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This Week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter
July 24, 2023 Observer Newsletter: Great week of wrestling matches, NJPW G1 Climax tournament begins
In this issue:
Poll results from all the major shows plus Match of the week and Performer of the weekLooking back on a week with some of the best matches of the year, story behind the matches and complications involvedWeek one G-1 Climax coverage, what stories have been told, where is business, what is and isn't working and match-by-match coverageCoverage of TripleMania, including what really happened with Don Callis, the story behind Vikingo vs. Omega, as well as looking at the 8/12 show in Mexico CityTony Khan press conference coverage, update on All In with new ticket sales info and how close to records is the show, more PPVs question, longer Dynamite, Death Before Dishonor and moreFull coverage of Saturday's UFC show and what is next for the participantsEric Young returns and Impact Slammiversary, as well as the return of Josh AlexanderHow many homes are the networks that carry wrestling inThe most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling and MMA television shows, with a lot of shockers in the weekly and daily standings. Including what show placed No. 7 for the week in network television, where the wrestling and MMA shows finished on cable, segment-by-segment, competition and moreWhat promotion is killing it every week in ticket sales at the same arenaMajor talent jump to join his brotherDocumentary on the life of one of the biggest stars in history hits movie theaters internationally in the fallMajor TV documentary on the Ali vs. Inoki fight, what was revealed and some new news being reported75th anniversary of the birth of the NWA and the real story of its birth and growthHow the public's viewing has changedThe Rick Steiner situation and how it was handledMore on the Teddy Hart arrest and what he was in Florida forNotes on upcoming Impact TV showsUpcoming ticket sales for WWE & AEw showsLots of new major UFC fightsIconic company set for a return in SeptemberUpdated Money in the Bank and Forbidden Door PPV numbersWWE injury updatesDwayne Johnson reportedly sets an all-time money recordGable Steveson's decisionInternational TV ratings and streaming numbers
This Week's Retro Observer Newsletter
May 22, 2006 Observer Newsletter: WWE & ECW, Bob Sapp
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Friday Update
For this weekend, Garrett and I did a show today talking about the news of the week and some history. Bryan and I will be back Sunday covering all the weekend stuff.
There is a giant news story coming from CNBC about Disney CEO Bob Iger attempting to make deals to give the NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball minority owner stakes in ESPN. The idea to me seems to be that ESPN wants to get out of the spiraling rights games by offering the key content producers points in the company with the assurance that they will stay on ESPN. As we constantly talk about, the television business is rapidly changing and as more and more people no longer get cable, and cable carriage fees and advertising declines with them, the stations will no longer have the money to pay as much for programming. This spells potential disaster for every sport, as well as WWE, AEW and UFC, in attempts to continually get more money each negotiation period. The bottom hasn't fallen out yet, and may not, but it feels to me this is the most dangerous challenge to this system that has served sports so well and made WWE and UFC into giant companies.
For those wanting to see the Kento Miyahara vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima match that was talked about in the new issue and will probably finish high in match of the year voting, you can get a free week at Wrestle Universe and watch it with English commentary at https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en
Smackdown is tonight in Orlando, which is sold out with more than 12,100 tickets out this morning. Remember the show is on FS 1 and not FOX tonight due to Women's World Cup soccer. If you watch via DVR, adjust it quickly because in most cases, your FOX season pass will not record the show. There will be angles set up for the Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso SummerSlam main event with the stips, as well as for the Asuka title match (which has already been announced as a three-way with Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair) plus Rey Mysterio vs. Sheamus vs. LA Knight vs. Cameron Grimes in a match where the winner faces Santos Escobar next Friday. The winners of that will get a U.S. title match with Austin Theory. Dominik Mysterio vs. Butch for the North American title is also scheduled.
The Austin Theory U.S. title match was as of earlier this week scheduled for Smackdown and not for SummerSlam, which is already full with nine matches. That could always change but it was confirmed to us that was the original plan for the tournament.
Big E is at the building tonight for Smackdown backstage. Bayley is also there but not scheduled for a match.
UFC announced Leon Edwards defending the welterweight title against Colby Covington for the semi on the 11/11 30th anniversary show at Madison Square Garden. That's the show headlined by Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title.
Rampage tonight on TNT at 10 p.m. has a 20 man Royal Rampage match with the winner facing Luchasaurus at All Out for the TNT title, plus Kris Statlander vs. Marina Shafir for the TBS title and Billy Gunn & The Acclaimed vs. QT Marshall & Johnny TV & Aaron Solo. They will also be announcing tomorrow night's Collision show tonight on the air.
