Starrcast III has announced Mick Foley. I'm curious if WWE will have any reaction to that.
The former Damien Sandow will compete for Santino Marella's Battle Arts promotion on July 13 in his first match since January 2017.
Tony Khan discussed AEW and more. You know the drill by now. "Sports-based product," "focus on the wrestling," all those clichés.
Triple H did a conference call to promote Takeover:XXV, recapped here:
- It is a pretty interesting contrast from having Takeover tie in with a bigger "main roster" show.
- There is a pretty cool variety of talents coming through the Performance Center.
- I like the idea of crowning new champions instead of having the Viking Raiders wrestle a match they'll almost certainly lose.
- Oh WWE definitely thinks about AEW. It did make sense for Triple H the character to take those shots.
- Um yeah I'd like to see some other names there, too.
- It will be interesting to see who become NXT "lifers" in the years to come. I'm OK with there being a few talents there like Kassius Ohno primarily being used to elevate others, but obviously it should just be a few cases.
- Oh wow the 24/7 title in NXT would be an odd mix.
- Pretty interesting they have a wrestler who also acts.
- This will be an important show, since they don't have the "crutch" of being paired with another PPV.
Kofi Kingston's return to Ghana is being covered on WWE's social media channels. Hopefully there's a full-form documentary coming, too.
Sonya Deville spoke on The Tomorrow Show on Sam Roberts' network.
Samu Anoa'i thanked everyone involved with his recent charity event. It's great to see so many coming together to help him.
NXT's Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish will be in action at EVOLVE 129 and EVOLVE 130.
Smackdown Live drew 2.07 million viewers Tuesday night, slightly up from the previous week.
ROH's June 29 TV taping has added Dragon Lee and RUSH vs. The Briscoes. That's a pretty cool clash.
Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman were officially chastised by Stephanie McMahon for not choosing which champion to face on Raw, with the indication the McMahon family will have repercussions for the pair.
Roman Reigns will appear with Canadian football team the Edmonton Eskimos on August 9 to promote Summerslam.
NXT's "Target" special was uploaded on YouTube, presumably as a teaser to get people to subscribe to WWE Network.
Nick Mondo discussed directing Jon Moxley's initial social media vignette.
Kenny Omega spoke to Alicia Atout after Double or Nothing.
Ric Flair was put over by the former Enzo Amore and Big Cass on TMZ Sports.
Ross and Marshall Von Erich discussed signing with MLW. They've got an opportunity to elevate themselves there.
Eddie Kingston will debut for PROGRESS on July 6.
Goldberg will appear on Smackdown Live. WWE has done a really disappointing job building his match with Undertaker. That should be a major clash between legends.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Moxley of 2019 definitely shows contrast with the Ambrose of 2016 Austin was critical of. I hope he can show the fire he was lacking at times in WWE.
2. I'd think Vince McMahon, right?
3. They're still in the very early going. We'll see what things look like once the TV show gets going. Fans are excited by what they saw at Double or Nothing, though.
4. I'd think they would have by now if they were going to. At the same time, they're not going to draw any attention to their association with him.
5. That would be amazing, but alas he's a real wrestler with real credentials.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, May 31, 2019
First Starrcast name, ex-WWE name returning to the ring, Interviews with Khan/Sonya/Mondo/Omega/Von Erichs, HHH conference call, Kofi-Ghana update, Samu thankful, more NXT names working EVOLVE, SDL audience, ROH TV match set, McMahons respond to no cash-in decision, Roman appearance set, Target special on YouTube, Eddie Kingston to UK promotion, Goldberg on WWE TV, and Questions on Austin's Ambrose criticisms, most MSG appearances, AEW's chances, WWE removing Trump, and who Les Thatcher is
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Starrcast trademark update, Interviews with Austin/Moxley/Bryan, SDL airing issues, Lars off Twitter, more on Zayn-AEW aftermath, Titus signing, new Hidden Gems, Raw audience, NXT star in accident, more Climax names, and ROH PPV main event
WWE has filed for an extension to oppose Starrcast's "Dead Man Talking" trademark. I have a feeling the trademark could end up being dropped.
Stone Cold Steve Austin is on Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s latest podcast.
Smackdown Live did not air for Fios customers in Delaware, with USA Network airing a black screen other than commercial breaks. It's possible this was due to storms in the area.
Jon Moxley was on Chris Jericho's latest podcast. Here are some highlights:
- I'm sure being out of a restrictive environment feels liberating.
- Moxley's character was often very "forced" with some of the wacky shenanigans they came up with for him. I didn't often enjoy his singles career.
- Yeah Moxley's last heel run was pretty brutal. And, of course, you can trace it all back to the person approving the writing.
- The shots at Reigns' health also felt forced, like a cheap way to get heat.
- What's sad is I expect plenty of current WWE stars feel like they're in the same boat but can't get out.
- I can get behind Moxley's mindset of doing his best job with what he's given, although obviously there was only so much he could do to salvage how his character was portrayed.
- There's real excitement for Moxley's future, and for other names if they can get out of WWE and take their own destiny. Of course, the downside is that a lot fewer people are seeing and paying for non-WWE wrestling content.
- Yeah the Nia angle went nowhere.
-- This episode of "Talk is Jericho" is the most popular in the show's history. That's not a huge surprise given the topic at hand.
Lars Sullivan's Twitter account has been deleted. That could be for the best.
Sami Zayn's AEW reference still appears on the Hulu version of Raw. It's possible this is an oversight.
Titus O'Neil will be signing his upcoming back on August 4 in Florida and August 6 in New Jersey. I think he could end up representing WWE for years to come.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems are:
- The Sheik vs. Juan Humberto from 1954
- Wild Bill Curry vs. Danny Savich from 1955
- Mad Dog Vachon vs. The Amazing Zuma from 1957
-- Sheik, Curry, and Vachon are seen as pioneers of the "hardcore" style.
Raw drew 2.19 million viewers on Memorial Day. Last year's Memorial Day episode drew 2.50 million.
NXT's Rachael Evers was in a car accident yesterday. She's thankfully well in the aftermath.
Daniel Bryan spoke to Sports Illustrated:
- Experienced wrestlers can definitely pretty much wrestle a match in their sleep.
- God I love Heel Bryan. I really don't think he was after the WWE Title when he first came to the company, though. He was pretty laid back then.
- Fun shots at Kofi and the tag division.
- Pretty funny stuff overall.
G1 Climax in Texas has added Jeff Cobb and Tomohiro Ishii.
Best in the World will be headlined by Matt Taven vs. Jeff Cobb for the ROH World Championship. That's definitely a major opportunity for Cobb.
Stone Cold Steve Austin is on Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s latest podcast.
Smackdown Live did not air for Fios customers in Delaware, with USA Network airing a black screen other than commercial breaks. It's possible this was due to storms in the area.
Jon Moxley was on Chris Jericho's latest podcast. Here are some highlights:
- I'm sure being out of a restrictive environment feels liberating.
- Moxley's character was often very "forced" with some of the wacky shenanigans they came up with for him. I didn't often enjoy his singles career.
- Yeah Moxley's last heel run was pretty brutal. And, of course, you can trace it all back to the person approving the writing.
- The shots at Reigns' health also felt forced, like a cheap way to get heat.
- What's sad is I expect plenty of current WWE stars feel like they're in the same boat but can't get out.
- I can get behind Moxley's mindset of doing his best job with what he's given, although obviously there was only so much he could do to salvage how his character was portrayed.
- There's real excitement for Moxley's future, and for other names if they can get out of WWE and take their own destiny. Of course, the downside is that a lot fewer people are seeing and paying for non-WWE wrestling content.
- Yeah the Nia angle went nowhere.
-- This episode of "Talk is Jericho" is the most popular in the show's history. That's not a huge surprise given the topic at hand.
Lars Sullivan's Twitter account has been deleted. That could be for the best.
Sami Zayn's AEW reference still appears on the Hulu version of Raw. It's possible this is an oversight.
Titus O'Neil will be signing his upcoming back on August 4 in Florida and August 6 in New Jersey. I think he could end up representing WWE for years to come.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems are:
- The Sheik vs. Juan Humberto from 1954
- Wild Bill Curry vs. Danny Savich from 1955
- Mad Dog Vachon vs. The Amazing Zuma from 1957
-- Sheik, Curry, and Vachon are seen as pioneers of the "hardcore" style.
Raw drew 2.19 million viewers on Memorial Day. Last year's Memorial Day episode drew 2.50 million.
NXT's Rachael Evers was in a car accident yesterday. She's thankfully well in the aftermath.
Daniel Bryan spoke to Sports Illustrated:
- Experienced wrestlers can definitely pretty much wrestle a match in their sleep.
- God I love Heel Bryan. I really don't think he was after the WWE Title when he first came to the company, though. He was pretty laid back then.
- Fun shots at Kofi and the tag division.
- Pretty funny stuff overall.
G1 Climax in Texas has added Jeff Cobb and Tomohiro Ishii.
Best in the World will be headlined by Matt Taven vs. Jeff Cobb for the ROH World Championship. That's definitely a major opportunity for Cobb.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Undertaker trademark opposed, MLW signs top lucha name, Ohio arena damaged, Raw wrestler speaks out, Interviews wih TJP/Foley/JR, more on Zayn mentioning AEW, ROH airing taping match live, why Raw match changed, more Impact-HOH matches, new AEW signings, AEW airing plans, Y2J misses booking, another DON backstage note, Ryan update, first CHIKARA trio, new WWE exec, another SDL event canceled, Moxley's first AEW opponent, SDL dark matches, and Questions on being injured from crazy bumps, champs entering MITB, changing WWE's independent contract status, AEW PPV prices, and why Brock won
Starrcast's "Dead Man Talking" trademark is being opposed by Audioboom, as they have a podcast of their own by that name unrelated to wrestling. I'm under the impression an Undertaker podcast isn't on its way after Taker signed his most recent deal limiting outside appearances.
MLW has signed Mexico's Flamita to begin at Saturday's Fury Road event. He will be part of the company regularly once he finishes his next tour of Dragon Gate. Flamita appeared at Impact's United We Stand event WrestleMania weekend, but hasn't been used by them since.
Ohio's Hara Arena, which hosted many wrestling events before closing in 2016, suffered roof damage during a tornado. It's unknown if the building is still on the path to be reopened.
Lance Anoa'i commented on appearing on Raw. I would not be surprised to see him in WWE again down the line.
TJP discussed his post-WWE endeavors. I'm glad he's getting meaningful work; there are quite a few WWE stars who could benefit from a new stage in their careers.
Sami Zayn mentioning AEW wasn't listed on the script, so Zayn likely improvised it. It will be interesting to see if there are any ramifications for the name-drop.
ROH will air Saturday's four-corner survival match live on HonorClub. The rest of that date's matches are being taped for TV.
Raw's main event was changed from an elimination bout in order to protect the stars who didn't win. I can't say I fault WWE for that reasoning.
Impact and HOH's June 8 event has added:
- Willie Mack vs. Rich Swann vs. Teddy Hart for the HOH Television Championship
- Sami Callihan vs. Eddie Edwards in a South Philly Street Fight
- Taya Valkyrie vs. Jordynne Grace for the Impact Knockouts Championship
Impact and HOH's June 9 event has added:
- Johnny Impact, Moose, and Taya Valkyrie vs. Tommy Dreamer, Billy Gunn, and Jordynne Grace
- Rich Swann vs. Teddy Hart
- Eddie Edwards vs. Sami Callihan vs. Willie Mack
- Michael Elgin vs. Luchasaurus
Mick Foley discussed the 24/7 Championship and more on Busted Open.
AEW has signed UK star Sadie Gibbs. They're filling up their women's division nicely.
- AEW has also signed Luchasaurus, who has made a number of appearances for ROH after his Lucha Underground tenure. Obviously he won't be able to work there after signing this deal.
AEW will stream both FyterFest and Fight for the Fallen on B/R Live.
Jim Ross discussed Double or Nothing. He likes calling things as they happen rather than being told beforehand what's going go occur.
Chris Jericho no-showed Starrcast's scheduled panel, playing it up as part of the crowd not properly appreciating him. I'm all for being a heel and whatnot, but it left Starrcast in a rough spot. Fans were allowed to attend Dustin Rhodes' panel as a make-good.
Double or Nothing featured a significant number of former WCW and Impact production employees.
Joey Ryan has reportedly turned down an AEW contract. He will address his future at May 30's Bar Wrestling event. It will be very interesting to see what he does next, given his current "farewell to the indies" tour. He had reportedly already turned down an NXT deal, so I'm not sure what he has planned.
CHIKARA's King of Trios 2019 has announced Scott Steiner, Petey Williams, and Jordynne Grace as a trio. That's amazing.
WWE has named a new vice president and general manager for the UK and Ireland. He's replacing the current senior vice president and group general manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Smackdown Live's June 3 live event has been canceled so the top names can appear on Raw. This is more or less the norm in the Wild Card era. I hope Smackdown Live talents are being appropriately compensated for the missed work day, since they have to be on the road that night.
Jon Moxley will face Darby Allin at Fyter Fest, in Moxley's AEW debut. That's definitely gotten people talking.
Before Smackdown Live, Ali defeated Buddy Murphy. Murphy has not competed on TV since being drafted from 205 Live.
After Smackdown Live, Bayley defeated Charlotte Flair to retain the Smackdown Live Women's Championship.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Basically they do the best they can in the circumstances!
2. I would think they would be prevented from doing so, since they can't cash in on themselves! I do like the idea of trying to have a friend win, though.
3. I don't really see any current WWE star suing to get their status changed, since that would obviously jeopardize their career and be very expensive and time-consuming. As for Lars' situation, there is a morality clause in the contract that covers what he did.
4. It's possible the WarnerMedia deal played into what they could charge, since it's being shown on their streaming platform. It's definitely possible they adjust the price from here on out. I don't expect them to do monthly shows for $50.
5. Brock's surprise win was intended as a quick fix for declining ratings. It's much easier for WWE to go to something that's worked in the past instead of going down the longer road of building someone or something new.
More wrestling tomorrow.
MLW has signed Mexico's Flamita to begin at Saturday's Fury Road event. He will be part of the company regularly once he finishes his next tour of Dragon Gate. Flamita appeared at Impact's United We Stand event WrestleMania weekend, but hasn't been used by them since.
Ohio's Hara Arena, which hosted many wrestling events before closing in 2016, suffered roof damage during a tornado. It's unknown if the building is still on the path to be reopened.
Lance Anoa'i commented on appearing on Raw. I would not be surprised to see him in WWE again down the line.
TJP discussed his post-WWE endeavors. I'm glad he's getting meaningful work; there are quite a few WWE stars who could benefit from a new stage in their careers.
Sami Zayn mentioning AEW wasn't listed on the script, so Zayn likely improvised it. It will be interesting to see if there are any ramifications for the name-drop.
ROH will air Saturday's four-corner survival match live on HonorClub. The rest of that date's matches are being taped for TV.
Raw's main event was changed from an elimination bout in order to protect the stars who didn't win. I can't say I fault WWE for that reasoning.
Impact and HOH's June 8 event has added:
- Willie Mack vs. Rich Swann vs. Teddy Hart for the HOH Television Championship
- Sami Callihan vs. Eddie Edwards in a South Philly Street Fight
- Taya Valkyrie vs. Jordynne Grace for the Impact Knockouts Championship
Impact and HOH's June 9 event has added:
- Johnny Impact, Moose, and Taya Valkyrie vs. Tommy Dreamer, Billy Gunn, and Jordynne Grace
- Rich Swann vs. Teddy Hart
- Eddie Edwards vs. Sami Callihan vs. Willie Mack
- Michael Elgin vs. Luchasaurus
Mick Foley discussed the 24/7 Championship and more on Busted Open.
AEW has signed UK star Sadie Gibbs. They're filling up their women's division nicely.
- AEW has also signed Luchasaurus, who has made a number of appearances for ROH after his Lucha Underground tenure. Obviously he won't be able to work there after signing this deal.
AEW will stream both FyterFest and Fight for the Fallen on B/R Live.
Jim Ross discussed Double or Nothing. He likes calling things as they happen rather than being told beforehand what's going go occur.
Chris Jericho no-showed Starrcast's scheduled panel, playing it up as part of the crowd not properly appreciating him. I'm all for being a heel and whatnot, but it left Starrcast in a rough spot. Fans were allowed to attend Dustin Rhodes' panel as a make-good.
Double or Nothing featured a significant number of former WCW and Impact production employees.
Joey Ryan has reportedly turned down an AEW contract. He will address his future at May 30's Bar Wrestling event. It will be very interesting to see what he does next, given his current "farewell to the indies" tour. He had reportedly already turned down an NXT deal, so I'm not sure what he has planned.
CHIKARA's King of Trios 2019 has announced Scott Steiner, Petey Williams, and Jordynne Grace as a trio. That's amazing.
WWE has named a new vice president and general manager for the UK and Ireland. He's replacing the current senior vice president and group general manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Smackdown Live's June 3 live event has been canceled so the top names can appear on Raw. This is more or less the norm in the Wild Card era. I hope Smackdown Live talents are being appropriately compensated for the missed work day, since they have to be on the road that night.
Jon Moxley will face Darby Allin at Fyter Fest, in Moxley's AEW debut. That's definitely gotten people talking.
Before Smackdown Live, Ali defeated Buddy Murphy. Murphy has not competed on TV since being drafted from 205 Live.
