Matt Riddle is still advertised for this weekend's EVOLVE events after his recent injury. Those are likely his final appearances there before starting with NXT.
ROH parent company Sinclair Broadcasting will not be purchasing Tribune Media, as Tribune has terminated the agreement. Tribune is also suing Sinclair for breach of contract, citing Sinclair looking to circumvent FCC requirements on selling and/or relinquishing control of stations as part of the purchase. That's definitely a big missed opportunity for ROH to grow its reach, although certainly they're doing really well with the level of TV penetration they have now.
Davey Boy Smith, Jr. spoke with Sean Waltman. I'm glad things are settled with Jake Roberts.
Alundra Blayze's final WWF match is WWE Network's latest Hidden Gem. She faced Lioness Asuka in a dark match in November 1995 shortly before being released and moving to WCW.
G1 Supercard sold nearly 9,000 tickets on its first day, blowing ROH's previous attendance record, as well as NJPW's U.S. attendance record, out of the water. This sale was only available to Honorclub members, making the numbers all that more impressive. The most amazing part of this is there are no matches announced for the show, and it's entirely possible the likes of Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks are signed by WWE before it takes place. Not to mention it's up against a Takeover event in the same city. This is a big, big success for ROH and NJPW.
- By the end of the second day, that number was just below 12,000, beating All In to become the most attended non-WWE U.S. event since WCW went out of business. The level of success here cannot be understated.
All In was considered for WGN America, but Cody and the Young Bucks wanted it on PPV. It will be interesting to see what doors are opened for non-WWE wrestling broadcasting in the U.S. due to All In and G1 Supercard.
NJPW is dropping swearing, middle fingers, and offensive social media posts in an effort to grow sponsors and expansion. That's really going to upset some of the diehard fans, but hopefully it will have a net positive effect and they'll keep a unique identity from what WWE does.
NJPW is looking to run Australia again later this year. I'm glad they're able to be successful in markets outside of Japan.
Rey Mysterio was close to a MLW deal that was dropped as he prepares for a WWE return. Rey getting regular work in prominent promotions definitely made him a priority for WWE to sign.
Matt Hardy is expected to try to rehabilitate the pain he's in, which could mean he takes time off. There's no indication that he's seriously considering retirement at this time, but he's definitely looking at planning the final stages of his career.
Jason Jordan is still dealing with a neck injury after surgery, hence him not returning on TV. It's unfortunate his momentum has been cut short due to those issues.
Ricochet is working hurt. WWE has limited his physicality and matches before Takeover next week. Hopefully he doesn't have to miss any time, as he's looking like an emerging important player.
Jessamyn Duke hasn't debuted in NXT due to not being 100% physically.
Shadia Bseiso will be an interviewer for the Mae Young Classic. She was a host for a WWE show in the Middle East before signing on as a wrestler in the WWE Performance Center. I hope she'll still be a wrestler at some point.
Abyss' new Impact contract is for backstage work, but he does expect to return to the ring on Impact TV. He's someone who can contribute here and there, like Kane or Big Show.
Ariya Daivari has been out of action due to an injury, but should be returning soon.
Mikey Whipwreck is opening a wrestling school in Pennsylvania. The Underdogs Pro Wrestling School will be affiliated with Premier Pro Wrestling, which is also based in the area.
Orlando NBA player Mohamed Bamba was also backstage at Smackdown Live this week.
Smackdown Live will run Washington on October 1 with a live event.
Renee Young will be replacing Jonathan Coachman on commentary Monday, marking the first time a woman has called an entire episode of Raw. I expect this is further practice for her to be at the desk at Evolution.
Jerry Lawler's Memphis TV show honoring Grandmaster Sexay was released online. I'm glad they got to have that last moment together.
The Good Brothers will appear at a WWE-themed MLB event in Maryland on September 19.
NXT followed up the Aleister Black angle from Wednesday.
ROH's general manager discussed the success of G1 Supercard and more:
- WWE met their match with Sinclair Broadcasting. ROH's owners didn't back down.
- Honestly, drawing 4,000 or so at another venue would have been a success for ROH and NJPW. Drawing 7,000 would have been a big milestone. But more than 12,000? That's huge.
