Daily Update: Weekend preview, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan

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See Dave & Bryan in London

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

In this issue:

  • Match of the Week and Wrestler of the Week
  • The big Saturday night with SummerSlam, UFC, Diaz vs. Paul, Collision and G-1 and who watched what
  • The departure of Brock Lesnar and his scheduled return, and departure of Ronda Rousey and her importance and the MMA rules attempt
  • The Bloodline angle
  • Business numbers including PPV, WWE buyers who bought Forbidden Door, Spence vs. Crawford and Diaz vs. Paul
  • What record did SummerSlam set and what record that it set will last only a few more weeks
  • The ruling in the Cung Le vs UFC lawsuit regarding it becoming a class action suit, what the judge said, the MLW suit against WWE, and how this lawsuit potentially affects WWE
  • Full coverage of the G-1 Climax tournament, with the storylines and match reviews from the past week
  • All In sets its own new record and update on the show
  • Full coverage of Saturday’s UFC show
  • CMLL anniversary show news
  • The most in depth look at the ratings of all national pro wrestling and MMA shows, including segment-by-segment and by different groups, as well as where the wrestling and MMA shows stood in the overall weekly cable and network standings
  • Lots of foreign stars coming to CMLL
  • TripleMania notes
  • Stardom Five Star Grand Prix tournament update
  • N-1 tournament update
  • NOAH sells out in seconds
  • New Japan’s All-Star Junior event in Philadelphia
  • Hulk Hogan and his new stories
  • Schedule of shows for London over All In weekend
  • Arenas trying to block their agreements with WWE from public view
  • Legendary tag team reunites
  • Young Bucks talk signing their new deals and current thoughts on wrestling
  • Full Gear 2023 update
  • Dynamite and Smackdown upcoming time changes for baseball playoffs
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Upcoming attendance numbers for WWE and AEW
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • Update on Forbidden Door PPV numbers
  • Dana White predicts a fight doing 10 million buys at $100 a view
  • New UFC main events
  • Bellator planning huge show
  • Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz
  • Logan Paul’s next fight and why it’s such a joke
  • Boxing superstar signs with MMA group
  • Vince McMahon’s ownership in the new UFC/WWE company
  • New Board of Directors
  • Plans for NXT
  • More on Kairi’s return
  • AEW star close to signing with WWE
  • WWE performer going for the real wrestling Triple Crown
  • How much is WWE currently worth

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

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Friday Update

Garrett and I did a two-hour interview with RevPro promoter Andy Quildan, talking all kinds of subjects from All In, RevPro’s new relationship with CMLL, RevPro history, the show at the Copper Box, Pat Patterson watching the British J Cup with me a few years ago, Leon Slater, Luke Jacobs and other stars on the rise, COVID and NXT UK’s effect on the British independent scene and so much more. Bryan and I will be back Sunday night talking the weekend news including the G-1 finals.

The big stuff this weekend is TripleMania and G-1. We’ll be doing polls on both G-1 shows at Sumo Hall and TripleMania and you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

When the fast nationals come in tomorrow for Smackdown, please note that they will be heavily inflated because a number of markets, including Atlanta and Detroit, are airing NFL football and not Smackdown in that time slot. Fast nationals only count the time slot, not the show. The actual ratings will be out on Tuesday but sometimes people every August jump to conclusions and think there was a huge rating when the number is actually inflated due to football.

Heard Kenoh vs. Yuki Yoshioka at today’s NOAH show at Korakuen Hall as part of the N-1 tournament was great.

Jon Moxley will be on the OTT anniversary show on 10/28 in Dublin at the National Stadium. He had promised them a date when he had to pull out of a date due to an AEW conflict some time back.

Bushi & Shun Skywalker vs. Matt Sydal & Yoh was added to the 8/19 All Star Junior show New Japan is putting on at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

We’re also looking for reports from these shows:

  • Smackdown tonight in Calgary (dark matches only)
  • NXT tonight in Sanford, FL
  • AEW Collision tomorrow night in Greensboro (ROH stuff only)
  • NXT tomorrow night in Jacksonville, FL
  • We’re looking for results, finishes, angles and other highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

A story on the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop and Ric Flair’s influence on it 

Hulk Hogan turned 70 today.

