Daily Update: Konnan, MLW-WWE lawsuit, AEW-TSN

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • G-1 MVP and best match of G-1
  • Match of the week and performer of the week
  • Behind the scenes of the last month of AEW. why stories were kept quiet, why people were not allowed to attend Collision, why this has gone on for 18 months
  • All of the recent incidents talked about from multiple sides
  • The promo by C.M. Punk and what happened at the Greensboro show which led to all of his getting out
  • Different reactions to the promo
  • The apology that did happen
  • All In and attendance records plus the updated card with new matches that have not yet been announced
  • Full coverage of the end of G-1 and the big fall shows for New Japan
  • Business notes on G-1
  • Naito has two of the best matches of the year
  • Koichi Yoshizawa and his role in Japanese wrestling coverage in the U.S.
  • Saturday’s UFC coverage and where the top stars go from here as well as the business notes
  • Coverage of the final TripleMania show of the year and storylines behind it
  • Tammy Sytch update
  • The most detailed look at ratings for all the wrestling and MMA shows, gains and losses with what groups and why, what segments did the best and worst
  • Another women’s champion out of action due to surgery
  • RevPro and CMLL working relationship notes
  • World Grand Prix notes
  • Stardom PPV coverage and upcoming tag team tournament
  • N-1 coverage
  • New Japan and Stardom business notes
  • Hiromu Takahashi talks junior heavyweight goals
  • New Japan PPV shows this weekend
  • One of the biggest women stars has major surgery and a look back at her career
  • How the television industry continues to change
  • Full PWG coverage of the first show since January including some of AEW’s top stars
  • Update on new promotion opening next month and what well known announcer is in talks to appear
  • RevPro anniversary show update
  • WWE & AEW upcoming ticket sales
  • WWE & AEW streaming numbers
  • WWE and AEW international ratings
  • Conor McGregor talks future
  • Former UFC legend officially retires
  • Update on Bellator sale
  • Update on PPV numbers for Diaz-Paul and SummerSlam
  • Former WWE wrestler wins MMA fight
  • Edge and possible retirement
  • Build to Payback show
  • ESPN exec talks interest in pro wrestling
  • Possible retirement of Lacey Evans
  • Women’s tag title update
  • Asuka talks Japanese wrestling and the back story
  • Logan Paul offers a $1 million bet
  • New WWE signing

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

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Monday Update

Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer Radio covering Raw and the rest of the weekend news. Also want to bring up that on Friday we had a show on the site with a rare interview with Mike Tenay talking about Kochi Yoshizawa and his influence on us as well as the wrestling industry as a whole.

Konnan has confirmed having a kidney donor. He’s been looking for one for years. He told Haus of Wrestling that he’s found a donor who just has to lose six pounds and then they can donate their kidney but they also have to find out if the person is compatible.

Kasowitz Benson Torres partner Christine A. Montenegro was the featured guest on SportsWise: A Podcast About Sports and the Law hosted by Gabriel Feldman, Professor of Sports Law at Tulane University, in the episode “Battle Royal: WWE Gets Slammed in Court.” In the podcast, Ms. Montenegro discusses the antitrust lawsuit of Kasowitz’s client MLW Media against WWE alleging that WWE has monopolized and attempted to monopolize the market for the sale or licensing of media rights for professional wrestling programming in the United States. 

With TSN+ in Canada moving from a free streaming service if you have a TSN subscription to an $8 per month service, that looks to limit the audience for Rampage and Collision which TSN only puts on streaming rather than regular television. 

Raw is in Quebec City tonight where another crowd of 10,000 plus is expected. The only stuff announced ahead of time was Gunther vs. Chad Gable as Gunther goes for the all-time longest IC title reign, and Matt Riddle & Drew McIntyre vs. New Day. There looks to be a comedy match with Miz leading to an angle with LA Knight.

