Daily Update: More UFC 229 fallout, Raw, ratings

THE ROUND-UP

THE LATEST NEWS

THE LATEST AUDIO

We’re looking for reports from Raw in Chicago tonight as far as the Main Event matches, or dark matches, as well as reports from Smackdown in Louisville to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com.

We’re looking for your thoughts on Saturday’s WWE Super Show-down from Melbourne, UFC 229 from Las Vegas and today’s New Japan King of Pro Wrestling. You can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

Smackdown, 205 Live and Mixed Match Challenge are taped Tuesday in Indianapolis. Announced for Smackdown are Big Show vs. Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe in qualifying matches for the World Cup in Saudi Arabia and Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair for the title and if Lynch gets DQ’d the title can change hands. Also announced are Mixed Match Challenge matches with are A.J. Styles & Charlotte Flair vs. R-Truth & Carmella and Braun Strowman & Ember Moon vs. Finn Balor & Bayley.

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Liv Morgan, Brie Bella, and the dangers of wrestling

What should have been a fairly innocuous six-woman tag match on last Monday’s Raw ended with Liv Morgan having suffered a concussion and with a social media controversy that has yet to fully die down. The Riott Squad faced The Bellas & Natalya on last week’s Raw as part of the build to Ruby Riott, Morgan & Sarah Logan vs. Ronda Rousey & The Bellas at Super Show-Down in Melbourne, Australia. 

WON NEWSLETTER: October 8, 2018 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Massive UFC 229 expectations, plus tons of news

Headed up with a major history piece on the 30-year history of Ted Turner’s involvement with pro wrestling and coverage of a week of so many major events, it’s a double issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter this week.

Preview UFC 229 and why it is expected to be the biggest non-boxing PPV in history. Look at projections, some real numbers, some comparisons, and why Dana White says it wasn’t in Madison Square Garden.

The big story looks at Ted Turner and how he first got connected to pro wrestling in 1972, the role of Ray & Ann Gunkel, the wrestling war in Georgia that led to the two hour Saturday night block, the roles of Jim Barnett and Ole Anderson, and the first-ever Omni sellout.

Also look at the decision made by UFC and USADA to no longer announce drug test failures and why it wasn’t well thought out, as well as the reputation of USADA taking such a hit and the sad ironies of this.

Look at WWE Super Show-Down, ticket sales and ramifications.

Read the update on the 1,000th episode of Smackdown, WWE plans for NXT and ideas that have been talked about, major execs selling WWE stock.

Look at the big questions facing Bellator as they try and build their brand, as well as surprising notes of the Bellator brand vs U.S. pro wrestling companies and Saturday’s show in particular.

This issue has full coverage of ROH’s Death Before Dishonor with match-by-match coverage, business notes, polls and star ratings for the show.

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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer radio talking Raw and at least some of King of Pro Wrestling. You can send e-mail questions to the show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com.

We did a show last night talking a number of subjects including Ted Turner’s pro wrestling history, Ali/Frazier feud, as well as New Japan.

The Nevada Athletic Commission, after reviewing another tape which showed Conor McGregor throwing a punch, is going to have a hearing for both McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov sometime between now and late November for disciplinary sanctions potentially against both. Marc Raimondi’s story is up here. Raimondi also noted that there were no arrests stemming from Saturday night’s incident.

The Raw numbers will be interesting this week. We’re coming off the two lowest rated episodes of the Raw in 20 plus years and the second and third lowest in his history of Monday night pro wrestling dating back to 1984. Tonight has a Redskins vs. Saints NFL game plus Yankees vs. Red Sox playoff games and major Yankees-Red Sox games traditionally hurt Raw numbers. But Raw is coming off a PPV show and they are loading tonight’s show up with big names since they’ve got two major shows to promote on 10/28 and 11/4 and know a normal Raw could get killed by the competition.

Among those backstage at Raw are Shawn Michaels, HHH, Kurt Angle, Trish Stratus and Lita. Surprisingly, since Chicago is one of the best wrestling cities in the country, tonight’s show is far from selling out. The crowd, in a more traditional and larger wrestling building, will be thousands shy of what All In did five weeks ago.

Very early feedback based on iPPV orders would indicate UFC 229 was record breaking by a significant margin. Now that the dust is cleared, there is far more talk about a rematch than I’d have expected with the result that happened. The idea is that even with the conclusive finish that a rematch will break the numbers Saturday’s show did because of all the mainstream talk and the brawl. Not good but whether it’s MMA, boxing or pro wrestling, money comes before anything. 

Dana White was on ESPN’s First Take today and defended his using the McGregor dolly incident in all the promotion of the show. “That’s just, that’s a stupid opinion,” he said. It was also very clear White was hoping for a four to six month suspension, which would enable Nurmagomedov to retain his championship. White said that Nurmagomedov was justified in being upset, but was wrong in starting the brawl. “You just beat the biggest superstar in all of spoors, let alone our sport. Just beat him in front of the whole world. The whole world was watching, and it really wasn’t about him and Conor at that moment.” He said Nurmagomedov made a bad decision in the heat of the moment.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was congratulated by Putin for real after his win, said that whatever punishment he gets in Nevada will be nothing compared to the punishment he’ll get from his father. His father was quoted in the Russian media saying, “You can do whatever you want in the Octagon, outside of it, there’s children, women, random people. My team has always been known for its discipline. Hence my sanctions to Khabib will be much stronger than the ones from UFC.”

