Survivor Series drew a legitimate sellout of 11,500 fans.
Takeover: WarGames drew about 10,500 fans, which is pretty good in its own right.
Raw drew 7,200 fans in the same venue as the previous two events.
Dynamite drew 6,100 fans this week. That's a pretty good number.
Takeover specials are being planned for Sundays now as an experiment to increase viewership. We could see more "Worlds Collide" style specials on Saturdays before shows like Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. That's an interesting direction given the big attendance they get pairing Takeover events with other major shows the next night.
Mauro Ranallo found out about Corey Graves' tweet after Takeover. That situation was not handled well at all.
Bandido is now The Crash's top champion. Either he's going to have a quick title reign or he's not going to WWE when his ROH deal ends at the end of the year.
The Lucha Bros are done with The Crash. It's believed they will be exclusive to AAA while in Mexico going forward. Of course AAA has a working agreement with AEW, so that won't affect the team's availability there.
Jushin "Thunder" Liger will be honored by a 24-hour TV marathon at the end of the year in Japan. That's major! I hope WWE puts him in their Hall of Fame, but I don't know if they'd want to honor someone who's still likely going to be part of NJPW after retiring.
NJPW is not planning Honor Rising events for February, instead doing a Tiger Hattori retirement tour at that time. The lack of announced crossover between the two sides is telling with Final Battle and Wrestle Kingdom approaching.
Stardom had a press conference regarding changes under their new ownership:
- Milano Collection AT will be the new head coach/trainer.
- The promotion will have a 30-minute TV show in Japan starting January 2, featuring highlights of matches and interviews.
- There will be a large tryout looking for talents between the ages of 15 and 30.
- There will be a new fan club.
- Right now the company is focusing on growing the Japanese market.
Stardom's Hazuki's retirement is due to wanting to move on from wrestling. After competing in Madison Square Garden, she decided she had achieved all she had wanted to. There is no heat with the company or anything else; she just wants to start a new chapter. I wish her the best in doing so!
Former NWA Champion Pat O'Connor has been voted into his native New Zealand's Whanganui Sports Hall of Fame. That's really cool.
Mexico's Cuervo is looking to return to the ring after last year's brick to the head incident. He's still dealing with mental affects from that. Very sad to hear his life quality was changed from it.
Bret Hart was celebrated in Puerto Rico by Hugo Savinovich's Wrestling Superstars promotion.
WWE's Primo and Epico worked in Puerto Rico for WWC recently. The two and Carlito were in a triple threat for the promotion's championship, with Epico retaining. Epico and Primo are still listed as WWE superstars, though their last match there was in February.
The former Enzo Amore and NEW co-promoted a show in California recently.
Rush is looking to get ROH to use his father Bestia del Ring as well as La Mascara. He's one of their biggest assets right now, so it's worth considering.
Tessa Blanchard has an eye injury and will not be wrestling at WrestleCade. That obviously could put Impact in a tough spot.
AEW intends to further expand its women's division. It seems to have a lot of names already, but I wouldn't mind seeing more joshis in the mix.
AEW is being investigated by the Maryland State Athletic Commission for the Lights Out match between Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley. Staff and doctors were at the event, so if something happened they weren't happy with, they could have acted.
Kris Statlander is being scouted by both WWE and AEW. She's competed for the latter twice now.
Bray Wyatt is now WWE's top merchandise seller. That's great! He's over.
Brock Lesnar isn't expected back until the Royal Rumble build. No surprise there.
ROH is interested in Mike Kanellis and Oney Lorcan if WWE grants them their releases. Oney/Biff could be an asset in a number of places, and of course Kanellis/Bennett has history there. And really in ROH's current state I don't think WWE should view them as competition; I doubt either man would really boost business there, and that's not a knock on them as talents.
EC3 has been out of action due to a concussion suffered in late September. That sucks. I hope he can get some momentum when he recovers.
- EC3 addressed his absence in true EC3 fashion. I miss this man.
NXT UK's Ilja Dragunov is out injured.
Xavier Woods is expected to miss between five and nine months. That's a rough break.
Vic Joseph is on Jerry Lawler's latest podcast.
Braun Strowman was at FOX's Thanksgiving football game. WWE made him give out a custom title before he wins a world title himself. That's savage.
Titus O'Neil helped make meals on Thanksgiving. Great, great work.
Pro Wrestling Tees' documentary has been released. They've really made an impact with their business.
The Impact Provincial Wrestling Federation has released a number of T-shirt designs. That episode was really entertaining.
Dynamite has added Jon Moxley vs. Joey Janela. Janela "accepted Moxley's open challenge" while at a GCW event Wednesday night. So Janela was able to work that show in place of Dynamite. Not a bad idea.
NXT is looking for fan marketing ideas. That's interesting!
Kofi Kingston spoke before Smackdown.
Zack Sabre, Jr. discussed his vegan lifestyle. I unironically want to see Daniel Bryan, Austin Aries, and ZSJ do a vegan faction now.
Matt Sydal will continue wrestling for EVOLVE under that name, rather than Evan Bourne. No word on why the change was made.
Seth Rollins has announced an apology for Raw. That could be really fun if he goes full Twitter Seth.
Before Smackdown, The Revival defeated Lucha House Party's Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik. Seemingly LHP are part of Smackdown again, as WWE.com has their bios on that brand. Pretty crazy.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I really haven't heard anything on that front. I'd like to think we'll know around the time of the Rumble.
2. I would think so unless there's a really good opportunity to draw a good crowd in the cold!
3. Survivor Series and its fallout probably superseded any Thanksgiving silliness. I'm not complaining!
4. I expect we will at some point given his accomplishments.
5. Yeah, he's pretty important there.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Survivor Series week attendance, Takeover day change explained, Mauro-Corey note, Bandido update, Lucha Bros Mexico update, Liger to be honored on Japanese TV, NJPW-ROH schedule update, Stardom press conference notes, more on Stardom retirement, NWA legend in NZ Hall of Fame, Mexican return update, Bret honored in Puerto Rico, Colons wrestle but not for WWE, nZo co-promotes wrestling event, Rush looking to get more lucha names in ROH, Tessa injured, AEW continuing to grow, AEW under investigation, WWE and AEW scouting female name, WWE has new top merch name, Brock update, ROH interested in WWE names looking for releases, EC3's whereabouts, NXT UK injury, Xavier update, Interviews with Vic/Titus/Kofi/ZSJ, Braun at NFL game, PWT documentary out, IPWF merchandise, Dynamite match set, NXT looking for marketing campaigns, Bourne/Sydal update, Seth saying sorry on Raw, SD dark match, and Questions on future HoFers, a Northeast Rumble, the Gooker's whereabouts, and Terry Taylor
Friday Night Smackdown and 205 Live Reax - 11/29/19
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Friday Night Smackdown and 205 Live.
Friday, November 29, 2019
Fiend lantern for sale, Undertaker on his first match, Booker on Mauro vs. Corey, Interview with Santino, and Questions on Cornette's NWA departure and busy holidays
The Fiend now has a replica lamp for sale. That's going to be an interesting piece of merchandise years from now.
The Undertaker discussed his first match. Great story.
Booker T. discussed the Mauro Ranallo/Corey Graves controversy.
Santino Marella discussed his character and more with Chris Van Vliet. Pretty cool story of becoming the fake Italian.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
Nothing to add to 1 or 2.
3. He should have been out of the business when he was cut from OVW for attacking Santino Marella, or, at the very least, when he left Impact and sent in a long email about dreaming of killing Vince Russo that resulted in him being barred from being near that company's events. There have been red flags around him for a long, long time now that he needs some serious help, but everyone's either too entertained by his antics or too in favor of his booking philosophies to stop supporting him.
4. No, because he corrected his mistake and made amends.
5 and 6. This actually happened when the infamous C.M. Punk/Colt Cabana podcast dropped. It was a busy holiday, for sure. But generally I do the best I can to get news out there the next day.
More wrestling tomorrow.
The Undertaker discussed his first match. Great story.
Booker T. discussed the Mauro Ranallo/Corey Graves controversy.
Santino Marella discussed his character and more with Chris Van Vliet. Pretty cool story of becoming the fake Italian.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
Nothing to add to 1 or 2.
3. He should have been out of the business when he was cut from OVW for attacking Santino Marella, or, at the very least, when he left Impact and sent in a long email about dreaming of killing Vince Russo that resulted in him being barred from being near that company's events. There have been red flags around him for a long, long time now that he needs some serious help, but everyone's either too entertained by his antics or too in favor of his booking philosophies to stop supporting him.
4. No, because he corrected his mistake and made amends.
5 and 6. This actually happened when the infamous C.M. Punk/Colt Cabana podcast dropped. It was a busy holiday, for sure. But generally I do the best I can to get news out there the next day.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
New Starrcade segment, more NWA PPV matches, Corey apologizes, After The Bell notes, more NXT tapings official, NXT live event set, AEW name teases heat, assorted wrestling press, new Final Battle match, Backstage audience, NXT dark matches, Jericho wine official, identity of new AEW team, Fish update, NXT referee moving, and Questions on Graves starting Internet angles, Kairi's theme, growing AEW, why Cody is trademarking old event names, and why NXT won at Survivor Series
Starrcade has added The Kevin Owens Show with Ric Flair. Fitting for that event.
NWA Into The Fire has added:
- Allyson Kay and Ashley Vox vs. two women out of Melina, Thunder Rosa, and Marti Belle
- Ken Anderson vs. Eli Drake
- Colt Cabana defending the NWA National Championship
- Trevor Murdoch vs. The Question Mark
Corey Graves apologized for his Mauro Ranallo tweets on "After The Bell," saying the remarks were a way to stir up controversy to discuss on TV or the podcast. Graves further said his approach wasn't professional and he didn't intend to cause undue stress to a coworker. Yeah doing divisive things just to get people listening to the podcast is a garbage approach. Hopefully this is the last time he pulls a stunt to get attention.
Also on "After The Bell":
- Kevin Owens discussed the process of getting the Stunner approved. I'm glad it was valued enough to where it wasn't just passed on, as I'm sure a lot of other people would want to bust it out.
- Owens also said a lot of his past appearances weren't relevant before his NXT return. It is hard to stand out with so many other talented people fighting for TV time.
NXT has announced Full Sail tapings through February 5, as well as a January 12 live event in New York.
Joey Janela tweeted that he wasn't going to Dynamite this week, asking AEW to call him. The tweet has since been deleted, and it seems this is a storyline.
AEW's Dark Order have launched a "recruitment" website.
Jon Moxley spoke on "State of Combat."
Trish Stratus appeared on "The Bump."
WWE had an "action figure showdown" casket match between Undertaker as Kane and Andrade. Zelina Vega was also present.
Final Battle has added Dan Maff vs. Jeff Cobb. That should be special!
"My Breakfast with Blassie" with Andy Kaufman and Freddie Blassie will screen in New York on December 14.
WWE Backstage drew 121,000 viewers this week. I'm not sure what the target audience is for the show.
Before NXT:
- Raul Mendoza defeated Arturo Ruas
- Santana Garrett defeated Deonna Purrazzo
Chris Jericho and Stephen Amell have put together "A Little Bit of the Bubbly" wine. Now all they need is to sell it at Cracker Barrel.
AEW's new tag team, The Butcher and the Blade, are former Impact star Braxton Sutter/Pepper Parks and "Every Time I Die" guitarist Andy Williams, accompanied by Sutter's wife Allie.
Bobby Fish was removed from his NXT match due to concern over a bad bump to the floor. He's believed to be OK, but WWE wanted to be cautious. That was the right call. I'm glad Strong was able to fill in.
NXT referee Jessika Carr is moving to Friday Night Smackdown. This week's NXT episode was her farewell to the brand, which was acknowledged after the show.
Read on for my thoughts on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That would probably have been wise! It's one thing if it was a legitimate criticism, but if it was just for podcast listens, it would have been good to get word to the other person involved in the "angle."
2. That would make sense.
3. This early in their existence, they need to build a base and expand on it rather than focus on shock angles, debuts for the sake of debuts, etc. that could theoretically give a temporary boost to viewer numbers. I think they're doing a good job on a fundamental level with some of that, but it would absolutely be helpful for them to show new fans who these characters are and why they had a buzz when they got signed.
4. I think it's fair to say Cody wants at least parts of AEW to pull from things that worked for his father, stylistically speaking, and that includes some of the event names Dusty used. If AEW wasn't founded, it's entirely possible he would have taken his approach and trademarks to NWA. He's something of an outlier when comparing what Omega and the Bucks bring to the table, ideas-wise.
5. WWE wants NXT to draw as big of an audience as possible, and the battle with AEW makes that more of a challenge. So, some of it is self-serving and some of it is because there's stiff competition.
More wrestling tomorrow.
NWA Into The Fire has added:
- Allyson Kay and Ashley Vox vs. two women out of Melina, Thunder Rosa, and Marti Belle
- Ken Anderson vs. Eli Drake
- Colt Cabana defending the NWA National Championship
- Trevor Murdoch vs. The Question Mark
Corey Graves apologized for his Mauro Ranallo tweets on "After The Bell," saying the remarks were a way to stir up controversy to discuss on TV or the podcast. Graves further said his approach wasn't professional and he didn't intend to cause undue stress to a coworker. Yeah doing divisive things just to get people listening to the podcast is a garbage approach. Hopefully this is the last time he pulls a stunt to get attention.
Also on "After The Bell":
- Kevin Owens discussed the process of getting the Stunner approved. I'm glad it was valued enough to where it wasn't just passed on, as I'm sure a lot of other people would want to bust it out.
- Owens also said a lot of his past appearances weren't relevant before his NXT return. It is hard to stand out with so many other talented people fighting for TV time.
NXT has announced Full Sail tapings through February 5, as well as a January 12 live event in New York.
Joey Janela tweeted that he wasn't going to Dynamite this week, asking AEW to call him. The tweet has since been deleted, and it seems this is a storyline.
AEW's Dark Order have launched a "recruitment" website.
Jon Moxley spoke on "State of Combat."
Trish Stratus appeared on "The Bump."
WWE had an "action figure showdown" casket match between Undertaker as Kane and Andrade. Zelina Vega was also present.
Final Battle has added Dan Maff vs. Jeff Cobb. That should be special!
"My Breakfast with Blassie" with Andy Kaufman and Freddie Blassie will screen in New York on December 14.
WWE Backstage drew 121,000 viewers this week. I'm not sure what the target audience is for the show.
Before NXT:
- Raul Mendoza defeated Arturo Ruas
- Santana Garrett defeated Deonna Purrazzo
Chris Jericho and Stephen Amell have put together "A Little Bit of the Bubbly" wine. Now all they need is to sell it at Cracker Barrel.
AEW's new tag team, The Butcher and the Blade, are former Impact star Braxton Sutter/Pepper Parks and "Every Time I Die" guitarist Andy Williams, accompanied by Sutter's wife Allie.
Bobby Fish was removed from his NXT match due to concern over a bad bump to the floor. He's believed to be OK, but WWE wanted to be cautious. That was the right call. I'm glad Strong was able to fill in.
NXT referee Jessika Carr is moving to Friday Night Smackdown. This week's NXT episode was her farewell to the brand, which was acknowledged after the show.
Read on for my thoughts on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That would probably have been wise! It's one thing if it was a legitimate criticism, but if it was just for podcast listens, it would have been good to get word to the other person involved in the "angle."
2. That would make sense.
3. This early in their existence, they need to build a base and expand on it rather than focus on shock angles, debuts for the sake of debuts, etc. that could theoretically give a temporary boost to viewer numbers. I think they're doing a good job on a fundamental level with some of that, but it would absolutely be helpful for them to show new fans who these characters are and why they had a buzz when they got signed.
4. I think it's fair to say Cody wants at least parts of AEW to pull from things that worked for his father, stylistically speaking, and that includes some of the event names Dusty used. If AEW wasn't founded, it's entirely possible he would have taken his approach and trademarks to NWA. He's something of an outlier when comparing what Omega and the Bucks bring to the table, ideas-wise.
5. WWE wants NXT to draw as big of an audience as possible, and the battle with AEW makes that more of a challenge. So, some of it is self-serving and some of it is because there's stiff competition.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
FNSD date set, Full Sail dates set, Starrcade matches, Interviews with HBK/Kane/Booker, new Final Battle match, WWE name signs new deal, Firefly Fun House expanding, Raw audience, NWA PPV main event, Becky milestone, Bruno press, and NXT matches
Friday Night Smackdown will be in Illinois again on March 27.
