Read on for my ideas for booking tonight's WWE Network special event.
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Another guest coach, MITB social media, Interviews with Titus/Y2J, Fish uncle honored, new ROH matches, how to watch DON outside U.S., NJPW Lions event set for US, WM36 supershow set, Flair surgery moved, SDL live event canceled, Shinsuke commercial, new NJPW Australia names, WWE scouting in Singapore, WOW secret taping, Raw guest star passes, WWEPC special, new WWE Untold coming, and Questions on Big E's status, not firing Lars, ROH's base salary, AEW exclusivity, Bryan in Saudi Arabia, and Alexa's injury timing
Shannon Moore was at the WWE Performance Center as a guest coach this week. Glad he's able to give back to the industry.
Money in the Bank's WWE Watch Along will have the Usos, the IIconics, Liv Morgan, R-Truth, Eric Bugenhagen, Aliyah, and Vanessa Borne. Pat McAfee is hosting, with ESPN's Field Yates also appearing.
Titus O'Neil is on Edge and Christian's latest podcast.
Bobby Fish's uncle was honored for his military service at an NXT live event.
ROH's July 20 TV taping will be headlined by Jay Lethal challenging for the ROH World Championship.
Best in the World has added Shane Taylor vs. Bandido for the ROH TV Championship, playing off Bandido defeating Taylor on ROH TV.
Double or Nothing will air on Fite TV outside of the U.S. So that's how it will be available for much of the world.
Chris Jericho discussed signing with AEW and more on Busted Open. I'm glad he reached the decision to work with Fandango at WrestleMania. It's a testament to his skill that he could get that angle and match over.
NJPW has announced "Lion's Break Project 2" for CharaExpo USA 2019 on December 7 and December 8, where their California dojo trainees will get experience.
Game Changer Wrestling has announced a WrestleMania 36 weekend event featuring a number of indie promotions. Beyond Wrestling, Absolute Intense Wrestling, and Black Label Pro have already been confirmed for the event.
ROH's June 1 TV taping has added Jeff Cobb vs. Mark Haskins.
ROH's June 2 HonorClub event has announced:
- Matt Taven vs. PCO vs. Flip Gordon vs. Mark Haskins in a Defy or Deny match. If any of the challengers pin Taven, they get an immediate ROH Championship match.
- A tag team gauntlet match with the winners getting a future tag team championship match
Ric Flair's surgery has been moved to Monday due to complications. He is still scheduled for Starrcast II.
WWE has canceled Monday's Smackdown Live live event in order to use top Smackdown Live talent on Raw. This might end up becoming the norm. If so, Raw should drop its Friday live event to even things out. With the declines in live event attendance, it might be the best move anyway.
Shinsuke Nakamura is in a Japanese noodles commercial. U.S. ads need to step their games up.
NJPW's June 29 Australian show has added Taiji Ishimori and Toru Yano.
WWE was scouting at Singapore Pro Wrestling this past week, with Matt Bloom and Canyon Ceman in attendance. I expect an Asian performance center at some point.
Women of Wrestling had a secret TV taping to prevent spoilers getting out. I don't know if intentionally doing a show in front of a small crowd is a good move, but I guess they accomplished keeping things under wraps.
WWE Now will feature Kofi Kingston, Seth Rollins, and Becky Lynch before MITB. That's definitely pretty major.
Former Raw guest star Grumpy Cat passed away at seven years old. Grumpy Cat was more over than a lot of wrestlers.
The WWE Performance Center will have an eight-hour Combine special on WWE Network on May 26 featuring athletic competitions.
WWE Untold focusing on Eric Bischoff's planned 2001 WCW reboot will air June 26. That could be pretty interesting.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. No real update.
2. Lars is a lot more valuable to WWE's future plans than Hogan was/is.
3. I don't think there's one figure there. Someone like Jay Lethal is going to be able to pull a better base than someone like Eli Isom.
4. It depends on the talent! A number of talents will definitely be able to work elsewhere, especially internationally. MLW seems to be safe for now, too. Down the line, that could change, but certain names are going to be able to get concessions to appear in other promotions if both sides see them as valuable enough.
5. No word one way or another. It would be a little surprising for him to hold a championship and not make the tour, but there's no guarantee he'll appear.
6. The injury is real, but they can still do that idea if they want.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Money in the Bank's WWE Watch Along will have the Usos, the IIconics, Liv Morgan, R-Truth, Eric Bugenhagen, Aliyah, and Vanessa Borne. Pat McAfee is hosting, with ESPN's Field Yates also appearing.
Titus O'Neil is on Edge and Christian's latest podcast.
Bobby Fish's uncle was honored for his military service at an NXT live event.
ROH's July 20 TV taping will be headlined by Jay Lethal challenging for the ROH World Championship.
Best in the World has added Shane Taylor vs. Bandido for the ROH TV Championship, playing off Bandido defeating Taylor on ROH TV.
Double or Nothing will air on Fite TV outside of the U.S. So that's how it will be available for much of the world.
Chris Jericho discussed signing with AEW and more on Busted Open. I'm glad he reached the decision to work with Fandango at WrestleMania. It's a testament to his skill that he could get that angle and match over.
NJPW has announced "Lion's Break Project 2" for CharaExpo USA 2019 on December 7 and December 8, where their California dojo trainees will get experience.
