First reported in July, AEW has announced they will debut in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, this December with both Dynamite and Collision.
However, the Collision date is set for Tuesday, December 5th — a full four days before its traditional Saturday airdate. It wasn’t announced if the show will air live that Tuesday or be held for Saturday.
AEW will remain in Montreal on Wednesday, December 6th for both a live Dynamite and taped Rampage. Both shows will emanate from the Bell Centre, home of the NHL’s Canadiens.
The company also filled in its lone remaining open October date as Collision will take place from Memphis, Tennessee’s FedEx Forum on Saturday, October 21st. It will be their debut in that city as well.
The Montreal events go on sale this Friday while the Memphis show goes on sale this Monday.
Here’s a look at the current schedule for 2023:
September:
Saturday, September 16: Collision from the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania
Wednesday, September 20: Dynamite/Rampage Grand Slam from Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, New York
Saturday, September 23: Collision from the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Wednesday, September 27: Dynamite/Rampage from the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado
Saturday, September 30: Collision from the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington
October:
Sunday, October 1: WrestleDream from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington
Wednesday, October 4: Dynamite/Rampage from Stockton Arena in Stockton, California
Saturday, October 7: Collision from Maverik Center in Salt Lake City, Utah
Tuesday, October 10: Dynamite/Rampage from Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Missouri
Saturday, October 14: Collision from Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio
Wednesday, October 18: Dynamite/Rampage from Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas
Saturday, October 21: Collision from FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee
Wednesday, October 25: Dynamite/Rampage from Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Saturday, October 28: Collision from Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut
November:
Wednesday, November 1: Dynamite/Rampage from KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky
Saturday, November 4: Collision from INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas
Friday, November 17: Collision/Rampage from Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California
Saturday, November 18: Full Gear from Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California
December:
Tuesday, December 5: Collision from Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Wednesday, December 6: Dynamite/Rampage from Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
The biggest and most-talked about issue of the year, the 2020 awards issue, is out today. The issue covers the awards winners as voted on by the readership in these categories. It also has all the top place winners for every category, comments on the awards for this year as well as a listing dating back to 1980 of all the awards winners in all the different categories.
We also have the performer and match of the week.
WWE Elimination Chamber show, with notes on direction, business, interest level, poll results and star ratings.
Also in this issue:
The new television war in Canada on Wednesday, how the first week went and what to look for, details on the WWE’s A&E Documentaries, who is being covered and more, reaction to Undertaker’s comments about current wrestlers being soft, migration of WWE Network to Peacock, Sasha Banks talks wanting to quit a few years ago, WWE business approaches, how WWE & AEW are doing as compared to televised sports this past week, Bill Goldberg on TV, notes on lots of new signees and are starting in camp including some not revealed yet, new WWE Network event, update on the Vince McMahon/Oliver Luck legal case, Ric Flair on why he doesn’t talk to the other Horsemen, Arn Anderson talks why a major international star flopped in WWE, WWE wins awards, the current WWE market value and the most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE Network.
This past week’s UFC show, the background, how it affects fighters going forward, and details behind the late changes in the show.
Television ratings of the past week, including segment-by-segment numbers for the past two weeks on Wednesday, who was watching in different age groups, how different segments did on Raw & Smackdown and more.
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
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In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.
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If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.
SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE
Bryan and I did our weekend show last night talking about New Japan Castle Attack, Smackdown and the reaction to the awards, which was and continues to be hilarious.
Jorge Masvidal was announcing on last night’s Canelo Alvarez show on DAZN and later said he would be getting a welterweight title shot at Kamaru Usman in September. He said he just got word of it. Ali Abdelaziz, the manager of Usman, denied what Masvidal said. “Masvidal doesn’t decide anything,” he told MMA Fighting. “He needs to sit down and keep working his wrestling. When the champ makes a decision maybe he will give them an opportunity but for now, nothing happening.”
This has been one of the worst weeks for wrestling deaths in the U.S./Canada region. Besides Don Serrano, Art Michalik and Johnny DeFazio, who all had interesting life stories, Dean Higuchi (Dean Ho) passed away on 2/20 but the word just around yesterday. He was a bodybuilder and weightlifting powerhouse who wrestled from 1962 to 1983. We talked about him on last night’s show and have a feature coming this week. He was listed as 80 years old but that math makes no sense. He was in the 1956 Mr. America contested and placed, opened up Dean Higuchi’s Gym in Honolulu in 1957, and also played college football prior to opening the gym. He was known as “The Happy Hawaiian” and worked most of his career in British Columbia, but was the top babyface for Roy Shire in the late 70s with a number of memorable feuds with Alexis Smirnoff, Buddy Rose, Don Muraco & Earl “Mr. Universe” Maynard and Roddy Piper. He was WWWF tag team champion with Tony Garea. He headlined other territories as well. He helped mentor Ricky Steamboat when both were in Georgia. He was a star everywhere he went.
