AEW head Tony Khan said on a podcast Wednesday that he recently heard from WWE as they put in a request to talk to AEW talent for some upcoming documentaries.
While answering a question from Barstool Sports’ Robbie Fox about whether he has met Vince McMahon, Khan revealed that WWE reached out recently about interviewing some AEW wrestlers that used to work for the company and others who “had history” there for some documentaries. Khan intimated that it might be for a second season of the A&E Biography: WWE Legends series that debuted this year.
He didn’t provide, nor was asked, about who WWE wants to speak with or the timeframe in which they want to do so.
Khan hasn’t granted the request as of yet, saying he is open to talking to them more and is “considering their request.” He added they were very classy and has nothing bad to say about WWE. He cited the experience of Chris Jericho going on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Session on WWE Network as an example and that he trusted both men completely.
WWE and A&E’s “Macho Man” Randy Savage Biography ranked in the top 10 of cable on Sunday.
The Savage Biography documentary averaged 790,000 viewers on A&E, down from the 880,000 viewers that the previous week’s Roddy Piper Biography averaged. But while viewership was down, the rating in the 18-49 demo was up to a 0.31. The Piper Biography had drawn a 0.27 rating in the demo.
In 18-49, the Savage Biography ranked seventh for the day on cable. The Piper Biography ranked 10th the previous Sunday.
The third episode of WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures, which was focused on Jerry “The King” Lawler memorabilia, averaged 563,000 viewers on A&E on Sunday. That’s down from the 769,000 viewers the show averaged the previous week. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.22, down from the previous week’s 0.27. It ranked 12th for the day on cable in 18-49.
The previous week’s Most Wanted Treasures episode was focused on Undertaker & Kane memorabilia. It ranked 11th for the day in 18-49.
Here’s a look at the ratings for WWE’s programming block on A&E since it began:
Biography —
Steve Austin: 1.062 million viewers (0.38 rating in 18-49)
Roddy Piper: 880,000 viewers (0.27 rating in 18-49)
Randy Savage: 790,000 viewers (0.31 rating in 18-49)
WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures —
Episode one (Mick Foley): 766,000 viewers (0.29 rating in 18-49)
Episode two (The Undertaker & Kane): 769,000 viewers (0.27 rating in 18-49)
Episode three (Jerry Lawler): 563,000 viewers (0.22 rating in 18-49)
This coming Sunday’s Biography and Most Wanted Treasures episodes will both be focused on Booker T. The Biography documentary premieres at 8 p.m. Eastern time, with Most Wanted Treasures starting at 10:02 p.m. Eastern.
The second week of WWE’s programming block on A&E ranked 10th and 11th on cable on Sunday.
A&E’s Roddy Piper Biography averaged 880,000 viewers on Sunday night, down from the 1.062 million viewers that the previous week’s Steve Austin Biography averaged. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.27. That’s down from the 0.38 rating that the Austin Biography drew.
WWE president and chief revenue officer Nick Khan said on last week’s WWE financial call that the Austin documentary was A&E’s highest-rated Biography in 16 years.
WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures, which aired its second episode after the Piper Biography, averaged 769,000 viewers. That’s up slightly from the 766,000 viewers that the show’s premiere averaged the previous week. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.27, down slightly from the premiere’s 0.29 rating. That tied the Piper Biography and ranked 11th for the day in 18-49.
The premiere of WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures also ranked 11th for the day the previous Sunday. The premiere episode was focused on Mick Foley, while the second episode was focused on The Undertaker and Kane.
Week three of WWE’s programming partnership with A&E will air this coming Sunday. A Biography documentary on Randy Savage will premiere at 8 p.m. Eastern time, followed by episode three of WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures airing at 10:01 p.m. Eastern. The Most Wanted Treasures episode will be focused on Jerry Lawler.
The debut of WWE’s programming block on A&E ranked sixth and 11th on cable respectively on Sunday.
A&E’s Steve Austin Biography documentary, which premiered at 8 p.m. Eastern time, averaged 1.062 million viewers. It drew a 0.38 rating in the 18-49 demo, trailing 90 Day Fiance, an afternoon NBA game, Real Housewives of Atlanta, Food Network’s Tournament of Champions, and Sunday Night Baseball for the day.
The premiere of WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures aired at 10 p.m. Eastern on A&E. It averaged 766,000 viewers overall and drew a 0.29 rating in the 18-49 demo. The show ranked 11th for the day on cable in 18-49.
