Tag: Daily updates

Daily Update: Kevin Nash, WWE SmackDown, Raw

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

This Week’s Back Issue

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Monday Update

Bryan and I will be back tonight talking about all of the day’s news.  And there is quite a bit.  Our coverage of The three big weekend shows went up late Saturday night and my week in review show with Garrett Gonzlaes was up on Friday.  

Kevin Nash on his podcast Kliq This, revealed that a test on his heart showed a small amount of scar tissue from the past which could have indicated a minor undiagnosed issue from the past, perhaps 20 years ago.  He will be undergoing a procedure shortly to counteract a bit  of an irregular heartbeat.  Best of luck to him on the procedure.

Smackdown on Friday did 1.34 million viewers and an 0.37 in 18-49, similar to the week before.  It was first on cable, went against college football on  FOX and ESPN, WNBA playoffs and strong news numbers.

Raw tonight starts at 7 p.m. as part of the experiment with WWE and Netflix to see what is the best start time for the show.  We’ll get an idea tomorrow when the ratings for the first week of the experiment come out.  They are in Evansville, IN, and had 5,975 tickets out as of today.  This was the show some were pointing to with the idea WWE was starting to fall, but it’s one show and a few had weaker than usual advances, but in the end, this ended up fine.  Cody Rhodes will be on the show to build his match upcoming with Seth Rollins in Perth, Australia.  Stephanie Vaquer will appear as champion.  It gets a one hour jump on the Detroit vs. Baltimore NFL game, which starts at 8:15 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN 2.

We are looking for reports on this show from a live perspective, especially the matches not on television to [email protected], with finishes and notes.

We are doing weekend polls on CMLL Anniversary 92, AEW All Out and WWE Wrestlepalooza.  You can leave a thumbs up,thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for each show  to [email protected]

We’re also looking for your thoughts on the best show of the weekend IF you saw all three, and the best match.

Allegiant Stadium is charging $52,500 for owner’s suites, $26,500 for Club Suites, $38,000 for regular suites and $29,000 for corner suites for WrestleMania.

All Japan tomorrow has Jun Saito vs. Kento Miyahara for the Triple Crown, Atsuke Aoyagi vs. Musashi for the jr. title and Yuma Anzai returns.

A correction from yesterday’s update.  On last night’s show in Golden, CO, Bandido wrestled Mortos,  not Mistico.

During a state Congress celebration for National Wrestling Day (a holiday in Mexico on 9/21 every year), Mistico was honored along with other talent.

Masa Kitamihya vs. Jack Morris is the final match tomorrow in the N-1 tournament.  Morris beat Galeno to win the B block yesterday in Utsunomiya.   Kitamiya beat  Kazuyuki Fujita to win the A block.to win the A block.

Donald Trump chose Dana White to sit next to him at the Charlie Kirk funeral celebration yesterday.

Smashing Machine is playing at selected IMAX theaters tonight at 7 p.m. It’s a one-night preview.

Satoshi Kojima vs. Bishop Dyer was announced for the 10/4 MLW show in  Long Beach.

TNA has a Victory  Road show from Edmonton on Friday  on TNA with  Steve Maclin vs.  FrankieKazarian for the International title, Ash By Elegance vs. Masha Slamovich for the Knockouts title with Indi Hartwell as referee and Leon Slater vs. Myron Reed for the X title.  If there is a TNA title match, it would come out of tomorrow night’s Oba Femi vs. Trick Williams NXT and TNA title match which seems to be to kick off a promotional feud between NXT and TNA.

Also tomorrow is Lexis King vs. Myles Borne in a lights out match and Lainey Reed vs. Candice LeRae in a 3:00 time limit match with the winner facing Sol Ruca for the Speed title on Saturday night.

Pro Wrestling Symphony on 10/5 in EAst Nashville, streaming live on IWTV at 2 p.m. with JadenNewman & Jamesen Shook defending the tIWTV tag titles against Colby Cartrer & Thom Latimer.

Birthdays today include Johnny Valentine, Ole Anderson and Mike Graham.  Bob Sapp turns 51 and Nick Gage turns 45..  Ray Traylor passed away 21 years ago today, Gene Stanlee passed away 20 years ago today and Road Warrior Animal passed away five years ago today. (thanks to Tony Richards).

The taped MLW Fury Road airs on Saturday on YouTube with Mads Krule Krugger vs. Bishop Dyer, Austin Aries vs.  Kushida in the Opear Cup,Titan vs. Volador Jr. in the Op9era Cup, Paul London vs. Okumura in the Opera Cup Shotzi Blackheart vs. Ajeandra Quintanilla, Atlantis & Blue Panther & Diego Hill vs. Zandokan Jr. & Difunto & Barboza and Kojima vs.  Mr. Thomas.

Daily Update: WWE Wrestlepalooza, SmackDown, CMLL

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Friday Update

– For this weekend, I’ll be doing the week in review show today, answering questions from the current issue of the Observer with Garrett Gonzales today, and tomorrow night will have a show with Bryan Alvarez covering WWE Wrestlepalooza, AEW All Out and the CMLL 92nd anniversary show.

– The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site today:

  • A look at the build and the importance of Wrestlepalooza and All Out. We look at the shows and the stories behind the shows as well as what to look at as well as comments from ESPN execs on WWE, debuts of new services and other hilarious notes.
  • Betting odds for both shows
  • WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia, the fallout of the announcement, will AEW counter, should AEW counter, and what affect the going to Saudi Arabia in 2027 has already had for WrestleMania in 2026.
  • Terrence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez as TKO gets into boxing, what can be improved on judging, real numbers as well as made up numbers and realities the night shows about sports in general
  • A look at the CMLL anniversary show and its stories
  • Full coverage of Worlds Collide
  • Andrade fired by WWE, a look back at his career
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling TV shows this past week, including Netflix numbers and what they mean in reality, segment by segment and what we can learn, competition, and much more.
  • Brody King & Bandido go to Arena Mexico as AEW tag team champions but it doesn’t go right.
  • CMLL has two Arena Mexico crowds of 16,000 over the next week and a third big show as well
  • The unique Thursday show.
  • CMLL featuring women more prominently next month and Mercedes Mone returns
  • Surprise on AAA television this past week
  • Actress has just started training to be a pro wrestler after playing the role of one
  • All Japan completes Oudou tournament
  • NOAH N-1 tournament
  • Unique NJPW PPV main event
  • US team at the world championships
  • FTC investigating Ticketmaster for for price gouging
  • Notes on the deaths of Tom Gerbasi and Nacho Barrera
  • Former wrestling personality injured in accident
  • First black world champion being honored
  • Why Conor McGregor pulled out of the race for President of Ireland.
  • TKO plans for 2026
  • More on Turki Alalshikh
  • Death of Ricky Hatton
  • Gable Steveson accuses Craig Jones of trying to fix a fight
  • Boxer sues over brain injuries
  • Paul Levesque talks talent recruitment
  • Lots of injury updates

– This is the story going around over the last hour but we haven’t heard back from anyone in WWE on it, that the scheduled but not announced Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill vs. Nia Jax match for Wrestlepalooza is off due to Stratton’s injury. Waiting to hear if WWE will add a match to the show for tomorrow.

– MJF, Mascara Dorada and Hechicero are all working tonight at Arena Mexico and taking an all-night flight to get to Toronto for tomorrow’s All Out in Toronto. With both shows being so big, it’s not like they can take it easy on either show. There are probably six hours to spare in the chance of a delay.

– The biggest CMLL show of the year is tonight at Arena Mexico. The show airs on Triller as a $19.99 PPV. The show is listed as starting at 10:30 p.m.Eastern time, or after SmackDown is over. It’s available in English and Spanish. The English announcers are Veda Scott, Miguel Castro and Samuray del Sol (Kalisto)

  • Jarochita & Lluvia vs. Persephone & Reyna Isis for CMLL women’s tag team titles
  • Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja vs. Villano III Jr. & El Hijo del Villano III for CMLL men’s tag team titles
  • Mascara Dorada & Neon & Atlantis Jr. vs. Hechicero & Zandokan Jr. & Volador Jr.
  • Titan & Templario vs. Difunto & Barboza in the finals of the Copa Independencia tournament
  • Rey Bucanero vs. Felino hair vs. hair
  • MJF vs. Mistico CMLL light heavyweight title vs mask
  • Ultimo Guerrero & Averno vs. Esfinge & Valiente vs. Cavernario Barbaro & Dragon Rojo Jr. (The winning team then goes into the main event and faces each other. If Guerrero & Averno or Cavernario & Rojo win, it’s a hair vs. hair. If Esfinge & Valiente win, it’s a mask vs. mask)

– We are doing polls this weekend for the CMLL Anniversary show, AEW All Out and WWE Wrestlepalooza so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match from each individuals show to [email protected]

– SmackDown is in Toledo and has Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss defending the tag titles against Chelsea Green & Alba Fyre, Sami Zayn defends the U.S. title against Carmelo Hayes, plus Brock Lesnar and a contract signing with Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre on the show. The latest advance is 6,108, which would be just shy of a sellout with the set up for the show. AJ Styles, Finn Balor, Penta and Grande Americano are at the show and may be in dark matches.

– We’re looking for live reports from Toledo with dark match results and anything else not on the live show to [email protected]

– TKO’s Mark Shapiro said that The Smashing Machine should lead to a new era of wrestling movies and also lead to more fans attending pro wrestling shows. I mean, I suppose you could say it would help UFC interest, although if it does it would be marginal,but how that movie will boost interest in pro wrestling is way beyond me.

– El Hijo del Santo has his last show in Puebla tonight with himself, his son and the original Mascara Sagrada against Psicosis & El Hijo de Fishman & El Texano Jr. on top.

– At this point, Wrestlepalooza is at 12,901 tickets and will sell out in Indianapolis. All Out is at 11,326 tickets out. It will be close to full but it looks like a sellout will be tough, not impossible, but tough.

– There is no UFC this weekend. UFC returns with a show on 9/27.

– A note from the current issue. In the item about how WWE has no plans at this point on the current schedule to run head-to-head with the last three AEW PPV shows of the year, that was reported first by Wresltevotes before it was in the Observer.

– Here is a great article on Tom Gerbasi, who passed away this week, and his work with UFC.

Everyone in the MMA world on the inside had nothing but great things to say about him. He was one of the hardest working reporters you would find.

– The Wrestlepalooza Countdown show will air at 10 p.m. midnight and 2 a.m. Eastern tonight on ESPN News as well as 7 a.m. tomorrow.

– The idea espoused that there is a separation of church and state and that WWE’s deal with ESPN won’t change the nature of the coverage is hilarious with two stories on the front page of the site and the story on the Seth Rollins injury angle. I mean, everyone already knows the history of ESPN. I guess people have to say that.

– Variety is reporting that Teddy Ruxpin, the 1980s toy, is being made into a feature film by Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions.

– Florida has announced that the Jake Paul vs. Tank Davis boxing match is only being sanctioned as an exhibition. An exhibition is categorized as combatants showing their skill without trying to win or using blows to the head or full contact maneuvers. Essentially, commissions used to sanction pro wrestling as an exhibition of strength and skill.

– Thom Latimer vs. Thrillbilly Silas Mason for the NWA title headlines NWA Sanheim on 10/17 at Center Stage in Atlanta.

