Lawsuit Against WWE & Vince McMahon Dismissed; May 5th Live Wrestling News Round-Up

The internet is a great hub of information and communication…most of the time.

However, sometimes, false information has a way of spreading further than it was ever intended to and that is the case with a recent parody post relating to AEW Collision.

The post in question comes from a parody account, that was attempting to mock the number of fake AEW run sheets that do the rounds in an attempt to discredit the promotion – the run sheet featured numerous intentional mistakes including ‘Dax Hardwood’, ‘Christ Jericho’ and Action Andretti featuring in the shows main event.

The post has since generated 1.6 million impressions with user @masturhater1 having to clarify that the post was a parody after many, many fans seemed to miss the memo.

Check out the post below ⬇️

My source just sent me this 👀

Tentative but the branding seems to be 100% nailed on confirmed. pic.twitter.com/LTdUFKFAgP

— AEW – Insider 👀 ALL LEAKS & SECRET INFO (@masturhater1) May 4, 2023

On this day in 2002, one of WWE’s most infamous scandals of all time occurred – the plane ride from hell.

The infamous ‘Plane Ride From Hell’ saw a number of WWE superstars cause chaos mid-air during a flight back from a European tour.

This included Curt Hennig and Brock Lesnar brawling down the aisle of the flight, Sean Waltman cutting off the mullet of Michael Hayes in his sleep after he drunkenly punched Bradshaw during a scuffle and Dustin Rhodes serenading his then-parter Terri during takeoff.

As a direct result of the incident, Scott Hall and Curt Hennig were both fired.

At WrestleMania 39, Shane McMahon made a surprise appearance to challenge The Miz to a match. However, things went horribly wrong for the son of the WWE Chairman when he landed awkwardly from a Leapfrog.

In recent weeks, he has been sharing updates on his rehab progress and has been able to return to the gym, albeit wearing a leg brace to stabilise his leg.

In a new series of videos posted to social media, McMahon has given a glimpse of the injury as he had to remove the brace to receive one of the treatments he has been undergoing. You can see the videos below, remember to scroll through to see all three.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shane McMahon (@theshanemcmahon)

Would you like to see Shane McMahon make on final WWE appearance? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

Kane and The Undertaker are two of the most recognisable WWE Superstars in history but one forgotten WWE Star once claimed to be better than ‘The Big Machine’, a statement that may have cost him his career.

Russ McCullough joined WWE in 1998 after his football career came to an end. The would-be star stood at 6ft, 11 inches, so it is no surprise that WWE picked him up. However, while appearing in Ohio Valley Wrestling, McCullough earned a reputation for being difficult and not taking his training seriously.

During this period, McCullough also featured for other developmental territories, including Dutch Mantell’s IWA promotion. On a recent episode of Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the veteran was joined by Kenny Bolin, a former manager in OVW.

During the conversation, Mantell said that when McCullough was briefly called up to the main roster he got caught making comments about The Undertaker, in addition to this McCullough reportedly had already earned a negative reputation backstage, something not helped by claiming to be better than WWE legend Kane.

You can read Mantell’s full comments, here.

Inside The Ropes Magazine Issue 33 is available for pre-order now!

Featuring:

• SHOCK AND AWE
  The relentless Gunther smashes his way to astonishing success in WWE
• IS CM PUNK’S AEW RETURN IMMINENT
  Indications are the deal is done and Punk will resurface on June 17 in Chicago
• WHO’S HOT AND WHO’S NOT
  For the third year running, we present the WWE form guide
• WWE’S POST -SALE FORECAST
  What might change following Endeavor’s acquisition of WWE
• “I’M SO VERY THANKFUL FOR THIS WHOLE OPPORTUNITY”
  Dominik Mysterio reveals a very different side to his character in an exclusive interview with ITR
• TOO SWEET TO BE SOUR
  Keith Elliot Greenberg looks at the life and times of his friend, the great and oft-underappreciated Superstar Billy Graham
• BRUNO SAMMARTINO
  60 years on from winning his first WWWF World Title, we look back at the Living Legend’s incredible legacy

Don’t miss out, pre-order your copy today!