Here are detailed demographic ratings for both programs:
Steve Austin Biography —
People 18-49: 0.38
Women 18-49: 0.29
Men 18-49: 0.48
People 18-34: 0.20
Females 12-34: 0.12
Males 12-34: 0.20
People 25-54: 0.52
People over 50: 0.44
WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures —
People 18-49: 0.29
Women 18-49: 0.21
Men 18-49: 0.37
People 18-34: 0.15
Females 12-34: 0.10
Males 12-34: 0.15
People 25-54: 0.41
People over 50: 0.32
WWE’s 10-week programming partnership with A&E will also include Biography documentaries on Roddy Piper, Randy Savage, Booker T, Shawn Michaels, Ultimate Warrior, Mick Foley, and Bret Hart. WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures is a nine-episode series that “takes viewers on a journey to find some of WWE’s most iconic, lost memorabilia.”
Our annual WrestleMania issue of the Observer is out this week with full coverage of pro wrestling’s biggest event.
We go through all the news of the show, including the booking, the title changes, the finishes, the direction, what did and didn’t work, the difference between the two nights, after four examples how does two shows work vs one, the big money WrestleMania main events, the returns, the celebrities and business notes on the show. We also look at next year.
Also in this issue:
Match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results from both nights of WrestleMania and both nights of Takeover, to see how people saw all four of the WWE’s big events.
Stone Cold Broken Skull Sessions with Chris Jericho. We talk about the stories told, Jericho’s career, what they did talk about and what was avoided, how this went against usual McMahon policy and why we probably won’t be seeing another show like this very soon. We look at what was said about AEW, New Japan, WWE, some of Jericho’s frustrations with WWE that he talked about, the formation of AEW and much more.
The sale of FITE TV to Triller and why it happened this week.
Anthem Entertainment’s purchase of Invicta, plans for Invicta on AXS, and a sale that was talked about for Invicta that didn’t happen.
WWE cuts, person by person, their strengths and weaknesses and where they would fit in.
WWE international plans, hiring of Adnan Vink as an announcer, new members of the WWE Board of Directors, how much WWE’s top executives earned in 2020 and where it came from, Edge and Paul Heyman building Mania, changes in WWE announcing, WWE International numbers and where Raw & Smackdown rank with sports shows of the past week. We also look at WWE’s most-watched streaming clips and a star about to return, as well as the current market value of WWE.
Coverage of Saturday’s UFC show, comments on the winning fighters and upcoming booking, along with business notes on the show.
A feature on John Da Silva, who was the biggest babyface and a national hero in New Zealand in the 70s.
More on Ethel Johnson and sister Babs Wingo, who integrated women’s pro wrestling in the Billy Wolfe stable in 1951.
More detail on ratings than any other source, we have how every segment on NXT and AEW did as well as how it did with different age groups, genders and more, plus a look at all other wrestling shows of the past week.
Results of the major pro wrestling events of the past week.
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.
In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.
For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.
SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE
Our weekend show with Bryan Alvarez and I is up on the site right now covering last night’s Triller show, the UFC, Smackdown and WWE cuts. Garrett Gonzalez and I also have a Friday night show talking about the news of the last week.
The Triller show was ridiculously popular, even as totally unprofessional as it was. Right now it appears there were 7.2 million searches on Google, which is gigantic, basically that beats anything in combat sports except for Ronda Rousey’s biggest fights or something like McGregor-Mayweather. Both days of WrestleMania combined did 750,000. AEW Revolution did 200,000 as a comparison. The UFC show last night head-to-head had 200,000 last night with Robert Whittaker, Tracy Cortez and Jeremy Stephens all cracking the top 20. For the rest of the week, WWE releases had 20,000 searches on Friday. Bad Bunny causing a Ticketmaster crash had 1 million searches on Thursday. Jake Paul had 100,000 searches on Tuesday.
A&E is airing two WWE-themed shows tonight. At 8 p.m. will be the first of the eight weeks of WWE profiles, covering Steve Austin. At 10 p.m. will be the new show starring Paul Levesque and Stephanie McMahon covering looking for WWE treasures. The Andre the Giant HBO documentary was the lead-in. Jason Hehir, who did The Last Dance and the Andre HBO documentary did the Austin show.
