WWE inducted ten people into the Legacy wing of their Hall of Fame during tonight’s broadcast.
During the 2020 induction ceremony, WWE announced Ray Stevens, Brickhouse Brown, Dr. Death Steve Williams, Baron Michele Leone, and Gary Hart as being part of last year’s Hall of Fame class. Later, during the 2021 Hall of Fame ceremony, Dick The Bruiser, Pez Whatley, Buzz Sawyer, Ethel Johnson, and Paul Boesch were announced as being part of this year’s class.
Legacy inductees are usually announced during the ceremony, with a video package that briefly covers their careers. Previous names inducted under this manner include Frank Gotch, George Hackenschmit, Lou Thesz, Rikidozan, El Santo, Bruiser Brody, and Jim Barnett.
WWE aired both the 2020 and 2021 Hall of Fame ceremonies tonight on Peacock. Both shows were taped last week at the WWE ThunderDome with no audience. The 2020 Hall of Fame ceremony was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Inductees such as Jushin Thunder Liger, The Great Khali, William Shatner, and Ozzy Osbourne gave their speeches virtually.
KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens
Tetsuya Naito & Bushi vs. Jay White & Gedo
Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Shingo Takagi & El Terrible
Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi
Raw is Monday in Boston. Natalya vs. Asuka was announced as well as Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch as a tag team. It’s the go-home Raw for Survivor Series so NXT talent should be on the show, and main roster talent would make sense to be on NXT on Wednesday.
Joseph Currier looks at the reactions to Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega’s unsanctioned match.
AEW’s first pay-per-view since debuting on weekly television was headlined by what will likely end up being the most divisive match of the year.
For some, Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega’s unsanctioned lights out match at Full Gear was a hardcore classic. To others, it was a gratuitously violent and long match that was a misstep for AEW. They wrestled for over 38 minutes and did everything they could to try and have the epic hardcore match that its biggest fans thought it was. A board covered in mouse traps, a chain, a screwdriver, glass, barbed wire, and a barbed wire spider web were just some of the weapons used. By the end of the match, part of the ring was deconstructed — and a Paradigm Shift DDT on the exposed wood finally put an end to things and gave Moxley the win.
Every move AEW has made in its brief history has been overanalyzed to the point of exhaustion. Each positive and negative moment has probably been assigned too much importance. But AEW is defining its identity over the course of the promotion’s first year. Moxley vs. Omega is now always going to be part of that. Full Gear was an opportunity for AEW to put their best foot forward to an audience that has sampled their first six weeks of TV. While it’s likely that some things were gimmicked and Moxley vs. Omega wasn’t quite as violent as it came off as, AEW not only didn’t shy away from the “blood and guts” criticism that Vince McMahon leveled at them — they leaned into it.
The return of C.M. Punk to the pro wrestling scene and coverage of AEW’s Full Gear and the lessons after seven weeks of television of what we’ve learned from AEW and NXT are the lead stories in this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
We examine the timeline of C.M. Punk and his deal with WWE Backstage, including the original approach, how things were viewed along the way, the last AEW offer and how much AEW wanted him, what he said that led to AEW going cold, and his debut on Backstage on Tuesday night.
We cover what has and hasn’t happened for NXT and AEW since getting television. We look at things like maintaining audience, live sales, PPV, NWA Powerr and its reaction and numbers, key demo ratings, how NXT came close once, PPV numbers, how the date backfired on AEW, how PPV changed with television with organizations in the past, plus full coverage of Full Gear with business notes, match-by-match coverage, star ratings and poll results.
The new issue also covers:
Survivor Series update with booking changes made, how that affects TLC and early plans for that show, plus a key title match not yet announced.
Steve Austin’s new WWE Network show, the value of WrestleMania, how ticket sales this year differed from shows in the past, Johnny Gargano injury and how that changed the Takeover card, ACH update, Sin Cara talks wanting out, new John Cena movie, Rusev talks his angle with Lashley, Starrcade card, Evolve notes, as well as WWE market value, most watched shows on WWE Network and a look at all the WWE and NXT live events over the past week with results, highlights and business news.
Notes on New Japan’s coming to San Jose with match-by-match coverage.
Full rundown on the UFC show in Moscow and the stories behind it.
Full coverage of all the WWE and AEW television shows from the past week.
In-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE
Bryan and I did our weekend show talking Smackdown, ratings, UFC and more earlier today.
There was nothing from combat sports that made Google trends over the weekend. The UFC show from Sau Paulo had nothing of mainstream interest and there was no big boxing. The only stuff in the past week that did was Dwayne Johnson being No. 2 on Wednesday with 1 million searches talking about playing Black Adam, and C.M.Punk being No; 14 on Thursday with 100,000 searches.
Ratings all week will be interesting. Monday night goes against the Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs, which isn’t a big game, so in theory it should bounce back to above the levels of the last few weeks. Tuesday is the first C.M. Punk full show appearance on WWE Backstage. Wednesday has a loaded in-ring for AEW but it’s not coming off a PPV. If the number stays in the same range, that would be a good sign, but we’ll see what the PPV bump does or doesn’t mean for them. NXT should have main roster talent since they are in the country and it makes sense. For Smackdown, we find out if Friday was just a bad week or a pattern. Right now the lower numbers for Raw and Smackdown are still to me, Raw was expected based on unique competition and Smackdown was way down, but it’s only one week, and follows two good weeks.
