Daily Update: WWE notes, Steamboat home after surgery, UFC 226

THE ROUND-UP

THE LATEST NEWS

THE LATEST AUDIO

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Looking at WWE’s Universal title picture

Three months removed from the crowd rejecting the main event of WrestleMania, the Universal Championship picture is still a bit of a mess. It seemed like things were finally starting to fall into place with the announcement of a multi-man number one contender’s match for Extreme Rules. But, without all that much of a real explanation, the match was canceled the next week.

WON NEWSLETTER: (July 2, 2018): WWE announces new TV deals, more

The official announcement of the WWE’s new television deals for the 2019-2024 television seasons is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer. 

Find out about the financial figures for each year, what those numbers mean, what it means to WWE profitability, how much the company is now worth and how that valuation as compared to profits compares to other media stocks. Look at how much money Vince McMahon could have made if he didn’t sell so much in December.

Look at a very interesting part of the WWE/Fox deal that hasn’t been talked about. There are also notes from WWE Co-Presidents Michelle Wilson and George Barrios on the deal, what led to the deal, and how things have changed both regarding the perception of wrestling, its fans and other content ideas WWE has for television and streaming.

Read about the new Bellator deal with the money figures involved, how this changes the game for them, and how the entire game for all wrestling and MMA companies are no different due to these latest deals. 

Find out about the situation with Brock Lesnar and WWE, what the goals are for the latest storyline change, plans for the Extreme Rules PPV show and matches announced, matches told to the arena and matches seemingly being built.

Read the update on Rey Mysterio and WWE, Shinsuke Nakamura’s injury, Jeff Hardy’s injuries and lots of other WWE injury updates, Big Cass, Sami Zayn, Ronda Rousey as well as the amazing contract Oliver Luck got with Vince McMahon and what it says about the XFL. 

Look at Minoru Suzuki’s 30th anniversary show and match with Kazuchika Okada, the retirement of Rashad Evans, coverage of UFC from Singapore, a look at the PWG Battle of Los Angeles, and the WWE U.K.show.

ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer, or by using PayPal directing funds to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com. 

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WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

  • Today is the 25th anniversary of Lex Luger slamming Yokozuna in the WWF’s body slam challenge on the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier in New York. Their match at SummerSlam 1993 ended with Luger winning by countout, with him never becoming WWF World Champion.
  • This week’s SmackDown ratings are delayed due to the Fourth of July holiday.
  • WWE set up a future Samoa Joe vs. Tye Dillinger match in a post-SmackDown video. It wasn’t specifically announced whether the match will be on next week’s episode or not. Joe wasn’t on last night’s SmackDown and hasn’t been on the show since the Jun 19 number one contender’s gauntlet match.
  • Andrade “Cien” Almas, who hasn’t wrestled on SmackDown since May 22, defeated Sin Cara in a dark match prior to last night’s show but didn’t appear on television. SAnitY vs. The New Day was the post-205 Live dark match, with New Day standing tall after a DQ.
  • After returning at WWE’s UK shows at Royal Albert Hall last month and winning a number one contender’s match for a shot at the UK title, Noam Dar was back on 205 Live this week and quickly defeated TJP. He was Drake Maverick’s “hand-picked opponent” for TJP.
  • Finn Balor and Baron Corbin have continued their storyline from Raw on Twitter. Balor wrote that Corbin was getting released from NFL teams while he was winning the Best of the Super Juniors tournament in Japan, and Corbin called that “as impressive to me as winning an over 40 church basketball league mvp award.” Corbin tweeted that he just had to make a call to get into WWE when Balor had to wait for 10 years. Balor then responded by saying WWE called him to sign with the company and, unlike Corbin, he didn’t have to call them.
  • CM Punk’s career from 2006-2008 will be the subject of next week’s season finale of Something Else to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard and Conrad Thompson on the WWE Network.
  • The first trailer has been released for “Miz & Mrs,” The Miz and Maryse’s reality show that will premiere on the USA Network on July 24. Miz described the show in an interview with Entertainment Weekly: “We don’t want to reinvent the wheel, we just want to make a shiny new wheel that people can look at and go, ‘Wow, this is something special, this is something nice,. What we set out to do was make this show [so that] when you watch it you don’t literally look at it and go, ‘Oh that was fake’ or ‘That was real.’ You watch it like you watch Curb Your Enthusiasm, like you watch The Office, like you watch Modern Family. You watch it, you get enthralled by the characters, you follow the stories, and you just enjoy the show. … We made a 30-minute comedy and it’s things that people can relate to and I think that’s what’s gonna set us apart from everybody else.”
  • Dolph Ziggler will be performing a comedy show at Carolines on Broadway in Manhattan on August 17, which is the Friday of SummerSlam weekend. Renee Young, Charly Caruso, Tyler Breeze, Zack Ryder, and “other surprise guests’ are also advertised to appear.
  • Ahead of Friday’s house show at the Wells Fargo Center, Philly Voice has a Q&A with Matt Hardy on teaming with Bray Wyatt and using his “Broken/Woken” character in WWE.
  • WWE uploaded video of AJ Styles’ entrance from last Saturday’s house show at Sumo Hall in Tokyo. Styles wore an entrance mask that he’s been wearing when going back to Japan to wrestle.

Pro Wrestling

UFC/MMA

Daily Professional Wrestling History: Independence Day events

12th Annual F4W Empire Vegas Convention

Greetings friends and fans of the F4W / Wrestling Observer website. It’s time to announce the details of the 12th annual F4W / Wrestling Observer Empire Las Vegas Convention~!

This year’s event will be taking place in Las Vegas from August 16th to the 20th and will again be in conjunction with WWE’s SummerSlam weekend a.k.a. Super China Buffet Day~! There will still be the usual events, but our big draw will be WWE’s summer blockbuster PPV, SummerSlam. As per tradition, we will all gorge ourselves at a Las Vegas buffet, and then watch SummerSlam in a rented out movie theater. All information and ticketing prices are available now. Sign up ASAP as spots are limited for some events. 

This year will also feature a Future Stars Wrestling show which will include the first ever Gladys Gibson Doubles Match Classic! Already booked for the show are the teams Mia Yim & Leva Bates, Shotzi Blackheart & ???, Samantha Heights & Brittany Blake, and Miranda Alize & Kylie Rae. Also appearing will be Kris Wolf along with many more future stars. There may even be a classic star or two making an appearance. You won’t want to miss this show! Check out the convention’s Facebook page for all additional information.

CONTACT INFORMATION