Read on for my thoughts on last night's Impact Wrestling.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
WWE names trademark ring names, Crown Jewel criticism, Ciampa on Lilian podcast, new AEW web series, New Day podcast debuts, WWE battles cancer, Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame inductees, Mania special following NXT, NXT+Dynamite audiences, new Dynamite match, Sydal headed to Middle East, Impact PPV ticket sale, Goldberg set for Austin podcast, Raw dark match, Raw guest, 24/7 title change, and Questions on Lana's accent, WWE letting trademarks pass, Taker's debut, and Graves being chastised
Charlotte Flair has trademarked "Ashley Flair" and "The Queen of Wrestling," which she would be able to use outside of WWE. That's bold! We'll see if she's planning a run elsewhere at some point.
Andrade has trademarked "La Sombra" and "El Idolo" for use outside of WWE. Right now I'd assume he and Charlotte are just covering themselves in case they do end up somewhere else, but it's notable they're considering what names they'd use in other companies.
Crown Jewel was covered as part of a New York Times piece criticizing Saudi Arabia. Note there's no mention of the unfounded rumors regarding the return trip, which one would think would be a major international story if credible. This responsibility to fact-checking before spreading stories separates trustworthy journalism from "dirt sheets," and those covering the business should take note. As for what the piece did discuss, WWE's not going to like the criticism but they're going to continue to operate in the region with the mentality that they're facilitating reforms in the country.
Tomasso Ciampa discussed leaving NXT on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast, saying he would retire if shifted to Raw or Smackdown due to the schedule. That's really unfortunate, because he has a lot to contribute was a wrestler.
The Inner Circle have launched their own web series to rival Being The Elite. Clever. This is one area WWE isn't connecting with as well as AEW is.
New Day discussed their gimmick's origins on the first episode of their podcast. Fascinating look at how it came together.
WWE is worked with KiTZ Heidelberg to tackle pediatric cancer.
The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame has announced its 2020 inductions:
- Executive Division: Dory Funk, Sr.
- Referee Division: Dick Woehrle
- Pioneer Era: George Zaharias and Bobby Managoff
- Tag Team Division: The Bushwhackers
- Ladies Division: Luna Vachon and Debbie Combs
- Television Era: King Curtis Iaukea and Killer Karl Kox
- Territory Division: Killer Tim Brook
- Modern Era: Jake Roberts and Magnum TA
WWE's WrestleMania special hosted by John Cena will air after NXT on USA Network this week.
NXT's November 27 audience was 810,000. That's a shame given the BIG rub they got for Survivor Series week. I wonder what the show's peak is now that brand rivalries are over for the time being.
Dynamite's November 27 audience was 663,000, a sharp drop from last week and the lowest mark in the show's brief history (or for that matter NXT's run on USA). It's definitely possible being the night before Thanksgiving played a role here, but that's a number that should give some pause regarding the direction of the show. Of course, if they're back above 800,000 next week, it's more or less a fluke. Note that TNT expected them to do around 500,000 viewers and even this number is comfortably above that.
Dynamite has added Hikaru Shida vs. Kris Statlander. I look forward to that, and am curious if Statlander will become a regular.
Matt Sydal is booked for Qatar Pro Wrestling on February 20.
Hard To Kill had a 30% off ticket sale for Cyber Monday. ROH should have done that for Final Battle weekend.
Goldberg is set for Broken Skull Sessions following TLC. That could be pretty good if the previous episode is any indication.
After Raw, Becky Lynch retained the Raw Women's Championship against Kairi Sane. Charlotte Flair could have used her help in that handicap match!
NHL's Ryan Ellis was backstage at Raw.
R-Truth regained the 24/7 Championship after Raw. Interesting tie-in with FOX.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Lana dropped the accent a long time ago when she started appearing as CJ on "Total Divas" and the like. Then again, she's been in the U.S. for a while now, right? Maybe she's gotten better at it. As for the storyline, it's a Paul Heyman creation, with the feeling that a more "adult" soap opera storyline would be a break from the "squeaky clean PG" image WWE has been chastised for. There was also a hope that its twists and turns would have people watching to see what's next. In WWE's defense, it's doing well with YouTube views.
