Inside The Ropes

ROH Women's World Champion Athena has revealed she recently suffered an asthma attack during a title defence.

At ROH Death Before Dishonor this past Friday, Athena successfully defended her title against Hazuki. After the match, a concerning video began circulating on social media of Athena seemingly struggling to get up at ringside.

Responding to the video on X, Athena revealed that she suffered from an asthma attack during the match. She went on to thank fans for having her back as well as AEW and Ring of Honor staff for responding quickly to the incident.

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🚨 ROAD DOGG CLAIMS HIS POLITICAL BELIEFS COST HIM AN AEW JOB

Road Dogg has claimed that his political beliefs played a role in AEW turning him away from a potential opportunity with the company.

The former WWE writer and producer made the allegation during a heated exchange on social media involving Dave Meltzer, which began after Road Dogg criticised AEW's handling of Austin and Colten Gunn.

After a fan suggested that publicly arguing with AEW executives probably wasn't helping his chances of getting hired, Road Dogg responded:

“Actually, I was turned away because of my political/ core beliefs That happened IN AMERICA 🇺🇸 I didn’t donate to or vote for Trump, BUT his old man did, why was I punished?”

Road Dogg later appeared to blame journalist David Bixenspan for costing him an opportunity, writing:

“This is the guy that screenshot my social media Post (I am conservative) and then used it to get my opportunity canceled. I feel differently than a lot of you. Im not sorry for who I am and how I was raised.”

However, Bixenspan indicated that he had no knowledge of what Road Dogg was referring to, and Road Dogg subsequently acknowledged that he may have identified the wrong person.

There is currently no public evidence confirming that AEW rejected Road Dogg specifically because of his political views, and AEW has not publicly commented on his allegation.

Road Dogg's comments have already sparked plenty of debate among wrestling fans, particularly over whether his politics were actually responsible for the reported lack of an AEW opportunity, or whether other factors were involved.

💬 Do you believe Road Dogg's claim, or do you think there's more to the story?

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Eric Bischoff has little sympathy for WWE fans complaining about the rising cost of attending major events.

Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, the former WCW President argued that WWE is no longer simply selling fans a wrestling show, but an entire entertainment experience built around major Premium Live Event weekends.

Bischoff said:

“You’re not experiencing just a PLE. And I think that’s where entertainment in general is going. Not just wrestling, not just WWE, but I think entertainment in general is going in that direction. And I think it’s great.”

However, his response to fans who can't afford WWE's increasingly expensive tickets was considerably more blunt:

“You’re always going to have people complaining about the price of the tickets, but tough. You know, get an extra job, save some money up, you know, quit drinking, you know, three 12-packs of Mountain Dew during the week and throw a couple bucks in a jar and you’ll be able to afford to go, whatever.”

Bischoff believes WWE is right to focus on creating a wider experience around its biggest events, rather than simply selling tickets to a single night of wrestling.

“But I think the overall fan experience is what they’re focusing on. And I think they’re doing it smart.”

With WrestleMania and SummerSlam now featuring two-night events alongside additional programming, WWE's biggest weekends can require fans to spend considerably more than the cost of a single ticket.

💬 Is Bischoff right that fans should simply save more money, or should WWE be doing more to keep major event tickets affordable?

🔥 WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Cody Rhodes has opened up about one of the most recognisable and controversial parts of his look: that massive neck tattoo.

Speaking on an episode of his podcast, What Do You Wanna Talk About?, the WWE star admitted that while he still believes the artwork itself is excellent, he has serious regrets about having the tattoo placed on his neck.

“I stand by the fact that I think the work is great and the artist is great, but I also will reveal, as I think I’ve revealed on this pod before… The neck tattoo I would widely consider the greatest regret of my life.”

Rhodes went on to reveal that the tattoo turned out far larger than he originally anticipated, but despite his regret, he has no plans to have it removed.

“You know what? I’ll live with it, you know, I’m not going to try to get it removed and we’re going to rock this till the very end.”

The tattoo, a large skull with a crown and wings featuring an American flag-inspired design, made its debut at AEW Revolution 2020 and immediately became one of the most talked-about aspects of Rhodes' appearance.

Rhodes has previously joked about his late father Dusty Rhodes' reaction to the tattoo, admitting that he doesn't believe “The American Dream” would have been particularly impressed with the decision.

Now, despite calling it his greatest regret, Cody appears to have accepted that the tattoo is here to stay.

💬 Be honest—do you think Cody's neck tattoo is THAT bad? 😂

👍 Keep it
👎 Get it removed