– The 11/1 UFC Fight Night show will be headlined by featherweights Steve Garcia vs. David Onama.

– House of Glory and Big Event EXS have announced a partnership for the New York Ultimate Wrestling Experience on 11/15 at the Suffolk Credit Union Arena in Brentwood,NY.

– Lee Moriarty will have an art exhibition at Night Gallery in Los Angeles on 9/27.

– Defy runs tonight at Washington Hall in Seattle with Killer Kross vs Calvin Tankman, Marina Shafir vs. Hyan for the women’s title, Clark Connors in an open challenge for the men’s title, Nicole Matthews vs. Amira, Midnight Heat vs. Randy Myers & Matt Brannigan and El Phantasmo vs. Ethan HD vs. Guillermo Rosas vs. Evan Rivers.

– A note from earlier this week. Mad Dog Vachon was born September 1, 1929, not September 14, 1929, as many places had it. On Sunday we noted it would have been Vachon’s birthday but that was incorrect (thanks to Pat Laprade)

– JK Media Group has announced its Empire MMA series debuts with a show from Medellin, Colombia on The Telemundo Deportes Ahora FASt channel tonight at 8 pl.m. Eastern with Ivan Santos (4-1) vs. Duevwen Felipe Lopez (3-2) in the main event.

– House of Glory announced Zilla Fatu vs. Bear Bronson for the Crown Jewel title on 10/10 at the NYC Arena.

Daily Update: WWE notes, Dave Bautista, Adam Copeland

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • The most detailed look at WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia, how it happened, the money involved, main events hoped for 2027, why it’s in Saudi Arabia in 2027 and not 2028, and goal of the show
  • John Cena’s farewell scheduled and more details why Boston didn’t get his final show
  • The head-to-head battle on 9/20, including a look at the first and only time in history the two biggest companies ran PPV shows on the same day and what happened then. We look at business numbers and why even though the attendance figures are close, the interest level is not. We look at the cards for each group as well as the odds
  • A look at French wrestler Gilbert Leduc, who was decades ahead of his time in the ring and his case for the Hall of Fame
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling shows of the past week, including placings in the time slot, comparisons with a year ago, breaking down the Netflix numbers for Raw, the key stat that his hurting AEW right now and the return of the NFL.
  • Last Friday at Arena Mexico with Mistico & Bandido as a tag team
  • NFL/CMLL connection on Friday
  • AAA Worlds Collide
  • Stardom PPV coverage
  • Lots more on the death of Daishin Nagao, plus stories on deaths of Rodolfo Ruiz, Huichol, Jaka and Chuck Coates
  • Update on health issues involving Hall of Famer Satoru Sayama
  • Bubba the Love Sponge documentary and the split in the Hogan family
  • Thoughts on the Hogan will
  • Eric Bischoff on RAF and thoughts on what he said
  • Lots of notes regarding the potential future of WBD and how it affects AEW
  • MJF wedding and acting career
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Bryan Danielson talks about everything under the sun
  • UFC at the White House
  • Those who planned to testify for Conor McGregor and against Nikkita Hand get arrested for perjury
  • Biggest combat sports gates of all-time
  • The power of Turki Alalshikh, the future as well as a look into the future of combat sports reporting
  • Dana White put on the spot about the Ali Act
  • What happened in California on the Ali Act
  • More on the UFC rights fees story
  • Raw time slot update
  • More on the gate for Clash in Paris
  • Lots of stats about those who attended Clash in Paris
  • Mark Shapiro talks WWE scheduling and ticket pricing
  • Paul Levesque on those who complain WWE Unreal was too inside
  • AJ Styles angle
  • Why Booker T totally missed the boat on his comments on Ronda Rousey
  • YouTube numbers for AEW & WWE

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Thursday Update

WWE

  • PWInsider notes that, at the official WWE Wrestlepalooza store in Indianapolis, there is a shirt for sale that lists WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton vs. Nia Jax vs. Jade Cargill as being part of the PLE card. Whether that match will be added remains to be seen. Stratton was supposed to wrestle at NXT Homecoming this week but ended up being pulled due to not being cleared to compete.
  • Bron Breakker told ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike that his “Welcome to WWE” moment was facing Sheamus:
    • I think my ‘Welcome to WWE’ moment was probably when I worked with Sheamus. Sheamus is a guy that’s been around for 10-15+ years, around that ballpark. A guy that’s very well respected and someone who is really physical and takes a lot of pride in his work. He’s well respected by the entire locker room, by the entire audience. He’s no doubt going to be a Hall of Famer one day. He’s someone that makes you earn it. He’s really, really physical out there. I obviously enjoy that type of combat sports. I love it, I love getting in there. He’s someone that’s really, really fun to work with.
  • Dave Bautista confirmed to Comicbook.com that John Cena’s Peacemaker character was written for him, but Bautista could not do the role due to other commitments:
    • I have to say, that one. I really wanted to do that part. He [James Gunn] wrote that part for me, and it was meant for me, and it just became a scheduling thing where I just couldn’t do it, because I was doing Army of the Dead. And so it was a scheduling issue that we just could not figure out.
  • Bautista added that he thinks Cena ended up being the perfect choice to play Peacemaker:
    • And I think it was great. It was a blessing in disguise that I didn’t do that, because I have to say, I have to be honest, there’s no way that I would have been able to do that role like John. He’s just perfect for it, you know, and I wouldn’t have done it justice, and it wouldn’t have been as successful.
    • So, look, and I am, I’m saying that with a bit of envy, you know, I would love it. I just wouldn’t have been able to do the same thing that John does to bring to that character. It wouldn’t have been the same. It wouldn’t have been as good. I can honestly say it wouldn’t have been as good.
  • Bleacher Report ranked Becky Lynch as the greatest WWE women’s wrestler of all time, with Charlotte Flair, Trish Stratus, Rhea Ripley, and Sasha Banks rounding out the top five.
  • ESPN has a story on Seth Rollins’ knee injury ruse. In the article, Becky Lynch discussed how she had to lie to people while trying to keep the reality of the situation a secret:
    • I can’t lie to save my life. So, when everybody, including my manager and other wrestlers, asked how he was doing after the injury, I became a twitchy weirdo. I was stumbling off my words and not finishing full sentences. His dad, aunts and uncles were texting me, all of our friends and colleagues were wishing him well and I tried not to lie. But then they’d give me follow-up questions about if he was having surgery and had he gone for an MRI. It became very difficult and, honestly, I did not like it.
  • Lynch also explained how their daughter Roux handled the ruse:
    • Well, she didn’t keep it a secret. She went to her teacher at school and told her, ‘My dad has a boo-boo, but it’s only pretend.’ Thankfully, Ms. Joy was tight-lipped about the whole thing. [Rollins] would go to [Roux’s] friends’ birthday parties in full gimmick, which left us wondering if people were going to ask and if she would say anything. But she kind of forgot about it and didn’t say anything.
  • Rollins appeared on the SI Media podcast.
  • ESPN’s Vibe Check spoke with AJ Lee.
  • CM Punk made an appearance on SportsCenter.
  • Charlotte Flair was a guest on Post Run High with host Kate Mackz.
  • Stephanie McMahon interviewed Nikki Bella on her “What’s Your Story?” podcast.
  • Good Karma Wrestling has an interview with Lola Vice.
  • Logan Paul uploaded a new vlog.

Other Wrestling

  • Tony Khan praised the London, Ontario, Canada crowd for how they reacted to last night’s AEW September to Remember event: “London, Ontario We are coming back here every year, YOU ARE TREMENDOUS”
  • While speaking with the Toronto Sun’s No Holds Barred podcast, Adam Copeland was asked if he’s thought about any plans for how he wants to end his career when he decides to retire:
    • I honestly don’t know. But when I look at – I have the luxury, I guess, of having one retirement under my belt. And that was a very emotional one – it was an amazing send-off, right? So, this one, I’m not that concerned with how it goes. Would I like for it to be in Toronto? Yeah. I think that would be fitting to try and do it as close as I could to the place that I started it, which is Monarch Park.
    • But it’d be nice to end it in Toronto. Beyond that, I haven’t put, like, a whole lot of thought into it. That would be my only hope, would be that it’s in Toronto.
  • The Uncrowned published a story on MVP.
  • Josh Barnett revealed that Roy Wood of the Snake Pit Wigan will be honored with a lifetime achievement award at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport: London on September 28.
  • GCW announced that, due to injury, Effy, Shotzi Blackheart, and Bad Dude Tito are unable to compete at their events this weekend.
  • IWGP Women’s Champion Sareee named Athena and Toni Storm as opponents she would like to face.
  • Busted Open Radio has interviews with AEW’s Kyle Fletcher and WWE’s Bronson Reed.
  • WrestleMobs spoke with Deonna Purrazzo & Steve Maclin.

Daily Update: WWE NXT, Anthony Ogogo, Mercedes Mone

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • The most detailed look at WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia, how it happened, the money involved, main events hoped for 2027, why it’s in Saudi Arabia in 2027 and not 2028, and goal of the show
  • John Cena’s farewell scheduled and more details why Boston didn’t get his final show
  • The head-to-head battle on 9/20, including a look at the first and only time in history the two biggest companies ran PPV shows on the same day and what happened then. We look at business numbers and why even though the attendance figures are close, the interest level is not. We look at the cards for each group as well as the odds
  • A look at French wrestler Gilbert Leduc, who was decades ahead of his time in the ring and his case for the Hall of Fame
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling shows of the past week, including placings in the time slot, comparisons with a year ago, breaking down the Netflix numbers for Raw, the key stat that his hurting AEW right now and the return of the NFL.
  • Last Friday at Arena Mexico with Mistico & Bandido as a tag team
  • NFL/CMLL connection on Friday
  • AAA Worlds Collide
  • Stardom PPV coverage
  • Lots more on the death of Daishin Nagao, plus stories on deaths of Rodolfo Ruiz, Huichol, Jaka and Chuck Coates
  • Update on health issues involving Hall of Famer Satoru Sayama
  • Bubba the Love Sponge documentary and the split in the Hogan family
  • Thoughts on the Hogan will
  • Eric Bischoff on RAF and thoughts on what he said
  • Lots of notes regarding the potential future of WBD and how it affects AEW
  • MJF wedding and acting career
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Bryan Danielson talks about everything under the sun
  • UFC at the White House
  • Those who planned to testify for Conor McGregor and against Nikkita Hand get arrested for perjury
  • Biggest combat sports gates of all-time
  • The power of Turki Alalshikh, the future as well as a look into the future of combat sports reporting
  • Dana White put on the spot about the Ali Act
  • What happened in California on the Ali Act
  • More on the UFC rights fees story
  • Raw time slot update
  • More on the gate for Clash in Paris
  • Lots of stats about those who attended Clash in Paris
  • Mark Shapiro talks WWE scheduling and ticket pricing
  • Paul Levesque on those who complain WWE Unreal was too inside
  • AJ Styles angle
  • Why Booker T totally missed the boat on his comments on Ronda Rousey
  • YouTube numbers for AEW & WWE

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE uploaded the full Rhea Ripley, Stephanie Vaquer & Lyra Valkyria vs. Fatal Influence main event from NXT Homecoming, along with the opening segment that featured Triple H, Shawn Michaels, William Regal, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss.
  • ROH Women’s World Champion Athena thanked Bliss for mentioning her (as Ember Moon) among the past NXT stars who were important to the women’s revolution.
  • Charlie Dempsey stated on NXT that he’ll be going to Japan for a month.
  • Lola Vice told Going Ringside that, with the show taking place near her hometown in Florida, NXT No Mercy feels like her version of WrestleMania. She’s challenging Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women’s Championship at the September 27 PLE in Fort Lauderdale.
    • Right now, next Saturday is my WrestleMania. Like, this is my moment and this is my opportunity to bring that title home.
    • It just feels full-circle. My whole family is going to be there and a lot of people that support me are going to be there. So it just really feels like the stars are aligning and this is my moment.
  • Vice listed Rhea Ripley, Stephanie Vaquer, Charlotte Flair, and Nikki Bella as some of her dream opponents.
  • On Pardon My Take, CM Punk named Bret Hart, Roddy Piper, Terry Funk, Eddie Guerrero, Harley Race, and Dusty Rhodes as the six greatest wrestlers of all time.
  • The Miz appeared on the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast.
  • No-Contest Wrestling interviewed Edris Enofe.
  • UFC boss Dana White joined Logan Paul on a new episode of Impaulsive.