2. Basically because they don't intend to do shows with those names anymore, they let them lapse.
3. It's not exclusively due to AEW, though they have certainly played a significant role. There were also the drop in revenue from what had been forecast that sparked change.
4. It's entirely possible he competed in shows that weren't at the level of notability that would be picked up by record-keeping websites. It's also possible that he's misremembering. The earliest match result I can find is a tag match from 1987.
5. I'd be a little surprised if no one's talked to him about why what he did wasn't a great idea. He certainly has a right to make criticisms, but working an angle only he was aware he was working was a misstep.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Andrade has trademarked "La Sombra" and "El Idolo" for use outside of WWE. Right now I'd assume he and Charlotte are just covering themselves in case they do end up somewhere else, but it's notable they're considering what names they'd use in other companies.
Crown Jewel was covered as part of a New York Times piece criticizing Saudi Arabia. Note there's no mention of the unfounded rumors regarding the return trip, which one would think would be a major international story if credible. This responsibility to fact-checking before spreading stories separates trustworthy journalism from "dirt sheets," and those covering the business should take note. As for what the piece did discuss, WWE's not going to like the criticism but they're going to continue to operate in the region with the mentality that they're facilitating reforms in the country.
Tomasso Ciampa discussed leaving NXT on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast, saying he would retire if shifted to Raw or Smackdown due to the schedule. That's really unfortunate, because he has a lot to contribute was a wrestler.
The Inner Circle have launched their own web series to rival Being The Elite. Clever. This is one area WWE isn't connecting with as well as AEW is.
New Day discussed their gimmick's origins on the first episode of their podcast. Fascinating look at how it came together.
WWE is worked with KiTZ Heidelberg to tackle pediatric cancer.
The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame has announced its 2020 inductions:
- Executive Division: Dory Funk, Sr.
- Referee Division: Dick Woehrle
- Pioneer Era: George Zaharias and Bobby Managoff
- Tag Team Division: The Bushwhackers
- Ladies Division: Luna Vachon and Debbie Combs
- Television Era: King Curtis Iaukea and Killer Karl Kox
- Territory Division: Killer Tim Brook
- Modern Era: Jake Roberts and Magnum TA
WWE's WrestleMania special hosted by John Cena will air after NXT on USA Network this week.
NXT's November 27 audience was 810,000. That's a shame given the BIG rub they got for Survivor Series week. I wonder what the show's peak is now that brand rivalries are over for the time being.
Dynamite's November 27 audience was 663,000, a sharp drop from last week and the lowest mark in the show's brief history (or for that matter NXT's run on USA). It's definitely possible being the night before Thanksgiving played a role here, but that's a number that should give some pause regarding the direction of the show. Of course, if they're back above 800,000 next week, it's more or less a fluke. Note that TNT expected them to do around 500,000 viewers and even this number is comfortably above that.
Dynamite has added Hikaru Shida vs. Kris Statlander. I look forward to that, and am curious if Statlander will become a regular.
Matt Sydal is booked for Qatar Pro Wrestling on February 20.
Hard To Kill had a 30% off ticket sale for Cyber Monday. ROH should have done that for Final Battle weekend.
Goldberg is set for Broken Skull Sessions following TLC. That could be pretty good if the previous episode is any indication.
After Raw, Becky Lynch retained the Raw Women's Championship against Kairi Sane. Charlotte Flair could have used her help in that handicap match!
NHL's Ryan Ellis was backstage at Raw.
R-Truth regained the 24/7 Championship after Raw. Interesting tie-in with FOX.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Lana dropped the accent a long time ago when she started appearing as CJ on "Total Divas" and the like. Then again, she's been in the U.S. for a while now, right? Maybe she's gotten better at it. As for the storyline, it's a Paul Heyman creation, with the feeling that a more "adult" soap opera storyline would be a break from the "squeaky clean PG" image WWE has been chastised for. There was also a hope that its twists and turns would have people watching to see what's next. In WWE's defense, it's doing well with YouTube views.
