WWE’s WrestleMania Injury Lawsuit Dismissed; May 10th Live Wrestling News Round-Up

The Briscoes are widely regarded as one of the greatest tag teams to never appear in WWE and it has now been revealed why the brothers never made it to the land of sports entertainment.

Speaking on a recent episode of Talk is Jericho with AEW star Chris Jericho, Mark Briscoe reflected on this period of his career and why he and his brother never signed with WWE. Briscoe said that he was told by John Laurinaitis that the company liked their work but was going to pass for “right now.”

Briscoe added that Laurinaitis told his brother Jay that it was because the pair weren’t “cosmetically pleasing enough.”

You can Briscoe’s full statement, here.

AEW Double or Nothing is one of All Elite Wrestling’s biggest annual events, but ticket sales for the 2023 edition have slowed considerably.

Tickets went on sale in mid-March, and an April 5th report from WrestleTix revealed that 6,585 tickets had been sold. In an update on May 7th, WrestleTix reported that 6,807 tickets had been sold, meaning that only 222 tickets were sold in the course of a month. The T-Mobile arena is currently planned to be set up for a capacity of 9,872.

You can read more about the dwindling sales, here.

Why do you think AEW is struggling to sell tickets for Double or Nothing? Let us know by using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page!

Bobby Lashley stopped by Front Line Fitness in Manchester during WWE’s recent trip to the UK and gave BT Sports’ Sam Stride a glimpse into his brutal workout regime.

During the video, Lashley would open up on his fitness journey as well revealing some of his favourite moments from the WWE and heaping praise on ‘the animal’ that is Chad Gable.

Check out the full video below ⬇️

Bully Ray has suggested that AEW is being held back by a lack of stars who are “super over.”

Speaking on Busted Open Radio following the May 3rd episode of Dynamite, the WWE Hall of Famer cited the recent debuts of Jay White and Roderick Strong as examples of the company getting things wrong. While White had appeared in AEW before, he wasn’t under contract with the company at the time.

“Not enough people on that show last night are super over. There are people there that they don’t know whether they should cheer or boo.”

Bully Ray added that both White and Strong have followed the pattern of other big debuts. Talents arrive with great fanfare and then cool off immediately.

“You can cut this anyway you want, Jay White and Roderick Strong are on the same trajectory as everyone else that comes into AEW. Little bit of fanfare, and then immediately cooled off,”

You can read the WWE Hall of Famer’s full comments, here.

Jim Cornette has panned WWE’s new World Heavyweight Championship Tournament, questioning why it’s based around “Triple Threat horsesh*t.”

Commenting on the March 8th edition of Monday Night Raw, on The Jim Cornette Experience, the legendary manager questioned why WWE was holding such a convoluted tournament, even going as far as to brand it ‘horsesh*t.”

““You’re gonna have to back up a minute because triple threat matches—I don’t want to bury one of the ledes, but Jesus, we can’t even get a tournament with legitimate matches and eliminations among top people? We have to have this triple threat horses***?”

You can read Cornette’s incredible full rant, here.

Do you agree with Jim Cornette? Should WWE have simplified the tournament? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

Former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kota Ibushi was ‘tricked’ into a surprise match against wrestling legend Aja Kong.

Clips from a 2021 Japanese Variety show have resurfaced online showing the then NJPW star being ambushed by screaming fans and cornered into a wrestling ring, only then to be faced with the force of Aja Kong.

The two would go on to have a short comedic match with the Joshi legend forcing Twitter’s favourite wrestler to tap out as fans scream all around them.

Check out the bizarre video below ⬇️

pic.twitter.com/aI6hvdch6A

— YupVidz (@VidzYup) May 10, 2023

Hulk Hogan has made thousands of public appearances throughout his career, but his likeness has now made possibly it’s strangest cameo yet.

Well known Twitter user Wrestling Jebus took to Twitter to share an incredible photo of a Hulk Hogan-esque mannequin inside a shop window complete with multiple tattoos include the word ‘Gloryhole’ plastered across his thighs.

Much to everyone’s surprise however, the shop in question was not an adult store…but in fact a mini golf establishment in Sheffield.

