NJPW head resigns, wrestling content updates, new WWE trademarks, Ryan sues accusers, Raw audience, Interviews with Miro/Reigns/Omega/Ethan Page, indie matches set, Victory Road matches, and Questions on Lana's booking, heels vs. heels, RETRIBUTION's vengeance, and who works Main Event

NJPW CEO and president Harold Meij is resigning the company effective October 23. NJPW of America leader Takami Ohbari will be taking his place. That's a very sudden shift! I do know he wasn't expected to be a long-term fixture there, but it still feels like a rather odd turn of events. I'm wondering if this is part of a larger restructuring to focus on people who intend to be in place going forward.

ROH TV this week will feature:

- Tracy Williams vs. Rust Taylor in a Pure Championship tournament match

- PJ Black vs. Tony Deppen in a Pure Championship tournament match

Broadway's James Monroe Iglehart is on Alexa Bliss' latest podcast.

Impact and AXS have announced "Impact Week" for October 20 through 24:

- "Talk 'N Shop: Full Keg" will follow the October 20 Impact

- "This is Bound For Glory" featuring Eric Young, Rich Swann, Deonna Purrazzo, and Kylie Rae will air October 22

- "Live Countdown to Glory" will precede Bound For Glory itself, essentially a pre-show.

80s Wrestling Con will have Sgt. Slaughter for a virtual signing October 19.

WWE has trademarked Dominic Mysterio and Chelsea Green. I'm curious where Green is and what the plan is for her.

Takeover 31 has added Santos Escobar vs. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott for NXT Cruiserweight Championship.

Joey Ryan has filed a $15 million lawsuit against three female accusers due to financial losses incurred from what he alleges are false and malicious accusations. This number includes substantial punitive amounts. It looks like the wrestling business is about to be put under a microscope much like Hollywood was. This could end up having large implications for the entire industry, which a lot of people would argue is very overdue.

- Ryan filed a second lawsuit against a number of other accusers for lesser amounts. 

Raw drew 1.82 million viewers Monday night, a decent boost from last week.

Drew McIntyre, Xavier Woods, Mustafa Ali, Lacey Evans, and Zelina Vega will appear on an Americares benefit stream.

WWE awarded the Stanley Cup Champions a custom championship.

Miro spoke to Chris Van Vliet about WWE and AEW. 

Roman Reigns discussed C.M. Punk in an interview with Complex. I can't believe they made this man a cookie-cutter babyface. His trash talk is on point.

Kenny Omega discussed AEW's upcoming video game and more. They've got a lot to live up to in that department; expectations are really going to be high.

Thunder Rosa discussed AEW, NWA, and more on the Wrestling Inc. podcast. I like AEW rotating good talents in and out.

Ethan Page spoke to Sports Illustrated about his future. He's building himself well here.

Spring Break 4 has added ACH vs. Lio Rush. Can't say I expected that one.

D'Angelo Dinero is debuting for the United Wrestling Network next week, teaming with Watts against Zicky Dice and a partner to be named. A little surprised to see him continue to wrestle. 

Impact has announced:

- EC3 holding a funeral for the TNA Championship

- Rosemary and Taya vs. Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz

Victory Road has added:

- Deonna Purrazzo vs. Susie for the Knockouts Championship

- Tommy Dreamer vs. Brian Myers

- Rhino and Heath vs. Reno SCUM in an unsanctioned match (if Heath signs a waiver)

- Motor City Machine Guns vs. Madman Fulton and Ace Austin for the Impact Tag Team Championship

- Jordynne Grace vs. Tenille Dashwood

- Rohit Raju in action

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

1. It certainly could be sending a message to remind her she's still under contract. On the bright side, she's getting consistent TV time. 

2. Fans have been asking for less one-dimensional characters and feuds for years now. This is evidence of wrestling companies being willing to do that more than in time past. 

3. They were fed up "waiting their turn" in NXT. 

4. Because Main Event isn't a huge draw and is basically throwaway content.

5. He has been very, very active online for many years. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Impact Wrestling Reax - 9/29/20

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

Wrestling content updates, virtual convention set, ROH stars advertise dojo, former world champion done with Impact, Interviews with Liv/James Storm, tattoo lawsuit moves forward, WWE roster change, and Questions on Vince's explanation for ratings dropping, AEW pre-emptions, and political gimmicks

Triple H, Kyle O'Reilly, and Santos Escobar will be on "The Bump" this week.

Sami Zayn is on New Day's latest podcast.

Tony Khan is on Brandi Rhodes' podcast.

WWE Network this week will add:

- The Miz and John Morrison on The Best of WWE

- Best of NXT in PROGRESS Volume 1

- wXw Shotgun 2020 Episode 3

- EVOLVE 129

- ICW Fight Club 99

- Drew McIntyre's WWE 24 following Takeover 31.

Cauliflower Alley Club is holding a virtual convention Saturday featuring Big Show, DDP, Madusa, Eric Bischoff, Bushwhackers, Blue Meanie, Jerry Brisco, Steve Keirn, and more. 

ROH's Cheeseburger and Sumie Sakai have launched a website for their dojo. 

Rob Van Dam and Katie Forbes are done with Impact as a result of their current storyline ending. The door is open for them to return. I'm a little surprised they didn't stretch things to Bound For Glory. I'm curious what Sami Callihan will do at that show now. I definitely wouldn't expect RVD to do a full-time deal with either WWE or AEW, but I could see him doing a Royal Rumble or something here and there.

Liv Morgan spoke before Raw. 

WWE's lawsuit regarding Randy Orton's tattoos will move to a jury, as a judge has ruled that WWE videogames did use the tattoo artist's trademarked designs. The case will now argue whether or not the tattoo usage infringed on copyright, and, if so, what damages to award. This could really change things for how tattoos are presented in video games going forward.

James Storm discussed getting a WWE offer earlier in the year, but plans being held off due to COVID. We'll see if he ends up there at some point. I wouldn't expect Beer Money to have a huge run at their age and being best known for their work in another company some time back.

Dana Brooke has moved to Raw. She teamed with Mandy Rose to defeat Natalya and Lana Monday night. 

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

1. He also blames talent not grabbing the brass ring/connecting with the audience. I expect that will continue. Vince has been in charge for a long, long time. He trusts his judgment.

Nothing to add to 2 or 3.

4. Ultimately it has helped them, as their audience will follow them to other timeslots. They do want to stay on a consistent night where possible, though, and Wednesday is their best chance to do that under the WarnerMedia umbrella. As long as NBA is shown there, they're going to be moved at times. 

5. I really don't think WWE wants to potentially alienate even more fans with a political talent. If fans want to see people cut promos regarding current events, they can flip the channel to cable news.

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Raw Reax - 9/28/20

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

Cross update, WWE draft set, Clash injury, and Questions on the latest wrestler fans have turned on and RETRIBUTION's names

Nikki Cross was not at Clash of Champions, just as she was not at Smackdown. Wishing her and those around her the best.

WWE's draft will be held October 9 and October 12. Raw and Smackdown seem to be the only brands included. I don't like that at all. This is a great opportunity to make big changes given where ratings are. Not shifting talent from and to NXT is a colossal waste of resources.

Angel Garza was legitimately hurt at Clash of Champions. More on this tomorrow. 

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

1.  And there you go. Fans are already turning on the push of a guy who beat Orton clean. WWE trying to appease the hypercritical fan has destroyed ratings. 

2. The names are "interesting," and I wouldn't expect them to be long-term. Frankly I don't have high hopes for this gimmick making it to Mania. It feels very thrown together.

3. I have no interest in weighing in on Internet drama among non-wrestlers.

Clash of Champions Reax

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

Smackdown audience, Undertaker press, Dark lineup, new Takeover match, new Bloodsport match, NXT UK signing, Interviews with Jey/Cedric, Impact name taking COVID precautions, and Questions on Jericho anniversary guests, Raw Roulette, Takeover timing, Apter magazines, Pillman in AEW, turning on Keith, and Ric's sneakers

Smackdown drew 2.03 million viewers Friday night.

The Undertaker responded to IGN comments. Pretty entertaining. 

Dark this week is advertising:

- Billy and Austin Gunn vs. Shawn Dean and Cezar Bononi

- Penelope Ford vs. Alex Gracia

- Scorpio Sky and Frankie Kazarian vs. Ray Rosas and Ryzin

- Nyla Rose vs. Rache Chanel

- Colt Cabana and John Silver vs. Natural Nightmares

- Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy vs. Alan Angels and Preston Vance

- Tay Conti vs. Red Velvet

- Luther and Serpentico vs. Btian Pillman, Jr. and Griff Garrison

- Best Friends vs. M'Badu and Bishop King

Takeover 31 has added Velveteen Dream vs. Kushida

Bloodsport has announced "Filthy" Tom Lawlor vs. Homicide. 

NXT UK has signed Adam Maxted.

Jey Uso promoted Clash of Champions with TalkSport. 

Cedric Alexander spoke to TalkSport about cruiserweights and more. The cruiserweight designation really feels outdated in 2020 given the size difference between wrestlers now and 25 years ago.

Ethan Page has pulled out of Warrior Wrestling as a COVID precaution. 

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

Nothing to add to 1. 

2. On top of those names, I'd reach out to some Impact names he has history with. This is a potentially major episode and they should get all they can out of it.

