Daily Update: Clash of Champions, Cain Velasquez, AAA notes

DAILY UPDATE

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WWE CLASH OF CHAMPIONS AT 6 P.M. EASTERN SUNDAY ON THE WWE NETWORK FROM THE SPECTRUM CENTER IN CHARLOTTE

  • Seth Rollins vs Braun Strowman for Universal title – Rollins is a -400 favorite to retain the title.  I think everyone would have him as the favorite, but those are long odds.
  • Kofi Kingston vs Randy Orton for WWE title – Kingston is a -185 favorite to retain.  I could see Orton as the guy they’d want the title on when they move to FOX, so don’t rule out an upset title change here.
  • Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan no DQ – Reigns is a -290 favorite.  Lots of expectations that Daniel Bryan will end up involved.  This match is expected to get a lot of latitude.
  • Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks for Raw women’s title – Lynch is a -140 favorite to retain.  This match needs to be good for the show as a whole.  There’s no reason for it not to be, but Banks’ return will lose momentum if they go out and only do a decent match.  
  • Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair for Smackdown women’s title – Bayley is a -155 favorite to retain the title 
  • Braun Strowman & Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode for Raw tag titles – Roode and Ziggler are heavy favorites, at -280, to win the title here.  Now this is Paul Heyman booking which isn’t the same, but if they lose, if it was Vince McMahon’s booking, the guy who lost the fall would come back to win the Universal title match.
  • Big E & Xavier Woods vs The Revival for Smackdown tag title –  E & Woods are -185 favorites top retain the title.  
  • Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The Miz for IC title – Nakamura is a -210 favorite to win.  On paper, this doesn’t look like much. They have the chance to surprise people.
  • A.J. Styles vs. Cedric Alexander for U.S. title – Styles goes in as a -350 favorite to win and retain. 
  • Nikki Cross & Alexa Bliss vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville for women’s tag title – Bliss & Cross are -350 favorites to retain the titles.  I would see those odds as bigger than they should be..
  • Drew Gulak vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Lince Dorado for cruiserweight title.  Gulak is a -230 favorite to retain.  Carrillo is +220.  Dorado is +1100, so nobody expects him to win.

To me, this show looks solid on paper in the sense nothing looks bad, but nothing stands out on paper as being great.  When I look at star ratings predictions, this looks less impressive going in than most WWE shows.  But there can always be surprises.

AAA FROM THE HULU THEATER IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN IN NEW YORK AT 6 P.M. EASTERN ON PPV AND FITE TV

  • Cain Velasquez & Brian Cage & Psycho Clown vs. Black Taurus & Rey Bucanero & El Texano Jr.
  • Tessa Blanchard vs. Taya Valkyrie for Reina de Reinas championship
  • Pentagon Jr. & Fenix vs. LAX for AAA tag titles
  • Dr. Wagner Jr.vs.  Blue Demon Jr.

NEW JAPAN DESTRUCTION IN KAGOSHIMA AT 5 A.M. EASTERN ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

  • Yuya Uemura vs. Clark Connors in Young Lions tournament
  • Ren Narita vs. Michael Richards in Young Lions tournament
  • Yuji Nagata & Ryusuke Taguchi & Shota Umino & Yota Tsuji vs. Manabu Nakanishi & Toa Henare & Karl Fredericks & Alex Coughlin
  • Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi & Sho & Yoh vs. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa & Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma & Jushin Liger vs. Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr. & Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Douki
  • Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Rocky Romero vs. Sanada & Shingo Takagi & Bushi,
  • Tetsuya Naito & Evil vs. Jay White & Yujiro Takahashi
  • El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori vs. Robbie Eagles & Will Ospreay for the IWGP jr. tag titles
  • Kota Ibushi vs. KENTA with the Tokyo Dome title shot at stake.

Raw is Monday from Knoxville.  Chad Gable vs. Baron Corbin for the King of the Ring tournament championship is on the show.

Smackdown and 205 Live are taped in Atlanta on Tuesday night.

The first live NXT on the USA Network will be on Wednesday night.

F4W NEWSLETTER: Bayley turns heel, WWE continues to focus on HorsewomenJoseph Currier looks at how WWE has addressed the women’s division post-WM problems. Plus, Bryan Rose’s notes on Japan, and Vinny’s TV reviews. 

Bayley going through a long-anticipated character change was the latest step in WWE refocusing on the Four Horsewomen.