2. Basically because they don't intend to do shows with those names anymore, they let them lapse.
3. It's not exclusively due to AEW, though they have certainly played a significant role. There were also the drop in revenue from what had been forecast that sparked change.
4. It's entirely possible he competed in shows that weren't at the level of notability that would be picked up by record-keeping websites. It's also possible that he's misremembering. The earliest match result I can find is a tag match from 1987.
5. I'd be a little surprised if no one's talked to him about why what he did wasn't a great idea. He certainly has a right to make criticisms, but working an angle only he was aware he was working was a misstep.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, December 2, 2019
Booker endorses Rock, MJF mocks Cody, Bubbly sales impressive, Survivor Series Day Of coming, Fiend title gets press, injured name on commentary, Beth meets aspiring wrestler, WWE on Jeopardy, Konnan back in MLW, MVP misses WrestleCade, European talent gets heat for wrestling while teaching, Starrcade notes, actor on Backstage, AAA results, and Questions on burning markets out, AEW building off WWE events last week, AEW's latest team debut, sexist journalism, and Corey's apology
Booker T. put The Rock's promo ability over on his most recent podcast.
MJF indicated he'd never wrestle Cody, parodying Cody's post-WWE list of hopeful opponents. Pretty funny. I wish he'd be this subtle and clever more often.
Chris Jericho's "Little Bit of the Bubbly" has sold 10,000 bottles. Absolutely amazing. He's on to a hit with that gimmick.
"WWE Day Of" Survivor Series 2019 will air December 8.
The Fiend's Universal Championship design got press. That's definitely a one-of-a-kind design.
Samoa Joe is set for Raw commentary tonight.
Beth Phoenix met a young amateur wrestler who idolizes her. Phoenix is pushing for more girls wrestling teams.
WWE Slammy Awards was a category on Jeopardy Friday.
Konnan is returning to MLW at this week's TV tapings. That's interesting given his role in Impact.
MVP missed WrestleCade weekend due to issues with a third party promoter. Not sure what exactly went down there.
Recent NXT UK wrestler Amale is getting negative press in her home country of France for wrestling while also a schoolteacher. I hope she's making the right call.
Before Starrcade:
- Seth Rollins defeated Erick Rowan
- Shinsuke Nakamura defeated The Miz
After Starrcade:
- Aleister Black defeated Andrade. Andrade and Zelina Vega demanded a new opponent.
- Ricochet defeated Andrade.
- Randy Orton defeated AJ Styles
- Roman Reigns defeated King Corbin
- The Fiend defeated Braun Strowman in a steel cage match. The OC mocked Braun for his quick loss, so they got those hands to end the show.
Starrcade was live on YouTube while WWE Network had issues. Not what WWE wanted to happen.
Actor Stephen Amell will be on "Backstage" this week. That's quite interesting given his connections with AEW! Maybe WWE wants to do something bigger than The Elite crew.
Starrcade had discounted tickets for fans who donated canned food. That's great!
At AAA TripleMania Regia on December 1:
- Impact's Brian Cage teamed with Puma King in a four-way tag team match featuring Aramis and El Hijo del Vikingo, Dulce Canela and Octagon, Jr., and Taurus and Villano III, Jr. The latter team won.
- Impact's Taya Valkyrie retained the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship against Ayako Hamada, Faby Apache, Keyra, and Lady Shani.
- Kenny Omega retained the AAA Mega Championship over Dragon Lee
- Rush defeated LA Park and Pagano
-- So the show had talent from AEW, Impact, and ROH! The show will be officially available on YouTube next week.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm under the impression WWE is doing fewer consecutive shows in the same market for big weeks in 2020. That's worth a shot given the issue mentioned here.
2. They did pretty well, but obviously not as well as they have done there in the past. It sounds like they want to run that venue annually before Thanksgiving, so it might not have just been because of WWE's events. And, yes, it can definitely be argued it was a different audience than the ones who went to Raw and Smackdown.
3. I expect it was supposed to be a shock debut but one that some fans would recognize. I fully expect more followup in the weeks to come, a la The Dark Order.
