A new tag team match has been added to WWE Clash at the Castle this Saturday.
It was announced during Monday’s Raw that Edge and Rey Mysterio will face off against The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and Damian Priest). Dominic Mysterio will be in the corner of his father and Edge, while Rhea Ripley will be in the corner of Balor and Priest.
Edge defeated Damian Priest in a match that took place on Raw last week. However, he was jumped by the rest of the Judgment Day and was about to be laid out with a conchairto when Beth Phoenix ran in for the save.
After Judgment Day defeated Dolph Ziggler and AJ Styles on Monday’s Raw, Edge came out and laid a trap on the Judgment Day, distracting them long enough for Rey and Dominik Mysterio to arrive with chairs. Dominik and Ripley ended up confronting one another, with Dominik giving Ripley a kendo stick he had before Rey and Edge made the save.
Here is the current card for Saturday’s Clash at the Castle:
Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Liv Morgan vs. Shayna Baszler for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship
Gunther vs. Sheamus for the Intercontinental Championship
Seth Rollins vs. Riddle
Edge & Rey Mysterio vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damian Priest)
Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including RAW from Monday, NXT 2.0 preview for tonight, the return of Johnny Gargano and why he came back to WWE, Edge teases retirement, tons of mailbag questions and more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
WWE Hall of Famer Edge teased a retirement match for 2023 in a post-Raw promo Monday.
Speaking to the live audience in Toronto after performing in the show’s main event, Edge said that “in a perfect world, we all say goodbye to each other” in a hypothetical August 2023 event “one last time here in Toronto.”
“I’m looking at the calendar, and we usually come here in August. So next August, I plan on seeing each and every one of you. And in a perfect world, we all say goodbye to each other that night,” Edge said.
A video of the promo and a full transcript can be found below.
Edge returned to WWE in January 2020 at the Royal Rumble, participating in his first match in nine years after being medically disqualified from continuing his WWE in-ring career in 2011 due to spinal stenosis.
Speculation began in August 2019 that Edge had been medically cleared to compete, after he took part in his first physical WWE angle in years on the SummerSlam pre-show in Toronto, spearing Elias.
The full transcript of Edge’s promo:
“30 years ago… July 1, 1992, I had my first wrestling match as Adam Copeland. Sexton Hardcastle was later. And I knew, I knew one day, I’d be standing right here for all of you, I just knew it.
What I didn’t dream of is that I would have to retire for nine years and fight, fight with every fiber of my being to get this back. And all of you are the reason for that. This is a reciprocal relationship.
I just stood toe-to-toe with one of the best talents, and the future of this industry, Damian Priest. And I can’t wait to do it some more.
And I can’t wait to come back, hopefully, one last time, one last time here in Toronto.
I’m looking at the calendar, and we usually come here in August. So next August, I plan on seeing each and every one of you. And in a perfect world, we all say goodbye to each other that night. Hey, but that’s okay man, this is the place for me to do it, okay?
I mean this when I say it: I love all of you. In case you missed it, I love being Canadian. And you know I have to do this, I would be remiss — Go Leafs Go, Go Leafs Go, Go Leafs Go, Go Leafs Go.”
After #WWERAW went of the air Edge revealed that he wants to have his final match next August in 2023 in Toronto Canada.
WWE Raw heads north of the border tonight as Raw is held at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.
In his hometown of Toronto, Edge will be in action tonight as he faces his former Judgment Day stablemate Damian Priest. WWE has been building to the match for multiple weeks.
There will also be a homecoming for Trish Stratus as she returns to WWE television for an appearance on tonight’s show.
Plus, the semifinals of the WWE Women’s Tag Team title tournament will begin with Dakota Kai & IYO SKY facing Asuka & Alexa Bliss. Kai & Sky defeated Dana Brooke & Tamina in the first round of the tournament, while Asuka & Bliss defeated Doudrop & Nikki A.S.H.
The other semifinal bout in the tournament was supposed to be Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah vs. Toxic Attraction’s Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne, but Toxic Attraction are out of the tournament due to Dolin suffering an injury. A second chance four-way match will take place on SmackDown this Friday.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Seth Rollins-Riddle Brawl
This was a good short opening brawl.
They opened up with a crowd shot. Suddenly, the cameraman ran backstage. Seth Rollins and Riddle were brawling behind the curtain.
Rollins and Riddle brawled into the arena to a big pop. They brawled into the crowd and up the steps. Riddle tried to dump Rollins over the balcony, but Rollins fought back.