- If WWE signs Omega and the Young Bucks, they're not going to NXT unless it's just for that one show. They'd get main roster money and treatment, because they can easily keep doing what they're doing now and make plenty of money.
- The story has been that MSG was willing to be exclusive to WWE until WWE shut them out of WM35 weekend. That led MSG to seek out other promotions to run the venue.
- Other companies drawing WWE-size crowds in the U.S. would really change the landscape of the business, as we see now with talents like The Elite.
- I doubt WWE sees the positive in Supercard being there.
- All In will really help Honorclub.
- ROH and NJPW have opportunities to really draw good crowds internationally.
Maria Kanellis broke her wrist at the WWE Performance Center, and will need a cast for six weeks. She still hopes to return for Evolution. I hope she can be an asset to the company again.
Colt Cabana is suing C.M. Punk over unpaid legal costs stemming from the Amann lawsuit, as Cabana insists Punk promised to pay Colt's legal bills. The lawsuit is for $1.2 million, of which $200,000 is for the cost of representation, and the other million is for punitive and exemplary damages. That Art of Wrestling podcast destroyed a friendship and cost a lot of time and money for Punk post-WWE.
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano in a Last Man Standing match for the NXT Championship will now headline Takeover:Brooklyn. This was the original stipulation idea for Takeover:Chicago before AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura was announced as that match type for the same weekend.
Tegan Nox was injured at the Mae Young Classic. She tried to continue her match, but ended up being helped to the back. I'm curious how that affected plans.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
ROH parent company Sinclair Broadcasting will not be purchasing Tribune Media, as Tribune has terminated the agreement. Tribune is also suing Sinclair for breach of contract, citing Sinclair looking to circumvent FCC requirements on selling and/or relinquishing control of stations as part of the purchase. That's definitely a big missed opportunity for ROH to grow its reach, although certainly they're doing really well with the level of TV penetration they have now.
Davey Boy Smith, Jr. spoke with Sean Waltman. I'm glad things are settled with Jake Roberts.
Alundra Blayze's final WWF match is WWE Network's latest Hidden Gem. She faced Lioness Asuka in a dark match in November 1995 shortly before being released and moving to WCW.
G1 Supercard sold nearly 9,000 tickets on its first day, blowing ROH's previous attendance record, as well as NJPW's U.S. attendance record, out of the water. This sale was only available to Honorclub members, making the numbers all that more impressive. The most amazing part of this is there are no matches announced for the show, and it's entirely possible the likes of Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks are signed by WWE before it takes place. Not to mention it's up against a Takeover event in the same city. This is a big, big success for ROH and NJPW.
- By the end of the second day, that number was just below 12,000, beating All In to become the most attended non-WWE U.S. event since WCW went out of business. The level of success here cannot be understated.
All In was considered for WGN America, but Cody and the Young Bucks wanted it on PPV. It will be interesting to see what doors are opened for non-WWE wrestling broadcasting in the U.S. due to All In and G1 Supercard.
NJPW is dropping swearing, middle fingers, and offensive social media posts in an effort to grow sponsors and expansion. That's really going to upset some of the diehard fans, but hopefully it will have a net positive effect and they'll keep a unique identity from what WWE does.
NJPW is looking to run Australia again later this year. I'm glad they're able to be successful in markets outside of Japan.
Rey Mysterio was close to a MLW deal that was dropped as he prepares for a WWE return. Rey getting regular work in prominent promotions definitely made him a priority for WWE to sign.
Matt Hardy is expected to try to rehabilitate the pain he's in, which could mean he takes time off. There's no indication that he's seriously considering retirement at this time, but he's definitely looking at planning the final stages of his career.
Jason Jordan is still dealing with a neck injury after surgery, hence him not returning on TV. It's unfortunate his momentum has been cut short due to those issues.
Ricochet is working hurt. WWE has limited his physicality and matches before Takeover next week. Hopefully he doesn't have to miss any time, as he's looking like an emerging important player.
Jessamyn Duke hasn't debuted in NXT due to not being 100% physically.
Shadia Bseiso will be an interviewer for the Mae Young Classic. She was a host for a WWE show in the Middle East before signing on as a wrestler in the WWE Performance Center. I hope she'll still be a wrestler at some point.
