- Main Event:
- Lacey vs. Dana:
Kind of silly so far.
Not bad, just kind of basic.
I like Lacey's mean streak.
Dana's impressing me on this show.
Fun ending.
- Slater Gator vs. EY/Mojo:
I missed this silly team. What happened to the new Mojo??
Fine basic wrestling.
Fine to fill some time.
Jeremy Borash is on Edge and Christian's latest podcast.
Mick Foley promoted Starrcast and discussed Bray Wyatt. I also praise Bray for being able to pull off such different sides of himself.
Ric Flair has applied to trademark "The Man" for wrestling purposes, which would obviously affect WWE using that name for Becky Lynch. Ideally both would be able to have merchandise with that name; it's not as unique as, say, The Nature Boy.
WWE endorsed Seth Rollins' Pro Wrestling Illustrated rating. I mean, winning the Universal Championship matches at WrestleMania and Summerslam are pretty good qualifications.
Rob Gronkowski cut a promo on Mojo Rawley.
Zack Ryder and Malcolm Bivens spoke to Sam Roberts.
FOX released a Smackdown commercial. The brand will go back to the name "Friday Night Smackdown" with the October 4 move. Honestly that's a pretty cool commercial; I love the integration of pop culture moments.
Impact is collaborating to promote AAA's New York show. It's not clear what they're doing exactly, since Tessa Blanchard and Taya Valkyrie were already booked for the event. The Fight Network involvement is great for AAA, though, for sure.
WWE Network has been updated for Amazon's Fire Stick, fixing some bugs.
Renee Young spoke to Alicia Atout. I'm glad WWE let Young sit down with the AEW-linked Alicia.
WWE is celebrating the Intercontinental Championship's 40th anniversary with social media content this week, including a roundtable with Randy Orton, Christian, and The Miz on September 5. I like that! WWE could do more with such concepts going forward.
ROH's world championship contendership tournament has added Bandido, Colt Cabana, PCO, and Mark Haskins. Pleasantly surprised to see Colt there. This could be an interesting tournament, and a chance for a new beginning for ROH.
Ember Moon spoke on Ronda Rousey's website. Pretty cool to hear how driven she is.
Triple H endorsed NXT UK's Jordan Devlin in The Irish Mirror.
Drake Maverick hiding under the ring to win the 24/7 Championship was videoed. This has been really entertaining and silly.
Awesome Kong is working as a coach in AEW. That's great! She's got a lot to pass on.
AEW is working with Impact to have Tennille Dashwood appear in All Out's Casino Battle Royale. That would be great!
Jonathan Gresham got a leg injury at an independent show, with the match being stopped. There's no word on what happened and how long he'll be out, but that sucks.
Orange Cassidy spoke to Chris Van Vliet before All Out. I love this.
Cain Velasquez discussed the reaction to his AAA debut.
AEW's Countdown to All Out special was released online.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I believe he appeared at AXXESS as Abyss, but other than that he's Chris Parks the producer.
2. It's certainly not out of the question.
3. Nothing to indicate he still is.
4. AEW using Hana Kimura would make a ton of sense. She's really building a following online and Stardom is clearly open to having talent work AEW.
Nothing to add to 5.
More wrestling coming up.
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Main Event Reax - 8/30/19, Interviews with Borash/Foley/Gronkowski/Ryder/Bivens/Renee/Ember/HHH/Cassidy/Cain, Flair trademarking The Man?, Seth honored by PWI, FOX SD commercial, Impact helping promote AAA show, another Network update, WWE celebrating IC anniversary, more ROH contenders, how Drake prepared for 24/7 win, Impact name headed to All Out?, ROH injury, AEW special online, and Questions on Abyss' whereabouts, AEW names and Punk on Amell's new show, and a name I'd like to see signed
Friday, August 30, 2019
New WWE trademarks, Moxley pulled from Starrcast, live event canceled, WWE signing, NJPW attendance note, WWE does really well in South America, ROH attendance, why Delirious is in Grand Prix, injured AAA name missing NY show, NJPW moves event due to Olympics, Japanese charity show sells out, update on TV declines, Alberto promotion having money trouble, NWA advertising past names for taping, ROH name out hurt, Khan on AEW's TV night, Omega-DDT note, WWE looking to change roster, WWE shoots down NXT rumor, NXT Creative expanding, WWE Australia matches, WWE passes sales tax onto consumers, where the Usos have been, Rock endorses Shamrock, assorted wrestling press, MLW signs jiujitsu medalist, hurricane canceling NXT shows, ROH about to lose top name?, Impact announces international deal, new All Out competitor, TNT special recut, ROH tournament competitors, AEW signs Dustin to multi-year deal, another Clash of Champions match in the works, Theory set for another title defense, new Bloodsport match, Interview with Schiavone, EVE profiled, AEW running All Out venue before Thanksgiving, and Questions on Heyman in Impact, AEW vs. Raw, Raw Roulette, Zayn mentioning AEW, and strange venues
WWE is trademarking the names Breezango and The Outliers. That's a good sign for the teams continuing. They've also trademarked "The Irresistible Force," which could apply to the still-injured Nia Jax.
Jon Moxley has been pulled from Starrcast due to getting treatment for his elbow. Hopefully it's smooth sailing for him once he recovers from that.
A Smackdown Live live event for Kentucky in October 17 appears to have been canceled. This was a rescheduled date from May. Cutting down on unpopular live events is an overdue move.
Zelina Vega will sign at a Cricket Wireless in New York on September 10 to promote that night's Smackdown Live.
The Super-J Cup finals drew 2,500 fans.
WWE in Colombia was a legitimate sellout of 10,800 fans. Wowwwww. WWE doesn't go there often, but it matters when they do!
- WWE is planning at least one more show there in 2020, which could be a PPV or TV taping. That would definitely be a very unique environment and would do better than a lot of U.S. shows; I'd love to see it happen.
ROH's August 24 event was a sellout of 700 fans. Their August 25 event drew 450 fans, which is the lowest ROH has drawn in Nashville since 2008.
CMLL's World Grand Prix added Delirious since he was already there for a meeting regarding talent exchanges.
AAA's El Hijo del Vikingo will miss the New York show due to a ruptured MCL. He's still expected for their California show.
G1 2020 will take place in the fall due to the Summer Olympics in Japan. Those are expected to lead to a lot of changes for NJPW's schedule.
Takayamania drew a sellout of 1,500 fans with talent from a number of different Japanese promotions benefiting Yoshihito Takayama. Takayama appeared in a video and noted he was recovering. Very glad to see the support for him.
More than 1.50 million cable or satellite subscribers dropped their subscriptions in the second quarter of 2019. There are still more than 86.5 million Americans subscribed to cable or satellite, but there's definitely a notable decline. Of course, there are also millions of people not subscribing in the first place.
Alberto El Patron's NLL company has had reports of talents not being paid. There aren't high expectations for the promotion's long-term viability.
NWA's first TV tapings will feature multiple former titleholders. They're definitely paying homage to history there, which I know a lot of people appreciate.
TK O'Ryan is out of action due to multiple concussions. Man. I hope he gets through that.
Tony Khan has indicated AEW won't run on Monday nights because they don't want to go against the NFL. That's a smart move.
Kenny Omega working DDT was initiated by DDT.
WWE is considering another draft/shakeup before Smackdown Live moves to FOX. It could be for the best if the rosters will then be consistent (beyond the 24/7 Championship).
WWE has denied reports of re-signing Enzo Amore and Big Cass for NXT. That would be a big shock given how both men left.
NXT could expand its writing team with the move to USA. That's a risky move given what draws people to NXT's style.
WWE's October Australia tour is advertising Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship and Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan as the two main events.
WWE Network subscribers in Maine are now paying $10.56 monthly due to a new sales tax there. WWE made consumers pick up the tab on that one.
The Usos have been pulled from action after Jimmy's recent DUI. That's fair.
The Rock endorsed Ken Shamrock's Impact return, which Moose responded to. Classy move from Rock, and clever marketing from Moose.
Impact is bringing local soccer stars to their upcoming Nevada tapings. Yeah, that doesn't really look major league, but maybe it will boost buzz/attendance.
Stephanie McMahon was part of a Women's Equality Day event at Hyundai.
The 24/7 Championship is now available as a toy replica from WWE.
MLW has announced jiu-jitsu practitioner Dominic Garrini will compete at War Chamber. That could be interesting.
NXT is rescheduling this weekend's live events due to Hurricane Dorian. Their Jacksonville event is being moved to September 20 and their Fort Pierce event is being moved to September 28. I hope everything ends up alright; that sounds scary.
Matt Taven's ROH contract expires at the end of September. Given how much they've built things around him, things would really change if he leaves. I'd be surprised to see another company promote him better than ROH has, but it's certainly possible someone else could offer him a better deal financially.
Impact has announced a Philippines rights deal for both TV and PPVs. That's a plus for them as they look to establish their spot in 2019.
All Out's Casino Battle Royale has added Australia's Shazza McKenzie. They're really making an effort to feature a variety of talents.
TNT's All Out special was produced before Jon Moxley pulled from the show, but was edited before airing. That could have been kind of embarrassing.
ROH's world championship contendership tournament has announced Marty Scurll, Jay Lethal, Dalton Castle, and Kenny King. Those four names definitely make sense!
AEW has signed Dustin Rhodes to a multi-year as a wrestler and producer. That makes all the sense in the world. He's already proven himself as an asset there, and I expect that to continue.
WWE intends to have a women's tag team championship match at Clash of Champions. I'm curious what they'll do for it.
NXT signee Austin Theory is booked for EVOLVE's September 21 event, defending his championship against Josh Briggs. He could easily end his run there to join NXT full-time.
Bloodsport III has added Simon Grimm (Gotch) facing the former Santino Marella. That could really be good with their respective backgrounds.
Tony Schiavone discussed returning to wrestling and more. It is surreal fans are excited for a wrestling show with him involved on a Turner station again.
Pro Wrestling EVE was profiled in the UK. It's a pretty substantial piece and EVE seems to be gaining buzz.
AEW will run All Out's venue for their November 27th taping. Seemingly they expect a big traveling crowd for the night before Thanksgiving. It's possible this replaces plans for a November PPV given how big of a market that is for them.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Heyman wanted to take a great level of control of Impact and make sweeping changes to the roster, with its focus at the time on older names. His long-term goal was to take the company public like WWE. That was obviously a pretty big shift from what Impact was doing, so they didn't take the risk. He wanted to bring EVOLVE's Gabe Sapolsky with him, so that would have drastically changed the wrestling landscape in multiple ways.
2. Terrible idea given the much stiffer competition on Mondays. AEW shouldn't make things any harder for themselves to draw a TV audience.
3. They haven't had an inkling to use it. It also involves a bigger level of planning than the usual Raw, which is already chaotic!
4. Other reports have said it was something okayed to be there in order to make people think he was saying something unapproved, in order to get buzz for Raw's falling third hour ratings. Notably it wasn't bleeped or edited out in replays.
5. I can't top his stories, but I learned there was a pretty notable indie company running a regular show ten minutes from me for years and it took me a long time to even know they existed. I had driven by them many, many times without knowing. So that was strange in its own way.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Jon Moxley has been pulled from Starrcast due to getting treatment for his elbow. Hopefully it's smooth sailing for him once he recovers from that.
A Smackdown Live live event for Kentucky in October 17 appears to have been canceled. This was a rescheduled date from May. Cutting down on unpopular live events is an overdue move.
Zelina Vega will sign at a Cricket Wireless in New York on September 10 to promote that night's Smackdown Live.
The Super-J Cup finals drew 2,500 fans.
WWE in Colombia was a legitimate sellout of 10,800 fans. Wowwwww. WWE doesn't go there often, but it matters when they do!
- WWE is planning at least one more show there in 2020, which could be a PPV or TV taping. That would definitely be a very unique environment and would do better than a lot of U.S. shows; I'd love to see it happen.
ROH's August 24 event was a sellout of 700 fans. Their August 25 event drew 450 fans, which is the lowest ROH has drawn in Nashville since 2008.
CMLL's World Grand Prix added Delirious since he was already there for a meeting regarding talent exchanges.
AAA's El Hijo del Vikingo will miss the New York show due to a ruptured MCL. He's still expected for their California show.
G1 2020 will take place in the fall due to the Summer Olympics in Japan. Those are expected to lead to a lot of changes for NJPW's schedule.
Takayamania drew a sellout of 1,500 fans with talent from a number of different Japanese promotions benefiting Yoshihito Takayama. Takayama appeared in a video and noted he was recovering. Very glad to see the support for him.
More than 1.50 million cable or satellite subscribers dropped their subscriptions in the second quarter of 2019. There are still more than 86.5 million Americans subscribed to cable or satellite, but there's definitely a notable decline. Of course, there are also millions of people not subscribing in the first place.
Alberto El Patron's NLL company has had reports of talents not being paid. There aren't high expectations for the promotion's long-term viability.
NWA's first TV tapings will feature multiple former titleholders. They're definitely paying homage to history there, which I know a lot of people appreciate.
TK O'Ryan is out of action due to multiple concussions. Man. I hope he gets through that.
Tony Khan has indicated AEW won't run on Monday nights because they don't want to go against the NFL. That's a smart move.
Kenny Omega working DDT was initiated by DDT.
WWE is considering another draft/shakeup before Smackdown Live moves to FOX. It could be for the best if the rosters will then be consistent (beyond the 24/7 Championship).
WWE has denied reports of re-signing Enzo Amore and Big Cass for NXT. That would be a big shock given how both men left.
NXT could expand its writing team with the move to USA. That's a risky move given what draws people to NXT's style.
WWE's October Australia tour is advertising Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship and Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan as the two main events.
WWE Network subscribers in Maine are now paying $10.56 monthly due to a new sales tax there. WWE made consumers pick up the tab on that one.
The Usos have been pulled from action after Jimmy's recent DUI. That's fair.
The Rock endorsed Ken Shamrock's Impact return, which Moose responded to. Classy move from Rock, and clever marketing from Moose.
Impact is bringing local soccer stars to their upcoming Nevada tapings. Yeah, that doesn't really look major league, but maybe it will boost buzz/attendance.
Stephanie McMahon was part of a Women's Equality Day event at Hyundai.
The 24/7 Championship is now available as a toy replica from WWE.
MLW has announced jiu-jitsu practitioner Dominic Garrini will compete at War Chamber. That could be interesting.
NXT is rescheduling this weekend's live events due to Hurricane Dorian. Their Jacksonville event is being moved to September 20 and their Fort Pierce event is being moved to September 28. I hope everything ends up alright; that sounds scary.
Matt Taven's ROH contract expires at the end of September. Given how much they've built things around him, things would really change if he leaves. I'd be surprised to see another company promote him better than ROH has, but it's certainly possible someone else could offer him a better deal financially.
Impact has announced a Philippines rights deal for both TV and PPVs. That's a plus for them as they look to establish their spot in 2019.
All Out's Casino Battle Royale has added Australia's Shazza McKenzie. They're really making an effort to feature a variety of talents.
TNT's All Out special was produced before Jon Moxley pulled from the show, but was edited before airing. That could have been kind of embarrassing.
ROH's world championship contendership tournament has announced Marty Scurll, Jay Lethal, Dalton Castle, and Kenny King. Those four names definitely make sense!
AEW has signed Dustin Rhodes to a multi-year as a wrestler and producer. That makes all the sense in the world. He's already proven himself as an asset there, and I expect that to continue.
WWE intends to have a women's tag team championship match at Clash of Champions. I'm curious what they'll do for it.
NXT signee Austin Theory is booked for EVOLVE's September 21 event, defending his championship against Josh Briggs. He could easily end his run there to join NXT full-time.
Bloodsport III has added Simon Grimm (Gotch) facing the former Santino Marella. That could really be good with their respective backgrounds.
Tony Schiavone discussed returning to wrestling and more. It is surreal fans are excited for a wrestling show with him involved on a Turner station again.
Pro Wrestling EVE was profiled in the UK. It's a pretty substantial piece and EVE seems to be gaining buzz.
AEW will run All Out's venue for their November 27th taping. Seemingly they expect a big traveling crowd for the night before Thanksgiving. It's possible this replaces plans for a November PPV given how big of a market that is for them.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Heyman wanted to take a great level of control of Impact and make sweeping changes to the roster, with its focus at the time on older names. His long-term goal was to take the company public like WWE. That was obviously a pretty big shift from what Impact was doing, so they didn't take the risk. He wanted to bring EVOLVE's Gabe Sapolsky with him, so that would have drastically changed the wrestling landscape in multiple ways.
2. Terrible idea given the much stiffer competition on Mondays. AEW shouldn't make things any harder for themselves to draw a TV audience.
3. They haven't had an inkling to use it. It also involves a bigger level of planning than the usual Raw, which is already chaotic!
4. Other reports have said it was something okayed to be there in order to make people think he was saying something unapproved, in order to get buzz for Raw's falling third hour ratings. Notably it wasn't bleeped or edited out in replays.
