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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • The new issue of the Wrestling Observer is up on the site right now:
  • Jon Jones announces his retirement, a look back at a remarkable career inside the cage and a story of problems and controversy outside the cage.  We look at his background, details on his latest arrest, and thoughts by others.
  • Preview to Night of Champions, the stories and the direction
  • Who is Aaron Wolf and why he’s starting his career under more pressure than almost anyone in recent history, his background as a fan, and as an Olympic gold medalist and world champion in judo.
  • A look at All In Texas and the largest attendance and biggest grossing non-WWE PPV shows in history.  What milestones has the show already broken with two weeks out, and what’s the final milestone that it’s touchy if it can break.  We look at money adjusted for inflation and AEW’s former biggest shows as  well as big shows from Crockett, WCW and the 114 year  milestone.
  • A look at the combined CMLL,  AEW,  NJPW and RevPro Fantastica Mania at Arena Mexico on Friday.  We look at moves CMLL should make to take advantage of its new exposure, popularity and  position in the wrestling ecosystem, the big tag team main event and the future booking direction.
  • The most detailed look at the television ratings for pro wrestling and MMA this past week, including how segments did, demos, did and comparisons to one year ago.  
  • A detailed look and discussion of how Raw on Netflix is doing and on AEW Dynamite on MAX.
  • More on CMLL’s big week at its other arenas
  • Next CMLL tournament
  • AAA booking direction and when WWE takes over the booking and state of current angles
  • One of the best matches of the year took place on Saturday
  • Dragon  Gate has its biggest event of the year
  • Lots of G-1 updates
  • Jun Kasai vs. Desperado looked at
  • Sabu funeral
  • Tom Lawlor physical issues discussed in detail
  • Ronda Rousey physical issues discussed as well
  • Real American Freestyle early ticket advance
  • Tetsuya Naito back in action and new name of his faction
  • Mistico and MJF angle in MLW
  • More on many AEW and WWE stars health updates
  • Which company has a higher injury rate by percentage, AEW or WWE, with the actual stats.
  • AEW ratings comparison between the end of 2024 and the current MAX era
  • Mortos on wrestling at  Arena Mexico after 15 years
  • Update on AEW performers who aren’t being used
  • More on  the Cung Le lawsuit settlement
  • Dana White goes into promoting boxing and BJJ
  • Internet personality arrested for threatening Joe Rogan
  • Crazy story about Sedriques Dumas and UFC signing him to fight this week and how bad a look that was, and the fight falling apart
  • Why the UFC main event this week is so big
  • Update on Ben Askren nd B Penn
  • Update on Janel Grant lawsuit against  Vince McMahon and TKO
  • How another sport’s move from TV to streaming compares with Raw and what we can learn from it as it relates to Raw
  • Boxing legend and former MMA champion both talk performing in WWE
  • Thoughts on Cody Rhodes saying his babyface run is almost over
  • WWE star doing a record album as a tribute to 1990s All Japan Pro  Wrestling