Full Sail University will continue to host NXT weekly through at least the end of March, as more dates have been booked in the venue. I'd think there'd be demand for the show in other markets running larger venues, so it's interesting they're staying there. Obviously there are advantages to using that space, too.
Starrcade has added:
- The Kabuki Warriors vs. Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks and Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. This will be Alexa's first match since Hell in a Cell.
- Bobby Lashley vs. Rusev in a Last Man Standing match
Shawn Michaels spoke to Sports Illustrated about his NXT role. I like his comments about the old ways not being admirable.
Final Battle has added Marty Scurll and Flip Gordon vs. Bandido and Flamita. Scurll announced this match at a Cracker Barrel, leading to speculation of him joining his Elite friends after this event.
Lana has signed a multi-year deal to stay in WWE. Wow. Didn't expect that, although clearly they're finally getting behind her again.
Kane discussed the transition from wrestling to politics. He's doing book signings this weekend.
"Firefly Fun House" will have a new member revealed on Smackdown. I kind of want to see a goat to reference Bryan.
Booker T. discussed the famous Undertaker spinaroonie dark segment.
Raw drew 2.11 million viewers Monday, actually down from last week despite following Survivor Series. Raw really took a serious beating from the other brands, so it's possible the message was sent that it's now the least prominent show of the week. That's definitely a serious concern, as Survivor Series is one of the biggest dates of the year and Raw should have benefited from it.
Into The Fire's main event will be Nick Aldis vs. James Storm in a two-out-of-three falls match for the NWA World Championship.
Becky Lynch is now the longest reigning Raw Women's Champion of all time. It will be interesting to see how she interacts with Seth's character given Rollins' latest actions.
Bruno Sammartino's documentary got hometown press.
NXT has announced:
- Lio Rush vs. Akira Tozawa for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. Akira's on the Raw roster officially.
- Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish vs. Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic for the NXT Tag Team Championship
More wrestling tomorrow.
Full Sail University will continue to host NXT weekly through at least the end of March, as more dates have been booked in the venue. I'd think there'd be demand for the show in other markets running larger venues, so it's interesting they're staying there. Obviously there are advantages to using that space, too.
Starrcade has added:
- The Kabuki Warriors vs. Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks and Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. This will be Alexa's first match since Hell in a Cell.
- Bobby Lashley vs. Rusev in a Last Man Standing match
Shawn Michaels spoke to Sports Illustrated about his NXT role. I like his comments about the old ways not being admirable.
Final Battle has added Marty Scurll and Flip Gordon vs. Bandido and Flamita. Scurll announced this match at a Cracker Barrel, leading to speculation of him joining his Elite friends after this event.
Lana has signed a multi-year deal to stay in WWE. Wow. Didn't expect that, although clearly they're finally getting behind her again.
Kane discussed the transition from wrestling to politics. He's doing book signings this weekend.
"Firefly Fun House" will have a new member revealed on Smackdown. I kind of want to see a goat to reference Bryan.
Booker T. discussed the famous Undertaker spinaroonie dark segment.
Raw drew 2.11 million viewers Monday, actually down from last week despite following Survivor Series. Raw really took a serious beating from the other brands, so it's possible the message was sent that it's now the least prominent show of the week. That's definitely a serious concern, as Survivor Series is one of the biggest dates of the year and Raw should have benefited from it.
Into The Fire's main event will be Nick Aldis vs. James Storm in a two-out-of-three falls match for the NWA World Championship.
Becky Lynch is now the longest reigning Raw Women's Champion of all time. It will be interesting to see how she interacts with Seth's character given Rollins' latest actions.
Bruno Sammartino's documentary got hometown press.
NXT has announced:
- Lio Rush vs. Akira Tozawa for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. Akira's on the Raw roster officially.
- Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish vs. Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic for the NXT Tag Team Championship
More wrestling tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
WWE HoFer on Dynamite, assorted wrestling press, Punk-WWE note, another Dynamite set, WWE honored by Sports Business Journal, Worlds Collide update, another AEW crossover, WWE VIP note, Raw dark match, and Questions on Punk expectations, AEW Omega vs. NJPW Omega, AEW's business model, NWA's Cornette culpability, and Cody's trademarks
Diamond Dallas Page will appear on Dynamite to present a diamond ring to the winner of MJF vs. Hangman Page. Now that stipulation makes sense. I'm sure we'll get MJF cutting a promo on him to set up MJF vs. Cody.
Victoria is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
WWE wants C.M. Punk to appear on "Broken Skull Sessions." Be careful what you wish for; that could be explosive.
Expo Lucha 2020's wrestling event will air on IndependentWrestling.TV.
Dynamite on January 29 will come from Cleveland State University.
Alexa Bliss was backstage at Raw.
WWE was recognized by Sports Business Journal readers as the Entity Best at Producing Live Event Spectacles. That's a pleasant surprise given how attendance has been for a lot of events.
When Worlds Collide the day before Royal Rumble will feature NXT stars facing NXT UK stars. Notably 205 Live isn't advertised, though the brand was represented at the last such special.
Dynamite this week will feature a crossover with TNT's "Batweek" Batman movie marathon. I can only imagine what that will entail.
A Bruno Sammartino documentary will air in New York City and Los Angeles from Friday through Thursday. A larger release is planned.
WWE is advertising VIP packages at live events. Dean Ambrose and Ronda Rousey were included in the email blast, so I'm guessing it hasn't been updated in a while.
After Raw, The Fiend retained the Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre in a cage match.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Firstly, how many casual fans are watching Backstage? Secondly, I'm under the impression Punk was going to leave within a few months regardless, ideally after a WrestleMania main event to cap his career off. But anyway, I think there is some expectation of Punk appearing outside of Backstage among some fans, but if someone's in the know enough to be following Seth's Twitter challenge, they should know where things stand regarding Punk's status.
2. The impression I have is they're telling a long-term story of Omega being overconfident and full of himself and now needing to dig down deep to be that Kenny again. To be fair, if he was the centerpiece of the promotion while part of management, he would be heavily criticized for that direction.
3. The long-term goal is to get a better paying TV deal when this one comes due. They were an unknown entity when making this deal, and TNT only expected about 500,000 viewers a week, so they didn't invest much in it. If they can keep drawing above that range, it's hoped that they'll get rights fees in future years.
4. Yes, NWA dropped the ball. They knew what Cornette's reputation was and had already needed to edit other comments of his. Again, it's probably for the best this happened now instead of at Into the Fire or a bigger stage; it or a worse incident were likely given his history.
5. It absolutely opens the door for Cody someday splitting from the company and taking those trademarks with him. I'm not sure if Tony realizes that or he just doesn't care, but it's not out of the question given how Cody's vision differs from the other EVPs.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Victoria is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
WWE wants C.M. Punk to appear on "Broken Skull Sessions." Be careful what you wish for; that could be explosive.
Expo Lucha 2020's wrestling event will air on IndependentWrestling.TV.
Dynamite on January 29 will come from Cleveland State University.
Alexa Bliss was backstage at Raw.
WWE was recognized by Sports Business Journal readers as the Entity Best at Producing Live Event Spectacles. That's a pleasant surprise given how attendance has been for a lot of events.
When Worlds Collide the day before Royal Rumble will feature NXT stars facing NXT UK stars. Notably 205 Live isn't advertised, though the brand was represented at the last such special.
Dynamite this week will feature a crossover with TNT's "Batweek" Batman movie marathon. I can only imagine what that will entail.
A Bruno Sammartino documentary will air in New York City and Los Angeles from Friday through Thursday. A larger release is planned.
WWE is advertising VIP packages at live events. Dean Ambrose and Ronda Rousey were included in the email blast, so I'm guessing it hasn't been updated in a while.
After Raw, The Fiend retained the Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre in a cage match.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Firstly, how many casual fans are watching Backstage? Secondly, I'm under the impression Punk was going to leave within a few months regardless, ideally after a WrestleMania main event to cap his career off. But anyway, I think there is some expectation of Punk appearing outside of Backstage among some fans, but if someone's in the know enough to be following Seth's Twitter challenge, they should know where things stand regarding Punk's status.
2. The impression I have is they're telling a long-term story of Omega being overconfident and full of himself and now needing to dig down deep to be that Kenny again. To be fair, if he was the centerpiece of the promotion while part of management, he would be heavily criticized for that direction.
3. The long-term goal is to get a better paying TV deal when this one comes due. They were an unknown entity when making this deal, and TNT only expected about 500,000 viewers a week, so they didn't invest much in it. If they can keep drawing above that range, it's hoped that they'll get rights fees in future years.
4. Yes, NWA dropped the ball. They knew what Cornette's reputation was and had already needed to edit other comments of his. Again, it's probably for the best this happened now instead of at Into the Fire or a bigger stage; it or a worse incident were likely given his history.
5. It absolutely opens the door for Cody someday splitting from the company and taking those trademarks with him. I'm not sure if Tony realizes that or he just doesn't care, but it's not out of the question given how Cody's vision differs from the other EVPs.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Main Event and ROH Reax
ROH TV is such a non-priority for so many people that it's hard to track down others covering it, but someone else finally watched this week's, so here we go.
-- Main Event:
- Mojo squash:
I like Mojo showing more personality.
That was good to build Rawley as a threat to the 24/7 Title or whatever.
- EY vs. Cedric:
I still want an Eric Young/Erick Rowan comedy team.
I like how these two interact.
Good to see what Alexander's made of.
Fine enough. Glad Eric got to remind us he still exists.
-- ROH:
- Draper vs. Nova:
Not bad so far.
Solid enough. Pretty basic.
More wrestling coming up.
Monday, November 25, 2019
NXT angle at Takeover, Interview with Dana Brooke, Kylie comments on leaving AEW, Corey takes shots at Mauro, Starr profiled, Stardom name retiring, and Questions on ROH's status, Khan vs. Orton, Punk going to AEW while on Backstage, and AEW ref botches
After Takeover:WarGames, Lio Rush attacked Angel Garza. I assume NXT will continue that angle, since Survivor Series didn't.
Dana Brooke spoke to Imagista.
Kylie Rae commented on leaving AEW. I'm glad she's back in wrestling.
Corey Graves jabbed at Mauro Ranallo during Takeover:WarGames, criticizing him for overshadowing the other commentators and making too many pop culture references. That's bold given Mauro's popularity for his enthusiasm. I agree with the criticisms, but he's going to get a ton of backlash for them, especially given their public nature.
- Mauro Ranallo's manager Frank Shamrock responded. Yeah that's pretty heavy for someone criticizing a coworker's job performance. Mauro's really put on a pedestal. He's an inspiration given his mental health struggles, but that shouldn't shield him from being evaluated critically.
- Mauro deleted his Twitter account after this incident. It's unknown if the two circumstances are related. It would definitely be good to keep tabs here on Mauro given his history; it's possible this criticism really hit to the bone in a way that affects his health.
David Starr's unionization efforts were covered. It's a very political piece.
Stardom's Hazuki has announced her retirement for December 24. At 22 and right on the cusp of Stardom's new ownership taking control, that's a surprise. She could really have excelled.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. This is basically a repeat, but they've been overtaken by AEW, NJPW, and NXT, all outlets that are passionate about making a wrestling product and putting a lot of money toward expanding their brands. ROH doesn't have a Tony Khan, Triple H, or Harold Meij pushing it to what it can be.
2. Honestly probably not. I'd think there are bigger factors at play in determining which show fans watch.
3. So I don't want to bury Khan by calling him a baby as this question did, but I do think he looked poorly in that situation, especially bringing up the false Saudi story (which, sadly, continues to be parroted by journalists whose reputations are eroding as a result). I really, really wonder what happens if AEW starts getting regularly beaten by NXT or otherwise loses support. Khan's shown he can be a cheerleader for his friends, but I don't know if he can be a warrior who survives the long haul when things stop being as fun. I'd love to be wrong there.
4. It didn't look like there was much of a chance of him going to AEW regardless.
5. There have definitely been some hiccups in that department. AEW's focus is on the in-ring action, and sometimes the "this is a real match with real rules" aspect gets thrown out the window in favor of what they want to showcase.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Dana Brooke spoke to Imagista.
Kylie Rae commented on leaving AEW. I'm glad she's back in wrestling.
Corey Graves jabbed at Mauro Ranallo during Takeover:WarGames, criticizing him for overshadowing the other commentators and making too many pop culture references. That's bold given Mauro's popularity for his enthusiasm. I agree with the criticisms, but he's going to get a ton of backlash for them, especially given their public nature.
- Mauro Ranallo's manager Frank Shamrock responded. Yeah that's pretty heavy for someone criticizing a coworker's job performance. Mauro's really put on a pedestal. He's an inspiration given his mental health struggles, but that shouldn't shield him from being evaluated critically.
- Mauro deleted his Twitter account after this incident. It's unknown if the two circumstances are related. It would definitely be good to keep tabs here on Mauro given his history; it's possible this criticism really hit to the bone in a way that affects his health.
David Starr's unionization efforts were covered. It's a very political piece.
Stardom's Hazuki has announced her retirement for December 24. At 22 and right on the cusp of Stardom's new ownership taking control, that's a surprise. She could really have excelled.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. This is basically a repeat, but they've been overtaken by AEW, NJPW, and NXT, all outlets that are passionate about making a wrestling product and putting a lot of money toward expanding their brands. ROH doesn't have a Tony Khan, Triple H, or Harold Meij pushing it to what it can be.
2. Honestly probably not. I'd think there are bigger factors at play in determining which show fans watch.
3. So I don't want to bury Khan by calling him a baby as this question did, but I do think he looked poorly in that situation, especially bringing up the false Saudi story (which, sadly, continues to be parroted by journalists whose reputations are eroding as a result). I really, really wonder what happens if AEW starts getting regularly beaten by NXT or otherwise loses support. Khan's shown he can be a cheerleader for his friends, but I don't know if he can be a warrior who survives the long haul when things stop being as fun. I'd love to be wrong there.
4. It didn't look like there was much of a chance of him going to AEW regardless.
5. There have definitely been some hiccups in that department. AEW's focus is on the in-ring action, and sometimes the "this is a real match with real rules" aspect gets thrown out the window in favor of what they want to showcase.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Interviews with Sheamus+Sasha/Adam Cole, Network update, new 2K20 mode, Cody trademarks more event names, WWE event trademarks, FNSD audience, new Day Of coming, WWE charity, NXT UK name engaged, new IC Title replica on sale, Jericho podcast guests, HHH conference call, and Questions on Smackdown's women triple threat, Hogan's Netflix movie, NXT channeling DX, more brawls on wrestling TV, and ROH's decline
Sheamus is in town for Survivor Series, which could come into play. He and Sasha Banks had a Q&A by Cricket Wireless, which The Miz hosted.
WWE Network has added Chromecast support for live video on Android and iOS.
WWE 2K20 has a "Pilgrim Rusev" challenge tower ahead of Thanksgiving. Silly.
Cody has trademarked former WCW event names "Slamboree" and "Superbrawl." I'm really not sure the best direction for AEW is naming events after shows from decades ago, since they're trying to reach a younger audience and all.
WWE has trademarked the names "War Games" and "WWE Crown Jewel" for obvious reasons.
Smackdown drew 2.60 million viewers Friday night. Good to see the number rebound.
"WWE Day Of" focusing on Crown Jewel's women's match will air Friday. The PR push continues.
Fire and Desire helped out at the Chicago Food Bank before Survivor Series.
Adam Cole talked to The Wrap, Sporting News, and Sports Illustrated before WarGames.
Shannon Moore was at the WWE Performance Center this week as a guest coach.
Piper Niven announced her engagement.
WWE's new Intercontinental Championship has replicas available for pre-order. We'll see what title gets made over next.
The former Enzo Amore and Big Cass are on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.
Triple H had a conference call after WarGames, recapped here:
- Yeah they might have had to change NXT's Survivor Series team after that hellacious event.
- Man, HHH and Punk meeting again could be interesting.
- Oh Riddle's been doing the Goldberg thing for a while now. It would be fun in its own way as a match.
- Right? A lot of injuries are unexpected.
