Daily Update: WWE notes, MJF-CMLL, TNA Slammiversary

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered:

  • The big weekend,matches, booking,business, favorites and strategies
  • The life and times of Cowboy Bob Ellis, one of the great babyfaces of his era. A long career as a star all over the world, defining the wrestling cowboy character, the bulldog headlock, wars with Dick the Bruiser and why he had a long career but his top ten drawing days were only a few years.
  • Donald Trump wants a UFC show at the White House on July 4, 2026
  • Preview of the G-1 Climax tournament
  • The most in depth look at the ratings for all the TV shows, including quarters, competition, people watching together, year over year and week over week comparisons and all the little details you won’t get anywhere else on the shows.
  • The Arena Mexico business milestone and comparisons to 2006 and 1991 boom periods and CMLL sells out three shows this past week.
  • AAA has one of its big shows of the year this week
  • Details over the attempt to trademark a major name as part of a fight between wrestler and promoter
  • Stardom star taking a temporary leave
  • Dragon Gat’s biggest show of the year
  • Tiger Mask retires in 2026
  • Notes on Tanahashi Jam
  • Updates on Ric Flair and Wendi Richter
  • Highest ratings for a woman’s main event in American television history
  • Tons of major indie shows coming up
  • Maple Leaf Wrestling coverage
  • Grandson of legend about to start out
  • Kim Wood, the architect of the Brian Pillman storyline, turns 80
  • TNA attempts to upgrade its U.S. TV situation
  • Ticket sales for upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA shows
  • Kenny Omega talks, taking risks, career, match philosophy and future
  • Tony Khan talks more stadium shows, Britt Baker, U.S. record gate ad Unified title
  • How much is the Khan sports empire worth, the TKO sports empire and where both trank in the world standins
  • New contract signings
  • AEW quarter two television final numbers and explaining what the numbers mean
  • Jim Ross update
  • Lots of business updates
  • Phil Davis talks attempt to legally change the foundation of MMA to make it like a real sport
  • Randy Couture update
  • A $25 million tournament announced
  • Update on Janel Grant case
  • WWE stars in acting roles and a movie that will a top name from both WWE & NJPW
  • Wrestlers who get harassed the most in social media

This Week’s Back Issue

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Thursday Update

WWE

  • During an interview with TV Insider, CM Punk was asked if he and his wife AJ Lee have any plans to work together on a TV or movie project:
    • There are really two things me and my wife don’t do together. One is to work out and the other is to work together. It’s really the perfect relationship. She is my partner through and through. She has her things, and I have mine. When the right thing comes along, I guarantee we will work together. Although I’m not looking over her shoulder while she is slaving away at her computer telling her to write a role for me for her many projects coming up. I’m sure it will happen if it fits. And it has to fit. It can’t be forced. It can’t be her just writing something for me or vice-versa or me trying to get her slotted into something because she is my wife. She is a creative genius and extremely talented in her own right. So, anything we do end up doing together will be super fun, but it has to be the right fit.
  • Peacock announced that it is increasing its price by $3 per month beginning on July 23:
    • Starting July 23, the price for Peacock Premium (which includes ads) will increase by $3 to $10.99/month and Premium Plus (which has limited ads in live programming) by $3 to $16.99 per month. Peacock’s annual price will be $109.99/year for Premium and $169.99/year for Premium Plus.
  • On a new episode of their Nikki & Brie Show, Nikki and Brie Bella recapped WWE Evolution weekend. Brie Bella said she was bummed to miss the show, but she believes everything happens for a reason:
    • I was yearning to be in Atlanta, to either watch live or I would have loved to have been in a match or been part of something. At the same time, where I’m at in my life, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. Everything is meant to be.
    • There were so many Bella Army people hitting me up, ‘I’m so bummed you’re not there.’ I am, too, but it’s Nikki’s time. Fingers crossed, I would love to come one day. If that will ever happen. If it doesn’t, then it doesn’t. That’s fine.
  • Rhea Ripley thanked IYO SKY following their match at Evolution: “Always bet on yourself. From the Pre show dark match [Ripley vs. Dakota Kai] at Evolution 1 to the Main event of Evolution 2! Thank you @Iyo_SkyWWE for making history with me”
  • Stephanie Vaquer posted a thank you to Stephanie McMahon following the moment they shared at Evolution: “Thank you, @StephMcMahon, for empowering women and elevating this women’s division to new heights. I’m proud and deeply grateful to all the trailblazers who paved the way, so that today we can chase our dreams and make history together.”
  • Gymnast and model Livvy Dunne joined McMahon on this week’s episode of her “What’s Your Story?” podcast.
  • Ludwig Kaiser expressed his appreciation for how William Regal, Dave Taylor, Fit Finlay, and Robbie Brookside paved the way for European wrestlers in the United States.
  • NXT wrestler Brooks Jensen made a surprise appearance on WWE Evolve last night, attacking Evolve Champion Jackson Drake.
  • Logan Paul uploaded a new vlog.
  • WWE ranked The Rock and Triple H’s ladder match from SummerSlam 1998 as the 14th greatest match in SummerSlam history. Here is the countdown so far:
    • 25. Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar (2023)
    • 24. Seth Rollins vs. John Cena title vs. title match for the WWE Championship and United States Championship (2015)
    • 23. The Undertaker vs. Bret Hart for the WWF Championship (1997)
    • 22. Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship (2019)
    • 21. Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship (2022)
    • 20. Randy Orton vs. Christian no holds barred match for the World Heavyweight Championship (2011)
    • 19. Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker (2015)
    • 18. Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk TLC match for the World Heavyweight Championship (2009)
    • 17. Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship (2001)
    • 16. Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero ladder match (2005)
    • 15. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman for the Universal Championship (2017)
    • 14. The Rock vs. Triple H ladder match for the Intercontinental title (1998)

