Network adds more languages, Fury challenges WWE Champion, AEW preview show note, Collective update, and Questions on Hurt Business, no one being bigger than WWE, Vince 2020 running WWF in the Attitude Era, using Scarlett without Kross, and Sonya's future

WWE Network has added Spanish and German feeds to a significant number of WWE PPVs from 1995 through 2015. I don't know how well that will increase subscriptions, but in theory it expands the product's reach.

Tyson Fury challenged Drew McIntyre. That would be a significant match, and I would be very surprised to see it happen in Thunderdome instead of in front of a major crowd. I don't think Fury would come in without a big payday.

Countdown to All Out will air an hour before that show's Buy Out. 

Game Changer Wrestling's The Collective has announced Joey Janela's Spring Break 4, Bloodsport, SHIMMER, and Absolute Intense Wrestling. Good to see a good amount of content there.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. I've really enjoyed them. They all complement each other well. I hope to see more instances of talent being paired in a beneficial manner.  

2. IF that's true, it's a case of them not wanting someone to be more important than the brand. They want to have a WWE Universe following the product, not just certain names on the show. 

3. It's tough to say either man (or others) would have broken out like they did if Vince handled things as he does now. I would be very surprised if WWE wasn't around, though. With their history and resources, it would be very tough for them to disappear. 

4. I don't see any reason to use her with anyone else, since people will inherently think of Kross when they see her. Now, if he's going to be out a long, long time, that's another case altogether, but I don't expect that's the case. 

5. Yeah it sounds like she'll come back with a different name. I mean, technically "Sonya" left WWE, so Daria or a new identity could use that as a technicality. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Payback Reax

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's WWE Network special event.

Wrestling content updates, assorted wrestling press, Interviews with Shaul/EY/Arquette/Dominik/HHH, NJPW title changes, new Payback match, NXT replays set for Tuesday episodes, NWA title match booked, Impact segment set, and Questions on Roman-Heyman, ROH footage on WWE DVDs, WWC footage, and animals in wrestling

WWE has created a Ric Flair custom championship. 

WWE is working with Red Cross on Hurricane Laura relief. 

Shaul Guerrero was interviewed by SLAM! Wrestling. 

At NJPW Summer Struggle:

- Minoru Suzuki defeated Shingo Takagi for the NEVER Championship.

- Toru Yano won the KOPW trophy in a match with Kazuchika Okada. 

- Taiji Ishimori defeated Hiromu Takahashi to become IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.

- Tetsuya Naito defeated EVIL to regain the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships. 

Jerry Lawler's Broken Skull Sessions episode will air September 6. 

WWE Network updates: 

- Payback 2017 has been added to the free tier of the service.

- Sasha Banks will be on "WWE Break It Down" Friday.

- The Rock will be covered on "WWE Timeline" Tuesday, specifically his time in The Nation of Domination. 

Eric Young is on The Shining Wizards Wrestling podcast, recapped here:

- I'm not sure of the number of homes AXS is in compared to Destination America or Pop, but their current viewership is so low there aren't even reports of the audience each week because it doesn't chart in the top 150 of shows. Financially it could be a good deal for them, however.

- WWE is definitely growing financially, just not at quite the pace they wanted due to the pandemic.

- I would think AEW is doing pretty well with their new TV deal, too, though not having ticket sales I'm sure is really hurting them. 

- I like EY but I think WWE not using him was more of a case of there being a lot of other talented names they could use.

- Hahaha Omega was there way before he did anything of note, so Vince didn't really miss the ball there.

- There's a fair criticism that Vince is in his own bubble.

- Eric is very confident in himself. He's doing great work, but by his own admission it's for the number three at best U.S. company.

Payback has added Sheamus vs. Big E.

NXT will get SyFy replays September 2 and September 9 due to airing Tuesdays those weeks because of NHL playoffs.

David Arquette spoke to Access Hollywood about his documentary. 

United Wrestling Network's Primetime Live has added Nick Aldis vs. Mike Bennett for the NWA Championship. That's significant! 

Dominik Mysterio spoke to TalkSport about Summerslam. 

Triple H spoke to Metro about NXT UK returning and more. 

"The Bump" before Payback featured Booker T. and Keith Lee.

The Collective will take place October 9-11 in Indiana in front of 500 people maximum. This was originally set for WrestleMania weekend.

Impact has added Deonna Purrazzo hosting a "black tie affair" after her Ironman victory.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. It definitely feels like a heel turn. 

2. The two sides worked out a deal where WWE paid for the ability to show that footage on that DVD. 

3. It takes a LOOOOOONG time to get footage that old ready for WWE Network, since they can only work on so much of it at a time and a lot of it isn't in pristine condition. It's much easier to get something recent uploaded. 

Nothing to add to 4. 

5. It's still pretty surreal that went on as long as it did given the difficulties involved. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Payback preview

 Read on for my ideas for booking tonight's WWE Network special event.

NJPW title vacated, more on Sonya-WWE, international wrestling updates, more on NJPW U.S. Title situation, Impact name working last indie date, assorted wrestling press, wrestling content updates, WWE reality show renewed, WWE return in the works, ex-WWE name set for NJPW, Talking Smack update, Cody update, Interviews with Starks/Cobb/Tracy Williams, ROH TV update, more on Pure Championship, Payback and Raw matches, Dynamite audience, more Network additions, top WWE name sells stock, Smackdown and 205 Live returns, and Questions on Heat on the Network, Stampede, NWA stars in AEW, and WWE fans returning

"Bullet" Bob Armstrong's passing will be covered in a separate post tomorrow. 

NJPW's Roppongi 3K vacated their junior tag team championship due to YOH's knee injury.

Sonya Deville was set to take time off for an acting role going into Summerslam, which would have been the impetus for her getting her hair cut short.

Pro Wrestling NOAH lost $900,000 in the last financial year, while DDT lost $800,000. I see why they merged the brands!

KENTA's New Japan Cup USA title shot will be defended at least once, as there is no timetable for a United States Championship match with Jon Moxley for the obvious reasons. The pandemic has forced companies to make changes to a lot of things.

Japan is launching a new joshi promotion, Assemble. This will feature matches from a variety of other joshi promotions on something of a supershow. The plan is for the first event to be held October 1. That's ambitious. I hope it does good things for the companies involved.

Kenny Omega has been challenged to a DDT match on November 3 in Japan. That seems like it would be difficult to arrange during COVID.

Japan's Atsushi Onita won a retirement match in DDT on August 27.

Cibernetico will miss the rest of 2020 after gallbladder surgery.

Madison Rayne has indicated her last independent match will be on September 26 for Warrior Wrestling. She's obviously pretty involved in Impact now, so I'm guessing she intends to focus on them.

Southern Utah University is setting up a course on wrestling for Spring 2021. 

OVW is expanding its broadcast reach with further content deals.

PROGRESS has removed all David Starr matches from its service. 

"Miz & Mrs" has been renewed for 14 more episodes.

WWE is planning AOP's return. I look forward to seeing them again.

Darren Young is debuting on NJPW Strong September 4 under his given name, Fred Rosser. Glad to see him get another opportunity in a new environment!

Xavier Woods will host "Talking Smack" going forward. WWE really mismanaged its return by not having a consistent team in place. 

Cody is expected to miss a month or more for an acting role. It will be interesting to see how his absence affects viewership numbers.

Dax Hardwood has trademarked that ring name.

Ricky Starks is on AEW Unrestricted this week.

Jeff Cobb spoke to Chris Van Vliet. I am really ready to see this man regularly featured on a nationally televised product.

ROH TV will return with new content the weekend of September 12. 

ROH's Pure Championship tournament will feature Gary Juster as a judge.

- The championship can change hands via disqualification and countout. 

Tracy Williams is on the next ROH Strong podcast. 

The Undertaker's Last Ride series will be released on DVD and Blu-ray.

Thunderdome was discussed in The Wrap, with WWE's senior vice president of event technical operations commenting. 

Payback has added:

- Seth Rollins and Murphy vs. Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio

- King Corbin vs. Matt Riddle

Dynamite drew 813,000 viewers Thursday night. I'm very impressed with how many fans followed them to a different night, although I imagine they wanted a greater number of fans who usually watch NXT to watch the show.

WWE Network has added:

- ICW Shug's Hoose Party 5

- PROGRESS Chapter 77

- wXw in Toronto

- EVOLVE 125

Triple H sold more than 52,000 shares of WWE stock this week, a substantial percent of the amount he owns. He continues to own around 80,000 shares. That's an interesting move, but I wouldn't assume it means anything for his corporate status.

Sami Zayn returned on Smackdown with the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Glad to see him back. I'm curious when they'll combine the IC titles.

The Brian Kendrick returned on 205 Live, teasing a team with Tehuti Miles. Glad to see Kendrick again, too. 

Raw has added Rey Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. Absolutely. I don't know if it got bumped out of the update queue by the new indie libraries, but it shouldn't be long before more is added. 

2. That's up to Bret. 

3. I would think NWA would be more than open to having their names appear in AEW during the pandemic. AEW has a lot of others to feature, though, so I expect it will be a case-by-case basis. 

4. As best as they can! 

5. If it were just up to Vince, I expect we'd be seeing fans in venues already. It will come down to getting legal approval to do it, though. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Main Event and 205 Live Reax - 8/28/20

 Read on for my thoughts on yesterday's Main Event and 205 Live.