After Smackdown Live, Bayley defeated Charlotte Flair to retain the Smackdown Live Women's Championship.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Basically they do the best they can in the circumstances!
2. I would think they would be prevented from doing so, since they can't cash in on themselves! I do like the idea of trying to have a friend win, though.
3. I don't really see any current WWE star suing to get their status changed, since that would obviously jeopardize their career and be very expensive and time-consuming. As for Lars' situation, there is a morality clause in the contract that covers what he did.
4. It's possible the WarnerMedia deal played into what they could charge, since it's being shown on their streaming platform. It's definitely possible they adjust the price from here on out. I don't expect them to do monthly shows for $50.
5. Brock's surprise win was intended as a quick fix for declining ratings. It's much easier for WWE to go to something that's worked in the past instead of going down the longer road of building someone or something new.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown Live and 205 Live Reax - 5/28/19
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown Live and 205 Live.
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Moxley to NJPW and other places, WWE deals ending soon, Interviews with Heyman/Terry Funk, Summerslam sweepstakes, another Cena wish, more Climax names, AJ Styles update, post-Raw dark match, and Questions on the 24/7 title, wrestling journalism, and WWE booking
Jon Moxley will appear for NJPW on June 5, challenging Juice Robinson for the IWGP United States Championship. He's definitely making moves! I would assume this is one of a handful of outside dates he's taking before joining AEW full-time, but it will definitely benefit NJPW to have him on hand.
- Moxley is also set to face Darby Allin at NEW's June 14 event, as well as Pentagon, Jr. in the same promotion on August 16.
- Moxley's agreement with NJPW is separate from AEW. In other words, this wasn't something AEW and NJPW worked together on and there's no talent exchange between the two companies right now.
Mike Kanellis and Maria Kanellis' WWE contracts expire in June. I think there's a decent chance they're headed back to ROH soon.
Paul Heyman discussed Brock Lesnar winning Money in the Bank and more. Heyman can hype just about anything - WWE should take advantage of that.
- Heyman did another hype piece with CBS.
WWE is starting a Summerslam sweepstakes with Nestle.
John Cena granted another wish for a sick child's birthday. It's absolutely incredible what he does.
Terry Funk put AEW over. Funk has had a really rough few months. Pretty cool history lesson, though.
G1 Climax in Texas has added EVIL and SANADA. They need to announce Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho if at all possible if they're going to be a success there. Otherwise there's a real ceiling to how well that show can deal.
AJ Styles is legitimately taking time off to rest, but there's no word on a specific injury.
After Raw, Becky Lynch retained the Raw Women's Championship over Lacey Evans.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm under the impression it was a USA Network idea but Vince is definitely a fan. I'm onboard in theory but it's already pretty much an afterthought after this week's Raw. We'll see if it goes the way of Mojo's latest push by the end of June.
2. I don't think it's a stretch to say wrestling journalism is largely looked down on, like wrestling in general.
3. WWE definitely seems to be at the gimmicky quick-fix stage rather than taking on more difficult, deep changes.
4 is a repeat.
5. Vince cares. He's just either banking on a gimmick turning things around (Brock winning MITB, Wild Card Rule, 24/7 title, the Electric Chair) or doesn't see the underlying issues others see.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Moxley is also set to face Darby Allin at NEW's June 14 event, as well as Pentagon, Jr. in the same promotion on August 16.
- Moxley's agreement with NJPW is separate from AEW. In other words, this wasn't something AEW and NJPW worked together on and there's no talent exchange between the two companies right now.
Mike Kanellis and Maria Kanellis' WWE contracts expire in June. I think there's a decent chance they're headed back to ROH soon.
Paul Heyman discussed Brock Lesnar winning Money in the Bank and more. Heyman can hype just about anything - WWE should take advantage of that.
- Heyman did another hype piece with CBS.
WWE is starting a Summerslam sweepstakes with Nestle.
John Cena granted another wish for a sick child's birthday. It's absolutely incredible what he does.
Terry Funk put AEW over. Funk has had a really rough few months. Pretty cool history lesson, though.
G1 Climax in Texas has added EVIL and SANADA. They need to announce Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho if at all possible if they're going to be a success there. Otherwise there's a real ceiling to how well that show can deal.
AJ Styles is legitimately taking time off to rest, but there's no word on a specific injury.
After Raw, Becky Lynch retained the Raw Women's Championship over Lacey Evans.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm under the impression it was a USA Network idea but Vince is definitely a fan. I'm onboard in theory but it's already pretty much an afterthought after this week's Raw. We'll see if it goes the way of Mojo's latest push by the end of June.
2. I don't think it's a stretch to say wrestling journalism is largely looked down on, like wrestling in general.
3. WWE definitely seems to be at the gimmicky quick-fix stage rather than taking on more difficult, deep changes.
4 is a repeat.
5. Vince cares. He's just either banking on a gimmick turning things around (Brock winning MITB, Wild Card Rule, 24/7 title, the Electric Chair) or doesn't see the underlying issues others see.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, May 27, 2019
Moxley's big AEW deal, DON notes including guests and post-show interviews, WWE Network special, Interview with Heyman, another Impact/HOH match, Cody comments picked up by popular politician, Spears-AEW update, Starrcast III official, Road Dogg's new role, Moxley speaking to Y2J, and Questions on AEW execs' schedules, Lucha Bros' future, Montreal's legitimacy, Dolph earning a title shot, the CTE attorney vs. WWE, and WWE focusing on the brand at the expense of stars
Jon Moxley has signed with AEW for a multi-year, full-time contract. He will wrestle at Fyter Fest in a currently unspecified match. Kenny Omega was scheduled to team with the Young Bucks against PAC and the Lucha Bros, so it's possible Moxley takes PAC's place. I don't expect him to face Chris Jericho at that show.
- Moxley will be taking a few outside dates before AEW's TV deal starts. More on this tomorrow.
After Double or Nothing went off the air, Cody, the Young Bucks, Hangman Page, and Matt Jackson's wife assisted Omega to his feet. Cody and Omega then spoke to the crowd.
AEW was very happy with how Double or Nothing went off, with Tony Khan particularly ecstatic about the product's future.
Bret Hart fell down backstage at Double or Nothing as he missed a step. He's had a rough past few appearances!
Double or Nothing had Mike Tyson, Shad Khan, Noelle Foley, JWOWW of Jersey Shore, Kelly Klein, Traci Brooks, Scarlett Bordeaux, Killer Kross, and Bill Apter in attendance. Klein is married to BJ Whitmer, who has a role backstage in AEW. Traci Brooks is married to Frankie Kazarian. Kross and Bordeaux being there will definitely get people talking. Both remain under contract to Impact.
Fight for the Fallen will feature the Young Bucks vs. Cody and Dustin Rhodes. So, Dustin will have at least one more AEW match.
Mark Henry did interviews at Double or Nothing on behalf of Busted Open. I wouldn't assume that means he's interested in joining the promotion.
Triple H will have a Road to WrestleMania special airing after Takeover:XXV.
Paul Heyman discussed his relationship with Brock Lesnar. Brock has definitely been made a one-of-a-kind asset.
Impact and HOH's June 8 event has added Billy Gunn vs. Joey Ryan. So, Gunn is also able to work outside of AEW, at least as far as HOH is concerned. Ryan remains a free agent.
After Double or Nothing, Tony Khan, Cody, the Young Bucks, Chris Jericho, Dustin Rhodes, Britt Baker, Nyla Rose, and Shawn Spears spoke to the media. A variety of outlets got to get press there. That's a nice contrast from how WWE does things.
Cody speaking about AEW's diversity was picked up by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. That's unfortunately going to stir up controversy.
Shawn Spears has not signed an AEW contract, but was complimentary of his Double or Nothing experience.
Starrcast III will precede All Out. So, that convention is skipping Fyter Fest and Fight for the Fallen.
Road Dogg has moved into a role in NXT. His official title hasn't been confirmed, but he's been working out of the WWE Performance Center.
Tony Khan was in charge of timing Double or Nothing. Khan also made suggestions to the show's director. He was very supportive of the wrestlers after their matches, as well, earning points with the locker room.
Awesome Kong working Double or Nothing was decided back in January. That was Kong's first match since September 2017.
Impact producer Kevin Sullivan put together Double or Nothing's video packages. I'm curious if he'll try to balance Impact and AEW when AEW goes full-time.
AEW's newest team, normally known as Super Smash Bros, will be undergoing a name change due to Nintendo's copyright of that name. I'm interested what name they'll end up with.
Jon Moxley will appear on Chris Jericho's next podcast, so they're following that angle up pretty quickly. It's unknown when they'll face off in the ring, as Jericho of course has an AEW Championship match upcoming with Hangman Page.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1.a. HHH has a lot more responsibilities, as head of talent development and talent relations. And, as alluded to, he's 49. I expect those names will seek to be as active as possible on-screen and behind-the-scenes. That said, of course they'll also elevate other stars as appropriate. It will be interesting to see how they strike the balance of talent and management and if they get flak for how they book themselves compared to other wrestlers.
1.b. The Lucha Bros aren't locked down to any U.S. home. Since AAA has working relationships with both Impact and AEW, it's possible the pair will be able to continue to work AEW, Impact, and MLW concurrently. HOWEVER, it's definitely possible down the line one U.S. promotion gets them exclusively. I'd expect AEW to be that promotion.
2. If it's a work, it's one that's been protected for a long, long time!
3. Kofi has incentive to wrestle someone who attacked him. It's more of a grudge match than a case of a credible contender working his way up the ranks. Although, of course, let's not minimize Dolph's career accomplishments.
4. When someone's in the position he's in, they can either concede their arguments were bunk or double down. It's entirely possible he holds on to his beliefs as long as he lives rather than admit he made a colossal and embarrassing mistake with his lawsuits.
5. WWE definitely has the mentality that WWE itself is the draw rather than any particular star. It can definitely be argued that's why the show isn't as popular as it could be, because WWE doesn't really get behind but a select group of people who are stars beyond the wrestling bubble (Brock, Ronda, Cena, the Attitude Era names).
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Moxley will be taking a few outside dates before AEW's TV deal starts. More on this tomorrow.
After Double or Nothing went off the air, Cody, the Young Bucks, Hangman Page, and Matt Jackson's wife assisted Omega to his feet. Cody and Omega then spoke to the crowd.
AEW was very happy with how Double or Nothing went off, with Tony Khan particularly ecstatic about the product's future.
Bret Hart fell down backstage at Double or Nothing as he missed a step. He's had a rough past few appearances!
Double or Nothing had Mike Tyson, Shad Khan, Noelle Foley, JWOWW of Jersey Shore, Kelly Klein, Traci Brooks, Scarlett Bordeaux, Killer Kross, and Bill Apter in attendance. Klein is married to BJ Whitmer, who has a role backstage in AEW. Traci Brooks is married to Frankie Kazarian. Kross and Bordeaux being there will definitely get people talking. Both remain under contract to Impact.
Fight for the Fallen will feature the Young Bucks vs. Cody and Dustin Rhodes. So, Dustin will have at least one more AEW match.
Mark Henry did interviews at Double or Nothing on behalf of Busted Open. I wouldn't assume that means he's interested in joining the promotion.
Triple H will have a Road to WrestleMania special airing after Takeover:XXV.
Paul Heyman discussed his relationship with Brock Lesnar. Brock has definitely been made a one-of-a-kind asset.
Impact and HOH's June 8 event has added Billy Gunn vs. Joey Ryan. So, Gunn is also able to work outside of AEW, at least as far as HOH is concerned. Ryan remains a free agent.
After Double or Nothing, Tony Khan, Cody, the Young Bucks, Chris Jericho, Dustin Rhodes, Britt Baker, Nyla Rose, and Shawn Spears spoke to the media. A variety of outlets got to get press there. That's a nice contrast from how WWE does things.
Cody speaking about AEW's diversity was picked up by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. That's unfortunately going to stir up controversy.
Shawn Spears has not signed an AEW contract, but was complimentary of his Double or Nothing experience.
Starrcast III will precede All Out. So, that convention is skipping Fyter Fest and Fight for the Fallen.
Road Dogg has moved into a role in NXT. His official title hasn't been confirmed, but he's been working out of the WWE Performance Center.
Tony Khan was in charge of timing Double or Nothing. Khan also made suggestions to the show's director. He was very supportive of the wrestlers after their matches, as well, earning points with the locker room.
Awesome Kong working Double or Nothing was decided back in January. That was Kong's first match since September 2017.
Impact producer Kevin Sullivan put together Double or Nothing's video packages. I'm curious if he'll try to balance Impact and AEW when AEW goes full-time.
AEW's newest team, normally known as Super Smash Bros, will be undergoing a name change due to Nintendo's copyright of that name. I'm interested what name they'll end up with.
Jon Moxley will appear on Chris Jericho's next podcast, so they're following that angle up pretty quickly. It's unknown when they'll face off in the ring, as Jericho of course has an AEW Championship match upcoming with Hangman Page.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1.a. HHH has a lot more responsibilities, as head of talent development and talent relations. And, as alluded to, he's 49. I expect those names will seek to be as active as possible on-screen and behind-the-scenes. That said, of course they'll also elevate other stars as appropriate. It will be interesting to see how they strike the balance of talent and management and if they get flak for how they book themselves compared to other wrestlers.
1.b. The Lucha Bros aren't locked down to any U.S. home. Since AAA has working relationships with both Impact and AEW, it's possible the pair will be able to continue to work AEW, Impact, and MLW concurrently. HOWEVER, it's definitely possible down the line one U.S. promotion gets them exclusively. I'd expect AEW to be that promotion.
2. If it's a work, it's one that's been protected for a long, long time!
3. Kofi has incentive to wrestle someone who attacked him. It's more of a grudge match than a case of a credible contender working his way up the ranks. Although, of course, let's not minimize Dolph's career accomplishments.
4. When someone's in the position he's in, they can either concede their arguments were bunk or double down. It's entirely possible he holds on to his beliefs as long as he lives rather than admit he made a colossal and embarrassing mistake with his lawsuits.
5. WWE definitely has the mentality that WWE itself is the draw rather than any particular star. It can definitely be argued that's why the show isn't as popular as it could be, because WWE doesn't really get behind but a select group of people who are stars beyond the wrestling bubble (Brock, Ronda, Cena, the Attitude Era names).
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Main Event Reax - 5/25/19, WWE increases credit, top WWE name taking time off, Impact/HOH main event, new Ride Along, Takeover preview special, and final pre-DON interviews
-- Main Event:
- Natalya vs. Tamina:
Basic, but effective.
So much for building Tamina as a powerhouse.
- Cedric vs. EC3:
Future 24/7 Champions right here.
Fine so far.
Cedric's in a different environment than 205 Live.
Solid enough.
WWE is now able to borrow a total of $200 million at a given time. That could definitely come in handy!
AJ Styles is not listed for TV or live events until June 27 in Singapore. He is still advertised for Super Showdown and Stomping Grounds. So, it looks like he's set to take some time off. I'm glad he's going to be able to refresh himself a bit.
Impact and HOH's June 8 event will be headlined by The Great Muta and Tommy Dreamer vs. Johnny Impact and Michael Elgin with Jerry Lynn as the special referee. So, Lynn and Dreamer can appear for Impact and HOH as well as AEW.
"WWE Ride Along" after Raw will feature the pairings of Rusev and Lana and Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.
A WWE Network special called "Target: NXT Takeover" will air before NXT this week, focusing on the training of Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole, Io Shirai, and Shayna Baszler before Takeover:XXV.
Joey Janela and MJF spoke before Double or Nothing. MJF definitely puts a lot into his character, which I appreciate.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Natalya vs. Tamina:
Basic, but effective.
So much for building Tamina as a powerhouse.
- Cedric vs. EC3:
Future 24/7 Champions right here.
Fine so far.
Cedric's in a different environment than 205 Live.
Solid enough.
WWE is now able to borrow a total of $200 million at a given time. That could definitely come in handy!
AJ Styles is not listed for TV or live events until June 27 in Singapore. He is still advertised for Super Showdown and Stomping Grounds. So, it looks like he's set to take some time off. I'm glad he's going to be able to refresh himself a bit.
Impact and HOH's June 8 event will be headlined by The Great Muta and Tommy Dreamer vs. Johnny Impact and Michael Elgin with Jerry Lynn as the special referee. So, Lynn and Dreamer can appear for Impact and HOH as well as AEW.
"WWE Ride Along" after Raw will feature the pairings of Rusev and Lana and Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.
A WWE Network special called "Target: NXT Takeover" will air before NXT this week, focusing on the training of Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole, Io Shirai, and Shayna Baszler before Takeover:XXV.
Joey Janela and MJF spoke before Double or Nothing. MJF definitely puts a lot into his character, which I appreciate.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saturday, May 25, 2019
Assorted wrestling press, Sasha does WWE work, AEW signs recent WWE employee, Teddy Hart looking to make new Dungeon, MLW planning another Salina episode, Raw star set for SDL live events, WWE gets scholarships for Full Sail students, Interviews with Roman/Cody/Ace Romero, new HonorClub matches, XFL looking to acquire AAF assets, WWE's newest title gets replicas, remembering Owen, ESPN covers AEW competing with WWE, Ross looking to use Lawler, Arn podcast coming, Starrcast panel producers, and Questions on which night AEW should air, the 24/7 title being an alternative to the IC/U.S. titles, and Y2J as AEW Champion
Stone Cold's interview with Becky Lynch will be taped this weekend.