Other Wrestling

Daily Update: WWE stock, Raw, ESPN

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Monday Update

–Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Raw, Andrade, AEW vs. WWE on Saturday, Ricky Hatton, weekend shows and more with Wrestling Observer Radio.

–The WWE stock buyback program announced this morning led to the stock going up to $204.49 per share.

–Smackdown on Friday did 1.32 million viewers and an 0.37 in 18-49.  That’s well down from usual, but Colorado vs. Houston on ESPN did 2.61 million and 0.60, so that’s strong competition, plus Jesse Watters did 4.91 million and 0.37.  Last week went against tougher NFL competition but AJ Lee and Brock Lesnar’s return saved it.  Nobody knew about Cody Rhodes’  return on Friday, but they did know Lesnar would be there.

–There is some talk about how a lot of people may be unhappy Saturday thinking that they can access Wrestlepalooza for free because they believe ESPN has not done a good job of telling those who have ESPN, that 35 million of those who get it on TV will still have to spend another $29.99 for the show.  Awful Announcing  has  the story.

–I don’t know if this will provide competition  or not, but Bad Bunny announced a surprise show on Saturday night that will be live streamed on Amazon Prime from Puerto Rico.  Many think this will be a giant event.  It won’t hurt AEW, since that’s in the afternoon, but does go head-to-head with WWE.  I don’t anticipate it making much of a difference but people have claimed to me that it will.  The show will air free at 8:30 p.m., so it starts 90 minutes into the Wrestlepalooza show.  (thanks to Michael Botta)

–John Cena kicked off Raw at 7 p.m. tonight from Springfield,MA.  It’s sold out with just over 7,300 fans.  The big thing is an angle with AJ  Lee, CM Punk Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch in one of the best angles of  this year, Lyra Valkyria vs. Roxanne Perez, Dragon Lee vs. Grande Americano and Penta vs. Kofi Kingston.  The NFL has a double header with the Houston Texans vs. Tampa Bay Bucs at 7 p.m., head-to-head with Raw.  There is also a Chargers v.s Raiders game at 10 p.m. but Raw will be over  by that time.

–Regarding Zandokan Jr., he was injured in the Brody King & Bandido vs. Zandokan Jr. & Difunto AEW tag title match on Friday.  He did fly to Texas and beat Blue Panther Jr. on the MLW show the next night in North Richland Hills, TX but was limited.  He was replaced on Sunday’s show at Arena Mexico as Ultimo Guerrero teamed with Barboza & Difundto to  face Mistico & Titan & Atlantis Jr.  But he is booked for tomorrow in Guadalajara.

–In an update from what we’ve talked about that is interesting, on a CMLL affiliated show this coming Saturday in Saltillo, Mascara Dorada was booked in the main event.  Keep in mind that on Wednesday, Mascara Dorada faces Mortos in London, ONT with the winner joining Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita in what on paper looks like a great unified title match.  The card was changed today.  Dorada is off the card and Mistico & Neon’s third man was called a mystery partner.  Added to the show is Mortos, who in theory could not possibly be on that show if he were to win Wednesday.  Anyway, if you bet on the Dorada vs. Mortos match, the odds will have swung greatly.

–The Mascarita Sagrada on the Worlds Collide show was not the famous Mascarita Sagrada from the 90s, but a newer version.  A lot of people were talking about how amazing it was that a  60 year old guy could do what he did.  Well, because a 60 year old guy can’t do what he did.  The  Mini Abismo Negro was the same wrestler who the night before was on the ROH Dean 3 show as Demus, that was taped a week earlier.

–Mistico vs. Ultimo  Guerreo in the second round of the Opera Cup is the first match announced for MLW on 10/4 in Long Beach at the Thunder Studios Arena.

–Matt Riddle lost the MLW tite Saturday night in a three-way where Mads Krule Krugger was added at the last minute and won the title. Donovan Dijak was the third guy.   According to those in MLW, Riddle will be on the Long Beach show and is still with the company.  Some saw the title change, in the wake of Riddle’s comments over the last week after a story broke of him missing a charity show in the U.K., (he did repay the promotion for his deposit) that the title change may have been it for him there.

–The Sabu documentary debuts tonight onthe Kinema streaming service.

–The Smashing Machine  will be screened  next Monday at 7 p.m. at  selected IMAX theaters.   There is one close enough to me that I may attend, but given what I have to cover with WWE, AEW and CMLL having big shows this weekend, I may not be able to pull it off.

–ESPN will air the Wrestlepalooza preview on ESPN 2 on Friday at 2 p.m. Eastern and also on ESPN News at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday, followed by midnight, 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. Saturday morning as well.

–Anthony Hernandez is out of his 10/18 UFC main event in Vancouver, BC against Reinier de Ridder and will be replaced by Brendan Allen.

–In the world freestyle wrestling world championships in Zagreb, Croatia, Trent Hiidlay won the world title at 202 pounds, Levi Haines took second at 174 and Kyle Snyder goes for the gold tomorrow at 213.

–Teddy Long turns 70 today.  Other birthdays of wrestlers who have passed away include Curtis Iaukea (1937), Man Mountain Mike (1940) and Adrian Adonis (1953).

–Gori Guerrero, the father of Eddy, made his pro wrestling debut 88 years ago today in Guadalajara.  He was 16 and used the name Joe Morgan (long before a guy would become super famous as Joe Morgan).  (thanks to Tony Richards)

–ISPW on Thursday at 7 p.m at the West Paterson Boys & Girls Club in Woodland Park, NJ and 9/19 at Wild West City in Byram Township, NJ.  They also have Rumble for the Raiders on 9/26 at Lincoln Parks’ Boro Field  in Lincoln Park, NJ with The Head Bangers and Jillian Hall.  They have a 9/27 WrestleCon from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. as the Parsippany, NJ PAL, with Raven, Perry Saturn,Terri Runnels, Steve Blackman, Adam Bomb and others.

–Boca Raton Championship Wrestling on 11/2 at Mizner Park in Boca Raton announced Ricky Morton vs. Kerry Morton.

 –Sha Samuels vs. Michael Oku for the British title on the 10/5 RevPro show at Porchester Hall in London.

–Former TNA announcer Leitia Cline suffered a broken jaw, broken ribs, broken sternum and a collapsed lung in an auto accident on Friday with her boyfriend in Columbia, TN.  She said she needs her mouth wired shut.  

–Hardys defending against the Nemeths will headline Thursday’s Impact on AXS.  Also on the show is Indi Hartwell vs. Dani Luna, Mustafa Ali vs.Brian Myers and The EleganceTrio vs. Masha Slamovich & The Iinspiration.

–Wrestle Pro on Sunday at the Rahway, NJ Rec Center has Kilr Kross vs. Richard Holiday, Max Caster vs. CPA, Mike Santana vs. Jordan Oliver, Lady Frost vs. Rebecca Scott plus Megran Bayne, The Righteous, Bear Bronson and Ava Everett.

Daily Update: Saudi WrestleMania, Jerry Lawler, Arena Mexico

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Friday Update

– Garrett Gonzales and I will have a show shortly covering all the news of the week in the current issue, and there is a lot, WrestleMania in Saudi, the proposed purchase of WBD by Skydance/Paramount, 9/20 head-to-head, and much more.

– The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site now.

  • The most detailed look at WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia, how it happened, the money involved, main events hoped for 2027, why it’s in Saudi Arabia in 2027 and not 2028, and goal of the show
  • John Cena’s farewell scheduled and more details why Boston didn’t get his final show
  • The head-to-head battle on 9/20, including a look at the first and only time in history the two biggest companies ran PPV shows on the same day and what happened then. We look at business numbers and why even though the attendance figures are close, the interest level is not. We look at the cards for each group as well as the odds
  • A look at French wrestler Gilbert Leduc, who was decades ahead of his time in the ring and his case for the Hall of Fame
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling shows of the past week, including placings in the time slot, comparisons with a year ago, breaking down the Netflix numbers for Raw, the key stat that his hurting AEW right now and the return of the NFL.
  • Last Friday at Arena Mexico with Mistico & Bandido as a tag team
  • NFL/CMLL connection on Friday
  • AAA Worlds Collide
  • Stardom PPV coverage
  • Lots more on the death of Daishin Nagao, plus stories on deaths of Rodolfo Ruiz, Huichol, Jaka and Chuck Coates
  • Update on health issues involving Hall of Famer Satoru Sayama
  • Bubba the Love Sponge documentary and the split in the Hogan family
  • Thoughts on the Hogan will
  • Eric Bischoff on RAF and thoughts on what he said
  • Lots of notes regarding the potential future of WBD and how it affects AEW
  • MJF wedding and acting career
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Bryan Danielson talks about everything under the sun
  • UFC at the White House
  • Those who planned to testify for Conor McGregor and against Nikkita Hand get arrested for perjury
  • Biggest combat sports gates of all-time
  • The power of Turki Alalshikh, the future as well as a look into the future of combat sports reporting
  • Dana White put on the spot about the Ali Act
  • What happened in California on the Ali Act
  • More on the UFC rights fees story
  • Raw time slot update
  • More on the gate for Clash in Paris
  • Lots of stats about those who attended Clash in Paris
  • Mark Shapiro talks WWE scheduling and ticket pricing
  • Paul Levesque on those who complain WWE Unreal was too inside
  • AJ Styles angle
  • Why Booker T totally missed the boat on his comments on Ronda Rousey
  • YouTube numbers for AEW & WWE

– WWE held a press conference without any questions from the press to announce the 2027 WrestleMania in Riyadh. Our lead story in the Observer goes over it. There wasn’t much to it. Paul Levesque, Undertaker, Turki Alalshikh and Bianca Belair all spoke and Joe Tessitore hosted. They did announce January 31, 2026 as the date for the Royal Rumble in Riyadh. Belair put over how Saudi Arabia is actually great for women. Undertaker talked about how spectacular it is there and pushed for fans from the U.S. to attend the show. They missed by one day of the ultimate full circle moment as the 24th anniversary of 9/11

– FOX 13 in Memphis reported that Jerry Lawler was given clearance to return home to Memphis last night. Lawler’s stroke on 9/5 at his other home in Fort Myers, FL has affected his right side. The stroke two years ago affected his left side. His vision has also been affected slightly .He can walk and he can talk according to his caretaker. He will be home resting for the rest of the month.