- I can only imagine what was suggested that was too extreme!
- Oh yeah the women really, really delivered.
- Very interesting decision with the next Takeover. Doing it as a PPV is worth a shot.
- I really hope Baker doesn't get in trouble for her appearance.
- Glad HHH put Baker over.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It was definitely cool! Glad to see some more current names working as producers.
2. It's WAYYYYY too early. I'm not even sure it's been cast yet.
3. It was a very deliberate homage and presented as such.
4. It has been a bigger thing lately with the three brand war at Survivor Series, although I think Heyman's made more "chaotic" segments on Raw in his tenure, too. It's meant to add excitement and break up the stale format of every angle being its own island. It can be overdone, so I hope they back off a bit before Rumble season or it will become predictable.
5. A lot of factors here. Some are longstanding problems that ROH was able to more or less get by without addressing in past years because they were buoyed by The Elite, NJPW stars, etc. but now that a lot of their most significant names are gone or likely leaving soon, the inherent issues of how the company is run as one department of a large corporate entity that's not presenting it as a priority are showing. With AEW, NXT, and NJPW all making big moves, ROH hasn't been able to adapt. Sure, they've had talent losses and bad creative before, but not at this level and not this quickly. AEW, NJPW, and NXT are doing a similar style with bigger budgets, more shows, and with driven teams behind-the-scenes looking to maximize their brands. Some real, deep change is needed if they're going to have a significant presence going forward. The fact they might not even run WrestleMania weekend is telling about where things are for them.
More wrestling tomorrow.
WWE Network has added Chromecast support for live video on Android and iOS.
WWE 2K20 has a "Pilgrim Rusev" challenge tower ahead of Thanksgiving. Silly.
Cody has trademarked former WCW event names "Slamboree" and "Superbrawl." I'm really not sure the best direction for AEW is naming events after shows from decades ago, since they're trying to reach a younger audience and all.
WWE has trademarked the names "War Games" and "WWE Crown Jewel" for obvious reasons.
Smackdown drew 2.60 million viewers Friday night. Good to see the number rebound.
"WWE Day Of" focusing on Crown Jewel's women's match will air Friday. The PR push continues.
Fire and Desire helped out at the Chicago Food Bank before Survivor Series.
Adam Cole talked to The Wrap, Sporting News, and Sports Illustrated before WarGames.
Shannon Moore was at the WWE Performance Center this week as a guest coach.
Piper Niven announced her engagement.
WWE's new Intercontinental Championship has replicas available for pre-order. We'll see what title gets made over next.
The former Enzo Amore and Big Cass are on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.
Triple H had a conference call after WarGames, recapped here:
- Yeah they might have had to change NXT's Survivor Series team after that hellacious event.
- Man, HHH and Punk meeting again could be interesting.
- Oh Riddle's been doing the Goldberg thing for a while now. It would be fun in its own way as a match.
- Right? A lot of injuries are unexpected.
- I can only imagine what was suggested that was too extreme!
- Oh yeah the women really, really delivered.
- Very interesting decision with the next Takeover. Doing it as a PPV is worth a shot.
- I really hope Baker doesn't get in trouble for her appearance.
- Glad HHH put Baker over.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It was definitely cool! Glad to see some more current names working as producers.
2. It's WAYYYYY too early. I'm not even sure it's been cast yet.
3. It was a very deliberate homage and presented as such.
4. It has been a bigger thing lately with the three brand war at Survivor Series, although I think Heyman's made more "chaotic" segments on Raw in his tenure, too. It's meant to add excitement and break up the stale format of every angle being its own island. It can be overdone, so I hope they back off a bit before Rumble season or it will become predictable.
5. A lot of factors here. Some are longstanding problems that ROH was able to more or less get by without addressing in past years because they were buoyed by The Elite, NJPW stars, etc. but now that a lot of their most significant names are gone or likely leaving soon, the inherent issues of how the company is run as one department of a large corporate entity that's not presenting it as a priority are showing. With AEW, NXT, and NJPW all making big moves, ROH hasn't been able to adapt. Sure, they've had talent losses and bad creative before, but not at this level and not this quickly. AEW, NJPW, and NXT are doing a similar style with bigger budgets, more shows, and with driven teams behind-the-scenes looking to maximize their brands. Some real, deep change is needed if they're going to have a significant presence going forward. The fact they might not even run WrestleMania weekend is telling about where things are for them.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Highspots Networks adds Kayfabe Commentaries content, assorted news and press, Interviews wih Austin/Adam Cole, Cain's training partners, MLW re-signs top star, Impact Plus joint show set, 205 Live note, WWE MSG return set, MLW in video games talks, Newsweek covers recent ROH controversies, more on Cornette-NWA, Scurll-ROH update, NXT signee drops title, and a DX reunion after Smackdown
The Kayfabe Commentaries library has been licensed by Highspots Network. That's a great idea; I expect there's overlap in those fan bases.
Survivor Series' WWE Now preview will feature Daniel Bryan, Bayley, and Mustafa Ali and begin at 3:00 p.m. EST.
Stone Cold discussed "Broken Skull Sessions" with Sports Illustrated and Yahoo! Entertainment.
Harvey Whippelman is on Jerry Lawler's latest podcast.
Cain Velasquez is training with Kalisto and Gran Metalik at the WWE Performance Center. I'm curious how he'll do in Mexico.
WWE raised $200,000 for The Boys and Girls Club of Tampa.
Booker T. discussed NXT beating AEW in this week's ratings battle.
MLW has re-signed Tom Lawlor to a multi-year exclusive deal. Court Bauer went the extra mile to keep him. He's very passionate about making the promotion the best it can be. Glad to see it.
Impact and OVW will have an Impact Plus special on February 22.
Survivor Series' Watch Along has announced Samoa Joe, Lio Rush, Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins, the Lucha House Party, Breezango, and The Street Profits, as well as MLB's Kyle Schwarber.
205 Live this week was replaced with a replay of Wednesday's NXT. With Takeover and Survivor Series coming up, that was the right move.
Madison Square Garden will host a Raw live event on March 22.
MLW is in negotiations for a video game. Wow. They're making moves!
Newsweek covered ROH's Kelly Klein controversy:
- This is not the kind of publicity the company wants as Final Battle approaches.
- ROH lacking in medical professionals goes against the narrative that the incredibly wealthy Sinclair Broadcasting treats the company as a priority. They're looking more and more like an indie these days.
- This really paints ROH in a bad light, and is likely the biggest exposure they'll get for a while.
- Yeah if a number of current and recent performers are saying there's not a concrete policy and ROH didn't provide one, I'm skeptical.
- It's pretty well known Koff and Gilleland don't stay around for the whole show. This has been the case for years. Some of that's because they have other responsibilities, particularly Koff, but it leads to situations where talent feels abandoned.
- As if there wasn't already an expectation of a talent exodus.
- Yeah the expenses of wrestlers in less-than-ideal pay conditions sucks. ROH being owned by Sinclair doesn't alleviate these expenses, it seems.
- Damn if they're cutting costs no wonder there's so much excitement to leave for AEW, NJPW, etc. We'll see if any talents ask for releases after this.
- Yeah they built Manic a lot and she ended up having a WWE tryout because they let her deal expire. That's a real indictment of management.
- As for the freelance wrestler, that was a NJPW name. If NJPW needed further reason to distance itself from ROH, they have it now.
- Yeah WOH is a garbage fire.
- I hope Klein and other ROH names can get better deals elsewhere.
Jim Cornette discussed his NWA split. Unsurprisingly, he turns blame elsewhere. This is a pattern of his over the years.
- NWA edited out other comments he had made on commentary before this most recent incident. NWA wanted him to apologize and take a hiatus from the product, but instead he quit. Cornette is a toxic person who has gotten far too many chances in this business.
Marty Scurll will compete at Final Battle, and potentially the night afterward. He has not signed a new contract, but the two sides remain in talks. I'm glad he'll be able to have a potentially more meaningful (possible) farewell.
Adam Cole spoke to New York Post before this weekend's events:
- He's earned some off days after this run. He's all over the place.
- I would have marked if he said Brock and The Fiend don't want any of UE.
- Honestly I hope NXT and AEW both draw good numbers. People who want Raw and Smackdown to be more like those shows should want the same.
Seth Rollins called out C.M. Punk when promoting Survivor Series. I'm not sure that's a smart move, since it doesn't look like it's going to happen.
Mick Foley promoted a speaking appearance.
Konnan is set for a Q&A at Expo Lucha.
Bob Armstrong was honored in Alabama.
Jake Roberts promoted a Q&A.
NXT signee Shotzi Blackheart has vacated her Shine Nova Championship.
After Smackdown, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Road Dogg did a DX reunion and took out King Corbin. Good times.
Takeover:WarGames' Kickoff show has added Angel Garza vs. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott. Should be good!
More wrestling tomorrow.
Survivor Series' WWE Now preview will feature Daniel Bryan, Bayley, and Mustafa Ali and begin at 3:00 p.m. EST.
Stone Cold discussed "Broken Skull Sessions" with Sports Illustrated and Yahoo! Entertainment.
Harvey Whippelman is on Jerry Lawler's latest podcast.
Cain Velasquez is training with Kalisto and Gran Metalik at the WWE Performance Center. I'm curious how he'll do in Mexico.
WWE raised $200,000 for The Boys and Girls Club of Tampa.
Booker T. discussed NXT beating AEW in this week's ratings battle.
MLW has re-signed Tom Lawlor to a multi-year exclusive deal. Court Bauer went the extra mile to keep him. He's very passionate about making the promotion the best it can be. Glad to see it.
Impact and OVW will have an Impact Plus special on February 22.
Survivor Series' Watch Along has announced Samoa Joe, Lio Rush, Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins, the Lucha House Party, Breezango, and The Street Profits, as well as MLB's Kyle Schwarber.
205 Live this week was replaced with a replay of Wednesday's NXT. With Takeover and Survivor Series coming up, that was the right move.
Madison Square Garden will host a Raw live event on March 22.
MLW is in negotiations for a video game. Wow. They're making moves!
Newsweek covered ROH's Kelly Klein controversy:
- This is not the kind of publicity the company wants as Final Battle approaches.
- ROH lacking in medical professionals goes against the narrative that the incredibly wealthy Sinclair Broadcasting treats the company as a priority. They're looking more and more like an indie these days.
- This really paints ROH in a bad light, and is likely the biggest exposure they'll get for a while.
- Yeah if a number of current and recent performers are saying there's not a concrete policy and ROH didn't provide one, I'm skeptical.
- It's pretty well known Koff and Gilleland don't stay around for the whole show. This has been the case for years. Some of that's because they have other responsibilities, particularly Koff, but it leads to situations where talent feels abandoned.
- As if there wasn't already an expectation of a talent exodus.
- Yeah the expenses of wrestlers in less-than-ideal pay conditions sucks. ROH being owned by Sinclair doesn't alleviate these expenses, it seems.
- Damn if they're cutting costs no wonder there's so much excitement to leave for AEW, NJPW, etc. We'll see if any talents ask for releases after this.
- Yeah they built Manic a lot and she ended up having a WWE tryout because they let her deal expire. That's a real indictment of management.
- As for the freelance wrestler, that was a NJPW name. If NJPW needed further reason to distance itself from ROH, they have it now.
- Yeah WOH is a garbage fire.
- I hope Klein and other ROH names can get better deals elsewhere.
Jim Cornette discussed his NWA split. Unsurprisingly, he turns blame elsewhere. This is a pattern of his over the years.
- NWA edited out other comments he had made on commentary before this most recent incident. NWA wanted him to apologize and take a hiatus from the product, but instead he quit. Cornette is a toxic person who has gotten far too many chances in this business.
Marty Scurll will compete at Final Battle, and potentially the night afterward. He has not signed a new contract, but the two sides remain in talks. I'm glad he'll be able to have a potentially more meaningful (possible) farewell.
Adam Cole spoke to New York Post before this weekend's events:
- He's earned some off days after this run. He's all over the place.
- I would have marked if he said Brock and The Fiend don't want any of UE.
- Honestly I hope NXT and AEW both draw good numbers. People who want Raw and Smackdown to be more like those shows should want the same.
Seth Rollins called out C.M. Punk when promoting Survivor Series. I'm not sure that's a smart move, since it doesn't look like it's going to happen.
Mick Foley promoted a speaking appearance.
Konnan is set for a Q&A at Expo Lucha.
Bob Armstrong was honored in Alabama.
Jake Roberts promoted a Q&A.
NXT signee Shotzi Blackheart has vacated her Shine Nova Championship.
After Smackdown, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Road Dogg did a DX reunion and took out King Corbin. Good times.
Takeover:WarGames' Kickoff show has added Angel Garza vs. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott. Should be good!
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday Night Smackdown Reax - 11/22/19
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Friday Night Smackdown.
Friday, November 22, 2019
ROH sets more dates, ACH a free man, Impact signs international TV deal, Alberto vs. Tito update, Interview with Onoo, AEW+NXT audiences, Cain back in the ring, HHH note, ROH not renewing champion's deal, ROH holding summit, Impact injury, AEW attendance, NXT evaluating live event schedule, NXT injury update, and Questions on Impact's studio show, attacking a reporter for quoting falsehoods, and the future of ROH
ROH has announced events for February 28 in Tennessee and February 29 in Missouri. I would think these could be their 18th anniversary events, but there's no confirmation of that yet.
ACH has announced independent bookings, including one tonight. It was later confirmed that he has been granted his WWE release. I hope this is a positive step.
Impact has signed an African TV deal beginning in January that spans multiple years and will see content shown in more than 50 countries.
Alberto El Patron vs. Tito Ortiz will air on FITE, along with the rest of the December 7 Combate Americas event. Glad it will be available.
Sonny Onoo discussed Japanese wrestling and more on VOC Nation's In The Room. Here are highlights. There's definitely a big opportunity for Japanese talents with so much content available internationally.
Dynamite drew 893,000 viewers this week, a pretty solid retention of last week's number.
NXT drew 916,000 viewers this week, a very impressive number for the show and the first time it's beaten AEW. The Survivor Series crossover absolutely boosted them this week. We'll see if NXT can retain the audience when they don't have the likes of Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins "invading".
Cain Velasquez has been working out at the WWE Performance Center ahead of his return match. Good. I hope he can contribute more at some point given the shape of his knee.
Triple H will do a Facebook Q&A after WarGames.
ROH will not renew Kelly Klein's contract for 2020 as a result of her public support of the former Joey Mercury, which was seen as a breach of contract. Her husband BJ Whitmer noted she is still dealing with concussion issues and was informed of her status via email. It remains to be seen what this will mean for the WOH Championship. This is not a great situation for a company that's getting bombarded with bad news these past few months.
- ROH indicated they chose to let Klein's contract expire at the end of the year rather than release her and enforce a six-month no-compete clause.
ROH is holding a talent summit today to collaborate on ROH's future plans. That's a great idea, as I expect a lot of talents want to see significant change for the company and their own status given the other promising options out there for performers.
Jim Cornette leaving NWA was in large part due to Cornette not apologizing for his controversial remark. There were also issues with Cornette harshly criticizing AEW, given the crossover audience of AEW Dark and NWA's YouTube show.
Dragon Lee will return to NJPW in 2020. We'll see what his future holds in the U.S.
ROH is reportedly making bigger financial offers to talents in the hopes of retaining talents who could be looking to leave. It's going to be difficult competing with other companies in that regard, but they don't have much choice if they're going to continue employing in-demand talent.
Impact's Josh Alexander recently tore his biceps. There's no indication The North will drop their tag team championship.
Dynamite drew 4,200 fans this week.
NXT is looking to do fewer Florida live events in 2020, as they aren't drawing as well as in past years. The main drawback will be less live experience for the WWE Performance Center recruits.
Aliyah's broken nose is apparently an angle. She could use a new direction. I'd mark for a return of Cody's mask.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That's definitely a different product from what we usually see from Impact. I'm curious of the longevity of the idea.
2. If they had to fact check everything publicly said by a wrestling personality, they'd never get anything done! I do think there's some responsibility for the outlet presenting inaccurate information (and PWInsider did note that Bischoff's account was disputed, as I did), but ultimately the blame should be on the person making the statements if there's any misrepresentation involved.
