Daily Update: Hulk Hogan, WBD split, WWE Raw

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • Notes from the new issue:
  • Life of Hulk Hogan, notes on his death, WWE expansion, comparisons with Rikidozan, Santo and Dwayne Johnson, the complicated legacy, the story behind the tape that ruined his legacy, last WWE appearance, Bobby Heenan comments,  Jimmy Hart’s first connection with Hogan, first match with Andre and how it got him to national TV,  lies about his career, meeting Superstar Billy Graham the start of his career and the real story on Hiro Matsuda, Ed Leslie, Austin Idol, New Japan Pro Wrestling, the Terry Funk hotel room story, never doing jobs, the myths about the AWA title, leaving the AWA, his most famous match with Inoki,  his return to WWF, the first WrestleMania, record breaking attendance, WrestleMania III payoff,  Ultimate Warrior, WestleMania VII with Sgt. Slaughter, the Zahorian and McMahon steroid trials, Jerry McDevitt, going to WCW, the rise and fall of WCW,  the Sting & Goldberg matches, the end in WCW and return to WWE, the TNA run and life after wrestling.
  • Updates on SummerSlam
  • Notes on Buff Bagwell
  • The most detailed look at what we’ve learned about both viewing habits on Netflix as well as actual numbers for Smackdown, NXT, PPVs and shows from the past.
  • Complete UFC 318 coverage and retirement of Dustin Poirier
  • G-1 notes
  • TNA Slammiversary coverage
  • The most detailed look at the TV ratings over the past week
  • CMLL anniversary show taking shape
  • MJF headed to Arena Mexico
  • The amazing Friday night show this past week
  • The weekend battle of Mexico City
  • A look at why CMLL is on fire
  • Omos update
  • Stardom major show coverage
  • All Japan big matches
  • NOAH and the two GHC title bouts
  • Real American Freestyle update
  • How the financial situation after WWE has changed for certain women after leaving the company
  • A look at Ed Don George and his being honored this past week
  • More on Cowboy Bob Ellis
  • AEW on MAX update as well as DVR numbers
  • Bryan Danielson talks a lot about many different things
  • The Ali Act and the attempt to change it to benefit TKO
  • Dana White on Jon Jones
  • Lots of new UFC PP main events
  • Diego Sanchez arrested
  • Ben Askran returns home
  • Changes in the WWE workplace
  • Notes on Survivor Series this year
  • Punk on his promos
  • Goldberg talks
  • McIntyre  with Logan Paul
  • A celebrity out of the video game after his situation with WWE has changed
  • WWE weekend house shows

This Week’s Back Issue

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Monday Update

Bryan and I will be back tonight covering Raw and the latest news.  We also have a Friday show with Garett Gonzales taking questions on Hulk Hogan as well as an interview with Mark  Briscoe.

With the tribute to Hulk Hogan, Smackdown was the top rated show on television Friday with 1.71 million viewers and an 0.48 in 18-49.  The No. 2 show in the time slot on cable was Watters on FOX News which did 2.75 million viewers and an 0.11. The  top rated network show was a repeat of Celebrity Jeopady! which did 2.29 million viewers and 0.28.

WWE legal is working on getting Drew McIntyre back in the U.S. by Saturday for SummerSlam.  Basically he brought his U.K. passport with him since he was going to the U.K. after Smackdown to a wedding.  When he went to come home, they didn’t accept the passport, saying he was a U.S. citizen not a U.K. citizen.  That was the last we heard but was told WWE is working on it.  I certainly expect it’ll be cleared up shortly.

WBD announced that in the split, that David Zaslav’s run company with Warner  Brothers movie studios, DC Studios, HBO, HBO Max, anid TCM will going forward be called Warner Brothers.  Gunnar Weidenfels company consisting of international television as well as TNT, TBS, CNN, Cartoon Network, Discovery, Food Network and HGTV as well as Discovery + will be called Discovery Global.