– Joe Tessitore noted on ESPN that John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar will main event Wrestlepalooza and not the mixed tag team match which seemed to have the most interest.

– SmackDown tonight is from Norfolk, VA at the Scope. There were 8,410 tickets out which is basically sold out. Brock Lesnar will open the show and be the key draw. Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill for the U.S. title and Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton are on the show. The sports competition is lighter than it has been on recent Fridays so that should help the rating, but I don’t see it as ending up close to last week.

– Worlds Collide tonight at 10 p.m. Eastern from Las Vegas:

  • La Parka & Laredo Kid & Mascarita Sagrada & Octagon Jr. vs. Cruz Del Toro & Joaquin Wilde & Lince Dorado & Mini Abismo Negro
  • Mr. Iguana & Lola Vice vs. Finn Balor & Roxanne Perez
  • El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. defends the Latin American title against Ethan Page, Dragon Lee and JD McDonagh
  • Pagano & Psycho Clown defend the AAA tag titles against New Day
  • Natalya vs. Faby Apache for a shot at Flammer’s Reina de Reinas title
  • El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Dominik Mysterio for the AAA Mega title

Parka, who was taken off the show earlier in the week, is back on. He’s replacing Nino Hamburguesa, who didn’t get his visa taken care of in time. We’d heard all week about Hamburguesa and visa issues and WWE announced today he’s off the show.

– For tomorrow, the Netflix special with Alvarez vs. Crawford starts at 9 p.m., so that will hurt Collision, perhaps badly. The main event is not scheduled to start until around 11:15 p.m.

– UFC Noche from San Antonio starting at 3 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+

  • Rodrigo Sezinando (170.5) s. Darill Donchenko (171)
  • Monteserrat Randon (136) vs. Alice Pereria (136)
  • Alessandro Costa (125.5.) vs. Alden Coria (126)
  • Zachary Reese (185.5) vs. Sedriques Dumas (186)’
  • Jesus Aguilar (126) vs. Luis Gurule (125.5)
  • Tatiana Suarez (115.5) vs. Amanda Lemos (116)
  • Claudio Puelles (156) vs. Joaquim Silva (156)
  • Jose Daniel Medina (186) vs. Dusko Todorovic (186)
  • Santiago Luna (136) vs. Quang Le (136)
  • Alexander Hernandez (155.5) vs. Diego Ferreira (156)
  • Kelvin Gastelum (191) vs. Dustin Stoltzfus (185.5) – Gastelum missed weight by five pounds and was fined 35 percent of his purse
  • Rafa Garcdia (155.5) vs. Jared Gordon (156)
  • Rob Font (135) vs. David Martinez (135.5)
  • Diego Lopes (146) vs. Jean Silva (145.5)

– ESPN will be airing a Wrestlepalooza preview show on 9/19 at 3 p.m.on ESPN2 as well as multiple times Friday and Saturday on ESPN News.

– Arena Mexico tonight has Bandido & Brody King defending the AEW tag titles against Zandokan Jr. & Difunto. When Zandokan & Difunto are on, they are an amazing team. There will also be a one-night tag team tournament with Atlantis & Blue Panther, Templario & Titan, Mephisto & Euforia and Max Star & Futuro. So you have two guys in their 60s, one of whom is over big in a cult way, the two best workers of the CMLL regulars, a solid old rudo team and two young high flyers. The winner of the tournament goes to next week’s Anniversary show and the finals of the Copa Independencia against Barboza & Difunto. Catalina vs. Zeuxis is also on the show and that’s interesting because there was a time when those two hated each other. They still act like they do now.

– Sunday at Arena Mexico has Mistico & Titan & Altantis Jr. vs. Barboza & Zandokan Jr. & Difunto, which sounds tremendous,as well as Templario vs. Volador Jr., which also sounds tremendous.

– Mascara Dorada vs. Beast Mortos is scheduled for Wednesday’s Dynamite, winner being put into the three-way with Kazuchika Okada and Konoske Takeshita over the unified title. Dorada is booked on 9/20 in Saltillo, so that maybe a hint Mortos is winning. AEW has pulled wrestlers from CMLL dates for television tapings in the past, but as of right now, Doradsa is still listed for that date.

– For this weekend, per Wrestletix, the Words Collide show in Las Vegas was at 2,234 tickets out so it will end up sold out. Crawford vs. Alavrez is at 64,925 tickets out. UFC Noche in San Antonio tomorrow night is at 15,929 and Raw on Monday in Springfield, MA, featuring John Cena is, at 6,759, or almost sold out.

– Nattie Neidhart has a book signing on 10/29 in Minneapolis at the Mall of America in the Huntington Bank Rotunda.

– Championship Pro Wrestling on Wednesday in Dover, OH at the Tuscarawas County Fair with Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Ricky Morton, Nzo, Shane Douglas, James Ellswroth, Kongo King and more. Plus Brooklyn Brawler and Harvey Wippleman will appear.

– Lonnie “Moondog” Mayne would have turned 82 today. It would have also been the 65th birthday of Joe “Road Warrior Animal” Laurinaitis.

Daily Update: New AEW Dynamite match, Worlds Collide, Sgt. Slaughter-Logan Paul

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

*AEW moves PPV to HBO MAX , details of the move, programming changes, All Out time move, All Out  card and ticket sales.

*The worst week of TV ratings you can imagine.  Each show broken down into all the details.*Clash in Paris coverage, business ntes
*Changes in Nielsen ratings and how this will affect sports sooner and later
*CMLL World Grand Prix with an 82:00 main event.
*Bandido vs. Hechicero is one of the best matches of 2025.
*ROH coverage including problems with the streaming.
*Early reviews on Smashing Machine starring Dwayne Johnson
*A look at the debut of Real American Freestyle
*Nick Hogan sued Bubba the Love Sponge, what he is suing over and the first court ruling comes in.
*The legend of Buford Pusser, a former pro wrestler who became a famous pop culture figure with movies and a TV show about him, and now it comes out that he may have murdered his wife.
*The Hall of Fame case for Steve Grey.
*CMLL with multiple sellouts coming up.
*Who is now in charge of AAA.
*What’s notable about the makeup of who is in  charge.
*Update on Raja Johnson and Syco Stu
*Ronda Rousey with her thoughts on WWE tenure.
*Updates on Matt Riddle.
*One of the biggest indie crowds of the year in Atlanta this past week.
*Upcoming ticket sales to all the WWE, AEW and TNA shows over the next few months.
*Notes on a new AAA signing.
*What fighter just got a $10 million payout over a lawsuit settlement
*Jon Jones case update
*Chael Sonnen crosses Rick Rude and The Grappler .
*How much is TKO worth.
*How much is Dwayne Johnson’s TK  stock worth
*Notes on the movie Street Fighter and the character named after a pro wrestler.

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • Paul “Triple H” Levesque shared the official poster for Friday night’s WWE x AAA Worlds Collide show, with Rey Mysterio advertised to appear. The show is taking place in Las Vegas and will stream live on YouTube.
  • WWE Shop has released new merch for Mr. Iguana: a La Yesca replica plush puppet that is priced at $59.99.
  • Ahead of her challenging Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women’s Championship at No Mercy later this month, a video package on Lola Vice and her life story aired on NXT last night.
  • Shawn Michaels told Undisputed that WWE is in good hands with Cody Rhodes leading the way:
    • You’re always comforted when you’re handing over the reins of this business to someone that respects it, honors it, and enjoys it. That gives all of us a lot of peace and comfort.
    • When Cody comes into the Performance Center, it’s very fortunate for us. He wants to pass it on to the next generation and echoes a lot of what we say. That’s a huge help and comfort to everyone in WWE. You know the business is in good hands moving into the future.
  • WWE 2K25 – which was first released back in March – is being added to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. Starting on September 16, it will be available for Playstation Plus subscribers at no additional cost.
  • WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter told Sportskeeda WrestleBinge that he thinks Logan Paul has the potential to be the biggest babyface in wrestling history if he turns in the future and it’s done the right way:
    • I don’t think he has too many weaknesses. He still rushes things a little bit. I would love to be there, but I know he’s got plenty of pros that are telling him what to do or how to do it. But he’s a natural… he’s at home. It takes a lot and a long time to make that ring your second home. So when you walk in there and become that character, it’s night and day. If he continues, I don’t know how long he’s going to continue, but John Cena is leaving, he’s probably going to be hanging up the boots. You got The Rock who makes appearances back and forth, but there’s no real superstar right now.
    • Once [Paul] establishes himself as the biggest villain, he’ll be the biggest hero of all time. I think he’ll surpass every hero we’ve ever had in this business.
  • Grayson Waller was a guest on the No-Contest Wrestling podcast.
  • USA Today interviewed Chelsea Green.
  • For a WWE Playback video, Finn Balor & JD McDonagh rewatched their World Tag Team title win against The Miz & R-Truth from June 2024.

Other Wrestling

  • A “500k 10-man tag match” has been added to the card for AEW Dynamite tonight with Bandido, Brody King, Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs & Katsuyori Shibata facing The Young Bucks, Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta.
  • Dustin Rhodes provided a new update on his recovery from double knee surgery:
    • Healing nicely. Baby steps but I am #BabySteppin. Trust the process. AINT NOBODY GONNA STOP ME WHEN I GET BACK…………IM THE LAST OF MY KIND
  • TSN spoke with Don Callis, who discussed how AEW is different from other promotions he’s worked for:
    • One of the great things about being in AEW is that Tony Khan actually lets me be myself. Like, he puts me out there, of course, but he lets me be Don Callis and he has faith in me and, at the end of the day, from a boss in wrestling, that is ultimately all you want – someone who will let you go out and succeed or fail on your own merits and give you the platform and the support. And AEW really is the first place I’ve ever been that does that.
  • This Thursday’s ROH TV episode on HonorClub will be a special edition featuring matches from Action Wrestling’s Dean~! 3 event.
  • Johnny “Dango” Curtis (the former Fandango) married his significant other Emily, calling it the best day of his life:
    • In your love, I’ve found my home
    • Feeling so incredibly blessed to have so many friends and loved ones come together to celebrate with us. It was truly the best day of my life.
  • Killer Kelly and Myron Reed are now engaged.
  • SoCalVal interviewed former WWE wrestler Kristal Marshall for WrestlingNewsCo.
  • The Metro spoke with Gzim Selmani (former WWE wrestler Rezar).
  • Comedian Dan Soder discussed his wrestling fandom during an appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet.

Daily Update: Chuck Coates, TKO, WWE Raw

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

Latest Headlines

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

*AEW moves PPV to HBO MAX , details of the move, programming changes, All Out time move, All Out  card and ticket sales.