Referees and officials ran out to break up the brawl. The fans broke into a “Let them fight” chant. Riddle dove off the barricade onto Rollins and a bunch of referees. They finally broke up the brawl and separated them.
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Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton ran down the lineup for tonight.
Trish Stratus Segment
This was a good opening segment. The fans loved Stratus and were happy to see her. Stratus teased coming out of retirement for a match with Bayley.
Trish Stratus returned to a massive pop from the hometown fans. They broke into a “Welcome back” chant. Stratus noted she’s happy to be back home. Not just Toronto but the WWE.
The fans broke into another “Welcome back” chant. Bayley, IYO SKY, and Dakota Kai interrupted. Stratus started to say that she’s been thinking about something but didn’t get to finish her sentence because the heels interrupted.
Back from the break, Bayley, Sky, and Kai pretended to be happy to see Stratus. They told Stratus that they’re her number one fans. Bayley dropped the nice act and asked her what she was doing on Raw.
Stratus said she’s there to support Edge for his match later. Bayley, Sky, and Kai cut her off and told her they hated her. Bayley added that she’s in the past, and they’re the now.
Bianca Belair’s music hit, and she jumped in the ring. Belair praised Stratus and added Bayley’s not even in the same Stratusphere. Belair told them to stop being disrespectful to Status in her city. The fans popped and broke into an “EST” chant. Belair noted that she doesn’t need to fight for Stratus.
Status took off her jacket and got in Bayley’s face. She teased coming out of retirement. Bayley took off her jacket and pointed out it was three on two. Alexa Bliss and Asuka come out to get the numbers advantage. Bayley backed off.
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WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: IYO SKY & Dakota Kai defeated Asuka & Alexa Bliss (18:37)
This was a good match. It dragged at times but picked up towards the end.
They went about a minute and quickly went to a break. The faces were firmly in control and dumped the heels out of the ring.
Back from the break, Asuka and Sky faced off. Sky and Asuka had a fun back and forth. Sky avoided a kick Matrix-style and rocked Asuka with a kick of her own. The faces took over and isolated Kai on their side of the ring.
Bliss ran wild and hit a cannonball off the apron onto the heels. Kai and Sky took over as they went to break. They showed Dana Brooke and Tamina watching backstage.
Back from the break, the heels were firmly in control. Bliss fought back, and Asuka got the hot tag to a big pop. Asuka caught Sky with a German suplex and hit a running knee for a near fall.
They showed Aliyah, Nikki A.S.H., and Doudrop watching backstage. Back in the ring, Sky rocked Asuka with an awesome dropkick. Bliss broke up the pin, but Kai dumped her out of the ring. Asuka missed a hip attack, and Kai hit a running kick for a two-count.
Bliss and Asuka regained control with a side Russian leg sweep/neck breaker combo. Asuka locked on submission, but Sky made the save. Bliss went for Twisted Bliss, but Kai got her knees up.
The finish came when Kai missed a boot in the corner. Sky made a blind tag, but Asuka applied the Asuka lock on Kai. Sky sneaked in and rolled up Asuka for the win.
Sky and Kai advance to the finals of the title tournament.
Later, they announced a fatal four-way second chance match for SmackDown Friday. It’s Dana Brooke & Tamina vs. Nikki A.S.H. & Doudrop vs. Natalya & Sonya Deville vs. Xia Li & Shotzi. The winner advances to the semi-finals to take on Aliyah & Raquel Rodriguez.
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In the back, Kevin Patrick interviewed Dolph Ziggler. Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley interrupted. Balor got in Ziggler’s face and called him a kid. Ziggler slapped Balor and walked to the ring for their match.
They recapped the Roman Reigns-Drew McIntyre angle from last Friday’s SmackDown.
Finn Balor (w/Rhea Ripley) defeated Dolph Ziggler (13:05)
Balor and Ziggler had a good match. The fans were into it and popped for a bunch of near falls.
Ziggler had the early advantage with a standing dropkick. Balor fought back and repeatedly sent Ziggler into the turnbuckle. He then slowed the pace down with a side headlock. Ziggler tried fighting back. Balor recovered and sent Ziggler chest first into the turnbuckle.
Back from the break, Balor was in control with a chin lock. Ziggler escaped and hit a flying clothesline. He followed up with a standing elbow drop for two-count. The fans broke into a “Let’s go, Ziggler” chant. Ziggler rolled up Balor for a near fall. He went for the Famouser, but Balor countered into a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall.