For Google searches this past week, there were only two things that cracked the list. Canelo Alvarez had 1 million searches for first place yesterday. UFC didn’t even crack the list, which is very rare, so the interest in last night’s show was at a low point. Nothing else made the list all week except Big Show was No. 10 on Wednesday with 50,000 searches.
AEW’s women’s tournament special is now up on the Bleacher Report site:
Thunder Rosa vs. Riho in a U.S. semifinal
Ryo Mizunami vs. Yuka Sakazaki in the Japan final
Rin Kadokura & Mei Suruga & Hikaru Shida vs. Maki Itoh & Emi Sakura & Veny
The Rosa vs. Riho winner faces Nyla Rose in the U.S. final tomorrow on YouTube. There will also be a Road To show tomorrow building the Wednesday Impact which would be expected to do a big number with Shaquille O’Neal wrestling and Paul Wight doing a interview on the show, plus Tully Blanchard’s first match on national television in decades with FTR & Blanchard vs. Jurassic Express.
WWE
Wrestling with Demons reported that Miranda Gordy, the daughter of Terry Gordy, got a recent tryout.
We didn’t get to talk about it last night, but the Jmmie Rivera vs. Pedro Munhoz fight was great and worth going out of your way to see. The Cyril Gane vs. Jarirzinho Rozenstruik main event definitely doesn’t fit into that category.
SportsBetting.ag put up these odd for UFC 261
Valentine Shevchenko -335 vs. Jessica Andrade +275
AEW
AEW has opened up another 168 tickets for Wednesday’s show. The Sunday PPV sold out instantly. (thanks to William Zdon)
This week’s New Japan show on Roku which was released Thursday was Shingo Takagi vs. Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Evil from last February in Sapporo. The channel had been accessed by almost any device and not just TV’s connected to Roku.
Deathmatch Down Under announced Robbie Eagles vs. Mark Davis for 3/6 in Melbourne. They’ve also changed their tag team tournament to teams only from Victoria to avoid any changes if there is a lockdown on the borders of the state of Victoria. Australia has almost no cases and if they do they plan leaving or coming into the state. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
Stardom from yesterday in Nagoya: Tam Nakano b Gokigen Death, Momo Watanabe & AZM & Saya Kamtani won a three-way elimination trios match over Maika & Himeka & Natsupoi and Natsuko Tora & Saki Kashima & Konami, Utami Hayashishita b Ruaka, Mayu Iwatani b Lady C, Bea Priestley b Starlight Kid, Syuri b Unagi Sayaka, Giulia b Saya Iida
Stardom from today in Nagoya, the final show before late Tuesday night (U.S.) time on PPV from Budokan Hall: Ruaka b Lady C, Starlight Kid won three-way over Saya Iida and Maika, Bea Priestley & Konami b Natsupoi & Himeka, Natsuko Tora & Saki Kashima b Mayu Iwatani & Gokigen Death, Giulia & Syuri b Tam Nakano & Unagi Sayaka, Utami Hayashishita & Momo Watanabe b Saya Kamitani & AZM
Progress results from yesterday on the WWE Network from London’s Theatre Peckham (taped ahead of time): Warren Banks b Dann Black, Luke Jacobs b Ethan Allen, Kid Lykos & Kid Lykos II b Gene Mummy & Big Guns Joe, Elijah b Chuck Mambo, Luke Jacobs b Warren Banks to earn a Progress world title shot, Cara Noir b Chris Ridgeway to keep the world titel, Kanji won the Womens’ Thunderbastard match to get a title match with Jinny (thanks to Shannon Walsh and wrestlingwithdemons.com)
Results from the SWE East Texas Wrestlefeset from yesterday in Carthage, TX: Christi Jaynes b Malia Hosaka to retain the SWE title, Action Jackson b Andrew Anderson, Rodney Mack won a gauntlet match, Niles Plonk b Adam Asher-DQ, Davey Boy Smith Jr. b Matthew Justice, Miranda Gordy b Amber Nova, SWE champion Charlie Haas b Frank Stone, Bam Bam Malone & Heart Throb Jaden b Rivero & Tommy Gunn, Blood Hunter b Michael Shafer, Mil Muertes b Tino Valentino, Boogeyman b DJ Michaels, Trevor Murdoch b Jeremy Wyatt to keep NWA National title, Christi Jaynes b Miranda Gordy-DQ to keep the SWE women’s title, Blood Hunter b Davey Boy Smith Jr., Mike Anthony & Jon Omari b Heart Throb Jaden & Bam Bam Malone. Among those appearing as part of the show but not wrestling were Kevin Sullivan, Teddy Long and Melina. James Beard was there to induct Terry Gordy into their Hall of Fame.