Teddy Long recently made an appearance on SmackDown during the 2023 WWE Draft and his visit was anything but uneventful.

We had previously reported that Teddy Long spent some time at the show getting high with RVD, but now it has been revealed he also spent some time chatting with Matt Riddle, a man he believes looks like a male stripper.

Appearing on Sportskeeda’s WrestleBinge, Long said that he loves the former United States Champion before likening him to a male stripper.

“Me and Matt talked a little bit. I love Matt Riddle. He kind of reminds me of a male stripper. I’ve watched him come down and boy, those women’s eyes are glued in on him. He’s like half naked as he’s going to the ring. He has a great body, he looks great, and he looks the part.”

You can read more about Teddy Long’s return to the WWE, here.

WWE Superstar Joaquin Wilde has revealed that prior to his WWE signing he almost died due to a stomach injury sustained whilst wrestling in Mexico.

Speaking with Ryan Satin on his ‘Out of Character Podcast’, Wilde would open up on the injury, revealing that he has no clue how he survived, putting it down to unfinished business in the wrestling industry.

“It’s unbelievable. It wasn’t just that the injury happened, it should have ended my career, it should have ended my life. I

remember speaking to a gastroenterologist two months after this injury happened and when he looked at my X-Rays and story, he said, ‘I feel like I’m talking to a ghost right now. You should be dead.’

I just thought to myself, why was I given this second chance? Why was I spared? Why am I still able to wrestle, why am I still alive? I just always thought that it was because there was still something left for me to achieve in this business. I guess WWE was the thing and here we are, I’m so glad it all worked out.” [h/t Fightful]

Have you ever had a near death experience? Let us know by using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page.

During an ITR Live show right before COVID, Conrad Thompson and JR talked CM Punk, Conrad on getting Punk for Starrcast and JR on an intense Punk and Stone Cold showdown!

Check out this never before seen footage below ⬇️

Although he’s set to miss Backlash, when will Roman Reigns be back in action?

Reigns’ schedule has shown no signs of getting busier, as the star has only wrestled four matches in 2023 as of May 5th.

WWE’s next Premium Live Event is Backlash and the show is set to take place on May 6th in Puerto Rico, however, Reigns will not be in attendance.

Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer has offered an update on when fans might see the Tribal Chief back in action. Meltzer confirmed that Reigns is booked to appear at Night of Champions and Money In The Bank in July. Based on his schedule to date, it is likely that Reigns will wrestle on both of these shows.

You can read the full report and update on Reigns’ future plans, here.

Dax Harwood is never one to shy away from sharing his opinion and when Dolph Ziggler was attacked on social media – it was no different.

During an Ask Dolph Q&A session, former WWE World Champion, Dolph Ziggler would reveal that it is his work ethic and clean injury slate that he wants to be remember for most when he eventually retires, a statement one fan took issue with.

Writing on Twitter, the fan would state:

“Yet you’ve had several pushes derailed & had to forfeit the championship due to injury. So, the never gets hurt doesn’t seem legit”

Ziggler would hit back, disputing the claims and questioning the integrity of the repsonse.

“Not one sentence here is accurate. Not one haha & I know, bc I’m me & youre not. I’ll need something more than lies and a “trust me bro” etc. I’m sure you have receipts tho, right? Otherwise, your post doesn’t seem…legit”

This would lead AEW Superstar Dax Harwood to weigh in, revealing that the fan in question was actually a “loser ass wrestler” who used to abuse his power and treat young talent “like sh*t” because he “never made it” as a wrestler.

“Dude this guy is a loser ass “wrestler” from NC who used to treat the young guys like shit because he never made it. As you can tell, he still never made it.”

No data on wrestler exists on RealMeanMarcAsh online, which I guess tells us all we need to know.