Balor went for the shotgun dropkick, but Ziggler responded with a standing dropkick. He followed up with a DDT for another near fall. The fans broke into a brief “Let’s go, Ziggler” chant. Ziggler hit the Famouser for a very close two-count. The fans thought that was the finish.
Balor hit the shotgun dropkick but missed the coup de grace. Ziggler jumped to his feet and hit the Zig Zag for a very close near fall. The fans popped big for the sequence and near fall.
Balor and Ziggler traded shots in the middle of the ring. Balor grabbed the referee’s attention, and Ripley rocked Ziggler with a forearm. Balor then hit the 1916 and hit the coup de grace for the win.
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In the back, Sara Schreiber interviewed SmackDown’s Aliyah. She got a good reaction since she’s from Toronto. Bayley, IYO SKY & Dakota Kai interrupted. They mocked Aliyah and wondered about Raquel Rodriguez. They made fun of her for coming to Raw alone.
Trish Stratus approached and noted she wasn’t alone. Aliyah challenged Bayley to a match later. She agreed, and the fans popped.
As Bayley, Sky, and Kai walked off, Adam Pearce walked by with security and showed them a photo. Presumably, this had to do with Dexter Lumis.
********
Alpha Academy made to way to the ring.
Alpha Academy Open Challenge
Back from the break, Chad Gable told the crowd to shoosh, and they erupted in boos. Gable’s looking for new students but could only find toothless hockey players. He mocked Toronto and the Maple Leafs for losing to Tampa. He heard a lot about Auston Matthews, but he’s American. The fans broke into a “Go Leafs Go” chant.
Gable issued an open challenge to anyone. He doesn’t care if it’s a wash-up athlete or a fan.
Kevin Owens’s music hit to a massive pop.
Kevin Owens defeated Chad Gable (w/Otis) (11:09)
Owens and Gable had a great match. Owens got a great reaction from the Canadian fans.
Owens was firmly in control. He rocked Gable with a clothesline and followed up with a senton. He went for the cannonball, but Gable slipped out. Gable briefly took over, but Owens regained control. The fans broke into a “KO” chant.
Owens went for a piledriver on the apron, but Gable countered with a backdrop. Gable then gave Owens a release German suplex on the apron.
Back from the break, Gable hit a series of German suplexes. Owens broke free and hit a German suplex. He followed up with the cannonball in the corner. Gable briefly took over and targeted Owen’s knee.
Owens recovered and hit an awesome frog splash halfway across the ring for a near fall. Gable avoided the pop-up powerbomb. Owens went for the Stunner, but Gable countered with a German suplex for a two-count. Owens landed right on the back of his head and neck.
Gable hit a diving headbutt for a near fall. He went for a superplex, but Owens reversed into a fishermen buster for a very close two-count. The fans popped big for the sequence. Owens went for a Swanton, but Gable got his knees up. Gable missed a moonsault, and Owens hit a superkick. He then hit the Stunner for the win.
After the match, Otis jumped Owens from behind. He fought back, but the heels took over. The fans broke into a loud but brief “Sami” chant. Owens didn’t need Sami’s help as he recovered. He hit a Stunner on Otis. He then gave Gable a powerbomb onto Otis.
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In the back, Judgment Day mocked Dolph Ziggler and Rey Mysterio. Damien Priest assumed there would be loud cheers for Edge since it’s his first time wrestling in Toronto in over ten years. Priest promised to beat him later tonight.
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Bayley defeated Aliyah (6:33)
Bayley and Aliyah had an okay match. They seemed on different pages at times. The fans were dead since nobody believed Aliyah was beating Bayley in her first match back.
Aliyah got a good reaction from the hometown fans. Back from the break, Aliyah was emotional from the crowd’s response.
Aliyah had the early advantage and scored a series of near falls. Bayley took over and beat down Aliyah in the corner. She hit a snap suplex and followed up with a chin lock.
Bayley hit a sliding clothesline for a two-count. She went back to the chin lock. Aliyah broke free, but Bayley caught her. She placed her in the corner and hit double knees, similar to Sasha Banks.
Aliyah fought back and hit a bulldog at ringside. Aliyah caught Bayley in a half-crab, which actually got a pop. Bayley broke free and hit the rose plant for the win.
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AJ Styles and Bobby Lashley were heading to the ring. They passed by Adam Pearce with security and the riot police. It was hard to tell what was happening. There seemed to be a fire or something. Presumably, Dexter Lumis set the fire.