Bayley & Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross main evented last Monday’s episode of Raw. Sasha Banks ran in and caused a disqualification by attacking Lynch. Banks struck Lynch with a steel chair until Bayley took it away from her. But instead of playing peacemaker between her friends, Bayley smiled and pummeled Lynch with the chair herself.

After beginning her heel turn and reuniting with Banks, Bayley cut a promo explaining her actions the next night on SmackDown. The crowd alternated between cheering and booing her. Bayley told the fans that their reaction was confusing. Instead of going full bore with the heel turn, Bayley spoke about her friendship with Banks and called Banks the one person who has always had her back. Bayley disingenuously talked about being a hero and a role model. She said she was trying to show kids what it means to be loyal and noted that she couldn’t turn her back on Banks just because things got rough. Bayley said that SmackDown deserves a champion that gets the same kind of recognition as Lynch.

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WON NEWSLETTER: Anthem buys AXS TV plus tons of news

In a move that has great ramifications in pro wrestling, Anthem Sport and Entertainment has purchased a majority interest in AXS TV and HDNet Movies and will begin running the two channels.

The deal also includes purchasing the AXS TV library of concerts, pro wrestling and MMA content, which would include U.S. broadcast rights to old ROH, many years of New Japan, WOW, and some defunct MMA promotions as well as countless smaller MMA shows.

Mark Cuban, who founded the stations, and AEG, his partners, will continue to own a minority interest. Part of the purchase team included Anthem, headed by Leonard Asper, and entertainer Steve Harvey, who will enter into a strategic content development agreement.

The company will continue operating from studios in Los Angeles and Denver, as well as use Anthem studios in Toronto, Nashville and Europe. The office in Dallas was closed down.

While not stated in the sales press release, as noted over the months this day has been in play, that if it was to go through, that Impact would move from The Pursuit Channel, where it has been dying on the vine, and move to AXS.

The deal actually first started with an attempt by Anthem to get Impact on AXS when they got word in the latter stages of 2018 that they weren’t going to be renewed by Pop TV. AXS turned down the initial deal, since Impact did not have a good reputation in the wrestling world at the time and AXS had its own wrestling franchise with New Japan.

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SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be back tonight to talk Clash of Champions, the AAA show and New Japan shows, and the rest of the news.  Questions can be sent to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com

With football dominating the weekend, the only things that cracked the Google trends were Tyson Fury at No. 5 yesterday with 200,000 searches, which is probably less than I’d have expected given the pub, and the UFC Fight Night was No. 14 with 100,000. As far as today goes, if Clash hits 200,000, that would be expected. 

ESPN did a documentary on Cain Velasquez and pro wrestling.

According to The Cubs Fan, AAA wrestlers who have been seen in New York and thus should be on the undercard of tonight’s show are Daga, Drago, Aerostar (meaning something insane will happen), Flamita, Mascarita Dorada, Demus and Lady Shani.  Myzteziz Jr. and Dave the Clown have also said they are going to New York, but nobody has been them yet.  La Hiedra is also expected.

Meiko Satomura won the Progress women’s title on their big show at the Alexandra Palace today.

