Daily Update: Dustin Rhodes & The Von Erichs, UFC 304 fallout, CMLL notes

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • July 29, 2024 Observer Newsletter: Big WWE & AEW summer events take shape, early NJPW G1 thoughts
  • The key stories covered are:
  • Update on SummerSlam and All In, lineups, possible additions, things expected to happen, business notes on both shows, ticket sales and where they will stack up in the all-time historical records. We also look at the stories behind the matches.
  • London Mayor Sadiq Khan meets with Nick Khan and Paul Levesque regarding bringing WrestleMania to the city.
  • Notes on the first week of the G1 Climax tournament, stories, standings, business and quality of the matches.
  • Notes on week two of G1
  • Part one of our story on the life and career of Canadian star Leo Burke, a Stampede Hall of Famer and how he shaped the career of Bret Hart, and trained some of the biggest names in wrestling
  • Vince McMahon’s lawyers try and shut down a motion by Janel Grant’s lawyers
  • TNA Slammiversary, its biggest crowd in years and how it was done, PPV numbers update, and full show coverage
  • Coverage of Dragon Gate & DDT’s biggest shows of the year
  • The most detailed look at the ratings of all the major pro wrestling shows, placings, competition and segment-by-segment
  • What the CMLL current era compares to in Mexican history
  • A look at the big matches coming over the next month including AEW stars and World Grand Prix participants
  • Stardom PPV shows this weekend
  • 50th anniversary celebration
  • One of the top legends of this era pushing his farewell tour
  • Bloodsport notes
  • Next few weeks of TNA television
  • Update on AEW TV negotiations
  • Lots of AEW injuries
  • Tony Khan talks about strippaing titles vs. waiting for champions to recover
  • Darby Allin talks current scene
  • Ticket sales for upcoming AEW & WWE shows
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • Cung Le lawsuit update
  • Top ten male and female fighters of the 21st century
  • Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry and update on celebrity fights and how they are doing

This Week’s Wresting Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Sunday Update

– We’ve got two new shows up on the site. My Friday show with Garrett covered all the news of the week in business and  Bryan and I did our weekend show this morning talking about Collision, ROH, Smackdown, UFC 304, Brock Lesnar, Friday’s Arena Mexico show and more. We’ll be back again Monday night after Raw.

– I so wish this promo from Dustin Rhodes & Marshall Von Erich after AEW went off the air is played on Wednesday’s show. I know it probably won’t be, but it’s so touching and real and worth going out of your way to see.

In a trivia note this current run was the first time a member of the Rhodes family has teamed with a member of the Von Erichs since a June 29, 1982, bunkhouse match in Tampa with Dusty Rhodes & David Von Erich & Harley Race vs. The Funk Brothers & Stan Hansen. It’s too bad no tape exists of this match.

– Pete Sanchez, the older version (there was a wrestler who used the name in the 90s), passed away yesterday. We don’t have more details past people like Bill Apter, Johnny Rodz and Davey O’Hannon noted it. Sanchez was mainly a WWWF prelim wrestler from 1963 to 1984, but had success in Texas as Gino Caruso and held tag team titles with Carlos Colon in both Stampede Wrestling and Puerto Rico. He was one of the original babyfaces in WWC when it started in 1974. He did lots of television enhancement work as well as prelim matches throughout the territory including many matches in Madison Square Garden. He got an undercard tag team push with Manuel Soto during the 70s. He’d be someone any WWWF fan of the 60s, 70s and early 80s would remember.

– We’re looking for reports from the ROH tapings today in Arlington, TX and from both of the WWE shows in Tokyo over the weekend with results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com. We’re also doing a poll on ROH Death Before Dishonor as you can leave a thumbs up thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobsearver.com

The Creed Brothers vs. Otis & Tozawa has been added to Raw tomorrow in St. Paul, MN. The show also includes Sheamus vs. Bronson Reed, Gunther vs. Finn Balor, Sonya Deville & Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark vs. Kayden Carter & Katana Chance & Lyra Valkyria and a segment with Seth Rollins as referee giving instructions in a face-to-face with Drew McIntyre and C.M. Punk. The show is on Syfy not USA.

– Collision on Saturday airs at 5 p.m. Eastern time in order to be over by the time SummerSlam starts. It’s taking a big ratings hit either way.

– Will Ospreay vs. Lance Archer was added to Wednesday’s Dynamite TV show.

– A&E Biography tonight has a show on Ted DiBiase at 8 p.m.a and on Paul Heyman at 9 p.m.

– RevPro announced today that MJF will defend the American title against Michael Oku on 8/11 at York Hall in London. MJF also defends that title against Templario this coming Friday at Arena Mexico.

