Daily Update: Bray Wyatt, AEW notes, Bob Barker

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

See Dave & Bryan in London

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • G-1 MVP and best match of G-1
  • Match of the week and performer of the week
  • Behind the scenes of the last month of AEW. why stories were kept quiet, why people were not allowed to attend Collision, why this has gone on for 18 months
  • All of the recent incidents talked about from multiple sides
  • The promo by C.M. Punk and what happened at the Greensboro show which led to all of his getting out
  • Different reactions to the promo
  • The apology that did happen
  • All In and attendance records plus the updated card with new matches that have not yet been announced
  • Full coverage of the end of G-1 and the big fall shows for New Japan
  • Business notes on G-1
  • Naito has two of the best matches of the year
  • Koichi Yoshizawa and his role in Japanese wrestling coverage in the U.S.
  • Saturday’s UFC coverage and where the top stars go from here as well as the business notes
  • Coverage of the final TripleMania show of the year and storylines behind it
  • Tammy Sytch update
  • The most detailed look at ratings for all the wrestling and MMA shows, gains and losses with what groups and why, what segments did the best and worst
  • Another women’s champion out of action due to surgery
  • RevPro and CMLL working relationship notes
  • World Grand Prix notes
  • Stardom PPV coverage and upcoming tag team tournament
  • N-1 coverage
  • New Japan and Stardom business notes
  • Hiromu Takahashi talks junior heavyweight goals
  • New Japan PPV shows this weekend
  • One of the biggest women stars has major surgery and a look back at her career
  • How the television industry continues to change
  • Full PWG coverage of the first show since January including some of AEW’s top stars
  • Update on new promotion opening next month and what well known announcer is in talks to appear
  • RevPro anniversary show update
  • WWE & AEW upcoming ticket sales
  • WWE & AEW streaming numbers
  • WWE and AEW international ratings
  • Conor McGregor talks future
  • Former UFC legend officially retires
  • Update on Bellator sale
  • Update on PPV numbers for Diaz-Paul and SummerSlam
  • Former WWE wrestler wins MMA fight
  • Edge and possible retirement
  • Build to Payback show
  • ESPN exec talks interest in pro wrestling
  • Possible retirement of Lacey Evans
  • Women’s tag title update
  • Asuka talks Japanese wrestling and the back story
  • Logan Paul offers a $1 million bet
  • New WWE signing

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

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 dave@wrestlingobserver.com or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