John Cena will be at BookCon in New York next week.
Mandy Rose is on the cover of this month's "Muscle & Fitness Hers" magazine. That's great!
Sasha Banks appeared to do material for "WWE 2K20" this week. So she's at least willing to do that for the company.
AEW has signed Dean Malenko to a multi-year deal as a senior producer and coach. This wasn't an entirely unexpected move after Dean left WWE.
Teddy Hart is looking to open a training school. I hope that's a positive experience.
MLW is looking to do another episode produced by Salina de la Renta.
Drew McIntyre has been added to Smackdown Live live events on June 1, June 2, June 3, June 9, and June 10, so it looks like the Wild Card Rule is extending past broadcasts. It's going to get confusing buying tickets based on which talents will be there.
John Cena granted a Make-A-Wish in Virginia.
WWE presented four Full Sail students with scholarships. Alexa Bliss and Ricochet were part of the ceremony.
Roman Reigns spoke to BBC Radio about recovering from leukemia.
ROH's June 2 HonorClub event has added:
- Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe
- Mark Briscoe vs. Josh Woods
- Jeff Cobb vs. PJ Black
- A tag team gauntlet for a future tag team championship match. Teams entered are The Bouncers, Vinny Marseglia and TK O'Ryan, Coast 2 Coast, Silas Young and Shane Taylor, and the "wild card" team of RUSH and Dalton Castle. That could be pretty interesting.
The XFL is looking to buy some of AAF's assets, including equipment.
WWE is selling replicas of the 24/7 Championship. I'm curious how that will sell given the backlash to the design.
Chris Jericho and Dave Meltzer remembered Owen Hart on the most recent Talk is Jericho podcast.
Cody spoke to ITV Wrestling and Sports Illustrated before Double or Nothing.
ESPN discussed AEW possibly competing with WWE. There are definitely a lot of people in the media who unabashedly want someone to challenge WWE and are fans of this product.
Ace Romero was profiled before Double or Nothing.
AEW did weigh-ins and a press conference at Starrcast II.
Jim Ross discussed recruiting Jerry Lawler to AEW when Lawler is contractually available. I really hope it's not for commentary. This product needs to look new and fresh with a few key exceptions. I don't think Lawler fits that mold. Ross is contributing behind-the-scenes, which somewhat mitigates him being on commentary, but AEW needs a hard limit on names who were prominent 20 or more years ago.
Arn Anderson and Conrad Thompson are setting up a podcast for later in 2019. Conrad is a very busy man!
Starrcast's panels are being executive produced by Tony Schiavone and his son, Matt.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Going up against WWE right out of the gate is an unnecessary risk. And yes, even in the DVR era, it matters what time the show airs on TV since that's one of their main potential sources of revenue in the years to come.
2. Because the 24/7 Championship is a lot quicker and easier to implement than making those names matter as midcard title contenders. And there's also the feeling it adds something less predictable and formulaic to the show.
3. Chris Jericho was world champion 18 years ago. As great as he still is, I don't think that's the best move to show fans AEW is a new, fresh product centered on younger stars. Jericho can be a contender, but I think he's best used to create other stars.
Nothing to add to 4 or 5.
More wrestling tomorrow.
John Cena will be at BookCon in New York next week.
Mandy Rose is on the cover of this month's "Muscle & Fitness Hers" magazine. That's great!
Sasha Banks appeared to do material for "WWE 2K20" this week. So she's at least willing to do that for the company.
AEW has signed Dean Malenko to a multi-year deal as a senior producer and coach. This wasn't an entirely unexpected move after Dean left WWE.
Teddy Hart is looking to open a training school. I hope that's a positive experience.
MLW is looking to do another episode produced by Salina de la Renta.
Drew McIntyre has been added to Smackdown Live live events on June 1, June 2, June 3, June 9, and June 10, so it looks like the Wild Card Rule is extending past broadcasts. It's going to get confusing buying tickets based on which talents will be there.
John Cena granted a Make-A-Wish in Virginia.
WWE presented four Full Sail students with scholarships. Alexa Bliss and Ricochet were part of the ceremony.
Roman Reigns spoke to BBC Radio about recovering from leukemia.
ROH's June 2 HonorClub event has added:
- Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe
- Mark Briscoe vs. Josh Woods
- Jeff Cobb vs. PJ Black
- A tag team gauntlet for a future tag team championship match. Teams entered are The Bouncers, Vinny Marseglia and TK O'Ryan, Coast 2 Coast, Silas Young and Shane Taylor, and the "wild card" team of RUSH and Dalton Castle. That could be pretty interesting.
The XFL is looking to buy some of AAF's assets, including equipment.
WWE is selling replicas of the 24/7 Championship. I'm curious how that will sell given the backlash to the design.
Chris Jericho and Dave Meltzer remembered Owen Hart on the most recent Talk is Jericho podcast.
Cody spoke to ITV Wrestling and Sports Illustrated before Double or Nothing.
ESPN discussed AEW possibly competing with WWE. There are definitely a lot of people in the media who unabashedly want someone to challenge WWE and are fans of this product.
Ace Romero was profiled before Double or Nothing.
AEW did weigh-ins and a press conference at Starrcast II.
Jim Ross discussed recruiting Jerry Lawler to AEW when Lawler is contractually available. I really hope it's not for commentary. This product needs to look new and fresh with a few key exceptions. I don't think Lawler fits that mold. Ross is contributing behind-the-scenes, which somewhat mitigates him being on commentary, but AEW needs a hard limit on names who were prominent 20 or more years ago.
Arn Anderson and Conrad Thompson are setting up a podcast for later in 2019. Conrad is a very busy man!
Starrcast's panels are being executive produced by Tony Schiavone and his son, Matt.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Going up against WWE right out of the gate is an unnecessary risk. And yes, even in the DVR era, it matters what time the show airs on TV since that's one of their main potential sources of revenue in the years to come.
2. Because the 24/7 Championship is a lot quicker and easier to implement than making those names matter as midcard title contenders. And there's also the feeling it adds something less predictable and formulaic to the show.
3. Chris Jericho was world champion 18 years ago. As great as he still is, I don't think that's the best move to show fans AEW is a new, fresh product centered on younger stars. Jericho can be a contender, but I think he's best used to create other stars.
Nothing to add to 4 or 5.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, May 24, 2019
AEW PAC plans, Ryan-AEW update, more on AEW UK TV, WWE in for big Indian deal, more on WWE UK TV future, previous MITB plan, why Ziggler returned, MITB attendance note, why Aleister is missing SSD, new CMLL TV deal, CMLL injury, AAA exec honored, Dragon Gate runs Hong Kong, why NJPW is running Texas, NJPW-Omega update, NJPW adds talent to Australia show, Mexico responds to King's passing, new ROH PPV match, more on Grace staing in Impact, AEW working on drug testing, USA Network putting pressure on WWE, top NXT name hurt, next NXT Championship challenger, new Hidden Gem, WWE Japan lineups, another UE member heading to EVOLVE, NXT names set for more EVOLVE shows, Stone Cold interview show coming to USA, Impact champion cleared, another SDL show postponed, Impact TV preview, Owen remembered, WWE returning to China, big China tryout coming, Matt Hardy anniversary, bonus DSOTR clip, Interviews with Dustin Rhodes/Bucks/Brandi/Cody, Impact title on the line at indie show, Western names working Australia, Lucha Bros pull out of show, DON adds tickets, Lio set for signing, TNT plugs DON, and Questions on a former WWWF Champion, the 24/7 Championship, real animosity in feuds, why Bret vs. Magee has commentary, and Impact not having action figures
AEW's plans for PAC were for him to defeat Hangman Page, before moving on to team with the Lucha Bros in a match with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks at Fyterfest. This would then lead to Kenny Omega vs. PAC one-on-one later in the year, with Omega winning. PAC refused to lose while Dragon Gate champion, which Dragon Gate intends to keep him as. AEW didn't want to do a draw or other non-decisive ending on a top PPV, so they dropped the match entirely. That's gutsy, but I see the idea AEW doesn't want to let the situation dictate their booking plans.
- AEW is expected to use PAC once he's no longer Dragon Gate champion, as he's well-liked in the company.
Joey Ryan isn't expected to work Double or Nothing, as he's booked for an Ohio indie show that night.
AEW's UK home will likely be ITV 4 rather than the main ITV. The hope is for the show to air live as it airs on TNT. This would notably have them airing in more homes than WWE does there. AEW PPVs will get promotion on the main ITV channel, which is the second-largest network in the country behind BBC. That can definitely mean good things for the promotion.
WWE is expected to get a major Indian TV deal soon, to where India will be their second-largest market as far as revenue goes. Wowwwww. Another sign of how the company continues to achieve despite declining U.S. interest.
WWE moving from Sky Sports to BT Sports will put them in significantly fewer homes in the UK. Sky is making the move due to sharp declines in ratings on top of WWE Network diluting Sky's deal to air PPVs and Main Event, which were available on the Network at the same time as or, in the case of Main Event, earlier than Sky did.
Drew McIntyre was considered to win Money in the Bank before WWE decided to have Brock Lesnar win. Obviously a lot of fans would have preferred that outcome. Brock's win was a move to try to increase lagging Raw ratings.
Dolph Ziggler facing Kofi Kingston was a change from Kevin Owens getting a rematch after Owens pulled out of working Saudi Arabia. WWE was going to use Ziggler for promotional appearances in Australia, but moved him to the Kofi match when there weren't other suitable candidates for the role with the rest of the card mostly decided. Carmella will replace Ziggler doing promotional work.
Money in the Bank was a legitimate sellout of 10,500 fans.
Aleister Black missing Super ShowDown was a WWE decision, as they felt some of his tattoos have religious significance that could upset the Saudi hosts.
CMLL has gotten a TV deal with TV Mexiquense, airing their weekly Arena Mexico shows on a one-week delay. Hopefully that expands attendance.
Volador, Jr. has missed recent events due to an unspecified injury.
AAA owner Marisela Pena was on Forbes' list of the 100 most powerful women in Mexican business.
Dragon Gate ran two shows in Hong Kong recently, partnering with Ho Ho Lun's promotion. Attendance was around 300 for both events.
NJPW running Texas was partially due to AXS' Mark Cuban running the same arena. The company is hoping for improved business for the venue once the card is announced.
- NJPW advertised the Texas event during Monday's Raw broadcast in that market. So, thankfully, they are reaching out beyond the current NJPW fan base.
NJPW wants to work with Kenny Omega again. We'll see if that takes place; his AEW contract allows him to work there.
NJPW's Australian shows have added Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Mexico has seen at least one commission mandate ambulances and paramedics on events as well as referees learning CPR. That's a great move.
Best in the World has added Shane Taylor vs. Bandido for the Television Championship. That should be pretty fun.
Jordynne Grace signed to Impact after an ultimatum where they would no longer use her as a free agent. She wanted to continue to get U.S. exposure on top of being able to work other promotions she competes in.
AEW is working on implementing a drug testing program. That definitely builds their credibility.
USA Network is pitching ideas to WWE on how to improve Raw's ratings, especially for the third hour. So, the channel is definitely concerned about viewership trends. It's believed the 24/7 Championship was one of the ideas.
Johnny Gargano is working through a knee injury. He will still compete at Takeover:XXV. Lately he's been helping produce NXT's Florida live events.
Takeover:Toronto is currently set to be headlined by Matt Riddle challenging for the NXT Championship. That should really be good.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gem is a Georgia Championship Wrestling event from December 4, 1983, released for the first time publicly.
WWE's Japan live events on June 28 and June 29 are advertising:
-- June 28:
- Shinsuke Nakamura challenging Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship
- Alexa Bliss challenging Becky Lynch for the Raw Women's Championship
- Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows teaming with AJ Styles against Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, and Baron Corbin
- The Kabuki Warriors challenging the IIconics for the Women's Tag Team Championship
-- June 29:
- Asuka and Alexa Bliss challenging Becky Lynch for the Raw Women's Championship
- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Robert Roode
- Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows and The Revival challenging Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins for the Raw Tag Team Championship
-- The events are definitely playing off their location, using talents with history in the country.
Roderick Strong is set for EVOLVE 129 and EVOLVE 130. He will also be part of WWN's seminar/tryout before EVOLVE 130.
NXT's Adrian Jaoude and Babatunde are scheduled for all upcoming EVOLVE events. Glad to see them getting extra work like that.
Stone Cold will host an interview show on USA Network beginning August 12. The series will air after Raw for seven straight weeks. Becky Lynch will be one of the interviewees.
Impact's Santana has been cleared to return to the ring after his MCL injury. That's a relief for their tag team division.
Smackdown Live's Monday live event has been postponed to October 26 so SDL talents can appear on Raw that night. That hurts talents going on the road who aren't appearing on Raw. I wonder if some of them will go after the 24/7 Championship.
Impact released the opening to tonight's episode.
Owen Hart was remembered by many in the business on the 20th anniversary of his passing, including Jim Ross and Sean Waltman doing podcasts about him.
China will host a Smackdown Live live event on September 21. NXT's Xia Li and Boa will also work the show.
- China will also have a four-day tryout from July 15 through July 18 featuring up to 50 trainees.
Matt Hardy marked 25 years (!!!) since his WWE TV debut.
"Dark Side of the Ring" posted more from the Randy Savage episode featuring Bruce Prichard.
Dustin Rhodes promoted Double or Nothing:
- Interesting discussion about Goldust not needing a world title. It makes sense. It does seem like fans expect everyone to do that if their career goes long enough.
- I look forward to seeing what he can still pull off.
- The Attitude Era isn't going away as long as Saudi Arabia keeps putting on shows!
- Doing less talking would definitely separate AEW from WWE's approach.
- The Goldust character absolutely did a lot for his career.
The Young Bucks promoted Double or Nothing:
- It is great that talents are getting big opportunities and a big spotlight they weren't getting elsewhere.
- As much as they've done in the business, they needed some time off!
- I love the Bucks putting over the other talent on the show.
Brandi Rhodes promoted Double or Nothing:
- She definitely has a lot to prove in her position.
- Cool to see Mark Henry put her over.
Impact's X-Division Championship in on the line at Pro Wrestling Revolver's May 28 live event in Indiana, with Rich Swann facing The Rascalz' Trey Miguel.
Scarlett Bordeaux is booked for an Australian event on July 26. Joey Janela vs. Joey Ryan is booked for an Australian event on June 23. It's always interesting to see who pops up there.
The Lucha Bros have pulled out of a May 31 Texas show due to a family commitment.
Cody promoted Double or Nothing. They're really hitting the ground running with doing live TV on the road every week.
Double or Nothing has released some extra tickets after finalizing production space.
Lio Rush will do a signing at MCW's June 1 event to benefit an MCW star battling leukemia. This could definitely tie into him being "demoted" to NXT in the near future.
Double or Nothing was promoted during the NBA playoffs on TNT Saturday night, as the PPV will be available on WarnerMedia's B/R Live service. AEW's profile is going to grow pretty quickly.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think that's the first time I've ever heard his name.
2. It's another attempt to shuffle things around and break the formula for how the shows have been. With the audience levels lagging, it was time to do something outside of the norm and that's what they came up with. It could be pretty fun going forward, and there's nothing to say they can't add hardcore elements.
3. No. If anything, it makes things more difficult to get them to work together! It can add intrigue and all that for people who know what's going on behind-the-scenes, but I wouldn't say it automatically makes a feud good.
4. I was under the impression it was called as if it was going to air, and then WWF decided not to air it since Bret lost and Magee wasn't under contract.
5. No one's paying them for a license to make figures! Same reason they don't have a video game, etc. Given how few people are watching Impact now, it's a hard sell to convince someone it's a product worth creating such content for.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- AEW is expected to use PAC once he's no longer Dragon Gate champion, as he's well-liked in the company.
Joey Ryan isn't expected to work Double or Nothing, as he's booked for an Ohio indie show that night.
AEW's UK home will likely be ITV 4 rather than the main ITV. The hope is for the show to air live as it airs on TNT. This would notably have them airing in more homes than WWE does there. AEW PPVs will get promotion on the main ITV channel, which is the second-largest network in the country behind BBC. That can definitely mean good things for the promotion.
WWE is expected to get a major Indian TV deal soon, to where India will be their second-largest market as far as revenue goes. Wowwwww. Another sign of how the company continues to achieve despite declining U.S. interest.
WWE moving from Sky Sports to BT Sports will put them in significantly fewer homes in the UK. Sky is making the move due to sharp declines in ratings on top of WWE Network diluting Sky's deal to air PPVs and Main Event, which were available on the Network at the same time as or, in the case of Main Event, earlier than Sky did.
Drew McIntyre was considered to win Money in the Bank before WWE decided to have Brock Lesnar win. Obviously a lot of fans would have preferred that outcome. Brock's win was a move to try to increase lagging Raw ratings.
Dolph Ziggler facing Kofi Kingston was a change from Kevin Owens getting a rematch after Owens pulled out of working Saudi Arabia. WWE was going to use Ziggler for promotional appearances in Australia, but moved him to the Kofi match when there weren't other suitable candidates for the role with the rest of the card mostly decided. Carmella will replace Ziggler doing promotional work.
Money in the Bank was a legitimate sellout of 10,500 fans.
Aleister Black missing Super ShowDown was a WWE decision, as they felt some of his tattoos have religious significance that could upset the Saudi hosts.
CMLL has gotten a TV deal with TV Mexiquense, airing their weekly Arena Mexico shows on a one-week delay. Hopefully that expands attendance.