3. Certainly a lot of ROH's survival is going to come down to how much in the way of Sinclair money and resources they can use. It's definitely possible that it continues in a diminished state solely to provide content for local TV stations, but if fans and talent continue to move on, the company's relevance will dwindle.
Nothing to add to 4.
5. That's the value of quality sources and a keen mind for accuracy.
More wrestling tomorrow.
ACH has announced independent bookings, including one tonight. It was later confirmed that he has been granted his WWE release. I hope this is a positive step.
Impact has signed an African TV deal beginning in January that spans multiple years and will see content shown in more than 50 countries.
Alberto El Patron vs. Tito Ortiz will air on FITE, along with the rest of the December 7 Combate Americas event. Glad it will be available.
Sonny Onoo discussed Japanese wrestling and more on VOC Nation's In The Room. Here are highlights. There's definitely a big opportunity for Japanese talents with so much content available internationally.
Dynamite drew 893,000 viewers this week, a pretty solid retention of last week's number.
NXT drew 916,000 viewers this week, a very impressive number for the show and the first time it's beaten AEW. The Survivor Series crossover absolutely boosted them this week. We'll see if NXT can retain the audience when they don't have the likes of Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins "invading".
Cain Velasquez has been working out at the WWE Performance Center ahead of his return match. Good. I hope he can contribute more at some point given the shape of his knee.
Triple H will do a Facebook Q&A after WarGames.
ROH will not renew Kelly Klein's contract for 2020 as a result of her public support of the former Joey Mercury, which was seen as a breach of contract. Her husband BJ Whitmer noted she is still dealing with concussion issues and was informed of her status via email. It remains to be seen what this will mean for the WOH Championship. This is not a great situation for a company that's getting bombarded with bad news these past few months.
- ROH indicated they chose to let Klein's contract expire at the end of the year rather than release her and enforce a six-month no-compete clause.
ROH is holding a talent summit today to collaborate on ROH's future plans. That's a great idea, as I expect a lot of talents want to see significant change for the company and their own status given the other promising options out there for performers.
Jim Cornette leaving NWA was in large part due to Cornette not apologizing for his controversial remark. There were also issues with Cornette harshly criticizing AEW, given the crossover audience of AEW Dark and NWA's YouTube show.
Dragon Lee will return to NJPW in 2020. We'll see what his future holds in the U.S.
ROH is reportedly making bigger financial offers to talents in the hopes of retaining talents who could be looking to leave. It's going to be difficult competing with other companies in that regard, but they don't have much choice if they're going to continue employing in-demand talent.
Impact's Josh Alexander recently tore his biceps. There's no indication The North will drop their tag team championship.
Dynamite drew 4,200 fans this week.
NXT is looking to do fewer Florida live events in 2020, as they aren't drawing as well as in past years. The main drawback will be less live experience for the WWE Performance Center recruits.
Aliyah's broken nose is apparently an angle. She could use a new direction. I'd mark for a return of Cody's mask.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That's definitely a different product from what we usually see from Impact. I'm curious of the longevity of the idea.
2. If they had to fact check everything publicly said by a wrestling personality, they'd never get anything done! I do think there's some responsibility for the outlet presenting inaccurate information (and PWInsider did note that Bischoff's account was disputed, as I did), but ultimately the blame should be on the person making the statements if there's any misrepresentation involved.
3. Certainly a lot of ROH's survival is going to come down to how much in the way of Sinclair money and resources they can use. It's definitely possible that it continues in a diminished state solely to provide content for local TV stations, but if fans and talent continue to move on, the company's relevance will dwindle.
Nothing to add to 4.
5. That's the value of quality sources and a keen mind for accuracy.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
New Hidden Gem, Memphis announcer calling Lawler match, New Day podcast launch date, After The Bell notes, HHH conference call, Cornette leaves NWA, WWE giving away PPV tickets, Interviews with Austin/WWE China exec/Punk, WWE duo release rap song, new ROH match, Backstage audience, WWE name discusses alcoholism, NXT UK rehearsal released, AEW Canada update, Impact couple engaged, AEW producer in-ring update, AEW trio trailer, AEW taping note, and Questions on Rey attacking Brock, nWo members who won't be honored by the HoF, AEW getting stale, and WWE not using authority figures
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gem is 1992's Survivor Series Showdown special and all of the dark content from that taping.
Jerry Lawler's Title vs. Career match will feature Memphis Wrestling's Dave Brown on commentary. That definitely raises the credibility of this actually being Lawler's last match. Brown will also be part of a VIP meet and greet that day.
New Day's "Feel The Power" podcast will launch on December 2.
On "After The Bell" this week:
- Randy Orton indicated he never intended to leave WWE, and was just having fun with his Twitter teases. Not a surprise.
- Rhea Ripley is excited to use weapons at WarGames. That's not a shock.
- Corey discussed the Bray Wyatt/Daniel Bryan angle playing off their past issues, and that potentially being hard to connect with fans given how quickly WWE moves on from things. That's a fair point.
Triple H did a pre-WarGames conference call, recapped here:
- Seeing how much NXT is featured on TLC and other PPVs will be interesting.
- DX running creative sounds like a gag from 1998.
- Intriguing tease about WarGames. Something tells me it will be John Morrison.
- Very interesting remarks about talents asking for releases.
- Yes, it made much more sense to have the top titles defended instead of a three-way.
- Adam Cole is a great person inside the ring and out with a huge amount of talent.
Jim Cornette has resigned from NWA after his recent commentary controversy. NWA has established new procedures to review all programming as a result. This was the right move; the comment should never have aired, and, again, the company should have foreseen someone who regularly makes inappropriate comments doing so on their program. I'm just glad he left before a bigger blowup could take place.
Survivor Series tickets were given away by "The Bump." That's a clever move to drive interest to the show.
Stone Cold discussed C.M. Punk's return and more on the State of Combat podcast.
WWE's VP of Greater China spoke on CNBC International.
R-Truth and Carmella released a rap song. Seriously.
ROH's December 15 TV taping has added Kenny King vs. Rhett Titus. I can't see that one increasing ticket sales.
WWE Backstage drew 180,000 viewers this week, a pretty decent jump from last week. We'll see how much of an effect Punk's appearance will have in the weeks to come.
Alicia Fox discussed her ongoing recovery from alcoholism. It's a tough battle. I hope she's able to improve her life and contribute to something valuable now that her in-ring career is seemingly over.
C.M. Punk spoke to Colin Cowherd about his WWE return. It will be good to have his honest critiques of things. Maybe they'll lead to some changes.
NXT UK rehearsal footage was briefly available online. That's fascinating!
Dynamite's remaining 2019 episodes will air on TSN2 live. Hopefully that's good for the show's audience.
Tessa Blanchard and Daga announced their engagement.
BJ Whitmer shot down an in-ring return. I can't say I expected him to wrestle again anyway.
AEW made a "Jurassic Planet" trailer for Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus, and Marko Stunt.
Chris Jericho cut a promo during a Dynamite commercial break.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Essentially it wasn't a purposeful breaking of the ban on chair shots to the head. It's a little like Jake Hager not being given a loss for accidentally kneeing his MMA opponent in the crotch.
2. I expect it will just be Hall, Nash, and Hogan when they inevitably go in. I don't see Bagwell going in at all anytime soon.
3. It depends on the talent and the situation. WWE isn't generally releasing anyone now in case there's a chance they go elsewhere, and there's kind of a feeling they don't want to endorse social media outbursts. WWE knows they hold the cards and have enough money to pay talents to ride their contracts out, so they're not in a rush to comply with such requests.
4. There's definitely a sameness to a lot of AEW content, particularly in the tag team division. That style is what their target audience really seems to enjoy. I just hope for AEW's sake that remains the case, since they're building the promotion around it.
5. Yes, we had seen so many authority figures change around so much WWE finally decided to do away with them, outside of the NBCU and FOX "war rooms" and very occasional appearances from someone like a Stephanie McMahon. Every authority figure was pretty much assumed to be a temporary presence until the next McMahon power struggle anyway.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Jerry Lawler's Title vs. Career match will feature Memphis Wrestling's Dave Brown on commentary. That definitely raises the credibility of this actually being Lawler's last match. Brown will also be part of a VIP meet and greet that day.
New Day's "Feel The Power" podcast will launch on December 2.
On "After The Bell" this week:
- Randy Orton indicated he never intended to leave WWE, and was just having fun with his Twitter teases. Not a surprise.
- Rhea Ripley is excited to use weapons at WarGames. That's not a shock.
- Corey discussed the Bray Wyatt/Daniel Bryan angle playing off their past issues, and that potentially being hard to connect with fans given how quickly WWE moves on from things. That's a fair point.
Triple H did a pre-WarGames conference call, recapped here:
- Seeing how much NXT is featured on TLC and other PPVs will be interesting.
- DX running creative sounds like a gag from 1998.
- Intriguing tease about WarGames. Something tells me it will be John Morrison.
- Very interesting remarks about talents asking for releases.
- Yes, it made much more sense to have the top titles defended instead of a three-way.
- Adam Cole is a great person inside the ring and out with a huge amount of talent.
Jim Cornette has resigned from NWA after his recent commentary controversy. NWA has established new procedures to review all programming as a result. This was the right move; the comment should never have aired, and, again, the company should have foreseen someone who regularly makes inappropriate comments doing so on their program. I'm just glad he left before a bigger blowup could take place.
Survivor Series tickets were given away by "The Bump." That's a clever move to drive interest to the show.
Stone Cold discussed C.M. Punk's return and more on the State of Combat podcast.
WWE's VP of Greater China spoke on CNBC International.
R-Truth and Carmella released a rap song. Seriously.
ROH's December 15 TV taping has added Kenny King vs. Rhett Titus. I can't see that one increasing ticket sales.
WWE Backstage drew 180,000 viewers this week, a pretty decent jump from last week. We'll see how much of an effect Punk's appearance will have in the weeks to come.
Alicia Fox discussed her ongoing recovery from alcoholism. It's a tough battle. I hope she's able to improve her life and contribute to something valuable now that her in-ring career is seemingly over.
C.M. Punk spoke to Colin Cowherd about his WWE return. It will be good to have his honest critiques of things. Maybe they'll lead to some changes.
NXT UK rehearsal footage was briefly available online. That's fascinating!
Dynamite's remaining 2019 episodes will air on TSN2 live. Hopefully that's good for the show's audience.
Tessa Blanchard and Daga announced their engagement.
BJ Whitmer shot down an in-ring return. I can't say I expected him to wrestle again anyway.
AEW made a "Jurassic Planet" trailer for Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus, and Marko Stunt.
Chris Jericho cut a promo during a Dynamite commercial break.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Essentially it wasn't a purposeful breaking of the ban on chair shots to the head. It's a little like Jake Hager not being given a loss for accidentally kneeing his MMA opponent in the crotch.
2. I expect it will just be Hall, Nash, and Hogan when they inevitably go in. I don't see Bagwell going in at all anytime soon.
3. It depends on the talent and the situation. WWE isn't generally releasing anyone now in case there's a chance they go elsewhere, and there's kind of a feeling they don't want to endorse social media outbursts. WWE knows they hold the cards and have enough money to pay talents to ride their contracts out, so they're not in a rush to comply with such requests.
4. There's definitely a sameness to a lot of AEW content, particularly in the tag team division. That style is what their target audience really seems to enjoy. I just hope for AEW's sake that remains the case, since they're building the promotion around it.
5. Yes, we had seen so many authority figures change around so much WWE finally decided to do away with them, outside of the NBCU and FOX "war rooms" and very occasional appearances from someone like a Stephanie McMahon. Every authority figure was pretty much assumed to be a temporary presence until the next McMahon power struggle anyway.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Orton continues Khan Twitter battle, Interviews with Bischoff/Cross/Goldberg, 24/7 Title changes, new NWA show coming, MLW using Cima and friends, Trish special set, NXT match added, new WarGames and Survivor Series matches, Raw audience, more KultureCity, Ryan on Netflix series, Omega AAA title defense tonight, NWA pulls episode due to Cornette, and Questions on Hogan at WM36, Lana vs. Lights Out for alienating wrestling fans, AXS ratings, and Heyman's booking abilities
Randy Orton fired back at Tony Khan after their recent Twitter battle, comparing Tony to Dixie Carter. Tony has been silent since then, which is probably for the best.
Eric Bischoff did a Q&A about leaving WWE, Saudi Arabia, and more. His account of the Tony Khan situation has since been disputed by Conrad Thompson.
R-Truth became 22-time 24/7 Champion after Raw.
- R-Truth lost the championship during a WWE corporate meeting. The new champion was congratulated by Triple H.
- R-Truth started his 23rd reign during a talent relations meeting where the new champion was being offered a contract. The contract offer was seemingly rescinded as a result.
Nikki Cross discussed teaming with Alexa Bliss.
NWA is launching a show called "The Circle Squared" that will allow talents to audition for the company on the mic and in the ring. The show will tape from December 14 through December 16 in Georgia. That's an interesting idea.
MLW is bringing in Stronghearts' Cima, El Lindaman, and Shigehiro Irie for their December 5 TV taping. The trio will face Contra Unit's Jacob Fatu, Simon Gotch, and Ikuro Kwon. Of course, Cima is signed to AEW and El Lindaman has appeared there, too, so this is an interesting turn of events. AEW and MLW are on friendly terms.
Trish Stratus' "WWE 24" special will air after Starrcade. It will follow her return match against Charlotte Flair.
NXT has added Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish vs. The Revival. That should be special.
WarGames has added Killian Dain vs. Pete Dunne vs. Damian Priest. The winner challenges for the NXT Championship at Survivor Series. That's pretty cool.
Raw drew 2.13 million viewers Monday night. Not good. Hopefully they get a boost after Survivor Series.
Goldberg discussed future WWE plans and more. I expect him and other legacy talents to continue to wrestle as long as it works for them financially.
All AEW events going forward will have KultureCity involvement. That's good.
Joey Ryan is in "Magic For Humans'" second season.
Kenny Omega will defend the AAA Mega Championship against Jack Evans on the next AEW Dark. Evans of course has history in AAA.
NWA temporarily pulled the latest episode of Power from YouTube due to a comment Jim Cornette made regarding Trevor Murdoch being tough enough to go through Ethiopia with a bucket of fried chicken. David Lagana and Nick Aldis apologized for the remark on Cornette's behalf. More on this tomorrow. This was just a matter of time. NWA management has no one to blame but themselves for hiring someone who regularly makes controversial remarks, and this misstep so early in the show's run is unfortunate given how well-received it has otherwise been. As for Cornette, as long as the wrestling business continues to support his behavior, he will continue to engage in it.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
Nothing to add to 1.
2. The craziest part of this is that I can't dismiss the possibility it happens. Ideally it would be a tag match or something to where he can "play the hits" with minimal physicality. A lot could go wrong in his condition.
3. I mean, at least Omega vs. Moxley was presented as a serious match (albeit one that didn't "count" on their records). The Lana stuff could lead to a serious match, but in of itself it's not a shining example of what wrestling can be.
4. AXS isn't in enough homes for Nielsen to consider it major enough to include, so official numbers aren't out.
5. The Lana angle is 100% Heyman "pushing the envelope" because it's felt Raw was lacking an edge, and trying to do something to get people talking about the show again. Frankly since it's been so long since Heyman had this level of control, a lot of fans aren't familiar with this kind of content being something he's a fan of. And as the legacy of ECW has been rewritten to exclude the negative, fans who started watching wrestling in recent years have a distorted view of his booking prowess. And, of course, when he hasn't had much creative control in so many years, there's no recent content to judge him on, so that feeds into his legacy. All that said, I've loved a lot of Heyman's changes to Raw.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Eric Bischoff did a Q&A about leaving WWE, Saudi Arabia, and more. His account of the Tony Khan situation has since been disputed by Conrad Thompson.
R-Truth became 22-time 24/7 Champion after Raw.
- R-Truth lost the championship during a WWE corporate meeting. The new champion was congratulated by Triple H.
- R-Truth started his 23rd reign during a talent relations meeting where the new champion was being offered a contract. The contract offer was seemingly rescinded as a result.
Nikki Cross discussed teaming with Alexa Bliss.
NWA is launching a show called "The Circle Squared" that will allow talents to audition for the company on the mic and in the ring. The show will tape from December 14 through December 16 in Georgia. That's an interesting idea.