*The worst week of TV ratings you can imagine.  Each show broken down into all the details.*Clash in Paris coverage, business ntes
*Changes in Nielsen ratings and how this will affect sports sooner and later
*CMLL World Grand Prix with an 82:00 main event.
*Bandido vs. Hechicero is one of the best matches of 2025.
*ROH coverage including problems with the streaming.
*Early reviews on Smashing Machine starring Dwayne Johnson
*A look at the debut of Real American Freestyle
*Nick Hogan sued Bubba the Love Sponge, what he is suing over and the first court ruling comes in.
*The legend of Buford Pusser, a former pro wrestler who became a famous pop culture figure with movies and a TV show about him, and now it comes out that he may have murdered his wife.
*The Hall of Fame case for Steve Grey.
*CMLL with multiple sellouts coming up.
*Who is now in charge of AAA.
*What’s notable about the makeup of who is in  charge.
*Update on Raja Johnson and Syco Stu
*Ronda Rousey with her thoughts on WWE tenure.
*Updates on Matt Riddle.
*One of the biggest indie crowds of the year in Atlanta this past week.
*Upcoming ticket sales to all the WWE, AEW and TNA shows over the next few months.
*Notes on a new AAA signing.
*What fighter just got a $10 million payout over a lawsuit settlement
*Jon Jones case update
*Chael Sonnen crosses Rick Rude and The Grappler .
*How much is TKO worth.
*How much is Dwayne Johnson’s TK  stock worth
*Notes on the movie Street Fighter and the character named after a pro wrestler.

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Monday Update

–Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer Radio covering all the news from the past day, as well as Raw.

–Chuck Coates, who wrestled regularly from 1989 to  2010, mostly on independent shows in the Carolinas, passed away early this morning.  Coates had heart problems of late including undergoing four surgeries over the past week.  He did enhancement work for both WWF and WCW television, facing many of the biggest names in wrestling history.  He was a big fan of wrestling and North Carolina State sports.  He also worked as The StormTrooper, Hans Hessler, Madd Max, Agent Max and The Russian Assassin for independent promotions as well as stint in Puerto Rico.  Coates was 63.  Our best to his family and friends.

–There was a hearing before the California State Athletic Commission earlier today regarding the Ali Act being changed for boxing.  The commission was about to rubber stamp its approval for the TKO-inspired changes to the act, which would create minimums for fighting but also give boxing promoters far more power than they’ve had.  It was actually those in MMA who came out and the commission said they would study the bill more.  Essentially with every single person there strongly opposed to passing of the bill, they punted for now rather than voted or approved it  .  They announced they would create a subcommittee to investigate the issue before supporting it.

–TKO stock closed at over $200 today, the first time ever, at $200.47, up from $194 at the start of trading.  The key are the new deals signed by UFC and WWE of which almost all the new revenue will go straight to the bottom line.  TKO is now the single most highly valued sports franchise in the world.

–Raw tonight is from Milwaukee.  At this point announced is AJ Styles vs. El Grande Americano, Lyra Valkyria vs. Raquel Rodriguez, the Usos together and AJ Lee is on the show.  It goes against the first Monday night game of the season with The NFL Monday opener with the Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings airing on ABC, ESPN  and ESPN 2.   Tonight’s show starts at 8 p.m.Eastern, with next week moving to 7 p.m. for the next three weeks.  There were 8,800 tickets out for the show as of this afternoon.

–Former San Francisco 49ers player Alfredo Gutierrez was at Arena Mexico on Friday night.  He’s a big wrestling fan.  He came out with Soberano Jr., who has been out after surgery and showed up as a surprise.  Soberano gave Gutierrez a mask and Gutierrez gave Soberano a 49ers jersey.  In a trivia note, Gutierrez went to Montgomery High School in San Diego, the same high school that Rey Mysterio went to (before leaving school to join AAA) and Thunder Rosa also went to that school, although both long before Gutierrez.

–Brody King & Bandido’s AEW tag title defense on Friday at Arena Mexico will be against Zandokan Jr. & Difunto.  It will be the main event and there isn’t much of an undercard.  They are clearly booking to have a great match as opposed to the biggest crowd.

–We don’t have the Smackdown rating for Friday yet.  Some expect a horrible number  because of the NFL game.  I do not because  a star laden show for WWE will bring in fans that don’t watch every week.  But the NFL hurts everything plus all cable ratings are way down.

–Ozawa suffered an ankle injury earlier today at Korakuen Hall  on the first night of the N-1 tournament fr Pro Wrestling NOAH.  He was wrestling Naomichi Marufuhi and did a top rope Asai moonsault well over the barricade and flew over Marufuji.  He wasn’t able to get up and the match was stopped for a count out loss.  He needed help to get to the back and no word on whether he can continue in the tournament.  Hiromu Takahashi wn the GHC jr. tite from Yo-Hey on the show.

–The movie “Smashing Machine: has  its North American premiere tonight at 9:45 p.m. at the  Toronto Film festival.  There will also be a 7:30 p.m. showing tomorrow.

–Former UFC fighter Cynthia Calvillo, 38, announced her retirement today.  She fought in UFC from 2017 to 2023 and was a star at one point after going 6-1-1 in her first eight fights.  She last fought one year ago.

–Birthdays today Akiihisa Mera, the most famous Great Kabuki, at 77, Raven at 61 and Wendi Richter is 65.  Brian Hildebrand aka referee Mark Curtis, one of the most loved and respected refs in the business.  A great guy who is badly missed.

–Regarding Richter, most websites have her birthday as September 6, 1961, but we were told by a friend of hers it’s actually September 8, 1960.

–Don Gato, actor Danny McBride, will be part of Saturday’s MLW show in North Richland Hills, TX.

–Ronda Rousey will be at the New York Comic Con on 10/10 at 5 p.m. to promote her new graphic novel.

Daily Update: John Cena, WWE Raw, UFC

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

Latest Headlines

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

*AEW moves PPV to HBO MAX , details of the move, programming changes, All Out time move, All Out  card and ticket sales.

*The worst week of TV ratings you can imagine.  Each show broken down into all the details.*Clash in Paris coverage, business ntes
*Changes in Nielsen ratings and how this will affect sports sooner and later
*CMLL World Grand Prix with an 82:00 main event.
*Bandido vs. Hechicero is one of the best matches of 2025.
*ROH coverage including problems with the streaming.
*Early reviews on Smashing Machine starring Dwayne Johnson
*A look at the debut of Real American Freestyle
*Nick Hogan sued Bubba the Love Sponge, what he is suing over and the first court ruling comes in.
*The legend of Buford Pusser, a former pro wrestler who became a famous pop culture figure with movies and a TV show about him, and now it comes out that he may have murdered his wife.
*The Hall of Fame case for Steve Grey.
*CMLL with multiple sellouts coming up.
*Who is now in charge of AAA.
*What’s notable about the makeup of who is in  charge.
*Update on Raja Johnson and Syco Stu
*Ronda Rousey with her thoughts on WWE tenure.
*Updates on Matt Riddle.
*One of the biggest indie crowds of the year in Atlanta this past week.
*Upcoming ticket sales to all the WWE, AEW and TNA shows over the next few months.
*Notes on a new AAA signing.
*What fighter just got a $10 million payout over a lawsuit settlement
*Jon Jones cawse update
*Chael Sonnen crosses Rick Rude and The Grappler .
*How much is TKO worth.
*How much is Dwayne Johnson’s TK  stock worth
*Notes on the movie Street Fighter and the character named after a pro wrestler.

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Friday Update

WWE Raw logo

–Garrett Gonzales and I just finished a show talking a lot about business including AEW to MAX, how long should All Out go, Smackdown & Wrestlepalooza, MAX numbers, Page vs. Fletcher, low ratings and the next few months, and WWE having to battle the NFL.  Bryan and I will be back on
Sunday covering the weekend news.

–The reason the John Cena retirement show won’t be in Boston is because WWE wanted money similar to what they got from New Jersey for SummerSlam, to host the event, which would have been for multiple shows the weekend of 12/12 to 12/15.  Boston didn’t bid high enough and then they moved to Washington, DC.

–Raw on Monday from Milwaukee will start at 8 p.m. Eastern, and then the next three Mondays it’ll be at 7 p.m.  It’s a three week experiment by WWE and Netflix where they’ll compare the results of this week with the other three and try to see what is the actual optimal start time for the show during football season.

–The UFC show at the White House is set to take place on the White House Lawn, although it may be in late June rather than July 4th.  There will be fireworks and a light show.  The weigh-ins will be the day before at the Lincoln Memorial and events are expected to take place all week.

–Saul Carrillo, who was best known as Huichol, the king of the hair matches, passed away yesterday at the age of 67.  He had neck surgery last month but no idea if that had anything to do with his death.  He was known for his super long hair, which went down to his butt.  He won more than 50 straight hair matches in his career leading to the famous Rey Misterio Sr. vs. Huchil hair vs. hair match in 1994 in Tijuana.  Many people who attended that match felt it was the greatest live match they had ever seen, and is one of the most famous matches of Rey’s career.  I later saw the match and for the time it was a hell of a match, not the greatest ever but very high end based on 1994 Lucha Libre.  Huichol lost that match ending his streak and getting his head shaved.  He later wrestled as Loco Zandokan II, and is the uncle of current star  Zandokan Jr.  He wrestled in Mexico for 43 years.
–Dean 3 will be taped tomorrow night after Collision at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.  Blue Panther & Xelhura & Pantera vs. Virus & Dr. Cerebro & Hechicero will be on that shw.

–Mistico & Bandido vs. Angel de Oro & Hechicero is the main event for tonight’s show at Arena Mexico.  They also have a four-team tag team tournament with Barboza & Difunto, Elemental & El Terrible, Los Gemelo Diablos and Dragon de Fuego & Dragon Legendario in block A of the Copa Independencia.  Saturday’s Arena Coliseo main event is Esfinge & Templario & Neon vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr.  Sunday’s Arena Mexico show has Mistico & Titan & Atlantis Jr. vs. Averno & Mephisto & Euforia and a singles match with Blue Panther vs. Valiente.

–Matt Jackson noted a reason the eight-man Dynamite match was so wild was because it was the first time the Young Bucks had worked the 2300 Arena since leaving ROH, and that it was a very big night for them due to their history in the building and pivotal career matches.  He noted Nick Jackson, Kota Ibushi, El Generico (Sami Zayn) and Jigsaw had a match in CHIKARA, and the Dragon Gate USA match in the building that he said they believe was one of the most important abouts of their career in a tag match against Cima & Susumu Yokosuka.

–We’re looking for reports on these weekend shows:
*NXT tonight in Spartanburg, NC
 *WWE Smackdown in Chicago (off TV matches)
*TNA TV taping in Minneapolis
*NXT tomorrow night in North Charleston, SC
*NXT Sunday in Augusta, GA
We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights to [email protected]

–UFC tomorrow starting at Noon Eastern on ESPN+ from the Accor Arena in Paris, France

Shauna Bannon (116) vs. Sam Hughes (116)
Andreas Gustrafsson (171) vs. Rinat Fakhretdinv (170)
Brad Tavares (186) vs. Robert Bryczek (186)
Sam Patterson (170) vs. Trey Waters (171)
Harry Hardwick (156) vs. Kare Fernandes (155)’
Marcin Tybura (256) vs. Ante Delija (239)
Oumar Sy (206) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (206)
Wiliam Gomis (145) vs. Robert Ruchala (146)
Axel Sola (170) vs. Rhys McKee (170)
Mason Jones (156) vs. Bolaji Oki (156)
Modestas Bukauskas (205) vs. Paul Craig (205)
Benoit Saint Denis (155) vs. Mauricio Ruffy (156)
Nassourdine Imavov (185) vs. Caio Borralho (185)

Losene Keita weighed  in at 149, missing weight by three pounds.  Patricio Pitbull Freire then refused to face him with him missing weight by that much so that fight is off the show.