3. They usually did them in places with a big casino culture. Honestly, it could come down to the number of script changes they have in a night. It's much easier to not have to book a bunch of gimmick matches. 

4. I'm also surprised. It's possible a draft is coming really soon and they wanted to have one last Takeover beforehand. Though, of course, plans for the draft could have changed!

5. I didn't read many, but have a big respect for the path they paved.

6. As long as the AEW dates don't conflict with MLW dates, he's in the clear. 

7. It would not shock me at all. It's pretty much the rule rather than the exception that fans will turn on someone they loved before they made it to a bigger stage. 

8. Presumably it was a matter of coming to terms. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Clash of Champions preview

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

Bloodsport lineup change, assorted wrestling press, more RETRIBUTION names, Jarrett-Anthem update, AEW-NFL crossover, Impact team getting TV special?, AEW team blocked from using name, AEW international talent updates, NXT UK changes, Michaels on NXT, Alexa discusses The Fiend, wrestling content updates, Rock to honor Shamrock, WWE producer returns, and Questions on WWE's response to COVID

Deonna Purrazzo has pulled out of Bloodsport as a precautionary measure to make sure she's clear for Bound For Glory. I can't say I blame her, though she would be great at Bloodsport.

Neveah spoke to VOC Nation's Talkin' Sass. Here are highlights. 

Booker T. discussed Road Warrior Animal on his most recent podcast.

Alexa Bliss is on Booker T.'s latest podcast.

RETRIBUTION's main female members will be known as Retaliation (formerly Mercedes Martinez) and Reckoning (formerly Mia Yim).

Jeff Jarrett and Anthem have been told to privately attempt reconciliation, as the court will not be able to reschedule their settlement hearings. 

WWE has trademarked RETRIBUTION's ring names.

AEW stars appeared at an NFL game in Florida. Sammy Guevara had another angle with the company's mascot. Clever integration. AEW has a lot of opportunities to get press thanks to Tony Khan and TNT.

The Good Brothers have indicated they will get an AXS special doing their version of a talk show with Impact stars. That could be interesting, and maybe some of the silliness we see on Impact TV could be moved there?

Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss were looking to work as The New New Midnight Express, but AEW received a cease and desist from Jim Cornette as a result. Janela then claimed the idea was a rib. That would have been entertaining in a way, but I don't think they should be referencing people who aren't relevant to the modern wrestling scene.

Shanna is looking to return to AEW soon. She is based in Portugal.

Bea Priestley has moved to Japan. AEW is considering using her again when she's able to consistently travel to the U.S. again. I'm all for seeing fresh faces on U.S. TV. 

NXT UK notes:

- Head writer Glen Joseph has been replaced. Jim Smallman will be taking over those duties. Joseph had also left PROGRESS.

- Talents have been disallowed from working outside companies and selling their own merchandise. Wow. They better hope NXT UK really takes off and draws good money for them, then.

- The Heritage Cup will declare the Heritage Champion. This will be the brand's secondary championship.

- Takeover:Dublin has been pushed back to June 20. 

Shawn Michaels will be on NXT, hosting a face-to-face between Finn Balor and Kyle O'Reilly. 

Ric Flair is getting a tennis shoe from Adidas. Amazing he's still this relevant in 2020.

Alexa Bliss discussed working with The Fiend. 

Zelina Vega will be on "The Bump" before Clash of Champions.

WWE Watch Along will feature Keith Lee, Dominik, Santino Marella, Xavier Woods, Natalya, and Rhea Ripley.

The Rock will honor Ken Shamrock going into Impact's Hall of Fame. That says VOLUMES about Rock's respect for Shamrock and the level of pull he has with WWE to where this won't affect his standing there. 

WWE producer Billy Kidman has returned to work following his furlough. That's a positive sign. 

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

Nothing to add to 1.

2. We likely won't see until the show itself. 

3. Potentially. 

4. That's a sound strategy, but of course WWE wants to be live in the THUNDERDOME. 

5. Obviously they didn't infect anyone on purpose, but it was irresponsible and should probably serve as a reminder why the strict guidelines are in place. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Main Event and 205 Live Reax - 9/25/20

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

Friday Night Smackdown Reax - 9/25/20

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

Interviews with Butcher+Blade/Ziggler/Dr. Tom, WWE starts video meetings, Animal to be honored, AEW extra tests positive, Naomi surgery, animated wrestling series coming, Dynamite+NXT audiences, WWEPC quarantine, AEW name off event due to COVID, and Questions on outside documentaries on WWE Network, battle royal planning, and documentary interviewees

AEW Unrestricted this week features The Butcher and The Blade.

WWE has launched virtual meet and greet sessions. This is believed to be WWE's answer to Cameo, with the company directing their wrestlers to leave that and similar platforms.

Road Warrior Animal will be honored at All Japan's October 5 event. That speaks volumes about how big of a deal he was.

Dynamite competitor Benjamin Carter tested positive for COVID-19. Very unfortunate timing. 

Dolph Ziggler was interviewed by Andrew Yang. 

Dr. Tom Prichard is on the Working Fan's Podcast.

Naomi disclosed having surgery for a large fibroid. I wish her a full and speedy recovery.

The Good Brothers, nZo, and Rocky Romero are part of an animated series called "The Gimmicks" satirizing pro wrestling. That should be memorable.

Dynamite drew 835,000 viewers this week, a bit down from last week. Pretty solid overall.

NXT drew 696,000 viewers this week, very similar to last week.

NXT shut down training at the WWE Performance Center following multiple COVID-19 diagnoses. WWE is keeping talents and staff who have worked there away from Thunderdome and Full Sail until they can be cleared. I hope WWE has this under control.

- Chelsea Green disclosed recovering from the virus.

Serena Deeb has pulled out of United Wrestling Network event due to coming into contact with someone who is COVID-19 positive. Nicole Savoy will take her place. It's worth noting it sounds like Deeb will be able to make up the date despite having been signed by AEW.

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

1. I think it could be done. 

2. No. 

3. I REALLY don't see them doing that. It wouldn't come cheap and doesn't really paint them in a positive light.

4. There's a level of improvisation for talents when they're filling time between spots that actually matter. 

5. Not necessarily, since the person being interviewed was likely influenced by those events and is in the business where they happened.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Road Warrior Animal passes away

Road Warrior Animal passed away at the age of 60 due to natural causes on September 22. One of the most influential and decorated men in tag team wrestling history. 

- WWE.com remembered the Hall of Famer. 

Animal was remembered on social media by the following, among others:

- AEW

- All Japan

- Angelina Love

- Big Swole

- Blue Meanie

- Bobby Fulton

- Bret Hart

- Bully Ray

- Caprice Coleman

- Cash Wheeler

- Court Bauer

- D-Von Dudley

- Dax Hardwood

- Dave Mastiff

- Drew Gulak

- Dustin Rhodes

- Eddie Kingston

- Georgia Joyce Smith

- Gerald Brisco

- Hulk Hogan

- Hurricane Helms

- The Iron Sheik

- James Storm

- JBL

- Jim Ross

- Kane

- Michael Elgin

- Michael P.S. Hayes

- Mike Mooneyham

- NWA

- OVW

- Paul Ellering

- Pro Wrestling Illustrated

- Rebel

- Ric Flair

- Ricky Morton

- Rob Schamberger

- The Rock

- Shelton Benjamin

- Smash

- Starrcast

- Taz

- Tommy Dreamer

- Tucker

- Virgil

More wrestling coming up. 

NXT subtitle, wrestling content updates and press, Cena starring in HBO show, Takeover matches added, trademark notes, Impact Plus specials set, AEW COVID positive, Late Night Dynamite audience, Interview with Miro, another Spring Break name, Dynamite matches set, Jericho anniversary special, and Questions on Russo's speech, Mt. Rushmore, WWE taglines, and WWE running arenas

Road Warrior Animal's passing will be covered in a separate post tomorrow.

NXT was subtitled Takeoff to Takeover. WWE is really trying hard with the "special" episode and PPV taglines lately. I don't think it's really making any changes in terms of audience interest, though.

"The Bump" before Clash of Champions will have Drew McIntyre, Sami Zayn, and Jimmy Uso.

John Cena will star in HBO Max's "Peacemaker," featuring his Suicide Squad character. That's intriguing.

Takeover 31 has added:

- Damian Priest vs. Johnny Gargano for the North American Championship

- Io Shirai vs. Candice LeRae for the Women's Championship

- Finn Balor vs. Kyle O'Reilly for the NXT Championship

Roman Reigns in on "After The Bell" this week.

Expo Lucha will be held virtually on October 10.

Pentagon, Jr. has trademarked "Penta Zero M" to use outside of AEW and AAA.

WWE has filed oppositions to Cody trademarking Slamboree and Match Beyond. All of the Dusty era trademarks are so clearly linked to property WWE owns.

Impact has announced monthly Impact Plus specials, with Turning Point coming in November and Final Resolution airing in December. I'm curious what those shows will be like. I hope they don't just slap those names on some indie shows with a big match on top, but I could see that occurring.

Jerry Lawler's 50th anniversary got local press. Very cool piece.

NWA's original world championship is profiled in a new book.

New England Pro Wrestling Academy's struggles during the pandemic got press. 

Lance Archer announced a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. I wish him and his family the best.

Late Night Dynamite drew 585,000 viewers. That's pretty solid for a show on that late.

