The Story of Wrestling – James Ellsworth

“Any man with two hands has a fighting chance”.

These were the immortal words uttered by one Mr. James Ellsworth, before he was squashed in epic fashion by a pre-“Get these hands!” Braun Strowman. From there, the independent wrestler and promoter known as “Pretty” Jimmy Dream garnered a cult following. He was at the centre of memes for weeks on end, and people were desperate to find out more about this meek, chinless man who cut one of the most unironically inspiring promos of 2016.

Cut to 2018, and James is now on WWE television as a focal point in a major SmackDown storyline. Come his return at Money in the Bank this year, Ellsworth received possibly the biggest pop of the night, which is a surreal reality to live in. How did he get to this point? Even when I explain this tale of triumph, it still doesn’t seem real.

James Ellsworth wouldn’t be seen again on TV until almost two months after his debut on Raw. On the September 13th episode of SmackDown, The Miz would reveal to AJ Styles that “The Phenomenal One” would be teaming with Ellsworth for a match against John Cena and Dean Ambrose. While James wouldn’t take part in the match due to Miz attacking him, it was still insane to see a man who was nothing more than an enhancement talent being associated with four world champions.

From here, the real Cinderella story would begin. James would commence a legitimate feud with WWE Champion, AJ Styles, whose own rivalry with Dean Ambrose crossed over into the storyline. With much assistance from Dean, Ellsworth would score a pinfall victory over Styles in a non-title match, as well as a DQ victory in an actual title match. Yes, a man whose primary purpose was originally to job to Braun Strowman for one night was in the WWE Title picture.

Obviously, James wouldn’t win the belt, as fun as that would have been. But he would be named as the official mascot for Team SmackDown at that year’s Survivor Series. In a call-back to their brief but memorable encounter from earlier in the year, James played a part in eliminating Braun Strowman via count-out, who then proceeded to kill the poor man again.

It was after this that the news broke that James Ellsworth had officially signed a WWE contract. He earned said contract in storyline by defeating AJ Styles once again, this time in a ladder match to gain full-time WWE employment. It wasn’t long after this that the beloved meme that is Ellsworth turned heel, when he cost Dean Ambrose a WWE Title match against Styles at TLC in December 2016.

Astonishingly, this turn made a lot of sense and paid acute attention to detail. James would go on to explain that as he already held three victories over AJ, he wanted to face him for the title rather than Ambrose. He also knew that AJ would grant him said title match so as not to hurt his pride. After being postponed multiple times, AJ would dispose of Ellsworth in quick fashion, but it didn’t matter. A jobber had turned into a hero, a central anchor of a WWE Championship feud.

It wasn’t long after this that James began his alignment with Carmella that still holds strong today. Sadly, his most notable moment during this run was mired with controversy when he himself procured the first ever women’s MITB briefcase for his ally. The inaugural women’s variation of the now iconic match type being won by a man caused widespread Internet backlash. Sure, one could try and defend it as the ultimate heel move, but there’s a time and a place for such antics and this wasn’t it.

The course was corrected with a rematch on SmackDown (though Ellsworth would still interfere), and he would remain with Carmella until November 2017, when he was released from his contract. Despite never reaching the lofty heights of the main event scene that it was a miracle he was ever in, James had had a one year run in the WWE as a full-time talent. He’d lived the dream, travelled the world, and had a brand-new marketing tool upon his return to the independent circuit.

James was expectedly a hot commodity when coming back to his indie roots. He’d play up the chauvinist heel antics that he’d demonstrated late in his WWE run, in a style that echoed the legendary Andy Kaufman. Declaring himself the “World Inter-Gender Champion,” Jimmy capitalised on three things: his own established character in mainstream wrestling, the new movement in inter-gender wrestling, and the steps taken to move women’s wrestling forward. It was an excellent business decision that would ensure he’d never be low on bookings.

It wouldn’t take long before WWE came knocking again. James Ellsworth is now back with the company and is living his dream once more. Getting signed to the WWE is a dream for so many — James Ellsworth has done it twice. A man of his look and his build has everything working against him in the wrestling business. James Ellsworth’s success makes him the embodiment of chasing your dreams.

It all started with a gutsy, babyface promo, and it’s led to a myriad of opportunities for one “Pretty” Jimmy Dream. He is a husband, a father, and a WWE Superstar. Before you criticise his use within the company, just realise that he should serve as an inspiration to people the world over who feel held down and unable to succeed. He truly does live by his mantra, and so should you. If you have two hands, then by God, you have a fighting chance.

Got any wrestlers you’d like me to analyse for The Story of Wrestling? Hit me up on Twitter @TBroomey and you’ll get a shout-out for your troubles. Thanks to my fellow team member, Matt McConnell (@MattMac2512) for this week’s subject.