– The Mistico & Mascara Dorada & Volador Jr. match with The Death Triangle on Friday night at Arena Mexico, sold out with more than 15,000 fans. Due to AAA copyrights, Penta wrestled under the name Lucha Bro and Fenix wrestled as King. Didn’t matter, everyone knew who they were. It was a cheap low blow and mask pull DQ finish when Pac pulled off Dorada’s mask. But the fans were fine with it  as they were there to see Penta & Fenix and got a long, excellent match with them. There were no post-match challenges and Fenix wanted to do mic work after and he wasn’t given the mic. The match was about what you’d expect. It was among the best matches at Arema Mexico this year. Penta was the star, with the crowd chanting “Cero Miedo” like crazy early on. The big heat was Mistico in with Penta and Penta was cheered far more even though Mistico got a great reaction.  

– Despite stories going around this week and speculation, Brock Lesnar’s WWE status is unchanged.

– Last night’s UFC show did 1.2 million searches which is a strong number.  It was the single most searched item of the day on Google, which is amazing during the Olympics.

– Tom Aspinall’s 1:00 win over Curtis Blaydes to keep the interim heavyweight title has definitely made Aspinall vs. Jon Jones as maybe the biggest UFC fight possible. Dana White said Aspinall will be asked to be ready for November in MSG in the event either Jones or Stipe Miocic is injured or can’t fight on that show. The winner of Jones vs. Miocic will be booked to defend the heavyweight title against Aspinall next unless they retire.

– Dana White said after increasing bonuses to $100,000 for last night’s show, said that he would never do it again and you can blame most of the fighters on last night’s show for it.  “I think tonight showed that we should not (increase bonuses in the future). Upping them doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t make anybody fight any harder. It doesn’t change anything. I’m not doing this again. Ever. Today was the last day that I’m doing it. Not saying that in the future the bonuses couldn’t get (larger), but I’m not going to be at a press conference and say $200,000, $300,000.’  F***ing never again”  The show had seven straight decisions after the announcement before the show of doubling bonuses. The main card started at 3 a.m. local time in Manchester and there were fighters who said that the time change messed with them, including champion Leon Edwards who lost his welterweight title to Belal Muhammad in the main event.

– Paddy Pimblett ended up with $200,000 in bonuses last night.

– White also said that undefeated Muhammad Mokaev will not be back. Mokaev admitted that he set up a situation where he sucker punched opponent Manel Kape and dropped him during the week. When he said that, and had a boring fight with Kape, White said the matchmakers weren’t interested in booking him again and that PFL will have a great undefeated fighter.

– Abdullah the Butcher has been hospitalized with an intestinal issue for the past few days.

– UFC’s Oban Elliott said after the show that he had visited with WWE and had business to take care of in Berlin.

– Luke Jacobs won the Progress world title from Kid Lykos so the 8/24 match at the Copper Box with Oku vs. Jacobs will match the PrevPro British champion vs. Progress world champion.

– Bayley beat Meiko Satomuira to retain the WWE women’s title yesterday at Sumo Hall.

– Giulia will announce Tuesday when she’s leaving. Those in Japan say the end of August. It could be sooner but that was what they were told yesterday.  Either way, it’s a few weeks away.

– NJPW’s G1 Climax tournament continues at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning from Fukuoka with A block bouts with Evil (undefeated) vs. Callum Newman, Great O’Khan vs. Jake Lee, Shota Umino vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Shingo Takagi vs Gabe Kidd and Tetsuya Naito vs. Sanada.

– Lots of Stardom news from the two weekend PPV shows in Fukuoka. The Oedo Tai group is no more, and is being replaced by a group called H.A.T.E. which is an attempt to get real heels in the group.  Saya Kamitani, Thela, Konmai, M omo Watabne and Natsuko Tora are in H.A.T.E.  Kamitani distracted the ref allowing Tora to blow mist and hit a Death Valley bomb on Maika and win the World of Stardom title today.  Natsupoii captured the Wonder of Stardom title yesterday from Saori Aou.

– Bloodsport tonight from Brooklyn on Triller+

  • Heddi Karaoui vs. Brian Johnson
  • Charlie Dempsey vs. Royce Isaacs
  • Brutus Creed vs Tom Lawlor
  • Julius Creed vs Matt Makowski
  • Mike Santana vs. Homicide
  • Josh Barnett vs. Bad Dude Tito
  • Shayna Baszler vs. Miyu Yamashita

– WWE is looking for a new Vice President of Business Legal Affairs and Talent Relations & Talent Development.

– AIW runs Cleveland and Temple Live on Thursday, billing it as the start of SummerSlam weeknd in the city. Alec Price, Josh Bishop, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, KENTA, Anthony Greene, Heath, 1 Called Manders, Dom Garrini and John Wayne Murdoch are on the show.

– Eve on Friday in Walthamstow in London at the Penny Social has a street fight main event with Operation Strong & Sexy vs  Session Moth Martina vs  Safire Reed & Milie McKenzie & Zizi.  Eve & Tokyo Joshi Pro have a joint show on 8/24 in London at Conway Hall with a 2 p.m. Saturday show with Aja Kong, Mahiiro Kiryu, Miyu Yamashita, Alex Windsor, Nina Samuels, Martina and more.