Ultimo Guerrero and Bandido will miss CMLL's anniversary event due to positive COVID-19 tests. Bandido will get his NWA Welterweight Championship opportunity in October. Another scary situation in the lucha scene due to the pandemic.

Miro spoke to Sports Illustrated before Dynamite. Very good look at his journey, and it sounds like he's looking to work in Japan.

Spring Break 4 has added DDT's YOSHIHIKO.

Dynamite has announced:

- Chris Jericho vs. Isaiah Kassidy

- FTR vs. Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian with a 20-minute time limit.

- Darby Allin vs. Ricky Starks

Dynamite's October 7 episode will be built around Chris Jericho's 30th anniversary in wrestling. That could be a draw, for sure.

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

1. I can't help but think there's part of Russo that, when "on air", is portraying an over-the-top version of himself with the accent and such. 

2. George Hackenschmidt, Lou Thesz, Bruno Sammartino, and Vince McMahon off the top of my head. A proper Mount Rushmore, for me, would be acknowledging the foundations of the business. 

3. Well we already had Great Balls of Fire, so I can only imagine what ideas didn't make air.

4. Given where ratings are now, I expect more of them. They're chasing new marketing gimmicks, which is not the sign of a company that's thriving creatively. 

5. That seems like an unnecessarily large expense. I don't think it would be a big boost to the audience levels.

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Dynamite Reax - 9/23/20

 Read on for my thoughts on both episodes of Dynamite that aired yesterday.

NXT Reax - 9/23/20

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

Assorted wrestling notes, Interviews with McIntyre/Moxley/Rock/Vega/Hangman/Uno, new Bloodsport competitor, Impact World Title match set, Impact preview, new BFG title match, and Questions on AEW's sports approach, unionizing, cookie cutter superstars, Thunderdome vs. outside Dynamite, and Asuka vs. Mickie then and now

Jackie Stallone, of GLOW fame, passed away at 98. 

Drew McIntyre spoke to PWInsider.com to promote Clash of Champions. 

Lance Bass is on Alexa Bliss' podcast. Very cool!

Ricky Morton will face Joey Janela at Spring Break 4. 2020 is a surreal time!

WWE wines are coming in a collaboration with Wines That Rock. The Undertaker and Ultimate Warrior are the first two subjects. That's an interesting direction from the PG family company. 

Raw drew 1.67 million viewers Monday, very close to last week's number. 

Jon Moxley spoke to The Sun about Roman Reigns working with Paul Heyman and more:

- Credit to Moxley for supporting his friends at other companies.

- Also credit to him for not focusing on the ratings war. Jericho should take note.

- OK, no, Wednesday isn't replacing Monday for wrestling fans. If anything, it's Friday above Monday and then Wednesday based on combined ratings.

The Rock spoke about potentially returning to face Roman Reigns. That would be very big for Roman. 

Stephanie McMahon sold more than 57,500 sales of WWE stock. That is only a small fraction of how much she owns, so there's not much to say about it.

Drew McIntyre spoke to GQ in the UK about WrestleMania week. 

Zelina Vega spoke to TVInsider and Sports Illustrated. 

WWE won Cablefax Awards for:

- Digital Executive of the Year 

- Overall Social Presence

- 2nd place for Social Good Campaign (for their work with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society).

- 3rd place for Use of Video/Moving Image (WWE 24)

Bloodsport has added Simon Grimm.

Jon Moxley promoted Bloodsport on The Fight Game Podcast.

Hangman Page was on Wrestling Inc.'s podcast. 

Evil Uno is on David Penzer's latest podcast.

Impact will hold Victory Road on Impact Plus on October 4. Eric Young will defend the Impact World Championship against Eddie Edwards on the show, which obviously could affect Bound For Glory. Odd move to rather suddenly put another event before their biggest show of the year. 

Impact has announced:

- Good Brothers vs. Wez and Dentz

- The North vs. Ace Austin and Madman Fulton

- Rosemary and Taya vs. Havok and Neveah

- Johnny Swinger vs. Fallah Bahh for the right to be best man at John E. Bravo's wedding.

Bound For Glory has added Deonna Purrazzo vs. Kylie Rae for the Knockouts Championship. Honestly they've cooled Deonna off after her big wins against Grace.

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

1. They do a lot with the ranking system and showing win-loss records. It does seem like some things have shifted from that pitch, though given the silliness we saw at the first Fyter Fest, maybe things changed for them pretty early.

2.a. Let's just say I see why some are saying that, and, yes, I would think a number of talents wish there was a union in place right now.

2.b. I don't think Management would be pleased! Anything beyond that is very speculative, but I would think contracts would be structured differently in regard to being driven by number of dates worked. The business is very much based on TV now, and one would think wrestlers would want to be paid based on those rights fees rather than a split of ticket revenue. 

3. It feels like a lot of WWE talents now are a hodgepodge of what they were before WWE/what was emphasized in NXT being fit into the "main roster" mold everyone has had to fit in for well over a decade. 

4. Thunderdome looks more like a television product involving wrestling, whereas Dynamite is a wrestling product being televised. 

5. 2016 Mickie was coming back to prove herself after traveling outside of WWE. 2020 Mickie had a year off and is suddenly being transitioned back from non-active roles. I don't know how long she has left on her deal, but it could very well be a case of her making the most of the time she has left to fulfill before retiring. Of course, Asuka has also gone from emerging exciting talent to someone working weekly in the WWE fold. 

More wrestling tomorrow.

Impact Wrestling Reax - 9/22/20

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

Wrestling content updates and press, WWE TV airing live in China, AEW signing, more on Jeff Hardy's new deal, new WWE trademark, final NXT gauntlet name, CMLL COVID positives, RETRIBUTION joins WWE roster, new Clash matches, and Questions on Jey as a singles star, AEW's booking of Rosa, and NXT at Survivor Series

Al Snow will appear in horror movie "The Whittler" on Amazon October 16.

Talk 'N Shop A Mania 2 got its first trailer. 

Velocity is coming to WWE Network this week. Interestingly the released episodes aren't chronological. 

"Impact in 60" next week will focus on Eric Young.

WWE Network series updates:

- The Miz will be on Alexa Bliss' podcast Tuesday.

- "WWE Best Of Clash of Champions" will be added Tuesday

- The Day Of Payback 2020 will be added Friday

- Jey Uso will be on WWE Chronicle Saturday

WWE Network on Saturday will add:

- wXw Shotgun 2020 episode two

- EVOLVE 128

- ICW Fight Club 97

- PROGRESS Chapter 103

Raw and Smackdown will air live in China in Mandarin on the iQIYI digital platform. There will also be PPV events on the service. That is definitely a newsworthy investment! 

AEW has signed Serena Deeb. I'm curious if she'll have any behind-the-scenes duties given the roles she had in WWE.

- Serena will face Allison Kaye on PrimeTime Live next week. I'd assume that was already planned before she got signed. I wonder if AEW picked her up because they thought she might end up with an NWA deal.

Jeff Hardy's new WWE contract will keep him in the company for at least two years. He is still continuing the deal he signed when he and Matt Hardy came back to the company. Due to time off from injuries, his deal was extended. 

WWE has trademarked "Take Off To Takeover," which would presumably have to do with NXT. 

NXT's gauntlet match has added Bronson Reed as its final entrant.

CMLL's Princesa Sugehit and Lluvia were pulled from the 87th anniversary show due to positive COVID-19 tests following an outbreak at Arena Mexico. Dangerous and scary.

Titus O'Neil's charity work got press. Good to see.

BBC3 is making a wrestling series following aspiring wrestlers with varying challenges.

RETRIBUTION has "signed WWE contracts" as of Raw. Three members have been named:

- T-Bar is the former Donovan Dijakovic

- Mace is the former Dio Maddin

- Slapjack is the former Shane Thorne.

Clash of Champions has added:

- Street Profits vs. Andrade and Angel Garza for the Raw Tag Team Championship

- Asuka vs. Zelina Vega for the Raw Women's Championship

Bloodsport has added Davey Boy Smith, Jr. and "Filthy" Tom Lawlor.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. If history is any indication, he'll get a run as a singles star, and then feud with his brother with his brother as the heel, and then they end up teaming again down the line. Might as well have them on different brands at some point in the middle. 

2 is a repeat of a repeat of a repeat. 

3. No. They've built and protected Rosa, but Shida did beat her clean to retain. 

4. It's possible, but honestly that could all change multiple times between now and then. 

5. POP! 

More wrestling tomorrow.

Raw Reax - 9/21/20

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

WWE content updates, big WWE survey, another NXT gauntlet match, Grindhouse match announced, and Questions on Dynamite beating NXT, moving NXT, enjoying the Wednesday Night War, ROH's reboot, and favorite wrestling show

WWE Timeline on Wednesday will feature Triple H vs. Seth Rollins. I really enjoyed that feud. I'd like to see more in that vein.

Kurt Angle will be on "Broken Skull Sessions" Sunday. More like Broken Freakin' Neck.

WWE issued a survey gauging the following:

- Favorite superstars in a select list

- Whether fans want to see more, less, or the same of each talent on that list

- Rating the "favorites" on a variety of qualities

- How much fans would pay to meet the listed superstars

- WWE TV programs watched 

- How fans watch Raw, Smackdown, and NXT

- If the survey recipient is a WWE Network subscriber

NXT's gauntlet match has added Timothy Thatcher. I'd LOVE to see him in a title picture.

