James Ellsworth became a WWE sensation | Image Credits: WWE website
James Ellsworth’s WWE story is one of the most unlikely in modern wrestling. A 90-second squash match turned him into a global phenomenon, a TV regular, and a central figure in multiple storylines — from Braun Strowman to AJ Styles, from Dean Ambrose to Carmella.
But in a candid conversation with Sportshadow, Ellsworth went deeper than ever before, revisiting his WWE exit, reacting to Logan Paul’s rise, addressing the 2018 allegations, reflecting on his partnership with Carmella, and discussing the growth of his promotion, ACW.
And as always, he did it with honesty, humour, and the thick skin that has defined his entire life.
Ellsworth began by recounting the moment his now-iconic line — “Any man with two hands has a fighting chance” — was born. He explained that Jimmy Jacobs wrote his promo for the Braun Strowman match, but he wanted to add one line of his own.
“I asked him, ‘Can I say any man with two hands has a fighting chance?’ because I’m punching him twice. He said, ‘Yeah, it’s a good line. Go ahead and say it.’ He didn’t think much of it.”
The line was inspired by Rocky V.
"He says, ‘I figure if you have two hands, you have a chance.’ So I kind of took that and made my own little spin on it.”
Even then, Ellsworth had no idea it would blow up.
“No, I didn’t think it would catch on like that. I just wanted to say it because I knew I was punching Strowman twice.”
That match — originally meant to be a standard enhancement squash — changed his life forever. But at the time, Ellsworth walked in with zero expectations.
“My thinking was this may be my only time ever on Monday Night Raw. I just wanted to do a good job. I was going to sell my ass off, show facial expressions, act scared when it’s time to act scared.”
After the match, producer Arn Anderson gave him unexpected news.
“He said, ‘Hey, good job. Vince wants to see you.’ I had never talked to Vince before.”
What followed was surreal.
“Vince comes over, takes his headset off, and says, ‘Your facial expressions were great. Your selling was great. Your promo was fantastic. I have no choice but to hire you.’”
Triple H reinforced it moments later:
“He said, ‘He’s not kidding. He wants to hire you. If you want to be here, here’s your chance.’”
Many fans believe Ellsworth was hired because he became a viral meme. He shut that down.
“That’s not true at all. The truth is Vince McMahon hired me right after the match because he thought I was good.”
Ellsworth spoke at length about his partnership with Carmella, something he considers one of his proudest runs.
“I thought that went really well. I think that’s my calling in wrestling right now — to be a manager like a Jimmy Hart or a Bobby Heenan.”
Their dynamic worked because of real chemistry.
“We had a great relationship on TV. I loved every minute of it.”
Regarding his exit from WWE, Ellsworth was characteristically straightforward and refused to blame anyone.
“I never knocked WWE and I never will. I made a good living there.”
He addressed one misconception wrestlers often spread online.
“People say, ‘I make more money now than I did in WWE.’ My question is: did you make more money on the indies before WWE? No. WWE gave you a platform. For a year or two after you leave, yes, you make more because you have that name. But after that, it goes down unless you get picked up by another big company.”
Ellsworth holds no bitterness about his release.
“The wrestling business owes no one nothing.”
On Logan Paul, Ellsworth was positive and pragmatic.
“If celebrities want to come in and help the business, I’m all for it. Logan Paul has brought new eyes. He’s good at what he does.”
He acknowledged how different the system is today.
“When I was there, we were doing over 200 dates a year. Now the average person maybe does a hundred. It's a different business.”
Addressing the 2018 Snapchat Allegations
Carmella's partnership with James Ellsworth was a hit |Credit: IMAGO / Imagn Images
Ellsworth didn’t avoid the most sensitive topic of the interview: the 2018 Snapchat allegations that briefly overshadowed his career. He addressed it directly, calmly, and without theatrics.
“Those allegations were false. That’s all there is to it. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
He reiterated that the accusations were disproven and that he moved forward with his life and career afterward.
“It was hard because things spread fast online. But the truth came out. I just kept going.”
Ellsworth noted that the situation taught him the importance of having “thick skin,” something he said he developed growing up in a rough neighborhood.
“If people are trying to bully you or pick on you because you look different, you have to always stick up for yourself, even if it’s scary.”
Ellsworth is now deeply involved in ACW (Adrenaline Championship Wrestling), helping shape young wrestlers while performing in a lighter schedule.
“I’ve been in wrestling for going on 24 years. I can’t ever see myself stop doing this.”
He sees managing as his future.
“Being a manager or mouthpiece — that’s something I love. I think that’s my calling now.”
On ACW’s growth, he said: "We keep building. We keep getting better talent. I love seeing young wrestlers find themselves.”
He contrasted today’s independent scene with the one he came up in.
“Back in 2002, there weren’t many independents. You had to scratch and crawl for an opportunity. Now anyone can rent a building, put a ring in it, and suddenly they’re a promoter. It’s too easy.”
That, he believes, has created entitlement
“The wrestling business is tough. It’s not for the weak at heart. You have to be tough physically and mentally.”
Ellsworth closed the conversation reflecting on what his unexpected fame meant to him.
“I was always small. I never looked like someone that could be a wrestler. But I always wanted to pursue it.”
He remains grateful for his WWE run.
“I loved every minute of it. I appreciate everything I have because I grew up with not much.”
And if fans remember him for one line above anything else, he’s more than okay with it.
“Any man with two hands has a fighting chance — that’s me. That’s who I am.”
**If you use quotes from the article, please credit the Youtube video and link to Sportshadow.com for the transcript**