Raw tonight is from Detroit.  Announced matches are Jey Uso vs. Bronson  Reed, Iyo Sky & Rhea Ripley & Stephanie Vaquer & Nikki Bella vs. Naomi & Chelsea Green & Piper Niven & Alba Fyre, Finn Balor & JD McDonagh vs. Joaquin  Wilde & Cruz Del Toro for the tag titles (this should be a great match) plus Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Gunther promos.  It’s the last Raw before SummerSlam.  We’re looking for reports from this show with any matches not on the live show to dave@wrestlingobswerver.com

Raw is almost sold out, and surely will be.  It was at 14,276 the last I checked  and 470 tickets were left.

AEW Dynamite is sold out in Chicago Wednesday but that’s only 1,144 tickets.  Thursday for Dustin Rhodes vs. Kyle Fletcher had like 160 left so it should be as well.

We’re looking for live  reports from the WWE shows in Mexico City and Monterrey over the weekend to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

WWE Unreal launches tomorrow with five 50 minute long episodes.  I’m sure we’ll be talking a lot about this.

A&E brings back WWE’s Greatest Moments on 8/10 with episodes of SummerSlam in the 2000s and John Cena.

CMLL sold out Arena Puebla tonight and  Arena Coliseo  in Guadalajara tomorrow night.  Puebla is week three of the latest streak while Guadalajara will be the sixth straight Tuesday night.  That’s Dusty 1974 or Von Erichs 1983 level stuff.  

Mistico will have worked a show every day from 7/23 to 8/3.  Of what we know,he will have had 25 matches in  July, most  of  which sold out.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Mouktoum has joined the ownership group of PFL.  He is the founding chairman of Alpha MBM investments out  of Dubai.  He will be heavily involved in the expansion in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.

Cody Rhodes will be on The Hot Ones on Thursday promoting SummerSlam.

HyuSung Park (10-0) replaces Amir Albazi in the main event for the UFC show this coming Saturday on ESPN from the Apex.  Park faces Tatsuro Taira in a key flyweight match.  The ESPN top of the card starts at 9 p.m.

Sports and entertainment attorney Brad  Small has joined Innovative Artist Entertainment to rep athletes.  He was a partner in the Fox Rothschild, LLP law firm’s entertainment and sports law department out of Los Angeles.  He will bring to IAE clients including Drew McIntyre, Jack Perry, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Goldberg, Asuka and Dallas Page.

CPW on 8/7 at the Cuyahoga County Fair (near Cleveland) at 7:30 p.m. with Rich Swann and Jamjes Ellswroth.  They are running 8/9 at the Berkeley County Fair in Martinsburg WV with Heath Slater and Beer City Cruiser at 2 p.m., 8/16 at the Doddridge County Fair is West Union, WV with Shane Douglas, 8/22 at the Sandusky County Fair in Fremont, OH with Kongo Kong and Dan Severn (Severn not wrestling), 8/29 in Berkeley Springs, WV at the Moran Co Fireman Carnival and their biggest show to date on 9/17 in Dover, OH.

The Hardys will host an event at the Williams Center in Rutherford NJ on Friday night.  It will be a combination of Matt doing a live podcast and Jeff doing a concert.

Jersey Championship Wrestling on Sunday in Ridgefield Park NJ with Masha Slamovich vs. Marcus Mathers, 1 Called Manders vs. Thomas Shire,  Matt Tremont vs. Gay Jay, Joey Janela vs. Nick Comoroto plus Mara Sade (Jakara Jackson), Tohy Deppen, Billie Starkz, Drew Parker, Alec Price, Jordan Oliver, Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey.

ISPW is doing  a Hulk Hogan tribute on Tuesday night  at the Wildwoods Convention Center in Wildwood,NJ with Jake Roberts, Sgt. Slaughter, Jim Duggan, Tito Santana,Demolition, Tatanka, Sandman, Francine and Tod Gordon.

Karl Fredricks (Eddy Thorpe) was announced for the 9/5 West Coast Pro show at The Foundry in San Francisco.