Grindhouse has announced Fred Yehi vs. Anthony Henry. This would confirm Yehi does not have an exclusive deal with ROH. Not that it was believed that he did.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. AEW is a fresh company in a larger environment where it seems like more things can happen in a given week. Having Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, and other former champions from other promotions helps, too, I'm sure. 

2. I would assume that would ultimately be USA's call. They've seen the same numbers we have. 

3. As someone following the business, it makes things interesting in a sense. As a fan? No. I'd rather them be able to shine separately. 

4. It was definitely a nice change! They needed a fresh direction, and this is a good step toward that. 

5. It's a tough call, honestly. I think Raw and AEW shine in different ways. Both have some things and people I look forward to, though I think AEW might have more names that make me want to tune out. That said, when they're good, they're really good, whereas a lot of WWE content feels like it's filling time.  

More wrestling content. 

Wrestling trademarks, new podcasts, assorted wrestling press, Raw matches added, Interviews with Kofi/WALTER/Undertaker/Sue, Smackdown audience, another NXT gauntlet wrestler, and Questions on Melina's WWE status and Mania matches

WWE has trademarked "Bella Glam" for a health and hygiene line.

Don Muraco now has a regular weekly podcast.

Nikita Koloff is launching The Man Up podcast.

The Gathering is set to return in August 2021.

Los Angeles Times covered luchadores' struggles to make ends meet during the pandemic. 

Raw has added:

- Drew McIntyre vs. Keith Lee. If Lee wins and Orton is unable to compete at Clash of Champions, Lee gets his spot in the title match.

- Seth Rollins and Murphy vs. Dominik Mysterio and Humberto Carrillo vs. Andrade and Angel Garza. The winners challenge Street Profits at Clash of Champions.

Kofi Kingston spoke in Ohio.

WALTER spoke to BT Sport. 

Brock Lesnar was discussed by Dana White on TMZ Sports.

Smackdown drew 1.95 million viewers this week. That's a noteworthy drop. 

NXT's gauntlet match has added Kyle O'Reilly. Him as a singles star would be a nice change.

The Undertaker discussed "The Last Ride" on the My Mom's Basement podcast, revealing that Vince McMahon made sure to include the "never say never" line about Undertaker's future. It's going to be tough for both men to let his in-ring run go.

AEW has trademarked the name "Blood Brothers." It's believed this is for Cody and Dustin Rhodes. 

AEW's Sue was interviewed. When's she getting merchandise?

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

1. It's standard practice for WWE to want to be the ones to "officially" break such stories. Vince hates spoilers getting out!

Nothing to add to 2, 4, or 5. 

3. Honestly I'm open to some new, unique stipulations being developed and utilized.

More wrestling tomorrow. 

International wrestling notes, Riddle lawsuit updates, Cobb update, assorted wrestling press, WWE crowds update, Interviews with Finn/McIntyre/Mickie, WWE Roku update, Impact Plus event set, WWE return set, new NXT gauntlet name, AEW star trademarks ring name, Dark lineup, another Jericho trademark, stipulation match added to Clash, Moxley booked for Bloodsport, and Questions on the WWF initials ownership, toughest opponent in wrestling, and the six-sided ring returning

NJPW's G1 Climax will be held in arenas with half capacity. That's an encouraging milestone. 

- The shows will not have undercard tag matches as a safety move to limit the number of people on the card. 

Matt Riddle lawsuit notes:

- Riddle alleges his ex-girlfriend. known as Candy Cartwright, came to the WWE Performance Center months back and had to be taken away from the facility.

- Riddle alleges Cartwright publicly revealed his home address and his wife's phone number on Twitter. The lawsuit says these were recorded and could be shown at trial. Cartwright counters that while she did post communication from Riddle's wife with her phone number visible, she quickly took that post down and put up a different one with the phone number covered up.

- Cartwright says that Riddle communicating on Twitter to dispute her version of events led to online harassment and cost her a job with WWE. Riddle's lawyer says WWE was never interested in her.

CMLL notes:

- Princesa Sugehit has tested positive for COVID-19.

- They are expected to get an additional Friday night weekly event when they are able to run events again, since they will be turning fans away from some events due to only being able to run 30 percent capacity. 

AAA notes:

- The hope is to run shows again come October.

- TV Azteca is now airing Lucha Fighter season one, which had been on Facebook.

Jeff Cobb is expected to sign with NJPW. I would assume he'll continue to work ROH when available. He's definitely a top worker with potential there.

Stardom's Itsuki Hoshino is retiring on September 26.

Squared Circle Sirens has closed following the passing of its founder. Very sad to see. They were a positive part of women's wrestling.

Bret Hart and Lance Storm are in Canadian animated show "Corner Gas."

Fozzy's fall tour has been pushed to April and May.

Ivelisse's home recently burned down in a fire. Sad to hear.

Sonya Deville's case is leading to discussion of legislation making it more difficult to find famous individuals' addresses in Florida. 

WWE is looking to return to having paying crowds in November, with the current idea being to do outdoor events. That will definitely be a difference from Thunderdome!

Finn Balor discussed The Club and more with BT Sport. Finn vs. Triple H would be noteworthy. I like it. 

Roku briefly removed NBCUniversal content due to a row between the two sides over the rights to Peacock shows. Peacock content will come to Roku soon after an agreement was reached. 

Drew McIntyre had a long interview. 

Impact and Lariato Pro Wrestling are taping another Impact Plus event on September 26. Eric Young, Chris Masters, The Good Brothers, Rocky Romero, Heath, and Brian Myers are all advertised.

Melina has signed a WWE deal and is expected to return imminently. I would think her teaming with The Miz and John Morrison to feud with Mandy Rose and Heavy Machinery would be natural. It will be good to see her again.

NXT's gauntlet match has added Cameron Grimes.

Miro has trademarked that ring name.

Jonathan Gresham will be on the next ROH Strong podcast.

Mickie James discussed Raw's match ending and more. I hope she does get to work with more current talent before retiring. 

Dark has announced:

- Eddie Kingston vs. Brian Pillman, Jr.

- Christopher Daniels vs. Ricky Starks

- The Butcher & The Blade vs. Calvin Stewart and Puf

- Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss vs. Kevin Blackwood and Daniel Garcia

- Serena Deeb vs. KiLynn King

- Lucha Brothers vs. Maxx Stardom and Dontae Smiley

- Billy and Austin Gunn vs. Cruz and M'Badu

- Evil Uno and Stu Grayson vs. Rembrandt Lewis and Fuego del Sol

- Will Hobbs vs. Serpentico

- Lee Johnson vs. Ben Carter

- Dark Order's 5 and 10 vs. Ryzin and Xander Gold

WWE has announced a new Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment with DK Publishing.

Chris Jericho has trademarked "Million Viewer Man." Jericringe in full effect.

Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis appeared on The Bouncers' podcast, which will naturally lead to ROH speculation. It would be an obvious next step for the couple.

Clash of Champions has added Jeff Hardy vs. AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn in a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship.

Jon Moxley has been added to Bloodsport. 

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

1. Wow, World Wildlife Fund might have been one of the company's toughest competitors over the years!

2. I popped. Tough to beat that answer.

3. There was talk for a time of a TNA spinoff project pre-pandemic. If that does occur, we could see that ring there. 

Nothing to add to 4 or 5.

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Main Event and 205 Live Reax - 9/18/20

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

Friday Night Smackdown Reax - 9/18/20

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

WWE hiring writers (again), assorted wrestling notes, ROH preview, more UWN notes, Raw name has surgery, Interview with Morrison, MLW picks up another Park, Riddle files lawsuit, Dynamite+NXT audiences, WWE fitness trademark, NXT gauntlet name, and Questions on Brock leading RETRIBUTION, and WrestleHouse

WWE is hiring senior and junior writers. I feel like that's more or less going to be a permanent opening as far as people being shifted in and out.

Kayla Braxton is having eye surgery.

NXT UK has hired new referees.

ROH TV this weekend has Matt Sydal vs. Delirious and Rocky Romero vs. David Finlay.

ROH's Roku channel was down for a time recently.

United Wrestling Network notes:

- A power outage affected the taping, causing the promotion to have to scramble to fix production.

- NJPW representatives including Rocky Romero were at the taping.

Drew McIntyre will be on "WWE 24" October 4.

Orange Cassidy and the Best Friends are on AEW Unrestricted this week.

Dynamite this week was pretaped. Tuesday's episode was also taped in advance.

Ivar has undergone neck surgery. He will likely miss significant time. Sad to hear that. I wish both Raiders the best.

Amber Nova is on The Working Fan's Podcast.

John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler are in "The Speed of Time" on DUST.

WWE now has a Thunderdome "I Was Virtually There" shirt. Funny!

John Morrison spoke to Chris Van Vliet. 

LA Park, Jr. has been announced for MLW's restart, joining family members there. 

Matt Riddle has filed a civil lawsuit against independent wrestler Candy Cartwright for alleged false and defamatory statements regarding their relationship. Very sad situation one way or another. 

NXT drew 689,000 viewers this week, a pretty sizable drop from weeks with no head-to-head competition. 

Dynamite drew 886,000 viewers this week, which is not a bad number for them, but not as good as they did without going against NXT.