The Headbangers, Mosh & Thrasher, have officially re-signed with the WWE under a ‘general nostalgia agreement’ also known as a WWE legends contract.

Taking to Twitter, Glenn Ruth [AKA Thrasher] would announce that The Headbangers had officially re-signed with WWE, sharing a sneak peak at the contract itself.

Ruth would write:

“I can finally post this!! I’m completely excited and fortunate to have this opportunity! The Headbangers have signed a WWE Nostalgia agreement!! Look for your Headbangers merch coming soon!!! WOW blessed!!”

Mosh [AKA Chaz Warrington] would also comment on the deal:

“Watch out! It’s been signed!”

A ‘general nostalgia agreement’ allows WWE to sell official merchandise drawing on The Headbangers’ name and likeness with the duo receiving a percentile of the sales in royalties alongside an annual fee.

Will you be picking up some Headbangers merchandise when it drops? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

As time continues to tick down on Drew McIntyre’s WWE contract it appears that there is a growing possibility that he could leave the company.

The former World Champion was recently drafted to Raw, despite not featuring on television for a number of weeks. Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer pondered who might be elevated to become a top heel on the red brand.

With regard to McIntyre, Meltzer stated that it would “make all the sense in the world” to turn McIntyre while adding that the idea is there’s a “good chance” he’ll be leaving the company after one last storyline to help him “finish up.”

You can read Meltzer’s full report, here.

Do you think McIntyre will leave the WWE? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below.

NJPW Superstar Tama Tonga has been a point of WWE interest for several months now despite reports of an unofficial hiring freeze.

Now new information has come to light surrounding the G.O.D member’s NJPW contract status.

A new report from Fightful Select has revealed that despite still working regularly in NJPW, Tama Tonga is doing so currently without being under contract.

This means that Tonga, who is currently subject to “high WWE interest” is officially a free agent and could sign with the company at any time.

You can read more about WWE’s interest in Tama Tonga, here.

Do you think we will see Tonga in WWE? Hit the thumbs down below and let us know!

It’s that time of the day again, time for another CM Punk update!

Ahead of CM Punk’s reported AEW return date of June 17th (set to coincide with the debut of AEW’s new Saturday show Collision) there were reports that The Elite and other roster members who had issues with Punk would feature on Dynamite while Punk and stars such as FTR and Chris Jericho (who Punk is reportedly in line to work with) will appear on Collision.

However, a new report has suggested that the roster split will be much more fluid.

Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that the current idea will still see talent move between shows. Additionally, Punk will still feature on Dynamite when required. Although when he does, those with “unresolved issues” will appear on Collision.

You can read the full report and update, here.

Are you looking forward to CM Punk’s AEW return? Hit the thumbs down below and let us know!

Bad Bunny is set to take on Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight, but his original plans looked a little different.

A new report from Fightful Select has confirmed that original plans would have seen the Grammy Award winner team with Rey Mysterio take on Priest and Dominik. Furthermore, the music star was scheduled to pin Dominik, sending the Puerto Rican crowd home happy.

In recent weeks, WWE and Bad Bunny have both become increasingly confident in his ability to have a good singles match, so Rey and Dominik Mysterio were taken out of the bout.

You can read more about these original plans, here.

Are you excited to see Bad Bunny and Damian Priest clash? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

Late last month, following the tragic passing of his incredible dog Lula, Sean Waltman would foster ‘Buster’ a rescue dog from Los Angeles who was losing his sight after over a year in a rescue center at just three years of age.

In incredible news, Waltman has taken to social media to share Buster’s recovery story and has revealed the phenomenal news that Buster’s retinas have been reattached and he can now see again!

In a world with horrible people doing horrible things and horrible things happening to good people, it’s refreshing to see something as wholesome and heart-warming as this.

Check out the awesome video below ⬇️

Buster's retinas have reattached! He was blind & now he can see! pic.twitter.com/C9X9AGpBdg

— Sean Waltman (@TheRealXPac) May 4, 2023

On this day in 2002, the WWF was officially rebranded as the WWE following a class action lawsuit from from British company WWF (World Wildlife Fund) over the companies use over their trademark.