Friday Night Smackdown Reax - 8/28/20

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's Friday Night Smackdown.

Interviews with Arquette/Dominik, Assorted wrestling press, UWN's first announced match, WWE opposing FTR trademarks, WWE adding writers, NXT audience, new AEW matches, and Questions on Hall of Fame inductions

David Arquette appeared on "Josh Gates Tonight" to talk about wrestling and more. 

Dana Brooke distributed meals to low income families in Miami. Very glad to see her do so.

Masked Republic merchandise is now available at Hot Topic.

United Wrestling Network has announced Alex Hammerstone vs. EJ Sparks for Hammerstone's West Coast Pro Championship. Interesting to see an MLW titleholder on the show, but glad he's getting work while MLW is on hiatus.

Dominik Mysterio spoke to Gorilla Position. 

WWE has filed opposition to FTR trademarks for "No Flips, Just Fists", "Say Yeah," "Top Guys," "#FTRKO," and "Shatter Machine."

WWE is hiring a Smackdown lead writer as well as a writer's assistant. That says a alot about Vince McMahon's faith in his current employees.

WWE 2K Battlegrounds will feature Jerry Lawler and Mauro Ranallo on commentary.

NXT drew 824,000 viewers Wednesday night. That's a strong number for sure. It's almost like they'd be doing better if they weren't up against Dynamite each week!

All Out has added:
- Kenny Omega and Hangman Page vs. FTR for the Tag Team Championship

- Dark Order's Brodie Lee, Colt Cabana, Evil Uno, and Stu Grayson vs. Natural Nightmares, Matt Cardona, and Scorpio Sky

- A 21-man Casino Battle Royale for an World Championship opportunity

- Hikaru Shida vs. Thunder Rosa for the AEW Women's Championship

Dynamite has announced:

- Jon Moxley vs. Mark Sterling, MJF's lawyer. If Sterling doesn't appear, MJF loses his world championship match

- Young Bucks, Luchasaurus, and Jungle Boy vs. Frankie Kazarian, Christopher Daniels, and Private Party. The winning four men face off in a tag match at All Out.

- Santana and Ortiz vs. Best Friends

- Chris Jericho vs. Joey Janela

-- AEW does a really good job of announcing matches in advance. 

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

Nothing to add to 1, 2, or 5.

3. Their odds were certainly better, but the Hall of Fame isn't really treated like another sport's would be. It would have been up to whatever Vince felt those years. 

4. That seems most logical. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Dynamite Reax - 8/27/20

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's Dynamite.

Wrestling content updates, WWE PPV update, Sonya case note, Interviews with McAfee/Priest/Rowan, NXT to declare new champion in big main event, WWE name back in NXT, street fight set, titleholder set for United Wrestling Network, a Question on Raw's camerawork and a lot of complaining

Wrestling book updates:

- An unauthorized WWE history book is coming October 13.

- "Professional Wrestling: Politics and Populism" is coming November 15. 

- WWE's official Valentine's card book is coming December 1 (???)

- New Day's book is coming out as a graphic novel December 8. 

- Renee Paquette's cookbook will likely come in the spring. 

Pat McAfee is on "After The Bell" this week.

Clash of Champions will be held September 27. It was originally scheduled for September 20. One advantage of not running venues is being able to change plans for event dates in a sudden case.

"The Bump" before Payback will feature Kofi Kingston and Cesaro.

Sonya Deville's case judge has denied a motion to release evidence to the public, notably footage of her house and online communications to her. Deville has reported getting further harassing messages since her stalker's arrest. I could see this rightfully scaring talents away from getting into such a public business.

Pat McAfee spoke to CBS Sports after Takeover XXX. He's really getting good press, and comes across well when he does so.

WWE Supercard will feature Southpaw Regional Wrestling content.

Damien Priest spoke to Sports Illustrated ,TVInsider , and Pro Wrestling Sheet before NXT. 

Erick Rowan spoke to Chris Van Vliet. 

Sarah Logan appeared on "The Bump" this week.

NXT will declare a new champion next week in a 60-minute Iron Match with Tommaso Ciampa vs. Finn Balor vs. Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano. That is a MASSIVE match.

- Karrion Kross relinquished the championship due to his shoulder injury. That's a shame; I hope he has a strong return.

Austin Theory has returned to NXT to feud with Bronson Reed. Very interesting to see him back there after his time on Raw.

NXT "Super Tuesday" will also feature a street fight with Legado del Fantasma vs. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott and Breezango.

United Wrestling Network has added NWA Women's Champion Thunder Rosa. Good to see her get even more exposure on the heels of working for AEW.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. They only had one shot of it happening live and it was a major happening so they kept reshowing it. 

2. Yes, a lot more people were watching primetime TV years back. This is why it's important to look at the rating as a percentage of those watching TV at a given time. Impact did draw impressive numbers on some occasions, but their success was relatively short-lived. 

3. A number of factors here: 

a. Honestly a great number of fans are hypercritical over minor decisions and turn on talent in a heartbeat.

b. NXT in theory only has talent for a brief amount of time before they ship off to another brand. It's MUCH easier to spotlight a smaller roster of talent and not have to worry about talents who have been in the company for many years. 

c. Keith debuted against RANDY ORTON and his facing him on a PPV that same week. It really doesn't get much bigger than that in WWE in 2020. But if fans are going to act the way they're acting with this decision, Vince is right to recognize they're extremely hard to please. 

d. I didn't see the Nia/Shayna situation like that at all. I see it as them channeling how destructive they both can be toward a common goal, with some mutual respect there. 

4. Once again fans are setting one of their favorite talents up to fail from day one of a push. From Vince's perspective, he's taking a talent who is fresh out of someone else's hands and molding him the same way he's molded talents for decades. I don't see it being much different than how he changed stars coming from the territories. 

5. No, they aren't. No holds barred implies a higher level of leniency. Once again the fans are complaining about minor details. 

6. A lot of complainers in the questions today. They're doing Randy Orton vs. Keith Lee and Roman Reigns returning in a Universal Title match with The Fiend as champion again. Fans wanted to see The Fiend hold the title again, right? They want Keith to get a big push, right? Stop shooting yourselves in the foot.

More wrestling tomorrow. 

NXT Reax - 8/26/20

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's NXT.

Wrestling content notes, Interviews with Arquette/Jax/McIntyre/Ellering/Deonna, assorted wrestling press, Dynamite audience, WWE banning Thunderdome trolls, UWN wrestler announced, more Renee well wishes, Jericho back on commentary, Raw audience, new Impact commentator/producer, surprise NXT commentator, more on WWE-Amway, Impact preview, NXT notes, and Questions on duos being signed together, WWE winning a mainstream award, AEW 2019 vs. AEW 2020, and how WWE releases will do

Cauliflower Alley Club will air a FITE event for October.

David Arquette spoke to USA Today about wrestling and more. I have a lot of respect for him proving himself in the ring, as well as his physical changes.

Lucha libre's battle with COVID was covered. It's really hitting hard there.

Dynamite drew 755,000 viewers Saturday night, which is in line with what they do on Wednesdays.

WWE is looking to ban disruptive fans who showed hate group imagery and Chris Benoit on Thunderdome screens during Raw. WWE should have expected nothing less, and honestly I expect more is coming. 

Nia Jax spoke to ABC about bullying. 

"The Bump" will air before Payback. 

80s Wrestling Con is putting together virtual signings with Tito Santana and Demolition. 

Heels has cast Mary McCormack.

United Wrestling Network has announced Chris Dickinson for their first weekly PPV.

Drew McIntyre promoted Raw with Newsweek, The Scottish Sun, and Comicbook.com. I'm very glad WWE is getting behind him to the agree they are.

Mr. T is getting a wrestling-related Funko Pop. 

Triple H and Charlotte Flair thanked Renee Paquette for her time in WWE. 

Paul Ellering appeared on the Two Man Power Trip podcast. Interesting to hear him claim he was about to work with AOP again, since they were part of Seth Rollins' group when the injury occurred.

Chris Jericho will be on commentary for Dynamite this week. The overexposure continues.

Deonna Purrazzo spoke to Sports Illustrated before Emergence. I'm very glad she's getting a spotlight now. There's a real bottleneck of talent in WWE currently. 

Joey Janela appeared in a commercial for Cluck-U Chicken. I can hear Jim Cornette yelling from here!

Raw drew 2.03 million for the night after Summerslam in Thunderdome. That's a very impressive boost! I hope the worst of the rating drops are over.

Matt Striker did commentary for Impact Xplosion this week. He has worked as a producer for the company recently. Interesting change for them.

Summerslam will be released on DVD September 22. 

Wade Barrett is on NXT commentary this week due to Mauro Ranallo's absence. He has not signed any deal with the company. That's a very interesting turn of events. We'll see if this leads to more from him in WWE.

ROH TV will spotlight Tracy Williams this week. As much as I got bored of ROH, I'm missing them doing fresh content.

David Arquette and Bateman are on ROH Strong this week. Arquette wrestling for ROH would be perfect for the insanity that is 2020 in the wrestling world. 

WWE's Amway Center contract stipulates:

- A minimum of $200,000 in rent to the venue.

- $12,500 for any PPV event.

- $10,000 each for Raw and Smackdown tapings.