Game Changer Wrestling has announced a WrestleMania 36 weekend event featuring a number of indie promotions. Beyond Wrestling, Absolute Intense Wrestling, and Black Label Pro have already been confirmed for the event.
ROH's June 1 TV taping has added Jeff Cobb vs. Mark Haskins.
ROH's June 2 HonorClub event has announced:
- Matt Taven vs. PCO vs. Flip Gordon vs. Mark Haskins in a Defy or Deny match. If any of the challengers pin Taven, they get an immediate ROH Championship match.
- A tag team gauntlet match with the winners getting a future tag team championship match
Ric Flair's surgery has been moved to Monday due to complications. He is still scheduled for Starrcast II.
WWE has canceled Monday's Smackdown Live live event in order to use top Smackdown Live talent on Raw. This might end up becoming the norm. If so, Raw should drop its Friday live event to even things out. With the declines in live event attendance, it might be the best move anyway.
Shinsuke Nakamura is in a Japanese noodles commercial. U.S. ads need to step their games up.
NJPW's June 29 Australian show has added Taiji Ishimori and Toru Yano.
WWE was scouting at Singapore Pro Wrestling this past week, with Matt Bloom and Canyon Ceman in attendance. I expect an Asian performance center at some point.
Women of Wrestling had a secret TV taping to prevent spoilers getting out. I don't know if intentionally doing a show in front of a small crowd is a good move, but I guess they accomplished keeping things under wraps.
WWE Now will feature Kofi Kingston, Seth Rollins, and Becky Lynch before MITB. That's definitely pretty major.
Former Raw guest star Grumpy Cat passed away at seven years old. Grumpy Cat was more over than a lot of wrestlers.
The WWE Performance Center will have an eight-hour Combine special on WWE Network on May 26 featuring athletic competitions.
WWE Untold focusing on Eric Bischoff's planned 2001 WCW reboot will air June 26. That could be pretty interesting.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. No real update.
2. Lars is a lot more valuable to WWE's future plans than Hogan was/is.
3. I don't think there's one figure there. Someone like Jay Lethal is going to be able to pull a better base than someone like Eli Isom.
4. It depends on the talent! A number of talents will definitely be able to work elsewhere, especially internationally. MLW seems to be safe for now, too. Down the line, that could change, but certain names are going to be able to get concessions to appear in other promotions if both sides see them as valuable enough.
5. No word one way or another. It would be a little surprising for him to hold a championship and not make the tour, but there's no guarantee he'll appear.
6. The injury is real, but they can still do that idea if they want.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, May 17, 2019
More on AEW deal, AEW promos update, why Y2J missed upfront, Silver King note, more on Lars fine, more on Hart vs. Magee, AAA-MSG sales update, AAA head meets ROH head, NJPW name missing Australia, MLW match becomes shoot, WotW attendance, Summer Supercard preceding Summerslam, Slammiversary venue update, NJPW talents considering Impact, Impact surgery, more AEW staff, another AEW woman signing possible, HHH frustrated, Road Dogg update, SDL name being praised, WWEPC signing, WWE star and ex-WWE star opening school, WWE UK TV shift?, Impact release, Impact preview, Aries' first MLW match, Flair hospitalized, MITB replacement, ROH TV matches, DSOTR audience, WWE Diva Search winner passes, WWE name sought for Bellator, Ziggler appearance set, Davis profiled, NXT live event notes, and Questions on EC3's spot, DON's price, The Club, the importanct of Bret vs. Magee, and Impact's ECW revival
AEW's TNT debut date hasn't been decided, but it's expected to start in October. The show, currently unnamed, will be live for two hours each week and will likely air on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Notably, if the show airs on Tuesdays it could be affected by NBA coverage in the spring. The show's debut will likely be in October.
AEW is negotiating TV deals in the UK and Canada, but until a day of the week is decided, things can't move forward. Mexico and Australia are targets for deals, as well.
AEW also looked to air content on Showtime, but that would have likely been for major events rather than a weekly show.
AEW has committed to no scripting or teleprompters for promos, which I'm sure most talents will appreciate.
Chris Jericho not appearing at the TNT upfront presentation was a Tony Khan decision, since having Omega and Jericho in the same place would conflict with them being in a top feud with each other. That's clever.
AEW is expected to have more programming on B/R Live. We'll see what form that takes. WarnerMedia really wants to push that platform and YouTube for content.
Silver King's death was due to a heart attack. He had a pre-existing health condition, but had been cleared to compete by multiple commissions. There was no doctor or ambulance at the venue due to lax UK regulations.
Lars Sullivan's fine came after at least one sponsor pressured WWE to act on the situation, following a fan informing the sponsor of the controversial social media posts. WWE had been aware of his social media posts for at least a year, but didn't want to draw attention to the situation when it first came out. Internally it was known Sullivan regretted the posts. The fine will likely be taken from future earnings.
WWE is allowing Starrcast II to show Bret Hart vs. Tom Magee as part of a resolution regarding the Undertaker/Kurt Angle situation. WWE obviously wanted to beat them to the punch with showing the match and covering it on their own service.
- The match didn't air initially since Magee wasn't signed and Bret lost the match to the unknown worker.
Madison Square Garden is disappointed in slow sales for AAA's event there. Obviously the event has been nowhere near as successful as the quick sellout for G1 Supercard.
AAA's Darian Roldan met with ROH's Joe Koff before the Madison Square Garden press conference. I wouldn't assume anything will come of that as far as the two sides working together given ROH's ties to CMLL.
