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Friday Update

– Garrett and I are doing our weekly look at the news and boy is there a ton of it for today’s Observer show. It’s a giant news week with AEW media rights, Raw Netflix news, SmackDown to USA, UFC’s biggest show and more. Our weekend show will be Saturday night after the UFC show.

– The new issue of the Wrestling Observer is up on the site today covering the following topics:

  • Update on AEW rights negotiations and what new things we know about both the deal that is done and the one being worked on  
  • Analysis of AEW, what ratings it would do on FOX, the value structure, why it won’t happen, FS1 coverage and value
  • The problems AEW faces even if it turns profitable with the new deals
  • A look at All In
  • The Jon Moxley angle
  • A look back at the original angle with Terry Funk, why that backfired and how cultural changes mean this one won’t face the same issues
  • Early PPV number estimates for All Out and the reaction to the show
  • Notes on the next AEW PPV show
  • The life of Kuniaki Kobayashi
  • A look at the heyday of New Japan on television and Tiger Mask vs. Kobayashi
  • The jump to All Japan
  • Kobayashi winning match of the year
  • His biggest career bouts
  • His role in making two Hall of Famers by putting them over in their gimmick debuts
  • Life after pro wrestling and battles with cancer
  • His run during a boom period in Mexico
  • The end of Smackdown on FOX and a look back
  • Analyzing why FOX didn’t bid to keep the show
  • The retirement of Demetrious Johnson
  • The business of UFC Noche
  • CMLL’s 91st anniversary show preview
  • Details on a major story in European wrestling
  • The most detailed look at the ratings this past week
  • International TV ratings
  • Advance ticket sales for WWE & AEW shows
  • Arena Mexico notes
  • JBL angle in Mexico
  • New stars in Dragon Gate
  • NOAH goes to Europe
  • New Japan’s big matches of the past week
  • David Taylor the Magic Man comes out of retirement for World Team Trials
  • One of the 80s greatest technical stars to retire next month
  • Andy Quildan talks European business
  • Wrestler to host new television show
  • UFC TV contract news
  • Why WWE is cutting back on house shows
  • How the style of work in wrestling is going to change in the U.S. because of the decline of house shows
  • Lots of notes on Raw with its move to Netflix
  • Notes on the next few PPV shows
  • Change with NXT with the move to CW

– This is a big night with the SmackDown move to the USA Network, CMLL anniversary show and a TNA special as well as Rampage.

– Tonight at Arena Mexico is the CMLL 91st anniversary show:

  • Futuro & Hombre Bala Jr. & Max Star vs. Magnus & Rugido & Magia Blanca
  • Neon & Star Jr. & Templario vs. Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja & Soberano Jr.
  • Titan vs. Mascara Dorada for the Copa Independencia finals
  • Willow Nightingale vs. Zeuxis for the CMLL women’s title
  • Atlantis Jr. & Volador Jr. & Ultimo Guerrero vs. Orange Cassidy & Rocky Romero & Satoshi Kojima
  • Euforia vs. Esfinge vs. Valiente vs. Hechicero – loser loses his mask
  • Mistico vs. Chris Jericho

– Tonight’s SmackDown on the USA Network from Seattle:

  • Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa cage match for WWE title opens the show
  • Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade – winner faces LA Knight for  U.S. title
  • Kevin Owens & ? vs. Austin Theory & Grayson Waller
  • Return of Roman Reigns

There were 13,200 tickets out as of yesterday and this will be a sellout of near 14,000. PWInsider reported Rob Van Dam, Booker T, Teddy Long and Ron Simmons as possibly being on the show.

– Rampage tonight

  • Mark Briscoe & Kyle O’Reilly & Orange Cassidy vs. John Silver & Alex Reynolds & Evil Uno
  • Roderick Strong vs. Beef
  • Kamille vs. Robyn Renegade
  • Marti Belle & Allysin Kay vs. Saraya & Harley Cameron
  • Action Andretti vs. Konosuke Takeshita

– We don’t have a number, but the first day of ticket sales for the Grand Slam Australia show were not strong.

– Wade Barrett said in an interview with AceOdds in July that if he could have one match, it would be with Drew McIntyre at Wembley Stadium. He said if that’s offered, he ‘s absolutely coming back. He noted he’s 43 and is not interested in coming back full-time.

– TNA Victory Road tonight on TNA+ from San Antonio

  • Kushida vs. Leon Slater
  • Steve Maclin & Eric Young vs. Hammerstone & Jake Something
  • PCO & Rhino vs. Matt Cardona & Steph De Lander
  • Matt & Jeff Hardy vs. AJ Francis & KC Navarro
  • Chris Bey & Ace Austin vs. Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers for TNA tag titles
  • Zachary Wentz vs Mike Bailey for X Division title
  • Masha Slamovich & Tasha Steelz vs. Dani Luna & Jody Threat
  • Jordynne Grace vs. Wendy Choo for Knockouts title
  • Joe Hendry vs. Josh Alexander
  • Nic Nemeth vs. Moose for TNA title

– We’re looking for reports from these shows:

  • SmackDown tonight in Seattle (dark matches only)
  • NXT tonight in Lakeland, FL
  • TNA TV tapings tomorrow night in San Antonio
  • MLW Fightland from Atlanta

We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

– We’re also doing a weekend poll for tonight’s CMLL show, 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

– UFC Noche for tomorrow at The Sphere in Las Vegas has the biggest production budget for a show in history.

7:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN News and ESPN+

  • Raul Rosas Jr. (135) vs. Aoriqileng (136)
  • Edgar Chairez (125.5) vs. Joshua Van (125.5)
  • Yazmin Jauregui (115) vs. Ketlan Souza (115)
  • Ignacio Bahomondes (156) vs. Manuel Torres (156)
  • Irene Aldana (136) vs. Norma Dumont (136)

PPV at 10 p.m.

  • Ronaldo Rodriguez (125) vs. Ode Osbourne (125)
  • Daniel Zellhuber (155) vs. Esteban Ribovics (155)
  • Brian Ortega (146) vs. Diego Lopes (146)
  • Alexa Grasso (124) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (125) for women’s flyweight title
  • Sean O’Malley (135) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (134) for bantamweight title

The show has already set the all-time UFC gate record.  

– Bellator is on MAX tomorrow at 1 p.m. Eastern from the OVO Wembley Arena in London:

  • Tim Wilde (155.3) vs. Marc Diakiese (155.7)
  • Luke Trainer (204.2) vs. Laurynas Urbonavicius (205.0)
  • Simeon Powell (205.9) vs. Rafael Xavier (204.6)
  • Leah McCourt (145.9) vs. Sara Collins (145.8)

– Mika Iwata beat Saori Anou today in Sendai to win the Sendai Girls world title.

– Germaine De Randamie is out of the 9/28 UFC show in Paris due to a broken finger and broken foot suffered in practice. She was to face Nora Cornolle. Cornolle will now face Jacqueline Cavalcanti.

– MLW Fightland will be live from Atlanta’s Center Stage on YouTube at 9 p.m. Eastern with Satoshi Kojima vs. Mads Krule Krugger for the MLW title the semifinals and finals of the Opera Cup with KENTA vs. TJP and Mistico vs. Bad Dude Tito.

– MCW presents Bruiser Strong tomorrow night at the RJ Meyer Arena in Joppa, MD.

– Hooligan Championship Wrestling tomorrow night in Evansville, IN, has Alex Zayne vs. Shane Mercer, Billie Starkz vs. Alicia Demis vs. Madi Monarch and more.

– Sandman will be on tomorrow’s Memphis Wrestling TV show.