Author: Bryan Rose

Minoru Suzuki appears on AEW Collision, wrestles Darby Allin

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Minoru Suzuki made a surprise appearance on AEW Collision.

Saturday’s show started with Allin appearing in a backstage promo saying he was ready to fight anyone tonight in an impromptu match. After Allin came to the ring, Suzuki made his appearance, accepting Allin’s challenge. The two proceeded to have a match, the finish coming when Allin went for a coffin drop on Suzuki, who countered with a rear naked choke. However, Allin shifted his weight and pinned Suzuki’s shoulders on the mat while still in the choke hold to win the match.

At Forbidden Door back in June, Allin teamed with Sting and Tetsuya Naito to defeat Suzuki, Chris Jericho, and Sammy Guevara. Footage from that event showing Allin and Suzuki squaring off was shown on Collision prior to their match.

On this week’s Dynamite, Allin’s friend AR Fox turned on him, costing Allin a match against Swerve Strickland and joining the Mogul Embassy in the process. On last week’s Rampage, Allin won the Royal Rampage Battle Royal, earning himself a TNT title match against Luchasaurus at All Out in September.

CM Punk to defend ‘Real World Championship’ on AEW Collision next week

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A match for CM Punk’s AEW Championship is set for next week’s Collision.

Punk will defend the title against Ricky Starks, who has pinned Punk by using the ropes for the last two weeks in a row. The match was set up on Saturday’s Collision after Starks agreed to a match with a special outside enforcer. Tony Schiavone at the end of the segment announced that Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat would be the outside enforcer for the match.

Saturday’s show had CM Punk come to the ring for an interview with Schiavone, holding a bag. He later revealed that the bag contained the AEW World Championship that he has been holding since defeating Jon Moxley at All Out last September. He declared himself the Real World Champion and reiterated that he has never been beaten for the championship.

Two more title matches were also set up for next week’s Collision. Kris Statlander will defend the TBS Championship against Mercedes Martinez, who attacked Statlander on Saturday after she made the save for Martinez’s opponent Kiera Hogan. And after Big Bill & Brian Cage won a Tag Team Eliminator Battle Royal match on Friday’s Rampage, they will challenge FTR for the Tag Team titles.

Here is the lineup thus far for next week’s Collision:

  • Real World Championship: CM Punk defends against Ricky Starks
  • AEW Tag Team titles: FTR defend against Big Bill & Brian Cage
  • TBS Championship: Kris Statlander defends against Mercedes Martinez

Report: Rey Mysterio suffered legit injury on WWE SmackDown

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Rey Mysterio reportedly was legit injured during a match on SmackDown Friday.

Fightful Select reported Friday night that Santos Escobar was originally set to win the United States Title Invitational finals on SmackDown against Rey Mysterio clean. However, an audible was called with the match ending and Escobar being declared the winner. A follow-up backstage segment had to be scrapped as a result of the injury.

During a commercial break on Friday’s show, Escobar landed a suicide dive to the floor, with Mysterio’s head bouncing against the floor on impact. When SmackDown returned from commercial, WWE medical personnel were seen talking to Mysterio, who was laying on the apron. It was then announced that Mysterio was unable to continue, and Escobar was declared the winner. After the match, Mysterio managed to get back up on his feet and hug Escobar, congratulating him on the win.

As a result of the tournament win, Escobar has earned a United States title match against champion Austin Theory. They will meet on the August 11 edition of SmackDown at the Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Big Bill & Brian Cage earn AEW Tag Team title match

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Big Bill and Brian Cage are the next contenders for the AEW Tag Team titles.

Bill and Cage won a battle royal on Friday’s Rampage, last eliminating The Butcher together to win the battle royal. The winner of the battle royal will get a shot at the AEW Tag Team titles, which are currently held by FTR.