WBD sent out a press release stating Wednesday’s Dynamite had 2.3 million viewers and did an 0.81 in 18-49 L-3. To break that down for those not understanding, the 2.3 million viewers would be everyone who watched the show live plus on DVR through Saturday night at 3 a.m. The 0.81 is based on the actual audience that TBS gets. By that standard the show did an 0.70 same day number and anther 15.7 percent increase factoring in the next three days, which is the normal percentage increase that Raw, Smackdown and Dynamite (NXT is lower and Rampage is by far the highest and Collision is about the same as the other shows).

Rampage was 13th for the night on cable on Friday and third in the time slot. Smackdown won the night on network TV and overall. 

Joe Lauzon, who hasn’t fought since 2019, asked UFC for a retirement fight on the recent PPV show in Boston but was told that the card was already full. Dana White said that he believes Lauzon should retire rather than fight one more time.

Kai Kara-France, who was to face Manel Kape at the 9/9 UFC PPV show in Sydney, Australia, had to pull out of the fight due to suffering a concussion over the weekend in training.

Mackenzie Dern will face Jessica Andrade on the 11/11 show in Madison Square Garden. After Andrade lost to Tatiana Suarez, one would think UFC would like to see Dern get a big win in MSG in what should be the biggest PPV audience of the year with the Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic heavyweight title main event.

The 9/1 Smackdown show in Hershey, PA, which is the John Cena return, was almost sold out before the announcement today of his coming back. It was just about sold out a few hours ago after the announcement so the secondary market tickets are a lot more valuable since very few primary market tickets are left. Cena will also be wrestling on the 9/8 show in India.

The docuseries “Wrestlers,” which is about the Ohio Valley Wrestling promotion run by Al Snow, will be debuting on Netflix in September.

Progress sent out a release saying that the International Exchange of North America (IENA) from the U.S. has made a significant investment in the company. 

Impact on Thursday will have Alex Shelley vs. Brian Myers, Deonna Purrazzo vs. Taylor Wilde, Chris Sabin vs. Samuray del Sol, Chris Bey & Ace Austin vs. Jason Hotch & John Skyler and Laredo Kid vs Deaner.

AEW will be taping both Dynamite and Collision on Wednesday in Duluth, GA with this card:

  • Will Ospreay & Chris Jericho contract signing
  • Adam Cole and MJF interviewed by Renee Paquette
  • Sky Blue vs. Ruby Soho
  • Swerve Strickland & AR Fox vs. Darby Allin & Nick Wayne
  • Jack Perry retires the FTW title
  • Aussie Open vs. Hardys for ROH tag titles
  • Kenny Omega & Young Bucks vs. Juice Robinson & Gunn Brothers
  • For Collision they only announced an “All-Star 8 man tag match.”

Other Notes

House of Glory Wrestling on Friday night in Jamaica, NY: Encore Moore won Matt Travis Memorial Battle Royal, Steph De Lander b Kiki Van Gogh, Nolo Kitano won six-way ladder match to win cruiserweight title over champion Joey Silver, Super Crazy, Jordan Oliver, Raheem Royal and Isaiah Kaissidy, Hiroshi Tanahashi b Matt Cardona in a non-title match, Charles Mason b Masha Slamovich to retain the Crown Jewel title, Midas Black & Jack Lyon b Amazing Red & Brian XL in a cage match to win the House of Glory tag titles

Combat 1 Wrestling from from Friday night in Waterford Township, MI: Nate Bock b Antonio Christiano, Miami Mike b Reggie Collins, Tommy Vendetta b Fancy Ryan Clancy, Gio Bronco b Fabio, Krystal Moon b Sadiee Suicide-DQ, Alex Shelley won over Jason Hotch, Tommy Vendetta and Miami Mike to become the first Crash champion (thanks to Leonard Brand)

TMart Promotions has already announced a convention, The Gathering 5 for August 1-August 4, 2024 at the Hilton University Place in Charlotte, NC. This has been an annual event the past several years.

A horse named Fabulous Moolah won the eighth race at Finger Lakes in New York as a 3-2 favorite and it was the horse’s second win in a row (thanks to Barry Werner)