MLW is bringing in Stronghearts' Cima, El Lindaman, and Shigehiro Irie for their December 5 TV taping. The trio will face Contra Unit's Jacob Fatu, Simon Gotch, and Ikuro Kwon. Of course, Cima is signed to AEW and El Lindaman has appeared there, too, so this is an interesting turn of events. AEW and MLW are on friendly terms.
Trish Stratus' "WWE 24" special will air after Starrcade. It will follow her return match against Charlotte Flair.
NXT has added Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish vs. The Revival. That should be special.
WarGames has added Killian Dain vs. Pete Dunne vs. Damian Priest. The winner challenges for the NXT Championship at Survivor Series. That's pretty cool.
Raw drew 2.13 million viewers Monday night. Not good. Hopefully they get a boost after Survivor Series.
Goldberg discussed future WWE plans and more. I expect him and other legacy talents to continue to wrestle as long as it works for them financially.
All AEW events going forward will have KultureCity involvement. That's good.
Joey Ryan is in "Magic For Humans'" second season.
Kenny Omega will defend the AAA Mega Championship against Jack Evans on the next AEW Dark. Evans of course has history in AAA.
NWA temporarily pulled the latest episode of Power from YouTube due to a comment Jim Cornette made regarding Trevor Murdoch being tough enough to go through Ethiopia with a bucket of fried chicken. David Lagana and Nick Aldis apologized for the remark on Cornette's behalf. More on this tomorrow. This was just a matter of time. NWA management has no one to blame but themselves for hiring someone who regularly makes controversial remarks, and this misstep so early in the show's run is unfortunate given how well-received it has otherwise been. As for Cornette, as long as the wrestling business continues to support his behavior, he will continue to engage in it.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
Nothing to add to 1.
2. The craziest part of this is that I can't dismiss the possibility it happens. Ideally it would be a tag match or something to where he can "play the hits" with minimal physicality. A lot could go wrong in his condition.
3. I mean, at least Omega vs. Moxley was presented as a serious match (albeit one that didn't "count" on their records). The Lana stuff could lead to a serious match, but in of itself it's not a shining example of what wrestling can be.
4. AXS isn't in enough homes for Nielsen to consider it major enough to include, so official numbers aren't out.
5. The Lana angle is 100% Heyman "pushing the envelope" because it's felt Raw was lacking an edge, and trying to do something to get people talking about the show again. Frankly since it's been so long since Heyman had this level of control, a lot of fans aren't familiar with this kind of content being something he's a fan of. And as the legacy of ECW has been rewritten to exclude the negative, fans who started watching wrestling in recent years have a distorted view of his booking prowess. And, of course, when he hasn't had much creative control in so many years, there's no recent content to judge him on, so that feeds into his legacy. All that said, I've loved a lot of Heyman's changes to Raw.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
New AEW and Cody trademarks, MLW signings, Cain back in action, special Tito offer, new MLW look, Interviews with Mia/Teal/Gulak, ROH signs lucha name, special Dynamites coming, new wrestling merch store, Impact opening, NXT live events, Punk vs. Khan vs. Orton on Twitter, Cain Chronicle coming, MLW featuring international star, NXT UK sellout, new NXT UK dates, NXT name set for EVOLVE match, no NJPW this week, Raw dark match, Japanese legend set for WM36 weekend, and Questions on Punk appearing for AEW and FOX at the same time, the WWE brand vs. individual stars, WWE intentionally sabotaging stars, Punk's Backstage role, Punk returning to WWE, and freezing Roman's contract
AEW has trademarked "All Elite Wrestling Blood and Guts" for a variety of purposes, playing off Vince McMahon's derisive comment about their content. AEW can and will commercialize anything they can capitalize on.
Cody has trademarked "The Match Beyond" which will almost certainly be AEW's version of WarGames.
MLW has signed interviewer Alicia Atout. Good to see someone using her.
WWE's Mexico event has added:
- Cain Velazquez and Humberto Carrillo vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. I expect Humberto will do most of the work there, given Cain's condition.
- Aleister Black vs. Andrade
Tito Santana will personally call people who preorder his upcoming autobiography.
MLW has signed Logan Creed, who worked their most recent TV taping. WWE was also interested in him.
- Josef Samael has also signed a new deal that will see him do more work behind-the-scenes.
MLW Fusion will see a new logo and graphics in the coming weeks.
Mia Yim is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
ROH has signed Flamita to a one-year deal. It's expected he'll debut at Final Battle. That's an interesting development given that he teams with Bandido, who will easily be on AEW and NXT's radars.
Dynamite's January 15 episode will be Bash at the Beach themed in Florida.
AEW will be on Chris Jericho's cruise, which will feature the January 22 Dynamite as well as other taped matches. Additionally, there will be opportunities for pictures and autographs. That's a pretty unique experience!
Pro Wrestling Tees has launched Wrestling Pins. AEW and NJPW already have pins available through the service, and, interestingly, Tommaso Ciampa and Roddy Piper have some as well.
Impact released this week's show opening.
NXT has announced live events for:
- October 10 in Pennsylvania
- October 11 in Ohio
- October 12 in New York
C.M. Punk tagged AEW's Tony Khan in a tweet about returning to following wrestling, presumably as a tease for discussing the company on Backstage.
- Tony responded by seemingly referring to the debunked Saudi story. Swing and a miss.
- Randy Orton then tagged Tony in a story about the senior Khan, which Tony refuted.
Cain Velasquez will be on "WWE Chronicle" after WarGames. That will be interesting.
Drew Gulak is on the latest Swerve City podcast.
MLW's Opera Cup will feature ZERO 1's Shinjiro Otani vs. Davey Boy Smith, Jr. in the opening round on December 5. Cool to see more crossover.
NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool II has unsurprisingly sold out.
NXT UK has announced TV tapings for January 17 and 18, March 6 and 7, May 1 and 2, and July 24 and 25.
NXT's Arturo Ruas is booked for EVOLVE's December 7 show against Timothy Thatcher.
NJPW will not air on AXS this week. Instead WOW will have a marathon leading into their season finale. That will definitely have the conspiracy-minded talking, especially with the lack of live NJPW shows on the channel.
Teal Piper spoke to Bill Apter.
After Raw, The Fiend retained the Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre in a steel cage match. That's an intriguing combination.
The Great Muta is booked for Joey Janela's Spring Break 4. WrestleMania weekend presents interesting opportunities.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't know the details of his deal, but there's no way he appears in AEW and Backstage at the same time. I don't expect to see him in AEW period.
2. I think there's valid concern that WWE promotes the brand as more important than any particular talent(s), and doesn't seem to want to get behind many talents to the degree necessary for them to be stars.
3. It's probably more of a case of them shifting priorities so frequently and changing their minds on whether to push someone rather than deliberate sabotage. That said, there have been times when they decided a talent has reached a level where they don't need to be protected anymore and booked accordingly, then, of course, wondered why the talent cooled off.
4. I fully expect Punk to be honest with how he feels. To some degree that's the draw of him being there. As far him coming back to WWE, that's TBD. WWE knows where he is if they want to talk to him.
5. Generally they do, but I don't know if it's an option they always exercise. WWE will make that decision when his contract comes due.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Cody has trademarked "The Match Beyond" which will almost certainly be AEW's version of WarGames.
MLW has signed interviewer Alicia Atout. Good to see someone using her.
WWE's Mexico event has added:
- Cain Velazquez and Humberto Carrillo vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. I expect Humberto will do most of the work there, given Cain's condition.
- Aleister Black vs. Andrade
Tito Santana will personally call people who preorder his upcoming autobiography.
MLW has signed Logan Creed, who worked their most recent TV taping. WWE was also interested in him.
- Josef Samael has also signed a new deal that will see him do more work behind-the-scenes.
MLW Fusion will see a new logo and graphics in the coming weeks.
Mia Yim is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
ROH has signed Flamita to a one-year deal. It's expected he'll debut at Final Battle. That's an interesting development given that he teams with Bandido, who will easily be on AEW and NXT's radars.
Dynamite's January 15 episode will be Bash at the Beach themed in Florida.
AEW will be on Chris Jericho's cruise, which will feature the January 22 Dynamite as well as other taped matches. Additionally, there will be opportunities for pictures and autographs. That's a pretty unique experience!
Pro Wrestling Tees has launched Wrestling Pins. AEW and NJPW already have pins available through the service, and, interestingly, Tommaso Ciampa and Roddy Piper have some as well.
Impact released this week's show opening.
NXT has announced live events for:
- October 10 in Pennsylvania
- October 11 in Ohio
- October 12 in New York
C.M. Punk tagged AEW's Tony Khan in a tweet about returning to following wrestling, presumably as a tease for discussing the company on Backstage.
- Tony responded by seemingly referring to the debunked Saudi story. Swing and a miss.
- Randy Orton then tagged Tony in a story about the senior Khan, which Tony refuted.
Cain Velasquez will be on "WWE Chronicle" after WarGames. That will be interesting.
Drew Gulak is on the latest Swerve City podcast.
MLW's Opera Cup will feature ZERO 1's Shinjiro Otani vs. Davey Boy Smith, Jr. in the opening round on December 5. Cool to see more crossover.
NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool II has unsurprisingly sold out.
NXT UK has announced TV tapings for January 17 and 18, March 6 and 7, May 1 and 2, and July 24 and 25.
NXT's Arturo Ruas is booked for EVOLVE's December 7 show against Timothy Thatcher.
NJPW will not air on AXS this week. Instead WOW will have a marathon leading into their season finale. That will definitely have the conspiracy-minded talking, especially with the lack of live NJPW shows on the channel.
Teal Piper spoke to Bill Apter.
After Raw, The Fiend retained the Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre in a steel cage match. That's an intriguing combination.
The Great Muta is booked for Joey Janela's Spring Break 4. WrestleMania weekend presents interesting opportunities.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't know the details of his deal, but there's no way he appears in AEW and Backstage at the same time. I don't expect to see him in AEW period.
2. I think there's valid concern that WWE promotes the brand as more important than any particular talent(s), and doesn't seem to want to get behind many talents to the degree necessary for them to be stars.
3. It's probably more of a case of them shifting priorities so frequently and changing their minds on whether to push someone rather than deliberate sabotage. That said, there have been times when they decided a talent has reached a level where they don't need to be protected anymore and booked accordingly, then, of course, wondered why the talent cooled off.
4. I fully expect Punk to be honest with how he feels. To some degree that's the draw of him being there. As far him coming back to WWE, that's TBD. WWE knows where he is if they want to talk to him.
5. Generally they do, but I don't know if it's an option they always exercise. WWE will make that decision when his contract comes due.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, November 18, 2019
Raw matches announced, new Funko merchandise, assorted wrestling press, WOW update, Survivor Series team addition, and Questions on WWE not using Punk's theme, Cole not in a champion vs. champion match, why the Lana angle continues, Punk getting a good WWE offer due to Backstage, and AJ Lee returning to WWE
Raw has added Asuka vs. Natalya and a tag match featuring Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. Good to see women in the spotlight more.
Funko has announced figures for The Fiend, Dr. of Thuganomics John Cena, Hulk Hogan, Diesel, Kevin Nash, "Mean" Gene Okerlund, The Miz, and Naomi. I REALLY hope other Firefly Fun House friends are coming.
Sonya Deville discussed coming out and more.
King Kong Bundy is discussed on a Netflix special from comedian Jeff Garlin, with Garlin being helped by Bundy when King Kong as a bouncer.
"The Peanut Butter Falcon" has been released on DVD.
Jerry Lawler and Headlocked Comics' Michael Kingston are set for Kentucky's Galaxycon.
Bob Backlund got press for a Pennsylvania appearance.
NXT's Jordan Omogbehin was profiled. His size is definitely impressive.
WOW's next episode is being advertised as the season finale. More episodes have been taped.
NXT's Jordan Omogbehin was profiled. His size is definitely impressive.
WOW's next episode is being advertised as the season finale. More episodes have been taped.
Cody and AEW were profiled. He's getting big praise. We'll see what his legacy is years down the line.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat talked in Florida.
Smackdown's Survivor Series women's team will feature Nikki Cross with Sasha Banks, Lacey Evans, Dana Brooke, and Carmella.
1. It's possible it came together so quickly WWE didn't put a deal together to pay for rights. We'll see if things change. This is why they like to make music in house!
2. Brock vs. The Fiend vs. Adam Cole would be very, very interesting, but Cole would definitely be destroyed by one or both. It's wise to not beat him clean when he's finally getting some big exposure.
3. WWE keeps pointing to how many YouTube views the segments get. Clearly someone keeps watching!
4. The Backstage gig can definitely boost his value to WWE, and open the door for him to return for the right deal. I also don't think it's a long-term plan he's putting together, but things are working well for him right now.
5. I don't think she's interested in returning to wrestling, but for the right offer I assume she'd be willing to listen.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Another NXT show postponed, WWE 2K account hacked, new FNSD match, FNSD audience, Elimination Chamber site, new Network episodes, Interview with Charlotte, NXT UK's next Takeover set, another WWE name asks for release, Starrcade card change, WWE Mexico card change, Myles Q&A, Regal discloses surgery, Nash on WWEPC experience, and Questions on WWE changing titles, who can and can't use the name ECW, and Liger's retirement
NXT's November 22 Indiana live event has been postponed to March 29 due to NXT talents preparing for Survivor Series weekend.
WWE 2K's social media accounts were recently compromised, with those responsible posting lewd and controversial content, as well as promoting AEW. Juvenile.
Bray Wyatt's new Universal Championship already has replicas available. That's one way to sell more merchandise, I guess! It does make sense for the Smackdown title to be blue.
Smackdown has added Roman Reigns, Mustafa Ali, and Shorty G vs. King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode.
Smackdown drew 2.35 million viewers this week. I can't help but think losing Brock, Cain, and Rey is playing a big role in that.
Elimination Chamber 2020 is taking place on March 8 in Pennsylvania.
"WWE Ride Along" after Raw will feature Kevin Owens, Mustafa Ali, and Apollo Crews, as well as Trish Stratus and Lita.
"WWE Untold" Friday will focus on Sting vs. Seth Rollins.
"WWE Day Of" before Survivor Series will focus on this year's draft.
Charlotte Flair spoke in India.
NXT UK Takeover Blackpool II is set for January 12.
NXT/205 Live star Oney Lorcan has asked for his release and changed his Twitter name to his former ring name of Biff Busick. As of now, he has not been given the release. We're really seeing a trend of talents wanting out.
WWE Starrcade has switched two matches around, with Braun Strowman challenging The Fiend for the Universal Championship in a cage match and The Miz taking on Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship.
WWE's November 30 Mexico live event is advertising The Fiend vs. Rey Mysterio for the Universal Championship. Wow. Rey's getting some big opportunities.
Jordan Myles returned to Twitter for a live Q&A. He does seem motivated to accomplish things, just not for WWE.
William Regal disclosed undergoing open heart surgery in 2018. That's very serious. I'm glad he's better now.
Kevin Nash discussed working with NXT's Jordan Omobgehin.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. A lot of it is because a title is representing a certain brand with a certain color associated with it. So, when it switches to the other show, they change the color. And yes every so often they think a title needs a fresh look entirely.
2 and 4 are repeats.
3. I wonder if they thought WWE would come after them for using that name. I know when Impact did a reunion show with ECW stars they made great paints to avoid using those letters and that name.
5. I do think he will as a wrestler, but will continue to contribute in other ways. I don't know enough about what NJPW is putting together to have a good suggestion on that front.
More wrestling tomorrow.
WWE 2K's social media accounts were recently compromised, with those responsible posting lewd and controversial content, as well as promoting AEW. Juvenile.
Bray Wyatt's new Universal Championship already has replicas available. That's one way to sell more merchandise, I guess! It does make sense for the Smackdown title to be blue.
Smackdown has added Roman Reigns, Mustafa Ali, and Shorty G vs. King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode.
Smackdown drew 2.35 million viewers this week. I can't help but think losing Brock, Cain, and Rey is playing a big role in that.
Elimination Chamber 2020 is taking place on March 8 in Pennsylvania.
"WWE Ride Along" after Raw will feature Kevin Owens, Mustafa Ali, and Apollo Crews, as well as Trish Stratus and Lita.