5. I can't top his stories, but I learned there was a pretty notable indie company running a regular show ten minutes from me for years and it took me a long time to even know they existed. I had driven by them many, many times without knowing. So that was strange in its own way.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Gronkowski on WWE interest, 205 Live match set, Impact+ hits FITE, EVOLVE co-promoting NC show, new All Out participant, another Network update, Rey and Cage get procedures done, MLW bringing back another vintage gimmick match, SDL audience, ROH contenders tournament dates set, why Owens didn't go for 24/7 Title, Cesaro now braces-free, HHH at FOX meeting, All Out special set, Punk promotes Starrcast, and Questions on UE vs. Imperium, how the Wyatts were worked, Lio's status, where's Lars, and USA getting NXT
Rob Gronkowski discussed WWE interest during a media call, indicating he doesn't want a full-time career, but would do a match. It's worth considering.
205 Live Tuesday will have Lince Dorado vs. Humberto Carrillo. That should be pretty good.
Impact+ is now available through FITE.TV. That's a good move for Impact to expand their subscriptions.
EVOLVE and PWX are co-promoting an October 12 event in North Carolina. Interesting move. I'm curious what it will mean for both sides.
All Out's Casino Battle Royale has added Awesome Kong. I wouldn't be shocked to see her take that one, unless she runs afoul of Aja again and they cancel each other out.
WWE Network has been updated on Android.
Rey Mysterio underwent a stem cell treatment in Colombia. I hope that's helpful for him as he continues a long career.
- Brian Cage underwent the same procedure there. He's had an unfortunate run.
MLW War Chamber has added a Bunkhouse match between Jimmy Havoc and Mance Warner. So they're bringing back another WCW concept. That could either be amazing or a disaster, but it will definitely get people talking!
Smackdown Live drew 2.09 million viewers Tuesday night, which wasn't too much of a drop from last week.
ROH has announced Glory By Honor for October 12 in Louisiana. The show will feature the semifinals and finals of their world championship number one contendership tournament. Things are gearing up for Final Battle, it looks like.
Kevin Owens explained not going for the 24/7 Championship. I'm glad they addressed that!
Cesaro has had his braces removed. I'm glad he's finally recovered.
Triple H and recent 24/7 Champion Rob Stone were part of a FOX town hall meeting. Something tells me more FOX stars will go for that title in the months to come.
TNT will run a "Countdown to All Out" special Friday. It will be very interesting to see how that show does audience-wise. It's not a great timeslot, as Impact can attest to.
C.M. Punk promoted his Starrcast appearance. Pretty fun. I do wonder what he'd bring to the table in wrestling in 2019.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's possible if Triple H thinks that's the right move for the show. It could certainly work.
Nothing to add to 2.
3. Yeah, I think it was more of a case of them only making it so far up the card. You can only beat talents so many times before fans stop buying them as threats.
4. No. I'm under the impression he's being benched rather than released so he can't do his thing elsewhere (whether that's AEW, the indie scene, etc.) and possibly make money for others. That's what happens when you fall out of favor with Management.
5. Still out injured. WWE addressed his past; I think they would have kept pushing him if he hadn't gotten hurt.
6. USA would rather the show do well on their network than on FS1!
More wrestling tomorrow.
205 Live Tuesday will have Lince Dorado vs. Humberto Carrillo. That should be pretty good.
Impact+ is now available through FITE.TV. That's a good move for Impact to expand their subscriptions.
EVOLVE and PWX are co-promoting an October 12 event in North Carolina. Interesting move. I'm curious what it will mean for both sides.
All Out's Casino Battle Royale has added Awesome Kong. I wouldn't be shocked to see her take that one, unless she runs afoul of Aja again and they cancel each other out.
WWE Network has been updated on Android.
Rey Mysterio underwent a stem cell treatment in Colombia. I hope that's helpful for him as he continues a long career.
- Brian Cage underwent the same procedure there. He's had an unfortunate run.
MLW War Chamber has added a Bunkhouse match between Jimmy Havoc and Mance Warner. So they're bringing back another WCW concept. That could either be amazing or a disaster, but it will definitely get people talking!
Smackdown Live drew 2.09 million viewers Tuesday night, which wasn't too much of a drop from last week.
ROH has announced Glory By Honor for October 12 in Louisiana. The show will feature the semifinals and finals of their world championship number one contendership tournament. Things are gearing up for Final Battle, it looks like.
Kevin Owens explained not going for the 24/7 Championship. I'm glad they addressed that!
Cesaro has had his braces removed. I'm glad he's finally recovered.
Triple H and recent 24/7 Champion Rob Stone were part of a FOX town hall meeting. Something tells me more FOX stars will go for that title in the months to come.
TNT will run a "Countdown to All Out" special Friday. It will be very interesting to see how that show does audience-wise. It's not a great timeslot, as Impact can attest to.
C.M. Punk promoted his Starrcast appearance. Pretty fun. I do wonder what he'd bring to the table in wrestling in 2019.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's possible if Triple H thinks that's the right move for the show. It could certainly work.
Nothing to add to 2.
3. Yeah, I think it was more of a case of them only making it so far up the card. You can only beat talents so many times before fans stop buying them as threats.
4. No. I'm under the impression he's being benched rather than released so he can't do his thing elsewhere (whether that's AEW, the indie scene, etc.) and possibly make money for others. That's what happens when you fall out of favor with Management.
5. Still out injured. WWE addressed his past; I think they would have kept pushing him if he hadn't gotten hurt.
6. USA would rather the show do well on their network than on FS1!
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Interviews with Horowitz/Lilian/Murphy/Flair/Stephanie/McLane+Teal, Arn podcast update, another Network documentary this weekend, Ronda in Warcraft commercial, HoFer's wife passes away, All Out match gets sponsor, Keira set for BFG press, new Global Wars matches, Raw audience, Cesaro heading to Takeover, "Miz & Mrs" update, UK-based Hidden Gems, HIAC title match advertised, SDL dark match, and Questions on AEW not selling out weeks four and five, ROH on FSN, Omega working DDT, and AEW signing Brock
Barry Horowitz discussed the art of losing and more. Here are highlights.
Arn Anderson's podcast "The Arn Show" will air on Tuesdays beginning in September. Conrad Thompson will co-host and the show will go out via Westwood One.
WWE Network is airing a "Day Of" Summerslam special following Takeover:Cardiff. The Adrian Street documentary has been moved to before that event's pre-show.
Lilian Garcia is on Stone Cold's latest podcast. They've shared quite a few beers in the ring.
Buddy Murphy is on CBS Sports' State of Combat podcast.
Ronda Rousey was in a World of Warcraft 15th anniversary commercial.
Antonio Inoki's wife recently passed. Very sad to hear that.
Ric Flair put over the opportunities wrestlers have in 2019. That's how much AEW changes things.
Cracker Barrel will sponsor All Out's Joey Janela vs. Jimmy Havoc vs. Darby Allin match, which is now a "Cracker Barrel Clash." The AEW execs have a tendency to do things for memes/comedy, but at least this is presumably getting AEW some money.
Keira Hogan is set for a lot of Bound For Glory weekend press events. Good that she's getting that level of prominence.
ROH and CMLL's September 8 event has added:
- The Briscoes and Barbaro Cavernario vs. Bandido, Tracy Williams, and Mark Haskins
- PJ Black vs. Flip Gordon vs. Triton
ROH and CMLL's September 9 event has added:
- Rush vs. Stuka, Jr.
- Matt Taven and Vinny Marseglia vs. Volador, Jr. and Triton
Stephanie McMahon had a long BBC Sportshour interview.
Raw drew 2.53 million viewers Monday, basically identical with last week.
WOW's David McLane and Teal Piper did a conference call to promote the upcoming season. Here's a recap. WOW is in some ways getting a commercial with Teal working All Out.
Cesaro will be part of NXT UK Takeover: Cardiff, but it's unknown what his role will be. It was teased he'll get involved physically. That would be a boost for that brand!
"Miz & Mrs" most recent episode was advertised as the end of the first season.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems will be:
- Adrian Street vs. Davey Boy Smith from Stampede Wrestling in 1981
- Adrian Street vs. Bobby Fulton from Mid-South Wrestling in 1984
- Adrian Street vs. Terry Taylor from Mid-South Wrestling in 1984
- The Undertaker vs. British Bulldog from a WWF live event in 1991
- Randy Orton vs. Triple H from a WWE live event in 2008
- Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn from an NXT live event in 2015
-- It will be cool to see some of those liv event matches
Hell in a Cell is advertising The Fiend challenging for the WWE Universal Championship. That's perfect for that event!
Before Smackdown Live, The Kabuki Warriors defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Tickets remain on sale for both shows. While AEW has done incredibly well with ticket demand so far, and I expect these tapings will do well, too, there are definitely some markets that are stronger than others and only so many people are traveling to a certain number of AEW events.
2. Honestly, I don't expect it unless it's just reruns of the show they air now. Sinclair has made it clear ROH is primarily a source of content for local channels rather than a major priority. It's really telling there haven't been any reports of ROH gearing up to be featured there, since this deal has been in the works for months.
3. Part of signing Omega was allowing to him work other places internationally. He's obviously fond of Japan, and he's likely going to scout talent while he's there. I think it's a good move to branch out to other promotions to potentially get talents who will stand out from what other U.S. companies are doing.
Nothing to add to 4.
5. Brock is still under WWE contract, so there's no way this is happening anytime soon. I expect Brock will be willing to entertain a big money offer from AEW next time his WWE deal comes due, though, if AEW decides he's worth pursuing. He won't come cheap and he won't come full-time, but if the Khans are willing to pull out the checkbook, I expect he'll sit down with them.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Arn Anderson's podcast "The Arn Show" will air on Tuesdays beginning in September. Conrad Thompson will co-host and the show will go out via Westwood One.
WWE Network is airing a "Day Of" Summerslam special following Takeover:Cardiff. The Adrian Street documentary has been moved to before that event's pre-show.
Lilian Garcia is on Stone Cold's latest podcast. They've shared quite a few beers in the ring.
Buddy Murphy is on CBS Sports' State of Combat podcast.
Ronda Rousey was in a World of Warcraft 15th anniversary commercial.
Antonio Inoki's wife recently passed. Very sad to hear that.
Ric Flair put over the opportunities wrestlers have in 2019. That's how much AEW changes things.
Cracker Barrel will sponsor All Out's Joey Janela vs. Jimmy Havoc vs. Darby Allin match, which is now a "Cracker Barrel Clash." The AEW execs have a tendency to do things for memes/comedy, but at least this is presumably getting AEW some money.
Keira Hogan is set for a lot of Bound For Glory weekend press events. Good that she's getting that level of prominence.
ROH and CMLL's September 8 event has added:
- The Briscoes and Barbaro Cavernario vs. Bandido, Tracy Williams, and Mark Haskins
- PJ Black vs. Flip Gordon vs. Triton
ROH and CMLL's September 9 event has added:
- Rush vs. Stuka, Jr.
- Matt Taven and Vinny Marseglia vs. Volador, Jr. and Triton
Stephanie McMahon had a long BBC Sportshour interview.
Raw drew 2.53 million viewers Monday, basically identical with last week.
WOW's David McLane and Teal Piper did a conference call to promote the upcoming season. Here's a recap. WOW is in some ways getting a commercial with Teal working All Out.
Cesaro will be part of NXT UK Takeover: Cardiff, but it's unknown what his role will be. It was teased he'll get involved physically. That would be a boost for that brand!
"Miz & Mrs" most recent episode was advertised as the end of the first season.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems will be:
- Adrian Street vs. Davey Boy Smith from Stampede Wrestling in 1981
- Adrian Street vs. Bobby Fulton from Mid-South Wrestling in 1984
- Adrian Street vs. Terry Taylor from Mid-South Wrestling in 1984
- The Undertaker vs. British Bulldog from a WWF live event in 1991
- Randy Orton vs. Triple H from a WWE live event in 2008
- Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn from an NXT live event in 2015
-- It will be cool to see some of those liv event matches
Hell in a Cell is advertising The Fiend challenging for the WWE Universal Championship. That's perfect for that event!
Before Smackdown Live, The Kabuki Warriors defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Tickets remain on sale for both shows. While AEW has done incredibly well with ticket demand so far, and I expect these tapings will do well, too, there are definitely some markets that are stronger than others and only so many people are traveling to a certain number of AEW events.
2. Honestly, I don't expect it unless it's just reruns of the show they air now. Sinclair has made it clear ROH is primarily a source of content for local channels rather than a major priority. It's really telling there haven't been any reports of ROH gearing up to be featured there, since this deal has been in the works for months.
3. Part of signing Omega was allowing to him work other places internationally. He's obviously fond of Japan, and he's likely going to scout talent while he's there. I think it's a good move to branch out to other promotions to potentially get talents who will stand out from what other U.S. companies are doing.
Nothing to add to 4.
5. Brock is still under WWE contract, so there's no way this is happening anytime soon. I expect Brock will be willing to entertain a big money offer from AEW next time his WWE deal comes due, though, if AEW decides he's worth pursuing. He won't come cheap and he won't come full-time, but if the Khans are willing to pull out the checkbook, I expect he'll sit down with them.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown Live and 205 Live Reax - 8/27/19
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown Live and 205 Live.
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
WWE-AEW wedding, LAX plans update, Impact special including returns, Interviews with OC/Stone Cold/Andrews+Webster/Malaysian wrestler, Piper DVD released, more on Schiavone-AEW, WWE trademarks series name, NWA announces TV destination, another AEW taping set, Stone Cold set for MSG, new Stone Cold merch, new All Out match, Total Divas cast change official, ROH world title contender tournament, Kross-Impact update, WWE names at wax museum, Impact picking up expenses, ROH name to miss CMLL tour, NJPW announces September stars, WWE tag star gets praised, Raw extras, Drake notw, and Questions on how USA will change NXT, referees' discretion, Raw Roulette, keeping brands separate, and Three Faces of Wyatt
Peyton Royce and Shawn Spears got married this weekend. That's pretty cool. I wish them both well.
LAX will not be able to use that name outside of Impact. It's possible the company gives another team that name, as they did for Ortiz and Santana.
Impact's September 13 Twitch special will feature Chavo Guerrero and Marti Belle on top of the usual Impact names, as it is being done in conjunction with Oklahoma's World Class Revolution.
AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows are on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
Stone Cold Steve Austin was quoted in an editorial describing parallels between wrestling and Donald Trump. Due to the piece's heavily political content, I won't link it here.
Roddy Piper's unreleased matches DVD set has been released. Ronda Rousey is quoted there.
MLW's Court Bauer promoted AEW's signing of Tony Schiavone. Glad something was worked out there.
- AEW announced Schiavone has signed a full-time multi-year deal to be a broadcaster and senior producer. He will replace Alex Marvez at the commentary desk, which I think fans will appreciate.
- Schiavone will not do commentary at All Out due to a baseball commitment. Goldenboy will take his place.
- Alex Marvez will still do backstage work.
WWE has trademarked "Fight Like A Girl" for their new series.
NWA has announced their weekly series will be taped out of Georgia Public Broadcasting's studios. I'm really curious what that will be like.
AEW's November 6 TV episode will be in North Carolina. This venue currently seats 8,600 fans. It held Starrcade 1993, episodes of Raw and Nitro, and Impact's 2009 Genesis event on top of a lot of live events, so we'll see how AEW measures up.
Stone Cold Steve Austin will appear on the September 9 Raw in Madison Square Garden. WWE obviously wants the MSG shows to be a big draw after G1 Supercard's success there.
- Austin has also launched a "King of Attitude" clothing line on ProWrestlingTees.
All Out has added SoCal Uncensored vs. Luchasaurus, Jungle Boy, and Marko Stunt. They've got a pretty full card Saturday.
Ronda Rousey is joining "Total Divas." The show returns October 2 and adds Sonya Deville as well as the returning Nia Jax, Naomi, and Natalya.
Death Before Dishonor weekend will feature the first round of an eight-man tournament to determine the number one contender for the ROH World Championship at Final Battle. Entrants have not yet been announced. That's not a bad idea to setup their main event.
Impact has benched Killer Kross as the two sides remain at an impasse regarding his contract. Kross is allowed to take independent dates during this time, but can't sign to another televised company. That's unfortunate; he's missing out on work.
Aleister Black and Zelina Vega were invited to Madame Tussauds wax museum for the unveiling of singer Aliyah's figure. Good to see.
Impact is now covering hotel costs for their talents. Impact had been doing this for Mexican dates, but the policy is now being expanded for all events. That's definitely a big plus for talents there.
NXT UK's Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster were profiled in Wales. They've come quite a long way!
Mark Briscoe will miss CMLL's World Grand Prix due to injury. Delirious is replacing him. Ooh, yeah, that's a big downgrade.
Malyasia's Nor "Phoenix" Diana got press from Al-Jazeera. I'm curious if a bigger company will try to sign her given her story.
NJPW has announced the following names for their September U.S. tour:
- Kazuchika Okada
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
- Kota Ibushi
- Tomohiro Ishii
- Tetsuya Naito
- Jay White
- KENTA
- The Guerrillas of Destiny
- Hirooki Goto
- YOSHI-HASHI
- EVIL
- SANADA
- Shingo Takagi
- BUSHI
Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch missed Raw due to a planned vacation. The Rollins/Strowman material was pre-taped. This is part of why this past weekend's live event loop was cancelled. Hey, they've earned it!
Tucker of Heavy Machinery has gotten praise for getting in better ring shape. I'm glad he's making the most of his promotion.
WWE used talents from WildKat Wrestling and Elev8 Pro Wrestling as extras at Raw.