- $7,500 for any non-taping day where WWE personnel are in the venue

- $2,500 for any day when no work is taking place

- WWE's next PPV is set for September 27

- WWE can change the length of the deal with two weeks notice

- Tickets are intentionally omitted.

-- So, no NXT and no live fans during this deal. I can't say either is a surprise.

Impact has announced:

- Eddie Edwards vs. Eric Young for the World Championship

- Taya Valkyrie vs. Rosemary for John E. Bravo in Wrestle House

- Ace Austin and Madman Fulton vs. The Rascalz

- Rob Van Dam vs. Sami Callihan

- Rhino and a partner vs. Reno Scum

NXT announced on Tuesday:

- Imperium vs. Breezango for the NXT Tag Team Championship

- Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzales

- Santos Escobar vs. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott for the Cruiserweight Championship

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. So this is kind of splitting hairs, but we've definitely seen talents in teams signed to the same terms at the same time. I don't know if they're on one contract technically, but they get paid identically. 

2. WWE would love to be acknowledged for its production or any other aspect at that level. That would boost their relevancy and prestige. 

3. I think they have really changed quite a bit since their early days. There were some real worries it would be a promotion built on in-jokes and gimmicks, but they've shown themselves to be more than that. There are still some flaws in the product and a lack of star power compared to WWE, but I'd say they've mostly gotten things more right than wrong. 

4. That and Main Event. 

5.a. With Rusev out of the running, I think EC3 is the clear choice for most underutilized. 

5.b. I don't know that anyone will really flounder if there are reasonable expectations that, say, Brian Myers isn't likely to be a franchise player at the level of Moose. I say that with a lot of respect for Myers. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Emergence Night Two Reax

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's Impact Wrestling special event.

Wrestling content updates and press, NJPWoA talent update, Renee says goodbye, Summerslam blood note, Sonya update, Interviews with Kross/McAfee, podcast guests, why Talking Smack changed, more on NWA name in AEW, Dark lineup, AEW celebrity tease, Keith Lee update, more Pure title contenders, new Dynamite match, Payback matches set, Smackdown segment, major Raw rewrites, WWE looking to make medical hire, and Questions on D'Lo post-Droz, AJ vs. Heyman, Omega in AEW vs. NJPW, Dominik's punishment, and if Thunderdome is worth it

CZW's upcoming compilation PPVs will feature:

- Brodie Lee in September

- El Generico in October

- Lio Rush in November

- AJ Styles in December

"Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter" is airing on El Rey Sunday at midnight.

MLW is expanding their DAZN library soon.

MLW has trademarked MLW Underground.

NJPW will use Tom Lawlor again. NJPWoA is really starting to cultivate. 

Renee Young commented on leaving WWE. She's back to being Renee Paquette. 

Rob Van Dam will be spotlighted on "Impact in 60" this week. Tommy Dreamer will be covered next week. 

Summerslam's blood was unintentional, with Randy Orton's likely coming from his headbutt. Honestly in the COVID era, that's pretty scary.

Sonya Deville is still under WWE contract. I'm glad we'll hopefully see more of her.

Karrion Kross spoke to ESPN following Takeover XXX. I admire his drive.

The Miz is on New Day's latest podcast.

Simone Johnson is on the latest Swerve City podcast. 

Xavier Woods was not available for Talking Smack, as he wasn't told of his new role until it had been formally announced. That's a real indictment about WWE's preparedness.

Thunder Rosa appearing in AEW was Tony Khan's idea. They really handed NWA a lot of exposure on a silver platter. Khan cares about the wrestling business and its health.

Dark announced:

- Lance Archer vs. D3

- Penelope Ford vs. Heather Monroe

- Frankie Kazarian vs. Kip Sabian

- Mel vs. Red Velvet

- Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss vs. TheHybrid2

- Best Friends vs. Storm Thomas and Demitri Jackson

- Billy and Austin Gunn vs. Frank Stone and Baron Black

- Santana and Ortiz vs. The Metro Brothers

- Jake Hager vs. Marko Stunt

- Ricky Starks vs. Shawn Dean

- Nyla Rose vs. KiLynn King

- Luther and Serpentico vs. The Initiative

- Shawn Spears vs. Jessy Sorensen

Shaquille O'Neal has signed a deal with Turner Sports, which is leading to speculation of him appearing for AEW. That could certainly get them some attention.

Keith Lee is officially part of Raw now.

Samoa Joe is in Suicide Squad's 2021 video game, voicing King Shark.

ROH's Pure Championship tournament has added the debuting Rust Taylor as well as Dalton Castle and Kenny King. Good to see new names get opportunities there.

Dynamite has added Britt Baker, Penelope Ford, and Reba vs. Big Swole.

Braun Strowman will be on WWE Chronicle Saturday.

Triple H supported a group of NXT fans helping a fan who lost his home to a tornado. A lot of respect to those fans.

Payback has announced:

- Apollo Crews vs. Bobby Lashley for the United States Championship

- Sasha Banks and Bayley vs. Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax for the Women's Tag Team Championship

- Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman for the Universal Championship

- Randy Orton vs. Keith Lee

Smackdown will feature a Universal Championship contract signing.

Pro Wrestling Eve's Dann Read recently suffered a heart attack. I wish him a speedy recovery.

The Young Bucks' autobiography is due November 17.

OVW's scheduled event this week has been moved to September 1 due to local construction.

Vince McMahon arrived at Raw around 7:20 p.m. and made drastic changes to the show. Monday was the chairman's 75th birthday.

Pat McAfee spoke to ESPN about Takeover XXX. I'd love to see him again. This is a man with clear respect for the business and a strong work ethic on top of a great athletic background.

WWE is hiring a vice president of medical affairs. Good to see. 

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. D'Lo understandably second-guessed himself and had some hard feelings after that incident, and I can see how that would have kept him from being a bigger name than he was. That said, there wasn't reason to believe he was going to be a top guy.

2. AJ feels that Heyman didn't advocate strongly enough to keep Gallows and Anderson on the roster when talents were being released. One version of events is that Heyman actually pushed for them to be cut. That should tell you a lot about how close AJ is with those two. 

3. The impression I have is that Omega isn't trying to be the top guy he was in NJPW. He's there to have a variety of matches with a variety of talents, and build the women's and tag team divisions. That said, Chris Jericho won't be around forever and it's possible Jon Moxley won't be a long-term fixture, either, so I expect he'll have opportunities to be the franchise player down the line. If he was in Moxley's spot, there would be criticism that he booked himself to be the top star at others' expense. 

4. No one's going to question Dominik's commitment to being in WWE after those attacks. I'll give him that! It comes across to me as him "paying his dues" for getting such a big opportunity ahead of people who have been there longer and had a tougher path to the top. 

5. I don't know the costs of Thunderdome, but I expect WWE is well beyond capable of paying for it. It's certainly worth exploring given where ratings were heading. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Raw Reax - 8/24/20

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.

Kross update, wrestling content updates, Austin's next guest, Mauro note, Tessa married, Takeover name moving to Raw, big WWE return, and Questions on NXT staying in Full Sail, women's wrestling changing, EC3's contract, Bret vs. WWE in 2020, and Renee's WWE run

 Karrion Kross' injury was officially listed as a separated shoulder joint, though an MRI is forthcoming.

"WWE Day Of" after Payback will cover Summerslam 2015.

Jerry Lawler will be on the next Broken Skull Sessions. I'm curious how that will go.

"The Bump" will feature JBL and Viking Raiders on Wednesday. Wow, JBL's all over WWE all of a sudden.

Mauro Ranallo missed Takeover due to a family issue. I wish him well with that.

Tessa Blanchard and Daga got married this past weekend. Brian Cage, Taya Valkyrie, and Melissa Santos all attended.

"Inside the Ropes" is launching a wrestling magazine. Bill Apter and Keith Elliot Greenberg among others are attached. That's an interesting pitch in 2020.

Keith Lee is joining Raw tonight. I'm all for new, ready stars to join the bigger shows. It is WAY overdue and has surely hurt WWE's bottom line.

Roman Reigns returned at the end of Summerslam, attacking new Universal Champion Bray Wyatt as well as Braun Strowman. That certainly changes things for the title picture going forward! And very interesting that he attacked both.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. It's possible they have a contract in place with Full Sail that prevents it. I could see HHH also wanting NXT to further stand out from Raw and Smackdown, but frankly we're seeing how that concept is hurting business. 

2. Because the women are hired and cultivated as wrestlers and not handcuffed to being in "buffer" segments between more important matches. 

3. EC3 isn't under an exclusive deal to either company. It's not that different from someone working two different indie companies. It'd be one thing if they taped at the same time or aired at the same time, but, if anything, both sides would probably benefit from having more names cross over. 

4. Ha! No. He's holding them up for money to use the footage he owns. If they don't pay him for the rights, Bret will have once again screwed Bret. 

5. I definitely think she was valuable for them, and I would not mind her going into the Hall of Fame at some point. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Summerslam Reax

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's WWE Network special event.

Assorted wrestling notes, NJPW cup winner, ROH names on Strong, ROH teaser, weekend press, Smackdown audience, Talking Smack change, Summerslam stipulation change, Midnight Express trademarked, new WWE trademarks, NXT UK return set, AEW+Impact team wins gold, Cody update, AEW matches and segments set, NWA name works Dynamite, NXT name returning, HHH conference call, and Questions on WWE PPVs moving and AEW tapings

Nia Jax will appear on ABC's "What Would You Do?" this week.