4. Disgusted but not surprised. Charly graduated summa cum laude with a broadcast journalism degree and worked at several news stations and radio shows before coming to WWE. To dismiss her as just being young and cute is a slap in the face to say the least. Charly more or less took it in stride, but this combined with the Peyton Royce incident and some of the recent conspiracy theories should really give us all some pause on whether that individual deserves to be put on the pedestal he's put on. I have respect for him as a historian and for what he's done for a very long time, but him being the face of wrestling journalism while making such comments and pushing outlandish rumors sets the whole industry back and makes it even harder for outsiders to respect it.
5. The key will be whether we see any further such "angles" from him. I hope he learned from this and that he and Mauro reconcile. Ranallo is owed private apologies here.
More wrestling tomorrow.
MJF indicated he'd never wrestle Cody, parodying Cody's post-WWE list of hopeful opponents. Pretty funny. I wish he'd be this subtle and clever more often.
Chris Jericho's "Little Bit of the Bubbly" has sold 10,000 bottles. Absolutely amazing. He's on to a hit with that gimmick.
"WWE Day Of" Survivor Series 2019 will air December 8.
The Fiend's Universal Championship design got press. That's definitely a one-of-a-kind design.
Samoa Joe is set for Raw commentary tonight.
Beth Phoenix met a young amateur wrestler who idolizes her. Phoenix is pushing for more girls wrestling teams.
WWE Slammy Awards was a category on Jeopardy Friday.
Konnan is returning to MLW at this week's TV tapings. That's interesting given his role in Impact.
MVP missed WrestleCade weekend due to issues with a third party promoter. Not sure what exactly went down there.
Recent NXT UK wrestler Amale is getting negative press in her home country of France for wrestling while also a schoolteacher. I hope she's making the right call.
Before Starrcade:
- Seth Rollins defeated Erick Rowan
- Shinsuke Nakamura defeated The Miz
After Starrcade:
- Aleister Black defeated Andrade. Andrade and Zelina Vega demanded a new opponent.
- Ricochet defeated Andrade.
- Randy Orton defeated AJ Styles
- Roman Reigns defeated King Corbin
- The Fiend defeated Braun Strowman in a steel cage match. The OC mocked Braun for his quick loss, so they got those hands to end the show.
Starrcade was live on YouTube while WWE Network had issues. Not what WWE wanted to happen.
Actor Stephen Amell will be on "Backstage" this week. That's quite interesting given his connections with AEW! Maybe WWE wants to do something bigger than The Elite crew.
Starrcade had discounted tickets for fans who donated canned food. That's great!
At AAA TripleMania Regia on December 1:
- Impact's Brian Cage teamed with Puma King in a four-way tag team match featuring Aramis and El Hijo del Vikingo, Dulce Canela and Octagon, Jr., and Taurus and Villano III, Jr. The latter team won.
- Impact's Taya Valkyrie retained the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship against Ayako Hamada, Faby Apache, Keyra, and Lady Shani.
- Kenny Omega retained the AAA Mega Championship over Dragon Lee
- Rush defeated LA Park and Pagano
-- So the show had talent from AEW, Impact, and ROH! The show will be officially available on YouTube next week.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm under the impression WWE is doing fewer consecutive shows in the same market for big weeks in 2020. That's worth a shot given the issue mentioned here.
2. They did pretty well, but obviously not as well as they have done there in the past. It sounds like they want to run that venue annually before Thanksgiving, so it might not have just been because of WWE's events. And, yes, it can definitely be argued it was a different audience than the ones who went to Raw and Smackdown.
3. I expect it was supposed to be a shock debut but one that some fans would recognize. I fully expect more followup in the weeks to come, a la The Dark Order.
4. Disgusted but not surprised. Charly graduated summa cum laude with a broadcast journalism degree and worked at several news stations and radio shows before coming to WWE. To dismiss her as just being young and cute is a slap in the face to say the least. Charly more or less took it in stride, but this combined with the Peyton Royce incident and some of the recent conspiracy theories should really give us all some pause on whether that individual deserves to be put on the pedestal he's put on. I have respect for him as a historian and for what he's done for a very long time, but him being the face of wrestling journalism while making such comments and pushing outlandish rumors sets the whole industry back and makes it even harder for outsiders to respect it.