Check out the incredible image below ⬇️

This is in a shop window in Sheffield & is one of the most disturbing displays I've seen. pic.twitter.com/Ay8ATjMdzI

— Wrestling Jebus (@WrestlingJebus) May 10, 2023

Would you take a visit to Hulk Hogan’s gloryhole? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below 😂

Sheamus has been put to work once again by his fellow WWE Superstar Santos Escobar.

Celtic Warrior Workouts is Sheamus’ YouTube series in which he interviews his fellow WWE Superstars whilst they act as his guest trainer and put him through intense and often brutal workouts.

In the latest episode Sheamus joins the LWO as he is put through a vicious workout by former Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar.

Check out the video below ⬇️

On May 10th 2001, It was announced via press release that the Vince McMahon owned XFL American Football league would be closing its doors after just one season.

This was primarily due to poor and declining ratings.

The company would be re-started in 2020, still under the ownership of Vince McMahon but this time lasted even less time after its inaugural season was curtailed after just a few weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making its future untenable.

The company would then be purchased by an investment group fronted by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson with an aim of another relaunch in 2022.

After much delay, the XFL officially relaunched in February 2023 and is currently in midst of it’s first season with DC Defenders (Washington DC not Black Adam’s DC) currently the standout team with a whopping 90% win ratio.

Have you been checking out the XFL? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

Inside The Ropes would like to wish a very Happy Birthday to ‘The Gentleman Villain’ himself William Regal.

The former NXT GM and founder of The Blackpool Combat club today celebrates his 55th birthday.

Check out one of our favourite moments from ‘The Real Man’s’ prestigious career.

What are some of your favourite William Regal moments? Let us know by using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page!

Bobby Fish has fired back at reports about his departure from All Elite Wrestling.

Fish departed AEW just as Triple H began taking control of WWE following Vince McMahon’s departure, this led to several reports – including one from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer, that Fish was attempting to encourage Kyle O’Reilly and Adam Cole to quit AEW and join him in WWE under their former NXT bosses guidence.

However, speaking in an exclusive interview with Nick Hausman for Inside The Ropes, Fish rubbished these claims.

The former NXT star said that fans’ desire to know “the dirt” has meant that controversy can be created when there really isn’t any adding that there is “no truth at all” to any of these reports.

You can read his scathing comments here.

Paul Wight aka The Big Show spoke to Kenny McIntosh back in 2021 about the differences in working for Vince McMahon, Tony Khan and Eric Bischoff.

Check out this previously unseen interview below!

Bobby Fish has commented on his history with CM Punk while claiming a number of fans have become more interested in what happens behind the scenes than in the ring.

During an exclusive interview with Nick Hausman for Inside The Ropes, it was put to Fish that his comments about fighting Punk were like “hitting a bees nest with a baseball bat.” In response, Fish said that while he could see where that thinking comes from, Punk “challenged friends of mine” and took it there first.

When questioned on Punk’s impending return and what that could mean for the locker room, Fish said that fan focus shouldn’t be on what’s going on backstage. The former NXT Tag Team Champion said that the emphasis should be on the storylines on-screen and not what happens behind the curtain, adding that pro wrestling has taken a “wrong turn.”

With regard to his own feelings on Punk, Fish said that he doesn’t need to like everyone he works with, and his personal feelings won’t stop him from being professional.

You can read the full, exclusive, interview, here.

Would you like to see Bobby Fish back in AEW? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

‘Jungle Boy’ Jack Perry is usually stealing the show with his incredible offence and iconic entrance, however this week he finds himself in the spotlight for some rather controversial comments made during a recent public appearance.

During a convention appearance for The Love of Wrestling with Monopoly Events, “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry was asked if he had any advice for aspiring wrestlers. The star emphasised the importance of getting proper training, commenting that many of those featuring in AEW dark matches are “horrible.” He added that they don’t know what they’re doing and are only there because they trained at the same school as MJF.

“I think getting trained properly and well is like an important part of it. You’d be surprised how many guys show up to do dark matches and are horrible and don’t know anything at all and they’re there because they went to MJF’s wrestling school.”