Mick Foley will be in an upcoming horror movie. 

Krissy Vaine spoke to Slam! Wrestling about returning to action. 

David Finlay is on the next ROHStrong podcast.

Eric Young will co-host the Sticks & Stacks podcast, covering the NHL.

KENTA won the New Japan USA Cup, challenging Jon Moxley for the United States Championship.

Flip Gordon returned to the ring on NJPW Strong, teaming with Brody King to defeat Jay White and Chase Owens. Flip and Brody weren't representing Villain Enterprises during the match. ROH continues to look like it's being eclipsed by NJPWoA. I'm not sure if having new episodes of ROH TV just in syndication will change that very much. 

ROH TV this week ended with a teaser for "The Trend." I'm guessing this will be a faction appearing on future episodes. Maybe EC3 is involved?

Pat McAfee spoke to TMZ Sports before Takeover XXX. They got some good press from him appearing.

Smackdown drew 2.17 million viewers this week. That's a notable improvement for Thunderdome debuting and Vince McMahon appearing. I hope they keep some of that gain and build on it.

The Miz cohosted Talking Smack despite Xavier Woods being initially advertised for the role. That really speaks wonders about WWE's planning process!

Summerslam's Universal Championship match was announced as a Falls Count Anywhere match during Talking Smack. I'm curious if they deliberately held off that announcement for that episode in order to have some buzz about the series returning.

Drew McIntyre promoted Summerslam in The Player's Tribune. Very good piece on his journey to where he is now. I respect his ride to where he is now.

Jim Cornette, Dennis Condrey, Bobby Eaton, and Stan Lane have collectively trademarked "The Midnight Express."

WWE has trademarked Timothy Thatcher, Shotzi Blackheart, Scarlett, and Robert Stone.

Summerslam's WWE Watch Along featured JBL, The Hurricane, Elias, Jinder Mahal, Xavier Woods, Matt Riddle, the Singh Brothers, Kacy Catanzaro, Kayden Carter, and Malcolm Bivens.

Seth Rollins promoted Summerslam with Sporting News. Interesting insight all around, covering working with Dominik, not having live fans, and more. 

NXT UK talents have undergone COVID testing ahead of tapings returning. It's got to be motivating for those names to return to work.

KENTA spoke to Sports Illustrated to promote NJPWoA.

AEW's Joey Janela and Impact's Brian Myers are now WrestlePro Tag Team Champions. Clever, buzzworthy move.

Cody is expected to take some time off from AEW, hence the big Dark Order angle. He could use a break!

All Out has added:

- Chris Jericho vs. Orange Cassidy in a Mimosa Mayhem match, featuring a big vat of orange juice and "the bubbly." The match ends via pinfall, submission, or being thrown into the vat.

- Kenny Omega and Hangman Page defending the AEW Tag Team Championship against the winners of a gauntlet match on Dynamite.

Dynamite featured the debut of NWA Women's Champion Thunder Rosa challenging Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women's Championship. NWA approved this appearance. I could easily see further crossover with NWA, as this is a bigger spotlight than the talents are getting elsewhere.

Dynamite will feature:

- Jon Moxley and MJF holding an All Out contract signing

- Sammy Guevara vs. Matt Hardy in a tables match

- Young Bucks vs. FTR vs. Best Friends vs. Natural Nightmares in a gauntlet match to determine Kenny Omega and Hangman Page's opponents.

- Britt Baker and Penelope Ford vs. Big Swole in a match originally set for All Out.

- Chris Jericho on commentary.

NXT UK's next taping is set for September 17 from BT Sport Studios. Nice integration with their local TV partner.

Tommaso Ciampa will return on NXT this week. I would think he would address the new NXT Champion.

Triple H held a conference call after Takeover XXX, recapped here:

- I am ALL FOR more McAfee.

- I really wonder if the main event was changed due to Kross being hurt. 

- Yeah he's pretty upset about the Dream allegations.

- Hmmmm.... curious response about Scarlett wrestling.

- Keith is 100% ready for Raw or Smackdown.

- I appreciate him acknowledging the writing change.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. I could see that being a possibility if they end up on another streaming service. 

Nothing to add to 2, 4, 5, 6, or 7.

3. I don't believe they're taping more than two episodes at a time. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Takeover XXX Reax

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's WWE Network special event.

Dynamite Reax - 8/22/20

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's edition of Dynamite.

Summerslam preview

 Read on for my ideas booking tonight's WWE Network special event.

International wrestling updates, Renee's last WWE show, AEW fans update, Rusev's whereabouts, Davey update, EC3 contract notes, more on Havoc-AEW, assorted wrestling press, WWE-Peacock note, Rey-WWE update, NXT writing change note, why WWE trademarked SNME, weekend hype, Talking Smack returns, Summerslam stipulation added, Bagwell injuries, and Questions on WWEPC's next moves, the six-sided ring, and where Mickie has been

Stardom has canceled the rest of its August events following a second positive COVID test. Talent are being advised to quarantine. These events will be made up at later dates.

Mexico has seen a number of wrestlers pulled from events due to positive COVID testing, including some who worked recent empty arena events.

Renee Young's final WWE date is Summerslam. She has a lot of options going forward. 

AEW fans will be far from the ring during tapings. 

All Japan Pro Wrestling announced a profit of $85,000 for their last fiscal year, growing notably from the past two years featuring small losses. 

NOAH's tag team champions Rene Dupree and Dr. Wagner, Jr. have vacated the title due to being unable to travel restrictions. 

Mexico is opening some venues to 30 percent capacity, which could open the door for wrestling events being run legally. 

Rusev is recovering from shoulder surgery, so he's not wrestling currently. 

Cibernetico has had gallbladder surgery.

OTT has endorsed Equity's recent code of conduct. 

Davey Boy Smith, Jr. isn't expected to appear for Impact due to MLW's asking price. There is also concern of him going elsewhere after his MLW deal ends in December. I hope 2021 sees big things for him. 

EC3's Impact contract is short-term and nonexclusive, so he is taking work from other companies. 

Jimmy Havoc's AEW release was not related to travel restrictions, as he currently lives in Florida. He is not expected to return. 

Evil Uno raised more than $51,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society. I'm very glad to see that. 

Tony Khan has stated AEW will rarely have DQ finishes. That certainly stands out from other companies. 

WWE is having further talks regarding Peacock content. They've got a number of digital outlets to balance. 

Rey Mysterio's new WWE deal is believed to be for three years. It's possible this is his final U.S. contract. 

Kevin Dunn is working as a liaison with WWE's TV partners. 

NXT's head writer has left, with Gabe Sapolsky taking over some of his work. I wouldn't expect major changes to follow.

Saturday Night's Main Event could return if college football doesn't broadcast during quarantine. That would really stretch things thin if they use the same names from Raw and Smackdown. 

Starz is casting for "Heels" in Georgia, with Luke Hawx facilitating the process. 

WWE has launched a legends shop website, which includes a new Ultimate Warrior Collectors Box.

Bray Wyatt spoke to ESPN about Thunderdome.

XFL's sale has been officially approved.

Marty Jannetty did a shoot interview with Boston Wrestling. He will also do Watch Alongs for Takeover and Summerslam.

Pat McAfee spoke to ESPN to promote Takeover XXX. 

ROH paid tribute to Xavier. 

Randy Orton spoke to Inside The Ropes before Summerslam, revealing Ric Flair's promo wasn't part of the show initially. There's no scripting Ric Flair!

AEW is cracking down on ticket resales that were originally intended for friends and family to stay together. They are taking COVID V E R Y seriously there.

"Talking Smack" has returned, with Xavier Woods and Kayla Braxton hosting. VERY interesting this has suddenly resurfaced on the heels of Renee Young leaving. 

Triple H and Drew McIntyre discussed Thunderdome on ESPN. 

Summerslam's Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville match is now a Loser Leaves WWE, no DQ match. I can't help but think this is a result of the stalking case; I don't blame either one for wanting time off after that.

Buff Bagwell's car crash injuries include a broken hip, broken ribs, a broken eye socket, and a torn groin. He will not require surgery. That's a very scary situation. I hope that's the last injury he has to deal with.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. It sounds like they don't plan on doing tapings there even after the current Amway lease expires. That's probably for the best. 

Nothing to add to 2 or 4. 

3. I could see it happening for a "TNA" show, but they have been intentional about keeping the traditional ring. One direction of the latest regime has been to forge a separate identity from the days of the Impact Zone, Ultimate X matches, and other signatures of past eras.

5. If I remember correctly, her contract was coming due anyway so they were going to have her fulfill it in other roles (commentator/producer), but seemingly she still has some dates left they're going to use for her in the ring. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Main Event and 205 Live Reax - 8/21/20

 Read on for my thoughts on yesterday's Main Event and 205 Live.

Friday Night Smackdown Reax - 8/21/20

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's Friday Night Smackdown.

Takeover XXX preview

Read on for my ideas for tonight's WWE Network special event.

