Daily Update: The Rock, NJPW, CMLL fallout

DAILY UPDATE

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F4W NEWSLETTER: NXT’s USA Network era starts strong Joseph Currier gives his thoughts on NXT’s live premiere. Plus, Vinny’s TV reviews.

NXT took advantage of their head start over AEW by hitting a home run with last week’s live premiere.

It wasn’t surprising that NXT’s first live episode was good — it would have been pretty shocking if it wasn’t. Even if there have been occasional peaks and valleys, NXT has always been a good show. Triple H and his team know what they’re doing and the roster is stacked with talent. But NXT was able to pass one of their most important tests: creating a show that feels must-see and different from what they were already offering viewers.

It’s become clear that NXT is going to be a place that features all of WWE’s non-main roster sub-brands. In addition to the regular NXT talent on display, the show featured an appearance by WWE United Kingdom Champion WALTER and his Imperium stablemates. There was also a Cruiserweight Championship number one contender’s match, with Lio Rush making his return and defeating Oney Lorcan.

Due to the final episodes of the USA Network series “Suits,” the first two live editions of NXT are being split across USA and the WWE Network. Last week’s USA Network hour featured a really good fatal four-way number one contender’s match that saw Candice LeRae defeat Mia Yim, Bianca Belair, and Io Shirai to become NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler’s next challenger. Cameron Grimes squashed Sean Maluta, and Roderick Strong became the new NXT North American Champion by defeating Velveteen Dream. The first NXT broadcast of the USA Network era ended with every member of Undisputed Era holding a title.

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WON NEWSLETTER: Everything changes next week, Impact moving to AXS

With perhaps the most important week for the U.S. industry in a decade coming up, a double issue this week:

Goes through details of the moves by WWE and AEW, what plans are, advertisers wants, promotion and much more. 

Includes an extensive look at Battle of Los Angeles, New Japan’s upcoming big shows and Tokyo Dome plans, what to learn from the NXT ratings and much more.

The lead story talks about WWE’s big week, the importance of the different shows, overdoing nostalgia, ticket sales, announcing changes,  205 Live’s future, plans for all the shows, what demos to look at, what happened with AEW and ITV, NXT, Smackdown and AEW on the West Coast, replays shows, Smackdown ad rates, as well as a look at Hell in a Cell.

Impact to AXS and what the plans are for specials leading to the regular show. 

The keys in week two’s NXT show and the audience change.

Brock Lesnar’s future, John Hennigan coming in, CM Punk, former UFC legend talks coming to WWE, Shayna Baszler talks her career, WWE injuries, WWE stock update, most-watched shows on WWE Network for the past week, as well as a look at every WWE & NXT arena event over the past week with results, highlights and business notes.

NJPW coverage of Destruction in Kobe, Tokyo Doe direction, King of Pro Wrestling, the Young Lions Cup and match-by-match coverage with star ratings.

Battle of Los Angeles, Bandido’s win, past winners, other PWG alumni, business notes, the good and the bad, the stars of the weekend, the stars of the future, Aramis, Alex Zayne, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.

Full coverage of the UFC from Mexico City along with business notes.

Full coverage of all the WWE television shows from the past week.

Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week. 

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SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE

Regarding Dwayne Johnson on Friday, it hasn’t been announced because there is no deal in place.  They are working on it and it’s really up to his schedule if they can pull it off.  It’s not so much they want the surprise as much as it’s probably not going to be confirmed until the last minute.

In regards to Cain Velasquez and WWE, he had a meeting with the company and we talked more details about it on today’s radio show.  Every major promotion except CMLL has shown some interest in him.

Bandido suffered a knee injury, which actually happened before BOLA, but he worked BOLA since he was key to the show and also worked the ROH PPV on Friday.  He is not out of action.  He didn’t work yesterday for ROH and canceled the wXw tag team tournament upcoming in Germany.  We don’t yet know how long he’ll be out or if he’ll be able to the NJPW tag team tournament.

All the CMLL fallout with Rush & Dragon Lee being fired was covered in depth on today’s show.  There’s nothing else new past there are a lot of issues regarding names that CMLL owns, including Los Ingobernables.  Rush missed yesterday’s show due to an ankle injury suffered catching Matt Taven on a dive on Friday. It’s not bad and he’s not supposed to miss any time but they didn’t want to risk their new champion aggravating it the next day.     

The short version of the story as to why the New Japan show last night at the Hammerstein Ballroom started 90 minutes late, the ambulance story is pretty much legit, but it’s far more than that. The company that usually provides ambulances for the building was called the morning of the show to say it was canceled.  Those backstage found out at about 5:30 p.m. and ended up getting an FDNY ambulance to the building in time for the show to start.  The Athletic Commission rep said that if there was a shooting nearby the ambulance would have to leave and wouldn’t accept it or allow the show to go on.  A second FDNY ambulance came but it was the same story.  Two other ambulances ended up being brought in so at one point there were four ambulances there.  At this point the two FDNY ones left since the commission wouldn’t accept them.  Then somebody tried to tell one of the ambulances (a commission person) that two weren’t needed and one of the others could go, but those associated with the show asked, what if somebody needed an ambulance and thus, with only one, there wouldn’t be one there, and the commission said they would have to stop the show at that point until the ambulance got back.  So they kept two.  They also had four doctors, three more than necessary, on their own including one that spoke Japanese.  At the time the video played, the two ambulances were there but the commission would not allow the show to start until they were in the back of the building and a stretcher was in the building, as they were in the front of the building when they wanted to start the show and were told they couldn’t.  NJPW was also told the barricade couldn’t be used to throw wrestlers in, no fighting outside the ring, no tables and no blading.  For union reasons, the show was supposed to end by 11 p.m. but we’re told even with rushing the show, NJPW decided to run overtime even with the added cost.