The person who gave Logan Paul the Brass Knuckles in the match with Ricochet at SummerSlam was Jeff Levin, his manager.

The WWE Smackdown show in Calgary tonight had almost 10,200 tickets out as of this afternoon. 

The G-1 semifinals are at 4 a.m. Eastern Saturday morning from Sumo Hall in Tokyo:

  • Master Wato & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Kaito Kiyomiya & Hayata
  • Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. Minoru Suzuki & Ren Narita
  • Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi & Togi Makabe & Toru Yano & Yoh vs. David Finlay & Gabe Kidd & Alex Coughlin & Chase Owens & KENTA
  • Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi & Bushi vs. Jeff Cobb & Great O’Khan & Aaron Henare
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Eddie Kingston & Tomohiro Ishii & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita
  • Sanada & Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Douki & Taka Michinoku vs. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa & Hikuleo & El Phantasmo & Jado
  • Will Ospreay vs. Tetsuya Naito in the G-1 semifinals
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Evil in the G-1 semifinals
  • The winners of the semifinals meet in the finals which start at 2 a.m. Eastern late Saturday night.

TripleMania from Arena Ciudad in Mexico City Saturday night at 10 p.m. Eastern:

  • Dalys & Lady Shani & Sexy Star vs. Chik Tormenta & La Hiedra & Maravilla
  • Copa Bardahl (usually a Rumble match) with Komander, Laredo Kid, Willie Mack, Dave the Clown, Pagano, Aramis, Mr. Iguana, Murder Clown, Arez, Octagon Jr., Myzteziz Jr., and Nino Hamburguesa
  • Negro Casas vs. Nicho
  • Taya vs. Flammer for the Reina de Reinas title
  • Penta vs. QT Marshall vs. Dralistico vs. Brian Cage for the vacant Latin American title
  • El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Mike Bailey vs. Daga vs Jack Cartwheel for the AAA Mega title
  • Rush vs. Sam Adons vs. LA Park vs. Psycho Clown, loser loses his hair or mask

UFC Saturday is an ESPN+ show from 4-10 p.m. Eastern:

  • Juliana Miler (126) vs. Luana Santos (126)
  • Da’mon Blackshear (136) vs. Jose Johnson (135.5)
  • Jaqueline Amorim (116) vs. Montserrat Ruiz (113)
  • Josh Parisian (266) vs. Martin Buday (266)
  • Francis Marshall (145.5) vs. Isaac Culgarian (145.5)
  • Terrance McKinney (156) vs. Mike Breeden (156)
  • JP Buys (136) vs. Marcus McGhee (136)
  • Josh Fremd (189) vs Jamie Pickett (186) -Fremd missed weight by three pounds and was fined
  • AJ Dobson (185.5) v. Tafon Nchukwi (189.5) – Nchukwi missed weight by 3.5 pounds and was fined
  • Polyana Viana (116) vs. Iasmin Lucindo (116)
  • Khalil Rountree (203.5) vs. Chris Daukaus (205)
  • Cub Swanson (146) vs. Hakeem Dawodu (146)
  • Rafael dos Anjos (171) vs. Vicente Luque (170.5)

Insane Wrestling Revolution on 9/28 in Monroe, MI has King Thom Latimer defending their title against Sami Callihan and Heath.

Eddie Kingston defends the New Japan Strong title on 9/23 in Seattle at Washington Hall for Defy against Rocky Romero.

Takumi Iroha won the West Coast Pro women’s title from Masha Slamovich last night. Iroha celebrated after the match with the legendary Chigusa Nagayo. Iroha then rushed back for Saki Akai’s 10th anniversary show for DDT on Sunday.

Impact has added a second show in Coventry, England on 10/29. Tickets for the show go on sale Wednesday at 9 a.m. UK time.

Helen Maroulis goes for a spot on Team USA in the 2023 world championships next month in Belgrade, Serbia tomorrow. Maroulis will face Xochitl Meta-Pettis in the 125 pound weight class. Due to a Maroulis injury, this match was delayed until tomorrow.