Daily Update: Natalya, Kip Sabian, Tessa Blanchard

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

July 4, 2022 Observer Newsletter: Forbidden Door review, Logan Paul signs with WWE

  • Among the highlights:
  • Match and performer of the week
  • A look at Forbidden Door
  • The most detailed business notes and poll results on the show
  • The unique ticket selling aspect
  • How injuries plagued the show
  • Plans that changed not due to injury
  • AEW injury rate
  • What we’ve learned about AEW, PPV and what can draw that people thought couldn’t from this show
  • Why people both did and didn’t buy the show
  • Who bought this and Double or Nothing, and who bought this that didn’t buy Double or Nothing
  • The ball being dropped on the follow-up
  • How much money the show took in
  • Where the show ranked as far as biggest AEW shows
  • Complete rundown of every match
  • Abraham Riesman’s story on Vince McMahon and Rita Chatterton looked at from all aspects
  • Logan Paul signs with WWE, early SummerSlam notes, Money in the Bank notes and origin
  • Cain Velasquez sues the man he shot
  • Full UFC coverage from Saturday
  • Stardom Fight In The Top PPV coverage
  • The most detailed look at television ratings from last week
  • CMLL’s biggest star undergoes surgery
  • Notes on a lot of different tournaments
  • Most Outstanding Wrestlers of 2022
  • Next ROH PPV show
  • Kenny Omega talks a number of different subjects
  • International TV ratings
  • Streaming numbers from the past week
  • Ticket sales for upcoming shows
  • Francis Ngannou’s return
  • ESPY awards for wrestling and MMA
  • This week’s UFC how preview
  • Huge upset leads to Bellator title change
  • The story behind Chris Jericho, Bryan Danielson and Paul Wight being on Raw
  • Story on a new WWE signing that got a lot of publicity this past week and what they are looking for
  • WWE, AEW and NJPW injury updates
  • Different booking ideas that have been talked about
  • WWE star whose contract is expiring and has yet to sign a new deal
  • Gina Carano talks doing a fight with Ronda Rousey
  • A look at all the WWE live events over the past week

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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Saturday News Update

WWE

  • Last night’s SmackDown averaged 2.041 million viewers in the fast national ratings. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.4 in the first hour and a 0.5 in the second.
  • I previewed tonight’s Money in the Bank PPV for Sports Illustrated.
  • On WWE After the Bell, Natalya spoke about how being a “company girl” has kept her in WWE this long but has also hurt her in some ways:
    • I mean, for me, I believe in being consistent. I believe in being reliable. I believe in being there for the company. I love what I do. I’ve grown up around this my entire life.
    • My dad was fired by WWE like five times. It’s not a sob story at all. It’s just the truth. Growing up, my dad couldn’t hold down his job in WWE, while my uncles Brett and Owen and Davey, they were able to sustain a longer, more successful career. My dad really struggled to keep his job because he battled a lot of demons, and I grew up with that my whole life. I grew up with that instability of my dad doing great, my dad losing his job, my dad doing great, my dad losing his job.
    • So for me as an adult and getting into the industry, I had this different perspective than every other girl or guy. I greatly wanted to succeed in the industry that my parent struggled in. I love the connection that my dad and I have together in the ring. We shared that bond.
    • But I know that my dad struggled to have success in this industry so it gave me this different perspective that I had to succeed in it, that I had to be perfect, that I had to be there for everyone, that I had to be good at everything, that I had to leave no stone unturned, that I had to make Vince McMahon happy at every single corner of my career.
    • It makes me emotional talking about it, but I kind of became the company girl. That’s actually something I’ve never really talked about before, but it’s true. I became the company girl. You need her to fart on TV? She’ll do it. You need her to be a babyface tonight? She’ll do it. You need her to be a heel tonight? She’ll do it. You need her to wrestle Doudrop on the other show even though she’s on SmackDown? She’ll do it. She’ll do whatever you need. You need a match in 10 seconds? She’ll do it. You need a match in three seconds? She’ll do it. Nattie is the company girl. I’ve been that way for so long and it’s definitely kept me in WWE for 15 years. Talent, drive, passion, work ethic, being reliable, being consistent, but in some ways it’s actually hurt me too because I’ve been the girl that’s been afraid to take risks. I’ve been the girl that’s afraid of pissing anyone off backstage. I want to please everyone, especially Vince McMahon.
  • Ariel Helwani interviewed Natalya ahead of her SmackDown Women’s Championship match against Ronda Rousey at Money in the Bank tonight.
  • ESPN published an oral history on the making of WWE’s first-ever Money in the Bank ladder match from WrestleMania 21.
  • Cardi B tweeted about referencing Jimmy Snuka on her new song “Top Sh*t”: “YES I LOVE WRESTLING….I kinda wonder if this new generation was going to know who I’m talking about.”
  • Lacey Evans told NBC Sports Boston that she wants WWE to hold another Evolution PPV:
    • Let’s do another one and have all our babies ringside watching their mamas and then behind that have all the girls in the world that want to be in sports entertainers behind the babies and then behind them you know what I’m saying?
    • Just having freaking careers and having to juggle what we juggle and the fact that we get to show the world what mommies are capable of – that we can still chase our dreams and in this career and be badass wives and moms and work hard is cool. So I’m down for any time we could highlight the strengths of a woman let’s do it especially with having two girls myself.
  • Denise Salcedo has interviews with Bianca Belair, Montez Ford, Titus O’Neil, and Sarah Schreiber.
  • WWE’s YouTube channel uploaded the 2021 men’s Money in the Bank ladder match, Shawn Michaels & Hulk Hogan vs. Kurt Angle & Carlito from the July 4, 2005 episode of Raw, and Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal from Money in the Bank 2016.

Other Wrestling

  • AEW’s Kip Sabian returned to the ring for the first time since March 2021 yesterday, facing Robbie X at British Wrestling Revolution’s fifth anniversary show. Sabian had undergone surgery in May 2021. He tweeted about making his return: “Tonight I wrestled my one of my best friends and easily the best unsigned cruiserweight on the planet @Robbie_X_. One thing is clear, I’m better than ever before. Evolved. This was the test, what comes next, is everything… #EmbraceTheChange”
  • Bret Hart turns 65 years old today. Dax Harwood wished him a happy birthday: “Have you guys ever heard that I’m a Bret Hart fan? Happy 65th Birthday to my hero. Without you, my wife & daughter don’t get to live the life they do. Thank you.”
  • Anthony Bowens was the guest on the latest episode of Talk is Jericho.
  • Tessa Blanchard is returning to Warrior Wrestling at their Stadium Series night two show on Saturday, August 20.
  • Maki Itoh has been announced for Prestige Wrestling’s show in Pomona, California on Saturday, September 17.