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The Miz & Ciampa defeated AJ Styles & Bobby Lashley via Disqualification (13:37)
They had a good match until the finish. Dexter Lumis showed up and dragged Miz out of the arena for the finish. The fans popped for Lumis, but it felt anti-climactic.
Styles rocked Ciampa with a dropkick for the early advantage. Lashley followed with a delayed vertical suplex. Ciampa fought back and caught Lashley with a chop block.
The heels briefly took over. Lashley went for the Hurt Lock, but Miz escaped. Styles sent Miz to the floor. Lashley then press slammed Ciampa onto Miz.
Back from the break, the heels were firmly in control. They isolated Styles on their side of the ring. Styles tried to make the tag, but Miz backed him into their corner. Miz rocked Styles with a sliding dropkick, and Ciampa threw Styles into the barricade.
Ciampa slowed the pace down with a chin lock. Miz prevented the tag and caught Styles with a DDT for a near fall. Ciampa went back to the chin lock. Styles broke free with a jawbreaker. Miz tried to prevent the tag again, but Styles hit the Pele Kick.
Lashley got the hot tag and ran wild. The fans popped for Lashley’s comeback. He set up for the spear, but Ciampa slipped out of the ring. The fans erupted in boos. Lashley went after Ciampa and sent him into the ring post.
The fans broke into a loud “Bobby” chant. He went for the spear again, but Miz pulled him out. Lashley took out Miz with a clothesline. Ciampa caught Lashley with a draping DDT for a two-count. Lashley rocked Ciampa with a spear, but Miz broke up the pin.
Styles and Miz fought around ringside. Suddenly, a guy in a hood in the crowd grabbed Styles. Security dragged the guy out of the arena. Miz caught Styles with a boot on the floor.
Suddenly, a guy in riot police gear appeared and took off his helmet to reveal Dexter Lumis. He actually got a big pop. Lumis caught Miz in a sleeper and dragged him out of the arena for a disqualification.
In the ring, Lashley and Styles beat down Ciampa. Styles hit a phenomenal forearm, and Lashley followed up with the spear. Styles and Lashley posed to end the segment.
**********
They showed a Edge vs. Damien Priest video package.
Johnny Gargano Segment
This was a good segment. The fans popped big for Johnny Gargano’s surprise appearance.
Back from the break, Johnny Gargano’s music hit to a massive pop. The fans gave him a great reaction and broke into a loud “Johnny Wrestling” chant. They gave him a superstar reaction.
Gargano thanked the fans for reminding him who he was. He noted he was kind of a big deal in NXT. He ran down his accomplishments and noted winning the NXT Tag Team titles in that very building.
Gargano admitted he wasn’t sure if he wanted to do this anymore. He noted he was with his brand new baby, Baby Wrestling. The fans broke into a “Baby Wrestling” chant.
He remembered he dreamed of becoming the Intercontinental Champion, the United States Champion, and the WWE World Champion. The fans popped big for the last one. He still wanted to wrestle at WrestleMania.
Gargano noted he’s betting on himself. He’s proud to say that Johnny Wrestling’s back in the WWE.
Austin Theory’s music hit, and he made his way to the ring. Gargano was happy to see Theory. Theory got in the ring, and the fans broke into a “Who’s your daddy” chant. Gargano wondered if they were talking about him.
Theory noted a lot changed in the last nine months. Gargano agreed. He changed a lot of diapers. Theory ran down his accomplishment and stated he did everything Gargano wanted.
The fans gave Theory the “What” treatment. Theory noted Gargano mentored him in NXT. Theory claimed he’s the veteran now, and he could mentor Gargano. He added that Gargano could carry his bags and hand him the briefcase when he’s ready to cash-in. Theory wants to show Gargano the way.
Theory wanted to do their old high five. Gargano pretended he was going to do it. Instead, he rocked Theory with a superkick to end the segment.
********
They recapped Seth Rollins and Riddle’s brawl from earlier. Smith, Graves, and Saxton ran down the lineup for next week.
Edge defeated Damien Priest (19:38)
Edge and Priest had a good match with a hot crowd. The fans loved Edge.
They showed Beth Phoenix sitting in the audience.
The fans broke into a loud “Let’s go Edge” chant. Edge had the early advantage with a side headlock. Priest broke free, but Edge pushed him down and sent him out of the ring. The fans broke into a loud “Edge” chant.
Priest took over with a cheap shot. He sent Edge into the corner, but Edge slipped out. He tricked Priest and caught him with a clothesline at ringside. He followed up with a powerbomb on the barricade.