Drake Maverick was at Raw. The "flooding" excuse was just a way to keep him off TV. I'm glad there was an explanation.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Right now the plans are for the brand to continue as it has been, except the show will now be two hours live weekly. I do wonder what this means for talents working places like EVOLVE, though.
2. Yeah, WWE generally says the referee makes the calls of when a DQ is a DQ, etc.
3. They've shied away from gimmick Raws like that and the Slammys. My guess is that there's a lot of planning involved for shows like that and things change so frequently!
4. There's a sweet spot of how much crossover to have and when to utilize it.
5. Maybe some day down the line. Right now when he appears in-person at should be as The Fiend.
More wrestling tomorrow.
LAX will not be able to use that name outside of Impact. It's possible the company gives another team that name, as they did for Ortiz and Santana.
Impact's September 13 Twitch special will feature Chavo Guerrero and Marti Belle on top of the usual Impact names, as it is being done in conjunction with Oklahoma's World Class Revolution.
AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows are on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
Stone Cold Steve Austin was quoted in an editorial describing parallels between wrestling and Donald Trump. Due to the piece's heavily political content, I won't link it here.
Roddy Piper's unreleased matches DVD set has been released. Ronda Rousey is quoted there.
MLW's Court Bauer promoted AEW's signing of Tony Schiavone. Glad something was worked out there.
- AEW announced Schiavone has signed a full-time multi-year deal to be a broadcaster and senior producer. He will replace Alex Marvez at the commentary desk, which I think fans will appreciate.
- Schiavone will not do commentary at All Out due to a baseball commitment. Goldenboy will take his place.
- Alex Marvez will still do backstage work.
WWE has trademarked "Fight Like A Girl" for their new series.
NWA has announced their weekly series will be taped out of Georgia Public Broadcasting's studios. I'm really curious what that will be like.
AEW's November 6 TV episode will be in North Carolina. This venue currently seats 8,600 fans. It held Starrcade 1993, episodes of Raw and Nitro, and Impact's 2009 Genesis event on top of a lot of live events, so we'll see how AEW measures up.
Stone Cold Steve Austin will appear on the September 9 Raw in Madison Square Garden. WWE obviously wants the MSG shows to be a big draw after G1 Supercard's success there.
- Austin has also launched a "King of Attitude" clothing line on ProWrestlingTees.
All Out has added SoCal Uncensored vs. Luchasaurus, Jungle Boy, and Marko Stunt. They've got a pretty full card Saturday.
Ronda Rousey is joining "Total Divas." The show returns October 2 and adds Sonya Deville as well as the returning Nia Jax, Naomi, and Natalya.
Death Before Dishonor weekend will feature the first round of an eight-man tournament to determine the number one contender for the ROH World Championship at Final Battle. Entrants have not yet been announced. That's not a bad idea to setup their main event.
Impact has benched Killer Kross as the two sides remain at an impasse regarding his contract. Kross is allowed to take independent dates during this time, but can't sign to another televised company. That's unfortunate; he's missing out on work.
Aleister Black and Zelina Vega were invited to Madame Tussauds wax museum for the unveiling of singer Aliyah's figure. Good to see.
Impact is now covering hotel costs for their talents. Impact had been doing this for Mexican dates, but the policy is now being expanded for all events. That's definitely a big plus for talents there.
NXT UK's Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster were profiled in Wales. They've come quite a long way!
Mark Briscoe will miss CMLL's World Grand Prix due to injury. Delirious is replacing him. Ooh, yeah, that's a big downgrade.
Malyasia's Nor "Phoenix" Diana got press from Al-Jazeera. I'm curious if a bigger company will try to sign her given her story.
NJPW has announced the following names for their September U.S. tour:
- Kazuchika Okada
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
- Kota Ibushi
- Tomohiro Ishii
- Tetsuya Naito
- Jay White
- KENTA
- The Guerrillas of Destiny
- Hirooki Goto
- YOSHI-HASHI
- EVIL
- SANADA
- Shingo Takagi
- BUSHI
Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch missed Raw due to a planned vacation. The Rollins/Strowman material was pre-taped. This is part of why this past weekend's live event loop was cancelled. Hey, they've earned it!
Tucker of Heavy Machinery has gotten praise for getting in better ring shape. I'm glad he's making the most of his promotion.
WWE used talents from WildKat Wrestling and Elev8 Pro Wrestling as extras at Raw.
Drake Maverick was at Raw. The "flooding" excuse was just a way to keep him off TV. I'm glad there was an explanation.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Right now the plans are for the brand to continue as it has been, except the show will now be two hours live weekly. I do wonder what this means for talents working places like EVOLVE, though.
2. Yeah, WWE generally says the referee makes the calls of when a DQ is a DQ, etc.
3. They've shied away from gimmick Raws like that and the Slammys. My guess is that there's a lot of planning involved for shows like that and things change so frequently!
4. There's a sweet spot of how much crossover to have and when to utilize it.
5. Maybe some day down the line. Right now when he appears in-person at should be as The Fiend.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, August 26, 2019
Another NJPW U.S. show, AEW names wrestling in DDT, WWE rechedules canceled date, 205 Live name heading to Germany, who was in charge of this weekend's 24/7 matches, Pat Buck's last pre-WWE date, Cain wrestling update, international dates, EVOLVE 134 notes, ROH injury, and Questions on Flair keeping the Big Gold Belt, if EVOLVE names are signed to WWE deals, the UWF, and more World Class on the Network
NJPW will run California on November 9 for New Japan Showdown. The venue seats 2,850, so that's a decent size but nothing huge.
Kenny Omega and Riho are teaming in DDT on November 3, facing Antonio Honda and Miyu Yamashita. AEW talent are able to take outside international dates. I'm curious how much more we'll see in this vein.
WWE's August 24 Louisiana live event has been rescheduled for January 17. I'm glad they're acknowledging tickets that were sold for the canceled show.
Oney Lorcan will work wXw's October 6 event, facing Timothy Thatcher. I have a feeling these crossovers will stop when NXT hits USA, since indications are "developmental" deals are being phased out.
The 24/7 matches this weekend were produced by Bruce Prichard and Adam Pearce.
Pat Buck's final independent show will be September 14, as he teams with Anthony Bowens and Matt MacIntosh against SoCal Uncensored. Interesting he's getting to compete with AEW talents before becoming a WWE producer!
Cain Velasquez met with NJPW officials at a Super J-Cup event. Wow. That would be an interesting fit, especially given Cain wrestling for AAA.
Jeff Cobb is booked for a Philippines event on October 12.
Tennille Dashwood and Summer Rae are booked for an Australian show on October 16.
At EVOLVE 134:
- Atruro Ruas lost to Anthony Henry
- Matt Riddle and Curt Stallion lost to AR Fox and Leon Ruff in an EVOLVE Tag Team Championship match
- Austin Theory retained the EVOLVE Championship in a triple threat match with JD Drake and Josh Briggs
- Drew Gulak retained the Cruiserweight Championship against Kushida.
PCO needed seventeen stitches to close a gash above his eye after missing a dive at ROH's August 24 event. He takes an insane amount of punishment.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. So, in those days there was a $25,000 deposit on the physical championship belt so a talent had incentive to make sure plans were followed/the title made it to the next town, etc. Flair wasn't going to give the belt back until he got his money back, so WWF advertised him as champion!
2. I don't follow her outside-the-ring endeavors.
3. Obviously there are some NXT/WWEPC names working the shows and a lot of people there have WWE aspirations, but most of the people on EVOLVE cards aren't under any kind of WWE deal. That said, there's an understanding that WWE gets first dibs on EVOLVE-signed talent if another party is interested. EVOLVE will let a talent out of their contract to sign to WWE, but will only let an EVOLVE name go elsewhere if WWE passes on them.
4. I expect that's the end of the project, since it has been so long since they've done anything.
5. If they think people will watch it, sure. I don't think they're going to put their whole library on the service unless there's demand for it. It takes time and resources to digitize so much footage!
6. Those were the days, huh?
More wrestling tomorrow.
Kenny Omega and Riho are teaming in DDT on November 3, facing Antonio Honda and Miyu Yamashita. AEW talent are able to take outside international dates. I'm curious how much more we'll see in this vein.
WWE's August 24 Louisiana live event has been rescheduled for January 17. I'm glad they're acknowledging tickets that were sold for the canceled show.
Oney Lorcan will work wXw's October 6 event, facing Timothy Thatcher. I have a feeling these crossovers will stop when NXT hits USA, since indications are "developmental" deals are being phased out.
The 24/7 matches this weekend were produced by Bruce Prichard and Adam Pearce.
Pat Buck's final independent show will be September 14, as he teams with Anthony Bowens and Matt MacIntosh against SoCal Uncensored. Interesting he's getting to compete with AEW talents before becoming a WWE producer!
Cain Velasquez met with NJPW officials at a Super J-Cup event. Wow. That would be an interesting fit, especially given Cain wrestling for AAA.
Jeff Cobb is booked for a Philippines event on October 12.
Tennille Dashwood and Summer Rae are booked for an Australian show on October 16.
At EVOLVE 134:
- Atruro Ruas lost to Anthony Henry
- Matt Riddle and Curt Stallion lost to AR Fox and Leon Ruff in an EVOLVE Tag Team Championship match
- Austin Theory retained the EVOLVE Championship in a triple threat match with JD Drake and Josh Briggs
- Drew Gulak retained the Cruiserweight Championship against Kushida.
PCO needed seventeen stitches to close a gash above his eye after missing a dive at ROH's August 24 event. He takes an insane amount of punishment.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. So, in those days there was a $25,000 deposit on the physical championship belt so a talent had incentive to make sure plans were followed/the title made it to the next town, etc. Flair wasn't going to give the belt back until he got his money back, so WWF advertised him as champion!
2. I don't follow her outside-the-ring endeavors.
3. Obviously there are some NXT/WWEPC names working the shows and a lot of people there have WWE aspirations, but most of the people on EVOLVE cards aren't under any kind of WWE deal. That said, there's an understanding that WWE gets first dibs on EVOLVE-signed talent if another party is interested. EVOLVE will let a talent out of their contract to sign to WWE, but will only let an EVOLVE name go elsewhere if WWE passes on them.
4. I expect that's the end of the project, since it has been so long since they've done anything.
5. If they think people will watch it, sure. I don't think they're going to put their whole library on the service unless there's demand for it. It takes time and resources to digitize so much footage!
6. Those were the days, huh?
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Main Event Reax - 8/24/19, another AEW injury, Raw match set, more 24/7 changes, Flair vs. Taylor Swift?, IC Title marathon, new Ride Along, interview with Cross, WWE trademarks, UK star in Network documentary, EVOLVE notes, and Questions on Moxley's injury, and AEW vs. NXT
- Main Event:
- Logan vs. Dana:
This isn't bad at all. They're auditioning for a bigger spot on the roster.
I like this.
Not bad at all!
- Roode/EY vs. Gran/Lince:
Wow Robert and Eric are probably getting flashbacks to 2003 when they teamed on Velocity.
Solid work.
This is fine.
I like the athleticism here.
Also solid for the time it had.
Rey Fenix injured his leg in a tag match in Rhode Island, but doesn't intend to miss any dates. That would be another unfortunate last-minute hit to All Out, so I'm glad he's still expected to wrestle there.
Raw has announced Bayley vs. Nikki Cross in a non-title match. I'm curious who Alexa and Nikki's next challengers will be.
The 24/7 Championship changed hands at a FOX Sports event as R-Truth beat Elias, then host Rob Stone defeated R-Truth, then Elias regained the championship from Stone. Unironically one of my favorite things in wrestling right now.
- NXT's Robert Stone (formerly Robbie E) challenged FOX's Rob Stone. See, if NXT was going to be on FS1, we could have gotten that match!
Ric Flair commented on Taylor Swift having a song called The Man. 2019 is a wild time.
An Intercontinental Championship marathon will air on WWE Network next Sunday to promote the 40th anniversary of the title. The six-hour special hosted by Zack Ryder will have 20 matches.
WWE Ride Along after Raw will feature Seth Rollins with Becky Lynch as well as The Viking Raiders with Sarah Logan.
Nikki Cross spoke on Ronda Rousey's website.
WWE has filed trademarks for the names IIconics, WALTER, Matt Riddle, Drew Gulak, Humberto Carrillo, Bianca Belair, and Aliyah.
Adrian Street will be profiled on WWE Network following NXT UK Takeover: Cardiff.
At EVOLVE 133:
- Arturo Ruas defeated Stephen Wolf
- Kushida defeated JD Drake
- Alex Shelley made a surprise appearance to endorse his former tag team partner. Shelley was local to the show and stressed he's not joining EVOLVE. Of course this show was running against an ROH event in Georgia, so it's interesting which show he was on. He's not advertised for anything else with ROH at this time.
- New NXT signing Austin Theory lost a non-title match to Anthony Henry to presumably set up a future title match
- Matt Riddle defeated Josh Briggs
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Moxley wanted to work the tournament, and wants to do NJPW when he's not in AEW. Moxley has also wanted to do a lot of indie dates before being a regular for AEW in October. He already had a billionaire throwing a lot of money at him to be exclusive to a promotion, and we see how that ended! I don't blame Khan for giving him those opportunities, although I see the argument it was a naïve move for the AEW president.
2. AEW has a passionate following that really wants to see it succeed, and sees any criticism as an attack. The phrase "true believers" comes to mind.
3. Yeah this one's loaded:
3.a. Vince isn't taking over NXT at the get-go. He's got a lot else on his plate. The ECW brand was partially cultivated by him and his team before One Night Stand 2006 even happened. NXT has been run by Triple H for years now.
3.b. There will be some changes inherent in turning a one-hour show taped four or so at a time to a two-hour live weekly show.
3.c. The thing people are somehow completely ignoring is that there was talk of moving NXT to FS1 a long time before AEW was announced for TNT. It's possible we were going to see a shift even if AEW didn't get a TV deal. Of course, AEW coming to TNT kicked those vague plans to a much higher level.
3.d. The TV deal is expected to make NXT profitable, which it hasn't been before now due to the big costs involved with the Performance Center and the large number of people under contract.
3.e. Yes, AEW's goal with the TNT deal is to eventually get a much better rights deal.
3.f. I really think AEW is getting a level of hype backlash, which will grow in the months ahead as people realize they're almost definitely not going to sign Punk and the product won't appeal to every "lapsed" fan, as they each want different things in different quantities. AEW has blown even the highest expectations out of the water, but there are going to be people who aren't as quick to join the "revolution" or whatever you want to call it.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Logan vs. Dana:
This isn't bad at all. They're auditioning for a bigger spot on the roster.
I like this.
Not bad at all!
- Roode/EY vs. Gran/Lince:
Wow Robert and Eric are probably getting flashbacks to 2003 when they teamed on Velocity.
Solid work.
This is fine.
I like the athleticism here.
Also solid for the time it had.
Rey Fenix injured his leg in a tag match in Rhode Island, but doesn't intend to miss any dates. That would be another unfortunate last-minute hit to All Out, so I'm glad he's still expected to wrestle there.
Raw has announced Bayley vs. Nikki Cross in a non-title match. I'm curious who Alexa and Nikki's next challengers will be.
The 24/7 Championship changed hands at a FOX Sports event as R-Truth beat Elias, then host Rob Stone defeated R-Truth, then Elias regained the championship from Stone. Unironically one of my favorite things in wrestling right now.
- NXT's Robert Stone (formerly Robbie E) challenged FOX's Rob Stone. See, if NXT was going to be on FS1, we could have gotten that match!
Ric Flair commented on Taylor Swift having a song called The Man. 2019 is a wild time.
An Intercontinental Championship marathon will air on WWE Network next Sunday to promote the 40th anniversary of the title. The six-hour special hosted by Zack Ryder will have 20 matches.
WWE Ride Along after Raw will feature Seth Rollins with Becky Lynch as well as The Viking Raiders with Sarah Logan.
Nikki Cross spoke on Ronda Rousey's website.
WWE has filed trademarks for the names IIconics, WALTER, Matt Riddle, Drew Gulak, Humberto Carrillo, Bianca Belair, and Aliyah.
Adrian Street will be profiled on WWE Network following NXT UK Takeover: Cardiff.
At EVOLVE 133:
- Arturo Ruas defeated Stephen Wolf
- Kushida defeated JD Drake
- Alex Shelley made a surprise appearance to endorse his former tag team partner. Shelley was local to the show and stressed he's not joining EVOLVE. Of course this show was running against an ROH event in Georgia, so it's interesting which show he was on. He's not advertised for anything else with ROH at this time.
- New NXT signing Austin Theory lost a non-title match to Anthony Henry to presumably set up a future title match
- Matt Riddle defeated Josh Briggs
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Moxley wanted to work the tournament, and wants to do NJPW when he's not in AEW. Moxley has also wanted to do a lot of indie dates before being a regular for AEW in October. He already had a billionaire throwing a lot of money at him to be exclusive to a promotion, and we see how that ended! I don't blame Khan for giving him those opportunities, although I see the argument it was a naïve move for the AEW president.
2. AEW has a passionate following that really wants to see it succeed, and sees any criticism as an attack. The phrase "true believers" comes to mind.
3. Yeah this one's loaded:
3.a. Vince isn't taking over NXT at the get-go. He's got a lot else on his plate. The ECW brand was partially cultivated by him and his team before One Night Stand 2006 even happened. NXT has been run by Triple H for years now.