–El Hijo del Santo has his farewell match in El Paso tomorrow.  Santo & Santo Jr. & Cinta de Oro (the second Sin Cara in WWE) & Cinta de Or Jr. face Magno & Ciclon Ramirez Jr. & Rafaga Jr. & Romer in the main event.

–Geza Salmani, who was Rezar of AOP in WWE, said that he will be returning to combat sports.  He fought in Bellator prior to signing with WWE.  He also issued a challenge to strongman Eddie Hall for a boxing match on an upcoming Misfits Boxing show.

–House of Glory from last night in Philadelphia:  Zilla Fatu b Bully Ray to win the Crown Jewel title, La Sombra (not Andrade) won over JJ Doze, Raheem Royal, Jodi Aura, Angel Jazquez and Antonio Riccosd, Infamous b Joey Silva to keep the cruiserweight title, Midas Black & Jay Lyon b  Alec Price & Jordan Oliver t keep the tag titles, Shotzi Blackheart b Prscilla Kelly (Gigi Dolin), Cedric Alexander b Amazing Red.  Next show is 10/10 in New York.

–Buff Bagwell will be at the Memphis Wrestling show at the Dyer County Fair, plus he’ll be throwing out the first pitch at the Memphis Redbirds baseball game tomorrow.  On tomorrow’s TV show, Carlito faces Aaron Roberts in the main event.

–Jerry Oates turned 80 today.  Ray Stevens would have turned 91 today.  

–Cinta de Oro, who was the first Mystico and second Sin Cara, turned 48 today.

–Hall of  Famer Dick Lane, who was the person who Mike Tenay took mannerisms and cadence from as an announcer, passed away 43 years ago today.  Lane is the only person in both the pro wrestling and Roller Derby Halls of Fame and was also inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his career as an actor in many movies.

Daily Update: WCW Nitro anniversary, Matt Riddle, Real American Freestyle

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

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Thursday Update

WWE

  • Rey Mysterio and his daughter Aalyah were in attendance last night for a session at Natalya & TJ Wilson’s Dungeon training facility. WWE legend Tatanka and his sons Jeremiah & Joseph were also there.
  • Natalya wrote:
    • An insane night of training in The Dungeon. Nights like this set my soul on fire. So much passion and generations of wrestling in one room. It was such an honor having you tonight as a guest @reymysterio. Lessons upon lessons—@NativeTatanka @TJWilson
  • Zelina Vega reacted to the Wyatt Sicks exhibit that’s part of Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights:
    • The @WWE Wyatt house at #halloweenhorrornights is insane. Like insanely good. I got scared, I laughed and almost cried. It’s a MUST SEE! MUST EXPERIENCE.. and I’m not just saying that. [Bray Wyatt] would have loved it
  • Denise Salcedo has an interview with Kevin Nash.
  • The Kayfabe Friends Wrestling Podcast spoke with Mick Foley.

Other Wrestling

  • Today marks 30 years since the debut of WCW Nitro, which launched in 1995 with the first episode taking place in Bloomington, Minnesota at the Mall of America.
  • Eric Bischoff commented on the Nitro anniversary:
    • Weekly 2hr LIVE format, PPV quality matchs, introduction of Lucha/cruiserweight division on a national primetime platform, targeting 18-49 male vs the teen/preteen audience, focus on reality based stories and characters. Happy 30th #NITRO
  • The Mall of America also sent out a tweet acknowledging the role it played in launching Nitro.
  • The GoFundMe campaign to benefit former EVOLVE Tag Team Champion Jaka (Jonathan Echevarria) in his recovery from a heart attack has now raised more than $17,000.
  • Mike Santana sent out a tweet promoting the GoFundMe and asking fans to continue keeping Jaka in their prayers:
    • My brother from another. 
    • My heart aches for him and his family as he goes through this tough time.
    • If you ever came across Jonathan, you know that he was a special soul who always went above and beyond to put smiles on faces. His presence always filled a room and there’s truly no one like him. 
    • We all want to make sure that he and his family have no worries and can solely focus on his recovery. So we kindly ask if you can Donate/Share his Go Fund Me
    • It would mean the world to him and his family. PLEASE continue to keep him in your prayers.
  • Los Tranquilos de Japon (Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI) will be competing in Germany for wXw on September 27.
  • Thekla was the guest on AEW Unrestricted this week.
  • WrestleZone spoke with Ash By Elegance.
  • SiouxperCon announced that they’ve pulled Matt Riddle from their convention in Sioux Falls, South Dakota later this month following comments that Riddle made regarding the topics of sexual assault and domestic violence:
    • In light of recent public statements made by Matt Riddle regarding the topics of SA and DV, SiouxperCon has made the decision to cancel his appearance at this year’s convention. The statements that were made in no way represent our organization or event, and are not aligned with the mission, vision, and values of our organization.
    • Fans that have purchased photo ops in advance for Matt Riddle will be automatically refunded this week to their original form of payment.
    • SiouxperCon has always strived to be a safe and inclusive space and event for all to feel welcome, including those that have been affected by SA and DV. This is why we, along with New Sound Wrestling, will be donating 10% of the proceeds from all SiouxperMania tickets sold to The Compass Center to support the work they do in our community for survivors and victims.
  • Real American Freestyle announced that it will hold its second event at Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania on November 8. The show will stream live on Fox Nation.
  • Riddle, who was backstage at RAF’s first show, told TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast that he’s hoping to compete for the organization:
    • I’m a shooter. I love amateur wrestling. And honestly, I hope I get on one of these RAF shows. I talked to [Eric] Bischoff, talked to everybody else. I’m probably going to be on one of these shows soon.

Daily Update: Dustin Rhodes, new AEW trademark, Lex Luger

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

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Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE uploaded the full segment with DIY returning to NXT last night to confront Trick Williams.
  • Ricky Saints posted a brief tweet acknowledging that today is the two-year anniversary of his AEW All Out 2023 strap match against Bryan Danielson: “What day to remember. [dragon emoji]”
  • Going Ringside spoke with NXT Champion Oba Femi, who said he would like to see WWE come back to Africa at some point:
    • 1000 percent, yeah. I still think the market is very untapped. I don’t know if they know how crazy people go for this company over there, but all they need is one show to make them realize. I’m sure there is [cultural concerns], but it’s not anything that you can’t find out. You can always fix fear of the unknown.
  • Denise Salcedo asked Lex Luger if he keeps up with the current product and if he has any favorite wrestlers:
    • I don’t sit down like all the time and watch everything, but I definitely want to be up to speed on what’s going on, for sure. I love it.
    • Man, there’s so many good ones, obviously. Cody [Rhodes], I love him. My association with his father – and that’s the first thing that pops in my mind. There’s so many great talents.
    • What blows my mind now are the women. I mean, what they do in the ring now. A lot of times their matches are way better than the guys. I don’t know if it’s their gymnastics background or their cheerleading – but, man, they do unbelievable stuff. I love watching a lot of their matches now.
  • Salcedo also has an interview with Ron Simmons.

Other Wrestling

  • Dustin Rhodes gave an update on his recovery from double knee replacement surgery:
    • Today marks 2 wks since surgury. Don’t really know how I was doing it these last 5 yrs. Knees were destroyed. Dressing off finally. I look forward to a slow and methodical rehab. Slow and steady. Thank yall for all of your support and prayers. God has it under control.
  • AEW filed a trademark for “The Swirl” on September 2. It’s the tag team name of Blake Christian & Lee Johnson.
  • Along with the regular Thursday TV episode on Honor Club, ROH will air a special YouTube episode this Friday at 7 p.m. Eastern.
  • Lee Moriarty will defend his ROH Pure title against Josh Woods at Action Dean 3 in Philadelphia this Saturday.
  • In an interview with The Escapist, Ric Flair named the top three cities that he loved wrestling in:
    • Tokyo would be top, then Chicago, and in the old days, Greensboro, North Carolina. Tokyo was insane. I’ve been there 68 times. It’s diluted now, but when it was just All Japan and New Japan. It was unbelievable.
  • Flair discussed his in-ring chemistry with Randy Savage:
    • No, we had terrible chemistry. He wanted to rehearse and I didn’t rehearse. I only did it for WrestleMania. Instead of having a week off, I had to come to Tampa and wrestle for three hours a day with him to memorize a match. And that just wasn’t my style. You have to feel the crowd.
  • A Lightning match (10-minute time limit) between Satoshi Kojima and Mr. Thomas has been booked for the TV taping portion of MLW’s Fightland event in North Richland Hills, Texas on September 13.
  • TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast interviewed Matt Riddle about the controversy where he’s been accused of no-showing a charity event in the United Kingdom.
  • Rampage Jackson was on The Ariel Helwani Show today discussing the incident between his son Raja Jackson and Syko Stu.
  • Frankie Kazarian spoke with WrestlingNewsCo ahead of TNA’s events in Minneapolis this week.
  • Cheeseburger remembered Hana Kimura on what would have been her birthday:
    • Happy 28th Birthday Hana-Chan. I miss you everyday! Hug your loved ones close everyday and tell your people you love them before they’re gone!
    • It pains me to know that Hana would 100% be wrestling weekly on TV for WWE or AEW right now

Daily Update: AJ Lee, Roman Reigns, Real American Freestyle

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

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Monday Update

– Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer Radio covering Raw, more on Bufford Pusser and lots of other weekend shows as well as the latest news.

– Raw certainly led one to believe that AJ Lee would be coming in to team with CM Punk against Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch. As noted many times, WWE is going to want to load up the next PPV big given it’s the debut on ESPN. We haven’t gotten a confirmation that match is happening or when but on last night’s show that seemed to look like it was being set up, and it looked even more obvious today.

– The Roman Reigns injury angle is because he’s filming Street Fight for the next nearly four weeks. That’s why he wasn’t advertised for the Indianapolis PPV on 9/20.

– Just want to say I’m sorry about the PDF version of the Observer not being up until yesterday. I’m not sure what happened but the people at the site didn’t get it when I sent it on Friday and I was gone the entire weekend on a trip so didn’t get home until last night when it was put up. Also, there were two matches that were supposed to be rated from last week that weren’t that we didn’t get taken care of until last night, which were Jon Moxley vs. Daniel Garcia and Oba Femi vs. Je’Von Evans at ****1/4.

– We’re doing weekend polls on these shows:

  • WWE Clash in Paris yesterday’
  • Real American Freestyle from Cleveland on Saturday
  • ROH Death Before Dishonor on Friday

We’re looking for your thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match from each show to [email protected]

– Because of the holiday, ratings will be delayed this week. SmackDown numbers will be out tomorrow. Collision numbers probably won’t be out until Wednesday. Last week’s Raw number will be out tomorrow afternoon and we’ll go into detail on that. NXT won’t be out until Thursday. Dynamite will probably be out Thursday but sometimes coming off holiday weeks it’s delayed until Friday.