"WWE Untold" Friday will focus on Sting vs. Seth Rollins.
"WWE Day Of" before Survivor Series will focus on this year's draft.
Charlotte Flair spoke in India.
NXT UK Takeover Blackpool II is set for January 12.
NXT/205 Live star Oney Lorcan has asked for his release and changed his Twitter name to his former ring name of Biff Busick. As of now, he has not been given the release. We're really seeing a trend of talents wanting out.
WWE Starrcade has switched two matches around, with Braun Strowman challenging The Fiend for the Universal Championship in a cage match and The Miz taking on Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship.
WWE's November 30 Mexico live event is advertising The Fiend vs. Rey Mysterio for the Universal Championship. Wow. Rey's getting some big opportunities.
Jordan Myles returned to Twitter for a live Q&A. He does seem motivated to accomplish things, just not for WWE.
William Regal disclosed undergoing open heart surgery in 2018. That's very serious. I'm glad he's better now.
Kevin Nash discussed working with NXT's Jordan Omobgehin.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. A lot of it is because a title is representing a certain brand with a certain color associated with it. So, when it switches to the other show, they change the color. And yes every so often they think a title needs a fresh look entirely.
2 and 4 are repeats.
3. I wonder if they thought WWE would come after them for using that name. I know when Impact did a reunion show with ECW stars they made great paints to avoid using those letters and that name.
5. I do think he will as a wrestler, but will continue to contribute in other ways. I don't know enough about what NJPW is putting together to have a good suggestion on that front.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saturday, November 16, 2019
WWE gaming trademarks, assorted wrestling press, top MLW name re-signs, WM36 ticket trouble, NC indie making big changes, upcoming Seth feud?, NXT event postponed, NXT rum contest, Wrestlecon events set, cruiserweight "taking hiatus," Raw match set, NXT surgery, Dynamite match, UK promotion ending live events, joshi roster switch official, and FNSD dark matches
WWE has trademarked "Superstar Gaming League" and "WWE SGL" for a video game series. I wouldn't assume this means anything for UpUpDownDown; this could just have a broader focus than Xavier's show.
Jimmy Hart is on Jerry Lawler's latest podcast.
Jimmy Hart is on Jerry Lawler's latest podcast.
Charlotte Flair is in India on behalf of WWE.
MLW Champion Jacob Fatu has signed a multi-year deal. The company will control how he's booked in other promotions in order to protect him as an asset. That bodes well for how they value him.
WrestleMania 36 tickets went on sale Friday. Ticketmaster's website and app crashed, which may or not be related to demand for that event.
North Carolina's CWF Mid-Atlantic has canceled all upcoming events as part of a restructuring. They do intend to run future shows. I'm interested to see what their next moves will be.
Raw's Madison Square Garden live event on December 26 is advertising Seth Rollins vs. Erick Rowan, so it looks like that's coming to TV at some point.
Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were recently at the WWE Performance Center.
The Undertaker and Michelle McCool met Marines in Virginia.
Goldberg will be on ABC's "Schooled" this week as an extension of his "The Goldbergs" role.
NXT's November 21 live event has been postponed to February 21 due to preparations for Survivor Series weekend.
NXT is part of a contest with Kraken Rum with WrestleMania tickets on the line. Interesting...
WrestleCon 2020 will feature shows from Impact, Japan's TJPW and DDT jointly, and Pro Wrestling Revolver as well as Joey Ryan's Penis Party. It has been hinted we'll see a "TNA" show from Impact there featuring talents from the past.
Brian Kendrick is "taking a hiatus" from 205 Live. I would be all for him appearing on NXT.
Roman Reigns has a "Stronger Than Cancer" shirt for sale that benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Raw has added Seth Rollins vs. Andrade, with the tease of determining Raw's Survivor Series captain. This was set up at a live event with promos from both (and Zelina Vega, naturally). I like live events having meaningful circumstances now.
NXT's Boa just had surgery for a torn labrum and rotator cuff.
Dynamite has added Nick Jackson vs. Fenix. The angle is that this was going to be a tag match, but Matt isn't medically cleared following last week's attack from Ortiz and Santana. So, yes, the Bucks are selling!
IPW UK has announced it will cease live events with their December 15 show. Further details are forthcoming. The UK wrestling scene has really taken hits in the past few years.
Xavier Woods is featured on Mega Ran's "Sunset Flip."
Japan's Giulia has officially signed with Stardom following getting a release from Ice Ribbon. I'm glad something was worked out between the two sides.
Before Smackdown, Cesaro defeated Apollo Crews.
After Smackdown, Roman Reigns defeated King Corbin and The Fiend defeated Daniel Bryan to retain the Universal Championship.
Nothing to add to yesterday's PWInsider.com questions.
More wrestling tomorrow.
WrestleMania 36 tickets went on sale Friday. Ticketmaster's website and app crashed, which may or not be related to demand for that event.
North Carolina's CWF Mid-Atlantic has canceled all upcoming events as part of a restructuring. They do intend to run future shows. I'm interested to see what their next moves will be.
Raw's Madison Square Garden live event on December 26 is advertising Seth Rollins vs. Erick Rowan, so it looks like that's coming to TV at some point.
Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were recently at the WWE Performance Center.
The Undertaker and Michelle McCool met Marines in Virginia.
Goldberg will be on ABC's "Schooled" this week as an extension of his "The Goldbergs" role.
NXT's November 21 live event has been postponed to February 21 due to preparations for Survivor Series weekend.
NXT is part of a contest with Kraken Rum with WrestleMania tickets on the line. Interesting...
WrestleCon 2020 will feature shows from Impact, Japan's TJPW and DDT jointly, and Pro Wrestling Revolver as well as Joey Ryan's Penis Party. It has been hinted we'll see a "TNA" show from Impact there featuring talents from the past.
Brian Kendrick is "taking a hiatus" from 205 Live. I would be all for him appearing on NXT.
Roman Reigns has a "Stronger Than Cancer" shirt for sale that benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Raw has added Seth Rollins vs. Andrade, with the tease of determining Raw's Survivor Series captain. This was set up at a live event with promos from both (and Zelina Vega, naturally). I like live events having meaningful circumstances now.
NXT's Boa just had surgery for a torn labrum and rotator cuff.
Dynamite has added Nick Jackson vs. Fenix. The angle is that this was going to be a tag match, but Matt isn't medically cleared following last week's attack from Ortiz and Santana. So, yes, the Bucks are selling!
IPW UK has announced it will cease live events with their December 15 show. Further details are forthcoming. The UK wrestling scene has really taken hits in the past few years.
Xavier Woods is featured on Mega Ran's "Sunset Flip."
Japan's Giulia has officially signed with Stardom following getting a release from Ice Ribbon. I'm glad something was worked out between the two sides.
Before Smackdown, Cesaro defeated Apollo Crews.
After Smackdown, Roman Reigns defeated King Corbin and The Fiend defeated Daniel Bryan to retain the Universal Championship.
Nothing to add to yesterday's PWInsider.com questions.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown and 205 Live Reax - 11/15/19
-- FNSD:
- Corbin/Dolph/Roode:
They are getting behind Corbin again.
I like this trio.
Not bad at all.
Oh, wow. Then there's the dog.
- Roode/Dolph vs. Shorty/Ali:
Smooth start.
Yeah this is going to set up a six-man.
This is pretty good.
I liked that ending!
- Fun House:
This shit is surreal. I love it.
- More Corbin/Dolph/Roode:
Wait, who's picking these teams anyway?
- Braun/Gulak/B-Team:
Ah I love these goofs.
Not bad to try to re-establish Braun.
- Big E/Kofi promo:
Fine to setup their match.
- Bryan/Zayn/Braun:
I like Sami the manipulator.
OK that was pretty fun.
- Kofi/Big E vs. Revival:
Fine so far.
I really hope Big E can get a singles push again.
Hahaah. WWE's in chaos with all the brand crossover.
- Post-match:
Damn. O'Reilly and Fish vs. The Revival could be really good.
- HM squash:
Good to see these two still exist as wrestlers.
Solid match.
- Sasha/Bayley interview:
I like Bayley's confidence.
- Bayley vs. Cross:
Well, looks like Mia's able to get physical. Glad to see it.
Pretty cool! And as much as I loved Teddy Long, this works better without an authority figure setting the match.
- Sasha/Cross/Dana/Carmella vs. Rhea/Mia/Kai/Nox:
I'm very glad NXT talents are getting more opportunities with the longer show and the brand crossover.
I like Sasha vs. Rhea.
Solid work here.
Not bad at all!
- Post-match:
I tend to forget Tamina exists.
- MizTV:
Miz is gold at this.
I LOVE Miz's needling.
This is cool. Daniel has an edge.
I love Crazy Bray.
There's great backstory to this.
That was really fun.
-- 205 Live:
- Garza vs. Gallagher:
I like this start. I mark for mat wrestling.
Not bad at all.
- Post-match:
Aiden as a 205 Live star is an intriguing idea.
- Singhs promo:
Really weird direction for the 24/7 Title.
- Singhs squash:
Not bad to establish these two before they get killed by Erick Rowan or someone else.
- Lio interview:
Good stuff.
- Lio/Raul vs. Nese/Ariya:
Solid showcase.
I like how this is playing out.
Very impressive.
Pretty good!
More wrestling coming up.
- Corbin/Dolph/Roode:
They are getting behind Corbin again.
I like this trio.
Not bad at all.
Oh, wow. Then there's the dog.
- Roode/Dolph vs. Shorty/Ali:
Smooth start.
Yeah this is going to set up a six-man.
This is pretty good.
I liked that ending!
- Fun House:
This shit is surreal. I love it.
- More Corbin/Dolph/Roode:
Wait, who's picking these teams anyway?
- Braun/Gulak/B-Team:
Ah I love these goofs.
Not bad to try to re-establish Braun.
- Big E/Kofi promo:
Fine to setup their match.
- Bryan/Zayn/Braun:
I like Sami the manipulator.
OK that was pretty fun.
- Kofi/Big E vs. Revival:
Fine so far.
I really hope Big E can get a singles push again.
Hahaah. WWE's in chaos with all the brand crossover.
- Post-match:
Damn. O'Reilly and Fish vs. The Revival could be really good.
- HM squash:
Good to see these two still exist as wrestlers.
Solid match.
- Sasha/Bayley interview:
I like Bayley's confidence.
- Bayley vs. Cross:
Well, looks like Mia's able to get physical. Glad to see it.
Pretty cool! And as much as I loved Teddy Long, this works better without an authority figure setting the match.
- Sasha/Cross/Dana/Carmella vs. Rhea/Mia/Kai/Nox:
I'm very glad NXT talents are getting more opportunities with the longer show and the brand crossover.
I like Sasha vs. Rhea.
Solid work here.
Not bad at all!
- Post-match:
I tend to forget Tamina exists.
- MizTV:
Miz is gold at this.
I LOVE Miz's needling.
This is cool. Daniel has an edge.
I love Crazy Bray.
There's great backstory to this.
That was really fun.
-- 205 Live:
- Garza vs. Gallagher:
I like this start. I mark for mat wrestling.
Not bad at all.
- Post-match:
Aiden as a 205 Live star is an intriguing idea.
- Singhs promo:
Really weird direction for the 24/7 Title.
- Singhs squash:
Not bad to establish these two before they get killed by Erick Rowan or someone else.
- Lio interview:
Good stuff.
- Lio/Raul vs. Nese/Ariya:
Solid showcase.
I like how this is playing out.
Very impressive.
Pretty good!
More wrestling coming up.
Friday, November 15, 2019
HoFer on South Park, MLW name preparing exit, Stephanie at cancer event, Booker podcast notes, assorted wrestling press, WWE star looking for outside speaking dates, new Hidden Gem, NXT injuries, more on Myles, Survivor Series team addition, AEW+NXT audience, title match on Raw, AEW+NJPW attendance, more on Stardom plans, legend getting book, AEW to introduce seasons, and Questions on HBK's farewell, Punk wrestling again, starting wrestling young, AEW developmental, and Jay and Silent Bob in AEW
Randy Savage was parodied on "South Park" this week as part of an episode regarding transgender wrestlers.
MLW's "Filthy" Tom Lawlor is finishing up with the promotion when his current deal ends next month. It will be interesting to see where he goes next.
Stephanie McMahon appeared at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Women Curing Cancer event.
Booker T. discussed C.M. Punk's Backstage appearance , Jordan Myles quitting , and Sin Cara asking for his release on his latest podcast.
Jimmy Hart promoted WrestleMania 36 with the Miami Herald.
Mike Kanellis is taking bookings as a speaker. He's still under WWE contract after asking for his release.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gem is WWE's "Sunday Night Slam" special from November 1994.
Two NXT stars were injured this week, with Aliyah and Mia Yim both suffering broken noses. Yim also had rib injuries.
Jordan Myles has deleted his Twitter account, which is probably for the best. I really hope things come together for him.
- Myles' rant got press from People.com among other outlets. WWE should get ahead of this story.
Lacey Evans has been added to Smackdown's Survivor Series team.
Dynamite drew 957,000 viewers for the post-Full Gear show. That's a significant boost. Glad to see it.
NXT drew 750,000 viewers this week.
Raw has added The Viking Raiders vs. Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins for the Raw Tag Team Championship. This was determined in a live event match in Germany when that pair defeated Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Good to see live events actually meaning something. I'd like to see them more with the 24/7 Title there.
John Cena and Keegan-Michael Key explored their Internet impacts. Pretty fun.
Full Gear drew 8,200 fans. That's pretty good.
NJPW drew 2,450 fans for Jushin Liger's U.S. farewell.
Dynamite drew 4,000 fans live, a decline from last week to make their new lowest attendance. That's still a lot higher than anyone other than WWE in the U.S., of course.
Bushiroad's president did an interview in Japan discussing his goals for Stardom:
- They want to sign back Io Shirai and Kairi Sane when their WWE deals expire. Wow. Good luck with that.
- They intend heavy recruitment from other sports. That's an interesting approach.
- They're looking to expand their audience with women, with advertising increased on that end.
- They could make an IWGP women's championship. NJPW uses the IWGP name for its titles.
The Sheik has a biography in the works.
AEW will have "season records" starting in January each year in addition to career records. That's not an awful idea, although I think I'd rather see it reset after the company's anniversary event in Memorial Day weekend.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I could see Shawn wanting to bow out and let the people who were going to be part of the company going forward have that time.
2. He's open to the possibility. It will be a matter of how much both sides think his return is worth to WWE, and under what conditions. I really don't see him working a full-time schedule, and he's adamant he won't work in Saudi Arabia.
3. It's seen similarly to, say, U.S. middle schools having football. There are a lot of young wrestling trainees there.
4. They're definitely looking at a "developmental" branch, as far as signing talents to train. It's still in the early stages.
5. To promote the pair's movie. It's possible AEW was paid for the promotional spot. Notably they were also going to be on Smackdown's FOX debut, but were removed after their AEW appearance.
More wrestling tomorrow.
MLW's "Filthy" Tom Lawlor is finishing up with the promotion when his current deal ends next month. It will be interesting to see where he goes next.
Stephanie McMahon appeared at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Women Curing Cancer event.
Booker T. discussed C.M. Punk's Backstage appearance , Jordan Myles quitting , and Sin Cara asking for his release on his latest podcast.
Jimmy Hart promoted WrestleMania 36 with the Miami Herald.
Mike Kanellis is taking bookings as a speaker. He's still under WWE contract after asking for his release.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gem is WWE's "Sunday Night Slam" special from November 1994.
Two NXT stars were injured this week, with Aliyah and Mia Yim both suffering broken noses. Yim also had rib injuries.
Jordan Myles has deleted his Twitter account, which is probably for the best. I really hope things come together for him.
- Myles' rant got press from People.com among other outlets. WWE should get ahead of this story.
Lacey Evans has been added to Smackdown's Survivor Series team.
Dynamite drew 957,000 viewers for the post-Full Gear show. That's a significant boost. Glad to see it.
NXT drew 750,000 viewers this week.
Raw has added The Viking Raiders vs. Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins for the Raw Tag Team Championship. This was determined in a live event match in Germany when that pair defeated Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Good to see live events actually meaning something. I'd like to see them more with the 24/7 Title there.
John Cena and Keegan-Michael Key explored their Internet impacts. Pretty fun.