3.b. There will be some changes inherent in turning a one-hour show taped four or so at a time to a two-hour live weekly show.
3.c. The thing people are somehow completely ignoring is that there was talk of moving NXT to FS1 a long time before AEW was announced for TNT. It's possible we were going to see a shift even if AEW didn't get a TV deal. Of course, AEW coming to TNT kicked those vague plans to a much higher level.
3.d. The TV deal is expected to make NXT profitable, which it hasn't been before now due to the big costs involved with the Performance Center and the large number of people under contract.
3.e. Yes, AEW's goal with the TNT deal is to eventually get a much better rights deal.
3.f. I really think AEW is getting a level of hype backlash, which will grow in the months ahead as people realize they're almost definitely not going to sign Punk and the product won't appeal to every "lapsed" fan, as they each want different things in different quantities. AEW has blown even the highest expectations out of the water, but there are going to be people who aren't as quick to join the "revolution" or whatever you want to call it.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Interviews with Sheamus/LAX/Keirn, Charlotte teases another title match, MLW/Crash joint show set, ROH owners close deal with sports networks, Rhino documentary, Moxley missing All Out, new Omega match, WWE at MLB game, All Out stipulation added, Shamrock returning to Impact, live event notes, and Questions on WWE-XFL crossover, SethxBecky, referee inconsistency, Heyman moving to CT, starmaking performances, NXT running opposite AEW, and LAX's future
Sheamus is on Edge and Christian's latest podcast. I'm really starting to miss him.
Charlotte Flair teased challenging for the Women's Tag Team Championship. I hope we see Nicholas again at some point.
MLW and The Crash are doing a joint show in Mexico on October 5. MLW will tape Fusion at the event. MLW is something of a sleeper hit right now.
LAX spoke about leaving Impact and more. Here are highlights. Impact absolutely cultivated the duo. They don't "owe" Impact anything as a result, but Impact deserves some real credit there. And I fully expect them to head to AEW.
ROH owners Sinclair Broadcasting have acquired 21 regional sports networks formerly owned by FOX. I wouldn't hold my breath on ROH content appearing there unless it's just more airings of the weekly show. It's telling this deal has been worked on for months and there's been no talk of it meaning bigger things for ROH.
Rhino's Impact return got a Fight Network documentary.
Jon Moxley has contracted a serious MRSA infection, forcing him to miss All Out. Moxley indicated he will have surgery and be able to appear on AEW's TV debut. This is definitely a big blow to All Out, as he was arguably the hottest asset heading into that show.
- Moxley got the infection during the G1 tournament.
- Cody responded to the situation, stating Omega vs. Moxley will take place later. That would be a really big main event for their first taping.
- PAC will replace Moxley as Kenny Omega's opponent. PAC was already booked for the show to announce coming to AEW, so they more or less just moved up his in-ring debut.
- PAC is still expected to work Dragon Gate.
Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Bayley will appear at the New York Mets' September 9 game to support Connor's Cure.
All Out's Riho vs. Hikaru Shida will determine who faces the Casino Battle Royale winner on AEW's first TV show. I'd be surprised to see a joshi win the battle royale in this case. We'll see.
The former Skinner/Steve Keirn spoke locally.
Ken Shamrock is set for Impact's September 5 and September 6 TV tapings in Nevada. It looks like he'll have a match with Moose there. Shamrock has been wrestling fairly regularly the past year, but this will be his first Impact match in 15 years.
Rey Mysterio worked his first live event since May 14 Friday night, losing to Randy Orton.
Daniel Bryan worked his first live event since July 13 Friday night, losing to Kofi Kingston in a WWE Championship match.
For my take on the first set of yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm under the impression there are some WWE personnel used in Alpha Entertainment, but that could have just been in the early going. It will definitely be largely its own thing other than Vince McMahon's involvement and finances.
2. Not at all, although I'm sure it will be referenced a lot on WWE TV.
3. WWE always says it's up to the referee whether something is worthy of a DQ/countout or not, and of course their decision is final! But, yeah, WWE can make up and change the rules whenever they want.
4. Bischoff was living on the other side of the country, so he needed to move! I'm under the impression Heyman is still in New York.
5. That match absolutely elevated Triple H as a sadistic, top-level heel. Great match.
For my take on the second set of yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Nope. NXT was in the timeslot first. Even if it wasn't, it all means more options available on a big stage for wrestling fans and wrestlers themselves. I see that as a plus. And, of course, in 2019, it's easier than ever to watch both. Hell, you can watch one at 8:00 and the other at 10:00 if you want. Just, you know, stay off Twitter to avoid spoilers.
2. Wherever gives them the best platform and opportunities! But, yes, practically, a place that makes them the best money possible, too.
3. I don't think there's much disputing Bryan given the matches he's had with Ali, Kofi, and Buddy just this year. As for Edge, I think I'd give credit to the John Cena feud there as far as making him more than he has been previously. Speaking of which, you can probably put Cena in the category of making stars, too. He's helped put a lot of people on the map.
Nothing to add to 4.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Charlotte Flair teased challenging for the Women's Tag Team Championship. I hope we see Nicholas again at some point.
MLW and The Crash are doing a joint show in Mexico on October 5. MLW will tape Fusion at the event. MLW is something of a sleeper hit right now.
LAX spoke about leaving Impact and more. Here are highlights. Impact absolutely cultivated the duo. They don't "owe" Impact anything as a result, but Impact deserves some real credit there. And I fully expect them to head to AEW.
ROH owners Sinclair Broadcasting have acquired 21 regional sports networks formerly owned by FOX. I wouldn't hold my breath on ROH content appearing there unless it's just more airings of the weekly show. It's telling this deal has been worked on for months and there's been no talk of it meaning bigger things for ROH.
Rhino's Impact return got a Fight Network documentary.
Jon Moxley has contracted a serious MRSA infection, forcing him to miss All Out. Moxley indicated he will have surgery and be able to appear on AEW's TV debut. This is definitely a big blow to All Out, as he was arguably the hottest asset heading into that show.
- Moxley got the infection during the G1 tournament.
- Cody responded to the situation, stating Omega vs. Moxley will take place later. That would be a really big main event for their first taping.
- PAC will replace Moxley as Kenny Omega's opponent. PAC was already booked for the show to announce coming to AEW, so they more or less just moved up his in-ring debut.
- PAC is still expected to work Dragon Gate.
Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Bayley will appear at the New York Mets' September 9 game to support Connor's Cure.
All Out's Riho vs. Hikaru Shida will determine who faces the Casino Battle Royale winner on AEW's first TV show. I'd be surprised to see a joshi win the battle royale in this case. We'll see.
The former Skinner/Steve Keirn spoke locally.
Ken Shamrock is set for Impact's September 5 and September 6 TV tapings in Nevada. It looks like he'll have a match with Moose there. Shamrock has been wrestling fairly regularly the past year, but this will be his first Impact match in 15 years.
Rey Mysterio worked his first live event since May 14 Friday night, losing to Randy Orton.
Daniel Bryan worked his first live event since July 13 Friday night, losing to Kofi Kingston in a WWE Championship match.
For my take on the first set of yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm under the impression there are some WWE personnel used in Alpha Entertainment, but that could have just been in the early going. It will definitely be largely its own thing other than Vince McMahon's involvement and finances.
2. Not at all, although I'm sure it will be referenced a lot on WWE TV.
3. WWE always says it's up to the referee whether something is worthy of a DQ/countout or not, and of course their decision is final! But, yeah, WWE can make up and change the rules whenever they want.
4. Bischoff was living on the other side of the country, so he needed to move! I'm under the impression Heyman is still in New York.
5. That match absolutely elevated Triple H as a sadistic, top-level heel. Great match.
For my take on the second set of yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Nope. NXT was in the timeslot first. Even if it wasn't, it all means more options available on a big stage for wrestling fans and wrestlers themselves. I see that as a plus. And, of course, in 2019, it's easier than ever to watch both. Hell, you can watch one at 8:00 and the other at 10:00 if you want. Just, you know, stay off Twitter to avoid spoilers.
2. Wherever gives them the best platform and opportunities! But, yes, practically, a place that makes them the best money possible, too.
3. I don't think there's much disputing Bryan given the matches he's had with Ali, Kofi, and Buddy just this year. As for Edge, I think I'd give credit to the John Cena feud there as far as making him more than he has been previously. Speaking of which, you can probably put Cena in the category of making stars, too. He's helped put a lot of people on the map.
Nothing to add to 4.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, August 23, 2019
Why USA chosen for NXT, how NXT move affects contracts, who will run NXT, scheduled Clash match, Cain-AAA update, Shibata update, Impact name returning to Japan, more on Taven replacing Fenix, AEW-NEW updates, Indian promotion gets TV deal, lucha lineages continue, MLW name considering MMA, Prichard-MLW timetable, first MLW name in Crash, Savio getting new MLW role, Impact name almost arrested, AEW hires broadcaster, new Casino Battle Royale name, SDL promotion, Ronda-WWE update, Punk pitched for WWE FS1 show, WWE shifts rosters for weekend, Roman mode in 2K20, WWE launching podcast network, Impact planning studio show, Impact execs set for tryout, ROH names working CMLL tournament, new Global Wars matches, Interview with Corey, Conrad conference call, WWE on Chinese platform, assorted wrestling press, NXT UK name booked for wXw, WWE couple engaged, MLW series on new streaming platform, and Questions on GFW+HOH on WWE Network, Cliff's whereabouts, Vince getting involved in NXT, and if another top promotion will pop up
USA Network was chosen to air NXT over FS1 due to WWE already having a home there and the channel being available in more homes.
NXT talents are expected to get higher-paying contracts when the USA deal comes into effect, since the brand will have more exposure. In essence, developmental deals are being replaced. That's definitely a big plus for the workers!
NXT is expected to continue with Triple H on top as long as ratings do well. Should AEW dominate NXT's ratings, Vince McMahon will get a bigger influence on the show. That will be a major factor in the brand, and the future of the company as far as Vince being succeeded at some point.
Clash of Champions is currently scheduled to have The Miz vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship.
Cain Velasquez will work six-man tag matches for AAA's New York and California events. AAA should have announced him early to try to sell tickets.
Katsuyori Shibata is attempting to get cleared to return to the ring. I hope that's a safe move.
Michael Elgin is working Big Japan.
Rey Fenix missing a NEW show recently was due to a missed flight. AEW was interested in making a substitution, but Matt Taven was used since he works backstage at NEW. ROH still had to approve the appearance, and asked NEW not to advertise Taven ahead of time. That's an interesting move.
- NEW will be allowed to use AEW talent going forward, as Cody is close to the NEW booker.
- The Lucha Bros vs. Private Party is set for NEW's September 13 event.
India has a new promotion called Dangal Ke Soorma which is getting a national TV deal and will be released in both English and Hindi. Chris Adonis (Masters) will be a key figure.
The sons of Silver King and La Parka, Jr. are debuting in Mexico on August 31.
Davey Boy Smith, Jr. is eying an MMA debut. MLW will allow him to compete while still under contract.
Tom Prichard begins in MLW at War Chamber. He'll be both a producer and trainer, a great role for him.
MLW is sending Ricky Martinez to The Crash's September 7 event, which is running against War Chamber.
Savio Vega will work as a producer in MLW starting in October.
LAX's Ortiz was almost arrested for public drunkenness, but Impact and Konnan intervened. Ortiz is lucky there.
AEW has hired Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez for an unspecified role. I'm interested how that will go.
- AEW was also interested in Mike Tenay at one point. A number of parties are looking to get him,. I'd love to see him back in some capacity.
AEW's Casino Battle Royale is set to add Britt Baker now that she's recovered. Makes sense.
FOX promoted Smackdown Live on NFL preseason games. I'm really curious how the show will do on that channel.
Ronda Rousey isn't expected to return to WWE in a full-time capacity. It makes sense in some ways to save her for important dates.
C.M. Punk's agent pitched Punk joining FS1 as a host for WWE's upcoming studio show, but it's unclear if Punk is interested in such a role. There has been no negotiations at this point. It will be interesting to see where things go with him in the years ahead.
WWE's upcoming South American live events are now Supershows, featuring both Raw and Smackdown Live talents, since Raw events were canceled for those dates.
WWE 2K20 will feature a Roman Reigns tower mode. Fitting considering he's on the cover.
WWE is launching a podcast network in conjunction with Endeavor Audio. A couple of years behind the curve, but glad they're finally making it happen. This could be a good use for contracted names who aren't featured on WWE TV.
- WWE put out a separate press release. This can definitely be a big venture for the company.
Impact is looking to do a weekly studio show once the main show moves to another channel. Tonight's episode is being used as a pilot for that.
Scott D'Amore and D'Lo Brown will be at Impact's upcoming Nevada tryout as scouts.
The Briscoes, Matt Taven, and Kenny King are working CMLL's Grand Prix tournament. Good to see them getting exposure there.
ROH and CMLL's Global Wars Espectacular HonorClub events have added:
- For September 6 in Michigan:
-- Matt Taven and Vinny Marseglia vs. Volador, Jr. and Triton
-- Villain Enterprises (all four members) vs. Okumura, Rey Bucanero, Hechicero, and Barbaro Cavernario
- For September 7 in Illinois:
-- Rush vs. Barbaro Cavernario
-- Jay Lethal, Jeff Cobb, and Jonathan Gresham vs. Caristico, Stuka, Jr., and Triton
- For September 8 in Wisconsin:
-- The Briscoes and Barbaro Cavernario vs. Bandido, Mark Haskins, and Tracy Williams
-- Flip Gordon vs. PJ Black vs. Triton
Corey Graves discussed working with Vince McMahon and more with Sean Mooney. Here are highlights:
- Vince is definitely quite particular about the announcing.
- Hahahaha wow early NXT sounds tough. I'm surprised talents were told to do something against local ordinances.
- The rise of NXT was definitely cool to follow.
Conrad Thompson did a conference call to promote Starrcast III, covered here:
- Ha. I fully expect Starrcast IV, etc.
- I like him wanting each Starrcast to be unique.
- Starrcast sounds like a brutal learning experience.
- Yeah, WWE should have been doing podcasts a LONG time ago.
- Conrad seems like a good, hardworking guy.
WWE has announced a multi-year deal with a Chinese mobile platform.
John Cena is on Muscle & Fitness' latest cover.
Stephanie McMahon has hit three million Twitter followers.
Cesaro and Xavier Woods appeared at the League of Legends Pro League.
Alexander Wolfe has been announced for wXw's November 23 event.
The former Darren Young is now actively taking wrestling bookings.
Jake Roberts is set for an Australian speaking tour in February 2020. Pretty cool.
Jazzy Gabert is touring with German singer Udo Lindenberg as part of a wrestling act.
Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch announced their engagement. I hope that goes well for them.
MLW Fusion is now available on PlayStation Vue, where it has gained a significant following. That's great for them!
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. GFW I doubt given its current state. HOH is an interesting option, but I would think Dreamer would like to do his own thing and there's no guarantee he won't pop up in AEW again. WWE isn't really bothered by Impact right now, but if it gets to a bigger TV home, that can change.
2. That's a name I haven't seen in a while! I also wish we could have seen more of him.
Nothing to add to 3.
4. Right now it looks like he's staying out of NXT. But if AEW does significantly better numbers than NXT, I fully expect him to get involved.
5. As soon as another very wealthy party has interest in making or supporting a promotion. NXT and AEW being successful can definitely open doors there.
More wrestling tomorrow.
NXT talents are expected to get higher-paying contracts when the USA deal comes into effect, since the brand will have more exposure. In essence, developmental deals are being replaced. That's definitely a big plus for the workers!
NXT is expected to continue with Triple H on top as long as ratings do well. Should AEW dominate NXT's ratings, Vince McMahon will get a bigger influence on the show. That will be a major factor in the brand, and the future of the company as far as Vince being succeeded at some point.
Clash of Champions is currently scheduled to have The Miz vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship.
Cain Velasquez will work six-man tag matches for AAA's New York and California events. AAA should have announced him early to try to sell tickets.
Katsuyori Shibata is attempting to get cleared to return to the ring. I hope that's a safe move.
Michael Elgin is working Big Japan.
Rey Fenix missing a NEW show recently was due to a missed flight. AEW was interested in making a substitution, but Matt Taven was used since he works backstage at NEW. ROH still had to approve the appearance, and asked NEW not to advertise Taven ahead of time. That's an interesting move.
- NEW will be allowed to use AEW talent going forward, as Cody is close to the NEW booker.
- The Lucha Bros vs. Private Party is set for NEW's September 13 event.
India has a new promotion called Dangal Ke Soorma which is getting a national TV deal and will be released in both English and Hindi. Chris Adonis (Masters) will be a key figure.
The sons of Silver King and La Parka, Jr. are debuting in Mexico on August 31.
Davey Boy Smith, Jr. is eying an MMA debut. MLW will allow him to compete while still under contract.
Tom Prichard begins in MLW at War Chamber. He'll be both a producer and trainer, a great role for him.
MLW is sending Ricky Martinez to The Crash's September 7 event, which is running against War Chamber.
Savio Vega will work as a producer in MLW starting in October.
LAX's Ortiz was almost arrested for public drunkenness, but Impact and Konnan intervened. Ortiz is lucky there.
AEW has hired Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez for an unspecified role. I'm interested how that will go.
