Daily Update: SummerSlam fallout, Tony Ferguson, NOAH N-1 tournament

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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

Sunday Update

We have two weekend shows up on the site right now. My show with Garrett Gonzales on the week’s news including a talk with John Nash about the Cung  Le vs. TKO lawsuit is up along with last night’s show with Bryan talking SummerSlam, G-1, MJF at Arena Mexico, UFC, and lots of other WWE and AEW news.

Regarding the injuries last night, we don’t have any updates past that Jacob Fatu was supposed to be selling the leg after the splash, to keep him away from any confrontation with Roman Reigns. He was in a walking boot last night and people were talking about an ankle injury but nobody in WWE at the top level who would know has confirmed to us the nature of any injury or if it was just the planned angle. Logan Paul was injured in some form.

The show set all kinds of records and was the biggest money WWE event aside from a WrestleMania in history. Except for total attendance, where the largest SummerSlam was the 1992 show at Wembley Stadium, it was the second biggest ever. Wrestletix has it at 55,858. It wasn’t sold out as readers noted the South side of the highest deck was tarped and some other sections were tarped where tickets were sold and people were given lower and better tickets that hadn’t been sold. But in no way was this anything but an excellent crowd.

There was nothing of note at the press conference. There were no questions about Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon or anything, although there was one on Stephanie McMahon, who was there and shown during the show in the front row. Paul Levesque said she loves wrestling but has no official role in WWE and basically gave a you never know type answer regarding the future. Brandon Thurston was there but wasn’t called on for a question to Levesque. There were fans allowed in but they were not allowed to ask questions. There were a number of reporters also not allowed in due to space limitations with John Pollock being among them.

We’re looking for your thoughts on the show. You can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

Announced for Raw tomorrow night in Baltimore, which is basically sold out, is Sheamus vs. the returning Ludwig Kaiser, Miz & R-Truth vs. Austin Theory & Grayson Waller, New Day vs. AOP, Dakota Kai vs. Sonya Deville and Wyatt Sicks vs. Chad Gable & The Creeds. Obviously the show will be built around follow-ups from the Judgment Day and CM Punk-Seth Rollins angles.  The show is basically sold out.

Bron Breakker was acting as a babyface in his post-show interview. Drew McIntyre said that he was done with Punk, which means he’s not. Coming off the show I could see Gunther vs. McIntyre for Berlin, as Gunther has to be in the main event, and he’ll likely be a babyface in Germany. That’s just speculation as we’ll have a better idea after tomorrow night’s show.

A&E bios tonight are Trish Stratus at 8 p.m. and Becky Lynch at 9 p.m.

Tony Ferguson, at one point among the most popular fighters in the UFC, hinted at retirement after losing yesterday.  Ferguson submitted in the first round yesterday against Michael Chiesa on the UFC show in Abu Dhabi, hinted at retirement. He left one glove in the ring, but not the other. It was his eighth straight loss

Terrence Crawford who appeared on Smackdown twice in recent weeks, defeated Israil Madrimov at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113. A lot of the rounds were close. We don’t have a breakdown but many had Madrimov as the winner.

Olympic wrestling will be all over Peacock over the next week. They have a session from 9-11 a.m. Eastern tomorrow morning for women’s freestyle and men’s Greco Roman. Amit Elor of the U.S., a medal favorite and multi-time world champion, has her first match in that session.  Tuesday has stuff from 5 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and again from 12:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. There will be wrestling every day through next Sunday.  

NOAH’s N- 1 tournament started today in Yokohama. Titus Alexander beat WWE’s Tavion Heights, who returned to Japan where he competed in the 2021 Olympics, while Josh Briggs beat Ryohei Oiwa. NOAH’s top star, Kaito Kiyomiya, lost in the main event to former Open the Dream Gate champion Luis Mante of Dragon Gate.

Mina Shirakawa at last night’s Stardom show said that she would be leaving for a while to the U.S., so that would indicate maybe being back with AEW.

Tuesday 10/8 will be a major night for pro wrestling as Dynamite and NXT will go head-to-head.  Dynamite is being moved that week. We don’t know the reason but it’s presumably the baseball playoffs. The last time this happened, both companies loaded up and I’m sure that will happen again.

G-1 continues with Tuesday & Wednesday shows at Korakuen Hall.

The final day of the TMart Charlotte wrestling convention is today with tons of major names including Mick Foley, Masahiro Chono, Jerry Lawler, Missy Hatt, Kevin Von Erich, Paul Wight, Sid Vicious, Nasty Boys, Al Perez, Jimmy Valiant, Velvet Sky, Angelina Love, Ken Resnick, Bill Irwin, Tommy Young,  Len Denton and Thunderbolt Patterson.

There was a show last night at The Gathering before about 400 fans: Justin Kindred b Jovannsi, Big Vito b Andy Anderson, Psycho Boy Fodder & Angelina Love b Bozworth &  Samantha Starr, Colby Corino b Movie Myx, Ricky Morton b George South with Tommy Young as referee (South apparently cut some hilarious promos on the fans) Marti Belle & Allysin Kay b Emily & ?, Pitbull Gary Wolfe b CW Andeson, Nate the Great b Kerry Morton, Court Montgomery and Bam Bam Bundy for the TMart promotion championship when Nate speared Bundy.  Nate seemingly retired after the match. (thanks to Jamie Combs)

Bryan Danielson vs. Jeff Jarrett will be a no time limit no DQ match with Ricky Steamboat as a special guest at ringside on Wednesday. No time limit is notable because that would indicate the match will be of some length.  

Troy Waugh, an MMA referee from 2008 to 2014 who worked on UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator and World Series of Fighting shows in that period , passed away over the weekend due to brain cancer.

Earlier in the week, Sheamus and Sonya Deville were at Major League Soccer’s All-Star Skills Challenge in Columbus, OH and presented the Crown Legacy’s Chituru Odunze with a title belt for winning the Goalie Wars competition. (thanks to Brian Henke)

The King Bees defend the NWA women’s world tag titles at the NWA 76th anniversary show on 8/31 in Philadelphia against Ella Envy  & Ms. Starr.

Kirk White’s Big Time Wrestling from Friday night in Newark, CA, which was sold out:  Kaka Meng b Dom Cirrus, Ishmae Vaughn b Jiah Jewell, Toa Liona (AEW) b Juicy Finau, Journy Fatu and Lossefa Parisi in a South Pacific War party match featuring lots of chair smashing, Starboy Charlie b Lince Dorado, Too Fresh b Vinnie Massaro & Levi Shapiro, Viva Van b Jada Stone, Marcus Lewis & Big Fonz b Aaron Solo & Robbie Eagles.  Lewis vs. Solo will headline the building for the BTW title on 10/18 (thanks to Jim Davis).

James Storm and Marti Belle appeared on Saturday’s Memphis Wrestling TV show.

ESW Keystone debuts on 8/17 at the Saga Club in Erie PA with Spencer Slade vs. Channing Decker as the main event.

Wrestler Bulldog Dan Hansen passed away on Thursday due to kidney failure. The CAC reported his death yesterday.