Since the rebrand WWE has hosted 20 WrestleMania PPV’s, crowned 54 different WWE Champions across 146 reigns and has held global events in Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and more!

Although WWE’s shift to focus on ‘entertainment’ has faced major backlash from fans across the world, the brand is now more identifiable as the WWE and has expanded financially under this new global brand.

The company was known as the WWF from 1979 until 2002 meaning in just three years the company will have existed as the WWE longer than as the WWF, something that I am sure will make many readers, myself included, feel very, very old.

What is your favourite WWF memory? Let us know by hitting the ‘get involved’ button at the top of the page!

Let’s take a look at everything announced for the first Friday Night SmackDown following the 2023 WWE Draft, and the final episode of WWE TV ahead of Backlash 2023 this Saturday in Puerto Rico.

• Bad Bunny is set to appear, will address his upcoming clash with Damian Priest.
• Cody Rhodes will address his upcoming clash with Brock Lesnar.
• Shinsuke Nakamura will clash with former NXT Champion Karrion Kross.
• The Viking Raiders take on The O.C in Tag Team action.

The show looks set to be a small pit stop on the road to Backlash with some of SmackDown’s top draft picks not yet stated to appear – however, the Puerto Rico crowd promises to be a electric and it should be an enjoyable spectacle none the less.

AEW continues to go from strength to strength as they have now officially surpassed a whopping 50,000 ticket sales for their All In PPV in Wembley Stadium this August.

Taking to Twitter, AEW President Tony Khan would announce the news alongside some whopping sales figures for the event, all before the event has even gone on general sale.

“Thanks to the amazing support from our fans, #AEWAllIn London at Wembley Stadium has just hit 50,000 tickets sold for £5.2M ($6.5M)!

Remarkably all 50k tickets sold have been in the pre-sale! The general ticket on-sale begins TOMORROW, with great seats opening up!”

AEW is currently on track to set multiple incredible records with this event and are now only 30,000 ticket sales of surpassing WWE’s largest ever attendance of 80,709 (the true attendance of WrestleMania 32 as opposed to the inflated 101,763 WWE reported at the time).

Do you think All In will break WWE’s all time attendance record? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

WWE Executive Road Dogg has hit back at WWE fans who have been leaving shows early.

Speaking on his “Oh, You Didn’t Know” podcast, the former Tag Team Champion would comment on fans leaving WWE shows early noting that by that point they [WWE] “already have their money” so they can do whatever they want.

“Look, truth be told it bothered me. I don’t know if it bothers him [Vince] personally. I can’t imagine from a businessman’s point of view, which is why how I tried to look at it, but my personal feelings get in the way all the time.

But like, it’s the first thing I said was you paid your money, like you paid that, you can do, and John Cena used to say that the best you paid your money, you can do anything you want to when you come in here, I mean, within reason.

You can leave, you can chant this thing, you can chant that thing, you can do whatever you want, or turn your back, but we got your money. And that’s what we were shooting for.”

Do you think Road Dogg’s comments are fair? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

Although he may have had issues with Tony Khan’s recent conduct online, Eric Bischoff has not shied away from hailing AEW as a “huge success story”.

Speaking on his ‘Strictly Business’ podcast, Bischoff would respond to AEW’s incredible ticket sales for their upcoming All In PPV, although with a slight caveat directed at Tony Khan.

“That being said, what AEW has done is a huge, huge, double huge, success story.

There’s no way you can look at it and spin it or evaluate it any other way. Phenomenal. I expected it to be, as I talked about earlier, putting myself over instead of letting other people do it for me.

But, man, it’s a huge accomplishment. And I think what Tony did and responding in that childish way that he does consistently is he lessened it. He should have laughed. He should have made a joke of it. Instead of [saying] Nick Khan did it. It’s like something I expect, you know, my grandson’s only a little over a year, so he’s not in that frame of mind yet where he wants to blame everybody on anything that you know anything that bad happens, he wants to blame it on somebody else, he’s not there yet.

