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It's April 30th and there are somewhere between 40-50 people maximum packed into the cosy Box bar in Glasgow for an intimate 'Inside The Ropes' show with former WWE Superstar James Ellsworth.
What can be said about James Ellsworth? The man lived the dream, but it was by no means through luck as he will sometimes proclaim. 14 years of hard work and taking bumps culminated in the man with two hands giving himself more than a fighting chance when it came to success in WWE.
From an appearance as a Rosebud to his breakout moment as the first enhancement talent to face off against Braun Strowman in a match that set the Monster Among Men on his way to be one of the major players in WWE, Ellsworth worked harder than almost anyone could imagine - and by pinning WWE Champion AJ Styles three times and, well, winning the Money In The Bank briefcase for Carmella and handing it to her, he experienced the epitome of the phrases 'face' and 'heel' while in WWE.
Well, as a man who was involved in intricate stories with some of the best in the business, you can imagine he has some major stories to tell - and I was thankfully privy to many of them in Glasgow, the same city Ellsworth signed his WWE contract two years ago prior to SmackDown Live where he received one of the pops of the night.
Here are some of the most interesting stories Ellsworth told in Glasgow before an end segment saw him cut a promo with his Intergender Championship, slap the rear end of ICW's Molly Spartan, and the following video ensue...
#5 Daniel Bryan was a HUGE James Ellsworth fan
During the show, James Ellsworth revealed that, not only was then on-screen General Manager Daniel Bryan a huge fan of his and very vocal about being such, but Bryan also went to bat for Ellsworth in creative meetings - potentially being one of the reasons he was brought back into the company and over to the blue brand.
Ellsworth openly spoke about his encounters with Daniel Bryan and how happy he is that the Yes man is back in the ring.
I mean, that's all he ever spoke about. He always said to me, "I'm going to wrestle again, whether it's here or somewhere else!"
#4 James backs Braun as a babyface - and Vince LOVED their match
Okay, so obviously one of the main points that came up was James' relationship with Braun Strowman. Ellsworth had high praise for the Monster Among Men as just being a stand-up guy, but he also said he's really happy WWE turned Braun face.
I mean, I'm just so glad they finally made him a babyface - because that's what the dude's like in real life. He's just so good with the kids.
Ellsworth also said he got some high praise from the highest possible source for his WWE 'debut' that saw the WWE Universe get right behind him.
When I came back to Gorilla after the match, Vince told me it was the best squash match he had ever seen.
One other cool moment from this match was revealed, too, when Ellsworth said his "Any man with two hands has a fighting chance" quote came from the fact that he was only booked to get two punches in on Strowman, so he thought the quote could have an even cooler meaning.
#3 Baron Corbin was apparently not an Ellsworth fan - but two other stars most definitely were
When James recalled getting official WWE merchandise in the form of a T-shirt with his face on it, he said he personally thought none of the shirts would sell. They turned out to be one of the most popular shirts on WWE.com, as James reveals he was selling more merchandise than Roman Reigns at one point.
However, not everyone 'got it' apparently. James recalls how "some of the guys just didn't get it - particularly one guy who "hadn't been on the indies came to WWE from being a football player." Not saying any names, the host for the night mutters, "Baron Corbin" under his breath and Ellsworth nods behind his drink.
If the former United States Champion wasn't a fan, though, he was in the minority as Ellsworth recalled that the reaction was really positive and that the first two people he saw wearing the shirts were Becky Lynch and Lita.
I mean, I'm walking backstage and I see Becky Lynch and one other person wearing my shirt, it was Lita! I'm like, "Man, these are two of the hottest women on the planet wearing a shirt with my face on it!"
#2 The women were NOT happy with being on the WrestleMania pre-show, and Becky Lynch led a revolt
Well, this was one of the most interesting stories Ellsworth told. One of the biggest controversies surrounding WrestleMania 33 was when the women were bumped to the kick-off show in the SmackDown Women's Champion Six-Pack Match.
While most people will remember that the WWE Universe went crazy online and WWE switched the match onto the late card - and into a very late spot - Ellsworth revealed some cool details about the reaction backstage.
The originally planned match for the penultimate slot on the card was possibly even more surprising.
Baron Corbin vs Dean Ambrose (for the Intercontinental Championship) ended up on the kick-off (show), that was a straight swap.
One very interesting fact Ellsworth brought up was the reaction when the women were told backstage. He recalled that Becky Lynch took umbridge with it and was very vocal in her reply. When told that "more people would see the match" as it would be on the WWE Network, USA Network etc instead of just the WWE Network and pay-per-view, Ellsworth recalls that Becky said, "I know what you're trying to sell us, but I'm not buying it."
Ellsworth added that, no matter what anyone says, no talent would be happy to be on the WrestleMania pre-show and that he thinks WrestleMania should be just that, WrestleMania. No kick-off show, no pre-show, just either one six or seven-hour show - or split into two three-hour shows over two days.
#1 Ellsworth winning MITB was Vince's idea - and only Vince thought it was a good idea.
So, one thing everyone in attendance wanted to know more about - the Women's Money In The Bank Ladder match that James Ellsworth, in many eyes, ruined.
Ellsworth noted that, so no-one else knows the finishes at WrestleMania, an opaque black curtain is put around the ring and each group of Superstars brought in at a time to discuss the match and the finish. Ellsworth noted how he already knew the finish, but when he told Carmella, she didn't believe him.
Ellsworth recalls one week before the match, he and all the female Superstars were in the ring rehearsing climbing the ladder. From that moment, he says he knew exactly how it was going down from years of watching the product. While Carmella didn't believe him, Ellsworth said on the day of WrestleMania, he was in catering and heard John Laurinaitis speaking about the finish of the match - very hesitantly. He overheard and ran to tell Carmella.
Another aspect of the match that came up was, well, who thought of the finish? James Ellsworth responds that it was all Vince's idea. As in, all of it - and only Vince's idea. Everyone pushed back through all the creative meetings saying the finish was ridiculous and everyone would hate it, with Ellsworth saying, "That's why we're doing it that way, damn it!"
Also, contrary to popular opinion, the second Money In The Bank match was already set BEFORE the first took place, not to fix an error following public outcry.
Ellsworth went on to say that, while he wasn't sure at first, he loved the idea because he got to be the biggest face and biggest heel in his short time in the company - and offered one final anecdote about how it went down.
"When I climb the ladder, the crowd pops. When I reach for the briefcase, the crowd pops, when I grab the case, they pop, and when I unclip it, they pop. When I hand it to Carmella, no pop, the realisation sets in. I think they wanted me to take off with the case!"
In terms of the fallout of the match, whereby James Ellsworth had a mini-feud with Becky Lynch, Ellsworth said he loves Becky Lynch and that they fought to have their match for a while. They wanted the pay-off to be at WrestleMania, but sadly that didn't happen and Ellsworth said WWE let it run too long before actually doing the match - mainly due to WWE not wanting to do guy on girl violence. The match eventually happened and was WWE's first intergender match since Heath Slater vs Lita ten years previous.
I kept saying to them, look at me, I'm not a threat. No-one will think I'm a threat to these girls. They could probably kick my ass in the real world!
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