Daily Update: SmackDown ratings, Carmelo Hayes, Jon Moxley

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

In this issue:

  • Match of the week and performer of the week
  • A look at AEW’s changes coming up that will be announced over the next week with the debut of Collision, as well as a business analysis of rights fees as compared to WWE, different scenarios and different things that could be part of the new deal.
  • Full coverage of Backlash, including the booking, the show, Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia, Roman Reigns, business notes on the show, interest levels for the different events in a giant weekend of sports, PPV numbers, crossover between WWE and Alvarez fight, and the paradox of government money bringing WWE to cities and how that affects future hows in San Juan.
  • A full look at the AEW event at Wembley Stadium. We look at ticket sales, records, scalpers, the biggest shows ever in Europe, the biggest non-WWE shows in history, how viable is it regarding the all-time paid attendance records, and the three shows it has to beat, U.K. attendance records, differences in AEW & WWE ticket sale patterns, possible attractions for the show as well as opponents for he biggest matches and other London shows that weekend.
  • Full coverage of UFC 288, main event decision, what’s next for the top stars, business notes and match-by-match coverage.
  • A look at Dragon Gate’s Dead or Alive show
  • A look at the longest lasting U.K. headliners and Hall of Fame comments
  • The most detailed look at the ratings from the past week, with weekly placings, competition, and comparisons to one year ago, a well as how segments did
  • Wrestler goes for world title in two very different groups over a few week period
  • Konnan talks AAA U.S. TV negotiations
  • The politics behind the upcoming champion vs. champion match
  • Champion Carnival finals
  • How many tickets has Mercedes Mone moved for her next show
  • Early notes on All Together Now
  • Best of Super Juniors shows for this week
  • The most famous feud in Canadian football history, Angelo Mosca vs. Joe Kapp, and a detailed rundown
  • Former TNA & WWE star retires
  • Double or Nothing update
  • AEW booking team detailed
  • Crazy AEW PPV stat
  • Upcoming ticket sales to WWE & AEW shows
  • International TV numbers and streaming numbers
  • Aftermath of Omega vs. Moxley
  • Retired wrestler mentions being open to work Wembley Stadium as a farewell
  • Notes on the upcoming ROH shows
  • UFC business updates
  • Lots of new UFC fights
  • MMA legend talks retirement
  • PFL hit with rash of suspensions
  • Pat McAfee negotiations
  • Top merchandise sellers

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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Saturday Update

WWE

  • Last night’s SmackDown averaged 2.068 million viewers in the fast national ratings, up from last week’s fast national number of 1.976 million. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.51 in the first hour and a 0.52 in the second.
  • Asuka returned to WWE television last night, resuming her feud with Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair. Asuka ruined Belair’s championship celebration and spit mist into her eyes.
  • In his SmackDown in-ring debut, Cameron Grimes made quick work of Baron Corbin, immediately hitting the Cave-In to get the victory.
  • Carmelo Hayes appeared on this week’s episode of WWE After the Bell. He mentioned wanting to have “Black and Gold era” type of matches during his NXT Championship reign:
          • One of the things I noticed, there’s so many studs still left on the roster.
          • So many good guys that, you know, can have that Black and Gold era type style that people always say that they miss and they want.
          • So, I look forward to having those types of matches with the guys. There’s so many – you’ve got Dijak, Dragon Lee, Ilja Dragunov, Tyler Bate, Wes Lee still, you know. I know I’m forgetting names but there’s so many good guys on that roster.
          • I just want to have great matches with all of them during this reign and see who’s willing or who can dethrone me at that point. But yeah, I just want to bring back good, solid wrestling to this NXT show – not that there’s not that but there’s a lot of people learning how to get their feet wet and then there’s a lot of guys who are willing to go out and kill it. And I think I’m one of those guys that want to go out and kill it.
  • AJ Styles, Zelina Vega, The Street Profits, LA Knight, and Rick Boogs appeared on The SmackDown LowDown.
  • Becky Lynch was a guest on Mark Andrews’ My Love Letter to Wrestling podcast.
  • Inside the Ropes spoke to Sami Zayn.
  • WWE’s YouTube channel uploaded the following matches: Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Asuka (Hell in a Cell 2022), Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix vs. Melina (Judgment Day 2008), and Shane McMahon vs. The Miz falls count anywhere match (WrestleMania 35).

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • Jon Moxley was interviewed by Sports Illustrated following his steel cage match against Kenny Omega on Dynamite: “It’s not going to end here. This was only the beginning. We’re bringing our A-game. We’re competitive with each other, and we’re competitive with the rest of the wrestling industry. There’s a lot on the line, so no one is taking a step backward. We’re showing why we’re the superior group.”
  • Moxley also spoke about the rivalry between the Blackpool Combat Club and The Elite:
          • This rivalry between us is the cutting edge of the business. You might be more into something else, but look at who is involved here. Kenny Omega may be the greatest wrestler that ever lived. Bryan Danielson may be the greatest wrestler that ever lived. Claudio Castagnoli may be the most absolute alien pretending to be a human Superman f—ing freak wrestler to ever live. The Young Bucks may be the greatest tag team of all time. Even if you think I f—ing suck, you still have all these greats.
          • A lot of people out there hate on the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega. We’re obviously attacking them and have our issues with them, but we are not old-ass f—ing bitter dudes with podcasts talking about how the business used to be. We are not that. A lot of people hate Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, and that’s because they hate themselves. It’s sad. There are plenty of people who hate me. I don’t give a f—. I don’t care what challenges you put in front of me or what s— befalls me. I’m very pissed off. I will shove it up everybody’s flying ass. After last year, I have that attitude. Kenny and the Young Bucks have that attitude. It’s us against the universe. That attitude is AEW at its core.
  • An ROH World Championship match with Claudio Castagnoli defending against Christopher Daniels has been added to tonight’s AEW House Rules event in Salem, Virginia.
  • In an interview with Fox News, Trevor Murdoch discussed being part of the NWA:
          • Here in the NWA, I don’t have any major, like, favorite moment. The whole thing to me is favorable. I’m getting into the ring with like-minded individuals that, I may get crucified, they’re not a bunch of f—ing p—ies.
          • I don’t know how to explain it. I apologize for my language, but I’ve hit some of these guys really hard, and they didn’t come back complaining and whining. They wanted more. And that’s the type of wrestling that I want to deliver to the people. That hard-nosed, bring them to the woodshed, just knock the crap out of each other, old-school pro wrestling.
  • Thunder Rosa released her first music video. The song is titled “Mi Mejor Escuela.”
  • “Speedball” Mike Bailey has a vlog documenting his first day competing in NJPW Best of the Super Juniors.
  • Tony Khan made an appearance on the Maggie & Perloff Show.
  • Satnam Singh was the guest on AEW Unrestricted this week.