Daily Update: WWE NXT ratings, AEW-WBD, MVP

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • The life of Vince McMahon and the Netflix documentary. This is a lengthy story talking about the documentary, my reactions, more details on the various stories talked about, comments from Vince McMahon, Bill Simmons, Ann Callis, things we did learn, what wasn’t accurate and what wasn’t and reviews.
  • More on what the latest settlement in the Cung Le lawsuit against UFC entails, how much more fighters will be getting if the judge approves this, and if the judge doesn’t, what happens next.
  • A note about Bad Blood and Wrestle Dream, interest levels of both and card update.
  • How the audiences for WWE & AEW have changed over the past year, as far as income, viewing together and age of viewers. What show viewerships have grown in income the most over the past year.
  • The most detailed look at the ratings of the past week, placings for the night and week, competition, segment by segment numbers and more.
  • The upcoming women’s World Grand Prix show.
  • Wrestling star accused of kidnapping his son
  • Toni Storm returns to Japan.
  • The 48th World Tag League from All Jaan
  • Thoughts on Queen of Villains
  • El Hijo del Santo retirement tour
  • Tony Khan talks more business
  • Fenix and Penta update
  • International TV ratings and streaming number s
  • Ricochet talks this past week
  • Ticket advances for upcoming WWE & AEW shows
  • More notes on the UFC show at The Sphere
  • Changes to WWE television in 2025

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE issued a press release this afternoon touting the ratings that NXT drew for its CW premiere episode. It’s noted that, with people 18-49 and people 25-54, this was The CW’s highest-rated telecast of 2024. The show (which averaged 895,000 viewers) peaked with 965,000 viewers from 8:15-8:30 p.m. for the end of the Roxanne Perez vs. Giulia NXT Women’s Championship match.
  • Paul “Triple H” Levesque tweeted: “It was a very special night in Chicago last night for @WWENXT. I’m always inspired when I’m around #WWENXT. The talent, work ethic and desire to be the best was evident throughout the night. @ShawnMichaels and crew put on an excellent show, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.”
  • WWE uploaded the full Ethan Page vs. Trick Williams NXT Championship match from last night. With CM Punk serving as the special guest referee, Williams defeated Page to become a two-time NXT Champion.
  • WWE has a post-show interview with Williams and Punk.
  • Cody Rhodes credited Paul Heyman, Jeremy Borash & Rob Fee for putting together his face-to-face segment with Roman Reigns that was filmed at Georgia Tech:
    • Hats off to Mr. Heyman, JB, and Rob Fee for putting it in such a stylized manner. Reminded me of when World Class [Championship Wrestling] used to have credits roll after.
  • Bron Breakker appeared on Casual Conversations with The Classic.
  • WWE remembered Yokozuna on what would have been his 58th birthday.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • Tony Khan told the Hollywood Reporter that, with AEW & Warner Bros. Discovery announcing their new media rights deal and tonight being the fifth anniversary of Dynamite, this is the biggest day in AEW’s history. Khan said tonight’s Dynamite will include a celebration of the new AEW-WBD deal.
  • Warner Bros. Discovery CEO of U.S. Networks Kathleen Finch believes there’s an opportunity for growth with AEW content joining Max in January:
    • The benefit now to WBD is to introduce this terrific event to a streaming audience, the Max audience, which may not have been exposed to AEW in any great way until now, starting in January, is going to have it every Wednesday and Saturday nights, as well as the library available to stream. So we are really excited about the growth opportunity and the excitement opportunity that the fandom can bring once we’ve got a new platform to expose AEW to.
  • Finch praised Khan for how AEW has grown in its first five years:
    • What he has done in five years is so miraculous that I think we sometimes lose sight of that. It’s the five-year anniversary tonight of something that should actually be 10 or 15 years old given all the growth that it’s had.
  • MVP hyped that he has a “big announcement” to make on Dynamite tonight.
  • While speaking with TV Insider, Britt Baker praised the current state of AEW’s women’s division:
    • I think the storytelling is key. You have to set the women up for success, just like the men. Like any other thing in pro wrestling, people want stories. They want a reason to care about a match. We’re at a time in pro wrestling where there are so many fantastic, amazing, incredible wrestlers that can go out there and have a match of the year any day of the week. You have to get people involved in more than just the spectacular wrestling caliber we’re living in now. 
    • There has to be a reason or story. Who am I cheering for? Who am I booing? It’s a tale as old as time most of the time, good versus evil. I think we’re seeing so much with the women’s division. Kudos to Tony Khan for really building and seeing these storylines out. We have as many women’s stars now as ever. I’m so happy and proud of that. I remember our humble beginnings when we didn’t have a lot of female signed period, let alone major stars who can be real draws and needle movers and can really get that roar from the crowd. Our girls are either beloved or hated, and that’s what we want. That’s what we are building toward. I think the division is in a good place and only going to better places.
  • Baker responded to reports that she’ll be appearing in the sixth season of Netflix’s “Cobra Kai” series:
    • I will say I can not confirm or deny. But if I were in Cobra Kai, that would be really cool because it’s one of my favorite shows. I’m also a massive Karate Kid fan. That would be really cool. I’ll leave it at that.
  • Renee Paquette spoke with Kyle Fletcher on the latest episode of Close Up.
  • Denise Salcedo interviewed Serena Deeb.
  • SHAK Wrestling has an interview with Juice Robinson.
  • AEW wished Skye Blue a happy 25th birthday.
  • Billy Corgan appeared on NWA Power this week, cutting a promo that was taped at the NWA’s 76th anniversary show this August. Corgan declared that – as long as he owns the NWA – the promotion isn’t going anywhere:
    • I bought this company to bring it back to the top – and we are going to do that. Because as long as I own the National Wrestling Alliance, we aren’t going anywhere. We can’t be stopped. We are wrestling history. We are wrestling as it’s meant to be. And if any man wants to come out and try to take the NWA from me, he’ll have to do it or she’ll have to do it out of my cold, dead hands.
  • Thom Latimer won the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship from EC3 in the main event of this week’s Power.
  • Sexy Star II announced that she’s departing Lucha Libre AAA on October 21.
  • Atlantis Jr. will be in action at MLW Lucha Apocalypto in Cicero, Illinois on Saturday, November 9.
  • The Rich Eisen Network is launching a new wrestling podcast – titled “No-Contest Wrestling” – co-hosted by actor O’Shea Jackson Jr.