Daily Update: ROH Death Before Dishonor XIV, Cena vs. Styles, Nate Diaz

ROH Death Before Dishonor XIV (Early Preview)

With all the recent discussion of the “new era” of WWE, the brand split, Smackdown LIVE, and the return of former WWE talent, ROH’s Death Before Dishonor XIV PPV has gone relatively unnoticed. This early preview will help catch fans up on the current storylines as we creep towards their big summer PPV, taking place Friday. August 19 at Sam’s Town Live, located at 5111 Boulder Highway in Las Vegas, NV 89122. Tickets can be purcahsed now.

ROH World Championship: Jay Lethal (c) vs. Adam Cole

Motivated by revenge after Cole shaved Lethal’s head on TV, Lethal is hell-bent on destroying Cole and continuing his yearlong ROH championship reign. Cole, a former ROH World Champion himself, is not above using nefarious tactics to win a match. This one is destined to be a classic. Lethal is always motivated to have an amazing match, and Cole has really developed into a top-notch performer as well. 

ROH World TV Championship: Bobby Fish (c) vs. Mark Briscoe

After dispatching of ACH to become the #1 contender to the TV title, Briscoe now finds himself across from Bobby Fish, the man who choked out Tomohiro Ishii. This is Briscoe’s first ever one-on-one match for the TV title. Regardless of who is victorious, the winner will be defending the belt against Shibata the next day at the television tapings. While smart money would seem to indicate Fish retains, Briscoe is no slouch in the ring as a singles performer, and it would not be a huge shock to see Briscoe get the win.

ROH World Tag Team Championship: Triple Threat

The Addiction (“Almighty” Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian) (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Michael Elgin vs. Tetsuya Naito and Evil

It could be a long night for the addiction who will be facing not one but two New Japan Pro Wrestling teams. The Addiction only recently won the titles back in May, and is in a tough position to retain, as they do not have to be beaten to lose the titles. It’s a must win for The Addiction.

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. Dalton Castle

The evil “Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada’s IWGP Heavyweight title is not on the line, but it’s still a huge opportunity for the “Party Peacock,” Dalton Castle. Castle has already shown why he is a top talent in ROH in a relatively young career.

Katsuyori Shibata vs. Silas Young

This marks Shibata’s first match in the United States. He will be up against the Last Real Man in professional wrestling. Expect some wild action here. Young is dynamite in these types of hard-hitting matches.

Six-Man Tag: Chaos (Roppongi Vice: Trent Baretta & and Toru Yano) vs. Bullet Club (Yujiro Takahashi and The Guerrillas of Destiny: Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa)

The team of Trent Baretta and Rocky Romero team up with Toru Yano to challenge the Bullet Club. The two most dominant factions in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, CHAOS and Bullet Club, are bringing their rivalry to the U.S. in a huge six-man tag match. There’s plenty of history and bad blood between CHAOS founding member Yano and Takahashi. Once a teammate of Yano’s in CHAOS, Takahashi turned on his allies and defected to the Bullet Club two years ago. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa are sons of the legendary Haku, while Baretta and Romero are two of the most underrated performers in all of professional wrestling today. This should be an excellent match.

[Dan Velten]

THE ROUND-UP

Figure Four Weekly:Figure Four Weekly 8/3/2016: Latest developments in wrestling related lawsuits – If it wasn’t clear before that the Hulk Hogan vs. Gawker lawsuit is a whole lot bigger than Hulk Hogan or even Gawker, the events of the last few weeks have made it more obvious than ever before. Of course, the revelation two months ago that billionaire Peter Thiel had been funding Hogan’s lawsuit (and others against Gawker) was a game changer, but the effects of Thiel’s influence weren’t as obvious… Subscribers click here to continue reading.

F4W YouTube Page: Tons of clips and full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!

Wrestling Observer Newsletter:August 1, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Brand split week one, Brock Lesnar and the WWE Wellness Policy– The entire story of Brock Lesnar, UFC drug testing, WWE drug testing and its history leads the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. There is also full coverage of week one of the brand extension, what has been good and what hasn’t, as well as coverage of Battleground, the G-1 Climax tournament, and the deaths of well known personalities on a regional basis like announcer Bill Cardille and Oregon advertising icon Tom Peterson.

