Daily Update: Tony Khan, Britt Baker, Nick Aldis

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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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Wednesday Update

WWE

  • Pat McAfee discussed the “Attitude Era pops” that LA Knight is getting: ‘The pops he’s getting whenever his music hits are f*cking Attitude Era pops. WWE knows. They hear the pop every time. They know. He’s good. I told him numerous times how big of a fan I am of him. At that time, I don’t think he was necessarily taking compliments as well because he wasn’t able to do his thing (he was still Max Dupri). Now, I’m super pumped for him.”
  • Cody Rhodes told SI FanNation that he’d like to induct his brother Dustin Rhodes into the WWE Hall of Fame one day: “I would like to induct Dustin into the Hall of Fame. I would also never turn down an opportunity to team with him again, and we’ve had an even better experience wrestling against each other.”
  • Gunther was featured on the front page of Austria’s number one newspaper.
  • Bayley, Xavier Woods, and Tyler Breeze were on WWE’s The Bump this afternoon.
  • Kayla Braxton announced on The Bump that Megan Morant is replacing her as a co-host of the show. Morant will host the show alongside Matt Camp and Ryan Pappolla. Braxton will still be providing content for The Bump and working as a backstage interviewer for SmackDown.
  • NXT’s Ariana Grace, who has been out of action since undergoing surgery last October, noted that she was able to resume bumping in the ring yesterday: “Bumped in the ring today for my first time in sooooo long wrestlers you know how I’m feeling excited as anything & sore!”
  • CBS Sports and Fox News have interviews with Seth Rollins.
  • The New York Post interviewed Shayna Baszler.
  • Drew McIntyre was a guest on Under the Ring.
  • Samantha Irvin appeared on this week’s episode of Out of Character.
  • United States Champion Austin Theory turns 26 years old today.
  • WWE has a Playlist video chronicling Roman Reigns and Jey Uso’s road to SummerSlam.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • Tony Khan told the Orlando Sentinel that tonight’s Dynamite will include the start of match announcements for All In at Wembley Stadium:
          • Looking at the path we’d be on this summer towards All In at Wembley, I always felt tonight in Tampa would be the perfect place to begin match announcements and officially take that next step. It’s perfect timing, the perfect amount of excitement. The 200th episode is important to the network and to the fans. It’s a major milestone for Dynamite, and it happens to be four weeks out from All In.
  • Khan called the MJF and Adam Cole tag team “one of the great success stories” in AEW history:
          • You hope that it gets hot, but this has gotten red hot, and fans are so excited about it that it’s one of the great success stories in AEW’s history. It’s a story that may be relatable in some ways, fans may be living vicariously through it in other ways, but it’s great to see the whole world get behind this bromance between two dudes who nobody expected to see click quite like this.
  • TV Insider asked Britt Baker about her reaction to the “Book the Women’s Division Better” sign a fan had at last week’s Dynamite. In her answer, Baker said she agrees that the best matches come out of storylines that fans are invested in:
          • I see both sides to that because I completely agree. The absolute best matches that come out of professional wrestling come out of storylines you are so invested in. There are weeks and months that tell this beautiful story. It’s something we haven’t been able to invest as much time in the women’s division lately. Again, there are many factors. Injuries, this and that. I definitely want to get to the point where we can get some solid storytelling with the women.
          • At the same time the fans who hold signs that say to book the women’s division better, that’s great. Then when I go on Twitter it doesn’t echo that. I don’t see the same support. It’s I hate these two wrestlers. This match was too long. This match was too short. If all you see about women’s wrestling is all negative online, it doesn’t add up to what they are preaching. If you want the women to be booked better, support the women.
          • You don’t have to like every wrestler and every match. You also don’t have to get on Twitter and preach from the mountaintops how much you hated things. Some stuff, keep to yourself. I can’t tell you how many times I go to a restaurant and I don’t like how my steak is cooked. I don’t need to talk to the chef and take 30 pictures of the steak to tell them I don’t like how this steak is cooked. There is too much invested in the negativity that it does so much harm. I hope people realize one day how much harm it does to not only the individuals and mental health, but to the industry as a whole.
  • MJF will be doing a face-to-face town hall interview with Busted Open Radio’s Dave LaGreca at SiriusXM Studios on Monday, August 21.
  • Nick Aldis announced that, due to a back injury, he has to miss bookings in Chicago this weekend and Puerto Rico later this month: “I’m sorry to report that I have to pull out of my bookings in Chicago this weekend for @DWWrestling & Puerto Rico later this month; I’ve been dealing with a back injury for a while and it’s at a point where I can’t deliver at the level I deem acceptable for fans. I’m sorry to let people down especially the promoters who have been so understanding and professional. See you down the road…”
  • Allysin Kay is the first entrant announced for the Burke Invitational Gauntlet at NWA 75.
  • Kevin Knight vs. Clark Connors has been added to the card for All Star Jr. Festival USA in Philadelphia on Saturday, August 19. The match will be part of the All Star Jr. USA Tournament. It’s a one-night, single-elimination tournament featuring four participants.