Tonight at Arena Mexico will have Cibernetico main event with Mistico, Metalik, Rocky Romero, Volador Jr., Templario, Titan, Mascara Dorada 2.0 and Dragon Rojo Jr. On paper, this should be something. Arena Mexico as far as big crowds and big reactions, on Friday nights, ism the closest thing to old-school wrestling in atmosphere pretty much anywhere.
UFC tomorrow from the O2 Arena in London on ESPN+ from Noon to 7 p.m. Eastern:
Jafel Filho (126) vs. Daniel Barez (125)Shauna Bannon (115) vs. Bruna Brasil (115)Yanai Ashmouz (155) vs. Chris Duncan (156)Ketlen Vieira (135) vs. Pannie Kianzad (136)Makmud Muradov (186) vs. Bryan Barbarena (185)Mark Parkin (264) vs. Jaal Pogues (266)Marc Diakiese (156) vs. Joel Alvarez (156)Danny Roberts (171) vs. Jonny Parsons (171)Davey Grant (136) vs. Daniel Marcos (136)Lerone Murphy (146) vs. Josh Culibao (146)Jai Herbert (155) vs. Fares Ziam (155)Paul Craig (186) vs. Andre Muniz (185)Nathaniel Wood (146) vs. Andre Fili (145)Julija Stoliarenko (125) vs. Molly McCann (125)Tom Aspinall (258) vs Marcin Tybura (246)
Tod Gordon did an interview with FOX News about his upcoming book on the history of ECW with the idea of saying that the WWE version of Paul Heyman version of his departure aren't accurate.
We're looking for your thoughts on tonight's ROH PPV show, you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
We're also looking for reports from these shows:
WWE Smackdown tonight in Orlando (dark matches only or anything not on television)NXT tonight in Lakeland, FLAEW tomorrow night in Newark, NJ (ROH tapings and dark matches only)WWE Saturday night in Mexico CityNXT Saturday night in Gainesville, FLWWE Sunday night in Monterrey, MexicoWe're looking for results, finishes and highlights to [email protected]
There was a G-1 show today in Nagaoka. Lots of raves about actually most of the show. There is no show on Saturday and the C and D block run Sunday morning at 5 a.m. Eastern from Nagano which has Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jeff Cobb, Aaron Henare vs Eddie Kingston and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Shingo Takagi, the latter of which is always one of the better matches of the year.
Michael Oku defending the British heavyweight title against Trent Seven, as expected from the angle at York Hall, has been added to the 8/26 RevPro show at the Copper Box Arena in London.
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Pro Wrestling NOAH announced a record advance gate for its 9/17 Korakuen Hall show with Will Ospreay vs. Naomichi Marufuji as the main event.
SummerSlam odds at BetOnline:
Seth Rollins -300 Finn Balor +200Cody Rhodes -450 Brock Lesnar +275Shayna Baszler -1000 Ronda Rousey +550
Other Notes
Manami Toyota, perhaps the greatest woman wrestler who ever lived, will be making a special appearance at the West Coast Pro debut in Los Angeles at The Don Quixote on 9/10.
Sam Adonis announced today that he was leaving MLW, for now. He said "I have nothing but wonderful things to say about the MLW crew and I wish them nothing but the best."
There is a 30 percent off ticket sale for Defy using the code DEFYTIME for shows on 7/28, 7/29 and 8/12. Tickets are at www.DefyWrestling.com 7/28 is an all women's show with Vert Vixen, Maki Itoh, Marina Shafir and Madusa as a guest. 7/29 features Jon Moxley vs. Artemis Spencer. 8/12 features the Super 8XFP Grand Prix night two the debut of Masha Slamovich and Lio Rush vs. Judas Icarus.
Central States Wrestling on 7/29 in Lenaxa, KS at the National Guard Armory with a 60:00 Iron man match with Dak Draper vs. Jeremy Wyatt as the main event.
CM Punk will be announcing for the Cage Fury Fighting Championships on UFC Fight Pass on Thursday from the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa. It is the sixth straight sellout for the promotion in the building. Cedric Gunnison (6-1) defends the lightweight title against Rob Watley (12-3) in the main event.
Leon Slater vs. Alec Price was announced for the 8/19 GCW show in Atlantic City.
Kirk White's Big Time Wrestling on 7/28 at the Newark, CA Pavilion with Matt Cardona vs. Chris Masters, The Freaks vs. Sir Samurai & Eliza Hammer, Titus Alexander vs. Aaron Solo and Viva Van vs. Steph De Lander.