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 Update

WWE

  • Alexa Bliss, Adam Pearce, The Good Brothers, and Top Dolla shared their memories of Bray Wyatt. Bliss said she was planning to attend the tribute for Wyatt on SmackDown last night, but she wouldn’t have been able to make it in time with the last-minute flight options.
  • Big E recalled his history with Wyatt from when they were high school wrestlers: “Windham was a state champion wrestler in high school & grew up a couple counties over from me. We were supposed to wrestle at a dual meet during the 2002-2003 season. I was at 215 and he was a very powerful & skilled heavyweight. I didn’t want to bump up and we both accepted forfeits because our schools didn’t have anyone in our respective weight classes. Once we became coworkers, he’d regularly hit me with that trademark, warm laugh & tell me I dodged him. He wasn’t wrong.”
  • Code Orange, the band behind Wyatt’s theme music, posted the following tribute: “Rest In Power buddy. You helped make our childhood dreams come true. You rode for us at every single turn and truly believed in us. More than people even know. Thank you for letting us be a small part of your story. See you on the other side.”
  • Arsenal played Wyatt’s theme during halftime of their Premier League game against Fulham today.
  • Bob Barker, the legendary Price is Right host who memorably appeared as a Raw guest host in 2009, passed away today at the age of 99.
  • On Foley is Pod, Mick Foley discussed the life and career of his mentor Terry Funk.
  • Rey Mysterio & Santos Escobar, Damage CTRL, and LA Knight were interviewed on The SmackDown LowDown.
  • Cody Rhodes was the guest on WWE After the Bell this week.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • Samoa Joe wrote about Bray Wyatt: “He brought Joy to everyone he loved and he loved everyone he could. The fireflies will glow forever because what you meant to us will never be extinguished. My love and condolences to the Rotunda family in this incredibly difficult time.”
  • Our Josh Nason previewed the card for All In.
  • In an interview with SI FanNation, Matt Jackson was asked about Cash Wheeler’s recent arrest. Jackson said they still plan on delivering at All In: “Any time distractions happen beyond your control, it’s a bit frustrating. But we have a task at hand, and we plan on delivering.”
  • The Young Bucks also spoke about their rivalry with FTR. Matt Jackson said:
          • It’s like the Celtics and the Lakers. It’s a rivalry between the very best dynasty teams, but there’s an undeniable respect that is present. Any competitor who sees another competitor as a threat, aren’t inviting them over for a cup of coffee. At least not now, while we’re in the middle of it. Maybe one day when we’re all old men, we’ll sit down, reminisce and realize how much we all actually have in common. But for now, they’re the enemy and they’re after the things I want. And one of those things are the tag team titles, and the other is to be labeled the greatest tag team of this generation.
  • Nick Jackson added:
          • This is exactly what we envisioned for the tag team division in AEW. Having generational talent and having them be able to hold the division at the highest standard and of course we’re competitive and we see that and it drives us to be better.
  • Tony Khan previewed All In on AEW Unrestricted.
  • The Hollywood Reporter asked Khan how far ahead he plans AEW stories:
          • I have long-range ideas and plans for things we can do. I do everything in pencil. On the AEW All Access show on TBS, I gave a look at a matrix that I built with all the different ideas. There are rows and columns for the different stories and where they can intersect and the different dates and how everything progresses. But this changes so often.
          • We’ve had major changes this summer. We lost [former ROH and WWE star] Bryan Danielson with a broken arm, and [former WWE and Dragongate star] Pac has been out with internal injuries. And Jamie Hayter has been out injured. These are three great wrestlers. In the case of Pac and Jamie Hayter, they are great former champions and also British stars I really was hoping would be involved in the Wembley Stadium show. But we have such a deep roster. It’s like when a sports team has an injury and switches people around and brings people in. That’s what we do.
          • So you can long-range plan, but there’s no perfectly safe plan for pro wrestling where injuries happen all the time and the unexpected happens all the time. So I’ve already had to make a lot of changes this summer from my original plans. Last summer was the most challenging run of injuries we’ve ever had when Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, and CM Punk were all injured within four days of each other. And the winter of 2021 was also a very challenging period when a lot of people were out when Chris Jericho had a blood clot and Kenny Omega had all these injuries and was out for nearly a year with those. So those are all times where there were major, major changes to plans. In particular, when there’s more than one person missing, it can necessitate huge changes.
          • So I have ideas for things, and then I’m just hoping things go well. And sometimes we’ll change everything because things went so incredibly well and we say: ‘We need to keep this going or extend this or change the way we were approaching this.’ So there’s a variety of reasons why I want to do everything in pencil, but make a lot of changes largely by necessity. A business that is so physically demanding, where wrestlers get hurt so often by beating the hell out of each other in these matches, leads to a lot of injuries and that can change plans. But I do think I’ve developed a good reputation for being able to make changes and still put great shows together, even when there are injuries or unexpected occurrences that change the lineup. We got a great track record of delivering awesome events even under challenging circumstances.
  • Britt Baker wrote in advance of competing at All In:
          • I really do take so much pride in being the first female signed to AEW. I’m sitting in my London hotel room in awe of what’s about to take place tomorrow. I’ll always cherish the early days when we weren’t exactly sure what the future held for AEW, but we had a damn good time working together as a team to make sure we were doing everything and anything to make noise. Representing the women’s division in the world title match this weekend is an honor. I’m so proud to be All Elite.
  • Eddie Kingston will be in action for PROGRESS Wrestling in London on Sunday, October 22.
  • Denise Salcedo interviewed Paul Wight, Orange Cassidy, Hikaru Shida, and Nigel McGuinness.
  • Shida was the guest on the most recent episode of Talk is Jericho.
  • At Revolution Pro Wrestling’s 11th anniversary event today, Zack Sabre Jr. challenged Will Ospreay to defend the IWGP United Kingdom Championship against him at Royal Quest III. The Royal Quest event is taking place in London on Saturday, October 14.