Daily Update: SmackDown ratings, Goldberg, FTR

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

July 18, 2022 Observer Newsletter: More details on Vince McMahon hush money payments, WrestleMania 38 business

  • Among the highlights:
  • Match and performer of the week
  • Vince McMahon, the non-disclosures, the economic effect, reaction from talent, the investigation, keys as to whether he stays or goes, keys to the current investigation, the settlements, details of the most recent settlement story and key points in it, comments from women over the years, the 2006 tanning bed story, Rita Chatterton talks, and follow-ups of other investigations.
  • WrestleMania, SummerSlam and ROH Death Before Dishonor
  • Stardom Midsummer Champions and the next major Stardom events
  • UFC notes from this past week
  • Ratings from all wrestling shows
  • 2022 World Grand Prix tournament
  • AAA major summer show
  • What will be Triplemania’s major title match
  • Dragon Gate’s biggest show of the year
  • Triple Crown title change
  • Pro Wrestling NOAH co-promoting this year’s tournament that led to the formation of ROH in 2001
  • Keiji Muto has one of his final matches this week
  • Update on Kota Ibushi
  • First week of G1
  • Two legendary tag teams have singles matches against each other
  • Three AEW stars on Japanese women’s show
  • Bill Goldberg talks Bret Hart
  • Ric Flair documentary series
  • Japanese stars coming to base in North America
  • Legendary promoter cutting back after 52 years
  • Full breakdown on ticket sales to All Out
  • Lots of injury updates involving the biggest stars
  • Goal of the three-way tag title match on Dynamite and original plans
  • Upcoming ticket sales for WWE and AEW
  • Chris Jericho talks his illness from last year
  • AEW star in Bare Knuckle fight in England
  • Streaming numbers for WWE & AEW
  • UFC lobbying for a bill that could have great effect on pro wrestlers
  • US group opening regular promotion in Europe
  • Next MSG show from WWE
  • International TV numbers

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter: May 30, 2005 Observer Newsletter: UPN moves SmackDown to Friday, ECW PPV turns into political fight

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Saturday News Update

WWE

  • Last night’s SmackDown averaged 1.976 million viewers in the fast national ratings, down from the 2.025 million the show averaged in the fast nationals last week. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.4.
  • Liv Morgan appeared on WWE After the Bell this week.
  • Morgan spoke about her Money in the Bank win: “It’s been a whirlwind. Everything just feels very surreal. I mean it’s just crazy how the universe lays your plan out for you. Thinking back to last year, I thought I was going to win Money in the Bank. I thought it was my time. I was so fully confident and then I didn’t win. Fast forward to this year, I walked into Money in the Bank, same thing hoping that this is my year. I’m going to win this year. I was so determined. I literally wanted nothing more than to walk in Money in the Bank and leave Miss Money in the Bank. I won Money in the Bank, and it is the most overwhelming feeling I’ve ever had in my whole entire life.”
  • Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson praised Montez Ford during an interview with Entertainment Tonight: “I love that guy. I love his energy. I love his charisma. I love his work ethic. In the world of pro wrestling — there’s nothing like the world of pro wrestling — it’s very unique, it’s also a business. Professional wrestling, WWE, it’s in my blood. It’s my passion, I love it. A guy like him, he’s worked his butt off, and by the way, they all do…but him, in particular, he’s got great athleticism, he’s the total package.”
  • Variety published a column on how Vince McMahon’s scandals could jeopardize WWE’s media expansion.
  • During an interview with SHAK Wrestling, Goldberg explained that he wasn’t responsible for the finish of his match against Bray Wyatt at Super ShowDown 2020 being changed:
        • Let’s put it this way. I’ve never said anything that wasn’t true in the wrestling business. I’m a talent and I do what the boss tells me to do. I flew to Saudi Arabia knowing I was going to lose. Then somehow it changed and the finish was different. It surely wasn’t me because it’s an extremely selfish move to do. Number two: truly it wouldn’t be about the business. It would be about myself. Number three: who the hell am I as a part-time guy to come in and demand anything? Truly, I’m not. Vince gave me opportunities that maybe I didn’t deserve in the past. I owe that man just about everything… First and foremost, I’ve never said no to putting anybody over. Maybe back in WCW I didn’t agree with putting [Chris] Jericho over or something like that. If I can remember correctly because I didn’t think it was time for the character [Goldberg] to be involved in any comedy. But not in a million years in that Fiend situation in Saudi [Arabia] would I have done that. No way in hell. I’d love to see him [Bray Wyatt] face-to-face and make sure there is not one percent of his being that believes that I changed that match.
        • That’s the first time I’ve actually been able to defend myself in that situation.
  • This week’s SmackDown Lowdown featured appearances by The New Day, Lacey Evans, and Madcap Moss.
  • WWE’s YouTube channel uploaded Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler from the July 16, 2018 episode of Raw, Edge & The Mysterios vs. Roman Reigns & The Usos from the July 16, 2021 episode of SmackDown, and Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston for the Intercontinental title from SummerSlam 2010.

Other Wrestling

  • In an interview with Bleacher Report, Dax Harwood discussed FTR’s upcoming rematch against The Briscoes at Death Before Dishonor:
        • I had a talk with Tony [Khan] and he pitched the match with Briscoes. And I said, ‘Man, I don’t know if I want to go back to that.’ Because in my mind, that moment on April 1 was the perfect moment for me and Cash. I could have retired right after that. Because that match to me was so different than any structured wrestling match you see today. And I think that’s why it’s my favorite.
  • Though he was initially unsure about doing the rematch, Harwood said he wants the anxiety of trying to top the first FTR vs. Briscoes bout:
        • Man, Ring of Honor needs a spark, and what better spark would there be than the rematch of Briscoes vs. FTR? And then I started thinking my anxiety is gonna kick in worrying about this. And then on top of that, I started thinking that’s what I want, I want the anxiety of trying to top that [first] match, I want the anxiety of trying to have a better FTR match than we had at Supercard of Honor. And so now, that’s my goal. To have a better match.
  • Cash Wheeler said about the FTR vs. Briscoes rematch:
        • I would say, our first match against the Briscoes is my favorite match of our career. It just was something that I’ll never forget from the moment we went out there. Like, we just felt the energy from the crowd. And the crowd has been the missing ingredient, I think, for making all these things work the way they have.
        • I’m not going to try to compare it to the first match, I’m not going to try to live up to the expectations that I feel like are gonna be put on us. I just know we want to go out there and we want to have a great tag team wrestling fight. And we want it to be a big fight feel. I want to make those tag team titles [mean] more than ever. So we take this very seriously.
  • A Countdown to Death Before Dishonor special will air on YouTube after AEW Dark next Tuesday (July 19).
  • Jon Moxley has been announced for Wrestling Revolver’s Sunday FunBEY show in Dayton, Ohio on Sunday, August 21.
  • While taking part in a Highspots Sign It Live, Candice LeRae joked that she’s too old for NXT 2.0.
  • Maki Itoh vs. Dark Sheik is set for GCW Homecoming part two on Sunday, August 14.
  • Forbes has an interview with Fred Rosser.
  • Sonjay Dutt was the guest on this week’s AEW Unrestricted.