Daily Update: SmackDown ratings, NXT notes, Thunder Rosa

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

In this issue:

  • Match of the week and performer of the week
  • SummerSlam preview, records that will be set, records that are in jeopardy and more
  • Update on the card including notes about matches not yet announced
  • Update on ticket sales
  • Preview of Great American Bash and next NXT major event
  • Gable Steveson’s decision, his debut, what his decision really is and what wasn’t true in his angle
  • Preview to AEW in Wembley Stadium
  • What angles are being done and what is amazing about the build
  • Ticket sales and will they outsell Hogan vs. Andre at WrestleMania III before announcing the first match
  • Lots of AEW booking updates
  • Full coverage of the G-1 tournament, standings, matches left, Okada vs. Ospreay, what young guys are doing well and what aren’t
  • How business is doing so far
  • Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor coverage, business notes, PPV
  • Coverage of UFC at the O2 Arena in London, update on the heavyweight division
  • DDT runs biggest show of the year
  • A look at the carer of Tommy Siegler
  • The most detailed look at ratings for the past week
  • How wrestling shows did in the weekly standings and each night
  • Segment-by-segment numbers and comparisons with one year ago
  • Robbery of the box office at a major promotion show
  • CMLL Anniversary show update
  • World Gran Prix participants announced
  • Konnan talks TripleMania Mexico City main event
  • Day one of the Five-Star Grand Prix
  • Stardom upcoming shows including a multi-title show featuring New Japan belt and a legends show
  • King of Gate update
  • NOAH match with fastest fan club advance in history
  • Hogan getting married
  • Senate honors legendary wrestlers and how this differs from the U.S.
  • Lots of news on the Mildred Burke movie including pro wrestling personalities involved
  • Lio Rush injury update
  • Indie show has tickets sold to people from 32 countries
  • Impact does surprisingly well on PPV
  • Notes on Rush signing with AEW
  • Update on AEW injuries
  • Ticket sales for upcoming WWE and AEW shows including WWE PPV shows, AEW PPVs shows and Grand Slam at Arthur Ashe Stadium
  • International TV ratings
  • A look in detail at the largest MMA show rating of the year and it wasn’t from UFC, and how many of its viewers watch UFC
  • Peacock bleeding money and its future
  • WWE injury updates
  • WWE Royal Rumble news
  • WWE signings talk
  • Big match being teased
  • New names for WWE talent
  • Rundown of all the WWE weekend house shows

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

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Saturday Update

WWE

  • With the show back on Fox after being moved to FS1 the previous week, SmackDown averaged 2.166 million viewers in the fast national ratings last night. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.54.
  • In an interview with Cageside Seats, Roxanne Perez discussed being able to work with her trainer Booker T in NXT:
          • Oh, super. I think it’s really cool that he was able to help me out and train me since I was like 16. And then obviously transitioning to the WWE is pretty scary and nerve wracking… My first few months he was not here. When I found out he was coming over here to be a commentator, I was like, oh my God, this is amazing. I think just having that level of comfort there. And then also, I still learn from Booker every single day. So, you know, it’s cool to have him there and then he comes to the back and after my matches I’m like, ‘Hey, what did you think? What can I do better?’
          • And he’s always there to give me all the advice. Telling me when I’m messing up, telling me when I can do better. He’s always been so honest with me, so I appreciate that so much. Yeah, it’s been really cool to have him here.
  • Jacy Jayne cut a promo promising to show up at NXT Great American Bash this Sunday and raise hell. Jayne said that if she were Lyra Valkyria, Rhea Ripley or anyone else in the women’s division – she would be sleeping with one eye open.
  • Ripley responded to Jayne: “I’ll be there ALL day, so I guess we will see how confident you are day of.”
  • During an appearance on Busted Open Radio, Shawn Michaels gave his thoughts on Gable Steveson ahead of Steveson making his in-ring debut against Baron Corbin at NXT Great American Bash:
          • I’ve only had a short amount of encounters with him, but I will say that one of the things that you can see right away, you know, he is such a premier athlete. He’s very confident. He’s very confident in his ability. Honestly, in his line of work, you know, he almost doesn’t have to try that hard to be as good as he is. It comes naturally to him.
          • Now, we’re very curious to see how he adapts to what we do because as you guys know, it’s very different. But again, I think he’s got a great foundation. He’s going to be in there with a great guy. We’re excited about finally getting to pull the trigger on it. I mean, it’s something that I went ahead, and I don’t know, it’s something he’s been here. He’s been training. I think he’s a real goal-oriented individual. A few months ago, honestly, I asked, ‘Hey, can we move on him and give him the green light?’ We’re very excited to see what he brings to the table. I mean, he’s obviously a big name, a brand name, and certainly in a different space, but we are hoping that he adapts much like a Kurt Angle. I think he certainly has that ability, but again, he’s filling big shoes as you know. That’s something that I think he takes seriously and he’s going to learn to sink or swim this Sunday at the Great American Bash.
  • Hulk Hogan praised The Miz for how much he understands the pro wrestling business: “That brother is keeping this art form alive. Every time I see him, I tell him how much I love him for what he’s done because he understands this business a lot more than most of the guys do. There’s probably two or three guys that I can pick out that understand that business. He’s one of them. And he gets it.”
  • Cultaholic spoke with Ilja Dragunov.
  • Booker T was interviewed on Insight with Chris Van Vliet.
  • Austin Theory, Bianca Belair, and LA Knight appeared on The SmackDown LowDown.
  • WWE uploaded a behind-the-scenes vlog from the Cavinder twins’ visit to SmackDown last week.
  • Chad Gable & Otis were guests on WWE After the Bell.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • Thunder Rosa spoke to Bleacher Report about her recovery from injury:
          • It’s been a long road, I will say. From the beginning, there was a lot of speculation about my injury. But I was always very clear and very honest about what was happening to me. Everything has been documented on my YouTube. It was physical and mental, all this rehab that I’ve been receiving.
          • Some days were really positive, some other days were not as positive, but that’s part of the recovery part of having an injury such as the one that I still have. Lately, there’s been more of a bright light on it, because as my MRI read, I don’t have the tears in my back anymore. And now I’m able to train without pain, with compound training, as well as I’ve been jumping in the ring in the last three weeks.
          • So, I’m excited about the advancements that we have. And now I’m excited about the possibility of returning to the ring. Again, it’s just been giving me a perspective about the opportunity to wrestle, because it’s a privilege if I get to come back.
  • Rosa said she recently stepped back into the ring as part of training for her return:
          • It’s been almost a year since I stepped in the ring last in AEW. So it will be amazing if I get that opportunity and to have another match, or more matches, in the future. Like I said, I’m very hopeful.
          • I stepped in the ring last Tuesday. I actually took my son with me to help do cardio. I’m training, I have a doctor who’s a professional trainer for athletes in San Antonio, and I have another physiotherapist I work with when I was doing MMA and professional wrestling.
          • So, they’re helping me to get to the best physically as possible. And I’m not talking about ‘Oh, I’m gonna come back with a six-pack’ and everything. I have to come back healthy. In the ring, what we do, it’s extremely dangerous. I always pray for my opponent and pray for me to come back the same way that we come in. And sometimes we don’t. So I’m praying that this time will be positive.
  • AEW has filed a trademark for “AEW Plus,” which is the name of the promotion’s Fite TV subscription service for international viewers.
  • Mark Briscoe was a guest on AEW Unrestricted.