DAILY UPDATE
Latest News:
Report: Wade Barrett negotiating full-time commentary deal with WWE
Tuesday’s AEW Dark to feature 11-match lineup
VIDEO: Being The Elite – Out of The Elite
Second AEW TV show expected to launch by end of 2020
Full list of entrants for ROH Pure title tournament
MLW returning with new TV episodes this fall
NJPW reveals matches for New Japan Road tour
NJPW announces tournament for IWGP Junior Tag Team titles
WWE confirms Clash of Champions for September 27
Roman Reigns wins Universal title at WWE Payback
Latest Audio:
WOR: WWE Payback, Ric Drasin, New Japan, tons more! 8/31
B&V: WWE Payback 2020 and Thursday’s AEW Dynamite! 8/30
WOL: WWE Payback, New Japan Jingu Stadium, Smackdown, more! 8/30
WON NEWSLETTER: August 31, 2020 Observer Newsletter: Death of Bob Armstrong, WWE ThunderDome debut
A look at the life and wrestling career of Bob Armstrong is the lead in this week’s double issue of the Observer. We go through what made him a star, his appeal in the Southeast, his role in the famed Atlanta promotion war, what his booking by Bill Watts in Florida inspired more than a decade later, the Roddy Piper feud, the numbers Georgia wrestling did on cable, his success in different territories and his authority roles later in his career.
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Also in this issue:
Thunderdome, what hit, what missed, what audience came back for it, what has been learned so far, the sweetheart business deal, the Payback card and booking, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.
Television situation changing for Bellator and what that means, including the unique nature of their ownership that explains why it was purchased in the first place.
Karrion Kross injury and Tuesday’s NXT show to fill the title vacancy.
A look back at the first NXT Takeover and at the 30th show, with match-by-match coverage, star ratings and poll results.
New Japan’s first major outdoor stadium show in 21 years, the last non-Tokyo Dome stadium show before this, what Jingu Stadium is most known for historically, an show preview and a look at this past week’s Korakuen Hall show.
The economics of WWE, the Sonya Deville court hearing, return to action of the U.K. crew and plans, Renee Young talks her time in WWE, Big E/Miz talk, WWE new hires, Orton and Flair talk their angle, how wrestling did compared to other sports this past week, Canadian & U.K. ratings, rewriting of Raw this past week, most watched shows on WWE network this past week and company current market value.
Saturday’s UFC show with business notes and match-by-match coverage.
Return of CMLL, its plans for this year’s anniversary show and how the voting for specific matches is doing.
Television viewers per home for the biggest sports events of the past week and how wrestling fits in.
Ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE
Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Raw, Brock Lesnar as well as taking e-mail questions that you can send to [email protected]
There should be major changes in ratings, particularly involving sports, as Nielsen begins counting viewership outside the homes in places like bars, restaurants and airports. This is supposed to make a huge change going forward in sports ratings, particularly major sports events.
Tyson Fury and Drew McIntyre went back-and-forth over Twitter with challenges. It seemed not to be grandstand stuff but such a match doesn’t seem to make economic sense unless it’s in Saudi Arabia or WrestleMania, and everyone is going with the idea that the show scheduled for later this year isn’t happening.
Even though last week the injuries to Drew McIntyre were supposed to be career threatening, he was as of this morning scheduled to headline the 9/27 PPV show, likely against Randy Orton. This should all be made clear on tonight’s show.
WWE Payback was the No. 8 most searched term on Google yesterday with 200,000 searches, which is identical to what Saturday’s UFC show did and probably a little better than would be expected under the circumstances. It is what a normal B show does, but a lot of people figured coming a week after SummerSlam would lead to lower interest. We’re still doing our weekend polls for both Payback and the New Japan Jingu Stadium show on Saturday so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle with a best and worst match from each show to [email protected]
Richard Drasin, who was well known in the bodybuilding community from the 70s Gold’s Gym era and wrestled from 1966 to 2001 as Ric Drasin, passed away yesterday at the age of 76 after being hospitalized with a series of heath complications. We talked about this last night and will have a bigger article on him in the Observer, but he was a guy who could have been a star as many promoters including Don Owen and Verne Gagne liked his look as a babyface but in the end, he never wanted to leave the Venice Beach scene and that cost him a lot of opportunities. He trained a number of wrestlers, including Rusev, Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus, promoted independent shows and his own promotion for 16 years, and was a popular podcaster talking about the bodybuilding scene in the 70s. He also played the part of Demi-Hulk in The Incredible Hulk television show.