The Ultimate Fighter returns after a few years on ESPN+ on Tuesday nights starting 6/1. Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega will coach, to build to a featherweight title match. These are the cast of fighters:
Men’s bantamweights:
Daniel Argueta (5-0)
Brady Hiestand (4-1)
Dustin Lampros (5-0)
Vince Murdock (11-6)
Mitch Raposo (5-0)
Joshua Rettinghous (16-5)
Liudvik Sholinian (9-1)
Ricky Turcios (10-2)
Men’s middleweights:
Aaron Phillips (5-1)
Andre Petroski (5-1)
Bryan Battle (4-1)
Ryder Newman (3-1)
Tresean Gore (3-0)
Miles Hunsinger (7-0)
Kemran Lachinov (10-3)
Gilbert Urbina (6-1)
Greg Schimizzi, a longtime Michigan area timekeeper, passed away on Friday after battling a chronic illness. He had worked on area shows for decades.
Regarding the close scores in a number of last night’s UFC fights, here are media scores:
Tracy Cortez got 54% of media scores to 38% for Justine Kish and 8% even. Cortez won via split decision.
Luis Pena got 31 percent of the media scores to 69 percent for Alexander Munoz, however Pena won the split decision
Alexander Romanov got 0% of judges’ scores even though he won a split decision over Juan Espino. Espino got 75 percent and 25 percent had it as a draw.
Jessica Penne won a split decision over Loopy Godinez. Media scores had 35 percent for Pena and 65 percent for Godinez.
OTHER NOTES
SWE Fury April 17th house show results: SWE Fury had a small card after a charity rodeo event April 17th in Belton TX at the Bad Dog Rodeo Arena, SWE Fury TV Champion Rodney Mac and Texas Champion The Blood Hunter fought to a no contest in a bunkhouse match when Blood Hunters manger Salina De La Renta started lighting hay bails on fire with kerosene fluid referee James Beard threw the match out, Rudy Gonzalez won a 20 man Battle Royal and Moonshine Mantell defeated a local. Blood Hunter also rode a bull to open the rodeo. The next SWE event is a FITE TV PPV and SWE Fury TV taping this Friday at Southern Junction in Irving TX featuring Sabu, Big Cass, Melina, Gangrel, The Boogeyman, Mark Henry among other stars. More info at SWEFury.com
A story on the C.M. Punk movie “Girl on the Third Floor”. (thanks to Chuck Langerman)
EPW from last night in Perth, Western Australia: Aaron hawk b Davis Storm to win EPW Coastal title, Julian War b Kaz Jordan, Del Cano & Zenith won over Stella Nyx & Chadwick Johnson, Casey Johns & James Hartness and Dan Moore & Jesse Lambert, Damian Slater b Bruno Nitro, Marcius Pitt b Gavin McGavin, Kiel Steria b Tyler Jacobs, Mikey Nicholls b Robbie Eagles to retain EPW title. Was told this show was tremendos and Pitt vs. McGavin was a great match. Next show is 6/12 with Slater vs. Mchael Morleone in a submission match and Edith Night vs. Casey Johns in a street fight.
Deathmatch Downunder from last night in Melbourne, Australia: JXT & FOX b Kid Valiant & Zane Zodiac, Aysha & Murdoch b Mitchell Wright & Hector Jones, Jake Navara b Magnificent Mitchell, Caveman Ugg b Tommy Knight, Joel Bateman b Atlas Whittaker in a light tube death match, Callen Butcher & Michael Weaver & Zuzu the Clown b Gweedo & York & Mike Kaos in a fans bring the blocks death match, Tyson Baxter b Shazza McKenzie, Gore b Ritchie Taylor, Aysha & Murdoch b JXT & FOX to become the first tag team champions in tournament final (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
Pro Wrestling Diana from today in Kanagawa: Dash Chisako & Hanako Nakamori b Nanami & Nagisa Nozaki, Madeline & Asuka (Venny) b Andras Miyagi & Ami Miura, Jaguar Yokota & Shinobu Kandori b Kaoru Ito & Takako Inoue, Haruka Umesaki & Miyuki Takase b Ayame Saasamura & Rina Shingaki to win the Diana tag team titles, Kyoko Inoue b Ayako to to win the Diana title. Bull Nakano made a surprise appearance to put the belt around Inoue’s waist.
