Daily Update: Steve McMichael, CMLL, Tony Khan

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Observer is up on the site right now featuring two very in-depth stories:

  • Judge Richard Boulware refuses to accept the $335 million TKO settlement in the Cung Le case, why, lawyers react, lots of inside ramifications of the case, how different settlements would work out for the biggest name fighters and the average fighters and what comes next and why they still can’t risk a trial.
  • AEW rights fees talks and what they mean, how much talent earns by percentage of revenues compared to other sports, estimating annual income at different rights points, cutbacks why the deal length is so important, noticeable TV cutbacks and ROH potential going forward.
  • SummerSlam preview, ticket sales, secondary market, expectations for finishes and favorites.
  • All In, update on new matches being teased, ticket sales, can they reach the next goal, PPV thoughts and promotion of the event.
  • Update on the G-1 Climax tournament
  • UFC 304 full coverage, what’s next for the fighters, new storylines, business notes, match-by-match rundown
  • What matches you need to see from G-1
  • A look at the retirement and career of Meiko Satomura
  • A detailed look at ROH Death Before Dishonor and the ROH brand
  • The life and career of longtime prelim wrestler Pete Sanchez/Gino Caruso
  • The most detailed look at  the ratings from the past two weeks  including where the top shows placed, breakdown on who is watching and changes, how badly the Olympics changed viewership and much more.
  • Death Triangle go to the hottest arena in the world and how the crowd reacted
  • One of the best high flyers in the world is almost ready to return
  • A look at two Stardom PPV shows and major title changes
  • Oldest male wrestler ever to do a match
  • Marigold tag team title decided and  Grand Prix singles tournament
  • Death of former Crockett wrestler who had a short career but was in with the biggest names in wrestling at the time
  • Modern legend retirement tour first main event announced
  • Dijak and MJF to RevPro
  • Bloodsport with talent from WWE, ROH and TNA
  • Update on PPV numbers from WWE, AEW, TNA and Diaz-Masvidal and Paul-Perry
  • Tony Khan and Shane McMahon
  • Top star returns to AEW
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Bill Goldberg talks Tony Khan
  • Merch sales
  • Highest ticket prices ever for an MMA event at The Sphere
  • Updates on Brock Lesnar

This Week’s Wresting Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Friday Update

  • Garrett and I did a show today where we talked to John Nash about the Cung Le lawsuit as well as the death of  Strikeforce and then talked about SummerSlam, Shane McMahon, AEW & UFC deals, high ticket prices that will just get higher, and more. Bryan  and I will be back tomorrow night talking about SummerSlam and weekend news.
  • Steve McMichael’s NFL Hall  of Fame ceremony will air at Noon Eastern time tomorrow on ESPN.  Because of his suffering from ALS, he was unable to attend but they are having their own ceremony in his house. ESPN SportsCenter in covering the inductions did a feature on McMichael with Ric Flair and former teammates  Mike Singletary and Richard Dent. His wife Misty, daughter Macy, Dent and Jimbo Covert will represent him in Canton tomorrow. There will also be a celebration at his house with several former teammates.
  • CMLL officially announced Hechicero vs. Euforia vs. Esfinge vs. Valiente for the 9/13 Anniversary show. It’s four masked men who will be put in a four-way match.  The first two pinned are out of the match. The two survivors have a mask vs. mask match. I recognize this  makes no sense but that is the way CMLL has done this in the past.  Mistico also faces Chris Jericho on that show. In 1956 they built Arena Mexico because the arenas were too small for the crowds  El Santo, Blue Demon,  Black Shadow and the rest were drawing. We are now in a situation where Arena Mexico is too small.
  • Tonight’s show with MJF vs. Templario and Pac & Rocky Romero vs. Mascara Dorada & Volador Jr., is expected to be the second straight Friday night sellout. There were 80 tickets left earlier today.  Mistico vs. Magnus headlines Monday in Puebla as they go for their third straight sellout of that arena.
  • Smackdown tonight has Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Jacob Fatu & Tama Tonga for the men’s tag titles and Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn vs. Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill for the women’s tag titles.
  • Rampage tonight at 10 p.m. has Wheeler Yuta vs. The Butcher, Brian Cage vs. Manny Lo, Harley Cameron vs. Nyla Rose, Bryan Keith vs. Jackson Drake and Private Party vs. MxM Collection.