- The show was the third most watched in its timeslot, and was particularly successful with younger fans and men. It's clear we're seeing a distinct wrestling audience from WWE here, one that's valuable for the company's long-term future.

WWE has trademarked "FYtnessNutrYtion" for a fitness brand. That is an absolutely terrible name that sounds like it was made in a committee. 

NXT's gauntlet contendership match has announced Kushida. 

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

1. Brock doesn't need a group of people to take over a program. He can do it just fine on his own!

Nothing to add to 2, 3, 5, 6 or 7. 

4. I fully expect the concept was loved by those involved on all ends. Impact really seems to focus on that kind of segment. I guess when they're that much of a niche product and have that level of financial backing, they have free rein!

More wrestling tomorrow.

Interviews with Knuckles/Barrett, PrimeTime Live notes, assorted wrestling press, BFG note, Talk'N ShopAMania II announced, AEW signing, territory star passes, Riddle note, MMA star in talks with WWE, NXT+Dynamite matches, and Questions on Sasha/Bayley, Green's whereabouts, commentator contracts, and NXT not having Thunderdome

Mickie Knuckles spoke on VOC Nation's "In The Room" podcast. Here are highlights. 

Primetime Live debut notes:

- FITE had significant streaming issues for the show.

- Later matches were drastically cut short due to timing issues. 

- Dave Marquez directed the event. 

- Announced for next week was Eli Drake vs. Watts as well as appearances from NJPWoA's Karl Fredericks and CWFH Heritage Champion Ray Rosas. 

Shane McMahon is on "After The Bell" this week.

AEW has trademarked "All Elite Wrestling - Elite General Manager", so it sounds like that's a mobile game idea. Could be interesting.

Talk is Jericho's 700th episode features The Good Brothers and Rocky Romero.

WWE is releasing a thumb wrestling set on October 20. 

Bound For Glory will have every Impact championship on the line.

Talk 'N ShopAMania II is set for November 13. It will be headlined by a "Ball For A Ball" match between Sex Furgeson and Chad 2 Badd. 

AEW has signed Will Hobbs. Glad to see him get that chance after putting in the work he's put in so far. AEW is really presenting itself as a place for talent to get exposure.

Territory star Jerry Brown of the Hollywood Blonds passed away at the age of 83.

Wade Barrett spoke to Sports Illustrated before NXT. Good to see him sticking around. Obviously the hope is to see him in the ring again at some point, even if it's just for a special occasion.

Matt Riddle has dropped the restraining order against a woman who accused him of sexual assault. More on this tomorrow. 

Paul Heyman, Jey Uso, and Santos Escobar are set for "The Bump" next week.

Daniel Cormier spoke to Sports Illustrated about discussing potentially becoming a WWE commentator, including possibly wrestling at some point. We'll see how that goes.

NXT has announced:

- a women's battle royal to determine Io Shirai's Takeover opponent

- a gauntlet elimination match to determine Tommaso Ciampa's Takeover opponent

- Tommaso Ciampa vs. Jake Atlas

Dynamite's Tuesday special episode has announced:

- Brandi Rhodes vs. Anna Jay

- Matt Sydal vs. Shawn Spears

- Scorpio Sky vs. Ben Carter

Dynamite's Wednesday episode has announced:

- Jon Moxley, Darby Allin, and Will Hobbs vs. Lance Archer, Brian Cage, and Ricky Starks

- Brodie Lee vs. Orange Cassidy for the TNT Championship

- Hikaru Shida and Thunder Rosa vs. Diamante and Ivelisse

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

1. The relationship evolved over time. Honestly it sounds like this question was asked by someone who doesn't watch the show and just wanted to bash WWE.

2. There was talk of her moving to Raw or Smackdown, but that was postponed indefinitely and now she's on the outside looking in. I could see it being a case of NXT not wanting to start using her again only for her to be scooped up. I think at one point she was on the list to be part of RETRIBUTION, but that could have changed, too. 

3. Generally if someone is working in a different role, that counts toward the time on the deal. 

4. I would guess it's because Raw is seen as the biggest stage for such things. 

5. It's entirely possible they already had dates booked with Full Sail. And it really seems like they want to look and feel different from Raw and Smackdown, so they're going the route they're going. It's very telling Vince continues to give that much leeway to a show clearly struggling in comparison to Raw, Smackdown, and Dynamite. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Assorted wrestling press, another COVID positive, Interviews with Thunder/Angle/Irwin/Acey/Miro+Bennett, Raw match ended early, Raw audience, Teddy Hart arrested, wrestling video service coming?, BFG main event, Impact matches set, and Questions on Bray holding the title for a week, Brock's next move, wrestling barefoot, kneepads, and why to watch wrestling in 2020

Sasha Banks will appear in The Mandalorian's second season. That's pretty cool for her.

WWE Network's free tier has added Clash of Champions events. 

Booker T. confirmed testing positive for COVID-19. I'm glad he made it through OK, as many others haven't been as lucky. 

Chris Jericho has trademarked "Mimosa Mayhem." He's gone from hot commodity to chasing trends in record time.

Thunder Rosa spoke to Chris Van Vliet. She has really gotten some good exposure lately. 

Raw's Asuka vs. Mickie James match had a botched finish, as there was concern Mickie was legitimately in a bad way during the scheduled ending. James was selling the effects of the Asuka Lock to a degree that the referee and others believed they needed to stop the match. She was thankfully fine. I can't help but think they were on edge after the Matt Hardy situation. 

Raw drew 1.70 million viewers this week, very close to last week's number when going against the NFL. 

Teddy Hart has been sentenced to ten days of imprisonment earlier this month on charges of possession of a narcotic with the intent to sell or distribute. He was also arrested for violating house arrest in March. I hope he can rebound; things aren't going well for him.

Grindhouse has added Fred Yehi.

Trish Stratus, Mickie James, WALTER, and The Property Brothers were on The Bump this week.

Kurt Angle spoke about leaving WWE and more. It sounds like he'll still do some things with them on a freelance basis. 

Irwin R. Schyster appeared on The Two Man-Power Trip of Wrestling podcast. 

Acey Romero spoke to Sports Illustrated before Impact. Big respect to Ethan Page for helping him out.

Miro and Mike Bennett are on the Busted Open podcast. Miro revealed Chris Jericho helped him with his promo. Very sad that it was the usual "I was held back by Vince" thing. AEW's got too much good going for it to be stuck with the association that it's just a place to bash WWE.

Alex Shelley is booked for an October 3 indie event. 

Pro Wrestling Tees' parent company has trademarked "Shoot," which sounds like a service similar to Cameo for wrestlers. That's clever after WWE's edict.

Bound For Glory has announced Eric Young vs. Rich Swann for the Impact World Championship. On paper that doesn't sound like a huge match, but it has been built very well. 

Impact has announced:

- Rohit Raju defending the X-Division Championship against the winner of TJP vs. Chris Bey vs. Trey Miguel 

- Jordynne Grace vs. Tenille Dashwood

- Kimber Lee vs. Susie

EC3 will be the focus of "Impact in 60" Tuesday. 

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

1. If Bray didn't win the title from Braun, it would be weak for him to then challenge again with Roman involved. Bray beat Braun to win the title, and then lost it without being pinned. That's what protecting talent is all about. 

2. It makes sense for Brock to see what other offers he has out there. I don't think anyone expects him to have a long MMA career, but if he can get a big pay day out of a handful of fights, that works in his favor either on its own or as part of negotiations with WWE. Brock talking to AEW would be a big step back given where they are compared to Raw and Smackdown. 

3. I expect Riddle will do it as long as he can! That's very much his thing.

4. I would think some of it would be an age thing, where talents don't feel as if they need that much protection until the bumps starting adding up. 

5. It all depends on what you personally want out of a wrestling show. I do think there are a good number of options out there for fans of different styles, and the fact someone other than WWE has a significant TV timeslot means a lot of fresh faces in the mix. So for someone who hasn't watched wrestling in a while, there could be some novelty in seeing how things have changed. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Impact Wrestling Reax - 9/15/20

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

Wrestling content updates, New Day guests, more indies on Network, Interviews with Mickie/Lashley, assorted wrestling press, AEW ticket packs, Ronda works out in the ring, WWE matches set, Dynamite special update, current WWE titleholder signs new deal, RETRIBUTION identities, and Questions on why the Attitude Era happened, Matt Hardy's health, Mysterio's family, and Nia returning

 Collective weekend updates:
- MLW's Calvin Tankman has been added to Bloodsport

- Jonathan Gresham will compete at Spring Break 4

- Mordecai vs. Danhausen is set for Absolute Intense Wrestling

North American Wrestling Alliance is adding videos from their Sportschannel America series ahead of their relaunch. Clever.

Street Profits are on New Day's latest podcast. That's a perfect Survivor Series team if everyone was healthy.

WWE Network on Saturday is adding:

- wXw Shotgun 2020 Episode 1

- ICW Fight Club 96

- EVOLVE 127

- PROGRESS Chapter 101

"Dark Side of the Ring" season two is coming to Hulu in a deal with VICE.

Mickie James spoke before Raw. 

Bobby Lashley spoke before Raw. It's really telling that any heel black faction gets compared to NoD. Though any invading group gets compared to the nWo, so it could just be a nostalgia thing. 

