Daily Update: Bryan Danielson, WWE Raw, MLW

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

*A detailed look at the  SummerSlam show, post-SummerSlam direction, thoughts on key matches,  business numbers, a record set that WWE fans and AEW haters seem to have missed, the press conference as well as a major note on the 2025 SummerSlam show.
*A look at TKO business, why the stock price rose, breaking down different categories, how much debt does the company have, the lawsuit settlement, the next negotiations and why WWE ticket prices are about to rise.
*More notes on the  move from USA to CW for NXT, why the second show will likely be loaded up, and how the television situation for both the WWE shows and announcing teams will be changing in the fall, and again in the winter.
*Early notes on the Olympics in wrestling
*Update on All In’s card and business notes
*A drug testing scandal involving the U.S. and USADA
*Full  coverage of the G-1 tournament an the best matches
*Steve McMichael goes into the NFL Hall of Fame and a look at  his life and his career
*Updates on the Janel Grant claim against Vince McMahon, a court ruling as well as Dr. Carlon Colker fires back at Grant.
*The most detailed look at the ratings for the past week.  The segment-by-segment, comparisons with last week and a lot of insight into where the major trouble spot is for AEW right now.
*MJF vs. Templario at Arena Mexico as well as one of the best matches of the year in Mexico on that show
*The biggest stipulation match of the year in Mexico
*What trivia distinction in Mexico does MJF have
*Former TNA champion wins major title in Mexico
*Last build for TripleMania including Dorian Roldan saying that they are going for a five star match with an undercard bout.
*Update on El Hijo del Vikingo.
*Stardom star out for a year
*NOAH’s debut 24 years ago last week
*Star of the N-1 tournament
*Jeff Cobb notes NJPW star turned down a major WWE offer
*Giulia’s final stuff in Japan
*A look back at Beauregarde, a 60s and early 70s star
*The Bruno Sammartino Cup in Italy
*Lots of TNA television notes for the next several weeks
*Tony Khan talks media rights
*Issues with WBD
*Lots more on Pentagon & Fenix leaving AEW
*AEW star gets television acting gig
*Advance ticket sales for upcoming WWE & AEW shows
*International TV ratings including AEW has unusually big numbers in U.K. and Canada
*Dana White and Richard Boulaware and the origination of the term  Black Gordman High School
*UFC announces a loaded show
*Conor McGregor flips out on Donald Trump
*UFC star subject to a drive by
*PFL announces a PPV show
*The latest boxing and pro wrestling PV numbers
*WWE & AEW July ratings and attendance and how things are moving
*Son of former WWE star signs NIIL deal and will continue college
*Update on Brock Lesnar

This Week’s Wresting Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Monday Update

  • Bryan and I will be back tonight talking about all the wrestling news as well as MMA news. You can send questions for tonight’s show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com
  • Friday ratings saw Smackdown do 2,269,000 viewers and an 0.63. I think the Reigns return would have put  it in the 2.5 million range except the Olympics cost them a lot. Rampage did 219,000 and 0.08, again very low by usual standards. Tonight begins the post-Olympic period.
  • A note and clarification on Bryan Danielson. The interview where he said he didn’t want to win the AEW title wasn’t a work for storyline. He said he’s just really bad about knowing when he should be doing storyline.  
  • Raw tonight is in Austin, TX. They had almost 12,000 tickets out this morning so this will be a big show.  Tonight’s show as Damian Priest vs. Carlito, Creeds vs. Akira Tozawa & Otis in a tornado match, Shayna Baszler &  Zoey Stark vs. Iyo Sky & Kairi Sane with the winning team getting a shot at the tag titles plus appearances by Randy Orton, Rhea Ripley and Odyssey Jones.
  • We’re looking for reports on the Stardom Five Star Grand Prix shows, from York Hall yesterday, ROH yesterday from Arlington,a TX, and Raw tonight (anything not on the live show like Main Event bouts) to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • Mistico vs. Atlantis Jr. was announced for the 8/29 MLW show at the Melrose Ballroom in New York.  This is part of their Opera Cup tournament. 
  • UFC 305 is Saturday night from Perth, Western Australia with a very interesting middleweight title bout with Dricus Du Plessis defending against two-time champion Israel Adesanya.
  • Sting, who is being honored at the Cauliflower Alley Club, will be doing a signing on 8/20 from 1-2 p.m. at the Hospitality Room at the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas. Due to time constraints, only one item will be signed per person and all the money raised will go to the CAC Benevolence Fund.
  • John Cena’s new movie “Jackpot” debuts on Thursday on Prime Video.
  • Bobby Steveson aka Damon Kemp noted that his non compete term is over and he’s available for all bookings at damonkempmgmt.com
  • The NWA announced they have signed Paul Burchill to an exclusive contract.
  • Limitless Wrestling on Saturday at the Colisee in Lewiston, ME, has Scotty 2 Hotty, Dirty Dango, Tony Atlas, Luke Robinson, Matt Cross, Donovan Dijak, Billie Starkz, and more. About 800 tickets have been sold for the show. (thanks to Philip Laine)
  • Mansoor and Robbie X are on Friday’s Arena Mexico show. X faces Neon while Mansoor & Rocky Romero face Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja.
  • Anna Jay lost to Starlight Kid in her Five Star Grand Prix match today in Utsunomiya.  She’s now 1-1.
  • On NOAH’s show today in Kawasaki,  both WWE wrestlers won. Tavion Heights beat Kenoh in a huge upset as Kenoh is one of the big stars of the promotion. Briggs beat Masa Kitamiya, who is also a star with the promotion. Briggs is tied with Dragon Bane, Luis Mante and Jack Morris for first in the A block. Heights is tied with Titus Alexander, Manabu Soya and Yoshiki Inamura for second in the B block behind Kenoh.
  • AEW on Wednesday has Young Bucks vs. Acclaimed for the AEW tag titles, a face-to-face with Claudio Castagnoli and Kazuchika Okada, Roderick Strong vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Orange Cassidy with the winner entering first in the Casino Gauntlet match at All In, Adam Page vs. Jay Lethal, and Mercedes Mone vs. Hikaru Shida for the TBS title.