Jushin "Thunder" Liger will not be at NJPW's Australian shows due to being in Mexico during those dates. NJPW could run Australia again later in 2019 if the June tour works well.
MLW recently had a tryout match turn into a shoot when Brian Idol went over time and did unapproved spots, leading to his opponent Ariel Dominguez pinning him for real. I hope everything's straightened out now, because that's unprofessional.
MLW is having referees undergo CPR training following Silver King's death. I'm glad that's a priority.
War of the Worlds week attendance was 600 for Buffalo, 1,000 for Toronto, 700 for Grand Rapids, and 900 for Chicago. Last year's tour drew 1,900 in Massachusetts, 1,400 in Toronto, 900 in Michigan, and 1,800 in Chicago. That's a pretty notable drop in some places.
ROH, NJPW, CMLL, and NWA are teaming for "Summer Supercard" on Friday, August 9, the same weekend as Summerslam. That's a clever idea.
Slammiversary will likely be set up for around 750 fans.
NJPW has a number of talents interested in working Impact, but they can't due to the agreement between NJPW and ROH. NJPW talents by and large aren't willing to leave that company to join Impact exclusively.
Melissa Santos recently had surgery for a torn ACL suffered when training to wrestle.
AEW has signed former ROH merchandise employee Christina Meyers as well as ROH ring crew employee Shawn Carr to reprise their roles.
AEW is talking with Portugal's Shanna.
Triple H is very frustrated with WWE Creative, as Vince McMahon approves constant changes to storylines from so many suggestions. The process is definitely chaotic these days.
Road Dogg is expected to work with Triple H again once he's ready to return to WWE. He took time off due to the pressure he was under.
Andrade is being praised internally, and WWE is helping him with his English in order to maximize his marketability. Glad to see that.
WWE has signed a Chilean female wrestler to the Performance Center.
Tyler Breeze and Shawn Spears (Tye Dillinger) are opening a wrestling school in Florida. So that's at least part of what Spears is doing post-WWE.
WWE is expected to move its UK TV home from Sky Sports to BT Sports. WWE spoke to BT Sports about airing NXT UK at one point before it ended up on WWE Network, so it's possible that series is part of a new deal.
Impact has officially released Gursinder Singh after he requested it last month. It's unknown where he heads next.
Impact released the opening to tonight's episode.
Austin Aries' MLW debut will be at Fury Road against Adam Brooks. I look forward to seeing how Aries does there.
Ric Flair was hospitalized for a needed procedure due to ongoing health complications. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Alexa Bliss has been pulled from Money in the Bank due to concussion issues. Nikki Cross will replace her in the women's Money in the Bank match.
ROH's June 1 TV taping has announced:
- Matt Taven vs. Tracy Williams for the ROH World Championship
- Vinny Marseglia and TK O'Ryan vs. The Bouncers
- Colt Cabana vs. Mark Briscoe for the NWA National Championship
- Jay Lethal vs. Kenny King
Dark Side of the Ring drew 200,000 viewers for season one's final episode.
Ashley Massaro has passed away at 39. She had recently begun training to return to wrestling at the New York Wrestling Connection. That's very unfortunate. WWE.com remembered her and made a collection of social media reactions to her loss.
WWE's Jack Gallagher is being recruited by Bellator. I wouldn't blame him for jumping from 205 Live.
Dolph Ziggler is set for Oz Comic Con in Australia on June 8 and June 9.
Dangerous Danny Davis was profiled.
At NXT's May 16 live event in Florida:
- Brendan Vink and Brennan Williams teamed to defeat 3.0 (who used that team name). Vink and Williams have been opponents and partners in NXT now.
- Killian Dain returned to the brand for his first match since April 4 and his first live event since April 1. He defeated Jermaine Haley. Haley was managed by the former Stokely Hathaway, now known as Malcolm Bivens.
- Drew Gulak worked his first live event since September 2018, losing to Kushida. Gulak has of course worked 205 Live and AXXESS events.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. There's nothing to indicate he has heat. WWE just, for whatever reason, doesn't see him as a commodity worth protecting and pushing.
2. I don't expect AEW to run a $50 PPV every month. I do expect that price is going to stick this time, but it could be adjusted for future shows once their TV deal kicks in and such. They've definitely racked up expenses, and I can see why they want to recoup that investment, but that price tag is making people skeptical about sampling the product.
3. It doesn't look like they were on the European tour. I'm under the impression they're just working Raw TV until their contracts expire.
4. Essentially the aura is that the match was meant to make Magee a star but he floundered, while Hart became quite successful. Since it was lost for so long, its aura grew.
5. Kross wants a lot more than Impact is willing to pay him. As for using so many ECW names, RVD is on a limited contract, and Sabu and The Sandman were special for WM35 weekend and Philadelphia. They're not planning a full-on ECW revival.
More wrestling tomorrow.
AEW is negotiating TV deals in the UK and Canada, but until a day of the week is decided, things can't move forward. Mexico and Australia are targets for deals, as well.
AEW also looked to air content on Showtime, but that would have likely been for major events rather than a weekly show.
AEW has committed to no scripting or teleprompters for promos, which I'm sure most talents will appreciate.
Chris Jericho not appearing at the TNT upfront presentation was a Tony Khan decision, since having Omega and Jericho in the same place would conflict with them being in a top feud with each other. That's clever.