Abyss' new Impact contract is for backstage work, but he does expect to return to the ring on Impact TV. He's someone who can contribute here and there, like Kane or Big Show.
Ariya Daivari has been out of action due to an injury, but should be returning soon.
Mikey Whipwreck is opening a wrestling school in Pennsylvania. The Underdogs Pro Wrestling School will be affiliated with Premier Pro Wrestling, which is also based in the area.
Orlando NBA player Mohamed Bamba was also backstage at Smackdown Live this week.
Smackdown Live will run Washington on October 1 with a live event.
Renee Young will be replacing Jonathan Coachman on commentary Monday, marking the first time a woman has called an entire episode of Raw. I expect this is further practice for her to be at the desk at Evolution.
Jerry Lawler's Memphis TV show honoring Grandmaster Sexay was released online. I'm glad they got to have that last moment together.
The Good Brothers will appear at a WWE-themed MLB event in Maryland on September 19.
NXT followed up the Aleister Black angle from Wednesday.
ROH's general manager discussed the success of G1 Supercard and more:
- WWE met their match with Sinclair Broadcasting. ROH's owners didn't back down.
- Honestly, drawing 4,000 or so at another venue would have been a success for ROH and NJPW. Drawing 7,000 would have been a big milestone. But more than 12,000? That's huge.
- If WWE signs Omega and the Young Bucks, they're not going to NXT unless it's just for that one show. They'd get main roster money and treatment, because they can easily keep doing what they're doing now and make plenty of money.
- The story has been that MSG was willing to be exclusive to WWE until WWE shut them out of WM35 weekend. That led MSG to seek out other promotions to run the venue.
- Other companies drawing WWE-size crowds in the U.S. would really change the landscape of the business, as we see now with talents like The Elite.
- I doubt WWE sees the positive in Supercard being there.
- All In will really help Honorclub.
- ROH and NJPW have opportunities to really draw good crowds internationally.
Maria Kanellis broke her wrist at the WWE Performance Center, and will need a cast for six weeks. She still hopes to return for Evolution. I hope she can be an asset to the company again.
Colt Cabana is suing C.M. Punk over unpaid legal costs stemming from the Amann lawsuit, as Cabana insists Punk promised to pay Colt's legal bills. The lawsuit is for $1.2 million, of which $200,000 is for the cost of representation, and the other million is for punitive and exemplary damages. That Art of Wrestling podcast destroyed a friendship and cost a lot of time and money for Punk post-WWE.
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano in a Last Man Standing match for the NXT Championship will now headline Takeover:Brooklyn. This was the original stipulation idea for Takeover:Chicago before AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura was announced as that match type for the same weekend.
Tegan Nox was injured at the Mae Young Classic. She tried to continue her match, but ended up being helped to the back. I'm curious how that affected plans.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. WWE had the show on their radar as soon as MSG spoke to ROH about running there. They are going to make every effort possible to sign away any and all key talents who are going to be contractually available before that date and every effort possible to make Takeover the more buzzworthy show. Like All In, this event's success will come at the cost of making more WWE aggressive regarding signing talents.
2. I think part of it is to have a steady release of matches and hype going into the finals at Evolution.
3. I wouldn't 100% rule it out as a special one-time thing, but WWE will certainly focus on the younger talent who are hired as wrestlers and are going to be on the road full-time.
4. It should be noted Koff is an employee of Sinclair Broadcasting, so he's usually working at the office in Maryland. He generally lets the "wrestling people" do their thing while he focuses on the business end of things.
5. Basically it was much cheaper to use an in-house song rather than regularly pay for a license to use such an iconic song.
More wrestling tomorrow.
2. I think part of it is to have a steady release of matches and hype going into the finals at Evolution.
3. I wouldn't 100% rule it out as a special one-time thing, but WWE will certainly focus on the younger talent who are hired as wrestlers and are going to be on the road full-time.
4. It should be noted Koff is an employee of Sinclair Broadcasting, so he's usually working at the office in Maryland. He generally lets the "wrestling people" do their thing while he focuses on the business end of things.
5. Basically it was much cheaper to use an in-house song rather than regularly pay for a license to use such an iconic song.
More wrestling tomorrow.
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