Later on in the Q&A, Jungle Boy said that he avoided a lot of advice while on the independent scene as it was coming from people who had been in the industry for “50 years and never done anything.”

You can read his full comments, here.

Gigi Dolin might be one of the biggest stars in NXT and one of the more established performers in the women’s division, but it appears that she might not be completely happy with her current role.

During last night’s episode of WWE NXT, Tiffany Stratton took on former Toxic Attraction member, Gigi Dolin in match with huge NXT Women’s Championship implications.

Stratton would eventually defeat the injured Dolin, still recovering from a brutal beating from former friend Jacy Jayne during last weeks show.

In the aftermath of her defeat, Dolin took to her Instagram Stories writing “I miss being PK.” This is a reference to her real name Priscilla Kelly, which she used as her ring name prior to joining WWE. As WWE isn’t likely to let any performer revert to a pre-WWE ring name and character, even if it is their own, many have suggested the post could mean that Dolin is unhappy and could be looking to leave.

Do you think WWE should be using Gigi Dolin better? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

During his WWE career, Kurt Angle was involved in some incredibly famous and well-remembered segments, but equally, there are some he’s not especially proud of.

Speaking on The Kurt Angle Show about his training and early WWE career, Angle would open up on one segment that he is particularly ashamed of; an altercation with Indian Superstar Tiger Ali Singh which saw the Olympic gold medallist wipe his nose on the Indian flag.

“Yeah, blowing my nose on the Indian flag. Hey, it wasn’t my idea. But I understand. I mean, that is very disrespectful. But it’s something that WWE wrote. And I didn’t think about it beforehand, I didn’t have a problem with it. But once I caught heat for it. I was like, Man, I really messed up.” [Read Angles’ full comments, here]

You can check out the full segment below ⬇️

Do you think Kurt was wrong to take part in the angle? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

The identity of the mystery car pack assailant that has taken out many of NXT’s top female stars, including Nikkita Lyons, Wendy Choo and most recently Sol Ruca, has begun to tease their identity.

During last night’s episode of NXT a mysterious vignette aired, replaying the various car park assaults before revealing that it was all the work of one mysterious hooded figure.

You can check out the video below ⬇️

What in the world???#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/3nXwvRASEt

— WWE (@WWE) May 10, 2023

Absent AEW star Miro has shot down rumours that he has separated from his wife and former manager CJ Perry, FKA WWE Superstar Lana.

During his time off he and his wife CJ Perry regularly post images of themselves together on social media. However, some of Perry’s recent pictures have caused certain fans to question their relationship status.

The rumours of a breakup began after Perry posted images and videos of herself without Miro hanging out with Liv Morgan and Damian Priest in Puerto Rico in the lead-up to Backlash.

This caused the AEW star to take to Twitter, responding to the rumours in hilarious fashion.

Check out his response below ⬇️

Didn’t you know she is with Bobby Lashley still https://t.co/nlUNwjGO32

— Miro (@ToBeMiro) May 9, 2023

Bullet Club has become one of modern wrestling’s most recognisable brands following its founding in 2013.

However, things were almost very different for NJPW’s global faction, as WWE Superstar and Bullet Club founder has revealed that several names were considered for the group prior to settling on the now iconic name.

In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Balor would reveal several of the other candidates for the factions name including;

• Bullet Club/Parade
• Reload Club
• Lock ‘n’ Load Club/Parade
• Getaway Club

Balor also revealed the name was the result of trying to bring together aspects from various members individual gimmicks, including Karl Anderson’s ‘Hand Grenade’.

Is Bullet Club now a bigger name than the nWo? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below.

During a convention appearance for The Love of Wrestling with Monopoly Events, Jungle Boy was asked about who he takes advice from backstage about piecing these high-energy matches together.

Nervously, the AEW star would reveal that he often speaks with former partner Luchasaurus who understands ‘what he is trying to do’ but he doesn’t think right before the match is the right time to ask advice from someone like Billy Gunn who doesn’t understand him because he ‘hates Canadian Destroyers’.

““I guess I like to talk to people–I used to like to talk to Luchasaurus a lot.