- AEW was also interested in Mike Tenay at one point. A number of parties are looking to get him,. I'd love to see him back in some capacity.
AEW's Casino Battle Royale is set to add Britt Baker now that she's recovered. Makes sense.
FOX promoted Smackdown Live on NFL preseason games. I'm really curious how the show will do on that channel.
Ronda Rousey isn't expected to return to WWE in a full-time capacity. It makes sense in some ways to save her for important dates.
C.M. Punk's agent pitched Punk joining FS1 as a host for WWE's upcoming studio show, but it's unclear if Punk is interested in such a role. There has been no negotiations at this point. It will be interesting to see where things go with him in the years ahead.
WWE's upcoming South American live events are now Supershows, featuring both Raw and Smackdown Live talents, since Raw events were canceled for those dates.
WWE 2K20 will feature a Roman Reigns tower mode. Fitting considering he's on the cover.
WWE is launching a podcast network in conjunction with Endeavor Audio. A couple of years behind the curve, but glad they're finally making it happen. This could be a good use for contracted names who aren't featured on WWE TV.
- WWE put out a separate press release. This can definitely be a big venture for the company.
Impact is looking to do a weekly studio show once the main show moves to another channel. Tonight's episode is being used as a pilot for that.
Scott D'Amore and D'Lo Brown will be at Impact's upcoming Nevada tryout as scouts.
The Briscoes, Matt Taven, and Kenny King are working CMLL's Grand Prix tournament. Good to see them getting exposure there.
ROH and CMLL's Global Wars Espectacular HonorClub events have added:
- For September 6 in Michigan:
-- Matt Taven and Vinny Marseglia vs. Volador, Jr. and Triton
-- Villain Enterprises (all four members) vs. Okumura, Rey Bucanero, Hechicero, and Barbaro Cavernario
- For September 7 in Illinois:
-- Rush vs. Barbaro Cavernario
-- Jay Lethal, Jeff Cobb, and Jonathan Gresham vs. Caristico, Stuka, Jr., and Triton
- For September 8 in Wisconsin:
-- The Briscoes and Barbaro Cavernario vs. Bandido, Mark Haskins, and Tracy Williams
-- Flip Gordon vs. PJ Black vs. Triton
Corey Graves discussed working with Vince McMahon and more with Sean Mooney. Here are highlights:
- Vince is definitely quite particular about the announcing.
- Hahahaha wow early NXT sounds tough. I'm surprised talents were told to do something against local ordinances.
- The rise of NXT was definitely cool to follow.
Conrad Thompson did a conference call to promote Starrcast III, covered here:
- Ha. I fully expect Starrcast IV, etc.
- I like him wanting each Starrcast to be unique.
- Starrcast sounds like a brutal learning experience.
- Yeah, WWE should have been doing podcasts a LONG time ago.
- Conrad seems like a good, hardworking guy.
WWE has announced a multi-year deal with a Chinese mobile platform.
John Cena is on Muscle & Fitness' latest cover.
Stephanie McMahon has hit three million Twitter followers.
Cesaro and Xavier Woods appeared at the League of Legends Pro League.
Alexander Wolfe has been announced for wXw's November 23 event.
The former Darren Young is now actively taking wrestling bookings.
Jake Roberts is set for an Australian speaking tour in February 2020. Pretty cool.
Jazzy Gabert is touring with German singer Udo Lindenberg as part of a wrestling act.
Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch announced their engagement. I hope that goes well for them.
MLW Fusion is now available on PlayStation Vue, where it has gained a significant following. That's great for them!
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. GFW I doubt given its current state. HOH is an interesting option, but I would think Dreamer would like to do his own thing and there's no guarantee he won't pop up in AEW again. WWE isn't really bothered by Impact right now, but if it gets to a bigger TV home, that can change.
2. That's a name I haven't seen in a while! I also wish we could have seen more of him.
Nothing to add to 3.
4. Right now it looks like he's staying out of NXT. But if AEW does significantly better numbers than NXT, I fully expect him to get involved.
5. As soon as another very wealthy party has interest in making or supporting a promotion. NXT and AEW being successful can definitely open doors there.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Elias' reign continues, Foley endorses SDL star, Ronda discusses injury, Interviews with Reigns/Austin, former WWE star at SDL, NWA Hidden Gem, SDL audience, Takeover update, NXT name pulled from EVOLVE shows, AEW taping note, another AEW team in OWE UK, new All Out match, and Questions on Russo returning to WWE, NXT airing outside U.S., ROH on new Sinclair stations, WWE having two world champs, and where Miz lives
Elias teased wagering the 24/7 Championship. Fun fact, WWE was going to do this with the Cruiserweight Championship during Raw 25 before the Enzo Amore situation.
Mick Foley endorsed Buddy Murphy's recent performances. Murphy tore it up on 205 Live; I'm glad he's finally getting to shine on a bigger show.
Ronda Rousey discussed her injury. Somewhat surprisingly, Becky Lynch hasn't roasted her about it.
Roman Reigns discussed being on the cover of WWE 2K20.
Eugene was at Tuesday's Smackdown Live this week. I wonder if his uncle Eric Bischoff will get him a job again?
Stone Cold endorsed Becky Lynch.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gem is NWA's February 1986 TBS special, which had:
- Ric Flair vs. Ron Garvin for the NWA World Championship
- Dusty Rhodes vs. Tully Blanchard for the NWA National Championship
- The Rock 'n' Roll Express vs. The Midnight Express for the NWA Tag Team Championship
- The Road Warriors vs. Nikita Koloff and Ivan Koloff
Smackdown Live drew 2.14 million viewers, very close to last week's number.
Takeover:Cardiff has been announced as a sellout. The venue seats 7,000, and as best as I can tell only one other WWE show has hit that mark there.
NXT's Babatunde has been pulled from this weekend's EVOLVE events. He's set to return in September. I'm curious what's going on there.
AEW's October 23 TV taping has announced Jon Moxley will be in action.
AEW's Private Party will compete in OWE UK's tag team championship tournament.
All Out's Buy In special will feature Angelico and Jack Evans vs. Private Party. They've got a pretty big card set.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't think there's a lot of love or respect for Russo there in 2019, and he hasn't had the corporate experience that Heyman and Bischoff have had, so he's not there.
2. It will still be on the Network. I would think deals will need to be cut for NXT to air on TV elsewhere.
3. The fact there hasn't been any indication that's coming says a lot about ROH's standing in the Sinclair ladder. Right now ROH provides an hour of content for local affiliate stations. Sinclair seems pretty content for ROH to stay at that level.
4. The belief is that the rosters will be more separate once the FOX deal begins. As long as only a few Wild Card names get to appear each week and things don't get bigger than that, I expect we'll still see two world champions, etc. Heck, even if they end the brand split they might have two world titles if they think there's enough of a roster for it.
5. I think WWE would say Mike Mizanin lives in Texas but The Miz is part of Hollywood. Sometimes Raw and Smackdown Live intersect with the reality shows, and sometimes they don't.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Mick Foley endorsed Buddy Murphy's recent performances. Murphy tore it up on 205 Live; I'm glad he's finally getting to shine on a bigger show.
Ronda Rousey discussed her injury. Somewhat surprisingly, Becky Lynch hasn't roasted her about it.
Roman Reigns discussed being on the cover of WWE 2K20.
Eugene was at Tuesday's Smackdown Live this week. I wonder if his uncle Eric Bischoff will get him a job again?
Stone Cold endorsed Becky Lynch.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gem is NWA's February 1986 TBS special, which had:
- Ric Flair vs. Ron Garvin for the NWA World Championship
- Dusty Rhodes vs. Tully Blanchard for the NWA National Championship
- The Rock 'n' Roll Express vs. The Midnight Express for the NWA Tag Team Championship
- The Road Warriors vs. Nikita Koloff and Ivan Koloff
Smackdown Live drew 2.14 million viewers, very close to last week's number.
Takeover:Cardiff has been announced as a sellout. The venue seats 7,000, and as best as I can tell only one other WWE show has hit that mark there.
NXT's Babatunde has been pulled from this weekend's EVOLVE events. He's set to return in September. I'm curious what's going on there.
AEW's October 23 TV taping has announced Jon Moxley will be in action.
AEW's Private Party will compete in OWE UK's tag team championship tournament.
All Out's Buy In special will feature Angelico and Jack Evans vs. Private Party. They've got a pretty big card set.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't think there's a lot of love or respect for Russo there in 2019, and he hasn't had the corporate experience that Heyman and Bischoff have had, so he's not there.
2. It will still be on the Network. I would think deals will need to be cut for NXT to air on TV elsewhere.
3. The fact there hasn't been any indication that's coming says a lot about ROH's standing in the Sinclair ladder. Right now ROH provides an hour of content for local affiliate stations. Sinclair seems pretty content for ROH to stay at that level.
4. The belief is that the rosters will be more separate once the FOX deal begins. As long as only a few Wild Card names get to appear each week and things don't get bigger than that, I expect we'll still see two world champions, etc. Heck, even if they end the brand split they might have two world titles if they think there's enough of a roster for it.
5. I think WWE would say Mike Mizanin lives in Texas but The Miz is part of Hollywood. Sometimes Raw and Smackdown Live intersect with the reality shows, and sometimes they don't.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
AJ Lee working on GLOW comic, NXT move official, Texas legend booked for MLW, Ronda injured, another AEW TV match, Raw audience, new battle royale competitors, Stephanie honored, Interview with Cedric, CMLL sets major show opposite ROH, SDL dark match, and Questions on Vince's involvement with NXT, Vince vs. AEW, Rusev+Lana's whereabouts, working for a promotion as a non-wrestler, and Network issues
AJ Lee is cowriting a comic tie-in to GLOW. That's pretty cool.
NXT was officially announced as moving to USA Network as a two-hour show beginning September 18, giving them a jump on AEW's TNT debut. The show will come live from Full Sail every week. That's a major move.
- NXT will air the same episodes on WWE Network Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. EST, and Takeover specials will remain exclusive to the Network.
- Triple H, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Matt Bloom, Adam Pearce, Ivar, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, and current NXT/NXT UK talents mentioned the move on Twitter.
- NXT has moved its September 11 taping to September 18 and its September 12 taping to September 25.
- Mauro Ranallo has confirmed he'll remain on commentary for the series.
- WWE stock grew 3.5 percent after the NXT announcement. That explains why they saved it for Tuesday morning!
Kevin Von Erich will be at MLW War Chamber in his sons' team's corner in the main event.
Ronda Rousey got a serious finger injury while filming FOX's "9-1-1." Her middle finger was broken needed screws, bolts, and a splint for her to return to filming. Her ring finger was fractured. OUCH.
AEW's October 23 TV taping will feature the semi-finals of the AEW tag team championship tournament. AEW is really doing a good job of pacing announcements.
Raw drew 2.53 million viewers Monday night, down a notable amount from last week's post-Summerslam episode.
AEW's Casino Battle Royale has added the debuting Sadie Gibbs and Big Swole, also known as Aerial Monroe. Gibbs is signed to the company.
Stephanie McMahon was honored by Adweek as Brand Genius for the sports category.
Cedric Alexander discussed working with Paul Heyman and more. I think he's got good things ahead.
CMLL's 86th anniversary show is set for September 27. Notably this is the same day as ROH Death Before Dishonor; we'll see how CMLL balances the two.
After Smackdown Live, Samoa Joe defeated Ali.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. There are a number of factors that will determine the level of Vince's involvement. If the show does well without him involved, he'll be less likely to micromanage. Of course, if he gets busy with the XFL, he'll have less time to work on NXT, but I think WWE will take priority there. I also expect Raw and Smackdown Live to be higher on his list than NXT.
2. Vince is absolutely concerned about AEW and the amount of money and resources behind it. To a degree, he should be. No one's had this level of opportunity and success since WCW went under, and that's a very big change for Vince. As for countering AEW, he needs to look at every single thing WWE is doing and see if it's either at a higher level than what AEW is set to do or if it stands out enough from what AEW is doing to where people won't compare the two. He also needs to look at each area of the company's business and see what isn't working as well as he wants it to, and change what's being done there.
3. There's definitely been a feeling that the two of them aren't happy with the lack of opportunities they're getting in WWE. Lana in particular wants to branch out more from her current duties and roles. I can easily see her leaving when her contract ends, and for obvious reasons Rusev could follow.
4. The more skills you gain and the more opportunities you take advantage of, the easier it is to get in one of those roles. For announcing, having a broadcasting degree and practicing in other outlets (local news, etc.) is a big plus. Going to different promotions and filling other roles is a good way to start, too. It goes a long way if you're willing to help out the ring crew, etc. and learn from the others who've been in those roles longer.
5. It's not surprising a new launch is plagued with issues. I hope they get them addressed soon, as there's a large number of frustrated fans affected.
More wrestling tomorrow.
NXT was officially announced as moving to USA Network as a two-hour show beginning September 18, giving them a jump on AEW's TNT debut. The show will come live from Full Sail every week. That's a major move.
- NXT will air the same episodes on WWE Network Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. EST, and Takeover specials will remain exclusive to the Network.
- Triple H, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Matt Bloom, Adam Pearce, Ivar, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, and current NXT/NXT UK talents mentioned the move on Twitter.
- NXT has moved its September 11 taping to September 18 and its September 12 taping to September 25.
- Mauro Ranallo has confirmed he'll remain on commentary for the series.
- WWE stock grew 3.5 percent after the NXT announcement. That explains why they saved it for Tuesday morning!
Kevin Von Erich will be at MLW War Chamber in his sons' team's corner in the main event.
Ronda Rousey got a serious finger injury while filming FOX's "9-1-1." Her middle finger was broken needed screws, bolts, and a splint for her to return to filming. Her ring finger was fractured. OUCH.
AEW's October 23 TV taping will feature the semi-finals of the AEW tag team championship tournament. AEW is really doing a good job of pacing announcements.
Raw drew 2.53 million viewers Monday night, down a notable amount from last week's post-Summerslam episode.
AEW's Casino Battle Royale has added the debuting Sadie Gibbs and Big Swole, also known as Aerial Monroe. Gibbs is signed to the company.
Stephanie McMahon was honored by Adweek as Brand Genius for the sports category.
Cedric Alexander discussed working with Paul Heyman and more. I think he's got good things ahead.
CMLL's 86th anniversary show is set for September 27. Notably this is the same day as ROH Death Before Dishonor; we'll see how CMLL balances the two.
After Smackdown Live, Samoa Joe defeated Ali.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. There are a number of factors that will determine the level of Vince's involvement. If the show does well without him involved, he'll be less likely to micromanage. Of course, if he gets busy with the XFL, he'll have less time to work on NXT, but I think WWE will take priority there. I also expect Raw and Smackdown Live to be higher on his list than NXT.
2. Vince is absolutely concerned about AEW and the amount of money and resources behind it. To a degree, he should be. No one's had this level of opportunity and success since WCW went under, and that's a very big change for Vince. As for countering AEW, he needs to look at every single thing WWE is doing and see if it's either at a higher level than what AEW is set to do or if it stands out enough from what AEW is doing to where people won't compare the two. He also needs to look at each area of the company's business and see what isn't working as well as he wants it to, and change what's being done there.
3. There's definitely been a feeling that the two of them aren't happy with the lack of opportunities they're getting in WWE. Lana in particular wants to branch out more from her current duties and roles. I can easily see her leaving when her contract ends, and for obvious reasons Rusev could follow.
4. The more skills you gain and the more opportunities you take advantage of, the easier it is to get in one of those roles. For announcing, having a broadcasting degree and practicing in other outlets (local news, etc.) is a big plus. Going to different promotions and filling other roles is a good way to start, too. It goes a long way if you're willing to help out the ring crew, etc. and learn from the others who've been in those roles longer.
5. It's not surprising a new launch is plagued with issues. I hope they get them addressed soon, as there's a large number of frustrated fans affected.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown Live and 205 Live Reax - 8/20/19
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown Live and 205 Live.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Interviews with Adam Cole+Trish/Bellas/Angle/Truth/Owens/Cesaro/authors, Sin Cata at charity show, Starz series casts Amell, more AEW tapings, more on NXT move, WWE names tease exit, top name booked for MSG, WWE Night at baseball game, Expo Lucha 3 set, former ECW Champion launching podcast, NJPW expansion covered, AEW signing gets press, Vince misses Raw, Graves update, Bellas show back in production, AEW special coming to TNT, Raw dark match, and Questions on Shane winning KOTR, Tunney and Johnston in the HoF, Ziggler's booking, Joe's status as a heel, and Big E turning on Kofi
Adam Cole and Trish Stratus are on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
Sin Cara appeared at an El Paso shooting benefit show. Glad to see him helping out.
The Bella Twins discussed their current projects.
Starz wrestling series "Heels" has cast Stephen Amell as the lead heel. C.M. Punk was considered for this role at some point.
AEW's October 23 episode will be held in Pennsylvania at the Petersen Events Center. The venue seats 12,500 for basketball. I don't believe it's ever held a wrestling show.
AEW's October 30 episode will be held in West Virginia at the Charleston Coliseum. The venue seats 13,000 for wrestling. WCW/nWo Souled Out 1999 drew more than 10,800, which seems to be the record. Those are some pretty big numbers, but, again, AEW has exceeded all expectations.
NXT was expected to be announced as moving to USA Network during Raw. No such announcement was made. More on this in tomorrow's news post.