– Doug Hunt, who usually sends us two or three must-see matches over the weekend, listed six. No. 1 was Bandido vs. Hechicero from the ROH show on Friday. That match was incredible, easily top three of the year, many had it No. 1. I can’t say enough good about it. Athena did a great job with Mina Shirakawa having to follow that match, and while the 2300 Arena is small, the crowds thus far have been great. Others on his list were QT Marshall vs. Paul Walter Hauser, which for a celebrity match was a violent bloodbath and you can really see how much the “you’re a wrestler” chants meant to Hauser. The CMLL Grand Prix went nearly 90 minutes. I haven’t seen this one yet but have had people who thought it was incredible and others who felt it went too long. He also listed Saturday night matches with Villano III Jr. & El Hijo del Villano III vs. Lio Rush & Action Andretti from Arena Coliseo on Saturday night and Tomohiro Ishii & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Josh Alexander & Kyle Fletcher from Collision on Saturday, as well as FTR vs. Adam Priest & JD Drake. Will talk about as many of them as I can tonight as well as Sami Zayn vs. Solo Sikoa from Friday. Another one mentioned by a few people was Kazusada Higuchi vs. Jun Akiyama on the DDT Peter Pan show.

– Legendary wrestling announcer and weatherman Dave Brown turned 79 today.

– Some notes on Google searches this past weekend. With no UFC show, the only stuff was:

  • Clash in Paris at 130,000
  • The Rock/Dwayne Johnson at 50,000 because critical reviews have started coming out for The Smashing Machine. At Rotten Tomatoes it lists 93 percent positive review for the movie that comes out on 10/3 at theaters in the U.S. The North American premiere is 9/8 at 9:45 p.m. at the Toronto Film Festival
  • AJ Lee is at 20,000 based on the rumors of her returning to WWE
  • Darren Till is at 20,000 for his knockout of Luke Rockhold
  • Nothing from Real American Freestyle’s debut was listed

– They are going with Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer for the vacant women’s title on the 9/20 show, so that should be an excellent match.

– We’re looking for reports from Paris today regarding the matches not on the live show or anything else to [email protected]

– Buff Bagwell will be part of Memphis Wrestling on Saturday with Wrestling Night for the Memphis Redbirds at Autozone Park.

– Pro Wrestling Revolucion will be having matches all day on 9/13 at the Mexican Heritage Plaza as part of the Chile, Mole, Pozole event as well as there will be matches at the San Jose Earthquakes game that night at Levi’s Stadium featuring an appearance of Blue Demon Jr. There will also be matches at the Santa Cruz County Fair that day as well as on 9/10, 9/11, 9/12 and 9/14. There will also be matches Wednesday night at the San Jose Giants minor league baseball game.

– Josh Alexander vs. TJP for the Canadian title has been added to the Maple Leaf Wrestling show on Friday night in Ohsweken, Ontario that also has Grail champion Rohan Raju vs. Bishop Dyer, Canadian women’s champion Gisele Shaw vs. Priscilla Kelly, PCO & Shotzi Blackheart vs. Taylor Rising & Kris Chambers plus Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Billy Gunn, Stu Grayson and Ace Austin.

– The second Real American Freestyle show will be on 11/8 according to an article in Cleveland.com. Eric Bischoff said he would announce the date and location (rumored to be in the Northeast) later in the week.

– NXT tomorrow night has Lash Legend vs. Jaida Parker, Candice LeRae vs. Xia Brookside in the Speed tournament over 3:00 and Hank & Tank & Oba Femi & Ricky Saints vs. DarkState.

– AEW Wednesday at the 2300 Arena has Mercedes Mone vs. Alex Windsor for the TBS title and Adam Page & Kenny Omega & Kevin Knight & Mike Bailey vs. Young Bucks & Josh Alexander & Kyle Fletcher.

– TNA will be live Thursday night on AXS TV from Minneapolis with Matt & Jeff Hardy & Masa Sade vs. John Skyler & Jason Hotch & Tasha Steelz, Eddei Edwards & Brian Myers vs. Nic & RyanNemeth, Indi Hart vs. Dani Luna vs. Jody Threat in a winner gets a shot at Ash by Elegance for the TNA women’s title, AJ Francis vs. Moose plus Mike Santana and Joe Hendry.

– There will be a Q&A on Wednesday night at the Graza Foot Hall in Minneapolis with the Hardys.

– TNA is doing a promotional appearance on 9/25 in Edmonton, before its shows in that market at The Rec Room in South Edmonton with Trick Williams, Leon Slater, Matt Hardy, Steve Maclin and Ash.

– Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Chris Brookes was announced for the 11/3 DDT show at Sumo Hall in Tokyo.

– Bam Bam Bigelow would have turned 64 today. Doug Williams turned 53 today.

– Green Mountain Wrestlingon 9/14 in Barre, VT at the ElksLodge with a one-night tournament to crown a champion.

Daily Update: Taz, CMLL-Pokemon, TNA Impact

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

*The most detailed coverage of the WWE’s deal with ESPN starting early, why the different moves were made by all sides, the costs, more details on Wrestlepalooza, the embarrassment to sports journalism that ESPN has been and emphasized this week, how WWE benefits and doesn’t from the changes,and  more.
*Will Ospreay, his neck issues, comparisons with other major stars and their serious problems, and his future.
*More questions regarding the death of Hulk Hogan.
*A look at Forbidden Door and the card, AEW injury rate ,NXT Heatwave, WWE Clash in Paris, France attendance record and more.
*Full coverage of TripleMania, lots of behind the scenes stuff, why the next show is where it is and when it is, what Nick Khan told AAA talent, records set and a  record claimed that was so far from accurate, actual  viewer numbers for each match and more.
*A look at The G-1 Climax tournament, the booking, the business, Konosuke Takeshita, new record set and upcoming book New Japan bouts.
*Real attendance figures for WrestleMania in Las Vegas and stats on who traveled for the show vs. who lived in Las Vegas and bought tickets,
*Full coverage of UFC 319, business,  Chimaev and his future.
*Dragon Gate’s Dangerous Gate 2025 show
*The most detailed look at the ratings for all pro wrestling and MMA shows this past week, including weekly standings, nightly standings, head-to-head shows, segment numbers and more notes.
*Details of another big CMLL week
*Stardom Five Star Grand Prix update
*Kents vs. Marufuji
*Women’s legends show packs Korakuen Hall
*Cauliflower Alley Club awards
*Man who claims to have saved Scott Steiner’s life.
*Wrestler charged with murdering a neighbor in a brawl
*Sami Callihan retires
*Lots of thoughts on Chris Jerich as a free agent
*Tony Khan media call
*Unionizing wrestlers
*Ticket advances for upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA shows.
*Dana White talks Jon Jones
*Sean Strickland suspended.
*PFL crowns new world champions.
*The farce that is Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis.
*Gable Steveson’s MMA debut.
*BJ Penn back in court.
*Time changes for a lot of the WWE TV shows over the next month.
*High level athletes being recruited by WWE.
*Rhodes talks about leaving AEW.
*Bronson Reed talks about his injury.

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Thursday Update

WWE

Other Wrestling

  • AEW shared video of the post-Dynamite moment from last night where ECW legend Taz was honored at the 2300 Arena. Tony Khan and other AEW personnel wore orange Team Taz shirts to celebrate him. The celebration was done as a surprise to Taz, with even his wife kayfabing him about it.
  • On Dynamite, Mark Briscoe revealed in a taped promo that he was not at the show due to the birth of his new son Mack – the ninth child for him and his wife.
  • Samoa Joe appeared on the Doughboys podcast, reviewing McDonald’s ice cream.
  • Blake Christian was the guest on AEW Unrestricted this week.
  • Deonna Purrazzo & Steve Maclin joined Saraya on the latest episode of her Rulebreakers podcast.
  • CMLL and Pokemon are collaborating together for a special event in celebration of the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A video game. The Pokemon x CMLL show will be held at Arena Mexico on September 25:
    • If you’re hoping to see even more high-flying action, look no further than a special collaboration between Pokémon and the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) at the Pokémon Legends: Z-A × CMLL Event. Pokémon and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre are partnering up to showcase lucha libre—a traditional style of Mexican wrestling—at its finest.
    • The event will take place on September 25, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. PDT (local time 7:00 p.m. CST) at Arena México in Mexico City, Mexico, with tickets soon to be available on Ticketmaster. The match will also be broadcast on the official CMLL YouTube channel for fans all around the world to see!
  • In an interview with NJPW’s website following their match in the G1 finals, Konosuke Takeshita called EVIL one of his best-ever opponents, crediting EVIL for how good he is at being “the worst.”
    • I think when it comes to being the worst, he’s the best. I really think he’s one of the best opponents I’ve ever had. And he’s tough you know? He has to be. He really is the best at being the worst.
  • The live episode of TNA Impact in Minneapolis on September 4 is set to feature:
    • Ash By Elegance Knockouts World Championship celebration
    • The Hardys & Mara Sade vs. John Skyler, Jason Hotch & Tasha Steelz
    • Moose vs. AJ Francis
    • Nic & Ryan Nemeth vs. Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers
    • Indi Hartwell vs. Dani Luna vs. Jody Threat
  • Blue Panther Jr. vs. Zandokan Jr. in the first round of the 2025 Opera Cup tournament is set for MLW Fightland in North Richland Hills, Texas on September 13.
  • A GCW World Championship match with Effy defending against Shotzi Blackheart will take place at the promotion’s Homecoming show in Los Angeles on September 20.
  • Enzo Amore praised Big Bill (his former tag team partner Big Cass) for how far he’s come in his recovery from alcoholism:
    • He found an angel in his wife, Lexy [Nair]. I didn’t think there was any coming back from this for him…
    • What he’s managed to do since he left WWE is far greater than what you can achieve in a wrestling ring. He helps people, bro. People DM him and he answers
  • Chris Van Vliet interviewed former WWE referee Mike Chioda on a new episode of Insight.

Daily Update: Mercedes Mone, Gabe Kidd, Syko Stu fund

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

*The most detailed coverage of the WWE’s deal with ESPN starting early, why the different moves were made by all sides, the costs, more details on Wrestlepalooza, the embarrassment to sports journalism that ESPN has been and emphasized this week, how WWE benefits and doesn’t from the changes,and  more.
*Will Ospreay, his neck issues, comparisons with other major stars and their serious problems, and his future.
*More questions regarding the death of Hulk Hogan.
*A look at Forbidden Door and the card, AEW injury rate ,NXT Heatwave, WWE Clash in Paris, France attendance record and more.
*Full coverage of TripleMania, lots of behind the scenes stuff, why the next show is where it is and when it is, what Nick Khan told AAA talent, records set and a  record claimed that was so far from accurate, actual  viewer numbers for each match and more.
*A look at The G-1 Climax tournament, the booking, the business, Konosuke Takeshita, new record set and upcoming book New Japan bouts.
*Real attendance figures for WrestleMania in Las Vegas and stats on who traveled for the show vs. who lived in Las Vegas and bought tickets,
*Full coverage of UFC 319, business,  Chimaev and his future.
*Dragon Gate’s Dangerous Gate 2025 show
*The most detailed look at the ratings for all pro wrestling and MMA shows this past week, including weekly standings, nightly standings, head-to-head shows, segment numbers and more notes.
*Details of another big CMLL week
*Stardom Five Star Grand Prix update
*Kents vs. Marufuji
*Women’s legends show packs Korakuen Hall
*Cauliflower Alley Club awards
*Man who claims to have saved Scott Steiner’s life.
*Wrestler charged with murdering a neighbor in a brawl
*Sami Callihan retires
*Lots of thoughts on Chris Jerich as a free agent
*Tony Khan media call
*Unionizing wrestlers
*Ticket advances for upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA shows.
*Dana White talks Jon Jones
*Sean Strickland suspended.
*PFL crowns new world champions.
*The farce that is Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis.
*Gable Steveson’s MMA debut.
*BJ Penn back in court.
*Time changes for a lot of the WWE TV shows over the next month.
*High level athletes being recruited by WWE.
*Rhodes talks about leaving AEW.
*Bronson Reed talks about his injury.