During the break, Edge sent Priest into the apron and ring steps. Back in the ring, Priest tried fighting back, but Edge went for the cross-face. Priest escaped and rolled out of the ring. Edge hit a sliding dropkick.
Priest pushed Edge into the ring post and threw him into the barricade. Priest then hit the falcon arrow for a two-count.
Back from the break, Priest missed a move off the top rope. Edge recovered and caught Priest with a swinging neck breaker in the ropes. Edge followed up with a flying crossbody to the floor. The fans broke into a “We want tables” chant.
Priest recovered and hit a choke slam into the ropes. He followed up with the Razor’s edge onto the commentator’s table.
During the break, Priest was firmly in control as he beat down Edge. He rocked Edge with a series of kicks. Edge avoided the last kick and scored a near fall. Priest regained control.
Back from the break, Edge gave Priest a hurricanrana off the second turnbuckle. He went for the spear, but Priest countered with a kick to the face. He followed up with the un-prettier for a close two-count. The commentators made a big deal out of Priest using the un-prettier but never mentioned Christian.
They traded hard shots back and forth. Edge caught Priest with the impaler DDT for a near fall. Priest recovered and hit the Reckoning.
Priest set up for the spear, but Edge countered with the south of heaven choke slam for a two-count. The referee got knocked out of the ring, and Priest grabbed two chairs. Priest went for the conchairto, but Edge rolled out of the way. Edge broke off a piece of the chair for the cross face.
Edge released the cross face, but Priest ended up with the metal piece. Edge went for the spear. Instead, Priest hit him with the metal chair piece for a near fall. The fans erupted in boos because they thought that was the finish. Edge recovered and hit the Canadian Destroyer to a massive pop. He then hit the spear for the win to another big pop.
After the match, Edge grabbed the two chairs, but Rhea Ripley and Finn Balor ran out. They beat down Edge, but Beth Phoneix ran in for the save. She grabbed the chair, and Judgement Day backed off to end Raw. The fans popped big for Phoneix making the save.
********
Next Week: Kurt Angle returns next week in Pittsburgh. Plus, Seth Rollins and Riddle meet in a face-to-face segment. Also, the finals of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament.
Priest laid out a challenge to Edge on Raw Monday, pointing out that Edge hasn’t wrestled on Raw in Toronto in years. He said that if Edge “had a set”, he would accept the challenge so that Priest and Judgment Day would end him in front of his friends and family.
Edge and the rest of Judgment Day have been feuding since after Hell in a Cell, when Finn Balor joined the group. Priest, Balor, and Rhea Ripley then turned on Edge, laying him out. Edge returned at SummerSlam and took out Balor and Priest, leading to their loss against The Mysterios on the show.
On Monday’s Raw, Edge drove Priest away from the ring during a Rey Mysterio/Finn Balor match. However, Balor picked up the win after Rhea Ripley emerged from the stage with a bloodied Dominik, distracting Rey and allowing Balor to get the win with the coup de grace.
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Friday News Update
Garrett and I will be back tonight and we have a lot of stuff to talk about over the past few weeks since we last did a show. Bryan and I will be doing our weekend show on Sunday night.
Cain Velasquez pleaded not guilty earlier today on attempted murder, assault with a firearm, assault with a deadly weapon, carry a loaded firearm with intent to commit a felony and many other charges from the incident in February where he allegedly shot Paul Bender after believing his family member was molested by Harry Goularte, who was in the car with Bender as Velasquez gave chase.
Israel Adesanya defends the UFC middleweight title against Alex Pereira, who beat Adesanya twice in kickboxing, one via knockout, in the main event the 11/12 PPV show from Madison Square Garden.
Smackdown tonight in Greenville, SC, which had more than 6,100 tickets out as of today.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ludvig Kaiser – If Nakamura wins, he gets a shot at Walter’s IC title
Roman Reigns will be there to talk about his match with Drew McIntyre on 9/3 in Cardiff Wales
A gauntlet match for a shot at Liv Morgan’s Smackdown women’s title at the Clash at the Castle with Sonya Deville, Shotzi, Shayna Baszler, Xia Li, Raquel Rodriguez, Aliyah and Natalya.
For what it’s worth, when Vince was in charge, they were building Rodriguez to be with Morgan and Ronda Rousey as the key women in the division.
AEW tapes Rampage and Battle of the Belts tonight in Grand Rapids, MI at the Van Andel Arena. Almost 6,000 tickets are out for the show.