Other Wrestling

  • A promo aired on CMLL Informa last night with MJF challenging Averno to a CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship match. MJF, who is feuding with Mistico, said he wants to win the belt because he knows it means more to Mistico than any other championship in the world.
  • Indie star Kevin Ku appeared as a security guard on Dynamite in a segment with Adam Copeland and Stokely Hathaway.
  • Kazuchika Okada debuted new theme music on Dynamite. The song, which replaces the music Okada had used since NJPW, is named “C.U.R.I.O.S.I.T.Y.” by ONE OK Rock featuring Paledusk and CHICO CARLITO.
  • After losing their in-storyline EVP titles, The Young Bucks were given a purposely low-rent entrance on Dynamite with no pyro.
  • Ricochet filed a trademark for the nickname “Lightskin Kingpin” on July 16.
  • MuscleManMalcolm uploaded an interview with Kyle Fletcher.
  • Marina Shafir appeared on a new episode of Saraya’s Rulebreakers podcast.
  • The Frathouse (Jacked Jameson & Cole Karter) were the guests on AEW Unrestricted this week.
  • TNA Wrestling announced that all floor seats for Slammiversary have sold out ahead of the PPV taking place at UBS Arena in Long Island, New York this Sunday:
    • Major Slammiversary Update: TNA Wrestling confirmed that all floor seats are officially sold-out for this Sunday’s showcase event at the UBS Arena in New York. Plus, Slammiversary will be the biggest attendance of any TNA show in more than 10 years — and it is projected to be the largest crowd at any TNA Wrestling live event in the U.S. in company history.
  • While speaking with The Takedown on SI, TNA President Carlos Silva reiterated his desire for TNA Impact to air live weekly if the promotion can secure a TV deal that would make the idea financially feasible:
    • I think the first thing, I mean, I’m a live guy. I’ve been a live guy my whole career. The team that we’ve built believes in live, I would love TNA to be live every week. Live, every week, is a different animal, logistically and operationally. I know the team that we’ve got can handle it.
    • The partnerships that we’ve got would support it. But there’s a different cost structure around going live 52 weeks a year, whether you’re in a location like a performance center-type of place, some of the year you’re traveling, part of the year, it just changes the dynamic around operationally allocating your costs. And I think that would be the first thing that would change.
  • Silva added that he knows going live is something the fans want as well:
    • I know the fans want us to be live every week. I want to be live every week. It’s why we’ve started to open up some more live windows, because I think the wrestlers perform differently live as well, and they’ll tell you when we have our meetings together, they love the energy of live. And so really, that’s the linchpin of what it would do for us as we sort of go to the next level.
  • TNA has entered into an agreement with A-Game Hydration to make A-Game the official hydration partner of TNA. The beverage company was founded by former baseball star Johnny Damon, who will be appearing at TNA’s charity softball game in Merrick, New York this Saturday.
  • The Battleground Podcast interviewed Mike Santana.
  • Revolution Pro Wrestling revealed that CPF (Joe Lando & Danny Black) will be Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI’s opponents for a match in Sheffield, England on August 27.
  • The Augusta Free Press spoke with Dan Severn.