Daily Update: Top matches from the weekend, UFC antitrust lawsuit, Mistico

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Observer is up on the site now.  Among the stories covered are:

  • Lots of news on John Cena’s retirement tour
  • What plans are made and what are yet to be made
  • WWE marketing of Cena
  • The Ric Flair and Lou Thesz records
  • Who actually held the most world title reigns
  • The 15 biggest drawing cards in North American history
  • Cena’s early career
  • The Stephanie Vaquer timeline and why everything happened the way it did
  • SummerSlam top seven matches
  • Money in the Bank coverage
  • Unique poll result
  • Business notes on the show
  • PPV updates on Money in the Bank,  Forbidden Door, Double or Nothing and Diaz vs. Masvidal
  • Dana White talks about two giant deals from the past and why they fell through at the last minute
  • NXT Heatwave coverage  
  • All In update and business notes
  • Explaining the decline in cable television and how AEW compares to that
  • The most detailed look at  the TV ratings for all wrestling and MMA shows including competition, one-year comparisons and segment-by-segment.
  • Weekly TV placings for the top wrestling shows
  • Mistico  vs. Chris Jericho
  • G-1 updates
  • Oldest still-living major world champion agrees to come back for one last match
  • Notes on the Marigold PV show
  • Update on Kevin Sullivan
  • Second oldest living wrestler passes away, career dates back to the 1940s
  • Historical wrestling landmark about to be torn down
  • Major matches in Europe
  • Update on AEW TV negotiations
  • Lots of health updates on WWE stars
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers and what wrestler in main events makes a 31% positive difference in AEW international numbers
  • Studying the changes in submissions in UFC by the decade
  • Ronda Rousey praises Dana White and Paul Heyman
  • WWE talking new belts update

This Week’s Wresting Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Sunday Update

  • Bryan and I will be back tonight with our weekend show covering the NOAH show with A.J. Styles, SummerSlam, Marigold with Iyo Sky, Fantastica Mania, and the rest of the wrestling news.
  • Judge Richard Boulware on Friday once again would not sign off on the settlement in the Cung Le and Kajan Johnson lawsuits against UFC. He was clearly unhappy with both settlements, more the latter.  He did indicate that over the next week he would either ratify the settlements or not do so which would force a trial. Both sides do not want this to go to trial and he may take that into consideration and ratify even if he believes, which he clearly does, that the fighters are not getting a fair deal.
  • I will say you should go out of your way to see the A.J. Styles vs. Naomichi Marufuji and Iyo Sky vs. Utami Hayashishita matches from yesterday as well as Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Yoichi, Miku Aono vs Mirai, and Giulia vs. Saree.  
  • We’re looking for reports from WWE last night in Mexico City and tonight in Monterey with results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com. We’re also looking for your thoughts on NJPW Fantastica Mania, the NOAH show and the Marigold show, thumbs up, down or middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • Mistico challenged Douki for the IWGP jr. title last night in San Jose although they haven’t announced a date or place for that match.
  • The only thing for the week that made the top 20 Google searches was UFC was No. 7 last night with 200,000 searches which is a good number for a fight night.
  • The biggest thing from last night’s UFC event was Rose Namajunas winning the main event over Tracy Cortez by a solid decision. The semi was controversial as Muslim Salkkahov beat Santiago Ponzinibbio via split decision. Judge Dean Abeyta had Salikhov winning rounds one and two.  Judge Eric Colon had Ponazinibbio winning one and two, so they were totally opposite. Chris Lee had Salikhov winning one and two. Media scores were 69 percent for Ponzinibbio but two of the media scores for Salikhov were Ryan Frederick and Paul Fontaine from this site.
  • A&E will be airing its bio on The Miz at 8pm tonight.
  • Conor McGregor said that after talking to Dana White that his fight with Michael Chandler will definitely take place before the end of the year.
  • The N-1 tournament (NOAH’s version of G-1) is 8/4 to 9/1. Besides NOAH regulars, the A block has Josh Briggs from NXT and Luis Mante from Dragon Gate and B block has Tavion Heights from NXT, so Briggs and Heights will be off NXT television next month.
  • The next Marigold PPV shows will be 9/28 in Nagoya and 1/3 at the Ota Ward Gym in Tokyo. For those going to Japan for the first week of the year, you can add both the Marigold PPV on 1/3 and a NOAH PPV on 1/1 from Budokan Hall.
  • Sendai Girls runs Korakuen Halal tomorrow with Chihiro Hashiimoto vs. Jordynne race and a double title match with both the Sendai Girls world title and Wonder of Stardom titles defended by Mika Iwata against Saori Anou.
  • As noted yesterday, Davey  Boy Smith Jr. will be a regular for All Japan starting on 8/3 with his return match on 8/3 in Sendai against Jun Saito.
  • QT Marshall took first place last night in the Lenda Murray NPC Atlanta physique competition.  Marshall competed in the novice division in the classic physique category. He said it would likely be the only such contest he will enter.
  • Mark Wahlberg on his Instagram Friday night showed that he was watching the MLW Blood & Thunder show. Apparently it’s due to Paul Walter Hauser being on the show as they are working on a movie together.
  • King Mo Lawal, the former MMA star and pro wrestler, has signed to come out of retirement for  Bare Knuckle fighting on 9/13 in Hollywood, FL. He will face Dave Undell. Lawal has been coaching at Dan Lambert’s ATT  Gym in Florida. He retired in 2019 citing numerous injuries.