A look back at the cases involving Eddy Guerrero and Chris Benoit, the success of the program all inside.

In this issue, take a look at Lesnar’s schedule, the situation with Paul Heyman, what the next steps for UFC and athletic commissions regarding the Lesnar test failures and the reaction to all this from Mark Hunt. This issue also looks at Hunt’s argument regarding how Lesnar gained financially from cheating and how Lesnar was not treated differently than anyone else when it came to drug testing in the UFC.

Finally, examine week one of the brand split, the changes in the SummerSlam show, Roman Reigns booking, the ascension of Dolph Ziggler and Finn Balor, as well as business notes and a match-by-match rundown of Battleground with star ratings… Subscribers click here to continue reading.

Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer, or by using Paypal directing funds to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com. 

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Wrestling Observer Newsletter BACK ISSUE:June 28, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Reaction to WWF contracted Sable appearing on WCW TV, more on Hart/WWF lawsuit – After a week, it is even less clear what WCW hoped to accomplish when putting Rena Mero on Nitro on 6/14… Subscribers click here to continue reading.

WEDNESDAY NEW UPDATE

John Cena vs. AJ Styles is officially set for SummerSlam after the match was announced on SmackDown last night. This is their second singles match after they met for the first time earlier this year at Money in the Bank. Styles, with the help of Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, got the win in that match. But Cena pinned Styles in a six-man tag at Battleground to set up the rematch at SummerSlam.

Apollo Crews will also challenge for The Miz’s Intercontinental Championship after earning the shot on SmackDown last night.

Rhyno defeated two other Republican contenders to win the party’s primary, and he will now face a Democratic challenger for term-limited Democrat George Darany’s seat in the Michigan House of Representatives.

Nate Diaz appeared in a segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, surprising fans who thought Conor McGregor would beat him.

According to his wife Valerie, former WWE Champion and WWE Hall of Famer “Superstar” Billy Graham has been admitted to the Mayo Clinic due to some serious medical symptoms. Graham will undergo a procedure Wednesday morning to identify the cause of his medical issues.

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT

  • American Alphadid an interview with WWE.com after their successful debut against the Vaudevillains.
  • Tom Phillips also followed up on the alleged storyline injury that Eva Marie suffered last night.
  • In attempt to clear up rumors about why her daughter has been missing from WWE events, Saraya Knight tweeted that Paige is dealing with an injury.
  • In today’s WWN alerts, it was reported that Heath Slater’s storyline negotiations with EVOLVE are at an impasse with Slater facing Rhyno in an attempt to earn a spot on the SmackDown roster next week.
  • Eric Bischoff discusses the Cruiserweight Classic with Sports Illustrated.
  • Here is a preview of this Saturday’s NXT house show in New Orleans featuring Samoa Joe.

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING

  • #WatchROH TV this weekend featuring ROH World Champion Jay Lethal defending his title against Colt Cabana!
  • Ring of Honor’s 1st Series of Action Figures are available now through the Wrestling Superstore.
  • ROH World Champion Jay Lethal joined Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross on the Ross Report Podcast.
  • ROH COO Joe Koff was interviewed by Vice.com.
  • Adam Cole was interviewed by Smash Magazine about his upcoming ROH World Championship match in Las Vegas at Death Before Dishonor.
  • Jushin Thunder Liger will face Dalton Castle at ROH’s show in Duluth, GA, on September 24th.
  • Great North Wrestling posted a video earlier today of Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer giving his opinion of Billy Graham being an important figure as an innovative character and trend setter in the history of the wrestling business that influenced a lot of future stars such as Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura, Paul Heyman, DDP and many other. (thanks to Anthony Ambros)
  • Mark Haskins will challenge for the PROGRESS Wrestling Championship on September 25th at the O2 Academy Brixton in London.
  • Broken Matt Hardy sat down with Chris Jericho for an in-character interview talking the Final Deletion and his broken condition on the Talk is Jericho podcast.
  • Jim Ross has an article for Fox Sports on Dusty Rhodes being honored at the NWA Legends Fan Fest this Friday.

