Daily Update: WWE-AAA, Shingo Takagi, AEW

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • Lots more on the AAA sale to TKO (and that it’s not actually completed), CMLL’s cryptic response, Grand Slam Mexico, Dorian Roldan talks why he sold and Konnan and Latin Lover talk the future of AAA and in theory how things change in Mexico and the U.S., plus the major business goals.
  • Tam Nakano ends her career, Mayu Iwatani leaves Stardom, Stardom puts on its biggest show with its biggest match in history and a couple of award categories this should do well in.
  • Update on WWE Backlash
  • Update on both major lawsuits against Vince McMahon and WWE. New plaintiffs emerge in the ringboys suit and a new Vice President is implicated, and Janel Grant’s attorneys push for the case to move forward while the defendants want discovery held up.
  • Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff promote Real American Freestyle. What they need for success, what mistakes they’ve already made and is Hogan the right person to the face of the company
  • Full coverage of TNA Rebellion
  • Long story on the Hollywood Demons episode on the Von Erichs, how this is different from other stories, more on the deaths, the political situation in Texas and things in the new documentary that aren’t completely accurate, as well as dispelling major myths.
  • The most detailed look at the ratings, including placings, demos, competition and more for all the shows
  • End of the CMLL Universal championship tournament with a super finish
  • MLW vs. CMLL matches this week
  • Champion Carnival update
  • Lots of New Japan big matches coming up
  • Meiko Satomura retires
  • Big indie shows this week
  • Big Progress tournament this week
  • RVD injury update
  • More NXT stars on TNA television
  • AEW expects one of its biggest gates for upcoming show
  • Bryan Danielson talks his career and AEW
  • Advanced ticket sales for upcoming WWE and AEW shows
  • Lots of injury updates
  • PFL involved in a number of messy lawsuits
  • Freak show fight with powerlifters gets major attention
  • SmackDown time slot change
  • Did you know the person behind the movie with Liv Morgan did a movie based on a Hall of Fame 80s and 90s pro wrestling legend
  • Value of WWE’s PLEs on the open market
  • The story of the most powerful man in combat sports that most reporters aren’t touching
  • Lots of notes on the Smashing Machine movie
  • How much Dwayne Johnson has made since joining the TK Board
  • More talk on a WWE all-women’s PPV show

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Monday Update

  • Bryan and I will be back tonight talking about the news, and there is a lot of it today, as well as Dontaku, Dead or Alive and of course Raw with Wrestling Observer Radio.
  • Angel & Berto are on the AAA TripleMania Regia show on 6/15 in Monterrey.  We had heard this and Latin Lover confirmed it.  They were the only names he said.  The other names we’ve heard are the Hardys and Joe Hendry.
  • Shingo Takagi said his faction was finished after Dontaku.
  • Rhino will be on both the  Wednesday and Thursday AEW shows in Detroit.    We haven’t seen an update in tickets since last week but the Thursday show was not doing well, but they also discounted prices.
  • Dragon Gate Dead or Alive took place today.  Told it was a good show.  The big angle was that Madoka Kikuta turned on Yuki Yoshioka in the Dead or Alive cage match so Yoshioka was the ultimate loser and lost his hair.
  • We’re doing weekend polls on the New Japan Dontaku shows, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle for each show along with a best and worst match from each show to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • Raw tonight in Omaha has Gunther and Pat McAfee in a face-to-face with Adam Pearce, Otis vs. Rusev, Iyo Sky vs. Roxanne Perez, Penta vs. JD McDonagh, plus Beckly Lynch and Lyra Valkyria will have an angle and Paul Heyman, Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker are there.   There were 10,500 tickets out as of several days ago so I would expect a sellout or close.  
  • We’re looking for reports on tonight’s show with the Main Event bouts and anything not on the live show to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • Those in Mexico believe this is related to WWE signing La Hiedra (for Mexico), from Stephanie Vaquer on X, “I’m focused on my own journey and karma is  handling the rest.”  Vaquer had a restraining order in Mexico out against Hiedra at one point based on comments made regarding the situation with Rogelio Reyes (Vaquer’s ex-boyfriend, wrestler Cuatrero, who she acusted of sexual assault.
  • Smackdown on Friday night did 1.41 million viewers and 0.37 in 18-49.  The latter is the lowest in some time.  I’d say almost the entire season would be the final two hours went against the Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets playoff game that did 4.61 million viewers and 1.40.  The NHL playoffs on TNT & Tru with St. Louis vs Winnipeg did a combined 832,000/0.28.  This is the time that all pro wrestling numbers go way down until the end of the NBA playoffs.  It happens every year, nothing to be alarmed by.
  • New Japan’s Friday night show in Ontario, CA that features the Young Bucks in an eight-man tag, teasing Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows as their partners against Gabe Kidd & David Finlay & Clark Connors & Gedo. The main event just announced is Hirooki Goto vs. Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP title.
  • Ultimo Guerrero won the MLW national openweight title from Matthew Justice on Friday night at Arena Mexico.  Guerrero will defend it on Saturday at Cicero Stadium against Zandokan Jr. and Barbara Cavernario in a three-way.  Magnus & Rugido won the MLW tag titles from Okumura & Satoshi Kojima also on Friday night.
  • Vincent & Dutch are no longer under contract with AEW/ROH.  
  • Former WWE star Mike “Duke the Dumpster” Droese was indicted on charges of attempted aggravated sexual assault on a minor.  The District Attorney in Warren County, TN put out a press release saying that on April 21, 2024, Droese used his Coinbase account to attempt to pruchase child pronography from the Dark web.  He was released on $10,000 bond.
  • Jackie Redmond won’t be at Raw tonight because she covered an NHL  game last night and missed her flight due to the game going long and wasn’t able to make it to Omaha.
  • The NXT talent released on Friday will be free agents on 6/1.
  • United Wrestling Coalition on 5/10 in New Egypt, NJ at the  American Legion. in a show billed as an 80s party.
  • Defy on 5/16 in Seattle at  Washington Hall has Minoru Suzuki vs. Joey Janela Marina Shafir defends the women’s title against Kylei Rae and Sinner & Saint from TNA defend the tag titles against Los Suavecitos.