AEW is expected to have more programming on B/R Live. We'll see what form that takes. WarnerMedia really wants to push that platform and YouTube for content.
Silver King's death was due to a heart attack. He had a pre-existing health condition, but had been cleared to compete by multiple commissions. There was no doctor or ambulance at the venue due to lax UK regulations.
Lars Sullivan's fine came after at least one sponsor pressured WWE to act on the situation, following a fan informing the sponsor of the controversial social media posts. WWE had been aware of his social media posts for at least a year, but didn't want to draw attention to the situation when it first came out. Internally it was known Sullivan regretted the posts. The fine will likely be taken from future earnings.
WWE is allowing Starrcast II to show Bret Hart vs. Tom Magee as part of a resolution regarding the Undertaker/Kurt Angle situation. WWE obviously wanted to beat them to the punch with showing the match and covering it on their own service.
- The match didn't air initially since Magee wasn't signed and Bret lost the match to the unknown worker.
Madison Square Garden is disappointed in slow sales for AAA's event there. Obviously the event has been nowhere near as successful as the quick sellout for G1 Supercard.
AAA's Darian Roldan met with ROH's Joe Koff before the Madison Square Garden press conference. I wouldn't assume anything will come of that as far as the two sides working together given ROH's ties to CMLL.
Jushin "Thunder" Liger will not be at NJPW's Australian shows due to being in Mexico during those dates. NJPW could run Australia again later in 2019 if the June tour works well.
MLW recently had a tryout match turn into a shoot when Brian Idol went over time and did unapproved spots, leading to his opponent Ariel Dominguez pinning him for real. I hope everything's straightened out now, because that's unprofessional.
MLW is having referees undergo CPR training following Silver King's death. I'm glad that's a priority.
War of the Worlds week attendance was 600 for Buffalo, 1,000 for Toronto, 700 for Grand Rapids, and 900 for Chicago. Last year's tour drew 1,900 in Massachusetts, 1,400 in Toronto, 900 in Michigan, and 1,800 in Chicago. That's a pretty notable drop in some places.
ROH, NJPW, CMLL, and NWA are teaming for "Summer Supercard" on Friday, August 9, the same weekend as Summerslam. That's a clever idea.
Slammiversary will likely be set up for around 750 fans.
NJPW has a number of talents interested in working Impact, but they can't due to the agreement between NJPW and ROH. NJPW talents by and large aren't willing to leave that company to join Impact exclusively.
Melissa Santos recently had surgery for a torn ACL suffered when training to wrestle.
AEW has signed former ROH merchandise employee Christina Meyers as well as ROH ring crew employee Shawn Carr to reprise their roles.
AEW is talking with Portugal's Shanna.
Triple H is very frustrated with WWE Creative, as Vince McMahon approves constant changes to storylines from so many suggestions. The process is definitely chaotic these days.
Road Dogg is expected to work with Triple H again once he's ready to return to WWE. He took time off due to the pressure he was under.
Andrade is being praised internally, and WWE is helping him with his English in order to maximize his marketability. Glad to see that.
WWE has signed a Chilean female wrestler to the Performance Center.
Tyler Breeze and Shawn Spears (Tye Dillinger) are opening a wrestling school in Florida. So that's at least part of what Spears is doing post-WWE.
WWE is expected to move its UK TV home from Sky Sports to BT Sports. WWE spoke to BT Sports about airing NXT UK at one point before it ended up on WWE Network, so it's possible that series is part of a new deal.
Impact has officially released Gursinder Singh after he requested it last month. It's unknown where he heads next.
Impact released the opening to tonight's episode.
Austin Aries' MLW debut will be at Fury Road against Adam Brooks. I look forward to seeing how Aries does there.
Ric Flair was hospitalized for a needed procedure due to ongoing health complications. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Alexa Bliss has been pulled from Money in the Bank due to concussion issues. Nikki Cross will replace her in the women's Money in the Bank match.
ROH's June 1 TV taping has announced:
- Matt Taven vs. Tracy Williams for the ROH World Championship
- Vinny Marseglia and TK O'Ryan vs. The Bouncers
- Colt Cabana vs. Mark Briscoe for the NWA National Championship
- Jay Lethal vs. Kenny King
Dark Side of the Ring drew 200,000 viewers for season one's final episode.
Ashley Massaro has passed away at 39. She had recently begun training to return to wrestling at the New York Wrestling Connection. That's very unfortunate. WWE.com remembered her and made a collection of social media reactions to her loss.
WWE's Jack Gallagher is being recruited by Bellator. I wouldn't blame him for jumping from 205 Live.
Dolph Ziggler is set for Oz Comic Con in Australia on June 8 and June 9.
Dangerous Danny Davis was profiled.
At NXT's May 16 live event in Florida:
- Brendan Vink and Brennan Williams teamed to defeat 3.0 (who used that team name). Vink and Williams have been opponents and partners in NXT now.
- Killian Dain returned to the brand for his first match since April 4 and his first live event since April 1. He defeated Jermaine Haley. Haley was managed by the former Stokely Hathaway, now known as Malcolm Bivens.
- Drew Gulak worked his first live event since September 2018, losing to Kushida. Gulak has of course worked 205 Live and AXXESS events.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. There's nothing to indicate he has heat. WWE just, for whatever reason, doesn't see him as a commodity worth protecting and pushing.