UFC/MMA

  • UFC released the promotional video for UFC 202, Diaz vs. McGregor 2. It will give you chills, unlike last month’s creepy horror story themed video which was just weird.
  • The ABC (Association of Boxing Commissions) yesterday overwhelmingly approved the biggest set of changes to the MMA Unified Rules since their inception. Of note, the definition of a 10-8 round will be much more liberal. In addition, they have re-defined the definition of a “grounded fighter”, modified the rules regarding extended fingers when approaching another fighter and forbidding the use of loose tops for female fighters.
  • The UFC 201 prelims Saturday night on FS 2 did 331,000 viewers. It’s the first time this year that the prelims were scheduled for that network. In fact, the last PPV prelims to air on FS 2 were in March of 2014 and they did 305,000 viewers. More recently the prelims for Fight Night 89 in Ottawa aired on FS 2 and did 369,000 viewers. It was the sixth highest rated broadcast in the history of the network.
  • WSOF 32 Saturday night on NBC Sports Network, headlined by 2 world title fights and a brother vs brother matchup, did their best rating in a year. The show averaged 250,000 viewers, the highest since an August 1, 2015 show did 254,000. In fact the year to date average prior to Saturday was 173,000 so this is up about 40%.
  • Erick Silva (17-5) is rumoured to be taking on Brandon Thatch (11-4) at the recently announced Fight Night show in Brasilia, Brazil on September 24th. The welterweights are on 2 and 3 fight losing streaks respectively so this would be an important fight for both.