- Apparently NXT talents were told the announcement was to be made Monday.
Lucha House Party members Kalisto and Gran Metalik indicated their WWE contracts expire in June 2020. Kalisto then deleted his Tweet. I assume this was a way of putting themselves on the radar of WWE and other potentially interested companies.
The Undertaker is booked for Madison Square Garden's Smackdown Live episode on September 10. WWE usually does something special for that venue.
MLB's Boston Red Sox will have a WWE Night on September 3. Ricochet will be there.
Kurt Angle discussed Brock Lesnar wanting to return to UFC. Funny to hear Angle mention football given Lesnar's brief NFL run.
R-Truth discussed his current prominence. He's got to be a future Hall of Famer with this level of longevity; bonding with Vince has really benefited his career.
Kevin Owens discussed Summerslam, Stone Cold, and more. Having time off can be beneficial in multiple ways. As for the Stone Cold comparisons, I'm glad he's tributing the legend.
Cesaro promoted King of the Ring's return. I had forgotten his "I speak five languages" character. Man some of his run has been brutal.
Expo Lucha 3 will be in the former ECW Arena on August 16 and August 17, 2020. The timing is to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Rey Mysterio, Psicosis, and Juventud Guerrera debuting in that venue.
Shane Douglas is launching a podcast on August 27, marking the 25th anniversary of him winning the NWA Championship.
Wrestling authors Greg Oliver and Steve Johnson were interviewed. Pretty interesting look at the business' history.
NJPW's U.S. expansion was profiled in Bloomberg. We're definitely seeing an increased level of interest in Japanese wrestling. Joshi wrestling has seen an uptick, too.
Chris Van Vliet joining AEW got press. I'm glad he's getting to a full-time job in the business.
Vince McMahon wasn't at Raw. Triple H and Paul Heyman ran the show.
Corey Graves is legitimately on vacation this week. Announcers need time away from the road, too!
"Total Bellas" has begun production for its next season.
TNT is airing a one-hour AEW special the night before All Out to introduce the promotion before it airs weekly. I'm curious what that will entail.
After Raw, Becky Lynch defended her Raw Women's Championship against Lacey Evans. I'm glad they're saving Sasha's return for a bigger stage.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think it's more likely he'll cost Kevin Owens his spot in the tournament, but I certainly wouldn't rule out the Best in the World becoming King of the Ring.
2. I'd love to see Tunney and Johnston in particular inducted. It's all a matter of whether WWE wants to honor them. I'm under the impression Johnston isn't the type to want to do a big public speech, and obviously he's not in the company anymore, so there are some barriers there, but he's unquestionably deserving.
3. Ziggler's feud was all about the disrespectful heel getting avenged by the babyfaces, rather than him being a credible contender used to elevate someone to a bigger feud. Although Goldberg destroying Ziggler was done to re-establish Goldberg after the scary situation in Saudi Arabia. At any rate, WWE has tried numerous times to get Ziggler over as a top guy. He's better fit lower on the card.
4. The impression I'm getting is that Joe is a heel but not so nefarious as to run someone over. It looks like WWE is loosening things up as far as heels and faces go, letting some characters be a little more in the middle. Buddy Murphy falls in a similar category since Daniel Bryan is facing him now.
5. This has been pitched quite a bit. It should be meaningful if it happens, and done at the right time.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sin Cara appeared at an El Paso shooting benefit show. Glad to see him helping out.
The Bella Twins discussed their current projects.
Starz wrestling series "Heels" has cast Stephen Amell as the lead heel. C.M. Punk was considered for this role at some point.
AEW's October 23 episode will be held in Pennsylvania at the Petersen Events Center. The venue seats 12,500 for basketball. I don't believe it's ever held a wrestling show.
AEW's October 30 episode will be held in West Virginia at the Charleston Coliseum. The venue seats 13,000 for wrestling. WCW/nWo Souled Out 1999 drew more than 10,800, which seems to be the record. Those are some pretty big numbers, but, again, AEW has exceeded all expectations.
NXT was expected to be announced as moving to USA Network during Raw. No such announcement was made. More on this in tomorrow's news post.
- Apparently NXT talents were told the announcement was to be made Monday.
Lucha House Party members Kalisto and Gran Metalik indicated their WWE contracts expire in June 2020. Kalisto then deleted his Tweet. I assume this was a way of putting themselves on the radar of WWE and other potentially interested companies.
The Undertaker is booked for Madison Square Garden's Smackdown Live episode on September 10. WWE usually does something special for that venue.
MLB's Boston Red Sox will have a WWE Night on September 3. Ricochet will be there.
Kurt Angle discussed Brock Lesnar wanting to return to UFC. Funny to hear Angle mention football given Lesnar's brief NFL run.
R-Truth discussed his current prominence. He's got to be a future Hall of Famer with this level of longevity; bonding with Vince has really benefited his career.
Kevin Owens discussed Summerslam, Stone Cold, and more. Having time off can be beneficial in multiple ways. As for the Stone Cold comparisons, I'm glad he's tributing the legend.
Cesaro promoted King of the Ring's return. I had forgotten his "I speak five languages" character. Man some of his run has been brutal.
Expo Lucha 3 will be in the former ECW Arena on August 16 and August 17, 2020. The timing is to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Rey Mysterio, Psicosis, and Juventud Guerrera debuting in that venue.
Shane Douglas is launching a podcast on August 27, marking the 25th anniversary of him winning the NWA Championship.
Wrestling authors Greg Oliver and Steve Johnson were interviewed. Pretty interesting look at the business' history.
NJPW's U.S. expansion was profiled in Bloomberg. We're definitely seeing an increased level of interest in Japanese wrestling. Joshi wrestling has seen an uptick, too.
Chris Van Vliet joining AEW got press. I'm glad he's getting to a full-time job in the business.
Vince McMahon wasn't at Raw. Triple H and Paul Heyman ran the show.
Corey Graves is legitimately on vacation this week. Announcers need time away from the road, too!
"Total Bellas" has begun production for its next season.
TNT is airing a one-hour AEW special the night before All Out to introduce the promotion before it airs weekly. I'm curious what that will entail.
After Raw, Becky Lynch defended her Raw Women's Championship against Lacey Evans. I'm glad they're saving Sasha's return for a bigger stage.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think it's more likely he'll cost Kevin Owens his spot in the tournament, but I certainly wouldn't rule out the Best in the World becoming King of the Ring.
2. I'd love to see Tunney and Johnston in particular inducted. It's all a matter of whether WWE wants to honor them. I'm under the impression Johnston isn't the type to want to do a big public speech, and obviously he's not in the company anymore, so there are some barriers there, but he's unquestionably deserving.
3. Ziggler's feud was all about the disrespectful heel getting avenged by the babyfaces, rather than him being a credible contender used to elevate someone to a bigger feud. Although Goldberg destroying Ziggler was done to re-establish Goldberg after the scary situation in Saudi Arabia. At any rate, WWE has tried numerous times to get Ziggler over as a top guy. He's better fit lower on the card.
4. The impression I'm getting is that Joe is a heel but not so nefarious as to run someone over. It looks like WWE is loosening things up as far as heels and faces go, letting some characters be a little more in the middle. Buddy Murphy falls in a similar category since Daniel Bryan is facing him now.
5. This has been pitched quite a bit. It should be meaningful if it happens, and done at the right time.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, August 19, 2019
Former WWE name at live event, Sheamus update, WCW Saturday Night update, KOTR preview, Daffney needs another surgery, Captain's Choice updates, another SDL match, assorted wrestling press, ROH name replaces AEW name at indie show, AEW signs Schiavone, Chyna episode coming soon, All Out promoted during MLB, WWN camp airing live, Interview with Malenko, and Questions on the effects of NXT's move
MVP was visiting at WWE's SuperShow live event on August 17.
Sheamus is in Malaysia promoting WWE. That's one way to work for the company while not being in the ring!
WCW Saturday Night episodes from January 9, 1993 through March 22, 1993 have been added to WWE Network.
Tonight's King of the Ring first round matches are:
- Samoa Joe vs. Cesaro
- Sami Zayn vs. Cedric Alexander
Tomorrow's King of the Ring first round matches are:
- Andrade vs. Apollo Crews
- Kevin Owens vs. Elias
-- So, it looks like the first round will be split across two weeks. That's a good pace.
Daffney disclosed having a growth in her neck causing pain and numbness. I hope she gets that taken care of; it sounds unpleasant to say the least.
205 Live's Captain's Choice match has added Isaiah "Swerve" Scott to Oney Lorcan's team. Drew Gulak indicated someone will have to convince him to be his final teammate, which Tony Nese responded to. That's a clever move, and I like that the match has gotten hype every day from this stipulation.
- Bayley pitched being on Oney Lorcan's team, with Oney countering she could be a mascot since his team is full. Bayley responded to this offer. Oney's Twitter is an interesting place.
Smackdown Live has added Daniel Bryan vs. Buddy Murphy, which could really be good. I like WWE loosening the face/heel feud dynamic with this one and the Joe situation.
Heavy Machinery did a thumb wrestling match to promote Smackdown Live moving to FOX.
Mick Foley got press for helping a fan with cerebral palsy. Foley does a LOT of great stuff for charity.
Matt Taven replaced Rey Fenix at NEW's Friday night event when Fenix was unable to appear. This booking was done through ROH, and it's got to be seen as a win for that company that NEW wanted to use their world champion alongside all the AEW names.
Tony Schiavone has signed on with AEW in an unspecified role. He will continue his MLW duties. WWE has been interested in using him, but AEW has locked him in. I expect he'll be used in an analyst role as we've seen so far.
Chyna is the subject of a Reelz TV show airing Sunday night. It will cover her final hours.
All Out was promoted during a recent MLB game on TBS. By all accounts, WarnerMedia is really getting behind AEW.
WWN's upcoming recruitment will air live on their Facebook page as well as Club WWN. At least one participant will get a WWE tryout.
Dean Malenko has a new shoot interview. Here's a preview.
Gregory Iron's battle with cerebral palsy was covered. I'm glad he and Zach Gowen are benefiting each other.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I can't find an instance of me saying NXT airing on FS1 was 100% confirmed to happen. I tend to be cautious with such statements, as nothing in the wrestling business is completely set in stone until it's announced, and sometimes it even changes after that!
2. I can't disagree here. Pouring a bunch of money and resources into NXT just to counter AEW is not an ideal route, but when you've got the kind of money and resources WWE has, you can do things like that. That said, I'd definitely like to see NXT and its stars get bigger opportunities in front of bigger crowds.
3. I would think it could, but, honestly, if you can't sell that video archive and PPVs for $9.99 a month, there's a much bigger problem than whether or not NXT is there! And, yes, in theory doing more Takeover events exclusively on the Network could get more subscribers, with the much larger USA audience potentially signing up for that when they haven't signed up for what Raw and Smackdown Live are doing.
4. All that will depend on how involved USA is and how involved others (Vince, etc.) become to try to get the audience to a certain level. There will undoubtedly be some changes to the product when they have to fill more time each week and account for commercials. It will be very interesting to see how NXT does when viewership levels are brought into the mix, and what plans end up potentially being changed due to interest levels from the TV viewers.
5. AEW will have their work cut out for them competing against a show with similar workers in a similar style. There will undoubtedly be a sizable number of fans who will have to make a weekly decision of which show to support live, which raises the stakes for both shows.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sheamus is in Malaysia promoting WWE. That's one way to work for the company while not being in the ring!
WCW Saturday Night episodes from January 9, 1993 through March 22, 1993 have been added to WWE Network.
Tonight's King of the Ring first round matches are:
- Samoa Joe vs. Cesaro
- Sami Zayn vs. Cedric Alexander
Tomorrow's King of the Ring first round matches are:
- Andrade vs. Apollo Crews
- Kevin Owens vs. Elias
-- So, it looks like the first round will be split across two weeks. That's a good pace.
Daffney disclosed having a growth in her neck causing pain and numbness. I hope she gets that taken care of; it sounds unpleasant to say the least.
205 Live's Captain's Choice match has added Isaiah "Swerve" Scott to Oney Lorcan's team. Drew Gulak indicated someone will have to convince him to be his final teammate, which Tony Nese responded to. That's a clever move, and I like that the match has gotten hype every day from this stipulation.
- Bayley pitched being on Oney Lorcan's team, with Oney countering she could be a mascot since his team is full. Bayley responded to this offer. Oney's Twitter is an interesting place.
Smackdown Live has added Daniel Bryan vs. Buddy Murphy, which could really be good. I like WWE loosening the face/heel feud dynamic with this one and the Joe situation.
Heavy Machinery did a thumb wrestling match to promote Smackdown Live moving to FOX.
Mick Foley got press for helping a fan with cerebral palsy. Foley does a LOT of great stuff for charity.
Matt Taven replaced Rey Fenix at NEW's Friday night event when Fenix was unable to appear. This booking was done through ROH, and it's got to be seen as a win for that company that NEW wanted to use their world champion alongside all the AEW names.
Tony Schiavone has signed on with AEW in an unspecified role. He will continue his MLW duties. WWE has been interested in using him, but AEW has locked him in. I expect he'll be used in an analyst role as we've seen so far.
Chyna is the subject of a Reelz TV show airing Sunday night. It will cover her final hours.
All Out was promoted during a recent MLB game on TBS. By all accounts, WarnerMedia is really getting behind AEW.
WWN's upcoming recruitment will air live on their Facebook page as well as Club WWN. At least one participant will get a WWE tryout.
Dean Malenko has a new shoot interview. Here's a preview.
Gregory Iron's battle with cerebral palsy was covered. I'm glad he and Zach Gowen are benefiting each other.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I can't find an instance of me saying NXT airing on FS1 was 100% confirmed to happen. I tend to be cautious with such statements, as nothing in the wrestling business is completely set in stone until it's announced, and sometimes it even changes after that!
2. I can't disagree here. Pouring a bunch of money and resources into NXT just to counter AEW is not an ideal route, but when you've got the kind of money and resources WWE has, you can do things like that. That said, I'd definitely like to see NXT and its stars get bigger opportunities in front of bigger crowds.
3. I would think it could, but, honestly, if you can't sell that video archive and PPVs for $9.99 a month, there's a much bigger problem than whether or not NXT is there! And, yes, in theory doing more Takeover events exclusively on the Network could get more subscribers, with the much larger USA audience potentially signing up for that when they haven't signed up for what Raw and Smackdown Live are doing.
4. All that will depend on how involved USA is and how involved others (Vince, etc.) become to try to get the audience to a certain level. There will undoubtedly be some changes to the product when they have to fill more time each week and account for commercials. It will be very interesting to see how NXT does when viewership levels are brought into the mix, and what plans end up potentially being changed due to interest levels from the TV viewers.
5. AEW will have their work cut out for them competing against a show with similar workers in a similar style. There will undoubtedly be a sizable number of fans who will have to make a weekly decision of which show to support live, which raises the stakes for both shows.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Main Event Reax - 8/17/19, Kushida's EVOLVE opponent, Teal signs a contract, USA interested in NXT, WWE Netflix movie done shooting, AEW name cleared to return, NXT vs. NXT UK in PROGRESS, NXT name working 205 Live, AEW angle in Ontario, LAX says goodbye to Impact, AJPW issues Aoki statement, former WWE name set for Bloodsport, AEW's OWE UK tournament team, WWE live event notes, and Questions on AAA moving from MSG, other companies running MSG, how NXT's move will affect other brands, changes to NXT, and Sheamus' status
-- Main Event:
- Lacey vs. Dana:
I liked the pushup spot.
I like Lacey's mean streak.
Not bad.
- EC3/Cesaro vs. Hawkins/Ryder:
Interesting teaming idea.
Not bad!
Kushida's EVOLVE 133 opponent will be JD Drake.
Teal Piper has signed with WOW. She'll start at their September TV tapings. She's already getting a profile for herself.
USA Network has made an offer to air NXT. Some in WWE expect NXT to begin airing there as a two-hour series shortly. With NXT and AEW having two-hour televised shows, there are a lot more opportunities for wrestlers to get a good level of exposure. It's cool to see.
WWE's Netflix movie has officially finished filming.
Britt Baker has been cleared to return to the ring. She will be in All Out's Casino Battle Royale. I'm curious how much of a push she's in for.
NXT's Keith Lee and Matt Riddle will face NXT UK's Mustache Mountain at PROGRESS Chapter 95 on September 15. The WWE-PROGRESS relationship is continuing to grow.
NXT's Angel Garza will debut on 205 Live this week, teaming with Drew Gulak in the Captain's Challenge match. Humberto Carrillo has been added to Oney Lorcan's team. So there are cousins on opposite teams there.
Shawn Spears, Cody, and MJF were part of an angle at an Ontario indie show. Spears attacked MJF before fighting with Cody. MJF then recovered to turn the tables. I like AEW using other appearances to build their angles.
LAX received a sendoff from Impact Wrestling after Friday's TV taping, with the roster celebrating in the ring with the former tag team champions.
- Santana thanked Impact for their tenure there.
AJPW released a statement from Atsushi Aoki's family thanking fans for their support.
The former Santino Marella is set for Bloodsport II. I don't expect the Cobra there.
AEW's Luchasaurus and Marko Stunt are in OWE UK's tag team tournament.
At Raw's August 17 live event in North Dakota:
- The Cruiserweight Championship was defended on a "main roster" live event for the first time since April 21, with Drew Gulak defeating Tony Nese.