For tonight:
Jon Moxley vs. Mance Warner non-title
Madison Rayne vs. Leila Gray
Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland vs. Tony Nese & Josh Woods for the tag titles in a street fight
For Battle of the Belts Saturday at 8 p.m.
Wardlow vs. Jay Lethal for TNT title
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Konosuke Takeshita for ROH title
Thunder Rosa vs. Jamie Hayter for women’s title
PW Insider reports Edge will be at Raw on Monday in Cleveland.
We will be doing polls on both G-1 shows in Osaka this weekend, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
We’re also looking for reports on these shows with results, finishes and highlights to [email protected]:
Smackdown tonight in Greenville, SC (dark matches only)
AEW tonight in Grand Rapids, MI (everything but the Rampage matches)
WWE Saturday in North Charleston, SC
WWE Sunday in Fayetteville, NC
G-1 continues at 4 a.m. Eastern tomorrow morning from Edion Arena in Osaka
Yoshi-Hashi vs. El Phantasmo
Toru Yano vs. Lance Archer
Hirooki Goto vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Jay White vs. Great O’Khan
Will Ospreay vs. Shingo Takagi
We didn’t get full details of Wednesday’s AEW ratings into the newsletter last night because of some delays in getting quarters and demos. Orange Cassidy vs. Jay Lethal had the most viewers and women because it usually starts that way. The quarter with the Lethal-Wardlow angle and Young Bucks turn peaked the 18-49 number. Christian vs. Matt Hardy did well and in several key demos the high point was the dumpster match. The male 18-34 audience was way up from usual but males 35-49, usually the show’s key audience, were very low. I sense the younger audience is getting into the newer characters like The Acclaimed that the older audience isn’t quite as familiar with. The show didn’t have the marquee match power at the level of most shows so I didn’t expect a big number. But this coming Wednesday with Jon Moxley vs. Chris Jericho, and Darby Allin in a coffin match, that show should do a bigger than normal number.
UFC weigh-ins for tomorrow night’s show in Las Vega which runs from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. on ESPN
Main Card
Thiago Santos (206) vs. Jamahal Hill (205)
Vicente Luque (170.5) vs. Geoff Neal (171)
Mohammed Usman (236.5) vs. Zac Pauga (239)
Brogan Walker (125.5) vs. Juliana Miller (125)
Augusto Sakai (260) vs. Serghei Spivac (249.5)
Ariane Lipski (128.5) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (125.5) – Lipski missed weight by 2.5 pounds. The bout will proceed with Lipski being fined 20 percent of her purse.
Sam Alvey (186) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (185.5)
Terrance McKinney (155.5) vs. Erick Gonzalez (155)
Bryan Battle (171) vs. Takashi Sato (170.5)
Jason Witt (170) vs. Josh Quinlan (169)
Cory McKenna (115.5) vs. Miranda Granger (115.5)
Mayra Bueno Silva (135.5) vs. Stephanie Egger (134.5)
Hasim Rahman Jr. did a weigh-in today I guess to prove he was going to make 205 pounds when his fight with Jake Paul scheduled for tomorrow night in MSG was called off. So he scheduled a big press weigh-in, and missed weight, coming in at 206.6. Rahman Jr. was supposed to make 200, asked to raise it to 205, and then when his team asked for 215, Paul’s side canceled the entire show, saying he wasn’t going to fulfill the contracted weight agreed upon.
A correction in the Observer. We had mistakenly reported Andrade as La Sombra lost his mask to Volador Jr. in the 2013 CMLL anniversary show. Of course it was Volador who lost his mask that night and Sombra lost to Atlantis in 2015, before going to WWE.
The PFL playoff semifinals are on ESPN at 7 p.m. tonight
Robert Wilkinson (205.8) vs. Delan Monte (205.2) in a light heavyweight tournament semifinal
Olivier Aubin-Mercier (155) vs. Alexander Martinez (156) in a lightweight tournament semifinal
Omari Akhmedov (204.6) vs. Josh Silveira (206) in a light heavyweight tournament semifinal
Anthony Pettis (155.6) vs. Stevie Ray (155.8) in a lightweight tournament semifinal
Silveira is the son of early MMA star Conan Silveira. The winners of the bouts go to the finals in December where each division champion gets $1 million.
AAW has signed a streaming deal with Highspots TV. They will be airing live on the service with the first show on 9/1. This will be the start of Highspots doing live streaming. There are already 150 AAW events which has streamed non-live events for years.