WCW name in car crash, NJPW injury, OVW expansion notes, assorted wrestling content, new Takeover match, NXT audience, Sonya hearing notes, new WWE trademark, Xavier services set, Smackdown matches added, and Questions on SAnitY vs. Retribution, Raw Underground replacing hour three, and legends contracts

Buff Bagwell was hospitalized with serious injuries following a car crash believed to be caused by Bagwell being impaired from prescription medication. Very scary. 

NJPW's Gabriel Kidd has suffered a neck injury. He will miss the August 26 and 27 events.

OVW notes:

- Brian Pillman, Jr. is debuting on Tuesday's 1100th episode, challenging Tony Gunn for the OVW Championship. 

- Jessie Godderz has returned, while former Impact name Marshe Rocket has debuted.

- OVW is looking to add other promotions to their Roku channel.

- OVW is considering a tryout session once safety protocols can be put in place, which could lead to contracts being offered to those who do well, in addition to current OVW names.

- OVW is looking into talent agreements with other independent companies. If I'm ROH or NWA, I'm looking into this.

Nick Aldis is now FITE's special correspondent. Interesting move. 

Seth Rollins is on Metal Injection's Squared Circle Pit podcast.

Sammy Guevara is on AEW Unrestricted this week. 

Takeover XXX has added Finn Balor vs. Timothy Thatcher. That's a pretty big match to throw together like that.

NXT is listed on September 1 on USA Network's schedule, as NHL playoffs will air September 2. Presumably that could boost Dynamite's audience that night.

AEW has announced allowing up to 15 percent capacity at tapings beginning next week, with social distancing and other precautions in place. That's encouraging. 

Ricky Morton appeared on the Working Fan's podcast. 

Dynamite has added an Orange Cassidy in-ring interview. He's had intriguing growth lately.

NXT drew 853,000 fans this week unopposed by Dynamite and featuring Pat McAfee. That's over a third more fans than last week, so there's some good growth there. We'll see how many of the 234,000 fans who didn't watch last week will stay around when Dynamite returns.

Sonya Deville hearing notes. Please be advised of the heavy nature of what is being recapped here:

- Deville had never communicated with the defendant before he broke into her house.

- There were hundreds of messages from him, not the erroneously reported hundreds of thousands. 

- He used multiple accounts to threaten friends and family members of Deville.

- The defendant threatened to attend Summerslam. 

- The defendant was denied bail. 

Legado del Fantasma will do a Twitter Q & A before Takeover XXX.

Asuka spoke to New York Post to promote Summerslam. 

Alexa Bliss is on the Bellas' podcast.

WWE has trademarked WWE Thunderdome. 

Xavier's funeral will be held Monday.

AEW created a "Road To" Saturday's Dynamite. That's smart. They've got a challenge ahead of them being off their usual night. 

Smackdown has added:

- Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro vs. Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship

- Sheamus vs. Big E

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. "Main roster" creative didn't want to do this kind of angle then. Or maybe more accurately the audience level wasn't low enough for them to do so. They also saw different directions for those talents. It also helps to have an empty arena when having people attack wrestlers in the crowd, tear up the ring, etc. 

2 is a repeat.

3. I don't know if they'd turn a whole hour into Raw Underground specifically, but I would think if "edgier" content in the third hour keeps ratings from slipping we could see more in that direction. 

4. Expanding on their answer, it's a way for WWE to make action figures, video games, and the like for those names, and have them do AXXESS and other conventions. In theory it also helps prevent those older names ending up having trouble making ends meet. It looks bad for WWE when people who used to be big stars are hustling for small paydays. 

5 is not a wrestling question.

Thunderdome set in motion, wrestling content updates, Summerslam meet and greets, WWE announcer leaving, ROH debut set, HHH conference call, Summerslam weekend press, Bret content removed from Network, new Takeover match, and Questions on dropped angles and WWE tone inconsistency

WWE recruited Thunderdome fans virtually Thursday. Smackdown registrations were filled within minutes. This could be a big step forward for WWE or a big disaster if it's hijacked.

- Thunderdome was tested with a match in front of select virtual fans Wednesday night. 

ROH TV this week will focus on The Allure.

Summerslam weekend will have virtual meet and greets with Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Braun Strowman, Bayley, and Keith Lee.

MLW is partnering with NERDS to create merchandise.

The Bump before Summerslam will feature Mark Henry, Mandy Rose, Andrade, Angel Garza, Zelina Vega, and the Hurt Business.

Billie Kay has launched a YouTube channel.

Renee Young has given notice to leave WWE. There is currently no exit date set. That's really notable. I'm curious what she has planned next.

- Paul Heyman commented on the news.

EC3 is working ROH's TV tapings this week. I really didn't see that coming; it will be interesting to see how he fits in there and what kind of changes are in store for the company.

Sports Illustrated previewed Thunderdome. It's very good to see a larger venue!

Triple H held a pre-Takeover XXX conference call, recapped here:

- I'm VERY interested what conversations were had about staying in Full Sail. Especially given the ratings against Dynamite.

- Frankly they haven't had to worry about talent leaving for Raw and Smackdown for a while with few exceptions. 

- If I'm WWE, NXT is getting raided when the draft hits. It's long overdue.

- All brands need to be supported, but Raw and Smackdown are much higher profile and are worth a lot more money. That needs to be reflected.

- I'm curious if McAfee is interested in being a more regular part of NXT.

Drew McIntyre is on "After The Bell" this week.

Drew McIntyre promoted Summerslam with The Mirror and Loudwire. 

Mark Henry is on Pat McAfee's latest show.

WWE Network has pulled Bret Hart documentaries. There's speculation this is due to Stampede Wrestling footage Bret owns. Bret being difficult once again.

Dominik Mysterio got ESPN coverage. Very good piece.

Triple H is on Bill Simmons' latest podcast. 

Takeover XXX's pre-show has added Breezango vs. Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza vs. One Two in a number one contenders' match for the tag team championship. I'm glad Wilde and Mendoza aren't stuck in the cruiserweight division.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

Frankly 1 and 2 aren't worth an answer.

3. No comment. 

4. Long story short they changed their minds on both ideas. 

5. Basically some angles are meant to be ridiculous and not taken seriously (like Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner) while others are played as "real."

More wrestling tomorrow. 

NXT Reax - 8/20/20

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's NXT.

Network show returning?, Goldberg contract update, Sonya notes, assorting wrestling notes, WWE trademarks, DiBiase, Jr.'s home in jeopardy, NXT alum arrested, WWE book coming, Interviews with Seth, WWE HoFer on Dynamite, new Emergence match, and Questions on Cain in WWE, moving Dynamite, WWE-Chyna, and dynasties

WWE is considering "Talking Smack" returning this month. The concept has been pitched since January. 

Goldberg is contracted through 2022 for two matches a year. WOW. That's insane. I expected both sides to take it a match or so at a time; WWE is really committed to getting everything they can from him.

Sonya Deville has been awarded a temporary injunction against the man who broke into her house. There is a court date coming soon to make that permanent. Scary situation. She's probably going to be looking out for him for the rest of her life.

- Sonya revealed Mandy Rose was with her during the break-in. 

- The defendant had sent hundreds of thousands (!) of social media messages to Sonya, from multiple accounts. These included threats against her friends and family members, who were mentioned by name. WWE needs to be putting together a team that keeps tabs on individuals like this. Other companies should be taking note as well. 

Summer Struggle will have live English commentary.

Xavier's family has put together a GoFundMe to cover funeral costs. 

WWE has filed trademarks for Malcolm Bivens, Mercedes Martinez, Primate Jay Melrose, Raquel Gonzales, and Retribution. 

Ted DiBiase, Jr.'s home could be seized by the federal government as part of the investigation into embezzlement in Mississippi. It's very sad to hear that this family is tied to such corruption.

Raw drew 1.64 million viewers this week. Thunderdome can't come soon enough.

NXT alum Dan Matha was arrested for failure to appear in court for a traffic hearing that resulted from driving with an expired registration. He has a hearing set for September 2. Not a good post-WWE life for Matha.

WWE's "WWE Superstar Handbook: The Essential Facts and Stats on More than 300 WWE Superstars!" in March. Howard Finkel would be proud!

Seth Rollins spoke to Bleacher Report and People about Summerslam and more:

Shotzi Blackheart received a new helmet from Triple H. 

Madusa will present the AEW women's tag team tournament cup. I like it a lot.

Emergence Night Two has added Willie Mack vs. Brian Myers.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. They wanted a big moment for the first Smackdown on FOX, and, honestly, to prevent him from signing somewhere else and being a big star for them. Had he not been injured, I assume they would have done more with him.

2. That might not be as easy as it sounds. 

3. I'd think Cornette would be quicker, since he's in better health.

4. Long story short they didn't want to draw attention to her life outside the ring. 

5. None come to mind, but I'm nowhere near an aficionado for either region. 

More wrestling tomorrow.

Emergence Night One Reax

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's special edition of Impact Wrestling.

WWE announces production overhaul, wrestling content notes, new faces at Impact, Dark lineup, more on ROH resuming, Xavier note, NJPW voting begins, NJPW return, Sonya legal update, Triple H on Dream return, AEW women's finals, Raw Underground match set, and Questions on the best weekly show, AEW production botches, RETRIBUTION, NXT UK trademarks, the Screwjob, and former WWE names appearing in AEW

WWE announced Thunderdome, their upgraded production setup for the Amway Center they will begin using at Smackdown and continue for Raw, Smackdown, and PPV events. Virtual fans will be part of the proceedings. This is certainly a means of responding to the feeling the audience is down because of the venue.