The two first teamed up as part of a AEW Blind Eliminator Tag Team title tournament that took place earlier this month. On the July 5 edition of Dynamite, they teamed for the first time, defeating Matt Sydal and Trent Berretta. They ended up losing to Adam Cole and MJF on the July 15 edition of Dynamite. Cole and MJF eventually went on to win the tournament.

Since the end of The Firm stable, Big Bill and Lee Moriarty have continued their tag team. The duo won a squash match on last week’s ROH on HonorClub. Cage is one third of the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions with The Gates of Agony.

The next AEW Tag Team title match will take place on Saturday’s Collision, with Cole & MJF taking on FTR.

Santos Escobar to challenge for WWE United States title

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Santos Escobar will get a United States title match in two weeks.

Escobar defeated Rey Mysterio to become the next contender for Austin Theory’s United States title. The match will take place in two weeks on the August 11 edition of SmackDown.

The finish of Friday’s match had Escobar hitting Mysterio with a suicide dive during a commercial break, Mysterio’s head bouncing off the ground upon impact. Once SmackDown returned, it was shown that medical personnel were checking on Mysterio. The referee eventually decided to end the match and award the victory to Escobar. After the match. Mysterio and Escobar hugged. Theory, who was watching the match in a balcony, got up and posed with the United States title.

Two four-way matches have taken place in the last two weeks to determine the next United States title contender. Escobar defeated AJ Styles, Butch, and Grayson Waller to advance to tonight’s match, while Mysterio defeated Cameron Grimes, LA Knight, and Sheamus.

Jamie Hayter unlikely to compete at AEW All In

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Jamie Hayter is unlikely for AEW’s Wembley Stadium show in August.

Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that there’s been talk that Hayter will not be able to compete at All In.

“We don’t have much on Jamie Hayter but there has been at least talk she won’t make it back for Wembley, which obviously would be the goal if possible,” he wrote.

Fightful additionally reported on Friday that Hayter would not only be unable to return by All In on August 27, but a return before the end of 2023 would be “unexpected”, writing that “things seem worse with her injury than anticipated”.

Hayter was the AEW Women’s Champion when she lost the title to Toni Storm at Double or Nothing back in May, working a match that only lasted a few minutes. She hasn’t appeared on television since. Toni Storm has remained champion since then, most recently defending the title against Taya Valkyrie at Battle of the Belts earlier this month.

Jericho & Takeshita vs. Guevara & Garcia set for AEW Dynamite’s 200th episode

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A tag match pitting members of the Jericho Appreciation Society is set for next week’s AEW Dynamite.

Chris Jericho will team with Konosuke Takeshita to take on Sammy Guevara and Daniel Garcia. In a backstage promo on Wednesday’s show, Don Callis suggested to Jericho that he and Takeshita form a dream team to take on Guevara and Garcia. Jericho seemed reluctant, but agreed when Callis said it would be a good way for the two to spread their wings, something Jericho suggested weeks ago.

Jack Perry will also have a ‘face to face’ with Jerry Lynn. Perry dismissed the FTW Championship, running down ECW and Taz. Lynn came to the ring and defended ECW, saying if it wasn’t for that promotion there would have never been a Jungle Boy. Lynn prepared to fight Perry, but Perry said he wasn’t ready this week and instead suggested the two meet next week.

An Anything Goes match is also set, with Trent Beretta taking on Jon Moxley and Penta El 0 M in a three-way match. Best Friends, Blackpool Combat Club, and the Lucha Brothers met in a three-way match this week, ending with the Lucha Brothers getting the win. Despite that, everyone continued to fight after the bell.

More matches will be announced on this Friday’s AEW Rampage.

Here is the lineup for next week’s Dynamite:

  • Chris Jericho & Konosuke Takeshita vs. Sammy Guevara & Daniel Garcia
  • Jack Perry face-to-face with Jerry Lynn
  • Anything goes: Jon Moxley vs. Penta El 0 M vs. Trent Beretta

Triple threat North American title match set for WWE NXT Great American Bash

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A three-way match for the North American title has been set for NXT’s Great American Bash event this Sunday.

