Daily Update: Hulk Hogan, WWE SummerSlam, The Smashing Machine

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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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Friday Update

Garrett Gonzales and I did a show today where I answered a lot of questions on Hulk Hogan from those who read today’s story, we talked about WWE on Netflix and what we’ve learned from the latest numbers about how viewing habits have changed, and have a great interview with Mark Briscoe as well.  Bryan and I will be back  Sunday talking about the news of the weekend.

The Hulk Hogan issue of the Observer is out right now on the site.  We’ve gotten so much positive response to it and man, this was one tough issue to put together on such a short timeline.  There is so much in this story that we’ve never talked about before, notes on his life, background, trace through his career, fabrications, realities, and so much more.

There are at least two documentaries by major networks being worked on regarding Hulk Hogan.  One will be out in early August.  Apparently Netflix is doing a third one as well, but it’s a WWE production, which means most likely bad on the historical accuracy side.  Hopefully not.  I’d say good luck, because it’s quite the subject.  I think even more than Andre, the Hogan story has always been very myth oriented. Not Rikidozan in Korea level of myth, but it’s been amazing reading Hogan history and seeing how little people understand what wrestling was pre-1984.

Hulk Hogan’s beach merch shop in Clearwater, FL is shutting down, but the Hulk Hogan  Sam Sports Bar across the street from Madison Square Garden is still scheduled to open up.

Ike Richman,  the former PR director at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, noted that Hulk Hogan wrestled 55 times in the building.  That’s third all-time behind Bob Backlund with 72 and Tony Garea with 58.  (thanks to  Chuck Langerman)

Arena Mexico is sold out tonight even with AAA having a show head-to-head at Juan de la Barrera Gym.  AAA also sold out.  WWE has a show tomorrow night at Arena Ciudad (a totally loaded show that I expect will draw well and sell out or come close).   CMLL sold out with  a main event of Mascara Dorada vs. Neon in the Leyenda de Plata tournament final and those two are likely going to have a mind blowing match that will either hit huge or miss huge.  Probably the former.   Mistico faces Hechicero.  AAA at Juan de la Barrera Gym is Alberto El Patron vs. Mesias and if Mesias wins Alberto must leave AAA, El Grande American (Ludwig Kaiser) vs. Octagon Jr., and Natalya & Lola  Vice have a three-way match with Dalys & Chik Tormenta and Faby Apache & Lady Shani.

The current issue didn’t have a match rating for Mistico & Atlantis Jr. & Bandido vs. Zandokan Jr. & Barboza & Difunto from last Friday but it would be ****1/2.  The heat was off the charts and the rudo team was just incredible.  The only negative is that the entire show tried to do too many matches due to the tournament so every match felt too short.  But in many ways that match was something to see as The Fantasmas trio never looked better.  

I expect a huge rating for Smackdown tonight with the Hogan tribute show in Cleveland.

Notable in the WWE announcement of each night of SummerSlam is that it feels like they’ve loaded night one with the Gunther match, the Roman Reigns match and the Randy Orton match.  Night two has the biggest match in John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes and the three-way women’s match with Naomi vs. Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Riipley that on paper looks to have the best chance at being the top match.  

Happy Gilmore 2 is up on Netflix right now.

Xelhua vs. Virus in a Pure rules match will be taped at Collision tomorrow in Chicago at the Aragon Ballroom.  It will air on ROH, not Collision.  Also wrestling on the show will be Magnus, Rugido, Volador Jr., Hechicero and Neon.  Neon is also on the card at Arena Coliseo tomorrow night.  The guy can fly but that’s asking a lot.

The head-to-head Saturday in Mexico City has WWE with Cody Rhodes, Gunther, Dominik Mysterio, Penta, Fenix, Jey Uso, Stephanie Vaquer,  Mr.  Iguana, Pagano, Psycho Clown and Jacob Fatu.  CMLL runs Arena Coliseo with the Sky Team vs. Averno & Zandokan Jr. & Anel de Orto and the return of El Hijo del Villano III teaming with brother Villano III Jr. against Templario & Titan.  I just noticed that Neon is booked in Mexico City and Chicago at the same time.  

G-1 tonight at  2 a.m. Eastern and 11 p.m. Pacific from the Ota Ward Gym in Tokyo

  • Yoshi-Hashi vs.  Great O’Khan
  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. El Phantasmo
  • Ren Narita vs. Shota Umino
  • Konosuke Takeshita vs. Shingo Takagi

Pete Dunne will be on the 8/2 Bloodsport show in Rutherford, NJ.

Impact TV tapings from last night for next week:

  • Xia Brookside & Lei Ying Lee beat ?
  • Indi Hartwell and Dani Luna defeated Jody Threat and Ariana Grace
  • The Rascalz beat The Nemeths
  • After the match, The Nemeths cut a promo. Nic said their loss at Slammiversary was a fluke, but are invoking their rematch clause vs the Hardys at Emergence.
  • Ryan made fun of Rhode Island’s lack of sports teams and their ugly children. Home Town Man came out and demanded an apology. Shockingly they didn’t apologize. Nemeth’s laid out HTM and unmasked him, but security covered him up. Rascalz ran back down to run them off.
  • A LOT of people left after the live Impact, even though they announced there were more matches to go.

After Impact…

  • KO Champion Jacy Jayne vs Masha Slamovich. Masha wins by DQ when Ash by Elegance came  in and hits Masha with the KO Tag Team Title. The match went around 5 minutes and was disappointing if only because they didn’t have the time to have a better match with a better finish.
  • X-Division Champion Leon Slater vs Cedric Alexander vs Jason Hotch. Leon retained in a great, but short match.
  • Moose and Eddie Edwards vs AJ Francis & Trick Williams. Moose pinned Trick with a Spear after KC Navarro accidentally hit Trick with his crutch.
  • Matt cut an end of show promo, saying Trick’s title reign will be short and then talked about how special this run has been.
  • My guesstimate was the crowd was around 400. Only around 100 remained at the end of the show. They cut the arena down quite a bit. When AEW was here a few years ago for Rampage and Battle of the Belts, they probably did around 2500 for comparison. (thanks to Arya Witner)

Looking for reports on these shows this weekend:

  • WWE in Cleveland tonight (dark matches only)
  • RevPro Summer Sizzler today.
  • TNA tonight in Kingston, RI
  • WWE tomorrow night in Mexico City
  • WWE Sunday in Monterrey, Mexico
  • Looking for results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

The world premiere of The Smashing Machine, the Dwayne Johnson movie where he plays Mark Kerr, a former rival of Kurt Angle in amateurs, and later at one point considered the top heavyweight in MMA before his career was derailed, will be at the Venice International Film Festival.

Matt Sydal worked his first match in a long time on 7/19 in  Beziers, France, losing to Ultimo Dragon

Mercedes Mone performs on Sunday for Prime Time Wrestling in Koslow, Poland, facing Diana Strong from Poland.

James Ellsworth, Reggie B. Fine and WWEID wrestler Aaron Roberts are on tomorrow’s Memphis Wrestling TV show.

MCW on Sunday at 7 p.m. at the North Point, Flea Market in Baltimore at 2401 North Point  Blvd.  Matt Riddle, Patrick Clark (Velveteen Dream) and Nick Comoroto are on the show.