- Kevin Dunn discussed these plans with Sports Illustrated. Very intriguing!

Lacey Evans will appear on "Military Makeover with Montel" in its upcoming season.

Impact's most recent tapings featured independent stars Benjamin Carter, Tre Lamar, and Lee Moriarty. It will be good to see fresh faces on the show. 

Dark has announced:

- Billy vs. Alan Angels

- Lance Archer vs. Jessy Sorensen and Jon Cruz

- Colt Cabana, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds vs. D3, Ryzin, and Faboo Andre

- Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss vs. Shawn Dean and Frank Dean

- Shawn Spears vs. Will Hobbs

- Santana and Ortiz vs. Black Baron and Tony Donati

- Kip Sabian vs. Michael Nakazawa

- Abadon vs. Red Velvet

- Ricky Starks vs. Lee Johnson

- TheHybrid2 vs. The Initiative

ROH's tapings will go from Wednesday though Sunday. Good to see them working again. 

Xavier was considering continuing his wrestling career when events resumed. It's unfortunate that won't come to pass.

WWE has trademarked NXT UK ring names Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey, Lewis Howley, and Sam Stoker. I'm very curious what that brand looks like in 2020.

NJPW has begun fan voting for KOPW2020 on their Twitter account. Very strange to see so many gimmicks added suddenly to the company.

Jay White is returning to action on NJPW Strong. That's pretty significant. 

Sonya Deville's attempted kidnapper faces a pre-trial hearing Thursday.

ROH's Pure Championship tournament has added Rocky Romero, PJ Black, and the debuting Tony Deppen.

ROH's Pure Championship tournament's rules have been announced, featuring time limits and judges. I admire them trying something different. 

John Cena is giving personalized messages for those ordering his new book. 

Billie Kay was profiled in K-Zone magazine.

Triple H spoke to CBS Sports about Velveteen Dream's return.

AEW's Women's Tag Team Cup Tournament finals will be the Nightmare Sisters vs. Diamante and Ivelisse. This match will take place on Dynamite.

Raw Underground has announced Dolph Ziggler vs. Ivar.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. The show that feels the freshest and has the most talent I haven't seen do the same thing over and over for years. That's Dynamite. 

2. Given the experience level of the team doing the production, honestly it shouldn't be the level of a problem it is. It's not like they all began in TV with AEW. 

3. Honestly they really should have someone "on the inside" given how they keep getting access to the building and such. Heck, I could see it being Vince himself. 

4. I don't believe they did know in advance, but it was quickly apparent Shawn was the winner. 

5. Frankly, if it works out financially for WWE and those two to work together again, they'll consider it. If it works out financially for AEW or someone else for them to appear there instead, they'll consider it. It's not like either of them are getting a lot of bookings. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Raw Reax - 8/17/20

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.

Wrestling content updates, Interview with Dakota, Sonya in a scary situation, and Questions on AEW attendance, AEW's women's championship, Rusev-Lashley-Lana, Jarrett vs. Anthem, and Broken Skull Sessions

Championship Wrestling From Hollywood will tape new content soon in an empty arena with mandatory COVID testing.

WWF Superstars episodes added to WWE Network span from March 20, 1993 through May 22, 1993.

Dakota Kai spoke in Australia. 

Sonya Deville was the victim of an attempted kidnapping, as a long-term social media follower of hers drove from South Carolina and broke into her house with a variety of items with which to take her hostage. Sonya fled and called 911, with police arresting the suspect. That's horrifying. I'm starting to think WWE needs to have a team that keeps tabs on obsessive fans. 

The Miz and Maryse are working on a new WWE Studios-created show pitch. Miz continues to show his value beyond the ring. 

Former ROH Champion Xavier's passing will be covered more in depth in a separate post.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. There were extensive precautions for them appearing, including testing, social distancing, and mask wearing. That being the case, I have no issue with it.

2. It's definitely very small! I'm under the impression it's a tribute to a championship/championships from a previous era. I would not object to a larger championship, though I think they should establish this one first.

3. I doubt many will say it was a favorite of theirs!

4. I don't know if anyone really "wins" given how much time and effort is being put into deciding the fate of a less-than-major wrestling promotion's assets. 

5. Bischoff? Punk? Heyman? There are some intriguing possibilities, though I don't know that we'll really hear anything groundbreaking that hasn't been covered previously.

More wrestling tomorrow.  

Remembering former ROH Champion Xavier

ROH Champion Xavier passed away at 42. 

PWInsider.com covered his career. 

ROH remembered their former champion.

Xavier was remembered by the following, among others, on social media:
- Allison Danger

- Blue Meanie

- Bobby Cruise

- Bull James

- Cary Silkin

- Christopher Daniels

- Dan Maff

- ECWA

- Elijah Burke

- Ethan Page

- Frankie Kazarian

- Ian Riccaboni

- ICW

- Isiah Kassidy

- KM: Twitter Facebook

- Mick Foley

- Mickie James

- NEW

- Padapon

- Pat Buck

- Rhett Titus

- Robbie Eagles

- Robert Stone

- Rocky Romero

- Sonjay Dutt: Tweet 1 Tweet 2

- Sumie Sakai

- Todd Sinclair

- Velvet Sky

- Zelina Vega: Tweet 1 Tweet 2

Assorted wrestling press and content notes, Interviews with Seth/Edwards/Kai/Cardona/Arquette/Erick, OVW notes, Impact name teasing future, MLW responds to Davey, Smackdown audience, more on WWE's taping move, Summerslam match stipulation, WWE trademarks old show name, Joshi promotions cancel shows due to COVID, DSOTR plans, and AEW episode updates

Nikki Cross is on Zelina Vega's latest podcast. 

Seth Rollins spoke to BT Sport about match stipulations. 

All Japan Pro Wrestling held an Atsushi Aoki memorial show this weekend.

Austin Idol's wrestling school got local press. 

CZW's September compilation events will be Combat Zone's Highest Flyers and CZW Girlz: Ring Heat. Reminder that CZW isn't naming these compilations. 

OVW notes:

- The company is taping its 1,100th episode this weekend. Another OVW series could soon arrive.

- Former OVW stars are being contacted to return.

- They have returned to doing live shows.

Ethan Page's Impact contract expires at the end of 2020. He's already teasing moving elsewhere. Wherever he ends up, I hope he's used well. He's got something worth investing in.

MLW responded to Davey Boy Smith, Jr.'s claims of the company blocking him from performing in Impact. It sounds like we won't see Davey in MLW again. 

Eddie Edwards got local press. I enjoy a lot of Impact, but putting them with WWE and AEW as "the big three" is a little dishonest. There's a big gap between AEW's reach in 2020 and Impact's. 

Dakota Kai spoke in New Zealand. 

Smackdown drew 1.98 million viewers this week. RETRIBUTION hasn't led to a sudden major growth in viewers, so we'll see how long it lasts.

WWE has leased the Amway Center through October 30. 

Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio at Summerslam is now officially a street fight. I could see Rey returning to give his son the win.

WWE has trademarked Saturday Night's Main Event. I could see them doing a WWE Network special under that name.

Naomi is on New Day's next podcast.

Stardom canceled an event following a positive COVID-19 result from a roster member who was not on the scheduled shows. They are rescheduling tournament matches scheduled for that event.

Tokyo Joshi Pro canceled August 16 and August 23 shows due to a positive COVID-19 result from a wrestler who was not on their most recent event. Japanese promotions continue to take precautions in the COVID era.

Matt Cardona discussed AEW and more.

David Arquette spoke to Sam Roberts and Jim Norton.

Dark Side of the Ring will have a Nick Gage episode. 

Erick Redbeard spoke to Sportskeeda. 

Countdown to All Out will air after the September 2 Dynamite.

Dynamite will have a special one-hour episode September 16 following the NBA playoff game, then a two-hour new episode September 17. That's an interesting approach, for sure, but I think it might end up being a clever one. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

ROH shifting gears, more on WWE tapings moving, another library WWE sought, international wrestling updates, more on UWN events, MLW talent considering next moves, assorted wrestling press, wrestling content updates, NXT UK signing, Bea comments on AEW release, WWE PPV matches set, HoFer set for Raw, Interview with Sonya, Impact cameo on Smackdown, and Questions on WrestleMania flopping, DiBiase, Sr. retiring, and Petey Williams' status

ROH is planning a new direction for their TV tapings. These shows will be built around the Pure Championship tournament. I think a lot of us are ready for something new from the group that was really spinning its tires for a long time.

- International talents set for the Pure Championship tournament will be unavailable. Specifically, Doug Williams, Mark Haskins, Slex, Joe Hendry, Ren Narita, and Yuji Nagata have been pulled from the tournament.

- Wheeler Yuta will debut for ROH at these tapings, entering into the Pure Championship tournament.

Delirious is in charge of ROH creative while Marty Scurll is being investigated as part of the Speaking Out movement. I have mixed feelings on that given the need for a change in direction.

WWE moving tapings from the Performance Center is a move to have greater production capabilities, as well as potentially allowing fans to attend again. That sounds like something that could help audience drops.

- NXT will continue to be taped from Full Sail. 

WWE discussed adding CHIKARA to WWE Network months back, but no agreement was reached. That could be on hold indefinitely after the Speaking Out movement.

