Daily Update: Cody Rhodes, John Cena, AEW notes

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered:

  • Jon Jones announces his retirement, a look back at a remarkable career inside the cage and a story of problems and controversy outside the cage. We look at his background, details on his latest arrest, and thoughts by others.
  • Preview to Night of Champions, the stories and the direction
  • Who is Aaron Wolf and why he’s starting his career under more pressure than almost anyone in recent history, his background as a fan, and as an Olympic gold medalist and world champion in judo.
  • A look at All In Texas and the largest attendance and biggest grossing non-WWE PPV shows in history. What milestones has the show already broken with two weeks out, and what’s the final milestone that it’s touchy if it can break. We look at money adjusted for inflation and AEW’s former biggest shows as well as big shows from Crockett, WCW and the 114 year milestone.
  • A look at the combined CMLL, AEW, NJPW and RevPro Fantastica Mania at Arena Mexico on Friday. We look at moves CMLL should make to take advantage of its new exposure, popularity and position in the wrestling ecosystem, the big tag team main event and the future booking direction.
  • The most detailed look at the television ratings for pro wrestling and MMA this past week, including how segments did, demos, did and comparisons to one year ago.
  • A detailed look and discussion of how Raw on Netflix is doing and on AEW Dynamite on MAX.
  • More on CMLL’s big week at its other arenas
  • Next CMLL tournament
  • AAA booking direction and when WWE takes over the booking and state of current angles
  • One of the best matches of the year took place on Saturday
  • Dragon Gate has its biggest event of the year
  • Lots of G-1 updates
  • Jun Kasai vs. Desperado looked at
  • Sabu funeral
  • Tom Lawlor physical issues discussed in detail
  • Ronda Rousey physical issues discussed as well
  • Real American Freestyle early ticket advance
  • Tetsuya Naito back in action and new name of his faction
  • Mistico and MJF angle in MLW
  • More on many AEW and WWE stars health updates
  • Which company has a higher injury rate by percentage, AEW or WWE, with the actual stats.
  • AEW ratings comparison between the end of 2024 and the current MAX era
  • Mortos on wrestling at Arena Mexico after 15 years
  • Update on AEW performers who aren’t being used
  • More on the Cung Le lawsuit settlement
  • Dana White goes into promoting boxing and BJJ
  • Internet personality arrested for threatening Joe Rogan
  • Crazy story about Sedriques Dumas and UFC signing him to fight this week and how bad a look that was, and the fight falling apart
  • Why the UFC main event this week is so big
  • Update on Ben Askren nd B Penn
  • Update on Janel Grant lawsuit against Vince McMahon and TKO
  • How another sport’s move from TV to streaming compares with Raw and what we can learn from it as it relates to Raw
  • Boxing legend and former MMA champion both talk performing in WWE
  • Thoughts on Cody Rhodes saying his babyface run is almost over
  • WWE star doing a record album as a tribute to 1990s All Japan Pro Wrestling

This Week’s Back Issue

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Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE uploaded the full main event segment from NXT last night where Blake Monroe helped Jordynne Grace fend off an attack by Fatal Influence. It was announced at the end of the show that Grace & Monroe will face Jacy Jayne & Fallon Henley in a tag match at NXT Great American Bash on Saturday, July 12.
  • Nexus Point News reports that Cody Rhodes is in talks to play Guile in the upcoming live-action “Street Fighter” movie from Legendary Entertainment. Roman Reigns has already booked a role in the film, playing the character Akuma.
  • John Cena and his wife Shay Shariatzadeh were in attendance at Wimbledon in London today for day three of the tennis tournament.
  • In a GOAT Talk feature for Complex, Cena praised Dave Bautista as the greatest wrestler-turned-actor of all time:
    • I’m going to give respect where respect is earned – going Dave Bautista. The dude has range and has now transformed his whole body. The stuff he’s about to do, look out for Dave Bautista. The stuff he’s already done is incredible, but as far as like wrestler-turned-actor with the range. You know me, I’m just d*ck jokes, that’s it. Dave’s got range.
  • Cena named “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s entrance as the greatest WWE entrance ever and listed Roddy Piper, The Rock, Austin, and CM Punk as the best trash talkers.
  • Cena made an appearance on ITV’s This Morning during the promotional tour for his new movie “Heads of State” that premiered on Amazon Prime Video today.
  • Bret Hart is celebrating his 68th birthday today.
  • Foundation Radio has an interview with Karrion Kross.
  • WWE Vault put together a compilation video of rare house show matches from the 1990s New Generation era:
    • Buckle in for a compilation of never-before-seen Live Event matches featuring your favorite New Generation Superstars, including a huge tag team from Madison Square Garden, pitting Shawn Michaels and Diesel against Bret ‘Hit Man’ Hart and The Undertaker. Plus, action featuring ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Mankind, Razor Ramon and more!

Other Wrestling

  • Tony Khan shared a graph today celebrating that TV viewership for Dynamite and Collision has now grown for two consecutive quarters.
  • Renee Paquette spoke with “Speedball” Mike Bailey on a new episode of AEW Close-Up.
  • While being interviewed by Denise Salcedo, Sammy Guevara spoke about how happy he is to have his wife Tay Melo back on the road after her post-pregnancy return:
    • Man, it’s so cool. Because, I mean, for the longest time it was her and I, and we were just this package deal, as we always said – package deal. And then all of a sudden, it was just me on the road for a long time. Because even when she was pregnant, she was still traveling. She traveled all the way up until like August and she gave birth in November. So, yeah, I mean, she literally quit the [Jericho Appreciation Society] with like a big old belly. It was awesome. But then after she left, then it was just me. And it was a little weird at first. Now it’s cool because it’s like I got my partner in crime back.
    • But now it’s different too because it’s like I’m still missing our other partner in crime, which is our little daughter Luna. Any time all of us go, it’s tougher, it’s harder, but it’s like I feel like – okay, peace, we’re all here. We’re not bringing her every week because I feel like that’s a little unfair for Luna, even though she probably would love to go. In my opinion, I want to bring her all the time. I don’t want to be away from her. But we’re like, only if we’re going to be gone multiple days we’ll bring her.
  • During a Q&A at River City Wrestling Con, Shelton Benjamin credited Tony Khan for giving new life to his career since joining AEW:
    • I think Tony’s been great. I like to point this out – no matter what your opinion is, Tony has created a lane for people to be on TV, have gainful employment, and make a name for themselves. 
    • So I think first and foremost, I commend him for that. Because he’s, you know, he’s given my career new life. He’s given guys who probably wouldn’t even get a sniff at the other place a chance to actually be stars. So I think that alone makes Tony a real special guy. Tony’s been nothing but great to me.
  • Mercedes Mone named some of her favorite matches of her career:
    • NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn against Bayley
    • WrestleMania 37 against Bianca Belair
    • Hell in a Cell 2020 against Bayley
    • Any of her matches against Asuka
    • NJPW Battle in the Valley against Kairi Sane
    • Full Gear against Kris Statlander
    • Worlds End against Kris Statlander
    • Wrestle Dynasty against Mina Shirakawa
    • Spring BreakThru against Athena
  • AEW’s YouTube channel uploaded the full Jack Perry vs. Darby Allin coffin match from All In 2024.
  • Big Boom AJ and his son Big Justice will host an AEW Cosplay Contest at Starrcast during All In Texas weekend.
  • The Hardy Boyz were guests on The Ariel Helwani Show today.
  • Daily Star interviewed Leon Slater.