The Cauliflower Alley Club now has Pro Wrestling Tees merchandise.

Grindhouse has added WWN's J.D. Drake and Anthony Henry.

AEW has announced season passes for the next seven weeks of Dynamite in Daily's Place. That's pretty clever. 

Ronda Rousey worked out in the ring recently, leading to speculation of a wrestling comeback. I would be very surprised to see that with no fans in buildings, but if that's something she's interested in, it's worth looking at.

Clash of Champions has added:

- Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax vs. Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan for the Women's Tag Team Championship

- Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton in an ambulance match for the WWE Championship

Dynamite's special one hour episode will air on September 22 after the NBA. It's telling TNT is giving them the extra hour and making sure they're still on in weeks when they would normally be skipped for sports.

Jeff Hardy has signed a new WWE contract. That's honestly a bit surprising, since he was still had a good deal of time left on the "frozen" contract with his injury time.

WWN has launched mobile apps.

Raw Underground is advertising Braun Strowman vs. Dabba-Kato. That could be fun. Both men have been effectively built there. I like how different that part of the show feels.

RETRIBUTION on Raw this week was Dominik Dijakovic, Shane Thorne, Dio Maddin, Mercedes Martinez, and Mia Yim. Cue the disappointment that it's not C.M. Punk or some other unrealistic option. This approach makes sense.

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

1. Not much to add other than things were already getting stale with that style in the early '90s. It was probably inevitable there would be a period of having to start over and shift gears. I think it's valid that competition from WCW made WWE make the drastic changes they made. 

2. Honestly given their respective track records, I'm more likely to believe Tony, who was actually at the event. I'm frankly surprised at the number of people taking Reby's side given some of her past experiences. The doctor clearly believed he was OK enough to do an ending that didn't require him to take another bump. 

3. I've enjoyed his performances. He's had a really good opponent in Seth. Of course, the angle and story wouldn't be the same if it was someone else in the role. 

4. I would think if she was interested in wrestling, she would have done so long before now. 

5. They did explain it. She said she had apologized to Pat Buck and they allowed her back. Just because something isn't shown on-screen, that doesn't mean it hasn't taken place.

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Raw Reax - 9/14/20

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

Assorted wrestling notes, NJPW show update, Dynamite note, and Questions on ending the Wednesday Night War, how AEW can build stars, and AEW's response to Fozzy playing in a pandemic

WrestlePro on Sunday notably featured Heath Miller, Brian Myers, Fallah Bahh, Cheeseburger, LSG, and Brian Pillman, Jr. 

Impact and Lariato Pro Wrestling Guild taped an event for Impact Plus, with Eric Young, Heath, and "Big LG" all wrestling. The two sides will do another event on October 10. I'm curious to see what level of crossover there will be. 

Simone Johnson recently had knee surgery. That's kind of a scary start to her wrestling career.

NJPW Strong will host the Lion's Break Crown event, an eight-man tournament. It's interesting they don't do a consistent series name, but that fits with how things are done in the Japanese wrestling scene.

Tessa Blanchard lost the Warrior Wrestling Women's Championship to Kylie Rae Saturday night, which may or may not be significant to Tessa's next moves. 

Dynamite will air on Wednesday this week due to NBA results.

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

1. That would be much easier for Vince to implement than Tony Khan, for the reasons mentioned and with Vince's many years of relationships with USA Network. I just don't know if he'd be willing to do it. 

2. It's something that takes time, as it did with those stars. They have to consistently be presented as important and look as if they've earned that level of a spotlight. Of course, AEW itself also needs to be seen as being at a certain level of prominence for anyone to become a mainstream star there. They've done well overall in the early going, but it often takes years for someone to really break out. 

3. They've definitely had a considerable number of impressive talents come in and lose big matches, with the flipside being that theoretically building the likes of Cody and Moxley.

I'm not qualified to answer 4. 

5. I would be VERY surprised to see Tony publicly rebuke Jericho, and we've heard Jericho's side of it. They'll probably just defer to the fact AEW does take testing and prevention seriously. There's not much they can do when people are outside of AEW events.  

More wrestling tomorrow.

Assorted wrestling press, Smackdown wrestler moved, BFG update, Smackdown audience, Dark lineup, wrestling content updates, WWE trademarks, Interviews with Angle/Truth/Bauer, new Bloodsport name, and Questions on Sabu, successful gimmicks, RVD as ECW Champion, and WWF Machines

Vampiro is shooting a movie. 

Australia's Western Pro Wrestling has closed, as was expected.

North American Wrestling Alliance is relaunching, with the promotion hopeful to have a show before the end of the year. Paul Roma is the chief operating officer, with his Paradise Alley Pro Wrestling partner Mario Mancini leading talent relations. Sal E. Graziano will be part of talent relations, with Robert Champion, Bobcat, and Lou Reardon also involved in management. Bushwhacker Luke will appear for the group.

Mandy Rose has been drafted to Raw, explained as being due to The Miz having connections with USA Network. That's clever! We'll see if Otis joins her at some point.

Bound For Glory will be live. There was some consideration of pre-taping it, but as of now that's not the plan.

Smackdown drew 2.27 million viewers this week. That's up notably from last week. Good sign.

Dark has announced:

- Brandi Rhodes vs. Red Velvet

- Dark Order's Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds vs. Private Party, Billy, and Austin Gunn

- Colt Cabana vs. QT Marshall

- Ivelisse and Diamante vs. Skyler Moore and Rache Chanel

- Brian Cage vs. Megabyte Ronnie

- The Butcher and The Blade vs. Daniel Garica and Kevin Blackwood

- Best Friends vs. Maxx Stardom and Dontae Smiley

- Santana and Ortiz vs. Brian Pillman, Jr. and Griff Garrison

- Will Hobbs vs. Jessy Sorensen

- Penelope Ford vs. Dani Jordyn

WWE Timeline this week will focus on Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James. Now that was an angle! I loved Mickie feeling rejected by then obsessed with Trish.

WWE has trademarked Ashantee Adonis and Desmond Troy. I'm curious who will get the latter name.

Kurt Angle discussed AEW and more. Angle vs. Cena would have been a great finale. I can't say I really expected him in AEW, but an appearance as a guest enforcer or something would fit. 

WWE digital producer Anthony Benigno announced his WWE tenure has ended. 

R-Truth discussed working with Brock Lesnar and more. That segment was indeed great. And glad to see Rock put Miz and Truth over after that match. 

Randy Orton has launched a clothing line, Slthr. Appropriately named!

Miro, Nick Jackson, Luchasarus, and Jungle Boy were in the virtual crowd for NBA's playoffs on TNT. Smart synergy.

Joey Janela had five root canals. YIKES.

Thunder Rosa is on Talk is Jericho.

ROH's Joe Koff spoke about the promotion returning on the Outside Interference podcast.

MLW's Court Bauer spoke to DAZN about returning.

Deonna Purrazzo has been added to Bloodsport. That could really be fun.

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

1. It was a tribute while his uncle was still alive, too. 

2. If it gets the worker portraying it consistent screen/ring time and drives revenue.

3. They made the TV Title at the level of their ECW Title. 

Nothing to add to 4.

5. It was a fun live event thing where "masked wrestlers from Japan" would come in and work against heels while Andre the Giant was "suspended."

More wrestling tomorrow.

Rosa-AEW update, international wrestling updates, more on WWE court case, more on Miro-AEW, AEW team splits, AEW tryout, more on WWE PPVs, assorted wrestling press and content updates, Brisco thanked, Dynamites rescheduled, Jarrett-Anthem update, Raw matches, and Questions on Demolition in the HOF, cruisers in WWE, and why digital shows continue

Thunder Rosa has a per-date agreement with AEW. It would be cool if she's able to balance AEW and NWA.

NJPW has announced Japanese returns for KENTA, Jeff Cobb, Will Ospreay, and Jay White in the upcoming G1 Climax. That's a significant commitment for all involved given quarantine conditions. 

WWE is seeking court cost reimbursements from the thrown out concussion lawsuit, totaling more than $500,000. I can't blame them!

CMLL's anniversary show will be headlined by the match that gets the most votes. That's an interesting approach. I would think American fans would do a prank vote in that case, but maybe things are different for lucha fans.

Dragon Gate is getting a show on Amazon Prime Japan in a deal with LEC Corporation. I'm curious how that will go for them and if it will start a trend.

The Great Muta is in discussions to compete for the NWA World Championship in a few weeks. That would be special if it can be worked out with COVID travel restrictions.

NJPWoA's Alex Zayne has a hip injury and will miss the next few weeks of action.

Miro has signed a multi-year deal with AEW. He will be allowed to work NJPW in Japan and other dates with AEW approval. That's significant! I hope he can really establish himself. 

AEW's Initiative (Brandon Cutler and Peter Avalon) have split and are now feuding on Dark. They seem to have quite a few lower-card acts stuck on that show, but I think they can argue they're building people to put in the mix on Dynamite. 

AEW gave Benjamin Carter a tryout on Dark this week. 

Clash of Champions will feature every Raw and Smackdown championship being defended. That's not really a huge selling point by itself, I feel.

Hell In A Cell has been moved up to October 25, as that's before the Thunderdome lease ends. Of course, that lease could be extended. I wonder if they'd do a slightly different Thunderdome in a different venue if need be?