Volador, Jr. has missed recent events due to an unspecified injury.
AAA owner Marisela Pena was on Forbes' list of the 100 most powerful women in Mexican business.
Dragon Gate ran two shows in Hong Kong recently, partnering with Ho Ho Lun's promotion. Attendance was around 300 for both events.
NJPW running Texas was partially due to AXS' Mark Cuban running the same arena. The company is hoping for improved business for the venue once the card is announced.
- NJPW advertised the Texas event during Monday's Raw broadcast in that market. So, thankfully, they are reaching out beyond the current NJPW fan base.
NJPW wants to work with Kenny Omega again. We'll see if that takes place; his AEW contract allows him to work there.
NJPW's Australian shows have added Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Mexico has seen at least one commission mandate ambulances and paramedics on events as well as referees learning CPR. That's a great move.
Best in the World has added Shane Taylor vs. Bandido for the Television Championship. That should be pretty fun.
Jordynne Grace signed to Impact after an ultimatum where they would no longer use her as a free agent. She wanted to continue to get U.S. exposure on top of being able to work other promotions she competes in.
AEW is working on implementing a drug testing program. That definitely builds their credibility.
USA Network is pitching ideas to WWE on how to improve Raw's ratings, especially for the third hour. So, the channel is definitely concerned about viewership trends. It's believed the 24/7 Championship was one of the ideas.
Johnny Gargano is working through a knee injury. He will still compete at Takeover:XXV. Lately he's been helping produce NXT's Florida live events.
Takeover:Toronto is currently set to be headlined by Matt Riddle challenging for the NXT Championship. That should really be good.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gem is a Georgia Championship Wrestling event from December 4, 1983, released for the first time publicly.
WWE's Japan live events on June 28 and June 29 are advertising:
-- June 28:
- Shinsuke Nakamura challenging Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship
- Alexa Bliss challenging Becky Lynch for the Raw Women's Championship
- Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows teaming with AJ Styles against Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, and Baron Corbin
- The Kabuki Warriors challenging the IIconics for the Women's Tag Team Championship
-- June 29:
- Asuka and Alexa Bliss challenging Becky Lynch for the Raw Women's Championship
- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Robert Roode
- Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows and The Revival challenging Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins for the Raw Tag Team Championship
-- The events are definitely playing off their location, using talents with history in the country.
Roderick Strong is set for EVOLVE 129 and EVOLVE 130. He will also be part of WWN's seminar/tryout before EVOLVE 130.
NXT's Adrian Jaoude and Babatunde are scheduled for all upcoming EVOLVE events. Glad to see them getting extra work like that.
Stone Cold will host an interview show on USA Network beginning August 12. The series will air after Raw for seven straight weeks. Becky Lynch will be one of the interviewees.
Impact's Santana has been cleared to return to the ring after his MCL injury. That's a relief for their tag team division.
Smackdown Live's Monday live event has been postponed to October 26 so SDL talents can appear on Raw that night. That hurts talents going on the road who aren't appearing on Raw. I wonder if some of them will go after the 24/7 Championship.
Impact released the opening to tonight's episode.
Owen Hart was remembered by many in the business on the 20th anniversary of his passing, including Jim Ross and Sean Waltman doing podcasts about him.
China will host a Smackdown Live live event on September 21. NXT's Xia Li and Boa will also work the show.
- China will also have a four-day tryout from July 15 through July 18 featuring up to 50 trainees.
Matt Hardy marked 25 years (!!!) since his WWE TV debut.
"Dark Side of the Ring" posted more from the Randy Savage episode featuring Bruce Prichard.
Dustin Rhodes promoted Double or Nothing:
- Interesting discussion about Goldust not needing a world title. It makes sense. It does seem like fans expect everyone to do that if their career goes long enough.
- I look forward to seeing what he can still pull off.
- The Attitude Era isn't going away as long as Saudi Arabia keeps putting on shows!
- Doing less talking would definitely separate AEW from WWE's approach.
- The Goldust character absolutely did a lot for his career.
The Young Bucks promoted Double or Nothing:
- It is great that talents are getting big opportunities and a big spotlight they weren't getting elsewhere.
- As much as they've done in the business, they needed some time off!
- I love the Bucks putting over the other talent on the show.
Brandi Rhodes promoted Double or Nothing:
- She definitely has a lot to prove in her position.
- Cool to see Mark Henry put her over.
Impact's X-Division Championship in on the line at Pro Wrestling Revolver's May 28 live event in Indiana, with Rich Swann facing The Rascalz' Trey Miguel.
Scarlett Bordeaux is booked for an Australian event on July 26. Joey Janela vs. Joey Ryan is booked for an Australian event on June 23. It's always interesting to see who pops up there.
The Lucha Bros have pulled out of a May 31 Texas show due to a family commitment.
Cody promoted Double or Nothing. They're really hitting the ground running with doing live TV on the road every week.
Double or Nothing has released some extra tickets after finalizing production space.
Lio Rush will do a signing at MCW's June 1 event to benefit an MCW star battling leukemia. This could definitely tie into him being "demoted" to NXT in the near future.
Double or Nothing was promoted during the NBA playoffs on TNT Saturday night, as the PPV will be available on WarnerMedia's B/R Live service. AEW's profile is going to grow pretty quickly.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think that's the first time I've ever heard his name.
2. It's another attempt to shuffle things around and break the formula for how the shows have been. With the audience levels lagging, it was time to do something outside of the norm and that's what they came up with. It could be pretty fun going forward, and there's nothing to say they can't add hardcore elements.
3. No. If anything, it makes things more difficult to get them to work together! It can add intrigue and all that for people who know what's going on behind-the-scenes, but I wouldn't say it automatically makes a feud good.
4. I was under the impression it was called as if it was going to air, and then WWF decided not to air it since Bret lost and Magee wasn't under contract.
5. No one's paying them for a license to make figures! Same reason they don't have a video game, etc. Given how few people are watching Impact now, it's a hard sell to convince someone it's a product worth creating such content for.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Massaro fundraiser, AEW UK TV deal official, Climax meet-and-greets set, more Climax seats, another Rhino booking, Miz supports Flair, Flair returns home, Australia hosting SDL tour, SDL audience, how AEW will crown its first champion, Ruby surgery, top WWE names not going to SSD, WWE responds to Massaro claims, DON press and news, Stomping Grounds matches, and Questions on why TNT is airing AEW, combining titles, WWE's reaction to Lars, and AEW putting pressure on WWE
Ashley Massaro's daughter is getting a GoFundMe drive with assistance from a number of Ashley's former coworkers, including Lilian Garcia, Mickie James, Lita, Gail Kim, Brooke Tessmacher, Maria Kanellis, Candice Michelle, Taryn Terrell, Shelly Martinez, Victoria/Tara, Christy Hemme, Rosa Mendes, Trish Stratus, and Torrie Wilson. That's an awesome group helping her out.
- Kim is also auctioning off her ring gear from Rebellion to assist the younger Massaro. Amazing!
AEW will air its weekly TV show on ITV in Great Britain once it begins on TNT. That's not a big surprise, but it is a big clearance for the promotion.
NJPW will have a meet-and-greet before G1 Climax in Texas, with Kota Ibushi, Testuya Naito, and Jushin "Thunder" Liger all confirmed to appear. I continue to say NJPW should be going heavier on telling fans what will be at the show given the slow ticket sales so far.
- More seats have been opened up for the event, with NJPW presumably making some changes to where they don't need as much space to set the event up.
Rhino is advertised for a July 26 Iowa indie show, close after his WWE deal expires and he reverts back to that spelling of his ring name.
The Miz spoke to TMZ, supporting Ric Flair in his recovery.
- Flair has returned home from surgery. That's great!
Australia will host Smackdown Live events on October 21, October 22, and October 23.
Smackdown Live drew 1.98 million viewers Tuesday nights, marking four straight weeks below the two million mark for the first time ever. The show did see an increase following Money in the Bank.
AEW's first world champion will be decided when the winner of Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega faces the winner of the Casino Battle Royale at a later date. Jericho and Omega are definitely credible titleholders.
Ruby Riott has undergone surgery for a shoulder injury, and will need further surgery for her other shoulder. It's unknown how much time she'll miss as a result. That's unfortunate. I hope she's able to re-establish herself once she's healed.
Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Aleister Black have all pulled out of Super ShowDown due to not wanting to perform in Saudi Arabia. That's gutsy of each of them; we'll see if it hurts their standing in WWE. Roman Reigns at one point was expected to miss the show as well, but has since been announced for the event.
WWE responded to accusations by Ashley Massaro's attorney that they covered up a sexual assault. That's outright despicable.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't have much to add here, other than I'm under the impression AEW President Tony Khan already had some connections with WarnerMedia through some other projects, so they knew his track record. As for Impact and ROH's reaction, Impact doesn't have the resources AEW has and ROH is pretty much exactly where Sinclair wants it.
2. I wouldn't rule it out. If the audience levels remain unimpressive, they could scrap the brand extension altogether.
3. I don't dislike/disagree with Dave's suggestions here. I think WWE wanted to make a big statement to show sponsors they strongly distance themselves from those comments, which is commendable, but it can definitely be argued they overdid their response.
4. There's a morality clause in their contracts that they refer to in cases like this. WWE definitely holds the power in how they classify and regulate their talents, though.
5. Not much to add here. The better AEW does and, more importantly, the less well WWE does, the more pressure there will be for WWE to change things.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Kim is also auctioning off her ring gear from Rebellion to assist the younger Massaro. Amazing!
AEW will air its weekly TV show on ITV in Great Britain once it begins on TNT. That's not a big surprise, but it is a big clearance for the promotion.
NJPW will have a meet-and-greet before G1 Climax in Texas, with Kota Ibushi, Testuya Naito, and Jushin "Thunder" Liger all confirmed to appear. I continue to say NJPW should be going heavier on telling fans what will be at the show given the slow ticket sales so far.
- More seats have been opened up for the event, with NJPW presumably making some changes to where they don't need as much space to set the event up.
Rhino is advertised for a July 26 Iowa indie show, close after his WWE deal expires and he reverts back to that spelling of his ring name.
The Miz spoke to TMZ, supporting Ric Flair in his recovery.
- Flair has returned home from surgery. That's great!
Australia will host Smackdown Live events on October 21, October 22, and October 23.
Smackdown Live drew 1.98 million viewers Tuesday nights, marking four straight weeks below the two million mark for the first time ever. The show did see an increase following Money in the Bank.
AEW's first world champion will be decided when the winner of Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega faces the winner of the Casino Battle Royale at a later date. Jericho and Omega are definitely credible titleholders.
Ruby Riott has undergone surgery for a shoulder injury, and will need further surgery for her other shoulder. It's unknown how much time she'll miss as a result. That's unfortunate. I hope she's able to re-establish herself once she's healed.
Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Aleister Black have all pulled out of Super ShowDown due to not wanting to perform in Saudi Arabia. That's gutsy of each of them; we'll see if it hurts their standing in WWE. Roman Reigns at one point was expected to miss the show as well, but has since been announced for the event.
WWE responded to accusations by Ashley Massaro's attorney that they covered up a sexual assault. That's outright despicable.
ITV released their Double or Nothing preview show on YouTube. They're definitely getting behind AEW.
Jim Ross discussed joining AEW and more. Interesting discussion of WWE's commentary style.
"Hamilton's" Christopher Jackson, along with Veronica Jackson and Jadelyn Jackson, will sing the U.S. national anthem before Double or Nothing.
Hangman Page is auctioning autographed gear to support the National Eating Disorder Association. That's great!
WWE Stomping Grounds is locally advertising:
- Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin for the Universal Championship
- Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens for the WWE Championship
- Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
-- It will be interesting to see if Dolph Ziggler works that show or if he's just back to "fill in" for Kevin Owens in Saudi Arabia.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't have much to add here, other than I'm under the impression AEW President Tony Khan already had some connections with WarnerMedia through some other projects, so they knew his track record. As for Impact and ROH's reaction, Impact doesn't have the resources AEW has and ROH is pretty much exactly where Sinclair wants it.
2. I wouldn't rule it out. If the audience levels remain unimpressive, they could scrap the brand extension altogether.
3. I don't dislike/disagree with Dave's suggestions here. I think WWE wanted to make a big statement to show sponsors they strongly distance themselves from those comments, which is commendable, but it can definitely be argued they overdid their response.
4. There's a morality clause in their contracts that they refer to in cases like this. WWE definitely holds the power in how they classify and regulate their talents, though.
5. Not much to add here. The better AEW does and, more importantly, the less well WWE does, the more pressure there will be for WWE to change things.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Wrestling HoFers announced, Interviews with Simon Dean/Elias/AJ Styles, RVD-Dreamer hype, more on Grace-Impact, WWE Network press, AEW match released, NWA releases ROH angle, WWE addressing Raw decline, 24/7 fallout, Impact discounts TV tickets, Raw audience, Flair updates, Wrestlers trailer, SDL dark match, former WWE star in DON battle royal, Cody+WWE trademarks refused, new Starrcast segments, and Questions on Vince watching WWE TV, WWE freezing contracts, AEW's success changing WWE, tracking digital views, and WWE keeping so many names under contract
The George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame has announced the Class of 2019, to be inducted July 25 through July 27:
- Beth Phoenix, the first female inducted into the Hall.
- Bruno Sammartino
- Thunderbolt Patterson (Lou Thesz World Heavyweight Championship Award)
- Sgt. Slaughter (Frank Gotch Award)
- Brian Shields (Jim Melby Award)
- Daniel Cormier (George Tragos Award)
-- Phoenix, Patterson, Slaughter, and Shields will all accept their inductions in person. Cormier will be busy training that weekend. Guests include Sheamus, Natalya, Gerry Brisco, Jim Ross, JJ Dillion, B. Brian Blair, Rob Schamberger, Victoria, Ultimo Dragon, Brian Pillman, Jr., Wes Brisco, Eugene, and Wade Keller.
-- Gerry Brisco will hold a talent evaluation that weekend, open to all wrestlers. That's great!
Simon Dean/Nova is on Tommy Dreamer's latest podcast. I miss characters like Dean.
Rob Van Dam vs. Tommy Dreamer on Friday is being advertised as their last encounter.
They fought one-on-one in 2010, 2013, and 2016, so I give it until 2022 until they compete against each other again.
Jordynne Grace was sought by the NWA before Impact signed her. She really made the most of her free agency.
WWE Network no longer being a Windows 10 app got press.
Elias promoted Smackdown Live. I guess he doesn't travel with his guitar?
AEW released Hangman Page vs. PAC from WrestleGate this weekend.
NWA released video of The Briscoes attacking Colt Cabana ahead of Mark challenging Colt for the NWA National Championship at ROH's June 1 TV taping.
WWE is looking to change the third hour of Raw in order to increase ratings. That could be a good time to experiment with things they wouldn't otherwise do.
Mick Foley discussed the lackluster reaction to WWE's 24/7 Championship. There were definitely fans who wanted the Hardcore Title back, and the physical championship itself is very underwhelming visually.
- Waffle House commented on the WWE 24/7 Championship design. It definitely looks like it'd be hanging in a restaurant.
Impact's June 6 and June 7 TV tapings are featuring discounted tickets on Groupon. General admission tickets went from more than $35 a night to $29 for both nights. Yikes.
Raw drew 2.52 million viewers for the show after Money in the Bank.
Ric Flair's roast will be performed at a later date. Starrcast is refunding tickets to those who paid for meet-and-greets.
AJ Styles discussed moving to Raw and more:
- Yeah AJ probably put more thought into the Wild Card Rule than Vince did.
- I don't see a Club reunion happening as long as Luke and Karl aren't signing new deals. I wouldn't want AJ to be pulled down by stars of lesser importance anyway.
- I like the idea of the indies not trying to compete with WWE. If fans want WWE-like content, there's plenty of it out there. Indies can create something unique to themselves.
- Hmmm... can AJ become a top mainstream name?
- I can't say I'm shocked this is AJ's last contract. He's got a family to raise.
Ric Flair is still advertised for a May 31 event in Illinois.
"The Wrestlers" got a new trailer. That looks pretty incredible!
Before Smackdown Live, Heavy Machinery defeated Jinder Mahal and Shelton Benjamin. That match could very well feature four future 24/7 Champions.
Former WWE star Tye Dillinger has entered Double or Nothing's Casino Battle Royale as Shawn Spears. I think he can get some good work there.
Cody's trademarks for Bash at the Beach and Dusty Rhodes were refused due to potential confusion with WWE's "The Bash" trademark and the "Dustin Rhodes" trademark the former Goldust owns. I expect the latter will go through.
WWE's Garza, Jr. trademark was refused due to the last name being too common for anyone to trademark. WWE could change his name as a result.
Starrcast II has added:
- An Owen Hart panel headed by Jim Ross
- A Ron Funches' comedy show
- A "Ready to Rumble" Watch Along with David Arquette, Tony Schiavone, Hurricane Helms (!), and "surprise guests."
-- The convention has definitely come up with many unique attractions
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I fully expect Vince moves on to working on the next show as soon as the previous one's done, and, of course, he believes he's doing what's best for the WWE audience.
2. It hasn't been challenged in court that I'm aware of. WWE definitely doesn't want to release an injured wrestler, to where they have to worry about medical bills while they're not working.
3. If AEW gets a regular, sizable audience in the same league as WWE's, it will definitely present a strong case for WWE to change things.