AAW will be running 9/1 at the Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago for those coming in early for All Out. Matches announced are Christi Jaynes vs. Billie Starkz for the women’s title, Jah-C & ACH vs. Alex Hammerstone & Ace Perry for the tag titles, Ace Austin vs. Davey Vega for th Heritage title and Silas Young vs. Brayden Lee. Josh Alexander, Mat Fichett, Masha Slamovich, Jake Something, Manders, Fred Yehi, Davey Richards, Gringo Loco, Mike Bennett, Laredo Kid, Rich Swann and Dante Leon are also scheduled
UFC
Volkan Oezdemir vs. Nikita Krylov have been added to UFC 280 on 10/22 in Abu Dhabi.
Sara McMann vs. Aspen Ladd, which was to take place this month, was moved to 9/12 because Ladd tested positive for COVID.
Ranked flyweights Matheus Nicolau vs. Matt Schnell has been added to a 12/3 show. Both are ranked in the top ten in the division .
Other Notes
Impact has moved its 9/23 and 9/24 tapings from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia to a new location of Skyway Studios in Nashville, where they did most of their taping during the pandemic.
Combate Global airs live on Paramount + tonight at 11 p.m. Eastern headlined by Cristian Perez (9-1) vs. Samuel Alvarez (7-5) and Claudia Diaz (18-11-1) vs. Andrea Amaro (2-2-2).
ISPW Wrestling will be doing wrestling events at the New Jersey State Fair at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, NJ. Special guests are:
Tony Atlas tonight from 6-9 p.m.
Boogeyman tomorrow from 6-9 p.m.
Jim Ross Sunday from 4-7 p.m.
Real One (formerly Enzo Amore) on Monday 6-9 p.m.
Doink the Clown (Ray Apollo) on Tuesday 6-9 p.m.
Brutus Beefcake on Wednesday 6-9 p.m.
Greg Valentine on Thursday 6-9 pm.
Ted DiBiase next Friday 6-9 p.m.
Sean Waltman next Saturday 6-9 p.m.
MCW on 8/13 in Havre de Grace, MD at the Theater at Havre de Grace.
The LFA has announced live events on UFC Fight Pass on 9/9 in Vail, CLO at the Dobson Arena, 9/16 in Prior Lake, MN at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel and 9/30 in Recife, Brazil.
LFA tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern on UFC Fight Pass headlined by Ary Farias (135.8) vs. Michinori Tanaka (135.4)
Battleground Championship Wrestling tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. at the 2300 Arena
Atsushi Onita & Super Leather vs. Bully Ray & PCO
Ken Shamrock vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Tony Nese & Buddy Matthews vs. Brian Cage & KC Navarro
Rich Swann vs. Willie Mack
Myka vs. Jazmin Allure
Dark STG & Beastman vs. Afa Jr. & ?
VSK vs. Brian Kendrick
The show will air live on FITE TV
There will also be an afternoon convention with these wrestlers plus Wardlow and Kurt Angle and many others.
Edge returned to WWE television at Saturday’s SummerSlam.
Towards the end of the Mysterios vs. Judgment Day match, Finn Balor and Damian Priest had Rey and Dominik Mysterio laid out when the lights went out. Edge then emerged on top of flaming stairs in a manner similar to the entrance of The Brood. He then came down to the ring and speared both members of the Judgement Day, allowing the Mysterios to eventually pick up the win.
Edge, who had founded the Judgment Day following WrestleMania 38, was kicked out of the group following Hell in a Cell in June when Balor, Priest, and Rhea Ripley attacked Edge, with Priest declaring that Edge was the weak link in the group.
Since Money in the Bank, vignettes have aired with a mysterious figure walking around. The vignettes featured imagery of WWE names from the past, including Eddie Guerrero, John Cena, Randy Orton, and Mick Foley. During tonight’s pre-show, another vignette aired, with the figure writing in what appeared to be blood on a mirror that he was arriving tonight.
Judgment Day escalated their feud with The Mysterios on this past Monday’s Raw, when after Rey Mysterio celebrated his 20th anniversary in the company, was confronted by Rhea Ripley in a backstage gathering. Ripley led Rey and Dominik to a trap, where the Mysterios were attacked by Balor and Priest. Rey Mysterio ended up being put through a table.
A new cryptic teaser aired during Raw last night, further hinting that it’s leading to Edge’s return to WWE television.
The teaser was a follow-up to the original video that first aired during Money in the Bank earlier this month. That mysterious video contained references to past Edge opponents including Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, The Hardys, and The Dudley Boyz. This one continued that theme, referencing Mick Foley, John Cena, and Randy Orton.