Full Gear drew 8,200 fans. That's pretty good.
NJPW drew 2,450 fans for Jushin Liger's U.S. farewell.
Dynamite drew 4,000 fans live, a decline from last week to make their new lowest attendance. That's still a lot higher than anyone other than WWE in the U.S., of course.
Bushiroad's president did an interview in Japan discussing his goals for Stardom:
- They want to sign back Io Shirai and Kairi Sane when their WWE deals expire. Wow. Good luck with that.
- They intend heavy recruitment from other sports. That's an interesting approach.
- They're looking to expand their audience with women, with advertising increased on that end.
- They could make an IWGP women's championship. NJPW uses the IWGP name for its titles.
The Sheik has a biography in the works.
AEW will have "season records" starting in January each year in addition to career records. That's not an awful idea, although I think I'd rather see it reset after the company's anniversary event in Memorial Day weekend.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I could see Shawn wanting to bow out and let the people who were going to be part of the company going forward have that time.
2. He's open to the possibility. It will be a matter of how much both sides think his return is worth to WWE, and under what conditions. I really don't see him working a full-time schedule, and he's adamant he won't work in Saudi Arabia.
3. It's seen similarly to, say, U.S. middle schools having football. There are a lot of young wrestling trainees there.
4. They're definitely looking at a "developmental" branch, as far as signing talents to train. It's still in the early stages.
5. To promote the pair's movie. It's possible AEW was paid for the promotional spot. Notably they were also going to be on Smackdown's FOX debut, but were removed after their AEW appearance.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Punk on WWE TV, WWE stars sign new deals, Austin show update, Arn feud, Interviews with Montez/Elgin/Dolph/Shamrock/Awesome Kong/SCU, Smackdown team set, WWE star gets full name back, Impact Plus special set, title match on FNSD, another NWA sellout, NWA title being defended in Alaska, even more on Maff-ROH, ROH office hire, HonorClub expands, WWE animated movie moved, Backstage audience, new Final Battle matches, NXT name quits, Impact PPV match, NXT dark matches, recent ROH names at AEW, AEW commentator, advertised TLC matches, and Questions on an AEW WarGames match, Carlito's WWE run, the debunked Seth story, WWE expanding their Saudi deal, and Brock vs. The Fiend
C.M. Punk has joined WWE Backstage as a special contributor. It appears he'll be on the show periodically rather than as a regular presence; I'm very interested to see how that works out.
- FOX Sports commented on the show's social media performance following Punk's appearance. They're really hoping to improve ratings.
The Miz has signed a WWE contract extension, securing him in the company through 2025. WOW. That's a very long-term investment. He's obviously been very happy in WWE so far, so I don't expect him to end up in a frozen contract situation, but you never know.
- Miz commented on the deal.
Paige has signed a new WWE contract, spanning four years. Presumably she'll be an on-camera presence throughout that.
Stone Cold's WWE Network series is set to have guests outside of WWE featured and will likely have one episode a month. I don't expect anyone from, say, AEW to appear, but I'm curious what other names would be options.
Arn Anderson and Comedy Central's Daniel Tosh continued their feud on Tosh.0 and Twitter. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan made a cameo. I didn't know Tosh.0 was still a thing, but Arn and Duggan were fun here.
Montez Ford spoke on Veteran's Day. I'm surprised they didn't play his Marine history up in a feud with The Forgotten Sons.
Smackdown's men's team at Survivor Series will feature Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, King Corbin, Mustafa Ali, and Shorty G. No way does that team get along. Also notably Ali has his first name back. Not sure why they changed their minds again, but it happens. Hopefully that means they're looking to use him more.
Impact and Pro Wrestling Revolver are doing an Impact Plus special on December 7 in Ohio. The show has announced:
- Sami Callihan vs. Rich Swann for the Impact World Championship
- Taya Valkyrie vs. Havok for the Knockouts Championship
- Ace Austin vs. Eddie Edwards in a tables match. The X-Division Championship is not on the line.
Michael Elgin spoke to Chris Van Vliet.
Smackdown has added Big E and Kofi Kingston vs. The Revival for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. I wouldn't rule out a title change, as nonsensical as it would seem for a long-term direction.
NWA's December TV tapings have sold out.
NWA's Women's Championship will be defended in Alaska for the first time ever at WrestlePro's December 7 event. Wow. That's a milestone, for sure.
Dan Maff's ROH contract is exclusive to that promotion, so he'll be finishing up with WrestlePro this weekend. That's a surprise given ROH's thin schedule these days; I hope the move is worth it.
ROH has hired a new live event promoter. That's a good move with the current slump in that department.
HonorClub has added some Future of Honor episodes. That's a good move to add value to the service.
WWE's "Rumble" animated film is now set to release in January 2021 due to the cancelation of another project.
WWE Backstage drew 100,000 viewers. I definitely see why they got Punk for the show!
Final Battle has added:
- Matt Taven vs. Vincent (formerly Vinny Marseglia)
- Shane Taylor vs. Dragon Lee for the Television Championship. Notably Taylor's contract is set to expire at the end of the year, and Lee is currently a free agent, so it could be that a new champion is declared the night after this.
Jordan Myles announced on Twitter he will no longer work with WWE, and that he's reverting to his old ring name of ACH. There has been no confirmation of a release at this time, and his Twitter account has since been deleted. However, the relevant tweet (with profanity) was reproduced elsewhere. He's going through something really rough right now, and I hope he comes out of it OK, personally and professionally.
- Regarding his NXT name, he had previously mentioned coming up with the name himself based on basketball's Michael Jordan and Marvel character Miles Morales.
Dolph Ziggler discussed Summerslam and more. He knows by now WWE's not going to run with him no matter how hard he works, so he doesn't have anyone to blame but himself for where he is on the card.
Hard To Kill has officially added Ace Austin vs. Trey for the X-Division Championship.
Ken Shamrock discussed his Impact return. It's good to see him provide something different there.
Awesome Kong is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.
Before NXT:
- Dexter Lumis defeated Daniel Vidot
- Chelsea Green defeated Carolina, now working as Catalina Garcia without the mask again. As far as I know that doesn't have anything to do with Sin Cara's situation.
The Tate Twins, best known as Dalton Castle's Boys in ROH, were backstage at Dynamite. They're local to the area. We haven't seen them in ROH since August, for whatever that's worth.
Dustin Rhodes was a guest commentator on AEW Dark this week.
SCU spoke to ComicBook.com. Interesting remarks about the Freebird Rule.
TLC is locally advertising:
- The Kabuki Warriors vs. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in a TLC match for the Women's Tag Team Championship. That would obviously be a pretty major milestone for the women.
- Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin in a TLC match
- Rusev vs. Bobby Lashley
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think they're flat out hinting we'll see it. It could be called The Match Beyond, which Cody owns the rights to.
2. He hit a point where he was depressed and miserable, and WWE questioned his commitment. It's notable we haven't seen him on any reunion shows or anything.
3. There was a retraction on the website. I would also like to see that reporter give serious consideration to whether he can trust the people who fed him that information, and why he was willing to believe the story.
4. It's a massive financial opportunity for them when other revenue sources are slumping. They want to continue to deliver record revenue for their stakeholders, so they're going to make the most of that relationship.
5. I don't expect to see it as a priority for them, booking-wise. It would be an interesting spectacle, though.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- FOX Sports commented on the show's social media performance following Punk's appearance. They're really hoping to improve ratings.
The Miz has signed a WWE contract extension, securing him in the company through 2025. WOW. That's a very long-term investment. He's obviously been very happy in WWE so far, so I don't expect him to end up in a frozen contract situation, but you never know.
- Miz commented on the deal.
Paige has signed a new WWE contract, spanning four years. Presumably she'll be an on-camera presence throughout that.
Stone Cold's WWE Network series is set to have guests outside of WWE featured and will likely have one episode a month. I don't expect anyone from, say, AEW to appear, but I'm curious what other names would be options.
Arn Anderson and Comedy Central's Daniel Tosh continued their feud on Tosh.0 and Twitter. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan made a cameo. I didn't know Tosh.0 was still a thing, but Arn and Duggan were fun here.
Montez Ford spoke on Veteran's Day. I'm surprised they didn't play his Marine history up in a feud with The Forgotten Sons.
Smackdown's men's team at Survivor Series will feature Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, King Corbin, Mustafa Ali, and Shorty G. No way does that team get along. Also notably Ali has his first name back. Not sure why they changed their minds again, but it happens. Hopefully that means they're looking to use him more.
Impact and Pro Wrestling Revolver are doing an Impact Plus special on December 7 in Ohio. The show has announced:
- Sami Callihan vs. Rich Swann for the Impact World Championship
- Taya Valkyrie vs. Havok for the Knockouts Championship
- Ace Austin vs. Eddie Edwards in a tables match. The X-Division Championship is not on the line.
Michael Elgin spoke to Chris Van Vliet.
Smackdown has added Big E and Kofi Kingston vs. The Revival for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. I wouldn't rule out a title change, as nonsensical as it would seem for a long-term direction.
NWA's December TV tapings have sold out.
NWA's Women's Championship will be defended in Alaska for the first time ever at WrestlePro's December 7 event. Wow. That's a milestone, for sure.
Dan Maff's ROH contract is exclusive to that promotion, so he'll be finishing up with WrestlePro this weekend. That's a surprise given ROH's thin schedule these days; I hope the move is worth it.
ROH has hired a new live event promoter. That's a good move with the current slump in that department.
HonorClub has added some Future of Honor episodes. That's a good move to add value to the service.
WWE's "Rumble" animated film is now set to release in January 2021 due to the cancelation of another project.
WWE Backstage drew 100,000 viewers. I definitely see why they got Punk for the show!
Final Battle has added:
- Matt Taven vs. Vincent (formerly Vinny Marseglia)
- Shane Taylor vs. Dragon Lee for the Television Championship. Notably Taylor's contract is set to expire at the end of the year, and Lee is currently a free agent, so it could be that a new champion is declared the night after this.
Jordan Myles announced on Twitter he will no longer work with WWE, and that he's reverting to his old ring name of ACH. There has been no confirmation of a release at this time, and his Twitter account has since been deleted. However, the relevant tweet (with profanity) was reproduced elsewhere. He's going through something really rough right now, and I hope he comes out of it OK, personally and professionally.
- Regarding his NXT name, he had previously mentioned coming up with the name himself based on basketball's Michael Jordan and Marvel character Miles Morales.
Dolph Ziggler discussed Summerslam and more. He knows by now WWE's not going to run with him no matter how hard he works, so he doesn't have anyone to blame but himself for where he is on the card.
Hard To Kill has officially added Ace Austin vs. Trey for the X-Division Championship.
Ken Shamrock discussed his Impact return. It's good to see him provide something different there.
Awesome Kong is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.
Before NXT:
- Dexter Lumis defeated Daniel Vidot
- Chelsea Green defeated Carolina, now working as Catalina Garcia without the mask again. As far as I know that doesn't have anything to do with Sin Cara's situation.
The Tate Twins, best known as Dalton Castle's Boys in ROH, were backstage at Dynamite. They're local to the area. We haven't seen them in ROH since August, for whatever that's worth.
Dustin Rhodes was a guest commentator on AEW Dark this week.
SCU spoke to ComicBook.com. Interesting remarks about the Freebird Rule.
TLC is locally advertising:
- The Kabuki Warriors vs. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in a TLC match for the Women's Tag Team Championship. That would obviously be a pretty major milestone for the women.
- Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin in a TLC match
- Rusev vs. Bobby Lashley
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think they're flat out hinting we'll see it. It could be called The Match Beyond, which Cody owns the rights to.
2. He hit a point where he was depressed and miserable, and WWE questioned his commitment. It's notable we haven't seen him on any reunion shows or anything.
3. There was a retraction on the website. I would also like to see that reporter give serious consideration to whether he can trust the people who fed him that information, and why he was willing to believe the story.
4. It's a massive financial opportunity for them when other revenue sources are slumping. They want to continue to deliver record revenue for their stakeholders, so they're going to make the most of that relationship.
5. I don't expect to see it as a priority for them, booking-wise. It would be an interesting spectacle, though.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Interviews with Cena/Kofi/Rusev, more on Maff signing, filmmaker discusses wrestling, Raw audience, Lynn health update, WCW content coming to the Network, WM36 investment note, RetroMania ties in with previous game, and Questions on top influential cruiserweights, ROH TV in New York, AEW PPV price, and the Vince-Saudi rumor
John Cena spoke to Sports Illustrated about combating veteran suicides. That's an important issue.
Dan Maff was signed by ROH after support from the locker room following his match with PCO. That's cool as hell.
Filmmaker Warner Herzog mentioned watching WrestleMania. We're in some interesting territory here.
Kofi Kingston discussed social media's effect on WWE with Muscle & Fitness.
Raw drew 2.04 million viewers Monday night. That's the third-lowest audience in the show's history, behind Christmas Eve 2018 and New Year's Eve 2018. Rough, rough week for Raw.
Jerry Lynn needs surgery for a bulging disc in his back. Man, that sucks.
Rusev discussed his current angle. I didn't expect him to bury it, and, yes, people are watching the segments on YouTube.
WWE Network will add WCW Thunder's remaining episodes on Monday.
WrestleMania 36's potential investment was profiled.
RetroMania has been announced as WrestleFest's official sequel.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I might swap Pillman for Rey Mysterio, but those are some really great picks.
2. ROH is not a top priority for Sinclair. If it does expand somewhere, it will be because something else fell into place for Sinclair rather than them suddenly getting behind ROH in a big way. They're a media company that happens to own a wrestling company as part of its portfolio.
3. They absolutely keep track of who watches what on the Network, and use that to determine what to invest in next.
4. $50 for one show is absolutely steep given how much content is out there. We'll see if AEW makes changes in that department if Full Gear didn't draw as well as they had hoped. As for their business model, they're not in a position to make a lot of money from TV right now. They were an unknown property when TNT took a chance on them at a low price. The hope is when this deal ends, they'll be able to get a better-paying deal from them or someone else. That's obviously a long game to play, but the Khans have deep pockets and Tony has shown he'll pretty much do anything he's asked to raise the company's profile.
5. Vince was always scheduled to leave before the talent, as he does for every show because he's a busy, busy man. That aspect was played up in the anti-WWE, anti-Saudi stories that circulated to paint the whole situation in a bad light. Some sites wanted a story that got a lot of clicks, and others wanted to sell certain viewpoints about the Saudi deal. Thankfully not everyone went that route or otherwise tried to justify a false story.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Dan Maff was signed by ROH after support from the locker room following his match with PCO. That's cool as hell.
Filmmaker Warner Herzog mentioned watching WrestleMania. We're in some interesting territory here.
Kofi Kingston discussed social media's effect on WWE with Muscle & Fitness.
Raw drew 2.04 million viewers Monday night. That's the third-lowest audience in the show's history, behind Christmas Eve 2018 and New Year's Eve 2018. Rough, rough week for Raw.
Jerry Lynn needs surgery for a bulging disc in his back. Man, that sucks.
Rusev discussed his current angle. I didn't expect him to bury it, and, yes, people are watching the segments on YouTube.
WWE Network will add WCW Thunder's remaining episodes on Monday.
WrestleMania 36's potential investment was profiled.
RetroMania has been announced as WrestleFest's official sequel.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I might swap Pillman for Rey Mysterio, but those are some really great picks.
2. ROH is not a top priority for Sinclair. If it does expand somewhere, it will be because something else fell into place for Sinclair rather than them suddenly getting behind ROH in a big way. They're a media company that happens to own a wrestling company as part of its portfolio.
3. They absolutely keep track of who watches what on the Network, and use that to determine what to invest in next.
4. $50 for one show is absolutely steep given how much content is out there. We'll see if AEW makes changes in that department if Full Gear didn't draw as well as they had hoped. As for their business model, they're not in a position to make a lot of money from TV right now. They were an unknown property when TNT took a chance on them at a low price. The hope is when this deal ends, they'll be able to get a better-paying deal from them or someone else. That's obviously a long game to play, but the Khans have deep pockets and Tony has shown he'll pretty much do anything he's asked to raise the company's profile.