WWE

  • Tamina returned to action last night at the house show in Macon, GA, facing Natalya.  She had been out of action with a concussion for the past two months.
  • The oddsmakers are favoring A.J. Styles vs. Cedric Alexander to be the best match on the show with -192 odds.  Second is “either Seth Rollins match” at -182.
  • 20 new episodes of WCW Thunder will be added to the network on Monday.  This would be shows from June 28, 2000 to November 6, 2000.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Northeast Wrestling from Friday night in Waterbury, CT:  Keith Youngblood b Chris Battle, Ron Zombie & Jimmy Preston b JP & Tommy Grayson, RJ Rude & Zane Bernardo won three-way over Private Party and Maine Street Posse to keep tag titles, Jake Manning b Mike Verna, JT Dunn b Rey Fenix, Wrecking Ball Legursky & CazXL b Bill Carr & Bull James, Darby Allin b Brian Anthony-DQ so Allin retained NEW title, Pentagon Jr. b Joey Janela.  David Arquette did a surprise run-in on this show (thanks to Nick Mahmood)
  • nZo was at the show and didn’t wrestle.  It should be noted in wake of the problems with CazXL (Brian Morrisey last night, that nZo, CazXL and Janela were all at the show Friday night together and there were no issues at all.  Those at NEW praised Cass’ behavior the night before and noted he’s been a regular since June and nobody has a negative word to say about his behavior at any of their shows.  nZo was only there for the meet and greet.  Next show is 10/19 with Allin vs. Brian Anthony in a rematch, Rude & Bernardo defending tag titles against Thrillride & Ron Zombie, and Jungle Boy appears.   
  • Stardom’s Five Star Grand Prix continued with a doubleheader yesterday in Osaka:
  • Noon show:  Mayu Iwatani b Saya Kimitani, Hazuki b Avary, Tam Nakano & Arisa Hoshiki b AZM & Leo Onozaki, Momo Watanabe b Natsu Sumire, Hana Kimura & Jungle Kyona won three-way over Saki Kashima & Saya Iida and Natsuko Tora & Andras Miyagi, Jamie Hayter b Konami, Kagetsu b Bea Priestley
  • Late afternoon show:  Natsuko Tora b Saya Kamitani, Konami & Avary b Arisa Hoshiki & Saya Iida, AZM b Saki Kashima, Tam Nakano b Momo Watanabe, Kagetsu & Hazuki & Andras Miyagi b Bea Priestley & Momo Watanabe & Leo Onozaki, Jamie Haytor b Jungle Kyona, Mayu Iwatani b Hana Kimura (thanks to Shannon Walsh and  wrestlingwithdemons.net)
  • Jungle Kyona suffered a dislocated shoulder and is out the rest of the tournament.  All of her scheduled future opponents get automatic forfeit wins.  They already had to redo the tournament when Utami Hayashishita was injured.  If you know anything about Japanese booked round-robin tournaments, they are very carefully crafted and something like this means they will have to redo all booking.
  • CZW from Friday night in Voorhees, NJ:  Brandon Kirk won ladder match over KC Navarro, Anthony Greene and AR Fox to get a CZW title match, Joe Gacy won CZW title beating champion John Silver and Conor Claxton in a three-way, Anthony Gagnone & Matt Tremont b The Rep to keep the tag tiles but when Tremont turned on Gagnone, and then Maven  Bentley turned on The Rep, Jordan Oliver b Dan O’Hare to keep the Wired title, Matt McIntosh b Kris Bishop, Joey Lynch b LSG, Gabriel Sky & Ikuro Kwan b YDNB, Jimmy Rave b Griffin McCoy, Bear Country b ?.  Next show is 10/26.  The ladder match was the annual Chris Cash ladder match.  Cash’s family members were there as well as the parents of Lyle Wllliams, the former CZW photographer who passed away recently. (thanks to Bob Magee)
  • Tessa Blanchard had a strong main event with Serpentine (Thunder Rosa) at last night’s WOW TV show.
  • Both NJPW and WOW are pre-empted next Saturday on AXS.  This was planned before the sale so don’t read this into a decision having been made.  Not to say that getting rid of many involved with putting together both shows can be seen as a positive either.
  • Pro Wrestling EVE from last night in London:  Holidead won four-way over Jetta, Charli Evans and Trish Adora, Mercedes Martinez b Jinnny, Jayla Dark &  Laura Dimatteo b NightShade & Livvii Grace, Rhia O’Reilly b Roxy-DQ to keep Eve title (Roxxy won and was announced  as champion, but it was overturned due to the interference and a rematch was set up later in the show), Sammii Jayne b Angel; Hayze,Milie McKenzie b Solo Darling, Mercedes Martinez b Charli Evans, Rhia O’Reilly b Roxxy to retain Eve title.  NightShade and Grace and O’Reilly attacked Roxxy after. (thanks to Shannon Walsh and wrestlingwithdemonsnet
  • CWE on 10/18 in Fannystelle, Manitoba at the Fannyselle Hall.  They also announced a debut in Ottawa on 12/6 which is the final day of their tour.  This will be a joint show with Devon Nicholson’s Great North Wrestling.
  • Travis Banks (WWE) and Orange Cassidy (AEW) are both in the PWA Colosseum tournament on 10/18 and 10/19 in Sydney, Australia.  They will likely have to make sure not to face each other for the obvious political issues.
  • Maya Yukihi beat Risa Sera to win the vacant ICExInfinity title.  The big match on the show yesterday in Yokohama saw Tsukasa Fujinmoto over Sareee.
  • Twitch has the show in Taiwan with the Kenny Omega & Riho vs. Michael Nakazawa & Yuka Sakazaki comedy match main event.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: WCW Fall Brawl 1996

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