Tokyo Joshi Pro from yesterday in Tokyo at Korakuen Hall: Marika Kobashi & Seana Shiori b Moka Miyamoto & Arisu Endo, Miu Watanabe & Raku & Pom Harajuku b Yuna Manase & Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neiko, Miyu Yamashita b Hikari Noa, Mirai Maiumi & Suzume won three-way over Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki and Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao, Yuki Kamifuku b Nao Kakua to keep International Princess title, Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel b Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino to win the Princess tag team title, Rika Tatsumi b Maki Itoh to retain Princess of Princess championship
Stardom from yesterday in Takazaki: Mina Shirakawa b Lady C, Tam Nakano & Unagki Sayaka b Konami & Rina, Maika & Himeka & Natsupoi b Utami Hayashishita & Saya Kamitani & Hina, Giulia & Syuri d Momo Watanabe & AZM 15:00, Fukigen Death & Natsuko Tora & Ruaka b Mayu Iwatani & Starlight Kid & Hanan (thanks to Shannon Walsh)
The long-awaited collaboration between WWE and A&E will kick off on Sunday, April 18th.
Under the network’s “Biography” banner, the WWE Studios-produced documentary series called “WWE Legends” will feature two hour looks at Steve Austin, Randy Savage, Roddy Piper, Booker T, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Mick Foley and the Ultimate Warrior, airing weekly at 8 PM Eastern.
The series will be followed by “WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures” at 10 PM Eastern featuring the husband and wife duo of Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Stephanie McMahon. The nine episodes will focus on the two leading “a team of collectors, WWE Superstars and Legends as they investigate, negotiate, bid and travel across the country to hunt down and reclaim some of the most elusive WWE collectibles” like Kane’s original mask, Ric Flair’s butterfly robe, Andre The Giant’s passport and Andy Kaufman’s neck brace.
From the release: “Superstar in training AJ Francis will head out on the road alongside some of the most famous WWE Legends of all time including The Undertaker, Ric Flair, Charlotte Flair, Mick Foley, Kane, Big Show, Mark Henry, Jerry “The King” Lawler, Booker T, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Sgt. Slaughter. The series will unearth these rare items in the hopes of preserving and sharing the legacy behind the memorable moments in WWE history.”
Here’s the full list of directors and producers involved with the documentaries:
“Biography: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin” – Directed by Jake Rogal and Executive Produced by Jason Hehir (“The Last Dance,” “Andre The Giant”), this film traces the story of the man who became WWE’s biggest star in the 90s. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s authentic, fiery personality epitomized WWE’s “Attitude Era” and transformed him into a pop culture icon. After nearly being paralyzed by a neck injury, Austin made one of the greatest comebacks in WWE history. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
“Biography: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper” – Directed by Emmy and Peabody Award winner Joe Lavine (ESPN 30 for 30 “Playing for the Mob,” HBO “Namath”),this film focuses on “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, who is universally considered one of WWE’s greatest villains. During his Hall of Fame career, he played the role of the antagonist against a who’s who of WWE greats, while amassing more than 30 championships.
“Biography: “Macho Man” Randy Savage” – Produced by Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman (“Cocaine Cowboys,” “Screwball,” ESPN 30 for 30 “The U”), this film will tell the larger-than-life story of one of the most colorful and charismatic Superstars to ever step foot inside the ring. With two WWE Championships, four WCW® World Championships and a 14-month reign as Intercontinental Champion, Savage became known for his famous catch phrases, larger-than-life personality and the enormous, flashy robes he wore into the ring.
“Biography: Booker T” – Directed by Emmy and Peabody Award winner George Roy (“The Curse of the Bambino”, “Mayweather”), this film showcases one of the greatest Superstars in sports entertainment history. Booker T is an 11-time WCW Tag Team Champion, a six-time World Champion, winner of the 2006 King of the Ring Tournament, and a two-time (2013 and 2019) inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame. In addition to his Hall of Fame career in the ring, Booker T also went on to become a color commentator for WWE’s weekly programming.
“Biography: Shawn Michaels” – Directed by Joe Lavine (“Rowdy” Roddy Piper, ESPN 30 for 30 “Playing for the Mob,” HBO “Namath”), this film chronicles the wild life of one of WWE’s greatest performers and most enduring villains. After drug addiction nearly cost him his life, Shawn Michaels, aka “The Heartbreak Kid,” made one of the most improbable late-career comebacks in WWE history. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.