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE uploaded the full Lola Vice, Sol Ruca & Zaria vs. Fatal Influence main event from NXT last night.
  • While wishing her a happy birthday yesterday, Tyler Bate expressed his love for Ruca: “Happiest of birthdays to my love, my inspiration and my smile @solrvca. The coolest person I know. You make me laugh, you make me want to be better everyday and one day I hope to be as cool as you when I grow up. To the moon and back my darling. Here’s to you”
  • Jerry “The King” Lawler posted (and then took down) a photo from Vince McMahon’s 80th birthday party that showed Lawler with The Miz, Maryse, Titus O’Neil, Sheamus, and Drew McIntyre.
  • TV Insider asked Lyra Valkyria if she gave her fiance LJ Cleary any tips prior to his recent WWE tryout:
    • Honestly, it’s him that gives me tips more often than not. He was a big part of coaching me. Whenever he asks for advice, I’m more like, ‘I don’t want to taint anything you have naturally.’ He is incredible on his own. I never want to sway him. I always think it’s his good instinct that will take him to where he wants to be.
  • At WWE’s house show in Manchester, England yesterday, there was a spot where Roxanne Perez hit Pop Rox on CM Punk.
  • When SportBible asked her to name the most underrated WWE wrestler, Rhea Ripley praised Candice LeRae and said she would like to see LeRae get more opportunities:
    • It’s hard to like pinpoint anyone specifically, but I feel like there’s a lot, especially like in the women’s division. There are so many women that I know are so amazing at what they do, and they don’t get enough TV time or the opportunities to really show everyone what they can do.
    • Like someone that I love is Candice LeRae, and going through NXT with her and seeing how her brain works and how she goes out there, and she’s like the vet in the ring. She really knows what to do, and she keeps everyone calm, and she’s got ideas. And it’s just like I wish that someone like her would get more of an opportunity.

Other Wrestling

  • A Mercedes Mone “nine belts” championship celebration will take place on AEW Dynamite tonight following her victory at Forbidden Door.
  • Self Made Pro Wrestling reports that Gabe Kidd is expected to continue making appearances for AEW going forward:
    • NJPW wrestler Gabriel Kidd was seen backstage at AEW Dynamite in the 2300 Arena.
    • Kidd remains a member of the NJPW roster but is expected to continue to make appearances for AEW. He is considered at this point to be a permanent member of the Death Riders and was spotted training with them today at TV.
  • Taz voiced a brief video promoting the start of AEW’s residency at the 2300 Arena – the former home of ECW.
  • AEW has exclusive merchandise on sale at the 2300 Arena for the residency.
  • Ricochet made an appearance on Marking Out with MVP & Dwayne Swayze.
  • The GoFundMe campaign to benefit Syko Stu has now raised more than $150,000. Finn Balor, Nic Nemeth, and Jack Perry are among the new donors with each giving $1,000.
  • WWE producer Shane Helms reacted to the incident between Raja Jackson and Stu:
    • A ‘receipt’ in the ring is for sh*t that’s happened in the ring. If you got backstage beef, handle that sh*t backstage. If you got personal heat, handle that sh*t on personal time. ‘Receipts’ are not for settling personal grievances. If you were trained otherwise, your trainer is wrong.
  • After her title win at NXT Heatwave, TNA announced that we’ll hear from new Knockouts World Champion Ash By Elegance on Impact this Thursday. Here’s the updated lineup for the show:
    • New Knockouts Champion Ash By Elegance speaks
    • Mike Santana & Steve Maclin vs. Trick Williams & AJ Francis
    • The Hardys (Matt & Jeff Hardy) vs. Leon Slater & Cedric Alexander
    • The IInspiration (Cassie Lee & Jessica McKay) vs. Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley & Jazmyn Nyx)
    • Eric Young vs. Myron Reed
    • Mara Sade vs. Tasha Steelz
  • TMZ’s Inside the Ring has an interview with Ash By Elegance.
  • TNA uploaded a new Immersed feature focused on the International Championship.
  • Shotzi Blackheart will face off against Alejandra Quintanilla at MLW Fightland in North Richland Hills, Texas on September 13.
  • Shotzi mourned the loss of four of the seven chickens she was raising: “RIP to my chickens Dolly, Ozzy 1, Ozzy 2, and Ozzy 3. Something got in the coop and took 4 of my 7 chickens. Farm life is hard sometimes.”

Daily Update: Swerve Strickland, ratings, Gable Steveson

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

Latest Headlines

Latest Audio

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

*The most detailed coverage of the WWE’s deal with ESPN starting early, why the different moves were made by all sides, the costs, more details on Wrestlepalooza, the embarrassment to sports journalism that ESPN has been and emphasized this week, how WWE benefits and doesn’t from the changes,and  more.
*Will Ospreay, his neck issues, comparisons with other major stars and their serious problems, and his future.
*More questions regarding the death of Hulk Hogan.
*A look at Forbidden Door and the card, AEW injury rate ,NXT Heatwave, WWE Clash in Paris, France attendance record and more.
*Full coverage of TripleMania, lots of behind the scenes stuff, why the next show is where it is and when it is, what Nick Khan told AAA talent, records set and a  record claimed that was so far from accurate, actual  viewer numbers for each match and more.
*A look at The G-1 Climax tournament, the booking, the business, Konosuke Takeshita, new record set and upcoming book New Japan bouts.
*Real attendance figures for WrestleMania in Las Vegas and stats on who traveled for the show vs. who lived in Las Vegas and bought tickets,
*Full coverage of UFC 319, business,  Chimaev and his future.
*Dragon Gate’s Dangerous Gate 2025 show
*The most detailed look at the ratings for all pro wrestling and MMA shows this past week, including weekly standings, nightly standings, head-to-head shows, segment numbers and more notes.
*Details of another big CMLL week
*Stardom Five Star Grand Prix update
*Kents vs. Marufuji
*Women’s legends show packs Korakuen Hall
*Cauliflower Alley Club awards
*Man who claims to have saved Scott Steiner’s life.
*Wrestler charged with murdering a neighbor in a brawl
*Sami Callihan retires
*Lots of thoughts on Chris Jerich as a free agent
*Tony Khan media call
*Unionizing wrestlers
*Ticket advances for upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA shows.
*Dana White talks Jon Jones
*Sean Strickland suspended.
*PFL crowns new world champions.
*The farce that is Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis.
*Gable Steveson’s MMA debut.
*BJ Penn back in court.
*Time changes for a lot of the WWE TV shows over the next month.
*High level athletes being recruited by WWE.
*Rhodes talks about leaving AEW.
*Bronson Reed talks about his injury.

This Week’s Back Issue

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Monday Update

–Bryan and I will be up tonight talking Raw and all the wrestling news and MMA news at [email protected]
–Swerve  Strickland will be undergoing knee surgery on  Wednesday.  He announced it last night as his rap/stage show after the card in London. (thanks to Markus Gronemann)
–We don’t have the U.S. ratings for Smackdown yet, but should have them for tonight’s show.  We do have Netflix rankings of the show from the first day of airing.  Australia was No. 3, same as last week.  India was No. 2,  up from 5 the prior week.  New Zealand was 3, same as last week.  Saudi Arabia was No. 1, up from two.  U.K. (where the show aired at a reasonable time since it was in Dublin) was No. 1, up from two.  John Cena being on the show likely helped as well.
–Raw was already held today in Birmingham, England.  It was a legit sellout.  
Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh
Penta vs. Kofi Kingston
Rhea Ripley vs. Roxanne Perez
AJ Styles vs.  Finn Balor
LA Knight vs. Bron Breakker
–The WWE world women’s title held by Naomi will be put up in a match with Stephanie Vaquer against an opponent who will be announced next week.  Not sure yet if that will be saved for 9/20, since that is a major priority show from Indianapolis, or put on Raw right away to fill the vacancy but we’ll try and find out.

–We’re looking for your thoughts on AEW Forbidden Door and NXT Heatwave.  You can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for each show to [email protected]

–Also we are looking for reports from these shows:
*WWE house show yesterday in Newcastle, UK
*Raw tonight in Birmingham (anything not on the live show)
*WWE house show tomorrow in Manchester, UK
*WWE house show Wednesday in Cardiff, Wales
*WWE house show Thursday in Leeds, UK
We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights to [email protected]

–As expected, WWE has pulled all affiliation with Knokx Pro Wrestling and the school that was listed as an official WWEID school.  This came due to the incident with Raja Jackson and Stuart Smith (Syco Stu) from Saturday night in Sun Valley, CA, and the horrific beating that probably many if not most of you are aware of.  The last word was that Smith was still hospitalized in critical care and he is responsive.  WWE stopped listing them as an affiliated school and Knokx Pro removed the WWE affiliation from all of its social media  

–Gable Steveson was to face submission expert Craig Jones in the main event of Craig Jones Invitational grappling shows this weekend in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center.  Steveson pulled out today with the promotion saying it was because of turf toe.  Steveson is still scheduled to make his debut in MMA on 9/12 in Prior Liae, MN for the LFA against Braden Peterson.

–Sami Zayn and Pac went to the Newcastle vs. Liverpool soccer game together and were shown on camera.

–Real American Freestyle debuts Saturday in Cleveland.  They announced a tribute to Hulk Hogan with Nick and Hogan’s wife Sky Daily.  Kurt Angle, Chael Sonnen and Bubba Jenkins will be announcing and they announced appearing at the show will be Julianna Pena, Holly Holm, Uriah Faber, Mark Coleman, Tito Ortiz and Clay Guida.  It will stream live on Fox Nation.

–Nettflix House, an attraction at the King of Prussia Mall in Philadelphia, will have a series of attractions related to its programming, including a WWE featured attraction.

–Killer Kross vs. Calvin Tankman was announced for Defy on 9/19 in Seattle at Washington Hall.  Clark Connors also has an open challenge to defend his Defy title on that show.

 –WrestleMania On Location Hospitality Packages are on sale 9/5.

–Among birthdays today are Steve Regal (the AWA/Indiana wrestler not Lord William) who is 74,  The Grappler Lynn Denton is 67, Bronson Reed is 37 and Kylie Rae is 33.

–Ultimo Guerrero vs. Esfinge in an Opera Cup first round match was announced for the 9/13 MLW show in North Richland Hills, TX.