WWE

  • WWE has announced a Fan Axxess in conjunction with this year’s royal Rumble in Phoenix on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday before the event.
  • John Cena will host the fourth hour of the Today Show on NBC tomorrow morning.
  • Kurt Angle, Matt Hardy, Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly will be at the 10/27 Ringside Fest at Caroline’s on Broadway in Times Square in New York. The Undisputed Era will be appearing 9 a.m. to Noon and Angle and Hardy from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • The Bound for Glory preview show is here.
  • Lee Daily’s book “Before a Fall: A History of Pride Fighting Championships” is available at Amazon and some bookstores. For more info you can go here.
  • OVW’s 1,000th television show will air as an iPPV on FITE TV from Fourth Street Live in Louisville on Wednesday night. There will be an OVW title tournament that will include Billy Gunn, Abyss, Tommy Dreamer and Hurricane Helms, plus appearances by Jim Cornette, Danny Davis, Mick Foley, Al Snow, Ken Anderson, ODB and Lisa Varon.
  • Border City Wrestling’s Motown Showdown from last night in Belleville, MI. They announced the show would be on their GWN app on 11/9 and that Impact will be taping in Windsor, ONT in March. Idris Abraham & Joe Coleman b RJ City & Jake Something, Mad Man Fulton b Mysterious Movado, Scarlett Bordeaux b Gisele Shaw, Eli Drake b Zach Gowen, Petey Williams won four-way over Ace Austin, N8 Mattson and Matt Sydal, Sami Callihan b Ace Romero, Kenny King b D-Lo Brown, Johnny Impact b Moose (thanks to Shannon Walsh). Scott D’Amore, the promoter, and Josh Matthews were doing the announcing.
  • Border City Wrestling’s 25th anniversary show from Saturday night in Windsor, ONT: Scarlett Bordeaux & Stone Rockwell b KC Spinelli & Eli Drake, Matrox won gauntlet match over N8 Mattson, Conrad Kennedy III, Dustin Quicksilver, Fabio Morocco, Kurt Hendrix, Rico Montana, Sheldon Jean, Mr. Atlantis, Brad Martin, Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz, Kiera Hogan b Gisele Shaw, RJ City & David Arquette b Joe Coleman & Idris Abraham, Chris Sabin & Tyson Dux & Petey Williams b Sami Callihan & Dave & Jake Crist, D-Lo Brown & Robbie McAllister & Tommy Dreamer b Scott D’Amore & Jon Bolen & Johnny Swinger, Aiden Price & Brent Banks b Phil Atlas & Jake Something in a ladder match to win the tag titles, Moose b Eddie Edwards in a street fight, Cody Deaner won four-way over Kongo Kong, Matt Sydal and Johnny Impact to win the BCW title. (thanks to Steve Ashe)
  • Glory Pro Wrestling from last night in Collinsville, IL: Camaro Jackson & Kenny Alfonso & Tootie Lynn Ramsey b Chase Holliday & Roy Lewis & Sophie King, Marko Stunt b MJF, Joey Lynch b Gary Jay, PCO b Kevin Lee Davidson in a falls count anywhere match, Barackus b Thomas Shire, Myron Reed & Stephen Wolf b DJZ & Everett Connors to win the Glory tag team titles, Suger Dunkerton won four-way over Air Wolf, Tyler Matrix and Sage Phillips, Paco Gonzalez b Eddie Kingston, Jordynne Grace b Savanna Stone, Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett won three-way over Danny Adams & Mike Outlaw and Logan & Sterling Riegel, Curt Stallion b Jake Parnell to keep Crown of Glory title. (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
  • CWE on 10/21 in Portage La Prairie, MB at the MNP Exhibition Building with Brutus Beefcake as a referee. 
  • NSWA on 11/13 in Toronto at the Royal Canadian Legion Lodge 101.
  • Smash Wrestling is doing a Team USA vs. Team Canada women’s series on 10/27 at the London, ONT Comic Con. Team Canada so far has announced Allie, LuFisto and Nicole Matthews and Team USA has Tessa Blanchard, Su Yung and Jordynne Grace. Veda Scott vs. Xandra Bale and Grace vs.LuFisto have been announced.
  • Hoosier Pro Wrestling on 10/6 in Columbus, IN: Dewey Brown b Cousin Cooter, Drax O’Brien b Raul Lamata-COR, Scarecrow b Guy Lombardo with Jimmy Valiant as referee, Zach Pittman b Ace Jackson, Duke the Nuke DDQ Omega Pitbull, Fireball b Dillen Swango, Butcher Manson b Kenny Kage with Flash Flanagan a referee. Next show is 11/3 as the 20th anniversary show.
  • Australians Tome and Stevie Filip who have gotten some good pub of late are coming to the U.S. for the 10/17 Bar Wrestling show. Shazza McKenzie comes to the U.S for Shimmer on 10/20 and 10/21 and Chikara on 10/17. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
  • Pro Wrestling Revolution on 10/13 in Visalia, CA at Rawhide Park at 6 p.m. with Puma Negro vs. Puma King plus Misterioso vs. Rey Leon vs. Vaper.
  • Lucha Xtreme TV tapings on 10/14 at the Big Fresno Fair with an outdoor Pavilion stage show at the fair at 7 p.m. Admission to wrestling is free with a fair admission.
  • Full Throttle Championship Wrestling on 10/27 in Sanger, CA at the Community Center.
  • California Wrestling Association’s Brawl at the Hall on 10/28 in Hilmar, CA at Grange Hall at 4 p.m.
  • MVP has a one man show on 11/18 in London, UK at the Resistance Gallery.
  • AXS will be taping Women of Wrestling for its weekly TV that starts in January, with tapings on Wednesday and Thursday at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Tessa Blanchard and Santana Garrett will face for the WOW title on one of the first shows.
  • Bellator Countdown show for the events this coming weekend.

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