5. The key will be whether we see any further such "angles" from him. I hope he learned from this and that he and Mauro reconcile. Ranallo is owed private apologies here.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
New Raw match, wrestling content on Canadian streaming service, Impact producer becomes full-time, Interviews with Kane/NJPW president/Lance Storm, WWE name trademarks indie ring name, Matt Hardy planning next moves, Hardys contract updates, FNSD audience, new Dynamite match, Fiend custom title for sale, Lynn surgery a success, AEW teams face off in HOG, Bandido back in CMLL, NJPW show on YouTube, WWE Mexico City results, and Questions on ROH and NJPW running WM36 weekend, Liger's future after WK14, WWE's response to Punk criticisms, WWE title design updates, and Backstage's news segments
Raw has added The Kabuki Warriors vs. Charlotte Flair in a handicap match. That's an interesting direction.
Canadian streaming service Crave has added:
- All "Dark Side of the Ring" episodes
- HBO's Andre the Giant documentary
- Mauro Ranallo's "Bipolar Rock 'n' Roller" documentary
Impact producer/director David Sahadi is returning to the company full-time after spending time in MLW. That's a boost for Impact.
Kane spoke to TMZ Sports about a few WWE topics. Kane also spoke to Fox News about wrestling and politics.
Luke Harper trademarked his pre-WWE ring name Brodie Lee. He has been open about seeking his release from the company and would presumably use that name again if he did work elsewhere.
Matt Hardy is preparing to potentially leave WWE and return to his "Broken" character. His current deal ends in February, and the two sides are at odds over how he would be used if he signs a new deal. I could see him being more of an asset outside of WWE, since WWE doesn't really see him as someone to showcase.
- Jeff Hardy's contract goes past February due to him missing time due to injury and legal issues, so he won't be joining Matt in any potential post-WWE plans anytime soon.
Friday Night Smackdown drew 2.34 million viewers this week. There are unimpressive numbers for the show in its new home.
Dynamite has added Pentagon, Jr. vs. Christopher Daniels.
The Fiend's custom championship now has handmade replicas for sale. Tom Savini's getting some real money and advertising from this!
Jerry Lynn successfully had surgery for a bulging disc.
AEW teams collide in House of Glory when The Lucha Bros defend the HOG Tag Team Championship against Private Party on December 7.
NJPW President Howard Meij spoke to Fox Sports in Australia:
- Cool to see the Japanese government support NJPW.
- Really weird rumor about them trying to bar Omega from coming to Japan. Honestly sounds like another Saudi conspiracy theory.
- Haha yeah I don't think NJPW running U.S. shows helps ROH. If anything it's drawn fans away because now they don't have to watch ROH for those names.
Bandido has returned to CMLL for the first time since 2016. It appears he's signing on to work a set number of dates rather than being under a full deal.
Lance Storm is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast as he prepares to join WWE as a producer.
NJPW has released Showdown in Los Angeles matches on their YouTube channel. Good move as they continue to expand their U.S. presence.
At WWE's Mexico City live event on November 30:
- Alexa Bliss worked her first match since Hell in a Cell, teaming with Nikki Cross in a Fatal Four Way match with The Kabuki Warriors, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks and Bayley. The champions retained their title.
- Cain Velasquez and Humberto Carrillo defeated Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. Carrillo scored the pinfall.
- Rey Mysterio didn't win the Universal Championship against The Fiend, but did beat up Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura after the match when they came down to mock him.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1.a. There was a report not long ago that ROH was reconsidering doing a Supercard event in 2020 given where there business is now. Given more departures are likely in coming months and the relationship with NJPW doesn't seem to be flourishing, it could be a tough sell for wrestling fans to watch an ROH show that week. But maybe ROH is more optimistic about that than we are.
1.b. NJPW will be a very interesting case if they're not pairing with ROH then. Time will tell. They seem to want to run smaller shows for now.
