the WWE as Vince McMahon continues to make his presence backstage felt, however, for now it’s all good news as WWE continues to smash their 2022 PPV records.
Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that WWE’s 2023 Money in the Bank event ended up doing 17,600 pay-per-view buys which represents a massive success. Meltzer added that the figure was even more impressive given that the show aired in the afternoon due to the time difference between the US and the UK. Despite this, the event almost doubled the buy rate from the previous year.
You can read Dave Meltzer’s full break down of WWE’s PPV buy rate, here.
Athena, formerly WWE Superstar Ember Moon, has commented on the possibility of AEW/ROH hosting an all women’s PPV in the near future.
Speaking with Steve Fall for WrestlingNewsCo, Athena would claim that this is “absolutely” something we could see happen.
Check out the full video below!
Blood & Guts may have been bad news for the Blackpool Combat Club but it was certainly good news for Tony Khan and AEW.
The July 19th episode of AEW Dynamite proved to be a massive success, as the ratings have just been released. The Blood & Guts match proved to significantly boost the ratings.
Jed. I Goodman has stated that AEW Dynamite on July 19 managed to draw in an impressive 953,000 viewers. This number marks a significant increase from the previous week’s episode, which garnered 825,000 viewers.
The viewership for this episode of AEW Dynamite was the second-highest of the year in terms of the coveted demo rating, posting a 0.34 rating in the 18 to 49 demographic.
You can read a full break down of the numbers from this weeks episode of AEW Dynamite, here.
Although it has been confirmed that WWE will not be making a move for former AEW Superstar Brian Pillman JR. the same cannot be said for current AEW star Rush.
Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer stated that Rush has been talked about within WWE, however, things might not be that simple.
Meltzer added that Rush has been made a “very strong offer” by AEW in an effort to get him to stay.
Furthermore, WWE also feels their main roster is relatively well-stocked, especially with a number of NXT also staking their own claim for a spot on Raw or SmackDown.
You can read Dave Meltzer’s full report on the future of Rush, here.
Matt Cardona has made headlines with his recent WWE backstage return, sparking rumours that he may soon re-join the company.
Cardona did attend the July 17 episode of Raw, where he witnessed his wife and Sonya Deville capture the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship from Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Cardona’s presence backstage at the event further fuelled speculation about his future plans after Green shared a photo of herself and Cardona backstage.
Addressing the rumours on Busted Open Radio, Cardona clarified that he didn’t want to linger backstage for too long to avoid giving the impression that he was actively seeking a job. However, he emphasised that his lifelong dream has always been to be a part of WWE.
Kurt Angle’s lacks of five star matches has become a hot topic once again following Chris Van Vliet’s interview with Dave Meltzer.
Meltzer would defend the lack of “perfect” matches from Angle on the podcast, stating that 4.75* and 5* are basically the same thing and that Angle is an all time great.
However, this hasn’t protected Meltzer from criticism over the exclusion on social media.
Responding to a fan who claimed that Kurt Angle “drew more money and was a bigger draw” than talent such as Misawa, Kenny Omega, Kenta Kobashi, and Hiroshi Tanahashi who have multiple five star matches, Meltzer would claim that Hiroshi Tanahashi was a bigger draw than Angle.
Writing on Twitter, Meltzer would state:
“[Drew more money] Than who? Tanahashi literally rebuilt a company.
Angle was part of WWE but he was never the top guy. Angle in TNA never drew close to the guys I mentioned but that’s because TNA isn’t New Japan.
TNA Angle never drew what Omega has in US or Japan. And I think Angle is one of the best. Everyone does.”
It is important to note that Meltzer is not stating that Omega is a bigger draw than Angle overall but rather when outside the WWE machine, Angle was unable to reaching the drawing power in TNA that Omega has in AEW.
A small but important distinction to note.
Do you agree with Dave’s comments? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!
In case you missed it, earlier this week Seth Rollins was a guest on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast.
During the show Rollins discusses the rise of Dominik Mysterio, needing back surgery, being attacked by a WWE fan and much more.
You can watch the full interview below.
WWE is currently airing a live two hour playlist detailing the rise of Jey Uso from tag team newcomer to future tribal chief.
You can check out the live video below!
Despite reports linking him with signing, it seems that Brian Pillman Jr. will not be joining WWE anytime soon.
Just days after Pillman Jr. had been released by AEW, it was revealed that he’d been spotted training at the WWE Performance Center, sparking rumours he was about to sign with the company. However, it seems unlikely that a deal is on the horizon.
Reporting in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that Pillman Jr. is unlikely to join the company until at least after the merger with UFC is completed.
You can read Dave’s full comments on this and why a WWE deal for Pillman is unlikely, here.
Jim Ross has provided fans with a current target timeline for his AEW return following another visit to the ER.
Speaking on his podcast, Grilling JR, the WWE Hall of Famer would address his current health status, revealing that he recently had to visit the ER due to concerns about his injured leg.
Thankfully, Ross was advised by doctors that he was okay and that there was nothing further to worry about.
Ross would then reveal that although there is no official timeline for his return, he himself is currently aiming to get back on the road for AEW All In at Wembley Stadium.
“That’s what I’m going to do and try to get better,” Ross explained. “I want to get back on the road. I still say my goal is [AEW All In at] Wembley, but if I get back quicker than Wembley, I’m happy to do that. I want to work.” [h/t WrestlingInc]
Inside The Ropes would like to wish Jim Ross the best in his on-going recoveries. Get well soon Jim.