The Summer Slam Events Calendar

AUGUST

  • 4 thru 6 – !BANG! TV; Professional Wrestling Spectacular, 3 charity shows in 3 days.
  • 5 – Rockstar Pro Wrestling: “Beach Party Bro-Down” iPPV; Rockstar Pro Arena, 1106 E Third ST in Dayton, OH at 7:30 pm!
  • 5 – Super Wonder Gallery, 876 Bloor St. W., Toronto, Ontario M6G 1M5. Tickets.
  • 5 – NEF Presents Dana White: Looking for a Fight. More info here.
  • 6 – Rock Solid Wrestling; Alliston Potato Festival, Alliston, Ontario
  • 6 – Smokey Mountain Wrestling: Fire on the Mountain; Jason Kincaid defends against Elliott Russell, Civic Auditorium, 1550 Fort Henry Dr., Kingsport, TN
  • 6 – Crossfire Wrestling: Battle Of Bissells II; Bissell’s Hideaway, $20 for all day pass at the park and the wrestling show.
  • 6 – Upstate Professional Wrestling: Headlocks & Homeruns 5; The Premier Sports Center in Webster, New York.
  • 6 – UFC FIGHT NIGHT: RODRIGUEZ VS. CACERES; from Salt Lake City, UT
  • 6 – Absolute Intense Wrestling: Girls Night Out; Cleveland, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel with Crazy Mary Dobson, Allysin “Sienna” Kay, Veda Scott, Shayna Baszler, Annie Social, Kelly Klein, Heidi Lovelace, Lufisto, Nicole Savoy and more.
  • 12 – Big West Wrestling: Bowling, Bodyslams, & BBQ; Lake City Bowling & Billiards, Kelowna, BC
  • 12 – Revolution Pro; London, York Hall in Bethnal Green. Featuring Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Jeff Cobb.
  • 13 – Combat Zone Wrestling: TV Taping; Tremont-Gacy, Strickland-Avalon. Showing why they are #LikeNothingElse a FREE TV Taping at 2 pm and “The Boss is Back” on iPPV at 8 pm LIVE from the Flyers Skate Zone, 601 Laurel Oak RD in Voorhees, NJ! Tickets for iPPV.
  • 13 – Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling: Civil War; Russian Community Centre, 2114 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC
  • 13 – Viva La Lucha; San Diego, CA, Montgomery High School. Fundraiser event in the 619 featuring Rey Mysterio, John Morrison, TJP, Nicho/Psychosis, Teddy Hart, Willie Mack, Vermin, Los Luchas and more.
  • 13 – World Women’s Wrestling: 2016 Iron Maiden Championship at the American Civic Center in Wakefield, MA
  • 13 – wXw NOW: The End; Tommy End’s final show in Germany
  • 13 – NWA Mid South Wrestling; Dyresburg, TN at the Herb Welch Wrestle-Plex headlined by Matt Riviera vs. Jeremy Moore.
  • 19 – ROH: DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR XIV PPV; 6:00pm PDT, Sam’s Town Live, 5111 Boulder Highway –  Las Vegas, NV 89122. Tickets. ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: ADAM COLE vs JAY LETHAL (c)
  • 19 – AAW; 115 Bourbon Street, 3359 w 115th Street Merrionette Park, IL, 8:00pm Bell Time, Tickets.Trailer for our last show – United We Stand. Mp4 Now Available at Smart Mark Video and at Highspots.  
  • 19 – We Watch Wrestling LIVE Podcast Recording; Copper Still 4485 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90004
  • 19 – Superkick’d Pro Wrestling Rock Show: Blazed; The Great Hall, 1087 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario M6J 1H3
  • 19 – House of Glory Wrestling; Jamaica, NY, The Hardys, Drew Galloway, Ethan Carter III and Mickie James will appear.
  • 20 – ROH: National TV Taping; 6:00pm PDT, Sam’s Town Live, 5111 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas, NV 89122. Tickets. ROH World TV Championship: Shibata will face the winner of the 8/19 Mark Briscoe vs Bobby Fish match
  • 20 – Fighting Back 6: Wrestling with Cancer; Vanier Columbus Club, 260 McArthur Ave, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  • 20 – Reality of Wrestling: Summer of Champions 3; Featuring Kurt Angle, from the World Gym Arena in Texas City, TX. The event is preceded by a VIP Meet and Greet session to feature WWE Hall of Famer Booker T, Kurt Angle and Queen Sharmell. Tickets. Proceeds will be going to the Booker T Fights For Kids Foundation.
  • 20 – Best In The West; Fresno, CA, VFW Hall #8900, located at 3585 N Blythe, Featuring Jeff Cobb, Joey Ryan, and Mustufa Saed.
  • 20 – UFC 202 – DIAZ vs. MCGREGOR 2, from Las Vegas, NV
  • 21 – WWE: SUMMERSLAM; The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. It will be the twenty-ninth event under the SummerSlam chronology and the second consecutive SummerSlam to be hosted in the Barclays Center.
  • 21 – Smash Wrestling: Super Showdown IV; Pickering, Ontario featuring Chavo Guerrero Jr. (FKA Lieutenant Loco)
  • 21 – Octagon & Tinieblas Jr. vs. Fuerza Guerrera & Pirata Morgan headlines in Houston at the Arena Theater.  
  • 26 – We Watch Wrestling LIVE Podcast Recording; The Wythe Hotel 80 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249. Tickets.
  • 26 – All Star Wrestling; Cloverdale, BC at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds Alice McKay Building, it’s the semifinals and finals of the All Star Wrestling Tag Team Tournament.
  • 26 – Absolute Intense Wrestling; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, 1355 W. 70th St. Cleveland, OH
  • 26 – Conflict Wrestling: Black or White
  • 26 – Bellator 160; The Pond in Anaheim, live on Spike TV, Benson Henderson vs Patricio Pitbull Freire
  • 27 – ROH: Field of Honor; Brooklyn, NY, MCU Park, ROH World Championship 4 Corner Survival: ROH World Champion: Jay Lethal vs. Adam Cole vs. Tetsuya naito vs. Hiroshi. Tickets.
  • 27 – Battlearts: Summer Heat; 4880 Tomken Road, Mississauga, Ontario L4W 1J8
  • 27 – LuchaTO at the Benelife Wellness Centre, 68 Tycos Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M6B 1V9
  • 27 – UFC FIGHT NIGHT: Maia vs. Condit; Vancouver, BC.
  • 28 – Steel City Pro Wrestling: End Game; 222 Queenston Rd, Hamilton, ON L8K 1G6, Canada
  • 28 – Destiny wrestling: Summer Heat; Battlearts Wrestling Academy. Featuring MOOSE!

TODAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY (8/3): Gangstas win ECW tag titles at The Doctor Is In

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