2. I don't expect AEW to run a $50 PPV every month. I do expect that price is going to stick this time, but it could be adjusted for future shows once their TV deal kicks in and such. They've definitely racked up expenses, and I can see why they want to recoup that investment, but that price tag is making people skeptical about sampling the product.
3. It doesn't look like they were on the European tour. I'm under the impression they're just working Raw TV until their contracts expire.
4. Essentially the aura is that the match was meant to make Magee a star but he floundered, while Hart became quite successful. Since it was lost for so long, its aura grew.
5. Kross wants a lot more than Impact is willing to pay him. As for using so many ECW names, RVD is on a limited contract, and Sabu and The Sandman were special for WM35 weekend and Philadelphia. They're not planning a full-on ECW revival.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, May 16, 2019
AEW TV home set, AEW's streaming future, Interviews with Cesaro/Ali/Cody+JR, Paige on team name controversey, SDL live event set, new WWE mobile game, AEW website expands, new AEW referees, another AEW personnel addition, Lars speaks to roster, SDL audience, more Thunder coming, Becky endorsed by Conor coach, new Hidden Gems, NJPW show sells out, Raw live event note, and Questions on WWE not advertising matches or live events, why Lio gets heat, the point of Creative, and wrestling as an art
AEW will air weekly on TNT at some point in 2019, a pretty major undertaking that changes the wrestling landscape. From the press release:
- WarnerMedia indicated plans to build AEW globally.
- Bleacher Report Live will also stream matches. It's unknown what level of delay there will be (if any) from when the matches air on TNT.
- They emphasized athleticism and competition over "scripted, soapy drama." This will include a focus on statistics like win/loss records. I'm split on that approach, but it clearly stands out from WWE. If that part of things doesn't work, they can adapt.
- Double or Nothing's pre-show will stream on AEW social media as well as B/R Live. That's a good move to draw fans in.
Cesaro promoted WWE's European tour:
- I don't think I'd mind Cesaro winning MITB and becoming champion that way if he was in the match this year. I'm not as high on him as others are, but he definitely puts in hard work.
- In some ways, Vince not getting a talent's appeal does bolster that talent's standing with hardcore fans.
- The Bar have definitely delivered, and both men have singles potential.
Paige responded to criticism of her new team's name. There's something to be said about putting Kairi and Asuka together despite them not having any previous history. Kabuki Girls and Kabuki Warriors aren't amazing names, but I'm glad it wasn't a case of someone throwing darts at a board of Japanese things.
Smackdown Live will run a live event in New York on July 15.
WWE is launching a new mobile game, WWE Universe.
AEW was featured at WarnerMedia's upfront presentation, with Tony Khan, Kenny Omega, Cody, the Young Bucks, Hangman Page, and Britt Baker all present.
- Chris Jericho claimed he wasn't at the presentation because he's training for Double or Nothing. I'm already pretty tired of his current character.
AEW has relaunched its website following its TV announcement.
AEW has signed Earl Hebner and Aubrey Edwards as referees.
Conrad Thompson is listed as part of AEW's broadcast team.
AEW's TNT deal has TNT covering production costs. AEW is not being rights fees, but ad revenue being shared between AEW and TNT. So the TV deal as a whole isn't a big revenue-maker by itself, but it obviously opens doors to promote live events and merchandise.
TNT's "Claws" promoted AEW. Yeah, TNT is really getting behind this.
Lars Sullivan apologized to the WWE roster for his past remarks. I respect that. I hope he can continue to grow as a person.
Smackdown Live drew 1.83 million viewers Tuesday night, a new low mark for the series. That's not unsurprising for an episode that wasn't live. WWE has their work cut out for them rebuilding audience numbers.
WCW Thunder will add more episodes to WWE Network on May 20. It's currently unknown how many episodes and which ones will be uploaded.
Becky Lynch was endorsed by Conor McGregor's coach. Becky's breaking out at just the right time in her career, as fan support has built up over her run.
Ali discussed losing his first name and more. It's sad if "Mustafa" is too tough for WWE fans. I get the idea of giving fans one name to chant, though.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems are:
- Andre the Giant vs. Jerry Blackwell in a Bodyslam Challenge from AWA in 1980
- Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan vs. Nick Bockwinkel, Ken Patera, Bobby Heenan, and Bobby Duncum from AWA in 1982
- Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd from WWF in 1984
Cody and Jim Ross discussed AEW's TV deal with Variety:
- There's no doubt AEW has potential to be the biggest alternative to WWE since WCW went out of business.
- I don't see a reason to directly challenge WWE in the sense of running their TV show against Raw, etc. Give fans the option to support both if they want to.
- Yes, just being "the WWE alternative" is a limited strategy compared to having their own vision.
- WWE has definitely been a departure from what wrestling was generations ago, for better or worse.
NJPW Dominion has officially sold out. This is one of their most important shows of the year.
WALTER defeated Pete Dunne to retain the WWE UK Championship at Raw's May 15 live event in England.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The obvious answer is because so much changes last minute! They do advertise some things on social media in advance, although I see the argument they need to advertise what's on the next week's episodes during the current week's episodes.
2. They could definitely do a better job of that, although of course declining live event attendance and declining TV ratings are linked.
3. I don't think it's a stretch to say Lio feels the need to prove and protect himself as a young, small, person of color, and that leads to him rubbing others the wrong way.