After two days in the New Japan tag team tournament, Juice Robinson & David Finlay and Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi are tied on top with 2-0 records. In the All Japan tournament, Parrow & Odinson are on top with three wins while Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa have two wins.
Our own JJ Williams, who covers NXT events across Florida, has sadly and unexpectedly lost his mother recently. A friend of the family has started a GoFundMe to cover funeral services for those that would like to help.
WWE
WWE has changed the main event for the 11/30 show in Mexico City to Bray Wyatt vs. Rey Mysterio for the WWE title. If they book a semi-squash, which is how Wyatt’s matches at house shows are usually booked, with Mysterio in Mexico City, well, I don’t know what to say.
WWE has released new Funko Pops of Bray Wyatt, Diesel, The Miz, John Cena, Naomi, Hulk Hogan and others.
A documentary on Sting’s last match, where he messed up his neck and was found to have spinal stenosis after suffering a stinger in a match with Seth Rollins after taking two buckle bumps will be on the WWE Network on Friday.
The movie “Peanut Butter Falcon,” which is very good and had a wrestling plot to it, including an appearance by Jake Roberts and Mick Foley, was released this past week on DVD.
The Indianapolis Star did a story on Dick the Bruiser, the city’s all-time biggest drawing card. One correction is that they talked about the Bruiser vs. Alex Karras match in Detroit after the brawl they had at the world’s first sports bar in Detroit. The brawl started as a work but turned real and Bruiser was arrested. That’s a well-known story. But it said the show drew a sparse crowd. While the crowd of 8,000 fans was less than expected since the brawl got major local and national news, I don’t think 8,000 fans attending a show in that era, or this era, should be called sparse.
They are billing next week’s WOW show on AXS as the season finale. They do have more episodes that were taped in September in the can.
A story on Dr. Sam Sheppard, who was briefly a celebrity wrestler around 1969, with the famed F. Lee Bailey, and his wrestling career is discussed. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
Future Stars of Wrestling from Friday night in Las Vegas: Robby Lit & Hyper Streak & Mondo Rok b Lazarus & Ricky Adams & Danny Rose, Shogun James won Rumble, Tito Escondido & Jorel Nelson b Royce Isaacs & Che Cabrera, Douglas James b Hammerstone-DQ so Hammerstone keeps the Nevada state title, Greg Romero b Kyle Hawk in a first blood match, Lacey Ryan b Mazzerati to keep the women’s title, Remy Marcel won three-way over Damian Dre and Ice Williams in a ladder match, Graves b Chris Bey to win the FSW title. Next show is 11/29 on Twitch (thanks to Shannon Walsh and Wrestlingwithdemons.net)
Wrestling Rampage from last night in Adelaide, Australia: Corey Adams b Einar Ironside, Tommy Knight b Hartley Jackson, Robby Heart b Damien Slater, Boens & Big & Gorgeous b Wam Bam Bellows & Foxxy Boys, Corndog b Havok in a hardcore match, Tommy Knight b Hartley Jackson, Kellyanne b Xena, Rat Daddy b Punch Drunk Istria to win Australian national title (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
Ladies Night Out from last night in Texas City, TX: Promise & Uju b Myka Madrid & Viki Vento, Diamante b Kiera Hogan, Leyla Hirsch b Lindsay Snow, Veda Scott b Ivory Robyn (Scott was limping after the match), Harlow O’Hara & Alejandra the Lion b Vert Vixen & Madi Wrenkowksi, Jazz b Phoebe, Heather Monroe b Riley X Paris, Thunder Rosa b Holidead, Ivelisse b Miranda Alize to become first LNO champion. I was told that everything that could go wrong on a show did here. (thanks to Shannon Walsh)
Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling from last night in East Carondelet, IL: Ax Allwardt b Jake Prater, Bobby D b Big Texan, Superstar Steve Fender b Chris Kade, Billy McNeil & PT Beckham b Frankie D & Waco, Flash Flanagan b Damian Blade, Gary Jackson & Gil Rogers d Ken Kasa & Christopher Hargas, Ricky Cruz b Curtis Wylde-COR. Jimmy Valiant was a guest on the show (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
Melbourne Championship Wrestling GIRL show from earlier today in Melbourne, Australia: Erika Reid b Aysha, Chanel Phoenix b Caity Luxe, Lucille Brawl b Jessica Troy, Xena b Nikki Van Blair, Avary b Charli Evans in a no DQ match (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
Pro Wrestling Revolution from last night at O’Connell High in San Francisco before 700 fans: JR Kratos b LA Park in a 25:00 brawl, Bestia 666 b Colt Stevens in a ladder match to win the PWR jr. title, Flamita b Puma King, Ultimo Panda won over Adrian Quest, Sangre Azteca and El Hijo de L.A. Park. Lots of money was thrown in for the Kratos vs. Park and Flamita vs. Puma King matches. They announced a 2/22 show in San Jose with Konnan and Psycho Clown. (thanks to Roy Lucier)