AJ Styles indicated he intends to retire at the end of his current year. That's years away, so things could change. 

Jerry Lawler will host WWE Story Time when it returns.

NJPW has declared El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru the new IWGP Junior Tag Team Champions after those two defeated Hiromu Takahashi and BUSHI.

ROH aired Death Before Dishonor 2017 on their STIRR app.

ROH will have a watchalong when their next episode airs on FITE. 

Jeff Hardy discussed wanting Willow in WWE. I could see that being a tough sell. 

Gerald Brisco was thanked on Twitter by Adam Pearce, Madman Fulton, Mick Foley, Otis, Shelton Benjamin, Tucker, and William Regal for his WWE tenure. Glad to see that.

Homicide has been added to Bloodsport. 

AEW has rescheduled:

- Their October 7 Missouri Dynamite for June 23

- Their October 28 Wisconsin Dynamite for July 14

- Their November 4 Texas Dynamite for June 30

- Their November 11 New York Dynamite for June 16

-- This was an expected move during COVID.

Anthem and Jeff Jarrett's hearing was delayed due to a local judicial death.

Jeff Jarrett paid tribute to TNA voiceover artist Barry Scott. 

WrestleHouse was Rosemary's idea, with RD Evans driving the storylines and Tommy Dreamer executing them. It was "unique" to say the least. I hope it got the attention they were hoping for with it.

"Impact in 60" will spotlight EC3 on September 23.

Adam Cole visited a children's hospital. He's a natural babyface.

Rocky Romero is on the next ROH Strong podcast.

Raw has added:

- Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio in a steel cage

- Drew McIntyre vs. Keith Lee in a non-title match

- The show is being subtitled "In Your Face" and notably goes against the NFL's return.

Primetime Live's second week will be headlined by Thunder Rosa vs. Priscilla Kelly for the NWA Women's Championship. That title is getting some good exposure lately!

Clash of Champions has added Bayley vs. Nikki Cross for the Smackdown Women's Championship.

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

Nothing to add to 1 or 5.

2. Basically that's up to the two sides to reconcile. 

3. Given the size and style of a lot of current wrestlers in WWE, I'd say they did "catch on." In previous eras they were viewed as a sideshow to the main attractions. Anyone who was worthwhile was moved to other title pictures. That's also true of tag teams. 

4. This would also be true for Main Event. I also wonder if it's worth keeping that many talent under contract, but I don't think they want to cancel shows and release people if they don't feel that they have to.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Main Event and 205 Live Reax - 9/11/20

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

Friday Night Smackdown Reax - 9/11/20

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

ROH TV preview, AEW injury, assorted wrestling press, WWE cuts longtime backstage official and others, MLW TV update, Dynamite special update, Interviews with Bliss/Lashley/Andrew Yang, NXT+Dynamite audience, Cena hosting gig set, Impact alumni pass, and Heritage Cup rules.

ROH's Pure Championship tournament begins this weekend with Jay Lethal vs. Dalton Castle and Jonathan Gresham vs. Wheeler Yuta.

Jack Evans has a hairline fracture of his cheekbone. 

Eddie Kingston is on AEW Unrestricted this week. 

Pro Wrestling Tees held a Roddy Piper memorial raffle to benefit a local children's hospital. 

Gerald Brisco has been released by WWE. He had been a talent scout for the company most recently after 36 years in the company. I would think this is part of kind of a "changing of the guard" toward younger names. Given how ratings have fallen, I see why WWE feels the need to make changes to different philosophies.

MLW will air Wednesdays on the fubo Sports Network. That's bold.

WWE has cut a substantial number of office staff who had been furloughed in April. While some furloughed names had recently returned, it appears a significant number will not do so. WWE has drastically cut back on traveling, and that doesn't look to change soon, so it's not surprising they're removing people who work in that part of operations.

Dynamite will have a special one-hour episode next week regardless of the NBA playoffs situation. That would be a good time to test the waters for their spinoff show. 

Alexa Bliss promoted "Uncool" with Comicbook.com. 

Lashley got press with Muscle & Fitness. 

Andrew Yang discussed WWE, Vince McMahon, and more. 

NXT drew 838,000 viewers for Super Tuesday II. USA Network needs to move this show to a night where it can draw more fans regularly.

John Cena will co-host TBS' Wipeout. Wow! Interesting he'll be on the same channel as Cody's game show. 

Dynamite drew 1.02 million viewers this week for the followup for All Out, in a week unopposed by NXT. Very impressive! They should be proud of that number. 

Impact voiceover artist Barry Scott has passed. I really loved his distinctive work. He will be heavily missed, and I hope the company honors him at Bound For Glory.

NXT UK's Heritage Cup has been announced with the following rules:

- The Cup is an eight-man tournament, with A-Kid, Joseph Conners, Noam Dar, Dave Mastiff, Trent Seven, Flash Morgan Webster, Alexander Wolfe, and another competitor to be announced.

- Each match will have six three minute rounds with 20 seconds between each round.

- If a competitor scores a fall in a round, that round is over.

- A competitor needs two falls to win the match.

- A match will end immediately with a KO or disqualification.

Wolfie D was hospitalized with a blood clot following a recent surgery for a torn quadriceps muscle.

WWE has released Irwin R. Schyster and Sarah Stock from their producer roles. Both had been furloughed. 

TNA star Puppet The Psycho Dwarf recently passed away. Sad to hear.

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Indie Network additions, wrestling content updates, AEW special audience, AEW signing, WWE lawsuit appeal dropped, Raw audience, UWN broadcasters, NXT notes, new NXT match, WWE reschedules tour, released WWE star in AEW, Dynamite preview, AEW world title match set, Cody on TBS show, and Questions on Renee-AEW, management figures, planning matches in advance, and Nia/Shayna

WWE Network this weekend will add:

- ICW Fight Club 95

- EVOLVE 126

- wXw Shortcut To The Top 2020

- PROGRESS Chapter 94

UpUpDownDown has been nominated for an eSports award.

Countdown to All Out drew 357,000 viewers. 

AEW has signed Tay Conti. I'm glad to see her again after she didn't appear much for NXT. 

WWE's CTE-related lawsuits have had their appeals dismissed, as they were not filed in a timely manner. This will hopefully be the end of a long, embarrassing spectacle. 

Raw drew 1.73 million viewers on Labor Day. I'm curious how much they'll rebound. 

Vic Joseph is on "After The Bell" this week.

Drew McIntyre and Charlotte Flair did virtual meet-and-greets for a children's hospital.

WWE has opened a merchandise website for UpUpDownDown.

Primetime Live's broadcast team will be:

- Todd Kenely and Alyssa Marino at the announce desk

- NWA's Joe Galli, UWN/CWFH president Dave Marquez, and Mayra Dias Gomes doing interviews

- NJPW's Adnan Kureishy doing ring announcing.

Mercedes Martinez is no longer in The Robert Stone Brand.

NXT has added Killian Dain and Drake Maverick vs. Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish. 

NXT's Josaih Williams has returned from furlough. 

WWE has rescheduled their UK tour to April and May.

The former Rusev has debuted for AEW as Miro. He will be Kip Sabian's best man for the wedding with Penelope Ford. 

Dynamite has announced:

- FTR vs. Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy in a non-title match

- Thunder Rosa vs. Ivelisse

- Santana and Ortiz vs. Best Friends in a parking lot fight

- Chris Jericho and Jake Hager vs. Private Party

- Hangman Page vs. Frankie Kazarian

- MJF in action

Dynamite's October 14 "anniversary show" will be headlined by Jon Moxley vs. Lance Archer for the AEW Championship. That's big!

Cody will judge TBS' "Go-Big Show" alongside Snoop Dogg, Rosario Dawson, and Jennifer Nettles. This will feature stunts and other such feats. That's good synergy for AEW, and potentially a way to reach more fans. 

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

1. If it was truly by accident and they didn't acknowledge her/cut that shot from replays, etc., I don't think WWE would do anything. I would expect AEW has her sit somewhere where they don't have a chance of her ending up on TV.

2. I've really loved Pearce in particular. It makes sense to have a couple of people who do the grunt work of running the show without making the show/angles about those individuals. 

3. Yes, for an on-air product that is being presented in a similar manner to other TV shows and the like, planning things out makes sense. In the days when things were supposed to be more sportslike and there aren't time cues to hit, things played out differently. 

4. It could be a while before she's free anyway, so there could be a natural opening for her. Otherwise, she can be Moxley's interviewer exclusively or something else along those lines. 

5. Hmmmm.... that's an interesting way to look at it. I do think there's fun to be had in the pairing. 

More wrestling tomorrow

Dynamite Reax - 9/9/20

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

Ivar update, assorted wrestling content, new CWFH booker, Interviews with PJ Black/Heath/Billie/Cole/Brodie, Tessa return set, Alexa podcast debut, Jannetty backtracks, NJPW manga coming, former WWE star discloses COVID, Impact+NXT previews, and Questions on All Out

Ivar was hospitalized after Raw. There is no official confirmation of his injury. I hope he doesn't miss long.

CZW's October compilation PPVs will be Bare Knuckle Brawls and Girlz: Insane Revenge.

Big Japan has launched an English Twitter account. 

Championship Wrestling from Hollywood is now being booked by Aron Stevens, the former Damien Sandow. The promotion pushed United Wrestling Network's Primetime Live on their most recent episode. It sounds like they're getting some structure there.