2. If NJPW runs a show, I expect he'll be there in a non-wrestling role. He might still appear somewhere regardless. I really, really don't think he'll wrestle after WrestleKingdom.
3. Probably not happening. I think that character already had its sendoff.
Nothing to add to 4.
5. I doubt Vince is going to change anything just because Punk is bringing it up. Given the audience Backstage is drawing, I think Vince will keep doing things his way!
6. I wouldn't mind new looks for those titles. It's probably about time.
7. I'm sure WWE knows everything that's "broken" on the show before it airs.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Canadian streaming service Crave has added:
- All "Dark Side of the Ring" episodes
- HBO's Andre the Giant documentary
- Mauro Ranallo's "Bipolar Rock 'n' Roller" documentary
Impact producer/director David Sahadi is returning to the company full-time after spending time in MLW. That's a boost for Impact.
Kane spoke to TMZ Sports about a few WWE topics. Kane also spoke to Fox News about wrestling and politics.
Luke Harper trademarked his pre-WWE ring name Brodie Lee. He has been open about seeking his release from the company and would presumably use that name again if he did work elsewhere.
Matt Hardy is preparing to potentially leave WWE and return to his "Broken" character. His current deal ends in February, and the two sides are at odds over how he would be used if he signs a new deal. I could see him being more of an asset outside of WWE, since WWE doesn't really see him as someone to showcase.
- Jeff Hardy's contract goes past February due to him missing time due to injury and legal issues, so he won't be joining Matt in any potential post-WWE plans anytime soon.
Friday Night Smackdown drew 2.34 million viewers this week. There are unimpressive numbers for the show in its new home.
Dynamite has added Pentagon, Jr. vs. Christopher Daniels.
The Fiend's custom championship now has handmade replicas for sale. Tom Savini's getting some real money and advertising from this!
Jerry Lynn successfully had surgery for a bulging disc.
AEW teams collide in House of Glory when The Lucha Bros defend the HOG Tag Team Championship against Private Party on December 7.
NJPW President Howard Meij spoke to Fox Sports in Australia:
- Cool to see the Japanese government support NJPW.
- Really weird rumor about them trying to bar Omega from coming to Japan. Honestly sounds like another Saudi conspiracy theory.
- Haha yeah I don't think NJPW running U.S. shows helps ROH. If anything it's drawn fans away because now they don't have to watch ROH for those names.
Bandido has returned to CMLL for the first time since 2016. It appears he's signing on to work a set number of dates rather than being under a full deal.
Lance Storm is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast as he prepares to join WWE as a producer.
NJPW has released Showdown in Los Angeles matches on their YouTube channel. Good move as they continue to expand their U.S. presence.
At WWE's Mexico City live event on November 30:
- Alexa Bliss worked her first match since Hell in a Cell, teaming with Nikki Cross in a Fatal Four Way match with The Kabuki Warriors, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks and Bayley. The champions retained their title.
- Cain Velasquez and Humberto Carrillo defeated Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. Carrillo scored the pinfall.
- Rey Mysterio didn't win the Universal Championship against The Fiend, but did beat up Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura after the match when they came down to mock him.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1.a. There was a report not long ago that ROH was reconsidering doing a Supercard event in 2020 given where there business is now. Given more departures are likely in coming months and the relationship with NJPW doesn't seem to be flourishing, it could be a tough sell for wrestling fans to watch an ROH show that week. But maybe ROH is more optimistic about that than we are.
1.b. NJPW will be a very interesting case if they're not pairing with ROH then. Time will tell. They seem to want to run smaller shows for now.
2. If NJPW runs a show, I expect he'll be there in a non-wrestling role. He might still appear somewhere regardless. I really, really don't think he'll wrestle after WrestleKingdom.
3. Probably not happening. I think that character already had its sendoff.
Nothing to add to 4.
5. I doubt Vince is going to change anything just because Punk is bringing it up. Given the audience Backstage is drawing, I think Vince will keep doing things his way!
6. I wouldn't mind new looks for those titles. It's probably about time.
7. I'm sure WWE knows everything that's "broken" on the show before it airs.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)