5. Vince was always scheduled to leave before the talent, as he does for every show because he's a busy, busy man. That aspect was played up in the anti-WWE, anti-Saudi stories that circulated to paint the whole situation in a bad light. Some sites wanted a story that got a lot of clicks, and others wanted to sell certain viewpoints about the Saudi deal. Thankfully not everyone went that route or otherwise tried to justify a false story.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Interviews with Singhs/Cruise/Credible, Austin cleats, ROH signs recent star, WWE promotes Mania economics, Impact opening, Undertaker on Austin podcast, Bischoff set for Middle East show, Raw star asks for release, another Dynamite taping set, new Network content, Starrcade matches, Francine update, and Questions on more Moxley death matches, favorite podcasts, territories competing with Vince, NXT booking changing things, and the Saudi story that wasn't
The Singh Brothers are on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast. As far as I know no one tried to challenge for the 24/7 Championship.
Stone Cold had custom cleats at an NFL game. OHHHH HELLLL YYYYEEEAAHHHHH.
ROH has signed Dan Maff to a two-year deal. I really liked his recent work; I hope he has a good run coming.
WWE promoted WrestleMania 35's economic effects in New York and New Jersey. You know other cities are going to see that and decide to make their own Mania week pitches.
Impact showed tonight's opening.
Stone Cold's new WWE Network series was officially announced. The Undertaker will be his first guest after Survivor Series. Now that will be interesting!
Eric Bischoff will attend Qatar Pro Wrestling's October 14 press conference. It's likely he'll become further involved with the project.
Sin Cara has asked WWE to release him from his contract. I think it's fair to say WWE isn't going to move him up the card, so I can see why he's looking to work elsewhere. I wouldn't expect WWE to grant it (ask Mike Kanellis and Luke Harper), but maybe something will be worked out for him to start a new chapter somewhere else.
- It's believed he's interested in working for Alberto El Patron's MMA promotion.
- He is not expected to be on Monday's Raw, but he is also not expected to be released from his deal. His current contract has three years remaining, so it could be a very long wait for him.
AEW Dynamite on January 15 is set for Florida, at the University of Miami's Watsco Center.
WWE Network will add "WrestleMania's Legendary Moments" and "1997: Dawn of the Attitude" Friday.
WWE Starrcade on December 1, a WWE Network special, is advertising:
- The Fiend vs. The Miz in a steel cage match for the WWE Championship
- Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin
- Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton
- The Kabuki Warriors vs. Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch in a Texas Tornado match for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
- Braun Strowman vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn
- AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens for the WWE United States Championship
- Kofi Kingston and Big E vs. The Revival for the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship
- Rusev vs. Bobby Lashley
-- It's unknown which of these matches will air on the special.
WCW announcer Chris Cruise is on the latest "Wrestling With History" podcast.
Justin Credible gave a long interview.
Francine returned to the hospital after experiencing further abdominal issues.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. There is absolutely a push for Moxley to do that kind of match, since he wasn't able to show that side of himself in WWE. And there's no way we'll see it on TNT, so that's likely going to be a fixture on upcoming events. I do think the carnage outweighed how personal the feud has been, but it can also be argued they were charging $50 for the show and wanted to go all out, perhaps as a contrast to the Seth Rollins/Fiend Hell in a Cell ending.
2. I only listen to podcasts and interviews and such when something very newsworthy occurs, as in something that's also covered elsewhere. There is absolutely such a thing as too much wrestling content to be exposed to.
3. It was an uphill battle for anyone to compete with Vince, but obviously if someone didn't make as many mistakes, they would have lasted longer. Vince was very, very determined to be the sole player in the U.S. scene, so someone would have had to have really been on top of their game to succeed against him.
4.a. Yes, when someone's in NXT, they're used by the NXT booking team. I would think there could be some input from others, but Vince has been remarkably hands off with the product. That's especially surprising given the huge expenses NXT has racked up.
4.b. If NXT pulls three million viewers or something, then I would think changes would be made to Raw and Smackdown. At 800,000, I don't really see big changes coming.
5. It should hurt the credibility of sites that took those stories and ran with them as fact instead of applying proper skepticism. Extraordinary claims should require extraordinary evidence.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Stone Cold had custom cleats at an NFL game. OHHHH HELLLL YYYYEEEAAHHHHH.
ROH has signed Dan Maff to a two-year deal. I really liked his recent work; I hope he has a good run coming.
WWE promoted WrestleMania 35's economic effects in New York and New Jersey. You know other cities are going to see that and decide to make their own Mania week pitches.
Impact showed tonight's opening.
Stone Cold's new WWE Network series was officially announced. The Undertaker will be his first guest after Survivor Series. Now that will be interesting!
Eric Bischoff will attend Qatar Pro Wrestling's October 14 press conference. It's likely he'll become further involved with the project.
Sin Cara has asked WWE to release him from his contract. I think it's fair to say WWE isn't going to move him up the card, so I can see why he's looking to work elsewhere. I wouldn't expect WWE to grant it (ask Mike Kanellis and Luke Harper), but maybe something will be worked out for him to start a new chapter somewhere else.
- It's believed he's interested in working for Alberto El Patron's MMA promotion.
- He is not expected to be on Monday's Raw, but he is also not expected to be released from his deal. His current contract has three years remaining, so it could be a very long wait for him.
AEW Dynamite on January 15 is set for Florida, at the University of Miami's Watsco Center.
WWE Network will add "WrestleMania's Legendary Moments" and "1997: Dawn of the Attitude" Friday.
WWE Starrcade on December 1, a WWE Network special, is advertising:
- The Fiend vs. The Miz in a steel cage match for the WWE Championship
- Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin
- Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton
- The Kabuki Warriors vs. Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch in a Texas Tornado match for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
- Braun Strowman vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn
- AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens for the WWE United States Championship
- Kofi Kingston and Big E vs. The Revival for the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship
- Rusev vs. Bobby Lashley
-- It's unknown which of these matches will air on the special.
WCW announcer Chris Cruise is on the latest "Wrestling With History" podcast.
Justin Credible gave a long interview.
Francine returned to the hospital after experiencing further abdominal issues.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. There is absolutely a push for Moxley to do that kind of match, since he wasn't able to show that side of himself in WWE. And there's no way we'll see it on TNT, so that's likely going to be a fixture on upcoming events. I do think the carnage outweighed how personal the feud has been, but it can also be argued they were charging $50 for the show and wanted to go all out, perhaps as a contrast to the Seth Rollins/Fiend Hell in a Cell ending.
2. I only listen to podcasts and interviews and such when something very newsworthy occurs, as in something that's also covered elsewhere. There is absolutely such a thing as too much wrestling content to be exposed to.
3. It was an uphill battle for anyone to compete with Vince, but obviously if someone didn't make as many mistakes, they would have lasted longer. Vince was very, very determined to be the sole player in the U.S. scene, so someone would have had to have really been on top of their game to succeed against him.
4.a. Yes, when someone's in NXT, they're used by the NXT booking team. I would think there could be some input from others, but Vince has been remarkably hands off with the product. That's especially surprising given the huge expenses NXT has racked up.
4.b. If NXT pulls three million viewers or something, then I would think changes would be made to Raw and Smackdown. At 800,000, I don't really see big changes coming.
5. It should hurt the credibility of sites that took those stories and ran with them as fact instead of applying proper skepticism. Extraordinary claims should require extraordinary evidence.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Dynamite matches announced, Cody injury update, AEW PPV update, AEW altercation, more AEW signings coming, ROH name at Full Gear, EVOLVE names finish up, Bourne update, Interview with Charlotte Flair, Idol opens wrestling school, and Questions on Bischoff helping WWE on the NXT invasion, Orange Cassidy as booked by others, AEW's decline, and Impact's height vs. AEW's
Dynamite has announced:
- Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara vs. Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky
- Pac vs. Hangman Page. Interesting to do that on TV after charging for it on PPV. I mean, yeah, WWE does it all the time, but I wouldn't expect AEW to do it.
Chris Jericho vs. Cody was almost stopped by the ringside physician following Cody's dive spot. That would have really hurt things. I'm glad Cody was able to continue.
- Cody separated a rib and needed eight stitches. Scary.
AEW is planning another Memorial Day weekend show in Nevada. It looks like the goal is for that to be annual.
AEW commentator Excalibur had some sort of physical altercation with Jimmy Havoc during Full Gear weekend. Little more is known at this point. That's not good, and I hope it's addressed.
AEW is expected to have more female signings soon. At one point there was talk of a women's tag team championship. They're loading up the roster.
WOH Champion Kelly Klein was backstage at Full Gear. She's married to AEW producer BJ Whitmer. I would not be shocked at all to see her make that jump when she's able to do so given her criticism of ROH.
Austin Theory and Shotzi Blackheart have finished up with EVOLVE as both head to NXT full-time.
Evan Bourne had some numbness in his arm after his EVOLVE return, where he felt he might have injured his neck. He was able to continue wrestling that weekend.
Charlotte Flair discussed WWE's UK tour.
Austin Idol has opened a wrestling school in South Carolina. As you might expect, it's being presented as a way to get to NWA.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Given how brief his tenure was, it's clear there was a culture clash. It makes more sense to use the Triple H for that given his time cultivating the stars in question.
2. I'm not nearly qualified enough to answer that.
3. Oh if Russo or WWE Creative came up with that gimmick, it would almost definitely be panned.
4. I also wouldn't go as far as to call them cold, but they have seen some serious declines. AEW has thrown a LOT of characters at the audience without doing much to introduce them, since their philosophy seems to be that the action will sell itself. I think that's part of it. It's also worth noting they're now doing two hours of content a week (and a four-hour PPV every three months) instead of a special event every so often, so people are getting used to what the product is and isn't. They're not going to be able to pull big surprises every week or even every month, so some fans might feel like they don't have to watch live.
5. Yes, but Impact took a lot longer to get to that point and they had a lot more big, established names to showcase.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara vs. Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky
- Pac vs. Hangman Page. Interesting to do that on TV after charging for it on PPV. I mean, yeah, WWE does it all the time, but I wouldn't expect AEW to do it.
Chris Jericho vs. Cody was almost stopped by the ringside physician following Cody's dive spot. That would have really hurt things. I'm glad Cody was able to continue.
- Cody separated a rib and needed eight stitches. Scary.
AEW is planning another Memorial Day weekend show in Nevada. It looks like the goal is for that to be annual.
AEW commentator Excalibur had some sort of physical altercation with Jimmy Havoc during Full Gear weekend. Little more is known at this point. That's not good, and I hope it's addressed.
AEW is expected to have more female signings soon. At one point there was talk of a women's tag team championship. They're loading up the roster.
WOH Champion Kelly Klein was backstage at Full Gear. She's married to AEW producer BJ Whitmer. I would not be shocked at all to see her make that jump when she's able to do so given her criticism of ROH.
Austin Theory and Shotzi Blackheart have finished up with EVOLVE as both head to NXT full-time.
Evan Bourne had some numbness in his arm after his EVOLVE return, where he felt he might have injured his neck. He was able to continue wrestling that weekend.
Charlotte Flair discussed WWE's UK tour.
Austin Idol has opened a wrestling school in South Carolina. As you might expect, it's being presented as a way to get to NWA.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Given how brief his tenure was, it's clear there was a culture clash. It makes more sense to use the Triple H for that given his time cultivating the stars in question.
2. I'm not nearly qualified enough to answer that.
3. Oh if Russo or WWE Creative came up with that gimmick, it would almost definitely be panned.
4. I also wouldn't go as far as to call them cold, but they have seen some serious declines. AEW has thrown a LOT of characters at the audience without doing much to introduce them, since their philosophy seems to be that the action will sell itself. I think that's part of it. It's also worth noting they're now doing two hours of content a week (and a four-hour PPV every three months) instead of a special event every so often, so people are getting used to what the product is and isn't. They're not going to be able to pull big surprises every week or even every month, so some fans might feel like they don't have to watch live.
5. Yes, but Impact took a lot longer to get to that point and they had a lot more big, established names to showcase.
More wrestling tomorrow.
WWE Main Event Reax
ROH was again a show with no fresh matches, so this week will just be Main Event. I'm under the impression future ROH TV episodes will have some new action, so I'll keep the "joint" format for now.
- Jose vs. Shelton:
Pretty basic stuff as expected.
Fine to give Shelton a win.
- Rowan/EY vs. Ryder/Hawkins:
Oh come on, Eric and Erick is a WWE comedy duo waiting to happen.
I'm liking the new duo.
Wow. Kind of expected Rowan to get the win after his Smackdown run.
More wrestling coming up.
- Jose vs. Shelton:
Pretty basic stuff as expected.
Fine to give Shelton a win.
- Rowan/EY vs. Ryder/Hawkins:
Oh come on, Eric and Erick is a WWE comedy duo waiting to happen.
I'm liking the new duo.
Wow. Kind of expected Rowan to get the win after his Smackdown run.
More wrestling coming up.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Rosa MMA result, WWE digital honored, WWE Christmas sweaters, FNSD audience, another podcast coming, Survivor Series team captain, Table for 3 set, Interview with Allin, Lethal update, Final Battle match set, AEW guest, and Questions on taking NXT seriously in a small venue, Nia's status, Punk returning for WWE Studios, and small wrestlers having separate locker rooms
Thunder Rosa lost her MMA debut via decision after three rounds.
WWE Now was one of two winners for Cynopsis' "Best Sports Web Video or Series" award. WWE's YouTube channel won the award for "Most Fan-Engaged Channel."
WWE has released their annual ugly Christmas sweaters.
Smackdown drew 2.62 million viewers Friday night, seeing a boost despite being a taped show.
WWE has trademarked "The New Day: Feel The Power" for a podcast name. That's an interesting idea if there's demand for that much content.
Seth Rollins will lead Team Raw at Survivor Series. I could see him losing and blaming it on the others to cement a heel turn.
"Table for 3" after Raw will feature Bruce Prichard, John Laurinaitis, and Shane McMahon. That's an intriguing mix!
Darby Allin discussed choosing AEW over WWE. He's been impressive so far, and has been able to make the most of AEW's "hardcore" stipulations.
Jay Lethal is set to wrestle at Final Battle despite his recent arm injury. That's a relief!
Final Battle has added Bully Ray vs. Mark Haskins in a street fight. I'm curious what the future holds for Bully given all the roster and management changes ROH is seeing.
NEW promoter Mike Lombardi was at Full Gear.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Yes, because of the credibility of the people wrestling in that small venue. Of course, NXT has run larger venues (at times significantly larger), and there are plans to do some weekly shows in mid-sized venues in 2020.
2. There was a unique setup from what they do at Dynamite, but nothing at the level of Double or Nothing.
3. She's not currently fit into any plans.
4. I really don't expect it, especially given his asking price.
5. As far as I know, they didn't have any special accommodations. That kind of wrestling still exists, by the way!
More wrestling tomorrow.
WWE Now was one of two winners for Cynopsis' "Best Sports Web Video or Series" award. WWE's YouTube channel won the award for "Most Fan-Engaged Channel."
WWE has released their annual ugly Christmas sweaters.
Smackdown drew 2.62 million viewers Friday night, seeing a boost despite being a taped show.
WWE has trademarked "The New Day: Feel The Power" for a podcast name. That's an interesting idea if there's demand for that much content.
Seth Rollins will lead Team Raw at Survivor Series. I could see him losing and blaming it on the others to cement a heel turn.
"Table for 3" after Raw will feature Bruce Prichard, John Laurinaitis, and Shane McMahon. That's an intriguing mix!
Darby Allin discussed choosing AEW over WWE. He's been impressive so far, and has been able to make the most of AEW's "hardcore" stipulations.
Jay Lethal is set to wrestle at Final Battle despite his recent arm injury. That's a relief!
Final Battle has added Bully Ray vs. Mark Haskins in a street fight. I'm curious what the future holds for Bully given all the roster and management changes ROH is seeing.
NEW promoter Mike Lombardi was at Full Gear.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Yes, because of the credibility of the people wrestling in that small venue. Of course, NXT has run larger venues (at times significantly larger), and there are plans to do some weekly shows in mid-sized venues in 2020.
2. There was a unique setup from what they do at Dynamite, but nothing at the level of Double or Nothing.
3. She's not currently fit into any plans.
4. I really don't expect it, especially given his asking price.
5. As far as I know, they didn't have any special accommodations. That kind of wrestling still exists, by the way!
More wrestling tomorrow.
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