WWE
For Raw tonight, the only thing announced was Rey Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins as of earlier today.
Jeff Hardy turns 43 today and Mickie James turns 41.
UFC
A major featherweight fight with Brian Ortega vs Chan Sung Jung, the Korean Zombie, which UFC has tried to put together in the past, is now slated for 10/17.
After original opponent Ricky Simon who forced off this coming Saturday’s UFC show due to one of his corner men testing positive for COVID-19, Brian Kelleher, who was to face Simon, is now scheduled against Kevin Natividad (9-1). who is making his UFC debut.
Gustavo Lopez vs. Felipe Colares in a bantamweight fight has been added to the 11/7 show.
AEW
TV Guide in their new listings has AEW Dynamite No. 57 in a list of the 100 best television shows in the U.S. I can’t recall a pro wrestling show ever making the list other than GLOW. No. 1 was Better Call Saul.
MJF”s lawyer, who faces Jon Moxley on Wednesday’s show, Smart Mark Sterling, is an independent wrestler as well as the producer and co-host of Matt Cardona & Brian Myers’ podcast. He trained with MJF at Myers’ school in New York, which is also where Kris Statlander was trained (thanks to Scott Yager)
MISCELLANEOUS
Impact on AXS TV tomorrow night
Eddie Edwards vs. Eric Young for the Impact championship
Rob Van Dam vs. Sami Callihan
Mad Man Fulton & Ace Austin vs. Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz
Reno Scum vs. Rhino
Deonna Purrazzo’s black tie affair celebration
This show goes head-to-head with NXT from 8-10 p.m. on the USA Network. NXT features a one-hour Iron Man match for the vacant NXT title with Tommaso Ciampa vs. Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Finn Balor, which has a very good chance of being among the greatest WWE matches in history. The show also has a street fight with Tyler Breeze & Fandango & Isaiah Scott vs. Santos Escobar & Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde.
Former Southeastern Championship Wrestling TV announcer Charlie Platt talks about his last visit with Bob Armstrong.
Nail in the Coffin: The Fall and Rise of Vampiro will be debuting at limited theaters on Friday and then be released the following Tuesday on VOD and Digital.
Warrior Wrestling has shows on 9/12, 9/19 and 9/26 at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago at the Dave Mattio Football Field. Kids 16 and under will be admitted free with a paying adult. Field seats are $45 and bleachers are $35.
Hooked on Wrestling is doing a Nitro week to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the birth of Monday Nitro.
Paige VanZant, as the face of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, will be headed to Philadelphia on Wednesday to announce the partnership between the promotion and the Travis Manion Foundation. Events to announce this are set for 9 a.m. Wednesday at Freedom Square in Dylestown, PA, 1 p.m. at the Philadelphia Museum of Art where the Rocky steps are at 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. at Phillips Steaks at 3 p.m. The first show as part of this partnership will be a 9/12 show in Daytona Beach, FL at the Ocean Center.
The town of East Haven,CT sent a cease and desist letter to Leonard Inzitari (former WWF wrestler Mario Mancini) to shut down a wrestling event at Inzitari’s wrestling school that was scheduled for this past Saturday night. The reason give is that the city has categorized Inzitani’s Paradise Alley Pro Wrestling show a “pornographic, adult entertainment and fetish wrestling.” The school is run by Inzatari, Paul Roma, Steven Paradise and Paul Perez. Jes Inzitari, the son of Leonard, has said that the promotion emphasizes a G rated atmosphere where no profanity, no blood or weapons are allowed. He has started a petition to get this ruling overturned. Others who have attended the shows have said that nothing inappropriate has happened at the events.
United Wrestling Coalition returns to Kelly’s Bar in Wrightstown, NJ on Saturday night for an outdoor show at 5 p.m. with admission being $13. Fans are told to bring their own lawn chair and reserve a ticket in advance. They are also asking fans to bring an unwrapped toy. It’s not a requirement, but they want to deliver Toys for underprivileged kids and will be having drop boxes at their outdoor shows on 9/5, 9/19 and 10/24 for collections. If you donate a toy, you will get a free ticket voucher once they can run shows indoors again. Saturday’s show has the 11th annual Wrightstown Rumble with 20 participants.
Daily Pro Wrestling History: Chris Jericho becomes first AEW World Champion
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