4. Vince obviously changes a lot of things, but I don't expect he wants to come up with and plan out every detail himself! He decides the direction and they make it happen.
5. I'd say it's a pretty common mindset, especially among younger/newer wrestlers. It can definitely help AEW if they're seen as less restrictive of talents' vision and more friendly with the workload than WWE's schedule.
More wrestling coming up.
- WarnerMedia indicated plans to build AEW globally.
- Bleacher Report Live will also stream matches. It's unknown what level of delay there will be (if any) from when the matches air on TNT.
- They emphasized athleticism and competition over "scripted, soapy drama." This will include a focus on statistics like win/loss records. I'm split on that approach, but it clearly stands out from WWE. If that part of things doesn't work, they can adapt.
- Double or Nothing's pre-show will stream on AEW social media as well as B/R Live. That's a good move to draw fans in.
Cesaro promoted WWE's European tour:
- I don't think I'd mind Cesaro winning MITB and becoming champion that way if he was in the match this year. I'm not as high on him as others are, but he definitely puts in hard work.
- In some ways, Vince not getting a talent's appeal does bolster that talent's standing with hardcore fans.
- The Bar have definitely delivered, and both men have singles potential.
Paige responded to criticism of her new team's name. There's something to be said about putting Kairi and Asuka together despite them not having any previous history. Kabuki Girls and Kabuki Warriors aren't amazing names, but I'm glad it wasn't a case of someone throwing darts at a board of Japanese things.
Smackdown Live will run a live event in New York on July 15.
WWE is launching a new mobile game, WWE Universe.
AEW was featured at WarnerMedia's upfront presentation, with Tony Khan, Kenny Omega, Cody, the Young Bucks, Hangman Page, and Britt Baker all present.
- Chris Jericho claimed he wasn't at the presentation because he's training for Double or Nothing. I'm already pretty tired of his current character.
AEW has relaunched its website following its TV announcement.
AEW has signed Earl Hebner and Aubrey Edwards as referees.
Conrad Thompson is listed as part of AEW's broadcast team.
AEW's TNT deal has TNT covering production costs. AEW is not being rights fees, but ad revenue being shared between AEW and TNT. So the TV deal as a whole isn't a big revenue-maker by itself, but it obviously opens doors to promote live events and merchandise.
TNT's "Claws" promoted AEW. Yeah, TNT is really getting behind this.
Lars Sullivan apologized to the WWE roster for his past remarks. I respect that. I hope he can continue to grow as a person.
Smackdown Live drew 1.83 million viewers Tuesday night, a new low mark for the series. That's not unsurprising for an episode that wasn't live. WWE has their work cut out for them rebuilding audience numbers.
WCW Thunder will add more episodes to WWE Network on May 20. It's currently unknown how many episodes and which ones will be uploaded.
Becky Lynch was endorsed by Conor McGregor's coach. Becky's breaking out at just the right time in her career, as fan support has built up over her run.
Ali discussed losing his first name and more. It's sad if "Mustafa" is too tough for WWE fans. I get the idea of giving fans one name to chant, though.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems are:
- Andre the Giant vs. Jerry Blackwell in a Bodyslam Challenge from AWA in 1980
- Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan vs. Nick Bockwinkel, Ken Patera, Bobby Heenan, and Bobby Duncum from AWA in 1982
- Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd from WWF in 1984
Cody and Jim Ross discussed AEW's TV deal with Variety:
- There's no doubt AEW has potential to be the biggest alternative to WWE since WCW went out of business.
- I don't see a reason to directly challenge WWE in the sense of running their TV show against Raw, etc. Give fans the option to support both if they want to.
- Yes, just being "the WWE alternative" is a limited strategy compared to having their own vision.
- WWE has definitely been a departure from what wrestling was generations ago, for better or worse.
NJPW Dominion has officially sold out. This is one of their most important shows of the year.
WALTER defeated Pete Dunne to retain the WWE UK Championship at Raw's May 15 live event in England.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The obvious answer is because so much changes last minute! They do advertise some things on social media in advance, although I see the argument they need to advertise what's on the next week's episodes during the current week's episodes.
2. They could definitely do a better job of that, although of course declining live event attendance and declining TV ratings are linked.
3. I don't think it's a stretch to say Lio feels the need to prove and protect himself as a young, small, person of color, and that leads to him rubbing others the wrong way.
4. Vince obviously changes a lot of things, but I don't expect he wants to come up with and plan out every detail himself! He decides the direction and they make it happen.
5. I'd say it's a pretty common mindset, especially among younger/newer wrestlers. It can definitely help AEW if they're seen as less restrictive of talents' vision and more friendly with the workload than WWE's schedule.
More wrestling coming up.
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Piper DVD coming, Silver King honored, Interviews with Vince/ESPN head/Strauss/Gowen/Khan, Truth+Stephanie appearances, Bray mask origins, Impact champ returns to action, Impact employee resigns, Slammiversary details, Lars fined, NXT signing official, Big Show gets TV role, Titus lawsuit settled, Raw audience, Raw live event notes, NXT names set for UK festival, WWE nominated for MTV Awards, AEW signs ROH ref, MLW live special set, new WWE trademarks, updated Extreme Rules card, SDL dark match, and a Question on WWE handling Saudi objectors
A Roddy Piper unreleased matches compilation DVD set is coming August 27 in the U.S. and September 2 in the UK. The set will feature a Ronda Rousey interview on Piper.