Foley’s flannel shirt, Cena’s “You Can’t See Me” hat, and an Orton RKO shirt were shown in the video.
Edge hasn’t appeared on WWE TV since the June 6 episode of Raw. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, and new member Finn Balor) turned against Edge that night, kicking their leader out of the faction. The Judgment Day’s attack on Edge included putting him through the announce table and giving him a con-chair-to.
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including a bunch of surgery updates to top stars, what’s going on with Edge and Judgment Day, ratings, Roman Reigns update, the weekend line-up, AEW and NXT TV reviews and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: Surgery updates on CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Matt Cardona
4:29: Roman Reigns off Money in the Bank, Edge/Judgment Day supernatural direction update
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including AEW Dynamite tonight with a Casino Battle Royale and more, AEW Double or Nothing buyrate numbers, PLANT YOUR FLAG!, notes on New Japan Strong, Dragon Gate, Edge getting kicked out, your full NXT 2.0 report, and tons more!
After he was betrayed by his former Judgment Day stablemates, WWE has announced a storyline injury update on Edge.
WWE is claiming that Edge suffered a “non-displaced orbital floor fracture” when he was attacked by The Judgment Day on Raw this Monday. The attack included Edge being put through the announce table and being given a con-chair-to.
The storyline eye injury was announced on Wednesday’s episode of WWE’s The Bump:
On this week’s Raw, Finn Balor was revealed as the newest member of The Judgment Day. But Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, and Balor then turned against Edge and attacked him. The Judgment Day said they were tired of Edge telling them what to do.
The attack came one day after Edge, Priest & Ripley defeated Balor, AJ Styles & Liv Morgan in a six-person mixed tag team match at Hell in a Cell.
Fightful reports that Edge was opposed to WWE wanting to add a “supernatural” element to The Judgment Day, which may be a reason why he was removed from the faction.
Edge was reportedly not in favor of The Judgment Day going a “supernatural route.”
According to a report from Fightful Select, Edge being kicked out of the group on Raw may have been a result of his opposition to future plans for the faction. He is said to have been opposed to WWE wanting to add a “supernatural” element to the stable. The decision to have Edge removed from Judgment Day was then made on Monday afternoon before Raw that night.
Plans had been in place for Finn Balor to turn heel and join the faction before Hell in a Cell but at the time, there were no plans for Edge to leave the group.
According to a report from PW Insider, Edge has now been moved to the babyface side of the company’s internal depth charts. He had been posting to social media teasing potential new members of Judgment Day as recently as Saturday.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including RAW finally breaking Bryan, a full recap of the show as usual on Tuesdays, what it takes to survive in WWE as evidenced by Toni Storm’s recent interview, and so much more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Judgment Day ended up tonight gaining a member in Finn Balor, while getting rid of one with Edge.
Edge introduced Balor as the newest member of the stable tonight on Raw. Balor explained that after his loss to the group at Hell in a Cell, he talked to Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley, which eventually led him to joining the group. Priest then said all that was left was to get rid of their last remaining limitations, then said that was Edge. The group then turned on Edge, attacking him and eventually putting him through a table. The scene ended with Ripley preventing security from entering the ring as Priest gave Edge the conchairto.
Edge founded Judgment Day in the weeks following WrestleMania 38. After taking on Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley joined the group following WrestleMania Backlash, where she helped Edge defeat AJ Styles in a rematch. At Hell in a Cell, Edge, Priest, and Ripley defeated Styles, Balor, and Liv Morgan in a six-person tag match.
Rhea Ripley aligned with Edge and his Judgment Day stable at tonight’s WWE WrestleMania Backlash event.
AJ Styles was going to the top rope during his match with Edge when Damian Priest, who was barred from ringside, appeared on the ramp and insisted he wasn’t at ringside. Finn Balor came out to even things up. During the distraction, a hooded figure attacked Styles, allowing Edge to lock in a crossface. Styles passed out, giving Edge the win. After the match, the hooded figured revealed themselves to be Ripley. She and Edge posed as the segment ended.
Ripley had recently turned on tag team partner Liv Morgan back on the April 18 edition of Raw. In an interview after the turn, Ripley said she was tired of teaming with partners who had let her down.
Following WrestleMania 38, Edge started a stable called Judgment Day. Priest was the first to align with Edge, distracting Styles at WrestleMania 38, which allowed Edge to pin Styles following the distraction.
