Daily Update: AEW WrestleDream, weekend preview, Bully Ray

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • The new issue of the Observer is on the site today. Our lead story is the most detailed coverage of the new AEW TV deal, an analysis of what it means for business, profits losses, what the deal does and doesn’t cover, FOX rumors and analysis and much more. We also have a major history piece looking at the 2024 Hall of Fame and the candidates and their credentials.
  • Value of the deal for each specific year
  • What the deal does and doesn’t cover
  • Update on the PPV business
  • What AEW is losing in the deal
  • How PPV will be distributed
  • Quotes from Tony Khan and WBD
  • MAX and cable distribution
  • Breaking down expenses, revenue, profits and losses and the financial future of AEW
  • Analysis of the potential FOX deal
  • A look at the first NXT show on CW, business, ratings and how the segments did
  • Update on Bad Blood and WrestleDream, including interest levels for both shows
  • A look at the 2024 Hall of Fame voting, candidates and favorites in each category
  • A rundown of the leading candidates, some of who you would know and wouldn’t.
  • New Japan building King of Pro Wrestling–What business lesson was reinforced by CMLL Noche de Campeones this past week
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the major television shows, competition, comparisons with a year ago, placings and segment-by-segment
  • Woman wrestling star retiring to become a referee
  • CMLL head gives stats on how many fans come to Arena Mexico from other countries
  • What major celebrity was at Shinjuku Face for a pro wrestling show
  • Hall of Famer having 40th anniversary show
  • Major Japanese celebrity does two matches this week
  • Notes on the deaths of Pete Rose and Kris Kristofferson and both men’s connections to pro wrestling
  • Jimmy Hart prior to wrestling
  • AEW and WWE current injury rates
  • What percentage of fans watch shows live vs DVR
  • AEW video game notes
  • Major star opening up a gym for post-wrestling business
  • International TV ratings
  • Injury stats regarding PowerSlap
  • What famous boxer turned down a two fight series with Conor Mcregor
  • How many people watched the Mr. McMahon documentary and an approximation of how it would compare to a regular WWE TV show
  • Martha Hart reacts to the documentary

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Friday Update

  • We did our weekly news in review show concentrating on the AEW television deal with Garrett Gonzales today. Bryan and I will be back tomorrow covering Bad Blood and UFC as well as the latest news.
  • Atlantis Jr. vs. Brian Cage for the ROH TV title has been added to WrestleDream. It will be in the Zero hour portion of the show.

Rampage tonight on TNT:

  • Queen Aminata vs. Harley Cameron
  • Orange Cassidy & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Big Bill & Bryan Keith
  • Kamille vs Zoey Lynn
  • Young Bucks & Jack Perry vs. Private Party & Katsuyori Shibata
  • Tomorrow is a busy day with Bad Blood at 6 p.m. Eastern which means AEW Collision ratings will get destroyed and then UFC at 10 p.m.
  • Bad Blood notes:
  • Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor – Priest is a 5-to-1 favorite
  • Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley for the WWE women’s title- Morgan is a 7-to-1 favorite to retain here
  • Nia Jax vs. Bayley for the WWE women’s title.  Jax is a 4-to-1 favorite to retain
  • C.M. Punk vs. Drew McIntyre in a Hell in a Cell match – Punk is a 10-to-1 favorite
  • Cody Rhodes & Roman  Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu & Solo Sikoa – Rhodes & Reigns are 20-to-1 favorites to win
  • Pretty long odds across the board.
  • After Nikki Garcia filed for an order of protection from husband Artem Chhigninvtsev, he then responded by filing  for an order of protection against her.
  • Bully Ray was announced for the debut of Scott  D’Amore’s Maple Leaf Wrestling promotion on 10/19 and 10/20.
  • KPLR-TV in St. Louis, the  CW station which has one of the richest histories when it comes to pro wrestling television, sent out a release noting that NXT will be regularly airing at 8 p.m. Central (one hour tape delay) because of their 7 p.m. newscast.
  • The “Naked Gun” movie remake that Cody Rhodes is scheduled for an August 1, 2025 release.
  • UFC 307 is tomorrow from Salt Lake City, UT:

ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m.

  • Court McGee (170) vs. Tim Means (171)
  • Carla Esparza (115.5) vs. Tecia Pennington (115)
  • Ryan Spann (205.5) vs. Ovince Saint Preux (205.5)

ESPN+ and ESPN News at 8 p.m. Eastern

  • Austin Hubbard (156) vs. Alexander Hernandez (156)
  • Cesar Almeida (185.5) vs. Ihor Potieria (185.5)
  • Marina Rodriguez (115.5) vs. Iasmin Lucindo (116)
  • Stephen Wonderboy Thompson (171) vs. Joaquin Buckley (170.5)

PPV at 10 p.m.

  • Roman Dolidze (185.5) vs. Kevin Holland (185.5)
  • Ketlen Vieira (136) vs. Kayla Harrisoni (136)
  • Jose Aldo (136) vs. Mario Bautista (136)
  • Raquel Pennington (135) vs. Julianna Pena (134.5) for the bantamweight title
  • Alex Pereira (205) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr (205) for the light heavyweight title
  • We haven’t seen this for a while, but for the 10/21 Raw in Philadelphia, they are offering 30 percent off all tickets using the code ROLLINS. The offer is good through Monday at midnight.
  • Felino has been added to the MLW show on 11/9 in Chicago.  It’s pretty much looking like a  Friday night at Arena Mexico lineup.
  • From someone who has worked at  FOX, he felt FOX would be more interested in Tuesday for AEW than Thursday because Thursday is a big day for television advertising of movies and you wouldn’t want a show that will deliver lower ad rates.
  • MCW Autumn Armageddon is tomorrow night at the Ridgely, MD Volunteer Fire Department at 101 Sunset  Blvd. Melina is doing a signing and will referee a women’s match, plus Bishop Kuan, Gia Scott and Patrick Clark will wrestle. Clark is the former Velveteen Dream and I haven’t seen his name around for years.
  • Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham will appear on Memphis Wrestling TV tomorrow.
  • The Stalker Ichikawa retirement match on the 12/17 Dragon Gate show at Korakuen Hall has a big surprise. Ichikawa’s last match will be against Hiroshi Tanahashi.
  • Innovate Wrestling Bloody Sunday on Sunday at the Bobby Eaton Arena in Kingsport, TN.
  • Reports from PW Insider list The Steiners, Diamond Dallas Page, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Madusa and Jacquline Moore are also being brought in for tommorrow’s show. Anderson has publicly mentioned that he and Blanchard would be there.