4. They definitely track those numbers. WWE heavily pushes their social media numbers as the TV audience declines.
5. There are a decent number of talents who are just filling space "until WWE comes up with something for them to do" and/or working with newer/younger talents on the road to improve those wrestlers' skills. Of course they also fill up the occasional battle royal and are available if WWE has a string of injuries/releases/retirements. WWE would rather have a big roster and not need it than need a big roster and not have it. It could also be bad for morale if they did a "spring cleaning" - some of those names have given years to WWE and aren't really going to get a lot of work outside of the company. And, perhaps most importantly, WWE has enough money to pretty much do whatever they want talent-wise.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Beth Phoenix, the first female inducted into the Hall.
- Bruno Sammartino
- Thunderbolt Patterson (Lou Thesz World Heavyweight Championship Award)
- Sgt. Slaughter (Frank Gotch Award)
- Brian Shields (Jim Melby Award)
- Daniel Cormier (George Tragos Award)
-- Phoenix, Patterson, Slaughter, and Shields will all accept their inductions in person. Cormier will be busy training that weekend. Guests include Sheamus, Natalya, Gerry Brisco, Jim Ross, JJ Dillion, B. Brian Blair, Rob Schamberger, Victoria, Ultimo Dragon, Brian Pillman, Jr., Wes Brisco, Eugene, and Wade Keller.
-- Gerry Brisco will hold a talent evaluation that weekend, open to all wrestlers. That's great!
Simon Dean/Nova is on Tommy Dreamer's latest podcast. I miss characters like Dean.
Rob Van Dam vs. Tommy Dreamer on Friday is being advertised as their last encounter.
They fought one-on-one in 2010, 2013, and 2016, so I give it until 2022 until they compete against each other again.
Jordynne Grace was sought by the NWA before Impact signed her. She really made the most of her free agency.
WWE Network no longer being a Windows 10 app got press.
Elias promoted Smackdown Live. I guess he doesn't travel with his guitar?
AEW released Hangman Page vs. PAC from WrestleGate this weekend.
NWA released video of The Briscoes attacking Colt Cabana ahead of Mark challenging Colt for the NWA National Championship at ROH's June 1 TV taping.
WWE is looking to change the third hour of Raw in order to increase ratings. That could be a good time to experiment with things they wouldn't otherwise do.
Mick Foley discussed the lackluster reaction to WWE's 24/7 Championship. There were definitely fans who wanted the Hardcore Title back, and the physical championship itself is very underwhelming visually.
- Waffle House commented on the WWE 24/7 Championship design. It definitely looks like it'd be hanging in a restaurant.
Impact's June 6 and June 7 TV tapings are featuring discounted tickets on Groupon. General admission tickets went from more than $35 a night to $29 for both nights. Yikes.
Raw drew 2.52 million viewers for the show after Money in the Bank.
Ric Flair's roast will be performed at a later date. Starrcast is refunding tickets to those who paid for meet-and-greets.
AJ Styles discussed moving to Raw and more:
- Yeah AJ probably put more thought into the Wild Card Rule than Vince did.
- I don't see a Club reunion happening as long as Luke and Karl aren't signing new deals. I wouldn't want AJ to be pulled down by stars of lesser importance anyway.
- I like the idea of the indies not trying to compete with WWE. If fans want WWE-like content, there's plenty of it out there. Indies can create something unique to themselves.
- Hmmm... can AJ become a top mainstream name?
- I can't say I'm shocked this is AJ's last contract. He's got a family to raise.
Ric Flair is still advertised for a May 31 event in Illinois.
"The Wrestlers" got a new trailer. That looks pretty incredible!
Before Smackdown Live, Heavy Machinery defeated Jinder Mahal and Shelton Benjamin. That match could very well feature four future 24/7 Champions.
Former WWE star Tye Dillinger has entered Double or Nothing's Casino Battle Royale as Shawn Spears. I think he can get some good work there.
Cody's trademarks for Bash at the Beach and Dusty Rhodes were refused due to potential confusion with WWE's "The Bash" trademark and the "Dustin Rhodes" trademark the former Goldust owns. I expect the latter will go through.
WWE's Garza, Jr. trademark was refused due to the last name being too common for anyone to trademark. WWE could change his name as a result.
Starrcast II has added:
- An Owen Hart panel headed by Jim Ross
- A Ron Funches' comedy show
- A "Ready to Rumble" Watch Along with David Arquette, Tony Schiavone, Hurricane Helms (!), and "surprise guests."
-- The convention has definitely come up with many unique attractions
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I fully expect Vince moves on to working on the next show as soon as the previous one's done, and, of course, he believes he's doing what's best for the WWE audience.
2. It hasn't been challenged in court that I'm aware of. WWE definitely doesn't want to release an injured wrestler, to where they have to worry about medical bills while they're not working.
3. If AEW gets a regular, sizable audience in the same league as WWE's, it will definitely present a strong case for WWE to change things.
4. They definitely track those numbers. WWE heavily pushes their social media numbers as the TV audience declines.
5. There are a decent number of talents who are just filling space "until WWE comes up with something for them to do" and/or working with newer/younger talents on the road to improve those wrestlers' skills. Of course they also fill up the occasional battle royal and are available if WWE has a string of injuries/releases/retirements. WWE would rather have a big roster and not need it than need a big roster and not have it. It could also be bad for morale if they did a "spring cleaning" - some of those names have given years to WWE and aren't really going to get a lot of work outside of the company. And, perhaps most importantly, WWE has enough money to pretty much do whatever they want talent-wise.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown Live and 205 Live Reax - 5/21/19
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown Live and 205 Live.
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Possible MITB injury, MITB blood, Lana's ideas taken?, Y2J criticizes MITB ending, Impact alum at NXT show, Grace signs deal, Scarlett update, NJPW adds name to Texas event, AEW talent moving to the U.S., Brock-WWE note, WWE official has surgery, more Thunder on the Network, Flair pulled from Nevada events, Quackenbush milestone, Ciampa signings set, AEW talent takes on another role, more Casino Battle Royale participants, more on new WWE title, looking at Owen's last day, Interview with Cornette, and Questions on DON's price, Lio's issues, WWE vs. Starrcast, and AEW's first champion
Rey Mysterio was examined by doctors after Money in the Bank. There's concern he has a shoulder injury. Wow, both men ended up worse for wear from that match and angle. It's possible the United States Championship changes hands again next week.
- Rey is believed to have suffered a separated soldier.
Ali was legitimately busted open by Brock Lesnar's ladder at Money in the Bank, while Lars Sullivan was busted open by Kalisto. I wouldn't assume Kalisto injured him intentionally.
Lana insinuated she pitched an idea that was given to another talent in a since-deleted tweet that was picked up by news outlets. Maybe she should join Creative if they're not going to use her otherwise. Hopefully she doesn't bring Rusev down with her.
Chris Jericho attacked WWE's booking of Brock Lesnar winning Money in the Bank. There were definitely fans anticipating Double or Nothing after seeing that ending!
Impact alum KM was backstage at NXT's Sunday live event. He's local to the area; I don't really expect NXT to sign him.
Jordynne Grace signed with Impact Wrestling for a new deal going through May 2021. It's likely she was able to get a better contract than initially offered in October, since she presented Impact with evidence of her worth in the form of social media engagement and other metrics. That's pretty savvy on her part.
Scarlett Bordeaux is reportedly in a multi-year deal with Impact. The company refuted the story her current deal ends this summer. It's possible the contract is able to "roll over" like the Hardys' WWE deal. There's no word on whether she'll receive her requested release, or what her plans are if she does become a free agent.
G1 Climax in Texas has added Jushin "Thunder" Liger. NJPW's going to have to do a better job of promoting events in the U.S. if they want ticket sales to be as impressive as they were initially.
CIMA is moving to the United States full-time in order to work with AEW. Hopefully OWE can continue to flourish.
Brock Lesnar's involvement in Money in the Bank was kept secret backstage. WWE told the MITB competitors someone would be getting involved in the ending once Ali climbed the ladder, but didn't specify it would be Brock to anyone but Ali. Some backstage were even told Ali would be winning the match in order to throw them off the plan. WWE succeeded in preventing spoilers from getting out.
WWE official Scott Armstrong had surgery for two herniated discs. Oucccch.
WWE Network has added 20 episodes of WCW Thunder from 2000.
Ric Flair will no longer be at Starrcast or associated events due to heart surgery he had Monday. He will not be well enough to fly to Nevada in time for the event. It's unfortunate another major name has had to pull out from the convention.
Mike Quackenbush celebrated 25 years since his first wrestling match. That's an amazing run.
Tommaso Ciampa will sign before EVOLVE 129, EVOLVE 130, EVOLVE 131, and EVOLVE 132.
AEW's Brandon Cutler will be both a wrestler and content producer.
Double or Nothing's Casino Battle Royale has added Luchasaurus and Private Party.
WWE's 24/7 Championship was originally expected to be called the Wild Card Championship. Neither name is especially exciting, but it gives the lower-level names something to do, so I'm fine with it.
Owen Hart's final day was covered on a long podcast. Amazing it's already been 20 years!
Jim Cornette discussed Richmond's wrestling history. He's a walking encyclopedia of the territory era.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1 and 2. It's definitely a steep price, but AEW could be counting on the insane demand for tickets to translate into fans willing to pay a premium price for the PPV. If the return isn't what they're hoping for, they'll likely adjust for future shows. Once there's a weekly TV show, there will be a lot more AEW content out there, so fans presumably won't be as starved to see those talents and prices will drop a bit. We'll see.
3. Galaxy brain Lio playing 5D Chess. Nah I don't think that's it. I think he just has such confidence in himself that he thinks he's above doing what others before him have done. Honestly it comes across as him feeling the need to assert himself as a young, small, new black wrestler so he doesn't get passed over.
4. Kind of? Starrcast is definitely liked to AEW, and WWE doesn't want to aid that weekend by allowing the convention to feature top-tier WWE stars.
5. At DON? Nothing. I think I'd start that build at Fight for the Fallen and declare the first champion on the first episode of the weekly show.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Rey is believed to have suffered a separated soldier.
Ali was legitimately busted open by Brock Lesnar's ladder at Money in the Bank, while Lars Sullivan was busted open by Kalisto. I wouldn't assume Kalisto injured him intentionally.
Lana insinuated she pitched an idea that was given to another talent in a since-deleted tweet that was picked up by news outlets. Maybe she should join Creative if they're not going to use her otherwise. Hopefully she doesn't bring Rusev down with her.
Chris Jericho attacked WWE's booking of Brock Lesnar winning Money in the Bank. There were definitely fans anticipating Double or Nothing after seeing that ending!
Impact alum KM was backstage at NXT's Sunday live event. He's local to the area; I don't really expect NXT to sign him.
Jordynne Grace signed with Impact Wrestling for a new deal going through May 2021. It's likely she was able to get a better contract than initially offered in October, since she presented Impact with evidence of her worth in the form of social media engagement and other metrics. That's pretty savvy on her part.
Scarlett Bordeaux is reportedly in a multi-year deal with Impact. The company refuted the story her current deal ends this summer. It's possible the contract is able to "roll over" like the Hardys' WWE deal. There's no word on whether she'll receive her requested release, or what her plans are if she does become a free agent.
G1 Climax in Texas has added Jushin "Thunder" Liger. NJPW's going to have to do a better job of promoting events in the U.S. if they want ticket sales to be as impressive as they were initially.
CIMA is moving to the United States full-time in order to work with AEW. Hopefully OWE can continue to flourish.
Brock Lesnar's involvement in Money in the Bank was kept secret backstage. WWE told the MITB competitors someone would be getting involved in the ending once Ali climbed the ladder, but didn't specify it would be Brock to anyone but Ali. Some backstage were even told Ali would be winning the match in order to throw them off the plan. WWE succeeded in preventing spoilers from getting out.
WWE official Scott Armstrong had surgery for two herniated discs. Oucccch.
WWE Network has added 20 episodes of WCW Thunder from 2000.
Ric Flair will no longer be at Starrcast or associated events due to heart surgery he had Monday. He will not be well enough to fly to Nevada in time for the event. It's unfortunate another major name has had to pull out from the convention.
Mike Quackenbush celebrated 25 years since his first wrestling match. That's an amazing run.
Tommaso Ciampa will sign before EVOLVE 129, EVOLVE 130, EVOLVE 131, and EVOLVE 132.
AEW's Brandon Cutler will be both a wrestler and content producer.
Double or Nothing's Casino Battle Royale has added Luchasaurus and Private Party.
WWE's 24/7 Championship was originally expected to be called the Wild Card Championship. Neither name is especially exciting, but it gives the lower-level names something to do, so I'm fine with it.
Owen Hart's final day was covered on a long podcast. Amazing it's already been 20 years!
Jim Cornette discussed Richmond's wrestling history. He's a walking encyclopedia of the territory era.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1 and 2. It's definitely a steep price, but AEW could be counting on the insane demand for tickets to translate into fans willing to pay a premium price for the PPV. If the return isn't what they're hoping for, they'll likely adjust for future shows. Once there's a weekly TV show, there will be a lot more AEW content out there, so fans presumably won't be as starved to see those talents and prices will drop a bit. We'll see.
3. Galaxy brain Lio playing 5D Chess. Nah I don't think that's it. I think he just has such confidence in himself that he thinks he's above doing what others before him have done. Honestly it comes across as him feeling the need to assert himself as a young, small, new black wrestler so he doesn't get passed over.
4. Kind of? Starrcast is definitely liked to AEW, and WWE doesn't want to aid that weekend by allowing the convention to feature top-tier WWE stars.
5. At DON? Nothing. I think I'd start that build at Fight for the Fallen and declare the first champion on the first episode of the weekly show.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, May 20, 2019
New SSD match, injured WWE star at MITB, dropped Kickoff match, Hogan in WWE video game, Flair surgery update, DON rematch already set, NXT name pulled from live event, AEW mentioned in WWE talent meeting, Interview with Dasha, a look at Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, Grace signs a deal, new WWE title coming, MITB match cut short, and Questions on Vince choosing Dunn over HHH, how canceled live events affect wrestlers, fans watching PPVs in a post-Network era, and why Kross wants out of Impact
Super ShowDown has added Demon Finn Balor vs. Andrade for the Intercontinental Championship. So we're back to The Demon just being pulled out for big shows rather than a feud calling for it. Vintage WWE.
Big E was backstage at Money in the Bank, but obviously didn't appear on camera. There's not a set timetable for his return.
Money in the Bank's Kickoff show almost had The IIconics vs. the Kabuki Warriors, but that didn't end up occurring. It's probably for the best that wasn't thrown on the card for the sake of it. I highly doubt that makes Super Show-Down.
Hulk Hogan recently made content for WWE 2K20.
Ric Flair's upcoming surgery is heart-related.
AAA will hold a Young Bucks vs. Lucha Bros rematch on June 16, with the AAA Tag Team Championship on the line. We'll see if the Young Bucks will still be champions after that event.
Bobby Fish didn't work NXT's Saturday night live event after being kicked in the head Friday night. Hopefully he's back in action soon.
WWE had a talent meeting before Money in the Bank, headed by Stephanie McMahon. WWE directly mentioned AEW as a future competitor. Change is definitely on the horizon in that regard. With Brock Lesnar becoming the most important wrestler in the company again and Triple H, The Undertaker, and Goldberg in top roles soon, I'd understand talent keeping a close eye on AEW's progress.
The former Dasha Fuentes discussed leaving WWE and more. I definitely understanding not wanting the interviewers to overshadow the wrestlers.
Mid-Atlantic Wrestling was profiled.
Jordynne Grace has signed a multi-year deal with Impact Wrestling. For real this time. WWE and AEW were also interested. That's something of a surprise, but maybe she feels she'll be able to stand out better in Impact.
WWE will debut a new championship tonight, with Mick Foley revealing it. I REALLY hope it's a Hardcore Championship that can be defended across brands, but I'm skeptical WWE would do that or implement it well.
Money in the Bank's Samoa Joe vs. Rey Mysterio match was cut short due to Joe being bloodied early on. The post-match went on as planned. I'm split on that call, but hopefully they get a longer match down the line to make up for this.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
Nothing to add to 1.
2. Dunn is definitely more in line with Vince's vision than Triple H is. It's Vince's company. He's going to do things the way he wants to.
3. It doesn't affect the contract, but talents obviously aren't paid for a show that doesn't happen. That's fine for the names who are going to appear on Raw due to the Wild Card Rule, but it's a missed paycheck and missed experience for the lower-level names.
4. Yes, particularly internationally. A lot of it comes down to not having or being comfortable with the Internet compared to where they usually get their PPVs.
5. Kross would make a guaranteed salary in WWE above what he's making now, so I can see why he'd want to upgrade. Obviously money isn't everything, but he's got a limited amount of time to take bumps for a living and doesn't want to have to scrape by when he's 70.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Big E was backstage at Money in the Bank, but obviously didn't appear on camera. There's not a set timetable for his return.
Money in the Bank's Kickoff show almost had The IIconics vs. the Kabuki Warriors, but that didn't end up occurring. It's probably for the best that wasn't thrown on the card for the sake of it. I highly doubt that makes Super Show-Down.
Hulk Hogan recently made content for WWE 2K20.
Ric Flair's upcoming surgery is heart-related.
AAA will hold a Young Bucks vs. Lucha Bros rematch on June 16, with the AAA Tag Team Championship on the line. We'll see if the Young Bucks will still be champions after that event.
