Daily Update: WWE notes, Bobby Fulton, Kazuchika Okada

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

August 22, 2022 Observer Newsletter: WWE Q2 financials, G1 Climax 32 finals

  • WWE business numbers for quarter two and how they compare with a year ago
  • Why numbers are up and where
  • Stephanie McMahon discusses the departure of Vince McMahon and first meeting Nick Khan
  • Stephanie McMahon discusses leaving and returning
  • Stephanie McMahon talks Vince McMahon’s interest going forward
  • How the recent PPV shows have done and put into perspective
  • Raw and Smackdown as compared with the TV business
  • How USA Network would be doing without Raw
  • How FOX would be doing without Smackdown
  • Nick Khan talks the sports rights landscape
  • Paul Levesque talks scouting new WWE talent
  • Actual paid attendance for this year’s WrestleMania and tickets sold for SummerSlam and Clash at the Castle s well as next year’ Wrestlemania
  • WWE revenue in every category
  • WWE live show attendance and merchandise
  • Kazuchika Okada repeats as G-1 winner
  • All the G-1 events over the past week as well as the business of G-1
  • The end of NXT UK and promise of NXT Europe
  • A list of WWE cuts
  • Clash at the Castle notes
  • UFC coverage of Saturday night’s show
  • The retirement of Rory MacDonald
  • TV ratings for wrestling and MMA shows this past week
  • How every segment on AEW programming did
  • Arena Mexico has one of its biggest events of the year
  • Stardom PPV notes
  • All Japan and NOAH tournament notes
  • Kota Ibushi update
  • Most popular wrestlers in Japan
  • Looking at media consumption
  • The biggest angle in Philadelphia Roller Games history
  • Behind the Punk-Page strange thing on television
  • Update on a major AEW return
  • Kenny Omega’s return
  • All Out plans
  • AEW adds new North American TV
  • Takeshita update
  • Ticket sales for upcoming WWE and AEW events
  • Streaming and international TV numbers
  • New major UFC fights
  • MMA legend to debut as a boxer next month
  • Major company trying to go public
  • Former UFC champion and his race for Governor
  • Former WWE star sues MMA company
  • Behind the Vince McMahon-Donald Trump payments for appearing on WWE show
  • Thoughts on new WWE signings

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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Saturday News Update

WWE

  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn shared the ring together for a dark segment after last night’s SmackDown in Montreal went off the air. The interaction included Owens saying he’s proud of Zayn and saying Zayn is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Owens was also involved in a post-show dark match, teaming with Riddle to defeat Ridge Holland & Butch.
  • Zayn thanked the Montreal crowd for the ovation they gave him on SmackDown: “STILL BUZZING FROM LAST NIGHT! This ovation from the Montreal crowd totally floored me. There’s no place like home. Thank you. I love you.”
  • Owens tweeted: “Montreal crowds RULE, every single time. Really pumped to see how Kingston, London and Toronto try to outdo the crowd we had at Smackdown…”
  • Former WWE wrestler Sarah Logan briefly appeared in the “Viking Funeral” that The Viking Raiders held for The New Day on SmackDown. Logan is married to Erik of The Viking Raiders.
  • Edge told Bleacher Report about how his match against Damian Priest for this coming Monday’s Raw in Toronto came together: “I sat down with Paul [Levesque] and I saw that Toronto was coming. We have this storyline with The Judgment Day. It felt like the perfect opportunity to do what we kind of used to do, which was promote a Raw match almost a month in advance. I thought it seemed like the perfect opportunity and a special moment, too.”
  • Edge also spoke about Triple H taking charge of WWE creative: “I’ve had a lot of creative input and that’s having 25 years of equity with the company,” he said. “In that regard, it doesn’t change a lot, but what’s so fun to see is that it’s going dressing room-wide now and that’s really cool. I think everyone feels super excited and stoked and just ready to see how certain things go. You can already see that’s happening. I think Paul looks at things like a fan because he still is a fan of this, just like I am. It’s bringing back Karrion Kross and Dakota [Kai]. It’s a really fun time to be involved with the company.”
  • On WWE After the Bell this week, Scarlett discussed working with Triple H: “Sometimes you feel, as a woman you feel very shut down, you don’t feel comfortable talking to boss about certain ideas. Hunter is always there a text away. We just messaged him yesterday with certain ideas and certain character arcs and storylines, things like that.”
  • BT Sport announced that Clash at the Castle will air live on BT Sport 2 in the United Kingdom instead of BT Sport Box Office.
  • WWE shared video of an unaired NXT segment with Sanga taking Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz to yoga.
  • Intercontinental Champion Gunther turns 35 years old today.
  • Sheamus, Bayley, Dakota Kai & IYO SKY, and Shayna Baszler were interviewed on The SmackDown LowDown this week.
  • Alexa Bliss appeared on the MackMania podcast.
  • WWE’s YouTube channel uploaded Rey Mysterio vs. Finlay in a stretcher match from Cyber Sunday 2007, Batista & Undertaker vs. Finlay & Mr. Kennedy from the April 27, 2007 episode of SmackDown, and a Roman Reigns/John Cena segment from the build to last year’s SummerSlam.

Other Wrestling

  • Bobby Fulton’s son Dillon announced last night that Fulton had to be rushed to the hospital for sepsis and double pneumonia. Dillon asked everyone to keep Fulton in their prayers.
  • Dillon then provided an update today noting that the next 48 hours are critical: “These next 48hrs are critical! Prayers for the doctors to have wisdom and a healing for dad!”
  • In a press conference after winning the G1, Kazuchika Okada said he’ll be taking some paternity leave before returning for the next NJPW tour: “Actually though, the other day my son was born. I’ve been lucky enough to receive some paternity leave from the company, which I’m very grateful for, and as I take a little bit of time off, I’ll be refreshing and then coming back to kick ass in the next tour. Thanks very much.”
  • Okada also spoke about not wanting to defend his Wrestle Kingdom title shot:
        • Right, I want to elevate the prestige of the G1 Climax, and to elevate the G1, I think you have to elevate the status of the contract that comes along with it. I don’t need an answer on this right away, but I do feel that for winning this tournament, for bringing the energy and the fire all the way through the G1, the winner should be in the main event at the Tokyo Dome, representing as the G1 Champion. That’s the stance that I would like to take as I head to Wrestle Kingdom.
        • Well, I think the idea of being the rights holder is strange. I’m saying that I will be in the main event against the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, so if you want to be in that spot, then rather than come for me, you should go for the belt. But if anyone has a debt they want repaid, a receipt they want to give, then they’re more than welcome to face me in a special singles match without the ‘rights’ on the line.
  • After wrestling at a charity show for C4 Wrestling last night, Eddie Kingston asked the owners of the promotion to donate his fee to the Canadian Cancer Society.
  • Daniel Garcia reflected on his match against Bryan Danielson from the latest episode of Dynamite: “My match on Wednesday was the kind of match that I always dreamt of having when I was a kid. I hope there’s a kid somewhere that watched it and wants to have one like that. And maybe it’s pretentious, but if they don’t have wrestling aspirations I hope they can apply lessons form the match into other avenues of their life”
  • Today marks one year since CM Punk made his AEW debut.
  • Miro will be participating in the Big 3 Celebrity Game, which takes place this Sunday and will air on CBS on September 4.
  • Chella Toys is releasing new Impact Wrestling action figures in 2023.