NJPW has considered using international talent in G1, but is cautious given COVID rates in the United States. That's a tough call to make. 

CMLL announced shows returning September 4, with weekly iPPVs on Fridays. These are initially set to be empty arena events, with the hope of fans returning at limited capacity.

- CMLL's September 25 event will be their anniversary show, with fans choosing challengers for each championship.

ACH will work more NJPW events going forward, including internationally when that is a possibility. I'm glad things have improved for him.

Stardom founder Rossy Ogawa had a scheduled medical procedure this week.

Stardom's Saki Kashima has been pulled from action for unspecified physical reasons.

United Wrestling Network's weekly iPPV events will be separate from CWFH tapings and NWA Powerrr. The shows will be available in English and Spanish, and feature regular COVID and temperature tests.

Mexico City's athletic commission is loaning money to those in the wrestling business due to COVID's effect on business.

Davey Boy Smith, Jr. was approached to work Impact, but was unable to do so because of his MLW contract. His contract is up in December and he is looking at other options, including NXT UK. I'd love to see him have a regular televised role. 

Evil Uno is helping the Canadian Cancer Society. Great to see.

WWE Network is adding:

- "WWE Untold" with Bayley vs. Sasha Banks on August 22.

- "WWE 24" focusing on WrestleMania August 23.

- WWF Superstars episodes on Monday.

Drew McIntyre and Alexa Bliss are set for Topps' DigiCon 2020 August 28.

The Briscoes will be on ROH Strong this week.

Kenny Omega, The Bellas, and Tyson Fury took part in a UFC video game tournament. 

NXT UK has signed Amalie of France.

Bea Priestley commented on her AEW release: Tweet 1 Tweet 2 Tweet 3 I doubt we've seen the last of her on U.S. TV. 

Summerslam has added:

- Bayley vs. Asuka for the Smackdown Women's Championship

- Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville in a Hair vs. Hair match

New Japan Cup USA 2020's finals are KENTA vs. David Finlay.

Raw has announced Shawn Michaels confronting Randy Orton for the Ric Flair attack. The legend appearances seem to be taking priority over the Drew feud, but that's what happens when your audience is dropping, I suppose.

Payback has announced Bayley and Sasha Banks defending the Women's Tag Team Championship. This PPV feels more like one of those one-hour WWE Network specials in terms of how quickly and arbitrarily it's being built.

Sonya Deville spoke to comicbook.com before Smackdown. I hope she breaks out as a heel when this feud ends.

AJ Styles' assistant on Smackdown was former Impact star and current WWE producer Joseph Park (better known as Abyss). With Jeff Hardy involved, we had three former TNA world title holders in the ring at once!

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

Nothing to add to 1 or 3. 

2. About all I can add is that just when one company isn't doing as well, it doesn't mean other companies will succeed where they haven't unless they're giving fans reasons to stick around. Those other companies were in the process of being left behind in the rock and wrestling era. 

4. Are we really going to ignore his reign as 24/7 Champion??

5. I get the feeling Petey's phasing out of the taking bumps part of his career. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Main Event and 205 Live Reax - 8/14/20

 Read on for my thoughts on yesterday's Main Event and 205 Live.

Friday Night Smackdown Reax - 8/14/20

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Friday Night Smackdown.

Top NXT name injured, NJPW cancels event, wrestling content updates, WWE Network greenlights outside promotions, Shotzi update, Santino closing wrestling school, WWE moving events from WWEPC, Jarrett-Anthem update, Dynamite+NXT audiences, MLW angle, AEW lets more fans in, Kamala services set, AEW releases, and Questions on WWE title designs, Retribution expectations, and NJPW talents leaving ECW

Johnny Gargano was injured during Wednesday's NXT taping. He completed his match after being evaluated by officials. It's possible the match is edited to remove any evidence of his being hurt. Unfortunate to see that. I'm glad he appears to be OK.

NJPW canceled Thursday's event due to a wrestler running a fever. The promotion is exercising caution while waiting for COVID test results. NJPW is VERY on the ball with combating the crisis.

Big Show and Gabriel Iglesias appeared on "The Bump."

MLW's Ross and Marshall Von Erich appeared on the Working Fan's podcast.

WWE announced independent wrestling content coming to WWE Network beginning this weekend. Saturday's additions are:

- EVOLVE compilations for Drew McIntyre and Keith Lee

- wXw Ambition 11 and Femme Fatales 2019

- PROGRESS Chapter 92

- ICW Shug's Hoose Party 5 - Night 2

-- It seemed at one point the plan was for this to be part of a premium tier of the Network, but that concept seems to have been shuttered. Very important move in theory, but throwing the content on the service with little notice at the same price makes the long-discussed additions feel arbitrary and minor. WWE again seems to show a level of directionlessness with the Network.

MJF created a Change.org petition to ban Jon Moxley's Paradigm Shift. That's actually really funny. 

AEW Unrestricted this week features the creator of their action figures. 

Shotzi Blackheart recovered her stolen car, with gear intact. Glad to see that.

Santino Marella is shutting down his wrestling and MMA academy at the end of September in order to spend more time with his family. The promotion's final events are set for September 12 and September 13 in front of no more than 100 fans each due to COVID precautions.

Scott Steiner and Rick Steiner reunited for Highspots' virtual gimmick table.

Summerslam will be held at Amway Arena in Orlando. The show will not have fans in attendance, but WWE is considering using virtual fans in a similar matter to MLB. That could really make a difference in their presentation. 

- WWE could begin holding TV tapings at the venue, as well. That would explain why no WWEPC tapings have been announced.

Summerslam is expected to add AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy for the Intercontinental Championship based on plans on the Smackdown taping that ended up getting canceled. That's an interesting direction for both. 

Smackdown has added:

- Big E vs. John Morrison

- Alexa Bliss being interviewed

Jeff Jarrett and Anthem have been ordered to have settlement talks. This has really, really drug on.

Dynamite drew 792,000 viewers this week. That's normally a pretty good number, but down from the impressive high of last week.

NXT drew 619,000 viewers this week. That's a pretty significant slide from previous weeks.

MLW is doing an angle where Dominic Garrini is missing in South America. That's certainly... inventive.

Vampiro is the subject of a documentary debuting September 4 in theaters and September 8 for streaming.

AEW allowed around 150 outsiders at Dynamite this week, with social distancing, mask wearing, and temperature taking enforced. Glad to see things continue to open up.

Kamala will be laid to rest this weekend.

AEW has released:

- Jimmy Havoc, who was undergoing mental health counseling following being named in the Speaking Out movement.

- Bea Priestley, who had not appeared since March due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

- Sadie Gibbs, another UK talent who was unavailable due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

-- While Havoc is in a unique situation, it's likely AEW was looking at side talents they weren't likely to be able to use anytime soon. I'm curious if we'll see further international releases for that same reason.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. I guess they figured it would look "backward" if they didn't do it like that. Either that or it's a really bad oversight.

2. If anyone's expecting any major names in the group, they will almost definitely be disappointed. I fully expect it to be some talents who haven't gotten a lot of exposure yet, hence the need to tear up the Performance Center. 

3. NJPW has a tendency to play hardball on such matters. Something similar happened with Rush "having" to choose ROH over MLW since he was a CMLL name and CMLL is allied with NJPW. 

Nothing to add to 4 or 5. 

More wrestling tomorrow.

Titus honored, Interviews with Reed/Adam Cole/Brandi/Sabin, Heyman in WWE 2K video, wrestling trademark notes, wrestling content updates, Steiner out of football team, AEW streaming All Out 2019 vs. NXT, Dynamite+NXT previews, and Questions on Cornette vs. AEW, Rock buying Vince's football league, and ratings bumps

Titus O'Neil was honored at the Cynopsis Sports Media Awards due to his charity work. Very glad to see.

Bronson Reed spoke to PWInsider before NXT. It's good to see new faces emerge on that brand.

Paul Heyman narrated a WWE 2K Battlegrounds game modes trailer. I'm curious when this was taped and what it means for his role in the company. 

WWE has trademarked The Hunt, Pretty Deadly, Rinku, Saurav, and Zack Gibson.

AEW has trademarked Stadium Stampede. I wouldn't assume that means another one is coming. 

"The Bump" next will will feature Adam Cole, Karrion Kross, and Scarlett.

WWE Network's free version has added a lot of Summerslam events.

Beth Phoenix is on "After The Bell" this week.

Adam Cole spoke to New York Post about facing Pat McAfee. Cole came across very, very well here. He really feels like a babyface defending wrestling against the outsider I doubt NXT fans wanted to see wrestle.

Brandi Rhodes spoke to TVInsider about women in AEW.

Cody's Bash at the Beach trademark has been denied due to similarity with WWE's "The Bash" trademark. Of course, The Bash is a short version of Great American Bash.

Chris Sabin's full Chris Van Vliet interview has been released. 

Rick Steiner's son has been released from his NFL team.

MLW has been added to the Fubo Sports streaming network. Their reach keeps on expanding!

AEW will stream All Out 2019's first half on YouTube next week in the normal Dynamite timeslot. That's a clever way to benefit from the pre-emption.

Dynamite on August 22 has announced:

- Cody vs. Brodie Lee for the TNT Championship

- Women's Tag Team Cup finals

- Kenny Omega and Young Bucks vs. Dark Order's Alex Reynolds, John Silver, and Alan Angels.

