Smackdown dark matches, upcoming ROH matches, Interviews with Omega/Shockmaster/Enzo/CFO$/Enzo+Cass, Smackdown visitor, HHH conference call, two Wellness suspensions, Smackdown audience, Vince sells a lot of stock, Summerslam visitor, TNA executive shakeup update, new TNA trademark, former TNA Champion missing TV, WWE animated movie trailer, Titus to speak, and Questions on booking superstars for movies, steroids for recovery, missed Sting plans, booking Meng as a tough guy, and splitting Carmella from Enzo and Cass

After Smackdown, KFC filmed a commercial where Dolph Ziggler, dressed as Col. Sanders, beat The Miz, dressed as a chicken. That sounds absolutely AMAZING. I believe we'll see the results during Summerslam.

Also after Smackdown, Roman Reigns beat Seth Rollins. Roman's still in the Jannetty position as far as Summerslam goes, but it made sense to end the taping with a babyface win.

ROH announced some new matches for upcoming events:
- Adam Cole/Young Bucks vs. Jay Lethal/Colt Cabana/Dalton Castle Sept. 16 in Pittsburgh, Penn.
- The Briscoes vs. Colt Cabana/Dalton Castle and an Honor Rumble for a future shot at the ROH World Championship Sept. 17 in Lockport, NY.
- Jushin "Thunder" Liger vs. Dalton Castle Sept. 24 in Duluth, Georgia.

Kenny Omega talked about the G1 Climax and more:
- I absolutely think guys like Cena and Rollins could excel in that environment if they were prepared for that style instead of what they do now.

- Omega pretty much outright saying his goal is to go from Japan to somewhere else at some point. It will be interesting to see where he ends up. I really wonder if he can excel in another promotion at the same level.

- Connor McGregor is an awesome heel. He's every frat bro's dream.

- Great for Ottman for taking the Shockmaster role and running with it.

Michelle McCool was at Smackdown. No official word on where The Undertaker was there, too.

Enzo Amore promoted Summerslam:
- I can definitely see him being a nightmare in the classroom due to his mouth.

- Even his interviews are hilarious.

- NXT has a solid cult following, especially in certain markets and around big WWE events that bring in fans from surrounding areas. It's popular, but sometimes that popularity is overstated. It's definitely not at the level of the main roster as far as popularity goes.

Triple H did a conference call to promote Saturday's Takeover special:
- Ember Moon can definitely be a player if her reputation from live events and before NXT is any indication.

- So, they're also taping an episode of NXT TV this weekend.

- I'm not sure I want to see the CWC format in the division on Raw, but it'd definitely be something different from what we usually see. Hopefully that would get some interest in the revived division.

- So, yes, we'll see cruiserweight guys in NXT "training" for spots in the main roster division like we see women train for spots in that division on the main roster. I wouldn't assume they'll have their own title in NXT or anything, but it will be a proving ground for future main roster names.

- I definitely like the women not being in a vanity division, being treated as wrestlers in their own right. It's a nice change of pace from previous approaches.

- Ibushi's definitely a special talent. I'm curious to see how things work out with him in the future.

- Corey Graves is a really great commentator. I'm glad he's getting such a big stage now.

- HBK joining the WWEPC would certainly bring a wealth of knowledge to things.

- Having the CWC winner as the first champion is a no-brainer, but they could also crown a first champion at a bigger stage (Raw or a PPV). Maybe the CWC winner will earn a spot in the first title match?

WWE suspended Alberto Del Rio for his violation of the Wellness Policy. His suspension became effective Thursday, August 18. That's disappointing. He could have been an important player for Smackdown, but now someone else will get that opportunity (at least for the time being).

- WWE later announced Paige was also suspended for violating the Wellness Policy. Whether the two suspensions are related is anyone's guess, but the timing is pretty interesting given their off-screen relationship.

Smackdown's audience this week was 2.47 million, slightly up from last week. We'll see how things go after Summerslam and Backlash establish the major players for the brand.

Vince McMahon sold nearly 1.55 million shares of WWE stock for estate planning. That's a little surprising given his firm belief he's not going to pass away. I wouldn't read much of anything into that as far as him retiring or anything.

Shawn Michaels is expected to be in town for Summerslam weekend. This may or may not mean he's finalizing his role of coming into the WWEPC.

Dixie Carter has not been at TNA TV tapings lately. Since she's moving into a long-term planning position for the company, she might not be present at tapings much if at all going forward. It will be very interesting to see if anything major changes with Billy Corgan taking over the president role. Bob Ryder is also on hand as an executive backstage at TNA.

TNA has applied to trademark Aron Rex, so the former Damien Sandow will use that name exclusively for TNA bookings.

James Storm has missed most of the recent TNA tapings following losing his KOTM Championship. He is taking a vacation that was planned in advance. I'm interested to see where he fits into things after BFG. He can be an important player if they want him to. After signing that exclusive contract.

WWE released a trailer for Surf's Up 2, featuring WWE stars in voice acting roles. I'm pleasantly surprised Taker's doing this kind of thing. It hardly fits in with his character.

Titus O'Neil will speak for TEDxUCLA on May 20, 2017. That's pretty cool for him.

WWE.com talked to CFO$, who make a lot of entrance themes now. It's pretty cool to see their process and how they got involved in WWE.

Enzo Amore and Big Cass talked to promote Summerslam. They're really over despite never being tag team champions in NXT or the main roster. It's cool to hear Enzo's journey to WWE.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The "suits," basically. Sometimes someone will want a different talent for something, but WWE persuades them to use someone else instead because WWE wants that talent featured.

2. There's a big difference between using steroids to recover from an injury compared to using them to get a certain look. If the doctors think steroids are appropriate as a temporary recovery method, I don't see a problem with it.

3. There were whispers of Bray vs. Sting taking place at WM32, but nothing definite.

4. I think it's something like how a great Shakespearean actor isn't necessarily the best fit for a kids' comedy. It doesn't mean the actor isn't talented; just that they're not in the right area for those skills to be appreciated. Neither company saw him as a compelling enough character to push beyond being a threat to more important people. Maybe it's something like Low Ki being too small for Vince to book as a big name despite his obvious tenacity?

5. Two reasons. They REALLY needed another woman for Smackdown's division, and keeping Carmella separate means she has to be compelling enough as a character and good enough in the ring to get over without Enzo and Cass. I think it's a smart move for those reasons.

More wrestling tomorrow.