PJ Black discussed FCW on Wes Brisco's podcast. Here are highlights. 

Heath promoted Impact with TVInsider:

- Talent that want out will be given convincing reasons to stay in WWE, I'm sure. That kind of money talks.

- I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Hennig/Axel again.

- That free agent thing was GREAT.

Billie Kay spoke to Chris Van Vliet. I'm very curious what's next for her and Peyton.

Dynamite announced Chris Jericho and Jake Hager vs. Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss in a no DQ match.

Tessa Blanchard will wrestle at Warrior Wrestling Saturday, facing Kylie Rae. This is her first match since March. I fully expect to see her on TV again soon. 

Alexa Bliss' podcast debuts September 22. 

"They Live" is being re-released as a two disc ultra HD Blu-Ray edition. Very cool to see that movie still has relevancy. 

Marty Jannetty now claims his recent Facebook killing confession was part of a wrestling storyline. I genuinely worry about this man. 

Undertaker's Last Ride will be released on DVD December 15. Survivor Series will be released December 29. 

NJPW will have an official manga, "New Japan Academy" coming to digital platforms in October. Tetsuya Naito will be the centerpiece. That could really be a way to branch out. I admire the push for new business ideas.

Eve Torres disclosed she and her husband have tested positive for COVID-19. I wish her family the best. 

Adam Cole spoke to Sports Illustrated before NXT:

- Cole is a champ for putting Finn over in this interview instead of doing the heel "I'm better than he is" shtick.

- It's CRAZY talent as hardworking and gifted as UE, Gargano, Finn, Io, etc. are stuck in NXT. 

Adam Cole also spoke to Comicbook.com before NXT:

- I feel like wrestling has been "episodic" for a really long time. Cliffhangers and rematches are pretty standard to me.

- That ending was timed beautifully. 

- Cole is a great ambassador in interviews like this. 

Brodie Lee spoke to Wrestling Inc. before Dynamite:

- I'm glad he didn't wait to debut. 

- I am very, very glad the character hasn't JUST been petty shots at Vince. AEW doesn't want that label. At least, I hope not.

- Realistically I don't know if him returning to WWE was an option even if he didn't do the Vince gimmick. Not many come back there at his age. Unless, of course, they were already world champion. 

NWA brought back Ten Pounds of Gold for the United Wrestling Network PPV debut. 

Impact has announced:

- Deonna Purrazzo and Kimber Lee vs. Kylie Rae and Susie

- Motor City Machine Guns, Dez, and Wentz vs. The North, Ace Austin, and Madman Fulton

- Willie Mack vs. Brian Myers

- The Deaners vs. XXXL

- Taya Valkyrie vs. Kiera Hogan

- Rob Van Dam and Katie Forbes debut The Whole Fn Talk Show

NXT has announced:

- Damian Priest vs. Timothy Thatcher for the North American Championship

- Io Shirai vs. Shotzi Blackheart

- Breezango vs. Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner for the Tag Team Championship

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

1. You can definitely make that argument after the last week.

2. The match was advertised as having to have a winner and Matt leaving AEW if he lost. AEW really didn't want to "screw the fans" with not living up to a stipulation. I don't know if that played a role, but it's worth noting. It could also be a case of Matt being seen as healthy enough to complete the match but obviously they didn't want to risk things getting worse so they went right to the finish. 

3. I ABSOLUTELY think Khan cares about his wrestlers. I also think he was put in a tough position as a new executive. We'll see how he follows things  up. 

4. That was probably something they had set for a while. If not, I don't blame them for doing something silly to follow such a scary spot. 

5. I fully think they took precautions there. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Impact Wrestling Reax - 9/8/20

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

NXT Reax - 9/8/20

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

Assorted wrestling press, Lawler anniversary match, more OVW TV deals and partners, Dark lineup, ROH Pure brackets, another UWN title match, Interviews with Tremont/Atlas/Lashley/Dominik Mysterio, more on WWE social media edict, champions vs. champions match set, and Questions on an AEW women's tag title, the point of Raw Underground, RETRIBUTION's leader, Roman turning heel, and Devlin's title status

MLW will air Thursdays on Fubo Network.

Jerry Lawler's 50th Anniversary will be headlined by Lawler and The Rock 'n' Roll Express with Jimmy Hart vs. Tommy Rich, Doug Gilbert, and Matt Riviera in a Thunderdome Cage match.

OVW notes:

- Sinn Bodhi (former Kizarny) will face Tony Gunn in a match taped today in Kentucky.

- OVW will soon air in Puerto Rico and surrounding areas.

- Rocky Mountain Pro in Colorado and Devotion Pro in Utah are now affiliated with OVW.

Dark this week advertised:

- Brian Cage vs. Tony Dontati

- Eddie Kingston vs. Lee Johnson

- Sonny Kiss vs. Serpentico

- Anna Jay vs. Skyler Moore

- Ricky Starks vs. Ben Carter

- Angelico vs. Griff Garrison

- Will Hobbs vs. Sean Legacy

ROH's Pure Championship brackets are as follows:

- Block A will have Jay Lethal vs. Dalton Castle, David Finlay vs. Rocky Romero, Fred Yehi vs. Silas Young, and Tracy Williams vs. Rust Taylor with Dak Draper as the alternate.

- Block B will have Jonathan Gresham vs. Wheeler Yuta, Matt Sydal vs. Delirious, Kenny King vs. Josh Woods, and PJ Black vs. Tony Deppen with Brian Johnson as the alternate.

UWN Primetime Live's first episode has added Television Champion Dan Joseph vs. Levi Shapiro. 

Matt Tremont spoke to VOC Nation's "In The Room" ahead of his retirement. Here are highlights. 

Tony Atlas remembered Bob Armstrong on Boston Wrestling's Wrestling Insiders. 

Bobby Lashley spoke to Sports Illustrated about the United States Championship and more:

- I hope we do see another world title reign from The All Mighty.

- Very glad to see all three veterans of the Hurt Business have a career renaissance.

- I miss some of those tough dudes they mentioned. 

- I like his work ethic.

WWE Timeline focuses on Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage.

Dominik Mysterio spoke to Alicia Atout. 

IWTV has launched an Apple TV app.

WWE talents will be allowed to continue YouTube and Twitch accounts as long as their real names are used and the company is aware of the channels. Not unreasonable at all. They're making those accounts as themselves, not as their WWE characters. 

Impact's Josh Alexander is booked for Bloodsport. 

Raw has announced Street Profits vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro in a battle of tag team champions. Neither championship is on the line. Clearly the brand invitational just hasn't been inviting anyone during the RETRIBUTION crackdown.

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

1. When they get their second TNT show, it's possible that's part of it, as well as Dark. Until then I'm not sure they'll rush to it. 

2. It's a place for fights to happen with no rules. Instead of trying to pin someone, you just beat them down. That benefits some wrestlers more than a regular match would, and is a bigger grudge than something formal with a referee and so on. I could see them doing a trophy or something, but the 24/7 Title doesn't fit that. I don't see any reason to turn one into the other. 

3. I really don't see why someone who's already got a job in WWE would feel the need to tear the place down. It makes more sense for it to be a group of WWEPC talents tired of waiting their turn. I don't dislike the idea of Adam Pearce leading them - how many years did it take for him to make it to the company, and the best they have for him is being a gofer? That could motivate him to fight for change. 

4. Fans wanted change in the product. This is certainly a noteworthy change. 

5. Devlin is still champion, so it makes sense for him to continue defending it. Obviously at some point they can unify the titles, but that's going to be a little difficult during the pandemic. 

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Raw Reax - 9/7/20

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

Network episode update, Matt Hardy's status, UK channel dropping wrestling, ultraviolent wrestler retiring, and Questions on TNA's expenses in the Hogan/Bischoff era, future Thunderdomes, Brock-AEW, and announcers leaving WWE

WWE Day Of Summerslam 2020 will air September 13.

Matt Hardy was released from the hospital after a number of scans. Tony Khan reported he did not have a concussion, though Reby tweeted that he did. I hope lessons were learned here about wrestler safety. 

- Matt will be on Dynamite. 

UK's Showcase TV is no longer airing Impact or ROH. That's unfortunate for them. 

Matt Tremont has announced retiring on October 30 following a final tour of matches. Tremont has been champion for CZW and GCW.

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

1. They also increased the number of tapings, toured the product a lot more, and had live episodes, on top of increased advertising. They spent a hefty sum trying to make the company a major player in a short amount of time. 

2. Long story short, I'm sure it's a very complex and costly endeavor on top of having to police what fans are wearing and doing. I really, REALLY don't see them doing it voluntarily. 

3. With such a low number of fans paying for tickets, I don't think there's any justification for anyone using Brock right now. 

4. No. I think it would be viewed as a desperate move that alienates the existing fans rather than a way for them to turn the corner and be as big as Raw or Smackdown. With the money they would spend on Brock, I would think it would be much more difficult to invest in other important talents. 

5. Cathy wanted to pursue other endeavors. Renee was a combination of that and the pandemic. Mauro is prioritizing his family's health and wants a different schedule. So maybe WWE could have been more flexible, but I think some of this was going to be inevitable. It wouldn't shock me to see others branch out more, too, as I don't know who in the current group sees wrestling as a long-term career option. 

More wrestling tomorrow.