Jim Cornette has given his opinion on AEW’s newest recruit, former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kota Ibushi and he has not held back.
Following AEW’s brutal Blood & Guts match on the July 19th edition of Dynamite, Kota Ibushi would throw himself back first into a pile of thumbtacks (after the show had gone off air) to the confusion of the live crowd.
Reacting to the clip on social media, Cornette would blast Kota Ibushi for being his own biggest fan and for being a “garbage wrestler.”
Writing on Twitter, Cornette would state:
“THIS is the pretend play rassler all the AEW fans were salivating over? Another clown whose biggest fan is himself? Another garbage wrestler who falls into sharp shit? What a talent!”
You can check out the original clip below.
Kota Ibushi out here taking thumbtack bumps after the show 😂😂😂
— Fightful Wrestling (@Fightful) July 20, 2023
Do you agree with Jim Cornette or do you think it was not a big deal? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!
This Tuesday’s episode of NXT saw Dominik Mysterio capture not only the North American Championship but also a rare NXT ratings victory over AEW.
During the show Wes Lee would take on Dominik Mysterio for the NXT North American Championship, it has been revealed that this quarter of NXT did a 72.2% increase year-on-year in the 18-49 demographic.
Overall the show recorded an impressive average of 746,00 viewers across the two hours (up 11% from the previous week) and according to Wrestlenomics a whopping 279,000 of these were in the crucial 18 – 49 demographic, a 9% increase on the week prior.
AEW Collision which featured a stacked card (including AEW’s 23rd five star match since 2019) averaged a total of 579,000 viewers, down 0.2% from the previous week.
NXT’s impressive 746,000 viewership average is was just 80,000 less than AEW’s Dynamite viewership details for the same week.
Do you think we could see NXT defeat AEW in the weekly viewership rankings in the near future? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!
Following WWE’s sale to Endeavour there have been persistent reports that the WWE has entered an unofficial hiring freeze in order to stabilise costs and share holder impacts.
According to Dave Meltzer however there is in fact no truth to these reports.
Whilst discussing Nick Aldis’ departure from IMPACT Wrestling and reported WWE interest, Meltzer would address the reported hiring freeze stating that it is “are not true.”
“Aldis had been in talks with WWE before coming to Impact. WWE, which while talks about a hiring freeze aren’t true, has not been hiring many new people.
We were told if, just as a name, that if Kenny Omega was a free agent and he wanted to come it’s not like he couldn’t or anyone who could come in and the belief was make a difference”
Dave Meltzer would also reveal that WWE will not be signing former AEW Superstar Brian Pillman Jr after photos of the second generation star training at the Performance Center circulated online.
WWE Friday Night SmackDown won’t be airing live on FOX at least for now.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup kicked off yesterday with co-hosts New Zealand taking on Norway and Australia’s Matilda’s taking on the Republic of Ireland.
The event is set to run until August 20th and will cause WWE’s SmackDown programming to be temporarily rehomed from FOX as the matches from the history making tournament air in the shows usual 8pm slot.
Tonight’s July 21st edition of SmackDown is set to air live at 8pm on FS1 whilst Fox show the United States highly anticipated clash with Vietnam at 9pm ET.
Speaking on the move in this morning’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer would comment on the move and why although numbers may drop this week it really doesn’t matter.
” It will be very interesting to see with Smackdown being so hot right now what kind of a rating they get on cable not that it matters because in the past it’s been in the half of usual range and bounces right back the next week.”
Will you be checking out tonight’s FS1 episode of Friday Night SmackDown? Let us know using the thumbs below!
When Vince McMahon returned to the WWE following the companies sale to Endeavour fans were vocally apprehensive about what this would mean for the product and talent involved.
Well as it turns out, according to a new report it wasn’t just the fans who had their concerns as it has been revealed that multiple WWE figures has “misgivings” surrounding Vince McMahon‘s return to the company.
Eric Young recently revealed that he was quietly released from the WWE after refusing to work with Vince McMahon and according to Dave Meltzer the former SaNiTy member is not alone.
Writing in this morning’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer would state that there were “others” who had issues with McMahon’s return but only Young was willing to step away from his job because of it.
““The illusion was it was Vince McMahon’s return to power that he had a moral issue with. There were others who had expressed to us misgivings over that, some serious, but none who were going to quit their jobs over it.”
Do you think Eric Young made the right call by walking away from the WWE? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!
Dave Meltzer awarded not one but two five star (plus) matches in this morning’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Firstly, Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Kento Miyahara from Pro Wrestling NOAH’s One Night Dream has been awarded 5.25* taking the promotion to four five star (plus) matches in the companies history.
The second match to be given Meltzer’s prestigious five star rating was FTR & Bullet Club Gold’s 58 minute spectacle on last Saturday’s edition of AEW Collision.
The two teams would clash in a ‘Best Two Out Of Three Falls” match with FTR successfully retaining their titles with a score of two to one.
Meltzer would rate the match also 5.25* taking AEW to a whopping 23 five star (plus) matches since 2019, that is more than WWE and WCW and just three matches away from being more than WCW and WWE combined!
Do you agree with Dave rating the match so highly or do you think he is biased towards AEW? Let us know by using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page!
Good Afternoon!
Hope everyone is doing well and had an awesome week so far!
I will be with you this afternoon from 12:30 pm to 6 pm BST (7 am -12 pm EST) with all the latest news and rumours from AEW, WWE and NJPW.
This afternoon we will be kicking things off with some of today’s biggest stories, including:
As always if you have anything you want to ask us or any stories you would like us to try to provide an update on, let us know by using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page!