Dominik Mysterio will defend the title against former champion Wes Lee and Mustafa Ali in a three-way match. Mysterio opened NXT on Tuesday bragging about his title win last week when Lee came out and demanded a rematch. Ali then came out and said he had the match for the Great American Bash against Lee, saying that Lee ruined everything. Lee argued with Ali as Rhea Ripley and Mysterio agreed to a three-way match for Sunday.

Additionally, a pre-show match has been added pitting members of Meta-Four (Noam Dar, Oro Mensah, Lash Legend, and Jakara Jackson) against Nathan Fraszer, Dragon Lee, Yulisa Leon, and Valentina Feroz.

It was also confirmed that Blair Davenport and Roxanne Perez will meet in a weapons wild match. Footage was shown on Tuesday’s NXT showing the two brawling in a convenience store.

Here is the updated lineup for Sunday’s Great American Bash:

  • NXT Championship: Carmelo Hayes defends against Ilja Dragunov
  • NXT North American Championship: Dominik Mysterio defends against Mustafa Ali and Wes Lee
  • NXT Tag Team titles: Gallus defends against Tony D’Angelo and Stacks
  • NXT Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton defends against Thea Hail
  • Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin
  • Weapons wild match: Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport
  • Pre-show: Nathan Frazer, Dragon Lee, Yulisa Leon, and Valentina Feroz vs. Noam Dar, Oro Mensah, Lash Legend, and Jakara Jackson

Gable Steveson to make WWE in-ring debut at NXT Great American Bash

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Gable Steveson is NXT, and his first match is on Sunday.

Steveson made his decision to remain in NXT on Tuesday’s show during an in-ring promo. He was about to announce his decision when Baron Corbin came out and urged him to either return to college or compete in the Olympics, ultimately saying he didn’t want him in NXT. Steveson responded by saying that Corbin confronting him made his decision that much easier, saying he would have his first match at the Great American Bash against Corbin.

Steveson, who signed with the WWE in 2021, started making appearances in NXT earlier this summer by helping Eddy Thorpe train in a NXT Underground match against Damon Kemp, Steveson’s real-life brother. Thorpe ended up winning the match, with Steveson throwing people around with suplexes once things got out of control.

Here is the updated lineup for the Great American Bash:

  • NXT Championship: Carmelo Hayes defends against Ilja Dragunov
  • NXT North American Championship: Dominik Mysterio defends against Mustafa Ali and Wes Lee
  • NXT Tag Team titles: Gallus defends against Tony D’Angelo and Stacks
  • NXT Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton defends against Thea Hail
  • Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin
  • Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport

Daily Update: New NXT match, Steph De Lander, Saya Kamitani

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Daily Update

Latest News

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

In this issue:

  • Poll results from all the major shows plus Match of the week and Performer of the week
  • Looking back on a week with some of the best matches of the year, story behind the matches and complications involved
  • Week one G-1 Climax coverage, what stories have been told, where is business, what is and isn’t working and match-by-match coverage
  • Coverage of TripleMania, including what really happened with Don Callis, the story behind Vikingo vs. Omega, as well as looking at the 8/12 show in Mexico City
  • Tony Khan press conference coverage, update on All In with new ticket sales info and how close to records is the show, more PPVs question, longer Dynamite, Death Before Dishonor and more
  • Full coverage of Saturday’s UFC show and what is next for the participants
  • Eric Young returns and Impact Slammiversary, as well as the return of Josh Alexander
  • How many homes are the networks that carry wrestling in
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling and MMA television shows, with a lot of shockers in the weekly and daily standings. Including what show placed No. 7 for the week in network television, where the wrestling and MMA shows finished on cable, segment-by-segment, competition and more
  • What promotion is killing it every week in ticket sales at the same arena
  • Major talent jump to join his brother
  • Documentary on the life of one of the biggest stars in history hits movie theaters internationally in the fall
  • Major TV documentary on the Ali vs. Inoki fight, what was revealed and some new news being reported
  • 75th anniversary of the birth of the NWA and the real story of its birth and growth
  • How the public’s viewing has changed
  • The Rick Steiner situation and how it was handled
  • More on the Teddy Hart arrest and what he was in Florida for
  • Notes on upcoming Impact TV shows
  • Upcoming ticket sales for WWE & AEw shows
  • Lots of new major UFC fights
  • Iconic company set for a return in September
  • Updated Money in the Bank and Forbidden Door PPV numbers
  • WWE injury updates
  • Dwayne Johnson reportedly sets an all-time money record
  • Gable Steveson’s decision
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