Bobby Fish didn't work NXT's Saturday night live event after being kicked in the head Friday night. Hopefully he's back in action soon.
WWE had a talent meeting before Money in the Bank, headed by Stephanie McMahon. WWE directly mentioned AEW as a future competitor. Change is definitely on the horizon in that regard. With Brock Lesnar becoming the most important wrestler in the company again and Triple H, The Undertaker, and Goldberg in top roles soon, I'd understand talent keeping a close eye on AEW's progress.
The former Dasha Fuentes discussed leaving WWE and more. I definitely understanding not wanting the interviewers to overshadow the wrestlers.
Mid-Atlantic Wrestling was profiled.
Jordynne Grace has signed a multi-year deal with Impact Wrestling. For real this time. WWE and AEW were also interested. That's something of a surprise, but maybe she feels she'll be able to stand out better in Impact.
WWE will debut a new championship tonight, with Mick Foley revealing it. I REALLY hope it's a Hardcore Championship that can be defended across brands, but I'm skeptical WWE would do that or implement it well.
Money in the Bank's Samoa Joe vs. Rey Mysterio match was cut short due to Joe being bloodied early on. The post-match went on as planned. I'm split on that call, but hopefully they get a longer match down the line to make up for this.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
Nothing to add to 1.
2. Dunn is definitely more in line with Vince's vision than Triple H is. It's Vince's company. He's going to do things the way he wants to.
3. It doesn't affect the contract, but talents obviously aren't paid for a show that doesn't happen. That's fine for the names who are going to appear on Raw due to the Wild Card Rule, but it's a missed paycheck and missed experience for the lower-level names.
4. Yes, particularly internationally. A lot of it comes down to not having or being comfortable with the Internet compared to where they usually get their PPVs.
5. Kross would make a guaranteed salary in WWE above what he's making now, so I can see why he'd want to upgrade. Obviously money isn't everything, but he's got a limited amount of time to take bumps for a living and doesn't want to have to scrape by when he's 70.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Main Event Reax - 5/18/19, WWE stars collide at EVOLVE 131, new Saudi match, PAC pulls out of DON, Impact TV home doesn't air main event, Impact names working AAA, Bray+JoJo's son born, Y2J training, big AEW interview, NWA uploads recent title match, Impact name asks for release, and another Impact name possibly leaving
-- Main Event:
- EC3 vs. Titus:
Wow we're all the way back to 2011, huh?
Yikes. I like Titus and all, but EC3 worked his ass off to come back pretty much where he was when he left.
- Revival vs. Lince/Kalisto:
Fun work early.
Nice energy in this one.
These two teams work together well.
Impressive work from LHP.
Pretty good work!
EVOLVE 131 on July 13 will feature Matt Riddle vs. Drew Gulak. This show is the 10th anniversary event for the former Dragon Gate USA, so the two alums are meeting there. That could really be special.
Super ShowDown has added Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Lashley in a first-time ever singles match. That could be a pretty fun clash.
PAC has pulled out of Double or Nothing. He and Hangman Page had a match in the UK where PAC was disqualified for attacking the referee. PAC then attacked Page, doing an injury angle. PAC then claimed injuring Page was his goal, and that he's not going to Double or Nothing or working AEW at all. At this time, PAC is still listed as part of the AEW roster.
- The match was done in the UK because PAC has refused to lose while he's Dragon Gate's top champion. A rematch in AEW is possible down the line, but won't be happening at Double or Nothing. PAC is off the show, and Page will have a new opponent that night. AEW will show this UK match online for free since they had been advertising it for months. I hope they've got a suitable replacement lined up and this is the only issue for the debut show, because this is can definitely be a blow to the product.
Impact's main event wasn't shown on Pursuit Friday due to a technical error, where Pursuit showed commercials for the final segment of the show. Impact is releasing the match on Impact Plus for U.S. viewers to make up for the issue. That's unfortunate, as Michael Elgin and Rich Swann went on a tear in that match.
Killer Kross and Tessa Blanchard are appearing for AAA this weekend as part of the working agreement with Impact.
Bray Wyatt and JoJo's son Knash Sixx Rotunda was born yesterday. I don't think that's an intentional tribute to the nWo's Kevin Nash and Syxx, but it's certainly a unique name.
Chris Jericho is training with MMA's Josh Rafferty ahead of Double or Nothing, debuting a new finisher.
AEW's origins were profiled by Bleacher Report:
- I'm really curious how things will go with wrestlers in charge.
- Interesting they didn't want to announce the company until May.
- Oh wow ROH and Impact are "indies?"
- I'm curious where Marty Scurll and Villain Enterprises fit into AEW once they're contractually free.
- Wow, really? NJPW didn't recognize the major value The Elite were bringing? Their loss there.
- Honestly I don't anticipate ROH being as successful as AEW can be. It's seemingly content being at the level it's at now. The jury's still out on NJPW and how they'll grow going forward.
- I'm already tired of "AEW vs. WWE" talk. They haven't even run one show yet!
- I'm glad they're shooting down the "AEW is going to put WWE out of business!" nonsense.
- I am very glad there are alternatives for groups of wrestling fans!
- Yeeeahhh trying to shoehorn the other Khan endeavors into AEW and vice versa could really fall flat.
- If ROH, NJPW, etc. aren't offering the opportunities AEW is, I don't blame anyone for taking the chance elsewhere!
- Hmmmm, does someone need to know the whole history of a business to be able to contribute to AEW?
- Hey if those no-name indies can't afford an ambulance, there's a bigger problem there.
- Hmmmmmm. We'll see how the health care thing unfolds.
- Khan has clearly put a lot of thought into the scheduling.
- Oh yeah WWE's live event schedule is incredibly antiquated.
- I'm excited for the difference between wrestling and sports entertainment.
NWA has uploaded the NWA Women's Championship match from ROH's recent TV taping, where Allysin Kay faced Marti Belle.
Impact's Scarlett Bordeaux has asked for her release. Her current deal runs through the summer. I'm curious if someone else is interested in using her. I'm not sure how she'd fit in with other promotions.
Impact's Jordynne Grace is being sought to sign a contract with the company, as she has technically been a free agent since her debut despite being offered a two-year deal when she first appeared. Should she not sign a contract, it's likely she will leave Impact. Notably, she worked All In in October, so she could be preparing to go to AEW. This would seem to explain why she didn't become Knockouts Champion.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- EC3 vs. Titus:
Wow we're all the way back to 2011, huh?
Yikes. I like Titus and all, but EC3 worked his ass off to come back pretty much where he was when he left.
- Revival vs. Lince/Kalisto:
Fun work early.
Nice energy in this one.
These two teams work together well.
Impressive work from LHP.
Pretty good work!
EVOLVE 131 on July 13 will feature Matt Riddle vs. Drew Gulak. This show is the 10th anniversary event for the former Dragon Gate USA, so the two alums are meeting there. That could really be special.
Super ShowDown has added Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Lashley in a first-time ever singles match. That could be a pretty fun clash.
PAC has pulled out of Double or Nothing. He and Hangman Page had a match in the UK where PAC was disqualified for attacking the referee. PAC then attacked Page, doing an injury angle. PAC then claimed injuring Page was his goal, and that he's not going to Double or Nothing or working AEW at all. At this time, PAC is still listed as part of the AEW roster.
- The match was done in the UK because PAC has refused to lose while he's Dragon Gate's top champion. A rematch in AEW is possible down the line, but won't be happening at Double or Nothing. PAC is off the show, and Page will have a new opponent that night. AEW will show this UK match online for free since they had been advertising it for months. I hope they've got a suitable replacement lined up and this is the only issue for the debut show, because this is can definitely be a blow to the product.
Impact's main event wasn't shown on Pursuit Friday due to a technical error, where Pursuit showed commercials for the final segment of the show. Impact is releasing the match on Impact Plus for U.S. viewers to make up for the issue. That's unfortunate, as Michael Elgin and Rich Swann went on a tear in that match.
Killer Kross and Tessa Blanchard are appearing for AAA this weekend as part of the working agreement with Impact.
Bray Wyatt and JoJo's son Knash Sixx Rotunda was born yesterday. I don't think that's an intentional tribute to the nWo's Kevin Nash and Syxx, but it's certainly a unique name.
Chris Jericho is training with MMA's Josh Rafferty ahead of Double or Nothing, debuting a new finisher.
AEW's origins were profiled by Bleacher Report:
- I'm really curious how things will go with wrestlers in charge.
- Interesting they didn't want to announce the company until May.
- Oh wow ROH and Impact are "indies?"
- I'm curious where Marty Scurll and Villain Enterprises fit into AEW once they're contractually free.
- Wow, really? NJPW didn't recognize the major value The Elite were bringing? Their loss there.
- Honestly I don't anticipate ROH being as successful as AEW can be. It's seemingly content being at the level it's at now. The jury's still out on NJPW and how they'll grow going forward.
- I'm already tired of "AEW vs. WWE" talk. They haven't even run one show yet!
- I'm glad they're shooting down the "AEW is going to put WWE out of business!" nonsense.
- I am very glad there are alternatives for groups of wrestling fans!
- Yeeeahhh trying to shoehorn the other Khan endeavors into AEW and vice versa could really fall flat.
- If ROH, NJPW, etc. aren't offering the opportunities AEW is, I don't blame anyone for taking the chance elsewhere!
- Hmmmm, does someone need to know the whole history of a business to be able to contribute to AEW?
- Hey if those no-name indies can't afford an ambulance, there's a bigger problem there.
- Hmmmmmm. We'll see how the health care thing unfolds.
- Khan has clearly put a lot of thought into the scheduling.
- Oh yeah WWE's live event schedule is incredibly antiquated.
- I'm excited for the difference between wrestling and sports entertainment.
NWA has uploaded the NWA Women's Championship match from ROH's recent TV taping, where Allysin Kay faced Marti Belle.
Impact's Scarlett Bordeaux has asked for her release. Her current deal runs through the summer. I'm curious if someone else is interested in using her. I'm not sure how she'd fit in with other promotions.
Impact's Jordynne Grace is being sought to sign a contract with the company, as she has technically been a free agent since her debut despite being offered a two-year deal when she first appeared. Should she not sign a contract, it's likely she will leave Impact. Notably, she worked All In in October, so she could be preparing to go to AEW. This would seem to explain why she didn't become Knockouts Champion.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Another guest coach, MITB social media, Interviews with Titus/Y2J, Fish uncle honored, new ROH matches, how to watch DON outside U.S., NJPW Lions event set for US, WM36 supershow set, Flair surgery moved, SDL live event canceled, Shinsuke commercial, new NJPW Australia names, WWE scouting in Singapore, WOW secret taping, Raw guest star passes, WWEPC special, new WWE Untold coming, and Questions on Big E's status, not firing Lars, ROH's base salary, AEW exclusivity, Bryan in Saudi Arabia, and Alexa's injury timing
Shannon Moore was at the WWE Performance Center as a guest coach this week. Glad he's able to give back to the industry.
Money in the Bank's WWE Watch Along will have the Usos, the IIconics, Liv Morgan, R-Truth, Eric Bugenhagen, Aliyah, and Vanessa Borne. Pat McAfee is hosting, with ESPN's Field Yates also appearing.
Titus O'Neil is on Edge and Christian's latest podcast.
Bobby Fish's uncle was honored for his military service at an NXT live event.
ROH's July 20 TV taping will be headlined by Jay Lethal challenging for the ROH World Championship.
Best in the World has added Shane Taylor vs. Bandido for the ROH TV Championship, playing off Bandido defeating Taylor on ROH TV.
Double or Nothing will air on Fite TV outside of the U.S. So that's how it will be available for much of the world.
Chris Jericho discussed signing with AEW and more on Busted Open. I'm glad he reached the decision to work with Fandango at WrestleMania. It's a testament to his skill that he could get that angle and match over.
NJPW has announced "Lion's Break Project 2" for CharaExpo USA 2019 on December 7 and December 8, where their California dojo trainees will get experience.
Game Changer Wrestling has announced a WrestleMania 36 weekend event featuring a number of indie promotions. Beyond Wrestling, Absolute Intense Wrestling, and Black Label Pro have already been confirmed for the event.
ROH's June 1 TV taping has added Jeff Cobb vs. Mark Haskins.
ROH's June 2 HonorClub event has announced:
- Matt Taven vs. PCO vs. Flip Gordon vs. Mark Haskins in a Defy or Deny match. If any of the challengers pin Taven, they get an immediate ROH Championship match.
- A tag team gauntlet match with the winners getting a future tag team championship match
Ric Flair's surgery has been moved to Monday due to complications. He is still scheduled for Starrcast II.
WWE has canceled Monday's Smackdown Live live event in order to use top Smackdown Live talent on Raw. This might end up becoming the norm. If so, Raw should drop its Friday live event to even things out. With the declines in live event attendance, it might be the best move anyway.
Shinsuke Nakamura is in a Japanese noodles commercial. U.S. ads need to step their games up.
NJPW's June 29 Australian show has added Taiji Ishimori and Toru Yano.
WWE was scouting at Singapore Pro Wrestling this past week, with Matt Bloom and Canyon Ceman in attendance. I expect an Asian performance center at some point.
Women of Wrestling had a secret TV taping to prevent spoilers getting out. I don't know if intentionally doing a show in front of a small crowd is a good move, but I guess they accomplished keeping things under wraps.
WWE Now will feature Kofi Kingston, Seth Rollins, and Becky Lynch before MITB. That's definitely pretty major.
Former Raw guest star Grumpy Cat passed away at seven years old. Grumpy Cat was more over than a lot of wrestlers.
The WWE Performance Center will have an eight-hour Combine special on WWE Network on May 26 featuring athletic competitions.
WWE Untold focusing on Eric Bischoff's planned 2001 WCW reboot will air June 26. That could be pretty interesting.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. No real update.
2. Lars is a lot more valuable to WWE's future plans than Hogan was/is.
3. I don't think there's one figure there. Someone like Jay Lethal is going to be able to pull a better base than someone like Eli Isom.
4. It depends on the talent! A number of talents will definitely be able to work elsewhere, especially internationally. MLW seems to be safe for now, too. Down the line, that could change, but certain names are going to be able to get concessions to appear in other promotions if both sides see them as valuable enough.
5. No word one way or another. It would be a little surprising for him to hold a championship and not make the tour, but there's no guarantee he'll appear.
6. The injury is real, but they can still do that idea if they want.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Money in the Bank's WWE Watch Along will have the Usos, the IIconics, Liv Morgan, R-Truth, Eric Bugenhagen, Aliyah, and Vanessa Borne. Pat McAfee is hosting, with ESPN's Field Yates also appearing.
Titus O'Neil is on Edge and Christian's latest podcast.
Bobby Fish's uncle was honored for his military service at an NXT live event.
ROH's July 20 TV taping will be headlined by Jay Lethal challenging for the ROH World Championship.
Best in the World has added Shane Taylor vs. Bandido for the ROH TV Championship, playing off Bandido defeating Taylor on ROH TV.
Double or Nothing will air on Fite TV outside of the U.S. So that's how it will be available for much of the world.
Chris Jericho discussed signing with AEW and more on Busted Open. I'm glad he reached the decision to work with Fandango at WrestleMania. It's a testament to his skill that he could get that angle and match over.
NJPW has announced "Lion's Break Project 2" for CharaExpo USA 2019 on December 7 and December 8, where their California dojo trainees will get experience.
Game Changer Wrestling has announced a WrestleMania 36 weekend event featuring a number of indie promotions. Beyond Wrestling, Absolute Intense Wrestling, and Black Label Pro have already been confirmed for the event.
ROH's June 1 TV taping has added Jeff Cobb vs. Mark Haskins.
ROH's June 2 HonorClub event has announced:
- Matt Taven vs. PCO vs. Flip Gordon vs. Mark Haskins in a Defy or Deny match. If any of the challengers pin Taven, they get an immediate ROH Championship match.
- A tag team gauntlet match with the winners getting a future tag team championship match
Ric Flair's surgery has been moved to Monday due to complications. He is still scheduled for Starrcast II.
WWE has canceled Monday's Smackdown Live live event in order to use top Smackdown Live talent on Raw. This might end up becoming the norm. If so, Raw should drop its Friday live event to even things out. With the declines in live event attendance, it might be the best move anyway.
Shinsuke Nakamura is in a Japanese noodles commercial. U.S. ads need to step their games up.
NJPW's June 29 Australian show has added Taiji Ishimori and Toru Yano.
WWE was scouting at Singapore Pro Wrestling this past week, with Matt Bloom and Canyon Ceman in attendance. I expect an Asian performance center at some point.
Women of Wrestling had a secret TV taping to prevent spoilers getting out. I don't know if intentionally doing a show in front of a small crowd is a good move, but I guess they accomplished keeping things under wraps.
WWE Now will feature Kofi Kingston, Seth Rollins, and Becky Lynch before MITB. That's definitely pretty major.
Former Raw guest star Grumpy Cat passed away at seven years old. Grumpy Cat was more over than a lot of wrestlers.
The WWE Performance Center will have an eight-hour Combine special on WWE Network on May 26 featuring athletic competitions.
WWE Untold focusing on Eric Bischoff's planned 2001 WCW reboot will air June 26. That could be pretty interesting.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. No real update.
2. Lars is a lot more valuable to WWE's future plans than Hogan was/is.
3. I don't think there's one figure there. Someone like Jay Lethal is going to be able to pull a better base than someone like Eli Isom.
