Daily Update: WWE notes, Kosei Fujita, Joey Janela
Daily Update
Latest News
- WWE VP on potential of co-promoted show with AEW: ‘No interest’
- Subscriber exclusive: Bryan Alvarez’s AEW Dynamite report
- Wingstop logo to be featured on WWE SummerSlam mat
- CM Punk details interaction with Jesse Ventura: One of the ‘coolest things’ ever
- Shane McMahon issues statement on ‘great’ meeting with AEW’s Tony Khan
Latest Audio
- Wrestling Observer Radio: Shane McMahon & AEW talk, Danielson’s career, UFC lawsuit update
- Figure Four Daily: Lance and Filthy join to talk WWE Speed, WWF, UFC lawsuit, Smackdown, Bloodsport
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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Among the stories in this issue:
- Update on SummerSlam and All In, lineups, possible additions, things expected to happen, business notes on both shows, ticket sales and where they will stack up in the all-time historical records. We also look at the stories behind the matches.
- London Mayor Sadiq Khan meets with Nick Khan and Paul Levesque regarding bringing WrestleMania to the city.
- Notes on the first week of the G1 Climax tournament, stories, standings, business and quality of the matches.
- Notes on week two of G1
- Part one of our story on the life and career of Canadian star Leo Burke, a Stampede Hall of Famer and how he shaped the career of Bret Hart, and trained some of the biggest names in wrestling
- Vince McMahon’s lawyers try and shut down a motion by Janel Grant’s lawyers
- TNA Slammiversary, its biggest crowd in years and how it was done, PPV numbers update, and full show coverage
- Coverage of Dragon Gate & DDT’s biggest shows of the year
- The most detailed look at the ratings of all the major pro wrestling shows, placings, competition and segment-by-segment
- What the CMLL current era compares to in Mexican history
- A look at the big matches coming over the next month including AEW stars and World Grand Prix participants
- Stardom PPV shows this weekend
- 50th anniversary celebration
- One of the top legends of this era pushing his farewell tour
- Bloodsport notes
- Next few weeks of TNA television
- Update on AEW TV negotiations
- Lots of AEW injuries
- Tony Khan talks about strippaing titles vs. waiting for champions to recover
- Darby Allin talks current scene
- Ticket sales for upcoming AEW & WWE shows
- International TV ratings and streaming numbers
- Cung Le lawsuit update
- Top ten male and female fighters of the 21st century
- Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry and update on celebrity fights and how they are doing
This Week’s Wresting Observer Newsletter Back Issue
Thursday Update
WWE
- Yesterday, Paul “Triple H” Levesque acknowledged the 28th anniversary of Kurt Angle’s Olympic gold medal win: “28 years ago, he proved he was the absolute best on the planet and set the tone for the rest of his career. Not to mention… he did it with a broken freakin’ neck. Proud to call Olympic Gold Medalist @RealKurtAngle my friend.”
- Chris Legentil – WWE’s executive vice president of talent relations and head of communications – was interviewed on Sports Media with Richard Deitsch. He responded to a question about how WWE approaches multi-year contracts vs. one-year deals:
- I don’t know if we want to go too far into the length of contracts, but what I would say is – if you’re doing short, single-year contracts, you wind up in a position where you are always negotiating because you’re always some number of months away from the deal expiring. So, on balance, a longer deal is helpful for a variety of reasons, not least that you don’t spend all of your time negotiating the next one but rather focusing on the job itself.
- Ahead of SummerSlam, Drew McIntyre trolled CM Punk by posting a video of himself working out to Punk’s old ROH theme music.
- WWE uploaded a CM Punk SummerSlam week vlog.
- Punk told the SI Media podcast that he still picks Paul Heyman’s brain about ideas “all the time”
- Bayley visited San Francisco 49ers training camp yesterday.
- WWE Hall of Famer Queen Sharmell appeared on the latest episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet. She discussed having NXT wrestlers compete for Reality of Wrestling:
- It’s great for the fans, obviously, because they get to see the superstars that they watch on television. They get to see them up close and personal. And it’s great for our students because they get to work somebody who’s there at the next level. So it’s a good rub for them.
- The Miz joined Cody Rhodes on this week’s episode of “What Do You Wanna Talk About?”
- Bron Breakker stopped by The Pat McAfee Show in advance of SummerSlam.
- MMA fighter Demetrious Johnson interviewed The Undertaker on his Mighty podcast.
- WWE wished Carmelo Hayes a happy 30th birthday.
- WWE wrestlers discussed their favorite SummerSlam moments.
AEW/Other Wrestling
- AEW uploaded post-Dynamite promos from Will Ospreay, Kris Statlander & Stokely Hathaway, and The Conglomeration.
- NJPW revealed that Kosei Fujita has sustained an AC joint injury to his left shoulder and will miss their events on August 4, August 7, and August 10.
- Fujita tweeted that he’ll be back in the ring as soon as possible.
- Joey Janela announced last night that, for the time being, his August schedule is uncertain due to gallstone pancreatitis:
- Well I’ve been in pain for quite a while, worst the past couple days along with insane vomiting I braved through it to do a something at the limp bizkit concert and today had to check into a hospital.
- Turns out I have gallstone pancreatitis, my August schedule is uncertain for the time being, and bills gonna be through the roof. I’ll be trying to get some merch out there, should be in here for a minute.
- Matt Riddle vs. Matthew Justice is set for MLW Summer of the Beasts in New York City on Thursday, August 29.
- Mustafa Ali will compete for Prestige Wrestling at their show in Portland, Oregon on Sunday, September 29.
- AEW wished a happy 45th birthday to Prince Nana.