Daily Update: WWE Raw, Damian Priest, UFC 305

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Observer:

  • Updating the situation with Ricochet, the WWE angle, his legacy, future, comments by Will Ospreay and a look at his pre-WWE career.
  • Preview of Clash at the Castle, the matches, thoughts on the bouts, attempt to set records and more.
  • Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler falls apart, the quietness of the last two weeks, replacement fights and other pull-outs.
  • Just how much money McGregor would have generated on this night
  • New Japan Dominion coverage, Hikuleo leaving for WWE, Super Juniors finals, Forbidden Door angles, G-1, this week’s big show and more.
  • NXT Battleground coverage, the Apex,  the bouts, the timing of the show.
  • Final WrestleMania live business numbers from the Pennsylvania commission.  What was the real attendance for both nights, Raw, Smackdown and NXT.
  • Huge story on part two of Who Killed WCW, company finances running a wrestling business then vs. now, what went wrong, Hogan vs. Goldberg and real story behind the lack of build, where the money was left on the table, Goldberg as champion, booking philosophy and more.
  • Why WCW lost top stars under Jim Herd
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for wrestling and MMA TV shows, including how close another MMA show came to UFC this past week, placings for the week, competition for the shows, segment-by-segment an more
  • More on who CMLL talent is allowed to work with
  • Lots of big matches coming to CMLL over the next week
  • El Hijo del Vikingo update
  • Notes on the movie about a current wrestling star released in Japan
  • Next Stardom PPV and Five Star Grand Prix notes
  • WWE & NOAH announcement coming
  • Big NOAH match this week
  • Despe Invitational show
  • Iyo Sky comes to Marigold and how ticket sales went
  • Mexican and Japanese group working together
  • Bloodsport notes
  • Sad Steve McMichael update
  • Passing of Larry Santo
  • One of pro wrestling’s all-time legends from way back is being honored in his home town next week
  • Celebrity Wrestling show earmarked
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Forbidden Door update
  • How the Arlington tapings for AEW are doing
  • Advance ticket sales for WWE & AEW shows
  • CMLL talent being booked for Dynamite at the last minute
  • International TV ratings and top streaming numer
  • Dana White asked to channel Andy Kaufman
  • Consideration to changing MMA rules
  • PFL tournament updates
  • Manny Pacquiao coming to Rizin
  • Drew McIntyre inducted into Scotland Hall of Fame
  • Update on Vince McMahon legal action
  • PPV updates
  • More Dwayne Johnson projects

This week’s Wresting Observer Newsletter back issue

Monday Update

  • Bryan and I will be back tonight talking about all the wrestling news with Wrestling Observer Radio.
  • Raw tonight is from Corpus Christi, TX, a show which sold out weeks ago. Right now the listed attendance is just under 7,800. With a short-PPV turnaround we should get some info regarding Money in the Bank.  Plus, the reveal of the new version of the Wyatt Family with Bo Dallas, Nikki Cross, Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis as the expected group was pushed hard during Smackdown with clues for tonight. Also on the show are MITB qualifying bouts with Zelina Vega vs. Kiana James vs. Iyo Sky and Rey Mysterio vs. Jey Uso vs. Finn Balor. Dragon Lee vs. Carlito is also announced and Xavier Woods vs. Karrion Kross was announced as well. We’re looking for reports from the live show with Main Event bouts to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • Damian Priest was said to be fine when he arrived with no significant injury after the scare on Saturday.
  • We are continuing our poll on WWE Clash at the Castle so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • Dricus du Plessis defends his middleweight title against Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 305 scheduled for 8/17 in Perth, Western Australia.
  • NHL playoffs continue tomorrow night against NXT. If there is a game six needed in the Florida vs. Edmonton series it would be on Friday night, and a potential game seven is Monday.  
  • Kanye West was at a combination concert show that included Tokyo Joshi Pro matches today:
  • CMLL has Mistico’s 20th anniversary show in Puebla tonight with him facing Averno in a single match.  Volador Jr. & Magnus & Ruguido wrestle Michael Oku & Bad Dude Tito & Che Cabrera in the semi.
  • Wednesday will be notable to see where AEW Dynamite stands with no major sports playoffs and MJF vs. Rush announced as the opener. Also announced is Mark Briscoe & Kyle O’Reilly & Orange Cassidy & Dante Martin vs. Roderick Strong & Kyle Fletcher & Konosuke Takeshita & Zack Sabre Jr., Young Bucks vs. Acclaimed non-title, a face t o face with Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay, a Toni Storm-Mina Shirakawa contract signing and Kazuchika Okada vs. ?
  • Anthem Entertainment announced today that Rob Kligman has been named Chief Revenue Officer for Anthem Sports, meaning he will be in charge of increasing revenue for both TNA and Invicta. He in the past had worked for eight years with WWE.
  • They announced two-for-one tickets for the 7/12 WWE Smackdown taping in Worcester, MA although the special was only for this past weekend (thanks to Arya Witner).
  • There were some people asking me today if Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae had signed a new deal. They did a video but the story they were telling in the video was from 2022, so the answer is they are still on that deal.
  • Kurt Angle will be appearing on 7/5 in Reading, PA for the Reading Fightin Phils vs. Somerset Patriots game at FirstEnergy Stadium.  
  • Logan Paul was officially announced for the 6/28 Smackdown tapings in Madison Square Garden.  That would seem to favor that LA Knight vs. Paul for the U.S. title would take place in Toronto.