Daily Update: SmackDown ratings, Payback, All Out

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Observer is out and it’s the biggest issue in terms of volume that we have ever done:

  • The life of Terry Funk with many different stories from many different places
  • The Ric Flair/Terry Funk 1989 feud
  • Terry Funk sees the death of the territories before anyone else
  • Paul Heyman on Terry Funk
  • The life and career of Bray Wyatt
  • The sad situation regarding his death
  • Career highlights
  • How COVID led to serious health issues
  • Him just being seen in the hospital a week before his death
  • Life before wrestling
  • Full coverage of AEW All In
  • Notes on attendance records
  • A rundown of the other four biggest shows in history
  • Every $10 million gate in pro wrestling history
  • Early PPV numbers
  • Crossover buys with SummerSlam
  • Thoughts on next year’s show at Wembley
  • Tony Khan’s thoughts after the show
  • A detailed look at the Punk-Jack Perry incident with different stories from people there
  • How it affected the show backstage
  • What happened with the show and to Punk and Perry after the incident
  • Rundown of the show
  • WrestleMania ticket sales as of this week
  • Last year’s Mania numbers and numbers from other years
  • How the secondary market is doing for WrestleMania
  • Saudi Arabia gets into business with the PFL and causes a WWE stock price drop
  • Preview of the next AEW & WWE PPV shows
  • Business notes on this week’s show
  • A look at the RevPro show with Ospreay vs. Takagi
  • The most detailed look at the ratings over the past two weeks
  • How each segment did, how the show compares with one year ago
  • A look at the best rated Smackdown show in almost three years
  • International TV numbers
  • CMLL matches at Denver Broncos game
  • CMLL Grand Prix show notes
  • Metalik done with CMLL and explanation as to why
  • Konnan health update
  • QT Marshall defends Latin American title in Europe
  • Notes on the last Stardom PPV show
  • Notes on Dragon Gate’s Dangerous Gate show
  • All Japan finishes tournament and legend challenges for Triple Crown out of it
  • N-1 tournament update
  • Talks of a New Japan expansion
  • Naito talks his future
  • The All-Star Junior show in Philadelphia
  • DDT has big show coming
  • Major former promoter in Mexico Carlos Elizondo passes away
  • New Netflix wrestling show
  • Impact changing taping schedule
  • Notes on upcoming Impact shows
  • Lots of talk from Tony Khan about new things with the company and deals
  • Punk gets Cauliflower Alley Club award
  • Update on Cung Le lawsuit against UFC
  • Update on Edge
  • John Cena’s return notes

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

Ordering Info:

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@wrestlingobserver.com or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.

In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.

For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.

If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

Saturday Update

WWE

  • Last night’s SmackDown, the go-home show for Payback, averaged 2.28 million viewers in the fast national ratings. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.6. This is the first time since August 4 that SmackDown wasn’t preempted in any markets due to preseason football.
  • WWE uploaded a post-show interview with John Cena after SmackDown. Cena is hosting tonight’s Payback PPV.
  • I previewed the Payback card for Sports Illustrated and gave my predictions for each match.
  • PWInsider reports that Keiji Muto/Great Muta is in Pittsburgh, which is where Payback is being held. Why Muto is in the United States hasn’t been confirmed.
  • Jimmy Uso debuted new theme music on SmackDown last night.
  • A Global Heritage Invitational match between Duke Hudson and Akira Tozawa aired on last night’s NXT Level Up. Hudson defeated Tozawa to earn two points in the round-robin tournament. Hudson and Joe Coffey are tied in Group B after winning their first two matches, while Butch leads Group A with two points.
  • Ludwig Kaiser told Sportskeeda about the progress Tiffany Stratton has made in the ring: “She came so far in the last one and a half years, it’s crazy. I’ve been doing this for 16 years, and she’s been not even doing it for two years and she came so far already, so this is just the beginning of her journey, and I definitely want her to enjoy that and want her to be able to take her time and face every challenge one at a time.”
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn rewatched their match against each other from Payback 2016.
  • Owens & Zayn, Shotzi, and Austin Theory & Grayson Waller appeared on The SmackDown LowDown.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • While running down the All Out lineup on Rampage last night, Excalibur stated that Orange Cassidy vs. Jon Moxley for the AEW International Championship will be the main event of the PPV.
  • Our Josh Nason previewed the All Out card.
  • Darby Allin told CBS Chicago that he isn’t 100 percent heading into All Out: “I’m not 100%. We had a show in London — biggest wrestling show of all time, 81,000+ people, but I actually really messed my spine up. I’m trying to take it easy before Sunday for my championship match… My lower back is really banged up. At the show in Wembley, I jumped off the top rope and landed on a metal coffin on my lower spine.”
  • CBS Chicago also interviewed Tony Khan.
  • The Ten Count asked Nigel McGuinness if there’s any truth to the rumors that Bryan Danielson was planting seeds to face him at All In:
          • I don’t think he was planting seeds. I think he was just, that was the last thing he wanted was to have to wrestle me again for sure. But that being the case, (he said jokingly), you know, how ironic after he said that if he ever got in the ring with me he would break my neck. That karma is a bitch. He broke his arm. The next time he wrestled, from an elbow drop no less.
          • There was obviously some thought of me getting back in the ring one time. I would have loved to have done it at Wembley Stadium. Obviously, I would have loved to have done it with Bryan as well.
  • Barstool Rasslin’ has a 57-minute interview with Orange Cassidy.
  • Saraya and Paul Wight appeared on LAD Bible’s Snack Wars.
  • Powerhouse Hobbs was a guest on the Under the Ring podcast.
  • Tommy Dreamer reflected after attending Terry Funk’s funeral yesterday: “Today I said goodbye to Terry Funk. The world was blessed to have you in our lives for as long as we did. You are the GOAT before the word was cool. I will love you #Forever”
  • GCW’s Brett Lauderdale praised El Hijo del Vikingo’s work ethic:
          • Vikingo was in the ring wrestling the main event until 11pm, then took pics & signed autographs for an hour, then finally got changed. Even tho he has a 726am flight home, he took the time/initiative to walk around the locker room picking up every piece of trash before he left.
          • He has been like this since day 1 at gcw. Hard working, humble, and down to earth. Always respectful and a true asset to the team. Will miss him when hes gone [from GCW] but ill be rooting for him till the end. Gracias amigo.