- Lucha Bros and The Butcher & The Blade vs. Luchasaurus, Jungle Boy, and Natural Nightmares

- FTR vs. Private Party

-- Looks like another "tag team appreciation night" as far as the number of teams in action!

NXT has announced:
- Pat McAfee appearing

- Johnny Gargano vs. Ridge Holland in a North American Championship contendership qualifying match

- Finn Balor vs. Velveteen Dream in a North American Championship contendership qualifying match

- Legado del Fantasma vs. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott and Breezango

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. No. It's more of a case of his AEW criticisms getting a lot of attention, AEW being very topical, and a lot of people asking about AEW. If he's going to do a wrestling YouTube show, it's somewhat inevitable he'll discuss such a prominent league. 

2. More on this in tomorrow's news post.

3. I assume he was just having fun "cutting a promo" on someone he's known a long, long time. 

4. Well, Vince wasn't going to buy it back. I think he'd rather have Rock own it than someone he's not familiar with. And you never know, Vince could end up back on board at some point. 

5. It could be a combination of those things. Shane has generally been a draw for casual fans when used in small doses, though. 

More wrestling coming up. 

NXT Reax - 8/12/20

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's NXT.

Dynamite Reax - 8/12/20

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's Dynamite.

ROH name in NJPW, NJPW injury, wrestling content notes, Tyson note, NXT match added, Shotzi robbed, Chyna signature title, Interviews with MVP/Seth, ROH announces tapings, next Takeover plan, MYC wrestler retires, Raw audience, Emergence matches set, and Questions on Jericho backlash, AEW blood, Sammy's chairshot, and AEW winning in demos vs. Raw

PJ Black is debuting for NJPW at Friday's Strong taping, teaming with Misterioso and Blake Christian against TJP, ACH, and Alex Payne. I'm starting to think NJPW and this new UWN project are going to stand a chance at surpassing ROH given their regular schedules. 

NJPW's Alex Coughlin injured his neck. He has been pulled from upcoming Strong events.

Booker T's Reality of Wrestling did a drive-in event.

Mike Tyson's boxing return has been pushed back to November 28. There was speculation he would appear at an AEW event in that timeframe, so this could change that.

NXT has added Santos Escobar vs. Tyler Breeze in a non-title match.

Pat McAfee has been promoting Takeover XXX on his radio show.

MLW's Court Bauer discussed where things stand on an in-ring return. It looks like the NJPW relationship continues to grow. 

Shotzi Blackheart had her car stolen, which included ring gear.

Chyna is honored with a WWE Intercontinental Championship design. 

MVP spoke to Newsweek before Raw. I am VERY glad he decided not to retire, and I'm also glad Hurt Business isn't "Nation of Domination 2.0"

-- MVP also did an interview with Sports Illustrated:

- Frankly I think a lot of current talents need to ask themselves why MVP is getting another run and a lot of TV time without needing flashy spots or big bumps.

- I don't know how many classes at NXT are about improvising on the mic, but it's really something talents need to develop.

- Talents surprisingly showing up on other brands can work in the right doses. There's always the fear of overdoing it or overusing certain names.

ROH announced empty arena TV tapings for next weekend, with the Maryland State Athletic Commission overseeing safety precautions. The tapings will feature Pure Championship tournament action. The obvious question is how interested people are in ROH after six months off, especially if this won't be on Honorclub. It's also a matter of which talents will and won't be on the card. They've very much got their work cut out for them. I'm glad they're finally doing new content, though.

NXT's next Takeover is set for October 4. I'm curious what theme the show will have, since it will also likely be in Florida.

Vanessa Kraven announced her retirement.

Raw drew 1.72 million viewers Monday, very even with last week.

Seth Rollins spoke to Gorilla Position about his character and more:

- I wish more people cultivated their characters to the level he does.

- Very interesting thoughts on attention spans. If the Young Bucks said something similar, I think they'd be praised.

- ABSOLUTELY fans would have been OK with Eye For An Eye in the Attitude Era.

- The Seth/Rey storyline was really great overall.

NJPW is splitting G1 Climax 30 entrants to different nights as part of their COVID response. They're really adapting to their circumstances.

Emergence Night One has added:

- Chris Bey vs. TJP vs. Rohit Raju for the X-Division Championship

- Moose vs. Trey for the TNA Championship

- Good Brothers vs. Ace Austin and Madman Fulton

Emergence Night Two has added a 30-minute Iron Man match between Deonna Purrazzo and Jordynne Grace for the Knockouts' Championship. I am all for that!

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:

1. Should he? Probably. I don't see any chance of it, though. He's bulletproof and knows it.

2. Part of me thinks it was a joke with someone he's known for decades, playing off the controversy and "being a heel." Another part of me thinks he doesn't have a filter anymore because, again, AEW isn't going to limit him in any way.

3. To put over the match being a serious battle. Blood isn't always about making someone a villain. 

4. Honestly this would be appropriate for wrestlers' court. 

5. It should raise some eyebrows that a company that new is that successful when going up against a WWE product. Honestly USA and FOX should be bringing that up right about now.

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Impact Wrestling Reax - 8/11/20

 Read on for my thoughts on last night's Impact Wrestling.

Assorted wrestling content notes, Interviews with Sabin/D-Von/Bayley/Show/Goldberg/Mad Maxine, MLW+NWA updates, WWE trademarks, Jericho and Cornette spar, AEW expands female competitors, another ROH compilation PPV coming, Mickie update, Summerslam matches added, WWE FOX special coming, and Questions on Retribution's height, Moxley's NJPW future, trademarking birth names, an emphasis on execution, and AEW replicas

Luke Hawx appears in Neftlix's "Project Power" debuting Friday. Good to see him continuing to get work outside wrestling.

El Santo will be featured on El Rey Network Saturday as the channel plays "Santo and Dracula's Treasure," as well as "Santo vs. The Riders of Terror." 

"Impact in 60" this week focuses on tag matches, while next week's episode covers Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe.

Chris Sabin spoke to Chris Van Vliet about the first Ultimate X match. 

Booker T. responded to criticism of his Impact run in regard to Matt Morgan. 

D-Von Dudley is on New Day's latest podcast.

Bayley is on the latest Swerve City podcast.

MLW is planning a return to action, likely in an empty arena setting. I hope that's a good move for them.

WWE has trademarked Gallus, Grizzled Young Veterans, Imperium, Indi Hartwell, Indus Sher, Jake Atlas, James Drake, Kacy Catanzaro, Karrion Kross, Legado del Fantasma, and Mustache Mountain. That sounds good for NXT UK's future and Indus Sher continuing to exist.

Pineapple Pete has trademarked that name. Chris Jericho should obviously get a nod there. Glad Pete is running with it.

MJF is the focus of a CZW compilation PPV.

Chris Jericho and Jim Cornette had words after Cornette's criticism of Fozzy performing at Sturgis during COVID. Cornette is almost 60 years old and this is how he conducts himself. 

AEW interviewer Dasha Gonzalez competed in their Women's Tag Team Cup tournament.

- Nicole Savoy appeared as Lil Swole. 

Big Show spoke to TV Guide. It definitely sounds like he wants to wrestle again. I never knew there were only a handful of Slammys made. I can't say I'm surprised, but I at least expected them to not need to reuse the physical award throughout the same show. WWE can afford plenty of them!

Alexa Bliss is featured on WWE Network's Best of WWE this week.

ROH will have a Best of Death Before Dishonor PPV on September 25. I appreciate them continuing to have some content during the pandemic. We'll see how they're able to rebound when COVID lessens.

NWA returns live September 15 as part of weekly iPPVs in conjunction with the United Wrestling Network. The Tuesday events will run 90 minutes each and are expected to cost in the neighborhood of $15. Nick Aldis and Aron Stevens join David Marquez as bookers, and NJPW of America talent will be involved. That's a STEEP price in 2020, and I'm sure going live weekly will be an expense. They're going to have to really connect with fans in the COVID era.

Mickie James has been cleared to return for months. I'm guessing WWE is using her to see if she can be a draw.

Japan's Seadlinnng canceled an event due to COVID precautions.

NOAH's 20th anniversary event streamed for free. 

RevPro has scheduled an August 23 FITE event.

David Arquette's wrestling documentary will be released August 28.

Batista was featured on HBO's Room 104.

Goldberg got press for helping local veterans. 

Mad Maxine discussed her novel. 

Summerslam has added:

- Bayley vs. Asuka for the Raw Women's Championship

- Braun Strowman vs. The Fiend for the Universal Championship

FOX will air a Summerslam's Hottest Moments special August 22. That could really give WWE some exposure.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Honestly I expect these talents are in Retribution because WWE wasn't going to use them as individuals. 

2. I wouldn't assume so, though it doesn't look like he's going to defend the title anytime soon. I don't think crowning an interim champion is out of the realm of possibility.

3. The trademarks in that case only apply while the talent is in WWE. I assume it makes things run more smoothly behind-the-scenes when the names are trademarked. 

4. Yes, but it would take talent having the discipline to prioritize crisp execution over flashy stunts. 

5. COVID has slowed a L O T of businesses down, including people who make championships. I fully expect them to market replicas in the future. 

More wrestling tomorrow.