I feel like working with him a lot. He kind of really knew my style and I guess what I was good at and what I was looking for. I think there are a lot of people, I think who don’t, I think everybody thinks of wrestling kind of differently. And I don’t think right before you go is the best time to start talking to Billy Gunn, who hates Canadian Destroyers.

So I kind of talk to people within my kind of vein of what I’m trying to do for the day.”

What do you think of Jungle Boy’s comments? Let us know by using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page.

Adam Cole has admitted that he initially didn’t realise how serious the concussion issues were that nearly cost him his career.

Appearing on the Sports Guys Talk Wrestling podcast, Cole opened up further about his concussion problems. The former WWE star admitted that he found it difficult to deal with the idea that he may never wrestle again.

“My emotions were all over the place. It was such a bizarre experience, on top of dealing with all of that, but then also having to try to mentally prepare for the possibility of not being able to wrestle again, it was the most challenging few months of my entire life for sure.” [H/t to WrestlingNews.Co]

You can read Cole’s full comments, here.

What have you though of Cole’s time in AEW thus far? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

Rob Van Dam has opened up about feeling like he was “selling out” when he decided to sign with WWE.

Speaking exclusively to Kenny McIntosh at Inside The Ropes’ ‘One of a Kind’ live show in 2022, Van Dam admitted that he thought he was “selling out” by joining the world’s biggest wrestling promotion.

This was not least because he felt that the company had stolen many of the elements that made ECW unique in the first place and then watered them down.

You can read the full interview, here.

Is RVD the greatest ECW export of all time? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

Valerie Coleman has provided a fresh update on the status of Billy Graham as he continues to battle a life threatening organ failure in ICU.

Writing on ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham’s official Facebook page, Coleman (Graham’s wife) would post the following update late last night:

“Wayne will be having emergency surgery tomorrow. Still in ICU fighting the infection and organ failure. They did a nuclear test today that showed infection in the left hip and they said if we want to try and save his life they will have to go in and remove all of the old hardware and clean out the bone and surrounding tissue….it’s very extensive and you can imagine the risk involved.”

This comes just days after Coleman revealed that doctors had warned her to ‘prepare for the worst’.

“The doctors are continuing to try and prepare me for the worst. And I continue to explain to them that Wayne and I are people of faith and that our God has the final say.

I am not in denial about what’s happening to him or blind to what the medical reports say…I just know that the God I serve is greater than any infection and more powerful than any organ failure.

Please pray specifically for his blood cultures to come back clear and for his blood pressure to stabilize.

At this time they are providing support to prevent his pressure from plummeting and the fact that his cultures continue to be positive is one of the main reasons they are not very optimistic. They think he may have a heart infection but the test that would confirm that is too dangerous for him.”

WWE is currently facing a plethora of lawsuits from various plaintiff’s across the globe.

However, in the case of Marvin Jackson vs the WWE, it is the WWE that has come out on top.

Marvin Jackson filed a lawsuit against the WWE claiming that the pyrotechnics at WrestleMania 38 caused him to suffer hearing loss and that the WWE should be held liable for his damages.

The lawsuit boiled down to the dispute that although in the T&C’s of both WWE & SeatGeek (where the ticket had been purchased) excepted WWE from this liability, as Jackson himself did not purchase the ticket but rather his nephew as a gift, do the same aspects of the Abirritation Agreement apply to the plaintiff, to which the course found to be true.

The WWE will now be able to settle out of court.

You can read the full court report, here.

Good Afternoon!

Welcome back to the Inside The Ropes live blog!

After an extended break over the weekend, I (Liam) am back and will be with you from 12pm to 6pm GMT (7am – 1pm EST) this afternoon, taking a look at some of the biggest stories coming out of wrestling.

Including:

• WWE’s WrestleMania injury lawsuit dismissed.
• Wife of ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham told to ‘prepare for the worst’.
• Former WWE Superstar Kona Reeves’ surprising new career revealed.
• Miro responds to claims he and CJ Perry have separated.
• AEW’s ‘Jungle Boy’ Jack Perry hits back at criticisms of his recent conduct.

As always if you have any questions or want to here our thoughts on any news stories, let us know by using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page!