This Week’s Back Issue

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Monday Update

  • Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer Radio talking Raw, Terry Funk, Ric Flair, Goto vs. Sabre, Mistico vs. Bandido and the rest of the  pro wrestling news.
  • A few more notes off the Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hirooki Goto IWGP title win from yesterday at the final show ever at Dolphins Arena in Nagoya.  We had mentioned yesterday that the title didn’t change due to a Goto injury and he wasn’t injured.  He was banged up and is taking time off due to an elbow injury.  The title change wasn’t impromptu or due to the injury.  I suspect the decision of Goto losing in Nagoya was made about the same time he won it.  I know factually the decision was made within a few weeks of his winning.  We’ll talk more about that tonight.  When it comes to the IWGP title, generally these decisions are made months if not years in advance.  
  • Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Ripley for the world women’s title is on the 7/13 Evolution PPV show in Atlanta.
  • Raw started as of this writing because they are doing a double taping tonight in Pittsburgh.  The show is airing live all over the world from 6-8:30 p.m. Eastern time from Pittsburgh.  They had 13,400 tickets out as of last report and were just shy of capacity.
  • Trish Stratus is in Pittsburgh for tonight’s tapings.
  • SummerSlam has 38,697 tickets out for 8/2 and 39,024 out for 8/3 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.  It’ll probably end up as the biggest SummerSlam crowds in decades.  I don’t see it having a shot at beating 1992 at the old Wembley Stadium. (thanks to Wrestletix)
  • We’re looking for your thoughts on WWE Night of Champions so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • We are looking for reports from Pittsburgh with anything  not on  the live Raw such as  Speed matches, Main Event matches and the Smackdown taping for Friday to  dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • There is an AEW/Superman crossover for this week.  Cast members of the show , David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan  and Nicholas Hoult will be on Dynamite Wednesday night to promote the 7/11 movie release.  There was a cross promotional deal made with AEW, WBD and Superman that includes Kenny Omega, MJF and Toni Storm promoting the movie.
  • Lots of talk today because June 30th would have been the 81st birthday of Terry Funk, who was an all-time great in wrestling, the best instinctual wrestler I ever saw, the master of reinvention and one of the most versatile as well.  But today is also the birthday of Mike Tyson (59), Cody  Rhodes (40), Dax Harwood (41) and Ed “Strangler” Lewis, who was born 134 years ago today.
  • A singles match with Neon vs. Difunto with a 10:00 time limit takes place tomorrow night at Arena Mexico.  We may see some stuff that is completely nuts.
  • Syuri, who just had one of the best matches of the year last week with Sareee, is taking time off due to lingering injuries.  She said she’s considering going overseas when she returns.  She talked about her time off as a temporary break from Stardom but said she will return.

WWE vault has released the full January 6, 1985 Great American Bash from Charlotte Baseball Stadium before 27,000 fans

  • Ron Bass vs. Buddy Landel
  • Ole & Arn Anderson  vs. Buzz Sawyer &  Dick Slater for the National tag team titles
  • Manny Fernandez & Buzz Tyler & Sam Houston vs. Superstar Billy Graham & The Barbarian & Abdullah the Butcher
  • Jimmy Valiant vs.  Paul Jones
  • Ivan Koloff & Khrusher Khruschev defend the NWA tag title against the Road Warriors
  • Magnum T.A. defends  the U.S. title against Kamala
  • Ric Flair vs. Nikita Koloff for the NWA title with David Crockett as referee
  • Dusty Rhodes vs. Tully Blanchard
  • Sukeban announced a fan experience at Anime Expo 2025 from 7/3 to 7/6 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  There will be active all three shows including a live show this coming Saturday night at 7 p.m.  Yuriyan Retriever, who did perhaps the best job of playing a real wrestler in a dramatic role for her portrayal of Dump Matsumoto in Queen of Villains will be there from 5-7 p.m. Friday doing a panel discussion and in-ring demo with the wrestlers from Sukeban.
  • Stars of Wrestling presents Grapplr’s Paradise at the “Alameda Point Gym in Alameda, CA at 4 p.m. on 8/9.  Among those announced are Moose, Steve Maclin, KC Navarro, Tasha Steelz, Deonna Purrzzo, Fred Rosser and Ray Lyn.
  • This is not going to happen, or at least I sure hope not.  Butterbean has challenged Jake Paul. to a boxing match.
  • Steve Maclin vs. Ricky Morton headlines for Boca Raton Prom Wrestling on 8/31 in Boca Raton, FL.
  • ACW on 7/18 in Poughkeepsie, NY at the Mid Hudson Civic Center has Richard Holiday vs. Matt Riddle, Real1 (Enzo) vs. Zack Clayton plus Indi Hartwell, Dan Maff, Mike Santana, Parker Boudreaux, Sidney Akeem and Carlito.
  • Masha Slamovich vs. Killer Kelly in a chain match headlines Thursday’s TNA television show.
  • Maple Leaf Wrestling for Saturday night in Laval, Quebec at Colisee de Laval has Josh Alexander defending the Canadian title against Ace Austin, Gisele Shaw defending the Canadian women’s title against Shotzi Blackheart, PCO vs. Dan Maff in a house of pain match with Billy Gunn as referee, Thom Latimer defends the NWA title against Matt Cardona, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. David Finlay & Drilla Moloney, plus Mike Bailey, TJP, Rohan Raja and Jonathan Gresham.