Eric Bischoff discussed Silver King with TMZ Sports. Good to see him put the legend over.
R-Truth will drive the pace car at NASCAR's May 18 race. This gives FOX an opportunity to plug Smackdown Live's move.
Vince McMahon spoke to Variety about the state of WWE and more:
- Facebook or another digital home for Raw or Smackdown Live would have been a big game-changer for the industry as a whole.
- Wow, really? The current product is still too rough for some advertisers? I mean they throw in some swear words here and there, but they're hardly pushing the envelope of what's acceptable.
- I mean, yeah, those TV deals are amazing, but that's definitely the only major success the company's seeing beyond the Saudi stadium shows. And, of course, WWE should try to justify that price tag with better audience numbers.
- Wait, really? The new TV deals are going to pay well regardless of ratings or ad sales? NBCU and FOX took a big risk with that.
- "Highly-rated" is less true now than it was even a few years ago. Yes, Raw and Smackdown Live are still important shows, but their status is slipping.
- I can only imagine what the WWE-FOX integration will be like.
- Live TV isn't as invulnerable as was thought.
- Oh nah we were definitely upset Owens turned so soon.
- Yes, talents can ask for time off, but it can come at the expense of their momentum and "push" to disappear for a while.
- WWE is definitely being proactive with head injuries.
- It's not like TV networks are looking to pay for NXT, 205 Live, etc. or the archived content.
- Wowwww I didn't realize there was that big of a gap with UFC's sponsorships.
- Oh yeah things have definitely changed from TV being advertising for live events. TV is king now.
- Vince isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Yes, he's going to do XFL things, but he's still going to be the main decision-maker in WWE.
Bray Wyatt's new mask was created by Hollywood's Tom Savini's team. It's REALLY good.
Brian Cage returned to the ring this weekend for Warrior Wrestling in Illinois. Hopefully this means he's back going forward.
Impact social media head Garrett Kidney finished up this past weekend. He was very passionate in the role.
ESPN discussed negotiations with WWE for Smackdown Live. That could have been an interesting pairing.
Impact detailed Slammiversary XVII's ticket packages, including a newly-revamped VIP program called Titanium. I'm curious how well the show will do, and if there's any piggybacking from G1 Climax.
Lars Sullivan has been fined $100,000 for comments uncovered recently. He will also undergo sensitivity training and meet with community organizations on the matter. I definitely understand WWE distancing itself from the unacceptable things he posted, although it seems odd to stiffly punish him for things he did years before joining the company if he sincerely apologized. We'll see what the fallout for this will be, for Lars and for WWE as a whole.
WWE has officially announced DJZ's signing to NXT. I'm curious how he'll do there, especially if 205 Live is shuttered when Smackdown Live moves to Fridays.
Big Show has been announced for SyFy's "Van Helsing" in an unspecified role.
Stephanie McMahon will be part of VidCon's 10th annual gala in California.
NXT's Robert Strauss was profiled ahead of an NXT live event in New Jersey.
Titus O'Neil's "Swerved" lawsuit has been officially settled. Terms were not disclosed. Hopefully this is all taken care of now.
Raw drew 2.35 million viewers Monday night, which was surprisingly up for a non-live episode.
At Raw's May 14 live event in France:
- Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado defeated The Singh Brothers, so that explains why they weren't wrestling on 205 Live.
- Bayley and Ember Moon defeated Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan. This is why Bayley and Ember weren't on Smackdown Live.
NXT's Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Shayna Baszler, and Matt Riddle are advertised for the Download Festival along with NXT UK talents.
WALTER defeated R-Truth to retain the UK Championship at Smackdown Live's May 13 live event in England.
WWE is nominated for the 2019 MTV Awards for Best Fight (Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch) and Best Real-Life Hero (Roman Reigns). I'm curious how well they'll do.
Zach Gowen discussed WWE helping him out and more:
- Producing is definitely a valuable role!
- I definitely hope AEW can be something of note after all that's being put into it.
- Impact could probably use someone like him for a backstage role given how many other producers have left.
- Really cool what he's accomplishing now.
AEW has signed ROH referee Paul Turner. No one is safe from being signed away!
NJPW will honor Silver King at their May 22 event. Great to see.
AEW President Tony Khan spoke to ITV Wrestling about Double or Nothing and future AEW U.K. events. It definitely looks like AEW is headed to ITV once a TV show gets off the ground. Khan has big plans for the promotion.
MLW: Fury Road will air live on June 1 on beIN Sports. I expect Austin Aries to pop up on that show in some fashion.
WWE has trademarked "WWE SuperShowdown" and "WWE Supershow" ahead of their return to Saudi Arabia.
Extreme Rules is currently advertising:
- Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship
- Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin for the WWE Universal Championship in a tables match
- Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon and Elias
- AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre
After Smackdown Live, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods defeated Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com question:
1. I haven't seen anything about anyone deciding not to go on the trip yet. I expect WWE wants to work around certain names potentially not appearing as best as they can and as quietly as they can. As for any repercussions for talent not appearing, it will depend on the talent. Someone like Daniel Bryan is relatively safe since the company needs him more than he needs them, but other talents lower on the card could potentially be put on the shelf if WWE feels embarrassed by their refusal and thinks it's worth the bad press to keep them benched. As far as talents being able to leave and go to AEW, that's obviously an option down the line, but WWE's not going to release them and have them go right to the competition.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Eric Bischoff discussed Silver King with TMZ Sports. Good to see him put the legend over.
