Daily Update: Roman Reigns, Hulk Hogan, AEW notes

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

We have a giant story on the life and career of Kevin Sullivan. It’s one of the biggest stories we’ve done in recent years covering this very unique person who wore a lot of hats in the industry and had a lot of very significant influence on aspects of the genre.

Among the other topics covered:

  • Tony Khan announces the second AEW stadium show for 2025 and we talk about reports of a third one as well.
  • Previewing All In
  • Update on Bash in Berlin including a new main event not announced yet and the latest on the planned stipulation
  • Bryan Danielson talks about his life and career
  • AEW and Triller doing PPV bundles
  • U.S. Olympic wrestling roundup as well as Hiroshi Tanahashi wants to recruit three Olympians
  • Update on G-1 Climax tournament and all the bouts of the past week
  • A look at the career of Yoshinari Ogawa who retired this past week
  • A look at Dennis Brent, who passed away, a behind-the-scenes figure who was very close to many insiders in the wrestling community and had worked for and with World Class, Mid South, WCW, JCP and WWE before a tragic case of MS ended him in wrestling.
  • Update on legal wranglings involving Janel Grant, Vince McMahoin and Dr. Carlon Colker
  • The most detailed look at the TV ratings from the past week, weekly rankings, comparisons with a year ago, segment-by-segment, nightly placings competition and more
  • Rundown from another big show at Arena Mexico
  • More on the CMLL Grand Prix show featuring wrestlers from all over the world
  • Return date announced for one of the biggest international stars
  • Exactly what the issues are with AAA and Penta & Fenix and why their talent isn’t allowed to appear on the same shows in Mexico
  • Update on the Stardom Five Star Grand Prix
  • Dragon Gate Dangerous Gate update
  • N-1 tournament update
  • What WWE NXT star is getting over in Japan
  • Grandson of one of the biggest wrestling stars of all-time now training to wrestle
  • El Hijo del Santo retirement tour update and he talks about when he was negotiating to go full-time with WWE
  • MJF vs. Michael Oku match story and angle with Ospreay
  • GCW hits Japan
  • PPV updates for recent pro wrestling and boxing events
  • Tony Khan talks more on big announcements
  • Update on Young Bucks
  • Penta & Fenix update
  • Behind the making of MJF vs. Oku in England
  • Advances for upcoming WWE & AEW shows
  • Streaming numbers and international TV numbers
  • Update on Conor McGregor fighting
  • Former MMA fighter involved in a shooting death of a man who was friends with the person who was accused of kidnapping his son
  • Heyman talks his ECW run
  • Ronda Rousey on Vince McMahon
  • Jesse Ventura and his attempt to unionize wrestlers

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE.com is no longer advertising Roman Reigns for SmackDown’s USA Network return episode on Friday, September 13. At the moment, Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle still lists Reigns among the advertised talent.
  • On today’s WWE Speed episode, Pete Dunne defeated Joaquin Wilde to advance in the ongoing number one contender’s tournament. It will be Dunne vs. Je’Von Evans on Speed next Wednesday. The winner earns a title shot against WWE Speed Champion Andrade.
  • The Daily Mail asked Randy Orton if he’s spoken with John Cena about facing each other during Cena’s retirement tour:
    • I have spoken with him. John and I, we’ve always been kind of cut from the same cloth when it comes to creative. There’s some guys that will come with a 10-page script on the next six months of the storyline and blogging them and a particular talent, and it’s like a wish list for how they see the future playing out. 
    • We have a whole team of writers. We’ve got Triple H at the helm, and we’re very lucky to have them at the helm, by the way. And you know, whatever they give me, I’m going to do my best with, and that’s the way John looks at it, too. So me and him are two guys that are going to let it organically happen. 
    • And the way that Triple H is doing it, he’s listening to the crowd. He knows where everything needs to end up. He can tell week to week where it’s going in it. And if the fans want John Cena and Randy Orton to face each other at some point, maybe even at Wrestlemania, then this is their last chance. 
    • So if you want it, let’s hear it. They can go to social media, they can talk about how much they want it, they can chant at the shows. And I think that if the fans want it, then it’s definitely going to happen. 
    • But as far as what do I personally want? I would love to wrestle John. But as far as pushing for that match, that’s never been my style, that’s never been seen as my style. And I think if it’s meant to be, if it’s in the stars, then we’ll definitely do it, and we’ll have a lot of fun doing so well. I want it, so I’ll get it started for you, don’t worry about that.
  • Liv Morgan attended the premiere of the movie “The Crow” in New York City last night.
  • A 50-year-old woman received nine stitches after she was struck by a beer can at a promotional event for Hulk Hogan’s new Real American Beer on Monday. The event took place in Medina Township, Ohio. There is conflicting information on whether the beer can was thrown by Hogan:
    • According to a Medina Township police report, some witnesses told responding officers that Hogan was the one who threw the beer, but other witnesses said it was another crew member who ‘was throwing beers from the stage like a ‘baseball pitch.’’
    • Officers took information for the report, but no one was arrested or charged due to the conflicting information.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • Chris Jericho confirmed to Daily Star that he’ll again be singing himself to the ring at AEW All In. Jericho is defending the FTW Championship against Hook at Sunday’s pay-per-view. It will be the second straight year Fozzy has played Jericho’s “Judas” entrance music live at Wembley Stadium.
  • Uproxx Sports asked Bryan Danielson about potentially having a role in AEW creative after his in-ring retirement:
    • The big thing for me is not having to travel very much because I don’t want to be away from my family. Traveling sometimes feels like it’s just as hard on my body as the wrestling. I really enjoy that part of wrestling as the creative outlet for my entire adult life. Anytime Tony wants to run ideas by me or get my input in the creative process, I’ll be more than willing to help out because that’s one of the things that I really love.
  • Danielson rated British and American food in a video for LADbible’s Snack Wars.
  • Danielson, Mariah May, and Nigel McGuinness answered questions from The Sun Sport about their AEW co-workers.
  • Wrestle With Freddie interviewed Mariah May ahead of All In. She responded to any criticism that her kissing Mina Shirakawa on AEW television received: 
    • I remember seeing, you know, the usual suspects, being like, ‘Oh my God. This is setting women’s wrestling back so much.’ It’s like, first of all, no one made us do it. We chose to do it. That’s just how we show affection to each other and we always have in our friendship. Like I said, if I don’t want to do something, I won’t, but myself, Mina, and Toni are three extremely decorated women’s wrestlers who, off our own backs, have become very successful all over the world, and so to try and tell us we’re setting women’s wrestling back was pretty crazy to me. The numbers don’t lie. I think myself, Toni, and Mina got the best rated segments for about eight weeks in a row, and as we should.
  • Will Ospreay appeared on the Off Menu podcast.
  • Willow Nightingale was the guest on the latest edition of Close Up with Renee Paquette.
  • TNA Wrestling produced an Immersed documentary on Mustafa Ali vs. Mike Bailey from Slammiversary.
  • Konosuke Takeshita is set to compete at the debut shows for Scott D’Amore’s Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling on October 19 and October 20.
  • El Hijo del Vikingo is among the wrestlers announced for GLEAT’s events in Japan on October 6 and October 9. Vikingo has been out of action since February, but he’s advertised to return for a show in Mexico on September 17.