Daily Update: Raw Reunion, AEW, WWE/Variety

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

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F4W NEWSLETTER: Recapping WWE Extreme Rules

Joseph Currier recaps Extreme Rules, which saw Brock Lesnar cash in to again become Universal Champion.

Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view ended with Lesnar cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Seth Rollins to win the Universal title. After Rollins & Becky Lynch defeated Baron Corbin & Lacey Evans in the main event, Lesnar and Paul Heyman came out with the briefcase. Rollins charged at Lesnar, but Lesnar gave him two German suplexes. The bell rang to start the match — and Lesnar hit an F5 to again become Universal Champion.

Rollins will get his rematch for the Universal title at SummerSlam next month. He won a number one contender’s battle royal on the post-Extreme Rules edition of Raw, defeating Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Corbin, Rey Mysterio, Sami Zayn, Big E, Bobby Lashley, and Cesaro.

Rollins’ three-month reign as Universal Champion ended up being pretty lackluster. It started strong with a great defense against AJ Styles, but Rollins’ matches were only as good as his opponents allowed them to be. It’s difficult to succeed when the majority of your PPV title defenses are against Corbin.

WON NEWSLETTER: July 22, 2019 Observer Newsletter: SummerSlam takes shape, Fight for the Fallen review, more

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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer radio covering Raw, AEW and the latest news. You can send questions for tonight’s show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com

Tonight’s show has evidently been a ton of headaches. There was more than one segment written that had to be changed today because talent involved were flagged by medical from doing anything physical.  Many segments have been changed  at the last minute, and not due to Vince changing his mind, but due to things medical wouldn’t allow to happen.

AEW is expected to make some kind of announcement on Wednesday.  We don’t know what it is but it’s coming very close to the time to announce the time slot for the show. 

Variety, of all places, had a major story on the decline in WWE television ratings.The story was titled that basically Vince McMahon has run out of excuses as they lead into Thursday’s investors conference where the second quarter numbers will be released.  With WrestleMania and the Saudi Arabia show in the quarter, the theory is it should be tremendously profitable.  But WWE did indicate there won’t be big profits this year until quarter three, when the new TV money kicks in.  They noted Raw down 20 percent and Smackdown down 17 percent year-over-year. AEW was also mentioned. (thanks to Christopher Cruise and many others)

Pro Wrestling Sheet reported today that Steve Guerreri and Steve Oppenhim, two of the key Smackdown writers who have been with the company for seven and eight years respectively, were let go.We were told that this decision had been coming for some time and is not related to either Paul Heyman or Eric Bischoff.  We were able to confirm the story after PWS released it.

WWE

  • Steve Austin has ben announced for an on-stage Q&A on 8/17 in San Jose, CA at the Silicon Valley Comic Con put on by Steve Wozniak.  This will take place at the San Jose Convention Center, across the street from the old Civic Auditorium.  Arnold Schwarzenegger will be coming on 8/18 and Lou Ferrigno and Jason Momoa are also scheduled.
  • The names advertised for tonight in Fort Myers are Kofi Kingston, Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, Charlotte Flair, Bayley and Dolph Ziggler.  That doesn’t mean they’ll be there or won’t be on Raw, as we’ve seen weekly.
  • This was the latest list of those scheduled for Raw tonight:  Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, John Cena, Ric Flair, HHH, Shawn Michaels, Road Dogg, Sean Waltman (latter four in a DX remake), Eric Bischoff, Jillian Hall, Eve Torres Gracie, Jonathan Coachman, Kaitlyn, Alicia Fox, Melina Perez, Kelly Kelly, Sgt. Slaughter, Diesel, Razor Ramon, Mick Foley, Charles “Godfather” Wright), Booker T, Sid Vicious, Mark Henry, Lilian Garcia, Santino Marella, D-Von Dudley, Ted DiBiase, Rikishi, Jerry Lawler, Ron Simmons, Christian, Kurt Angle, Hurricane Helms, Jimmy Hart, Pat Patterson, Alundra Blayze, Gerald Brisco and Boogeyman.
  • PW Insider reported and had a photo showing Rob Van Dam merchandise being at the concession stand tonight, which would be a tease of a surprise.
  • With the list of names coming back, particularly Austin and Hogan, the show should be the first this year to top 3 million viewers.  A similar show in January 2018 without Hogan did 4.53 million viewers, so that’s probably a number to remember when figuring out the drop in casual audience who may watch one nostalgia show a year as compared to 17 months ago.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Starrcast over Labor Day is going to not have as many bells and whistles.  The full schedule announced is:
    Thursday, 8/29
    7 p.m. All Out press conference and weigh-ins
    8:30 p.m. Tony Schiavone interviews Cody for a Q&A

    Friday, 8/30
    10 a.m. Dean Malenko Q&A
    Noon – Women of AEW q&a
    2 p.m. Colt Cabana Art of Wrestling podcast
    4 p.m. MJF
    8 p.m. Jim Ross interviews Jon Moxley

    Saturday, 8/3110 a.m. Mick Foley Q&A
    Noon C.M. Punk Q&A

  • The debut of Myles Jury in Bellator will be on the 9/27 show in Dublin, Ireland, where the former UFC fighter will face Benson Henderson.
  • Legacy Fighting Alliance announced these dates for AXS shows
    8/30 in Riverside, CA at the Municipal Auditorium,
    9/6 in West Valley, UT at the Maverik Center
    9/13 in Wichita, KS at the Hartman Arena
    *9/27 in Prior Lake, MN at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel.
  • Davey Boy Smith recently talked about his departure from New Japan Pro Wrestling.  

Daily Pro Wrestling History: WWF Invasion

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