At the SuperShow live event August 17 in Texas:
- R-Truth had his first official live event match since July 7, defeating Drake Maverick. This was Drake's first official "main roster" live event match in WWE.
- Asuka teamed with Ember Moon to defeat The IIconics and Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville in a triple threat match. Kairi Sane wasn't on the show.
- Elias had his first official live event match since July 15, losing an Intercontinental Championship match to Shinsuke Nakamura. Ali was also in the match.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. They had sold about 2,000 tickets to an expensive-to-run 16,000-seat venue. I find it unlikely there was going to be a massive increase in interest to justify running there. Running the 5,000-seat Hulu Theater might be a stretch attendance-wise as well, but nowhere near the empty house MSG was shaping up to be.
2. Not at all. We could see AEW and/or NJPW giving it a shot at some point. The difference is those properties have a sizable U.S. audience.
3. I think NXT UK will continue pretty much as is, although of course we could see more crossover of those stars with NXT. It wouldn't shock me to see 205 Live discontinued so some of those names can be moved to NXT and other brands. I don't know that we'll see anything "replace" NXT on WWE Network other than EVOLVE, PROGRESS, etc. airing there.
4. I don't expect so, since the brand has already been going for a good while before moving to TV. ECW was being molded by Vince's team before it even hit SyFy. I do think there will be changes in the formatting of the show, but as long as the audience is what WWE and USA (FS1?) want it to be, hopefully they'll see that NXT's appeal is that it's not like Raw or Smackdown Live.
5. He's been recovering from surgery and slimming down. His in-ring future seems to be undecided, but he's still part of WWE.
More wrestling coming up.
- Lacey vs. Dana:
I liked the pushup spot.
I like Lacey's mean streak.
Not bad.
- EC3/Cesaro vs. Hawkins/Ryder:
Interesting teaming idea.
Not bad!
Kushida's EVOLVE 133 opponent will be JD Drake.
Teal Piper has signed with WOW. She'll start at their September TV tapings. She's already getting a profile for herself.
USA Network has made an offer to air NXT. Some in WWE expect NXT to begin airing there as a two-hour series shortly. With NXT and AEW having two-hour televised shows, there are a lot more opportunities for wrestlers to get a good level of exposure. It's cool to see.
WWE's Netflix movie has officially finished filming.
Britt Baker has been cleared to return to the ring. She will be in All Out's Casino Battle Royale. I'm curious how much of a push she's in for.
NXT's Keith Lee and Matt Riddle will face NXT UK's Mustache Mountain at PROGRESS Chapter 95 on September 15. The WWE-PROGRESS relationship is continuing to grow.
NXT's Angel Garza will debut on 205 Live this week, teaming with Drew Gulak in the Captain's Challenge match. Humberto Carrillo has been added to Oney Lorcan's team. So there are cousins on opposite teams there.
Shawn Spears, Cody, and MJF were part of an angle at an Ontario indie show. Spears attacked MJF before fighting with Cody. MJF then recovered to turn the tables. I like AEW using other appearances to build their angles.
LAX received a sendoff from Impact Wrestling after Friday's TV taping, with the roster celebrating in the ring with the former tag team champions.
- Santana thanked Impact for their tenure there.
AJPW released a statement from Atsushi Aoki's family thanking fans for their support.
The former Santino Marella is set for Bloodsport II. I don't expect the Cobra there.
AEW's Luchasaurus and Marko Stunt are in OWE UK's tag team tournament.
At Raw's August 17 live event in North Dakota:
- The Cruiserweight Championship was defended on a "main roster" live event for the first time since April 21, with Drew Gulak defeating Tony Nese.
At the SuperShow live event August 17 in Texas:
- R-Truth had his first official live event match since July 7, defeating Drake Maverick. This was Drake's first official "main roster" live event match in WWE.
- Asuka teamed with Ember Moon to defeat The IIconics and Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville in a triple threat match. Kairi Sane wasn't on the show.
- Elias had his first official live event match since July 15, losing an Intercontinental Championship match to Shinsuke Nakamura. Ali was also in the match.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. They had sold about 2,000 tickets to an expensive-to-run 16,000-seat venue. I find it unlikely there was going to be a massive increase in interest to justify running there. Running the 5,000-seat Hulu Theater might be a stretch attendance-wise as well, but nowhere near the empty house MSG was shaping up to be.
2. Not at all. We could see AEW and/or NJPW giving it a shot at some point. The difference is those properties have a sizable U.S. audience.
3. I think NXT UK will continue pretty much as is, although of course we could see more crossover of those stars with NXT. It wouldn't shock me to see 205 Live discontinued so some of those names can be moved to NXT and other brands. I don't know that we'll see anything "replace" NXT on WWE Network other than EVOLVE, PROGRESS, etc. airing there.
4. I don't expect so, since the brand has already been going for a good while before moving to TV. ECW was being molded by Vince's team before it even hit SyFy. I do think there will be changes in the formatting of the show, but as long as the audience is what WWE and USA (FS1?) want it to be, hopefully they'll see that NXT's appeal is that it's not like Raw or Smackdown Live.
5. He's been recovering from surgery and slimming down. His in-ring future seems to be undecided, but he's still part of WWE.
More wrestling coming up.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
WCW episodes coming to Network, Interviews with Bate/Titus/Sheamus/Black+Vega, Race trademark update, AAA moves NYC show, new AAA-NYC match, AEW tapings sell out, Final Battle date set, new ROH matches, new All Out match, AEW-TNT updates, KOTR matches set, ROH Title match set, NXT to USA?, Taker appearance, more 205 Live match competitors, new Photo Shoot, 24/7 title defense, Edge in-ring update, Shelley update, Foley to miss appearance, CHIKARA game coming, NXT UK invades NXT live event, and Questions on Norvell Austin, WWE ice cream bars, Impact paying Mexican taxes, and the Central States library
WCW Saturday Night episodes from 1993 will be added to WWE Network Monday.
Tyler Bate discussed being a vegan, his workout, and more.
Harley Race's name is being trademarked by his promotion, World League Wrestling.
AAA has moved their Madison Square Garden show to the adjacent Hulu Theater, which holds around 5,000 fans. This move was a joint decision between AAA and the venue after unimpressive ticket sales.
- The show has added Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. Blue Demon Jr. in a Hair (Wagner) vs. Mask (Demon) match.
AEW sold out both its October 9 and October 16 TV tapings within hours of the tickets going on sale. To say there's a lot of anticipation for these shows is an understatement.
Final Battle 2019 will take place on December 13 in Maryland.
ROH's August 24 TV taping has added:
- Haitian Sensation vs. Ken Dixon in a Top Prospect Tournament match
- Brian Johnson vs. Austin Gunn in a Top Prospect Tournament match
- Beer City Bruiser vs. Vinny Marseglia
- Rhett Titus vs. Shaheem Ali
- Silas Young and CMLL's Okumura and Felino vs. the Shinobi Shadow Squad
- Rock 'n' Roll Express in a meet and greet
ROH's August 25 HonorClub event has added:
- The Bouncers vs. CMLL's Okumura and Felino
- Dalton Castle vs. Eli Isom
- Dak Draper vs. Makita in a Top Prospect Tournament match
All Out has added Hikaru Shida vs. Riho. Looks like we're going to see a lot of fresh names in the battle royale.
Tony Khan and Cody recently met with TNT sponsors in New York in regard to the AEW show. They're putting all the pieces together; I'm impressed with the level of organization involved.
TNT is now running AEW ads. All hands are on deck to make this a success.
WWE has announced the King of the Ring brackets:
- Raw's matches will be:
-- Samoa Joe vs. Cesaro
-- Drew McIntyre vs. Ricochet
-- Sami Zayn vs. Cedric Alexander
-- The Miz vs. Baron Corbin
- Smackdown Live's matches will be:
-- Kevin Owens vs. Elias
-- Ali vs. Buddy Murphy
-- Chad Gable vs. Shelton Benjamin
-- Andrade vs. Apollo Crews
- Some of those matches sound really solid.
Global Wars:Chicago on September 7 has announced Matt Taven vs. Volador, Jr. for the ROH Championship. That show should feel pretty fresh with the CMLL names involved.
NXT is being pitched to USA Network as a weekly two-hour live series from Full Sail. NXT is poised to really become a bigger priority really soon, whether that's on USA or FS1.
The Undertaker is set for Comic Con Scotland on October 12 and October 13.
Titus O'Neil discussed his new book and more.
Sheamus discussed his wrestling status and more. I really hope we see more of him in WWE.
205 Live's Captain's Challenge has added Mike Kanellis on Drew Gulak's team and Akira Tozawa on Oney Lorcan's team. Yeah, I think Oney got the better pick there.
Big Show will be on "WWE Photo Shoot" following Raw.
Elias defended the 24/7 Championship in his studio against Drake Maverick.
Aleister Black and Zelina Vega are on the latest Swerve City Podcast.
Edge discussed Summerslam on he and Christian's latest podcast. He indicated he could take an occasional bump but doesn't think WWE would approve another match for him. He also seemed to rule out a regular return.
Alex Shelley vs. Austin Aries is set for Warrior Wrestling on September 1. So, Shelley didn't just come back to wrestling for the Taven feud. It is notable he isn't currently advertised for anything else with ROH.
Mick Foley will miss Monster Mania Con this weekend due to a scheduling and travel issue.
CHIKARA has announced a video game coming to Steam.
At NXT's August 16 Florida live event:
- NXT UK's Ligero defeated Angel Garza
- Cameron Grimes and Reina Gonzalez defeated Boa and Xia Li. Interesting Grimes/Reina pairing. This was Boa's first live event since June 29, though he did work the previous night's taping.
- NXT UK's Ilja Dragunov lost to Kona Reeves
- NXT UK's Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel lost to Breezango
- NXT UK's Travis Banks defeated Atruro Ruas
- 3.0 are now known as Chase Parker and Matt Martel. They defeated Cal Bloom and Mohamed Fahim.
- NXT UK's Kay Lee Ray defeated Tegan Nox
- NXT UK's Joe Coffey and Mark Coffey teamed with Kassius Ohno in a loss to Velveteen Dream, Danny Burch, and Oney Lorcan
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't believe I've heard that name for anything in years.
2. I would think Good Humor would handle getting them to venues. It's possible Good Humor had people selling them on their behalf.
3. As best as I know, that would be Good Humor's call unless WWE bought the license back or it expired. There's no movement on it happening.
4. I would think so for the live gate, merch sales, etc. but not for the series airing.
5. Not that I know of! If they do, it's deep in the archives and they haven't done anything with it.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Tyler Bate discussed being a vegan, his workout, and more.
Harley Race's name is being trademarked by his promotion, World League Wrestling.
AAA has moved their Madison Square Garden show to the adjacent Hulu Theater, which holds around 5,000 fans. This move was a joint decision between AAA and the venue after unimpressive ticket sales.
- The show has added Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. Blue Demon Jr. in a Hair (Wagner) vs. Mask (Demon) match.
AEW sold out both its October 9 and October 16 TV tapings within hours of the tickets going on sale. To say there's a lot of anticipation for these shows is an understatement.
Final Battle 2019 will take place on December 13 in Maryland.
ROH's August 24 TV taping has added:
- Haitian Sensation vs. Ken Dixon in a Top Prospect Tournament match
- Brian Johnson vs. Austin Gunn in a Top Prospect Tournament match
- Beer City Bruiser vs. Vinny Marseglia
- Rhett Titus vs. Shaheem Ali
- Silas Young and CMLL's Okumura and Felino vs. the Shinobi Shadow Squad
- Rock 'n' Roll Express in a meet and greet
ROH's August 25 HonorClub event has added:
- The Bouncers vs. CMLL's Okumura and Felino
- Dalton Castle vs. Eli Isom
- Dak Draper vs. Makita in a Top Prospect Tournament match
All Out has added Hikaru Shida vs. Riho. Looks like we're going to see a lot of fresh names in the battle royale.
Tony Khan and Cody recently met with TNT sponsors in New York in regard to the AEW show. They're putting all the pieces together; I'm impressed with the level of organization involved.
TNT is now running AEW ads. All hands are on deck to make this a success.
WWE has announced the King of the Ring brackets:
- Raw's matches will be:
-- Samoa Joe vs. Cesaro
-- Drew McIntyre vs. Ricochet
-- Sami Zayn vs. Cedric Alexander
-- The Miz vs. Baron Corbin
- Smackdown Live's matches will be:
-- Kevin Owens vs. Elias
-- Ali vs. Buddy Murphy
-- Chad Gable vs. Shelton Benjamin
-- Andrade vs. Apollo Crews
- Some of those matches sound really solid.
Global Wars:Chicago on September 7 has announced Matt Taven vs. Volador, Jr. for the ROH Championship. That show should feel pretty fresh with the CMLL names involved.
NXT is being pitched to USA Network as a weekly two-hour live series from Full Sail. NXT is poised to really become a bigger priority really soon, whether that's on USA or FS1.
The Undertaker is set for Comic Con Scotland on October 12 and October 13.
Titus O'Neil discussed his new book and more.
Sheamus discussed his wrestling status and more. I really hope we see more of him in WWE.
205 Live's Captain's Challenge has added Mike Kanellis on Drew Gulak's team and Akira Tozawa on Oney Lorcan's team. Yeah, I think Oney got the better pick there.
Big Show will be on "WWE Photo Shoot" following Raw.
Elias defended the 24/7 Championship in his studio against Drake Maverick.
Aleister Black and Zelina Vega are on the latest Swerve City Podcast.
Edge discussed Summerslam on he and Christian's latest podcast. He indicated he could take an occasional bump but doesn't think WWE would approve another match for him. He also seemed to rule out a regular return.
Alex Shelley vs. Austin Aries is set for Warrior Wrestling on September 1. So, Shelley didn't just come back to wrestling for the Taven feud. It is notable he isn't currently advertised for anything else with ROH.
Mick Foley will miss Monster Mania Con this weekend due to a scheduling and travel issue.
CHIKARA has announced a video game coming to Steam.
At NXT's August 16 Florida live event:
- NXT UK's Ligero defeated Angel Garza
- Cameron Grimes and Reina Gonzalez defeated Boa and Xia Li. Interesting Grimes/Reina pairing. This was Boa's first live event since June 29, though he did work the previous night's taping.
- NXT UK's Ilja Dragunov lost to Kona Reeves
- NXT UK's Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel lost to Breezango
- NXT UK's Travis Banks defeated Atruro Ruas
- 3.0 are now known as Chase Parker and Matt Martel. They defeated Cal Bloom and Mohamed Fahim.
- NXT UK's Kay Lee Ray defeated Tegan Nox
- NXT UK's Joe Coffey and Mark Coffey teamed with Kassius Ohno in a loss to Velveteen Dream, Danny Burch, and Oney Lorcan
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't believe I've heard that name for anything in years.
2. I would think Good Humor would handle getting them to venues. It's possible Good Humor had people selling them on their behalf.
3. As best as I know, that would be Good Humor's call unless WWE bought the license back or it expired. There's no movement on it happening.
4. I would think so for the live gate, merch sales, etc. but not for the series airing.
5. Not that I know of! If they do, it's deep in the archives and they haven't done anything with it.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, August 16, 2019
New Hidden Gem, Summerslam weekend attendance, G1 attendance note, AAA announces MSG match, AAA-MSG talent update, AAA playing up AEW relationship, NJPW name close to returning, Moxley-indies update, latest LAX move, Omega doing another international show, Goldberg-Riddle confrontation, Rey-WWE update, WWE talks to top international promotion, WWE signs top lucha name, WWE Ontario tryout names, Interviews with Goldberg/Fiend theme band/Alexa/Stone Cold/Miz/nZo+CaZXL/Luger, WWE hiring, MLW signs top trainer, FOX creating WWE team, WWE 2K20 DLC set, Kushida coming to EVOLVE, 205 Live match update, new AEW TV match, indie star GoFundMe, Ronda set for FOX show, Tennessee name passes, Toni update, Impact travel deal, WWE sets Mexico show, NXT dark match, and Questions on Vince's involvement in Creative, WWE running smaller venues, pyro's status, and selling in NXT vs. other brands
WWE Network has added Mid-Atlantic Wrestling's "Boogie Jam 1984" as a Hidden Gem.
Summerslam drew a legitimate sellout at more than 13,500 fans.
G1 Climax drew its biggest combined attendance ever this year, at more than 97,000. Good to see NJPW is doing well.
- The finals sold out and were shown on movie theaters throughout Japan. That's really cool!
Takeover:Toronto drew around 11,000 fans.
Summer Supercard drew around 700 fans. I'm not sure where the 1,000 number came from unless it was from ROH staff. That appears to be ROH's lowest attendance in Ontario since 2013, despite being tied into Summerslam weekend. I think a lot of this can be chalked up to AEW and NXT's rise.
AAA's September 15 Madison Square Garden show has announced Tessa Blanchard vs. Taya Valkyrie for the Reina de Reinas Championship. This is right now the only announced match.
- Visa issues are affecting talent and staff getting to the U.S. for the event. Visas are taking much, much longer to approve than in the past for Mexican talent.
AAA is trying to get talents to sign with them as a means of getting into AEW. Not an awful approach.
NJPW is planning how to use Hiromu Takahashi, as he's close to being able to get back in the ring. Glad to see he'll be back in the mix soon.