Expect lots of WWE media and some AEW media over the next few days.  AEW has stories in TV Guide and another major publication in the next few days.  WWE is sending talent to Fox & Friends TV all week with Kofi Kingston tomorrow, Stephanie McMahon on Tuesday, Charlotte Flair on Wednesday and Roman Reigns on Thursday.

WWE:

  • E! has moved Total Divas from Wednesday at 10 p.m. to Tuesday at 10 p.m., probably with the idea keeping it off Wednesday is a good idea for all concerned.  It stars this week.
  • Big E gave Shawn Porter his ring intro using the New Day style intro last night on the Porter-Spence PPV which FOX was distributing.  Another example of the FOX promotional power at work.
  • A story on John Cena visiting an injured Colorado officer (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
  • The Shanghai Post had a story about the recent WWE show last week in the city and Xia Li.
  • Rey Mysterio talks wanting to team with son Dominick.
  • Stephanie McMahon interview with Sports Pro Media (thanks to Jose Gonzalez)

UFC:

  • Even though Bellator ran a major show, and UFC also ran yesterday, the only combat sports related item that cracked the top 20 in searches was the Errol Spence Jr. vs Shawn Porter boxing match, which was No. 3 at 500,000.  The No  20 term topped 100,000 on a list dominated by college football.
  • In yesterday’s show from Copenhagen, Denmark, Olympic wrestler Mark O Madsen, an Olympic medalist, was like the local hero in the semifinal.
  • Sergio Pettis vs. Kai Kara-France has been added to the 12/14 show in Las Vegas 

MISCELLANEOUS:

  • Kota Ibushi had a tooth knocked out last night.
  • Jake Atlas, who started with ROH yesterday, has not signed with ROH.
  • KSW announced a match to crown its first bantamweight champion on 11/9 at Arena Zagreb in Croatia.  It will be Antun Racic (23-8-1) of Croatia as the local star facing Damian Stasiak (11-6) from Poland.
  • AAW from last night in Chicago:  Clayton Gainz b Sean Higgins, Airwolf b Jordan Oliver, Kimber Lee b Allysin Kay, Good Brother #3 (Mance Warner) b Matt Justice in a bounty match, Ace Romero won four-way to get an AAW title shot on 11/30 over Paco, Joey Lynch and Curt Stallion, Myron Reed NC Karam when Hakim Zane broke up the match, Jacob Fatu b Darby Allin, Jessicka Havok b Hawlee Cromwell to keep the women’s title, Jessicka Havok & Kris Statlander b Jimmy Jacobs & Josh Briggs, Jake Something b David Starr to keep the Heritage title, Josh Alexander b Sami Callihan to win the AAW title.  So Alexander vs. Romero is the 11/30 main event. (thanks to Case Lowe)
  • wXw has a Femmes Fatales tournament on 10/5 in Oberhausen with eight-women.  The first round matches are LuFisto vs.; Saraya Knight, Lana Austin vs. Baby Allison, Session Moth Martina vs. Wesna and Sammii Jayne vs; Leyla Hirsch.  Plus Amale defends the wXw title against Faye Jackson.
  • WOW TV results from last night on AXS TV:  Nikki Krumpus b Princess Aussie, Reyna Reyes (Gisele Shaw) b Temptress (Katarina Leigh), Chantilly Chelia (Ray Lyn) & Sassy Massy (Alisha Edwards) b Disciplinarian & Abilene Maverick (Barbi Hayden) to win the vacant tag titles, The Beast & Jungle Grrrl b Havok & Hazard (Nevaeh-DQ (thanks to Shannon
  • Pro Wrestling Eve from yesterday in London at the Stratford Circus Arts Centre in a retirement show for Jayla Dark:  Kanji won three-way over Mercedes Blaze and NightShade, Jetta b Trish Adora, Emi Sakura b Gisele Shaw, Rhia O’Reilly b Faye Jackson, Roxxy d Sammii Jayne, Tsukasa Fujimoto b Jayla Dark (thanks to Shannon Walsh)
  • Defy from last night in Seattle for the farewell show for the group of Darby Allin, Joey Janela and referee Aubry Edwards, who are all with AEW.  Ethan HD & Mike Santiago b Super Crazy & Guillermo Rosas, Judas Icarus & Jordan Oasis & ? & Hero b Border Patrol & Vinny Massaro & Travis Williams & ?, Rebel Kel won four-way over Danika Della Rouge, Reia Von Slasher and Sloan, Killer Kross b Douglas James, Rey Hours b Bestia 666 (fans threw money in the ring when it was over, at least 50 different bills were thrown in), Cody Chunn b Darby Allin, Schaff b Joey Janela to keep Defy title.  They announced Matt Sydal and Cima for October, and that on 11/30- and 12/1 would be a Wrestling Summit show with talent from PCW, Ultra, Progress and Defy. (thanks to Scott Janicek)
  • Stardom from earlier today in Nagoya:  Saki Kashima b Saya Kamitani, Hana Kimura & Konami b Starlight Kid & Saya Iida, Mayu Iwatani & Tam Nakano b Natsuko Tora & Sumire Natsu, Kagetsu & Hazuki & Jamie Hayter & Andras Miyagi b Bea Priestley & Momo Watanabe & AZM & Leo Onozaki, Riho b Death Yama-san to keep the High Speed title, Arisa Hoshiki b Avary to keep the Wonder of Stardom title.  

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard win NWA World Tag Team Titles

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