4. It depends on the talent! A number of talents will definitely be able to work elsewhere, especially internationally. MLW seems to be safe for now, too. Down the line, that could change, but certain names are going to be able to get concessions to appear in other promotions if both sides see them as valuable enough.
5. No word one way or another. It would be a little surprising for him to hold a championship and not make the tour, but there's no guarantee he'll appear.
6. The injury is real, but they can still do that idea if they want.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, May 17, 2019
More on AEW deal, AEW promos update, why Y2J missed upfront, Silver King note, more on Lars fine, more on Hart vs. Magee, AAA-MSG sales update, AAA head meets ROH head, NJPW name missing Australia, MLW match becomes shoot, WotW attendance, Summer Supercard preceding Summerslam, Slammiversary venue update, NJPW talents considering Impact, Impact surgery, more AEW staff, another AEW woman signing possible, HHH frustrated, Road Dogg update, SDL name being praised, WWEPC signing, WWE star and ex-WWE star opening school, WWE UK TV shift?, Impact release, Impact preview, Aries' first MLW match, Flair hospitalized, MITB replacement, ROH TV matches, DSOTR audience, WWE Diva Search winner passes, WWE name sought for Bellator, Ziggler appearance set, Davis profiled, NXT live event notes, and Questions on EC3's spot, DON's price, The Club, the importanct of Bret vs. Magee, and Impact's ECW revival
AEW's TNT debut date hasn't been decided, but it's expected to start in October. The show, currently unnamed, will be live for two hours each week and will likely air on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Notably, if the show airs on Tuesdays it could be affected by NBA coverage in the spring. The show's debut will likely be in October.
AEW is negotiating TV deals in the UK and Canada, but until a day of the week is decided, things can't move forward. Mexico and Australia are targets for deals, as well.
AEW also looked to air content on Showtime, but that would have likely been for major events rather than a weekly show.
AEW has committed to no scripting or teleprompters for promos, which I'm sure most talents will appreciate.
Chris Jericho not appearing at the TNT upfront presentation was a Tony Khan decision, since having Omega and Jericho in the same place would conflict with them being in a top feud with each other. That's clever.
AEW is expected to have more programming on B/R Live. We'll see what form that takes. WarnerMedia really wants to push that platform and YouTube for content.
Silver King's death was due to a heart attack. He had a pre-existing health condition, but had been cleared to compete by multiple commissions. There was no doctor or ambulance at the venue due to lax UK regulations.
Lars Sullivan's fine came after at least one sponsor pressured WWE to act on the situation, following a fan informing the sponsor of the controversial social media posts. WWE had been aware of his social media posts for at least a year, but didn't want to draw attention to the situation when it first came out. Internally it was known Sullivan regretted the posts. The fine will likely be taken from future earnings.
WWE is allowing Starrcast II to show Bret Hart vs. Tom Magee as part of a resolution regarding the Undertaker/Kurt Angle situation. WWE obviously wanted to beat them to the punch with showing the match and covering it on their own service.
- The match didn't air initially since Magee wasn't signed and Bret lost the match to the unknown worker.
Madison Square Garden is disappointed in slow sales for AAA's event there. Obviously the event has been nowhere near as successful as the quick sellout for G1 Supercard.
AAA's Darian Roldan met with ROH's Joe Koff before the Madison Square Garden press conference. I wouldn't assume anything will come of that as far as the two sides working together given ROH's ties to CMLL.
Jushin "Thunder" Liger will not be at NJPW's Australian shows due to being in Mexico during those dates. NJPW could run Australia again later in 2019 if the June tour works well.
MLW recently had a tryout match turn into a shoot when Brian Idol went over time and did unapproved spots, leading to his opponent Ariel Dominguez pinning him for real. I hope everything's straightened out now, because that's unprofessional.
MLW is having referees undergo CPR training following Silver King's death. I'm glad that's a priority.
War of the Worlds week attendance was 600 for Buffalo, 1,000 for Toronto, 700 for Grand Rapids, and 900 for Chicago. Last year's tour drew 1,900 in Massachusetts, 1,400 in Toronto, 900 in Michigan, and 1,800 in Chicago. That's a pretty notable drop in some places.
ROH, NJPW, CMLL, and NWA are teaming for "Summer Supercard" on Friday, August 9, the same weekend as Summerslam. That's a clever idea.
Slammiversary will likely be set up for around 750 fans.
NJPW has a number of talents interested in working Impact, but they can't due to the agreement between NJPW and ROH. NJPW talents by and large aren't willing to leave that company to join Impact exclusively.
Melissa Santos recently had surgery for a torn ACL suffered when training to wrestle.
AEW has signed former ROH merchandise employee Christina Meyers as well as ROH ring crew employee Shawn Carr to reprise their roles.
AEW is talking with Portugal's Shanna.
Triple H is very frustrated with WWE Creative, as Vince McMahon approves constant changes to storylines from so many suggestions. The process is definitely chaotic these days.
Road Dogg is expected to work with Triple H again once he's ready to return to WWE. He took time off due to the pressure he was under.
Andrade is being praised internally, and WWE is helping him with his English in order to maximize his marketability. Glad to see that.
WWE has signed a Chilean female wrestler to the Performance Center.
Tyler Breeze and Shawn Spears (Tye Dillinger) are opening a wrestling school in Florida. So that's at least part of what Spears is doing post-WWE.
WWE is expected to move its UK TV home from Sky Sports to BT Sports. WWE spoke to BT Sports about airing NXT UK at one point before it ended up on WWE Network, so it's possible that series is part of a new deal.
Impact has officially released Gursinder Singh after he requested it last month. It's unknown where he heads next.
Impact released the opening to tonight's episode.
Austin Aries' MLW debut will be at Fury Road against Adam Brooks. I look forward to seeing how Aries does there.
Ric Flair was hospitalized for a needed procedure due to ongoing health complications. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Alexa Bliss has been pulled from Money in the Bank due to concussion issues. Nikki Cross will replace her in the women's Money in the Bank match.
ROH's June 1 TV taping has announced:
- Matt Taven vs. Tracy Williams for the ROH World Championship
- Vinny Marseglia and TK O'Ryan vs. The Bouncers
- Colt Cabana vs. Mark Briscoe for the NWA National Championship
- Jay Lethal vs. Kenny King
Dark Side of the Ring drew 200,000 viewers for season one's final episode.
Ashley Massaro has passed away at 39. She had recently begun training to return to wrestling at the New York Wrestling Connection. That's very unfortunate. WWE.com remembered her and made a collection of social media reactions to her loss.
WWE's Jack Gallagher is being recruited by Bellator. I wouldn't blame him for jumping from 205 Live.
Dolph Ziggler is set for Oz Comic Con in Australia on June 8 and June 9.
Dangerous Danny Davis was profiled.
At NXT's May 16 live event in Florida:
- Brendan Vink and Brennan Williams teamed to defeat 3.0 (who used that team name). Vink and Williams have been opponents and partners in NXT now.
- Killian Dain returned to the brand for his first match since April 4 and his first live event since April 1. He defeated Jermaine Haley. Haley was managed by the former Stokely Hathaway, now known as Malcolm Bivens.
- Drew Gulak worked his first live event since September 2018, losing to Kushida. Gulak has of course worked 205 Live and AXXESS events.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. There's nothing to indicate he has heat. WWE just, for whatever reason, doesn't see him as a commodity worth protecting and pushing.
2. I don't expect AEW to run a $50 PPV every month. I do expect that price is going to stick this time, but it could be adjusted for future shows once their TV deal kicks in and such. They've definitely racked up expenses, and I can see why they want to recoup that investment, but that price tag is making people skeptical about sampling the product.
3. It doesn't look like they were on the European tour. I'm under the impression they're just working Raw TV until their contracts expire.
4. Essentially the aura is that the match was meant to make Magee a star but he floundered, while Hart became quite successful. Since it was lost for so long, its aura grew.
5. Kross wants a lot more than Impact is willing to pay him. As for using so many ECW names, RVD is on a limited contract, and Sabu and The Sandman were special for WM35 weekend and Philadelphia. They're not planning a full-on ECW revival.
More wrestling tomorrow.
AEW is negotiating TV deals in the UK and Canada, but until a day of the week is decided, things can't move forward. Mexico and Australia are targets for deals, as well.
AEW also looked to air content on Showtime, but that would have likely been for major events rather than a weekly show.
AEW has committed to no scripting or teleprompters for promos, which I'm sure most talents will appreciate.
Chris Jericho not appearing at the TNT upfront presentation was a Tony Khan decision, since having Omega and Jericho in the same place would conflict with them being in a top feud with each other. That's clever.
AEW is expected to have more programming on B/R Live. We'll see what form that takes. WarnerMedia really wants to push that platform and YouTube for content.
Silver King's death was due to a heart attack. He had a pre-existing health condition, but had been cleared to compete by multiple commissions. There was no doctor or ambulance at the venue due to lax UK regulations.
Lars Sullivan's fine came after at least one sponsor pressured WWE to act on the situation, following a fan informing the sponsor of the controversial social media posts. WWE had been aware of his social media posts for at least a year, but didn't want to draw attention to the situation when it first came out. Internally it was known Sullivan regretted the posts. The fine will likely be taken from future earnings.
WWE is allowing Starrcast II to show Bret Hart vs. Tom Magee as part of a resolution regarding the Undertaker/Kurt Angle situation. WWE obviously wanted to beat them to the punch with showing the match and covering it on their own service.
- The match didn't air initially since Magee wasn't signed and Bret lost the match to the unknown worker.
Madison Square Garden is disappointed in slow sales for AAA's event there. Obviously the event has been nowhere near as successful as the quick sellout for G1 Supercard.
AAA's Darian Roldan met with ROH's Joe Koff before the Madison Square Garden press conference. I wouldn't assume anything will come of that as far as the two sides working together given ROH's ties to CMLL.
Jushin "Thunder" Liger will not be at NJPW's Australian shows due to being in Mexico during those dates. NJPW could run Australia again later in 2019 if the June tour works well.
MLW recently had a tryout match turn into a shoot when Brian Idol went over time and did unapproved spots, leading to his opponent Ariel Dominguez pinning him for real. I hope everything's straightened out now, because that's unprofessional.
MLW is having referees undergo CPR training following Silver King's death. I'm glad that's a priority.
War of the Worlds week attendance was 600 for Buffalo, 1,000 for Toronto, 700 for Grand Rapids, and 900 for Chicago. Last year's tour drew 1,900 in Massachusetts, 1,400 in Toronto, 900 in Michigan, and 1,800 in Chicago. That's a pretty notable drop in some places.
ROH, NJPW, CMLL, and NWA are teaming for "Summer Supercard" on Friday, August 9, the same weekend as Summerslam. That's a clever idea.
Slammiversary will likely be set up for around 750 fans.
NJPW has a number of talents interested in working Impact, but they can't due to the agreement between NJPW and ROH. NJPW talents by and large aren't willing to leave that company to join Impact exclusively.
Melissa Santos recently had surgery for a torn ACL suffered when training to wrestle.
AEW has signed former ROH merchandise employee Christina Meyers as well as ROH ring crew employee Shawn Carr to reprise their roles.
AEW is talking with Portugal's Shanna.
Triple H is very frustrated with WWE Creative, as Vince McMahon approves constant changes to storylines from so many suggestions. The process is definitely chaotic these days.
Road Dogg is expected to work with Triple H again once he's ready to return to WWE. He took time off due to the pressure he was under.
Andrade is being praised internally, and WWE is helping him with his English in order to maximize his marketability. Glad to see that.
WWE has signed a Chilean female wrestler to the Performance Center.
Tyler Breeze and Shawn Spears (Tye Dillinger) are opening a wrestling school in Florida. So that's at least part of what Spears is doing post-WWE.
WWE is expected to move its UK TV home from Sky Sports to BT Sports. WWE spoke to BT Sports about airing NXT UK at one point before it ended up on WWE Network, so it's possible that series is part of a new deal.
Impact has officially released Gursinder Singh after he requested it last month. It's unknown where he heads next.
Impact released the opening to tonight's episode.
Austin Aries' MLW debut will be at Fury Road against Adam Brooks. I look forward to seeing how Aries does there.
Ric Flair was hospitalized for a needed procedure due to ongoing health complications. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Alexa Bliss has been pulled from Money in the Bank due to concussion issues. Nikki Cross will replace her in the women's Money in the Bank match.
ROH's June 1 TV taping has announced:
- Matt Taven vs. Tracy Williams for the ROH World Championship
- Vinny Marseglia and TK O'Ryan vs. The Bouncers
- Colt Cabana vs. Mark Briscoe for the NWA National Championship
- Jay Lethal vs. Kenny King
Dark Side of the Ring drew 200,000 viewers for season one's final episode.
Ashley Massaro has passed away at 39. She had recently begun training to return to wrestling at the New York Wrestling Connection. That's very unfortunate. WWE.com remembered her and made a collection of social media reactions to her loss.
WWE's Jack Gallagher is being recruited by Bellator. I wouldn't blame him for jumping from 205 Live.
Dolph Ziggler is set for Oz Comic Con in Australia on June 8 and June 9.
Dangerous Danny Davis was profiled.
At NXT's May 16 live event in Florida:
- Brendan Vink and Brennan Williams teamed to defeat 3.0 (who used that team name). Vink and Williams have been opponents and partners in NXT now.
- Killian Dain returned to the brand for his first match since April 4 and his first live event since April 1. He defeated Jermaine Haley. Haley was managed by the former Stokely Hathaway, now known as Malcolm Bivens.
- Drew Gulak worked his first live event since September 2018, losing to Kushida. Gulak has of course worked 205 Live and AXXESS events.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. There's nothing to indicate he has heat. WWE just, for whatever reason, doesn't see him as a commodity worth protecting and pushing.
2. I don't expect AEW to run a $50 PPV every month. I do expect that price is going to stick this time, but it could be adjusted for future shows once their TV deal kicks in and such. They've definitely racked up expenses, and I can see why they want to recoup that investment, but that price tag is making people skeptical about sampling the product.
3. It doesn't look like they were on the European tour. I'm under the impression they're just working Raw TV until their contracts expire.
4. Essentially the aura is that the match was meant to make Magee a star but he floundered, while Hart became quite successful. Since it was lost for so long, its aura grew.
5. Kross wants a lot more than Impact is willing to pay him. As for using so many ECW names, RVD is on a limited contract, and Sabu and The Sandman were special for WM35 weekend and Philadelphia. They're not planning a full-on ECW revival.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, May 16, 2019
AEW TV home set, AEW's streaming future, Interviews with Cesaro/Ali/Cody+JR, Paige on team name controversey, SDL live event set, new WWE mobile game, AEW website expands, new AEW referees, another AEW personnel addition, Lars speaks to roster, SDL audience, more Thunder coming, Becky endorsed by Conor coach, new Hidden Gems, NJPW show sells out, Raw live event note, and Questions on WWE not advertising matches or live events, why Lio gets heat, the point of Creative, and wrestling as an art
AEW will air weekly on TNT at some point in 2019, a pretty major undertaking that changes the wrestling landscape. From the press release:
- WarnerMedia indicated plans to build AEW globally.
- Bleacher Report Live will also stream matches. It's unknown what level of delay there will be (if any) from when the matches air on TNT.
- They emphasized athleticism and competition over "scripted, soapy drama." This will include a focus on statistics like win/loss records. I'm split on that approach, but it clearly stands out from WWE. If that part of things doesn't work, they can adapt.
- Double or Nothing's pre-show will stream on AEW social media as well as B/R Live. That's a good move to draw fans in.
Cesaro promoted WWE's European tour:
- I don't think I'd mind Cesaro winning MITB and becoming champion that way if he was in the match this year. I'm not as high on him as others are, but he definitely puts in hard work.
- In some ways, Vince not getting a talent's appeal does bolster that talent's standing with hardcore fans.
- The Bar have definitely delivered, and both men have singles potential.
Paige responded to criticism of her new team's name. There's something to be said about putting Kairi and Asuka together despite them not having any previous history. Kabuki Girls and Kabuki Warriors aren't amazing names, but I'm glad it wasn't a case of someone throwing darts at a board of Japanese things.
Smackdown Live will run a live event in New York on July 15.
WWE is launching a new mobile game, WWE Universe.
AEW was featured at WarnerMedia's upfront presentation, with Tony Khan, Kenny Omega, Cody, the Young Bucks, Hangman Page, and Britt Baker all present.
- Chris Jericho claimed he wasn't at the presentation because he's training for Double or Nothing. I'm already pretty tired of his current character.
AEW has relaunched its website following its TV announcement.
AEW has signed Earl Hebner and Aubrey Edwards as referees.
Conrad Thompson is listed as part of AEW's broadcast team.
AEW's TNT deal has TNT covering production costs. AEW is not being rights fees, but ad revenue being shared between AEW and TNT. So the TV deal as a whole isn't a big revenue-maker by itself, but it obviously opens doors to promote live events and merchandise.
TNT's "Claws" promoted AEW. Yeah, TNT is really getting behind this.
Lars Sullivan apologized to the WWE roster for his past remarks. I respect that. I hope he can continue to grow as a person.
Smackdown Live drew 1.83 million viewers Tuesday night, a new low mark for the series. That's not unsurprising for an episode that wasn't live. WWE has their work cut out for them rebuilding audience numbers.