Non-WWE shows on Summerslam weekend didn't draw as well as anticipated.
Jon Moxley is expected to finish his U.S. indie appearances with Bloodsport on September 14. After that, he'll be with AEW full-time in the U.S. on top of NJPW appearances.
LAX has indicated they are likely done taking indie dates, fueling speculation of them going to AEW (or NXT) soon. It definitely appears they're moving on from Impact at the end of the month.
Kenny Omega is set for a Taiwan show on September 14, which is being put together through OWE.
Goldberg and Matt Riddle had an interaction before Summerslam, with Goldberg indicating the two needed to talk about what Riddle has been posting on social media. Nothing else has come of this.
WWE still has plans for Rey Mysterio's son to wrestle. He might be held off while he gets more experience.
WWE has spoken to CMLL since Sofia Alonso took over the promotion. It's unknown what these talks have entailed, but that's pretty significant given CMLL's ties to NJPW and ROH.
WWE has signed El Hijo del Fantasma/King Cuerno. I expect they're going to give him a notable debut since he wasn't announced as part of the recent class.
WWE's recent Ontario tryout included:
- Bianca Carelli (Santino Marella's daughter)
- Channing Decker
- Gursinder Singh
- Jody Threat
- John Atlas
- Justin Sane
- KC Spinelli
- Matthew Black
- Randy Reign
- Tarik
- Trent Gibson
- The Voros Twins
Goldberg spoke to Booker T. about his match with The Undertaker, working in WCW, and more. That was a scary match in Saudi Arabia.
WWE is hiring a senior manager for advertising analytics, a senior art director, production assistants for domestic and international shows, and more.
Bray Wyatt's theme makers discussed the process of making the new track. Really cool story.
MLW has signed Dr. Tom Prichard as a senior agent. He's very highly respected as a trainer.
FOX is putting together a WWE production team based in California, including a digital marketer. Cool to see FOX so enthusiastic about Smackdown Live joining the channel.
WWE 2K20 is doing a horror-themed DLC pack, which will feature The Fiend and a number of original characters and scenarios.
Kushida is booked for EVOLVE 133 on August 24 in Michigan and EVOLVE 134 on August 25 in Illinois. Kushida will challenge Drew Gulak for the Cruiserweight Championship on the second show.
Drew Gulak has announced Ariya Daivari for his team on Tuesday's 205 Live. Oney Lorcan has announced Jack Gallagher for his team. Each captain has three more selections.
Alexa Bliss spoke to Muscle & Fitness.
Stone Cold talked to Jim Norton and Sam Roberts.
AEW's October 16 TV taping has added a women's championship match. This will be the first defense of the title that will get its first champion two weeks before.
Independent star Jeremy Ganger has a GoFundMe for medical expenses sustained as a result of protecting bar patrons during a recent shooting. Thankfully his injuries were minor and the drive has achieved its goal.
Ronda Rousey will be featured on FOX's 9-1-1. That's a clever way to cross-promote WWE since she isn't expected to wrestle anytime soon.
Tennessee territory star Eddie Marlin passed away at 89 from multiple organ failures. Jerry Jarrett discussed him on the Memphis Memories podcast. He filled a lot of roles in his career, and was highly respected.
Toni Storm is injured, which is why she missed a Summerslam weekend show with wXw. She's set for a NXT UK Women's Championship match in two weeks, so I hope she's not out long.
The Miz spoke about WWE moving to FOX. A lot more press is coming in the weeks to come.
CazXL and nZo discussed returning to wrestling.
Impact has a deal with Wrestling Travel in conjunction with Bound For Glory weekend. I'm curious how many people will travel to that show.
Lex Luger did a long shoot interview.
WWE will run Mexico with a dual-branded live event on November 30.
NXT's August 15 dark match saw One Two defeat The Outliers. Looks like we could see the former Robbie E on NXT TV before too much longer; he's managing the latter duo.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. About all I can add is that the process is absolutely a grind for all involved given the constant changes. I'm under the impression Vince is pretty heavily involved at every step of the process. He just continues to "improve" his initial vision before it airs, altering and removing things that had previously been approved.
Nothing to add to 2.
3. Honestly as long as it's cost-effective to run the larger venues, they'll probably continue their magic with tarps and lighting hiding attendance declines so they continue to say they're running important markets.
4. We're going to see more pyro and special effects, but it remains to be seen how much.
5. I expect it came down to how much each of them was told to sell.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Summerslam drew a legitimate sellout at more than 13,500 fans.
G1 Climax drew its biggest combined attendance ever this year, at more than 97,000. Good to see NJPW is doing well.
- The finals sold out and were shown on movie theaters throughout Japan. That's really cool!
Takeover:Toronto drew around 11,000 fans.
Summer Supercard drew around 700 fans. I'm not sure where the 1,000 number came from unless it was from ROH staff. That appears to be ROH's lowest attendance in Ontario since 2013, despite being tied into Summerslam weekend. I think a lot of this can be chalked up to AEW and NXT's rise.
AAA's September 15 Madison Square Garden show has announced Tessa Blanchard vs. Taya Valkyrie for the Reina de Reinas Championship. This is right now the only announced match.
- Visa issues are affecting talent and staff getting to the U.S. for the event. Visas are taking much, much longer to approve than in the past for Mexican talent.
AAA is trying to get talents to sign with them as a means of getting into AEW. Not an awful approach.
NJPW is planning how to use Hiromu Takahashi, as he's close to being able to get back in the ring. Glad to see he'll be back in the mix soon.
Non-WWE shows on Summerslam weekend didn't draw as well as anticipated.
Jon Moxley is expected to finish his U.S. indie appearances with Bloodsport on September 14. After that, he'll be with AEW full-time in the U.S. on top of NJPW appearances.
LAX has indicated they are likely done taking indie dates, fueling speculation of them going to AEW (or NXT) soon. It definitely appears they're moving on from Impact at the end of the month.
Kenny Omega is set for a Taiwan show on September 14, which is being put together through OWE.
Goldberg and Matt Riddle had an interaction before Summerslam, with Goldberg indicating the two needed to talk about what Riddle has been posting on social media. Nothing else has come of this.
WWE still has plans for Rey Mysterio's son to wrestle. He might be held off while he gets more experience.
WWE has spoken to CMLL since Sofia Alonso took over the promotion. It's unknown what these talks have entailed, but that's pretty significant given CMLL's ties to NJPW and ROH.
WWE has signed El Hijo del Fantasma/King Cuerno. I expect they're going to give him a notable debut since he wasn't announced as part of the recent class.
WWE's recent Ontario tryout included:
- Bianca Carelli (Santino Marella's daughter)
- Channing Decker
- Gursinder Singh
- Jody Threat
- John Atlas
- Justin Sane
- KC Spinelli
- Matthew Black
- Randy Reign
- Tarik
- Trent Gibson
- The Voros Twins
Goldberg spoke to Booker T. about his match with The Undertaker, working in WCW, and more. That was a scary match in Saudi Arabia.
WWE is hiring a senior manager for advertising analytics, a senior art director, production assistants for domestic and international shows, and more.
Bray Wyatt's theme makers discussed the process of making the new track. Really cool story.
MLW has signed Dr. Tom Prichard as a senior agent. He's very highly respected as a trainer.
FOX is putting together a WWE production team based in California, including a digital marketer. Cool to see FOX so enthusiastic about Smackdown Live joining the channel.
WWE 2K20 is doing a horror-themed DLC pack, which will feature The Fiend and a number of original characters and scenarios.
Kushida is booked for EVOLVE 133 on August 24 in Michigan and EVOLVE 134 on August 25 in Illinois. Kushida will challenge Drew Gulak for the Cruiserweight Championship on the second show.
Drew Gulak has announced Ariya Daivari for his team on Tuesday's 205 Live. Oney Lorcan has announced Jack Gallagher for his team. Each captain has three more selections.
Alexa Bliss spoke to Muscle & Fitness.
Stone Cold talked to Jim Norton and Sam Roberts.
AEW's October 16 TV taping has added a women's championship match. This will be the first defense of the title that will get its first champion two weeks before.
Independent star Jeremy Ganger has a GoFundMe for medical expenses sustained as a result of protecting bar patrons during a recent shooting. Thankfully his injuries were minor and the drive has achieved its goal.
Ronda Rousey will be featured on FOX's 9-1-1. That's a clever way to cross-promote WWE since she isn't expected to wrestle anytime soon.
Tennessee territory star Eddie Marlin passed away at 89 from multiple organ failures. Jerry Jarrett discussed him on the Memphis Memories podcast. He filled a lot of roles in his career, and was highly respected.
Toni Storm is injured, which is why she missed a Summerslam weekend show with wXw. She's set for a NXT UK Women's Championship match in two weeks, so I hope she's not out long.
The Miz spoke about WWE moving to FOX. A lot more press is coming in the weeks to come.
CazXL and nZo discussed returning to wrestling.
Impact has a deal with Wrestling Travel in conjunction with Bound For Glory weekend. I'm curious how many people will travel to that show.
Lex Luger did a long shoot interview.
WWE will run Mexico with a dual-branded live event on November 30.
NXT's August 15 dark match saw One Two defeat The Outliers. Looks like we could see the former Robbie E on NXT TV before too much longer; he's managing the latter duo.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. About all I can add is that the process is absolutely a grind for all involved given the constant changes. I'm under the impression Vince is pretty heavily involved at every step of the process. He just continues to "improve" his initial vision before it airs, altering and removing things that had previously been approved.
Nothing to add to 2.
3. Honestly as long as it's cost-effective to run the larger venues, they'll probably continue their magic with tarps and lighting hiding attendance declines so they continue to say they're running important markets.
4. We're going to see more pyro and special effects, but it remains to be seen how much.
5. I expect it came down to how much each of them was told to sell.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
WWE+Impact+ROH matches announced, Interview with Lance Storm, SDL audience, WWEPC signs international coach, new WWEPC signees, KOTR schedule, All Out distribution update, and Questions on Dolph's booking, Network upgrade timing, Goldberg's future, NXT on FS1, and Roman squashing Bryan
Smackdown Live's 10th anniversary episode is advertising:
- Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, and Rowan vs. New Day
- Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
- A Kurt Angle meet and greet package
- Commemorative chairs for certain sections
WWE's October 5 SuperShow live event is advertising:
- Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin for the Universal Championship
- Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
- Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton
- Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans
Lance Storm is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.
Impact's TV taping tonight has announced:
- The North vs. LAX
- Michael Elgin vs. Rhino
- Rob Van Dam vs. Madman Fulton
- Rich Swann and Willie Mack vs. The Racalz
Impact's August 16 TV taping has announced:
- Jessicka Havok vs. Su Yung
- Rob Van Dam, Rhino, Tommy Dreamer, and Tessa Blanchard vs. all four members of oVe
ROH's August 24 TV taping has added:
- Matt Taven, Shane Taylor, and the Briscoes vs. Jay Lethal, Jeff Cobb, Rush, and Kenny King in an elimination match
- Angelina Love vs. Sumie Sakai
ROH's August 25 HonorClub event has added:
- The Briscoes vs. The Rock 'N' Roll Express for the ROH Tag Team Championship in a Crockett Cup rematch
- Rush vs. Vinny Marseglia
- Matt Taven vs. Jay Lethal vs. Jeff Cobb vs. Kenny King in a Defy or Deny match. That's clever to play off the previous night's match
Smackdown Live drew 2.16 million viewers Tuesday night, slightly up from last week.
WWE has hired Kendo Kashin as a Performance Center coach. I'm interested to see how his experiences mesh with how WWE does things.
The WWE Performance Center has announced signings of:
- Austin Theory
- Santana Garrett
- Tehuti Miles, who played college football
- RJ Nduka, who played professional football and did bodybuilding on top of MMA and boxing training
- LX Ken of Germany, who played basketball before being trained by Santino Marella and Alex Wright
- Briana Brandy, who was a hip hop artist and trained in ninjutsu and extreme CrossFit.
- Rita Reis of Brazil, with championships and medals in jiu-jitsu and judo
- Marcos Gomes of Brazil, who is a Muay Thai instructor
- Jessy of Chile
-- Good to see Austin and Santana make it to WWE. I'm surprised it took this long for them to get Garrett.
205 Live Tuesday will feature Drew Gulak vs. Oney Lorcan in a Captain's Challenge match, where each man will choose four partners for a ten-man tag match. That will be interesting given the limited roster. We could see some guests from NXT involved.
The King of the Ring tournament schedule is:
- First round matches on the August 19 Raw and August 20 Smackdown Live
- Second round matches on the August 26 Raw and August 27 Smackdown Live
- Semi-final matches on the September 9 Raw and September 10 Smackdown Live
- Finals at Clash of Champions on September 15
-- Interesting that they're skipping a week.
All Out will be available on FITE outside of the U.S. I expect that will be a regular destination for AEW shows.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's possible the payoff was Goldberg and Miz beating him convincingly. He's not the one getting the rubs; he's the one giving them. We'll see if there's another angle coming after the one that just concluded, but I don't expect him to win any titles or anything.
2. I understand them wanting to have a new experience rolled out for Summerslam, and wanting to give shareholders assurances that things were changing, but I also think they could have used a test run on a smaller show as suggested. I don't know if it was worth the expense of keeping up with older platforms.
3. If anything, Goldberg's match was done to show he can still deliver the quick, impactful matches he was known for en route to at least one more Saudi show.
4. It's been reported FOX is already gearing up local affiliates for NXT airing on FS1. As best as I can tell, it's in the works.
5. It seems like there are still twists and turns in the story to come. If we do get Roman vs. Bryan, I doubt it will be a Goldberg vs. Dolph scenario. I'm willing to see how it plays out before assuming Bryan's going to be buried.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, and Rowan vs. New Day
- Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
- A Kurt Angle meet and greet package
- Commemorative chairs for certain sections
WWE's October 5 SuperShow live event is advertising:
- Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin for the Universal Championship
- Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
- Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton
- Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans
Lance Storm is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.
Impact's TV taping tonight has announced:
- The North vs. LAX
- Michael Elgin vs. Rhino
- Rob Van Dam vs. Madman Fulton
- Rich Swann and Willie Mack vs. The Racalz
Impact's August 16 TV taping has announced:
- Jessicka Havok vs. Su Yung
- Rob Van Dam, Rhino, Tommy Dreamer, and Tessa Blanchard vs. all four members of oVe
ROH's August 24 TV taping has added:
- Matt Taven, Shane Taylor, and the Briscoes vs. Jay Lethal, Jeff Cobb, Rush, and Kenny King in an elimination match
- Angelina Love vs. Sumie Sakai
ROH's August 25 HonorClub event has added:
- The Briscoes vs. The Rock 'N' Roll Express for the ROH Tag Team Championship in a Crockett Cup rematch
- Rush vs. Vinny Marseglia
- Matt Taven vs. Jay Lethal vs. Jeff Cobb vs. Kenny King in a Defy or Deny match. That's clever to play off the previous night's match
Smackdown Live drew 2.16 million viewers Tuesday night, slightly up from last week.
WWE has hired Kendo Kashin as a Performance Center coach. I'm interested to see how his experiences mesh with how WWE does things.
The WWE Performance Center has announced signings of:
- Austin Theory
- Santana Garrett
- Tehuti Miles, who played college football
- RJ Nduka, who played professional football and did bodybuilding on top of MMA and boxing training
- LX Ken of Germany, who played basketball before being trained by Santino Marella and Alex Wright
- Briana Brandy, who was a hip hop artist and trained in ninjutsu and extreme CrossFit.
- Rita Reis of Brazil, with championships and medals in jiu-jitsu and judo
- Marcos Gomes of Brazil, who is a Muay Thai instructor
- Jessy of Chile
-- Good to see Austin and Santana make it to WWE. I'm surprised it took this long for them to get Garrett.
205 Live Tuesday will feature Drew Gulak vs. Oney Lorcan in a Captain's Challenge match, where each man will choose four partners for a ten-man tag match. That will be interesting given the limited roster. We could see some guests from NXT involved.
The King of the Ring tournament schedule is:
- First round matches on the August 19 Raw and August 20 Smackdown Live
- Second round matches on the August 26 Raw and August 27 Smackdown Live
- Semi-final matches on the September 9 Raw and September 10 Smackdown Live
- Finals at Clash of Champions on September 15
-- Interesting that they're skipping a week.
All Out will be available on FITE outside of the U.S. I expect that will be a regular destination for AEW shows.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's possible the payoff was Goldberg and Miz beating him convincingly. He's not the one getting the rubs; he's the one giving them. We'll see if there's another angle coming after the one that just concluded, but I don't expect him to win any titles or anything.
2. I understand them wanting to have a new experience rolled out for Summerslam, and wanting to give shareholders assurances that things were changing, but I also think they could have used a test run on a smaller show as suggested. I don't know if it was worth the expense of keeping up with older platforms.
3. If anything, Goldberg's match was done to show he can still deliver the quick, impactful matches he was known for en route to at least one more Saudi show.
4. It's been reported FOX is already gearing up local affiliates for NXT airing on FS1. As best as I can tell, it's in the works.
5. It seems like there are still twists and turns in the story to come. If we do get Roman vs. Bryan, I doubt it will be a Goldberg vs. Dolph scenario. I'm willing to see how it plays out before assuming Bryan's going to be buried.
More wrestling tomorrow.
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