No, I didn’t do it, he did it. But it’s childish. It’s juvenile and he’s actually taking away from his accomplishment and reacting that way.”

Do you agree with Eric Bischoff’s comments, both positive and negative? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

Roderick Strong shocked the system when he debuted in AEW just last week, with many fans not even knowing his WWE contract had expired.

Now, ‘The Voice of AEW’ Jim Ross has heaped praise on the former NXT Superstar, calling him an ‘experienced hand’ and a ‘hell of a good guy’.

Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer would state:

“I was aware he was available, I just wasn’t aware of what he wanted to do,” Ross said. “Get back in the game full time and invest, which he did apparently, he signed. He’s a hell of a good guy. I like him. He’s another one of those guys that you value having around your other talents and having in the locker room, at least based on my personal experience and what I’ve seen here since he’s joined our team.

Good get by Tony Khan. He’s a very experienced hand, he can work with anybody, he can be a heel, he can be a babyface, and him coming in and being a support person for Adam Cole fits just perfect.”

Do you agree with Jim Ross? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

Eric Bischoff has never been one to shy away from controversy and his latest comments on AEW owner Tony Khan show just that.

Speaking on his ‘Strictly Business’ podcast – Bischoff would respond to Khan’s recent social media outbursts, telling the AEW owner that he needs to stop making his brand look “childish and silly”.

“Tony is a man child. I mean, look, I didn’t see the report from ESPN. I don’t know who the reporter is. And I did see Tony’s response and once again Tony, do yourself a favour to your company, stay away from a camera to stay away. Put out a press release. Have a spokesperson better yet have a spokesperson do whatever it is you need to do to keep yourself away from anything that looks like a red light. If you see a red light, leave the area as fast as you can. Because every time Tony Khan steps in front of the camera he makes his brand looks childish and silly.”

Do you agree with Bischoff’s comments? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

According to a new report from Bloomberg, WWE shareholders have agreed to drop their lawsuit against former WWE CEO Vince McMahon after repayments of nearly $20,000,000 were made.

In 2022 Vince McMahon departed the WWE after allegations of ‘horrific’ sexual assault and hush money payments came to light.

This led to WWE shareholders suing the WWE Chairman after it was revealed that he had in fact used company finances to pay off individuals he had allegedly harassed totalling a whopping $17,400,000 in unauthorised payments since 2007.

Now, just months after WWE’s sale to Endeavour, the shareholders group has dismissed their lawsuit stating that it has become ‘moot’ since Vince McMahon agreed to repay the near $20,000,000 to the company in late March.

Do you think Vince McMahon’s WWE return has impacted the quality of the product? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

In October 2022, news broke that former WWE Tough Enough winner and mother of three, Sara Lee had tragically passed away.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office has today confirmed with TMZ that Lee’s cause of death was suicide via lethal ingestion of “alcohol and pills.”

According to the official documents the thirty-year-old had bruises and abrasions on her head and body at the time of her passing, the report notes that police suspected she may have suffered the injuries in a fall or falls while in an intoxicated state.

Additionally, it was noted that Lee had written a letter of intent that was later found at the scene.

Inside The Ropes sends our deepest condolences to the friends and family of Sara Lee during this difficult time.

If you or anyone you know is battling depression or experience thoughts of self harm – please reach out to the help avaliable; including the Samaritans in the UK and Lifeline in the US. 

Good Morning!

Slightly earlier start time for the live blog today as I am off to Germany for a weekend of beer, sausage and football this evening but we will still be with you until 4pm with all the biggest news from around the world of wrestling.

We will be looking at Vince McMahon’s WWE lawsuit dismissal, the latest on Sara Lee’s tragic passing and Conor McGregor’s WWE callout to start things off this morning.

As always if there are any specific questions you would like to see us answer, use the ‘get involved’ button at the top of the page and let us know!