“Biography: Ultimate Warrior” – Directed by Daniel Amigone (“24/7 Red Wings: Maple Leafs – Road to the Winter Classic,” “Chain of Command,” “The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth”) and Executive Produced by Jake Rogal and Jason Hehir (“The Last Dance,” “Andre The Giant”), this film shares the story of Ultimate Warrior, a WWE Hall of Famer who inspired an entire generation of fans living by his mantra of “always believe.” With his colorful face paint and equally colorful interviews, Ultimate Warrior is perhaps best remembered for defeating Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI to become both the WWE Champion and the Intercontinental Champion.
“Biography: Mick Foley”– Directed by Thomas Odelfelt (24/7 “Mayweather-Marquez,” 24/7 “Penguins-Capitals: Road To The NHL Winter Classic,” HBO “Courtside At The NBA Finals”) and Executive Produced by Jake Rogal and Jason Hehir (“The Last Dance,” “Andre The Giant”), this film follows the unique, multifaceted career of Mick Foley, a 2013 WWE Hall of Fame inductee better known as “Mankind.” A fan favorite during WWE’s “Attitude Era,” Foley shocked audiences in 1998 during a career defining match as he was thrown off the top of the Hell in a Cell by Undertaker.
“Biography: Bret “Hitman” Hart” – Directed by George Roy (“Booker T,” “The Curse of the Bambino,” “Mayweather,” HBO “Mantle”), this film tells the story of Bret Hart, one of the greatest technical athletes in WWE history, earning him nicknames “The Hit Man” and “The Excellence of Execution.” Throughout his storied career, the five-time WWE title holder famously defeated “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ric Flair and Yokozuna, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.
A&E and WWE Studios are partnering together for a new series focused on WWE memorabilia.
It was announced today that A&E Network has greenlit a series with the working title “The Quest for Lost WWE Treasures.” It will be hosted by Stephanie McMahon and Paul “Triple H” Levesque and will take viewers “on the ultimate hunt to find some of WWE’s most iconic, lost memorabilia.”
The series will feature 10 one-hour episodes.
Here’s A&E’s description for the series:
In each episode, WWE’s Stephanie McMahon and Paul “Triple H” Levesque, will lead a team of collectors, WWE Superstars and Legends as they investigate, negotiate, bid and travel across the country to hunt down and reclaim some of the most elusive WWE collectibles.
Throughout history, WWE’s action-packed storylines have spawned iconic, one-of-a-kind memorabilia, most of which is lost in attics, hidden in boxes or even claimed by competitors. Guided by McMahon and Levesque, the series will unearth these rare items in the hopes of preserving and sharing the legacy behind the memorable moments in WWE history. Episodes will feature exclusive WWE footage as well as unprecedented access to the WWE Archives, which holds more than 10,000 rarities including Andre the Giant’s custom boots, Vince McMahon’s cement-filled Corvette, The Undertaker’s caskets and more. Over the course of ten one-hour episodes, WWE Superstars and Legends will give viewers a unique look into WWE history as they seek out the missing treasures that have left a lasting mark on pop culture.
WWE Studios’ Susan Levison and Ben Zierten and A&Es Elaine Frontain Bryant, Dolores Gavin, and Jonathan Partridge are serving as executive producers for “The Quest for Lost WWE Treasures.”
It was noted that the new series joins the previously announced greenlight of five “Biography” documentaries that A&E and WWE are partnering together for. Those were announced last year and will be focused on Randy Savage, Roddy Piper, Booker T, Steve Austin, and Shawn Michaels.
On Thursday, WWE announced a deal with A&E to produce five, two-hour documentaries as part of the network’s “Biography” series.
The focus on the five documentaries are Randy Savage, Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Roddy Piper, and Booker T.
While the Austin and Michaels films are slated for a 2021 release, the other three are in pre-production and will hit the airwaves in the spring of 2020. The release mentions the films will feature both new and archived interviews along with “never before seen footage”.
The Savage documentary will be directed by Billy Corben, a documentary filmmaker known for several popular ESPN 30 for 30 films like ‘The U’ and ‘Broke’ while the Piper documentary is helmed by Joe Lavine, an Emmy and Peabody award winner who has produced work for both HBO (‘Lombardi’, ‘Ted Williams’, ‘Ali-Frazier I’) and ESPN’s 30 for 30 series (‘Playing For The Mob’).
The Booker T doc is being directed by George Roy, an Emmy and Peabody award winner for HBO (‘Curse of The Bambino’, ‘Broad Street Bullies’, ‘Fists of Freedom’).
Directors for the Austin and Michaels documentaries will be announced at a later date.
