Daily Update: Droz, LA Knight, new WWE trademarks

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

In this issue:

  • Fan reactions and poll for Forbidden Door
  • Thoughts on the Omega-Ospreay and Okada-Danielson matches, as well as the difference in match of the years today with in the past that is concerning. We look at the Omega-Ospreay storyline, the business record that was set in Toronto as well as PPV numbers, theater numbers, what we learned, the Okada-Danielson finish and the situation with C.M. Punk.
  • We have the biggest money live events in AEW history, match-by-match coverage, Danielson, Sting, Tony Khan and others talk after the show and more
  • A look at Money in the Bank and its unique record that was quietly set
  • Full coverage of Saturday’s UFC show
  • Business notes on the show
  • What’s next for the top people on the show
  • The most detailed look at the ratings of all the wrestling shows this past week, talking competition, ranking, segment-by-segment, the unique change in the Raw audience this week as well as the low rating for AEW and notes on that
  • Early Fantastica Mania notes
  • 64th anniversary of pro wrestling in one of its legendary arenas that likely has had more shows than all but a few in history
  • Notes on AAA’s next major show after TripleMania in Tijuana
  • Stardom PPV notes
  • Next Stardom PPV card
  • Stardom Five-Star Grand Prix tournament
  • Battle of two people who trained together as youths sells out standing room tickets at Korakuen Hall weeks ahead of time
  • The new three Musketeers in New Japan and thoughts
  • Update on this week’s New Japan major shows
  • A look in detail about the movie “Iron Claw” about the heyday of the Von Erichs and the collapse of their empire along with thoughts on it
  • One of the best wrestlers of the 90s and 00s goes into a sports Hall of Fame
  • Outsports talks about the most powerful LGBTQ+ people in the sports world including many from both pro wrestling and MMA
  • Notes on Ross Forman, who works backstage at Impact, making the list and his background and thoughts
  • WWC 50th anniversary show draws huge crowd in Puerto Rico and rundown of the show
  • Impact notes from the next few weeks of TV
  • AEW video game notes
  • Jim Ross update
  • Danielson talks Okada
  • Variety says AEW TV show deserves an Emmy nomination
  • Upcoming ticket sales for all WWE & AEW shows
  • Anthony Bowens felt crowd reaction was a real breakthrough, as does a reader who grew up in Chicago
  • Ariel Helwani responds to Tony Khan
  • What percentage of revenue did UFC fighters make last year
  • Lots of new UFC fights
  • Fighter rebounding from nearly fatal heart attack
  • Lots of notes on Vince McMahon and WWE
  • Notes on what happens with the new company, how much money Vince made WWE by staying and what percentage of the new company he will own
  • Notes on ideas for changes in NXT and main roster shows
  • WWE injury updates
  • International TV ratings
  • WWE top streaming segments for the week

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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Saturday Update

WWE

  • Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson posted a tribute to Darren Drozdov following Droz’s passing: “Man I’m so sorry to hear one of our ring brothers has passed away. Darren Drozdov aka Droz. We wrestled on a lot of cards together. Such an awesome dude. Great personality and great wrestling talent. We always talked about football and fishing. Sending love, strength, mana and light to his family. RIP brother”
  • Lita wrote: “Be at peace, Darren. Droz really helped me get through my broken neck. He was so encouraging to me. His positivity helped me let go of anger I had due to being sidelined. He will always be an inspiration. #RIPDroz”
  • WWE uploaded the opening video for today’s Money in the Bank PPV.
  • I previewed Money in the Bank for Sports Illustrated.
  • The Judgment Day recreated The Beatles’ Abbey Road album cover while in England.
  • Ariel Helwani interviewed The Usos and LA Knight.
  • While speaking with Helwani, Knight was asked if it bothers him when people call him a knockoff of The Rock or Steve Austin:
          • Oh my God, man. Look, when I was in high school those guys were my bread and butter. Those are the guys that I wanted to be when I was like 16, 17 years old. I’m sure there’s – hell… my normal speech pattern everyday when I’m talking to you is somehow derived from them. Whether that’s purposeful or not, and it’s definitely not.
          • So it’s just the fact that, man, I sat there and watched every single episode of Monday Night Raw. I had all the little VHS cassette tapes like ‘Cause Stone Cold Said So,’ or ‘The Rock Says,’ and stuff like that. I watched all that stuff. So man, you’re talking about formative years, very moldable years of maybe in some way have penetrated my brain in some way. But whether you want to make the comparisons — hey, I’ll tell you what. Let’s make this comparison. You want to say that I’m the Kobe to their Jordan? I’ll take it.
  • Booker T praised the work that Finn Balor is doing in WWE right now:
          • Finn Balor is doing some of his best work right now and I tell you that match with Carmelo Hayes was a breaking out moment for me with Finn Balor. I mean, not that I haven’t bought on what he’s been doing as of late, but when he went out and went to kicking Carmelo’s ass like it was a real fight, I was like, oh man, I like this Finn Balor here. This dude right here, this is the guy, and the thing is we know Finn Balor can fly. We know he could do all of the moves. He can do the flips. He can do all the dives and all of that, but this guy right here that we’re seeing is the Finn Balor that’s going to work at the main-event level, perhaps from this point of his career on.
  • Balor was the guest on this week’s episode of WWE After the Bell.
  • ESPN has an article where WWE wrestlers detail the most brutal bumps they’ve taken in their careers.
  • Cosmopolitan UK interviewed Becky Lynch.
  • British GQ has a profile on Seth Rollins’ home life.
  • WWE filed trademarks for “Zeus” and “Nyx” on June 27.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • A “Country Whipping” match between Mance Warner and Sam Adonis is set for MLW Never Say Never on Saturday, July 8. The show is taking place in Philadelphia and will air live on Fite+. MLW wrote about the stipulation: “Both combatants will be armed with unforgiving leather straps. The objective: beat the hell out one another with a leather strap until the other can’t take it and pin him.”
  • On AEW Unrestricted this week, Adam Cole, Evil Uno, and Nik Sobic discussed AEW’s Fight Forever video game. Sobic is AEW’s senior vice president of business development, partnerships, and video games.