Travis Scott Bowden, who parlayed a lifetime friendship with Brian and Kevin Lawler and a brief managerial role where he played the nephew of legendary football coach Bobby Bowden, passed away yesterday at the age of 48.
A fan from the age of six, Bowden is probably best known for his writing about Memphis wrestling history of the “Kentucky Fried Wrestling” website. As a teenager he was involved in backyard wrestling with Brian (Christopher) and Kevin (Christian) Lawler, Jerry’s sons. One day, while at the TV studio, after Jerry Calhoun was fired, he was rushed, with no experience into refereeing.
From that role, he started playing heel ref which turned into a role as a heel manager. He was actually a well spoken journalism student, and in his first year, had a lot of similarities with Jim Cornette at the same age. He managed Jerry Lawler (after Lawler made a turn to attempt to spark a weakened territory), Eddie Gilbert, Tommy Rich, Doug Gilbert and Bam Bam Bigelow, and did mixed matches with Miss Texas (Jacqueline Moore who later became a WWE star).
He was in and out through 1996 and was remembered by Dwayne Johnson, who started his career in the territory at the end of Bowden’s run, and at times on social media would remember him and insult him.
Bowden left wrestling and worked in advertising in Los Angeles with The Equinox Group. But he remained a part of the wrestling scene with his writing and later podcasting, as well as through social media, with him being one of the experts on the Jarrett Promotions. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the territory and its angles and a great sense of humor that came across in his writing.
This year’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view offered WWE the chance to revitalize one of their best match types.
The Money in the Bank briefcases haven’t been all that much of a factor over the past couple of years. Both men’s winners (Braun Strowman and Baron Corbin) failed on their cash-ins. The women’s winners (Alexa Bliss and Carmella) were successful, but Bliss cashed in on the same night that she won the 2018 ladder match. WWE has missed out on being able to use Money in the Bank as a star-making tool or something to kick off notable angles.
All Elite Wrestling, who with the talent, television deal and financial backing is already, after just one show, the hottest non-WWE force in the U.S. pro wrestling business in more than 20 years, debuted on 5/25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The show taught a lot of things, from the value of social media to the dissatisfaction with WWE. The show had one of the best atmospheres you could have for a wrestling show, and given the talent and line-up, a strong in-ring product was guaranteed.
The show was a major success, but in many ways, that’s been a lock since February when they sold almost all of their 11,000 tickets in a pre-sale in less than 30 minutes, and the few held back were sold in four minutes the next day.
The show, as far as interest level, was far bigger than its predecessor, All In. All In was one of the historically most important shows ever in U.S. when it comes to landscape changing. And this show, as the first show of the AEW promotion, may be a significant part of long-term wrestling history.
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.
In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.
For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.
SATURDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
Tommaso Ciampa will be part of today’s NXT TakeOver: XXV preshow.
PWInsider is reporting that the Authors of Pain are set to return to action this month. Akam has been out of action since early this year following a knee injury that required surgery.
Kofi Kingston’s trip to Ghana continues, with WWE taking a look at Kofi leading a UNICEF event. Kofi also visited his father’s hometown of Ejisu.
Mandy Rose talks about her Muscle and Fitness HERS cover.
The Miz and Maryse talked to People about their baby gender reveal party.
News 12 in Connecticut covered NXT stars visiting the Boys and Girls Club for an anti-bullying event.
Pro Wrestling
The Tennessean wrote an article about the Nashville fairgrounds hosting its final show tonight, a House of Hardcore event. The building has been hosting professional wrestling since the 1960s under territory promoters Roy Welch and Nick Gulas. The fairgrounds will be replaced by new buildings in the coming months.
Following his loss to Anthony Smith at this morning’s UFC event in Stockholm, Sweden Alexander Gustafsson announced his retirement.
Jon Jones on Gustafsson’s retirement announcement: “Honestly I don’t believe you but if you’re serious, thank you for everything. You held the division to a standard and made us better. Go kick ass with that Family”.
Today’s UFC card drew 14,319 and a live gate of 2 million. Anthony Smith, Aleksandar Rakic, Makwan Amirkhani and Leonardo Santo earned bonuses for their performances.
UFC announced this morning that they will hold their first-ever event in Copenhagen, Denmark on 9/28. Tickets go on sale 6/21.
Joaquim Silva will fight Nasrat Haqparast at UFC on ESPN 5 in Sochi, Russia.