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Tuesday Update

WWE

AEW

Other Wrestling

  • Steph De Lander revealed to VICE Australia & New Zealand that she once wrestled in front of Florida governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis. “He came to the [WWE Performance Center] once. We got called in on Saturday that Ron DeSantis wanted to have a wrestling show for his kids. So him and his family came in, and they sat front row, and we all beat each other up on a Saturday morning because he wanted to take his kids to see the wrestling.”
  • ECW founder Tod Gordon’s memoir Tod is God was officially released today.
  • Kamile revealed that she will play June Byers in the upcoming ‘Queen in the Ring’ film, which centers around Mildred Burke.
  • Lisa Varon (Victoria in WWE) has been added to The Wrestling Code roster.
  • Starrcast announced that Dennis Rodman will be appearing in their next convention on September 1-3 during AEW All Out weekend.
  • Jaguar Yakota will team with Nanae Takahasi and Momoe Nakanishi to take on Momo Watanabe, Yuu, and Starlight Kid at Stardom’s August 19 Mid Summer Fes event.
  • Saya Kamitani has been pulled from Stardom’s 5Star Grand Prix tournament after suffering a dislocated elbow and ligament damage after jumping off a lightning tower in a match against Tam Nakano.
  • PWInsider reported that Impact will be making a “major international announcement” on Thursday morning.
  • Madusa spoke to Monthly Puroresu about her career.
  • Masato Tanaka will be making his DEFY debut at the Yakima Valley Sundome on October 13.

WWE’s Kevin Owens, Liv Morgan currently suffering from injuries

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Both Kevin Owens and Liv Morgan are currently dealing with injuries.

Fightful reported Monday evening that Owens is currently dealing with an undisclosed injury. Bryan Alvarez is reporting that both Owens and Liv Morgan are currently dealing with injuries.

“Both Kevin Owens and Liv Morgan are injured, severity to be determined,” Alvarez said.

Owens and Morgan were subject to storyline attacks on Raw. The finish to a match between Dominik Mysterio and Sami Zayn had Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley throw an injured Owens into the entranceway. This distracted Zayn, allowing Mysterio to roll up Zayn for the win. Later backstage, medical staff were seen checking on Owens as he said he thought something was broken.

Later, Morgan was set to take on Ripley in a singles match. However, Ripley jumped Morgan as she was heading to the ring and targeted her shoulder by grabbing a chair, wrapping it around Morgan’s shoulder, then stomping on the prone arm. Referees eventually separated the two, but Ripley fought her way back and did it a second time.

Becky Lynch earns rematch against Trish Stratus on WWE Raw

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Becky Lynch has earned her rematch against Trish Stratus.

On Raw Monday night. Lynch defeated Zoey Stark to earn a rematch against Trish Stratus. The stipulations for the match were that if Lynch had lost, she would of had to tattoo “thank you Trish” on her body. It wasn’t said when the rematch would take place.

The two have been feuding since shortly after WrestleMania, when Stratus turned on Lynch and cost them the tag team titles on an episode of Raw. Stratus revealed it was her who attacked Lita, allowing herself to enter their tag match and turn on Lynch. Their first match took place at Night of Champions back in May, which saw Stratus win after Stark got involved in their match, revealing their alliance.