Collision tomorrow is at 5 p.m. Eastern on TBS:

  • Claudio Castagnoli vs.  Tomohiro Ishii vs  Lee Moriarty – winner faces Kazuchika Okada for the Continental title
  • Mistico & Hologram vs. Tony Nese & Ariya Daivari
  • Toni Storm vs. ?
  • Brian Cage vs. Kyle Fletcher
  • Thunder Rosa vs. Taya Valkyrie
  • FTR & Mark Briscoe & Darby Allin vs. Matt Taven & Mike Bennett Beast Mortos & Roderick Strong
  • After Smackdown in Cleveland, Sami Zayn & Friends will be doing a comedy show at the Agora Theater in Cleveland starting at 11 p.m.
  • Tony Khan is in Paris for the Olympics. The belief is that he’ll be meeting with WBD CEO David Zaslav on this trip.  
  • G-1 is tonight at 2 a.m. Eastern from the Yamato Arena in Osaka with A block matches with Callum Newman vs. Jake Lee, Great O’Khan vs. Evil, Tetsuya Naito vs. Gabe Kidd, Shota Umino vs. Sanada and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Shingo Takagi. There is also a 3 a.m. Eastern show tomorrow night from Dolphins Arena in Nagoya.
  • We’re looking for reports from Smackdown tonight in Cleveland with the dark matches and anything not on the live show, results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • We’re doing a weekend poll on SummerSlam so you can leave a thumbs up, down or in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • Funeral services for Leo Burke are tomorrow at 2 pm. at MacInnis & Holloway in Calgary.

UFC is an early show from Abu Dhabi tomorrow

ESPN 2 at Noon Eastern

  • Sedriques Dumas (186) vs Denis  Tiuliulin (185)
  • Jai Hebert (155.5) vs.  Rolando Bedoya (155)
  • Viktoriia Dudakova (115.5) vs. Sam Hughes (114)
  • Guram Kautateladze (155) vs. Jordan Vucenic (155)
  • Shamil Gaziev (262) vs. Don’Tale Mayes (265)
  • Mohammed Yahya (155) vs. Kaue Fernandes (155.5)
  • Alonzo Menifield (204) vs.  Azamat Murzakanov (205)

ABC at 3 p.m. Eastern

  • Joel Alvarez (155.5) vs. Eleves Brener (155)
  • Mackenzie Dern (115) vs. Loopy Godinez (115.5)
  • Tony Ferguson (170) vs Michael Chiesa (170)
  • Marlon Vera (136) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (135.5)
  • Shara Magaomedov (186) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (185)
  • Cory Sandhagen (136) vs. Umar Numagomedov (135)
  • Carla Esparza, the first UFC strawweight champion, announced that she was retiring with her final fight against Tecia (Torres) Pennington at UFC 307 on 10/5 in Salt Lake City.
  • Gray Maynard talks to the New York Post on the Cung Le lawsuit
  • AAA Verano de Escandalo is tonight in Aguascalientes with a cage match with Mesias & Dark Espiritu & Dark Scoria  vs. Dave the Clown & Murder Clown & Panic Clown vs Sanson &  Forastero & Fresero Jr.
  • AEW released an interview with Renee Paquette with Ortiz to build for his return from an injury
  • Those takes by Logan Paul and Pat McAfree on Algerian boxer Imane Khelif were really bad and I hope they both realize it by now.
  • GCW on Sunday in Asbury Park NJ at 5 pm. has Mike Bailey vs. Raj Singh (Jinder Mahal).
  • Lucha Va Voom on 8/16 at the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles with Taya Valkyrie, Magno, Peter Avalon, Jack Cartwheel and more.
  • Jeff Gorman will be signing his WWF and WCW history books King of New York and King of Atlanta tomorrow at Lion Heart Coffee on 530 Euclid Ave. in Cleveland from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and at 27 Club Coffee at 1215 W 10th St. in Cleveland from 2-5 p.m.