WCW Thunder will add more episodes to WWE Network on May 20. It's currently unknown how many episodes and which ones will be uploaded.
Becky Lynch was endorsed by Conor McGregor's coach. Becky's breaking out at just the right time in her career, as fan support has built up over her run.
Ali discussed losing his first name and more. It's sad if "Mustafa" is too tough for WWE fans. I get the idea of giving fans one name to chant, though.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems are:
- Andre the Giant vs. Jerry Blackwell in a Bodyslam Challenge from AWA in 1980
- Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan vs. Nick Bockwinkel, Ken Patera, Bobby Heenan, and Bobby Duncum from AWA in 1982
- Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd from WWF in 1984
Cody and Jim Ross discussed AEW's TV deal with Variety:
- There's no doubt AEW has potential to be the biggest alternative to WWE since WCW went out of business.
- I don't see a reason to directly challenge WWE in the sense of running their TV show against Raw, etc. Give fans the option to support both if they want to.
- Yes, just being "the WWE alternative" is a limited strategy compared to having their own vision.
- WWE has definitely been a departure from what wrestling was generations ago, for better or worse.
NJPW Dominion has officially sold out. This is one of their most important shows of the year.
WALTER defeated Pete Dunne to retain the WWE UK Championship at Raw's May 15 live event in England.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The obvious answer is because so much changes last minute! They do advertise some things on social media in advance, although I see the argument they need to advertise what's on the next week's episodes during the current week's episodes.
2. They could definitely do a better job of that, although of course declining live event attendance and declining TV ratings are linked.
3. I don't think it's a stretch to say Lio feels the need to prove and protect himself as a young, small, person of color, and that leads to him rubbing others the wrong way.
4. Vince obviously changes a lot of things, but I don't expect he wants to come up with and plan out every detail himself! He decides the direction and they make it happen.
5. I'd say it's a pretty common mindset, especially among younger/newer wrestlers. It can definitely help AEW if they're seen as less restrictive of talents' vision and more friendly with the workload than WWE's schedule.
More wrestling coming up.
- WarnerMedia indicated plans to build AEW globally.
- Bleacher Report Live will also stream matches. It's unknown what level of delay there will be (if any) from when the matches air on TNT.
- They emphasized athleticism and competition over "scripted, soapy drama." This will include a focus on statistics like win/loss records. I'm split on that approach, but it clearly stands out from WWE. If that part of things doesn't work, they can adapt.
- Double or Nothing's pre-show will stream on AEW social media as well as B/R Live. That's a good move to draw fans in.
Cesaro promoted WWE's European tour:
- I don't think I'd mind Cesaro winning MITB and becoming champion that way if he was in the match this year. I'm not as high on him as others are, but he definitely puts in hard work.
- In some ways, Vince not getting a talent's appeal does bolster that talent's standing with hardcore fans.
- The Bar have definitely delivered, and both men have singles potential.
Paige responded to criticism of her new team's name. There's something to be said about putting Kairi and Asuka together despite them not having any previous history. Kabuki Girls and Kabuki Warriors aren't amazing names, but I'm glad it wasn't a case of someone throwing darts at a board of Japanese things.
Smackdown Live will run a live event in New York on July 15.
WWE is launching a new mobile game, WWE Universe.
AEW was featured at WarnerMedia's upfront presentation, with Tony Khan, Kenny Omega, Cody, the Young Bucks, Hangman Page, and Britt Baker all present.
- Chris Jericho claimed he wasn't at the presentation because he's training for Double or Nothing. I'm already pretty tired of his current character.
AEW has relaunched its website following its TV announcement.
AEW has signed Earl Hebner and Aubrey Edwards as referees.
Conrad Thompson is listed as part of AEW's broadcast team.
AEW's TNT deal has TNT covering production costs. AEW is not being rights fees, but ad revenue being shared between AEW and TNT. So the TV deal as a whole isn't a big revenue-maker by itself, but it obviously opens doors to promote live events and merchandise.
TNT's "Claws" promoted AEW. Yeah, TNT is really getting behind this.
Lars Sullivan apologized to the WWE roster for his past remarks. I respect that. I hope he can continue to grow as a person.
Smackdown Live drew 1.83 million viewers Tuesday night, a new low mark for the series. That's not unsurprising for an episode that wasn't live. WWE has their work cut out for them rebuilding audience numbers.
WCW Thunder will add more episodes to WWE Network on May 20. It's currently unknown how many episodes and which ones will be uploaded.
Becky Lynch was endorsed by Conor McGregor's coach. Becky's breaking out at just the right time in her career, as fan support has built up over her run.
Ali discussed losing his first name and more. It's sad if "Mustafa" is too tough for WWE fans. I get the idea of giving fans one name to chant, though.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems are:
- Andre the Giant vs. Jerry Blackwell in a Bodyslam Challenge from AWA in 1980
- Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan vs. Nick Bockwinkel, Ken Patera, Bobby Heenan, and Bobby Duncum from AWA in 1982
- Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd from WWF in 1984
Cody and Jim Ross discussed AEW's TV deal with Variety:
- There's no doubt AEW has potential to be the biggest alternative to WWE since WCW went out of business.
- I don't see a reason to directly challenge WWE in the sense of running their TV show against Raw, etc. Give fans the option to support both if they want to.
- Yes, just being "the WWE alternative" is a limited strategy compared to having their own vision.
- WWE has definitely been a departure from what wrestling was generations ago, for better or worse.
NJPW Dominion has officially sold out. This is one of their most important shows of the year.
WALTER defeated Pete Dunne to retain the WWE UK Championship at Raw's May 15 live event in England.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The obvious answer is because so much changes last minute! They do advertise some things on social media in advance, although I see the argument they need to advertise what's on the next week's episodes during the current week's episodes.
2. They could definitely do a better job of that, although of course declining live event attendance and declining TV ratings are linked.
3. I don't think it's a stretch to say Lio feels the need to prove and protect himself as a young, small, person of color, and that leads to him rubbing others the wrong way.
4. Vince obviously changes a lot of things, but I don't expect he wants to come up with and plan out every detail himself! He decides the direction and they make it happen.
5. I'd say it's a pretty common mindset, especially among younger/newer wrestlers. It can definitely help AEW if they're seen as less restrictive of talents' vision and more friendly with the workload than WWE's schedule.
More wrestling coming up.
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Piper DVD coming, Silver King honored, Interviews with Vince/ESPN head/Strauss/Gowen/Khan, Truth+Stephanie appearances, Bray mask origins, Impact champ returns to action, Impact employee resigns, Slammiversary details, Lars fined, NXT signing official, Big Show gets TV role, Titus lawsuit settled, Raw audience, Raw live event notes, NXT names set for UK festival, WWE nominated for MTV Awards, AEW signs ROH ref, MLW live special set, new WWE trademarks, updated Extreme Rules card, SDL dark match, and a Question on WWE handling Saudi objectors
A Roddy Piper unreleased matches compilation DVD set is coming August 27 in the U.S. and September 2 in the UK. The set will feature a Ronda Rousey interview on Piper.
Eric Bischoff discussed Silver King with TMZ Sports. Good to see him put the legend over.
R-Truth will drive the pace car at NASCAR's May 18 race. This gives FOX an opportunity to plug Smackdown Live's move.
Vince McMahon spoke to Variety about the state of WWE and more:
- Facebook or another digital home for Raw or Smackdown Live would have been a big game-changer for the industry as a whole.
- Wow, really? The current product is still too rough for some advertisers? I mean they throw in some swear words here and there, but they're hardly pushing the envelope of what's acceptable.
- I mean, yeah, those TV deals are amazing, but that's definitely the only major success the company's seeing beyond the Saudi stadium shows. And, of course, WWE should try to justify that price tag with better audience numbers.
- Wait, really? The new TV deals are going to pay well regardless of ratings or ad sales? NBCU and FOX took a big risk with that.
- "Highly-rated" is less true now than it was even a few years ago. Yes, Raw and Smackdown Live are still important shows, but their status is slipping.
- I can only imagine what the WWE-FOX integration will be like.
- Live TV isn't as invulnerable as was thought.
- Oh nah we were definitely upset Owens turned so soon.
- Yes, talents can ask for time off, but it can come at the expense of their momentum and "push" to disappear for a while.
- WWE is definitely being proactive with head injuries.
- It's not like TV networks are looking to pay for NXT, 205 Live, etc. or the archived content.
- Wowwww I didn't realize there was that big of a gap with UFC's sponsorships.
- Oh yeah things have definitely changed from TV being advertising for live events. TV is king now.
- Vince isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Yes, he's going to do XFL things, but he's still going to be the main decision-maker in WWE.
Bray Wyatt's new mask was created by Hollywood's Tom Savini's team. It's REALLY good.
Brian Cage returned to the ring this weekend for Warrior Wrestling in Illinois. Hopefully this means he's back going forward.
Impact social media head Garrett Kidney finished up this past weekend. He was very passionate in the role.
ESPN discussed negotiations with WWE for Smackdown Live. That could have been an interesting pairing.
Impact detailed Slammiversary XVII's ticket packages, including a newly-revamped VIP program called Titanium. I'm curious how well the show will do, and if there's any piggybacking from G1 Climax.
Lars Sullivan has been fined $100,000 for comments uncovered recently. He will also undergo sensitivity training and meet with community organizations on the matter. I definitely understand WWE distancing itself from the unacceptable things he posted, although it seems odd to stiffly punish him for things he did years before joining the company if he sincerely apologized. We'll see what the fallout for this will be, for Lars and for WWE as a whole.
WWE has officially announced DJZ's signing to NXT. I'm curious how he'll do there, especially if 205 Live is shuttered when Smackdown Live moves to Fridays.
Big Show has been announced for SyFy's "Van Helsing" in an unspecified role.
Stephanie McMahon will be part of VidCon's 10th annual gala in California.
NXT's Robert Strauss was profiled ahead of an NXT live event in New Jersey.
Titus O'Neil's "Swerved" lawsuit has been officially settled. Terms were not disclosed. Hopefully this is all taken care of now.
Raw drew 2.35 million viewers Monday night, which was surprisingly up for a non-live episode.
At Raw's May 14 live event in France:
- Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado defeated The Singh Brothers, so that explains why they weren't wrestling on 205 Live.
- Bayley and Ember Moon defeated Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan. This is why Bayley and Ember weren't on Smackdown Live.
NXT's Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Shayna Baszler, and Matt Riddle are advertised for the Download Festival along with NXT UK talents.
WALTER defeated R-Truth to retain the UK Championship at Smackdown Live's May 13 live event in England.
WWE is nominated for the 2019 MTV Awards for Best Fight (Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch) and Best Real-Life Hero (Roman Reigns). I'm curious how well they'll do.
Zach Gowen discussed WWE helping him out and more:
- Producing is definitely a valuable role!
- I definitely hope AEW can be something of note after all that's being put into it.
- Impact could probably use someone like him for a backstage role given how many other producers have left.
- Really cool what he's accomplishing now.
AEW has signed ROH referee Paul Turner. No one is safe from being signed away!
NJPW will honor Silver King at their May 22 event. Great to see.
AEW President Tony Khan spoke to ITV Wrestling about Double or Nothing and future AEW U.K. events. It definitely looks like AEW is headed to ITV once a TV show gets off the ground. Khan has big plans for the promotion.
MLW: Fury Road will air live on June 1 on beIN Sports. I expect Austin Aries to pop up on that show in some fashion.
WWE has trademarked "WWE SuperShowdown" and "WWE Supershow" ahead of their return to Saudi Arabia.
Extreme Rules is currently advertising:
- Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship
- Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin for the WWE Universal Championship in a tables match
- Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon and Elias
- AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre
After Smackdown Live, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods defeated Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com question:
1. I haven't seen anything about anyone deciding not to go on the trip yet. I expect WWE wants to work around certain names potentially not appearing as best as they can and as quietly as they can. As for any repercussions for talent not appearing, it will depend on the talent. Someone like Daniel Bryan is relatively safe since the company needs him more than he needs them, but other talents lower on the card could potentially be put on the shelf if WWE feels embarrassed by their refusal and thinks it's worth the bad press to keep them benched. As far as talents being able to leave and go to AEW, that's obviously an option down the line, but WWE's not going to release them and have them go right to the competition.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Eric Bischoff discussed Silver King with TMZ Sports. Good to see him put the legend over.
R-Truth will drive the pace car at NASCAR's May 18 race. This gives FOX an opportunity to plug Smackdown Live's move.
Vince McMahon spoke to Variety about the state of WWE and more:
- Facebook or another digital home for Raw or Smackdown Live would have been a big game-changer for the industry as a whole.
- Wow, really? The current product is still too rough for some advertisers? I mean they throw in some swear words here and there, but they're hardly pushing the envelope of what's acceptable.
- I mean, yeah, those TV deals are amazing, but that's definitely the only major success the company's seeing beyond the Saudi stadium shows. And, of course, WWE should try to justify that price tag with better audience numbers.
- Wait, really? The new TV deals are going to pay well regardless of ratings or ad sales? NBCU and FOX took a big risk with that.
- "Highly-rated" is less true now than it was even a few years ago. Yes, Raw and Smackdown Live are still important shows, but their status is slipping.
- I can only imagine what the WWE-FOX integration will be like.
- Live TV isn't as invulnerable as was thought.
- Oh nah we were definitely upset Owens turned so soon.
- Yes, talents can ask for time off, but it can come at the expense of their momentum and "push" to disappear for a while.
- WWE is definitely being proactive with head injuries.
- It's not like TV networks are looking to pay for NXT, 205 Live, etc. or the archived content.
- Wowwww I didn't realize there was that big of a gap with UFC's sponsorships.
- Oh yeah things have definitely changed from TV being advertising for live events. TV is king now.
- Vince isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Yes, he's going to do XFL things, but he's still going to be the main decision-maker in WWE.
Bray Wyatt's new mask was created by Hollywood's Tom Savini's team. It's REALLY good.
Brian Cage returned to the ring this weekend for Warrior Wrestling in Illinois. Hopefully this means he's back going forward.
Impact social media head Garrett Kidney finished up this past weekend. He was very passionate in the role.
ESPN discussed negotiations with WWE for Smackdown Live. That could have been an interesting pairing.
Impact detailed Slammiversary XVII's ticket packages, including a newly-revamped VIP program called Titanium. I'm curious how well the show will do, and if there's any piggybacking from G1 Climax.
Lars Sullivan has been fined $100,000 for comments uncovered recently. He will also undergo sensitivity training and meet with community organizations on the matter. I definitely understand WWE distancing itself from the unacceptable things he posted, although it seems odd to stiffly punish him for things he did years before joining the company if he sincerely apologized. We'll see what the fallout for this will be, for Lars and for WWE as a whole.
WWE has officially announced DJZ's signing to NXT. I'm curious how he'll do there, especially if 205 Live is shuttered when Smackdown Live moves to Fridays.
Big Show has been announced for SyFy's "Van Helsing" in an unspecified role.
Stephanie McMahon will be part of VidCon's 10th annual gala in California.
NXT's Robert Strauss was profiled ahead of an NXT live event in New Jersey.
Titus O'Neil's "Swerved" lawsuit has been officially settled. Terms were not disclosed. Hopefully this is all taken care of now.
Raw drew 2.35 million viewers Monday night, which was surprisingly up for a non-live episode.
At Raw's May 14 live event in France:
- Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado defeated The Singh Brothers, so that explains why they weren't wrestling on 205 Live.
- Bayley and Ember Moon defeated Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan. This is why Bayley and Ember weren't on Smackdown Live.
NXT's Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Shayna Baszler, and Matt Riddle are advertised for the Download Festival along with NXT UK talents.
WALTER defeated R-Truth to retain the UK Championship at Smackdown Live's May 13 live event in England.
WWE is nominated for the 2019 MTV Awards for Best Fight (Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch) and Best Real-Life Hero (Roman Reigns). I'm curious how well they'll do.
Zach Gowen discussed WWE helping him out and more:
- Producing is definitely a valuable role!
- I definitely hope AEW can be something of note after all that's being put into it.
- Impact could probably use someone like him for a backstage role given how many other producers have left.
- Really cool what he's accomplishing now.
AEW has signed ROH referee Paul Turner. No one is safe from being signed away!
NJPW will honor Silver King at their May 22 event. Great to see.
AEW President Tony Khan spoke to ITV Wrestling about Double or Nothing and future AEW U.K. events. It definitely looks like AEW is headed to ITV once a TV show gets off the ground. Khan has big plans for the promotion.
MLW: Fury Road will air live on June 1 on beIN Sports. I expect Austin Aries to pop up on that show in some fashion.
WWE has trademarked "WWE SuperShowdown" and "WWE Supershow" ahead of their return to Saudi Arabia.
Extreme Rules is currently advertising:
- Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship
- Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin for the WWE Universal Championship in a tables match
- Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon and Elias
- AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre
After Smackdown Live, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods defeated Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com question:
1. I haven't seen anything about anyone deciding not to go on the trip yet. I expect WWE wants to work around certain names potentially not appearing as best as they can and as quietly as they can. As for any repercussions for talent not appearing, it will depend on the talent. Someone like Daniel Bryan is relatively safe since the company needs him more than he needs them, but other talents lower on the card could potentially be put on the shelf if WWE feels embarrassed by their refusal and thinks it's worth the bad press to keep them benched. As far as talents being able to leave and go to AEW, that's obviously an option down the line, but WWE's not going to release them and have them go right to the competition.
More wrestling tomorrow.
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