Following Money in the Bank, Lynch demanded that Stratus face her in a rematch. However, Stratus soon emerged with a nose guard on her face, saying she was injured. Stark defeated Lynch on the July 10 episode of Raw, leading to the episode of Miz TV the following week where the stipulations for Monday’s match were agreed to.

Three matches added to WWE SummerSlam

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More matches have been made official for SummerSlam.

Drew McIntyre vs. Gunther, Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler, and Logan Paul vs. Ricochet are all set for next week’s SummerSlam at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.

Monday’s Raw had Ricochet come to the ring for a face-to-face with Paul. However, Paul didn’t show up. Instead, Paul attacked Ricochet from behind and accepted Ricochet’s challenge for SummerSlam. Ricochet managed to cut off Paul to send him reeling.

In backstage segments, Baszler first said she challenged Rousey for SummerSlam, saying it wouldn’t be a match but a fight. Later, Rousey accepted the challenge.

McIntyre and Gunther had a face-to-face on Monday’s Raw that ended up having McIntyre defeat Ludwig Kaiser in a match. After McIntyre won, Gunther and McIntyre had a brawl that ended up having Gunther being put through the announcer’s table.

Here is the updated lineup for WWE SummerSlam.

WWE SummerSlam, Saturday, August 5, 8 p.m. Eastern time on Peacock & WWE Network —

  • Tribal Combat match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship and title of Tribal Chief: Roman Reigns defends against Jey Uso
  • Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
  • World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins defends against Finn Balor
  • WWE Intercontinental title match: Gunther defends against Drew McIntyre
  • Triple threat match for the WWE Women’s Championship: Asuka defends against Charlotte Flair & Bianca Belair
  • Logan Paul vs. Ricochet
  • Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler 

The Rock makes seven-figure donation to SAG-AFTRA Foundation relief fund

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The Rock has donated to help those currently striking in Hollywood.

Variety reported that The Rock has contributed a “seven-figure donation” for SAG-AFTRA’s Emergency Financial Assistance Program, which will help actors that are currently on strike. The SAG-AFTRA union has been on strike since July 13, joining the Writer’s Guild of America.

SAG-AFTRA Foundation Courtney B. Vance and executive director Cyd Wilson drafted a letter to 2,700 of the union’s highest-earning actors detailing the financial need for actors as they continue to strike. According to Vance, The Rock’s team reached out after the letter was sent. Variety did not report the specific amount donated.

“It was a love fest. It’s like, ‘Man, you’re stepping up in a way that is allowing others to know the dire necessity of it,’” Vance told Variety. “This is him saying, ‘In such a time as this, I’m here and I’m not going anywhere, whatever you need me to do.’ And that sends a huge message to other folks to do the same thing.”

“We have 160,000 SAG-AFTRA performers and that’s a lot of people that are going to need our help,” Vance added. “This donation is the kickstart we needed in the first week of what we think will be a long haul.”

It was recently reported that The Rock is set to make $50 million for an upcoming Christmas movie called Red One from Amazon Studios.

Billy Gunn teases retirement on AEW Collision

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Billy Gunn teased his retirement on AEW Collision.

After Gunn and The Acclaimed failed to capture the Trios titles from The House of Black, Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews both paid tribute to him as they made their exit. 

An emotional Gunn recovered and then started to untie his boots. Once finished, he put them inside the ring and left. The Acclaimed acted like they were surprised by the move and attempted to talk to Gunn, but he shoved them away and walked to the back as he made his exit.

Later, both of his sons paid tribute to him even though they are split in storyline:

Gunn, 59, made his pro wrestling debut in 1989. He is best remembered for his run in WWE, first with Bart Gunn as a tag team called The Smoking Gunns and later as a member of D-Generation X, where he teamed with the Road Dogg as The New Age Outlaws.

He joined AEW as a trainer in early 2019. He first appeared on TV teaming with his sons before they entered a feud with The Acclaimed. After Colten and Austin turned on their father, he aligned himself with The Acclaimed, going by the name Daddy Ass.