R-Truth will drive the pace car at NASCAR's May 18 race. This gives FOX an opportunity to plug Smackdown Live's move.
Vince McMahon spoke to Variety about the state of WWE and more:
- Facebook or another digital home for Raw or Smackdown Live would have been a big game-changer for the industry as a whole.
- Wow, really? The current product is still too rough for some advertisers? I mean they throw in some swear words here and there, but they're hardly pushing the envelope of what's acceptable.
- I mean, yeah, those TV deals are amazing, but that's definitely the only major success the company's seeing beyond the Saudi stadium shows. And, of course, WWE should try to justify that price tag with better audience numbers.
- Wait, really? The new TV deals are going to pay well regardless of ratings or ad sales? NBCU and FOX took a big risk with that.
- "Highly-rated" is less true now than it was even a few years ago. Yes, Raw and Smackdown Live are still important shows, but their status is slipping.
- I can only imagine what the WWE-FOX integration will be like.
- Live TV isn't as invulnerable as was thought.
- Oh nah we were definitely upset Owens turned so soon.
- Yes, talents can ask for time off, but it can come at the expense of their momentum and "push" to disappear for a while.
- WWE is definitely being proactive with head injuries.
- It's not like TV networks are looking to pay for NXT, 205 Live, etc. or the archived content.
- Wowwww I didn't realize there was that big of a gap with UFC's sponsorships.
- Oh yeah things have definitely changed from TV being advertising for live events. TV is king now.
- Vince isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Yes, he's going to do XFL things, but he's still going to be the main decision-maker in WWE.
Bray Wyatt's new mask was created by Hollywood's Tom Savini's team. It's REALLY good.
Brian Cage returned to the ring this weekend for Warrior Wrestling in Illinois. Hopefully this means he's back going forward.
Impact social media head Garrett Kidney finished up this past weekend. He was very passionate in the role.
ESPN discussed negotiations with WWE for Smackdown Live. That could have been an interesting pairing.
Impact detailed Slammiversary XVII's ticket packages, including a newly-revamped VIP program called Titanium. I'm curious how well the show will do, and if there's any piggybacking from G1 Climax.
Lars Sullivan has been fined $100,000 for comments uncovered recently. He will also undergo sensitivity training and meet with community organizations on the matter. I definitely understand WWE distancing itself from the unacceptable things he posted, although it seems odd to stiffly punish him for things he did years before joining the company if he sincerely apologized. We'll see what the fallout for this will be, for Lars and for WWE as a whole.
WWE has officially announced DJZ's signing to NXT. I'm curious how he'll do there, especially if 205 Live is shuttered when Smackdown Live moves to Fridays.
Big Show has been announced for SyFy's "Van Helsing" in an unspecified role.
Stephanie McMahon will be part of VidCon's 10th annual gala in California.
NXT's Robert Strauss was profiled ahead of an NXT live event in New Jersey.
Titus O'Neil's "Swerved" lawsuit has been officially settled. Terms were not disclosed. Hopefully this is all taken care of now.
Raw drew 2.35 million viewers Monday night, which was surprisingly up for a non-live episode.
At Raw's May 14 live event in France:
- Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado defeated The Singh Brothers, so that explains why they weren't wrestling on 205 Live.
- Bayley and Ember Moon defeated Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan. This is why Bayley and Ember weren't on Smackdown Live.
NXT's Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Shayna Baszler, and Matt Riddle are advertised for the Download Festival along with NXT UK talents.
WALTER defeated R-Truth to retain the UK Championship at Smackdown Live's May 13 live event in England.
WWE is nominated for the 2019 MTV Awards for Best Fight (Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch) and Best Real-Life Hero (Roman Reigns). I'm curious how well they'll do.
Zach Gowen discussed WWE helping him out and more:
- Producing is definitely a valuable role!
- I definitely hope AEW can be something of note after all that's being put into it.
- Impact could probably use someone like him for a backstage role given how many other producers have left.
- Really cool what he's accomplishing now.
AEW has signed ROH referee Paul Turner. No one is safe from being signed away!
NJPW will honor Silver King at their May 22 event. Great to see.
AEW President Tony Khan spoke to ITV Wrestling about Double or Nothing and future AEW U.K. events. It definitely looks like AEW is headed to ITV once a TV show gets off the ground. Khan has big plans for the promotion.
MLW: Fury Road will air live on June 1 on beIN Sports. I expect Austin Aries to pop up on that show in some fashion.
WWE has trademarked "WWE SuperShowdown" and "WWE Supershow" ahead of their return to Saudi Arabia.
Extreme Rules is currently advertising:
- Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship
- Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin for the WWE Universal Championship in a tables match
- Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon and Elias
- AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre
After Smackdown Live, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods defeated Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com question:
1. I haven't seen anything about anyone deciding not to go on the trip yet. I expect WWE wants to work around certain names potentially not appearing as best as they can and as quietly as they can. As for any repercussions for talent not appearing, it will depend on the talent. Someone like Daniel Bryan is relatively safe since the company needs him more than he needs them, but other talents lower on the card could potentially be put on the shelf if WWE feels embarrassed by their refusal and thinks it's worth the bad press to keep them benched. As far as talents being able to leave and go to AEW, that's obviously an option down the line, but WWE's not going to release them and have them go right to the competition.
More wrestling tomorrow.
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