Daily Update: WWE Raw, NJPW, Impact free agents

Daily Update

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Latest Free YouTube Video:

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

  • The legacy of Inoki, his title histories and highlights, where he stands in Japanese culture, record attendances and gates, stadium shows from around the world, merchandise, major opponents, hostage settlement, Ali vs. Inoki, Bruno Sammartino, the complete story on the most famous mixed martial arts match of its generation, the heyday of wrestling in Japanese domed stadiums, Inoki vs. Don Frye, Inoki’s career start, and his heyday over more than 30 year, formation of new Japan and IGF, New Year’s Eve specials on network television, famous programs with Hogan, Andre, Backlund and Singh, his matches against international stars and stars from other sports, his legacy in foreign countries, the Inoki vs. Maeda and Inoki vs. Baba matches that didn’t happen, and so much more.
  • What happened with Sammy Guevara and Andrade, from multiple people who were there
  • WWE PPV business update
  • WWE television changes
  • Giulia, the Five Star Grand Prix, biggest match for Stardom at the end of the year and notes on the show
  • Television ratings for every national show this past week
  • New Japan Declaration of Power
  • New Japan notes from England
  • The story of AEW changing its Latin American distribution
  • New AEW signing and where other potential signings stand
  • Live event business upcoming for WWE and AEW
  • Streaming number updates
  • New A&E docs on wrestling stars
  • International ratings

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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@wrestlingobserver.com or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.

In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.

For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.

If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

Monday News Update

Bryan and I will be back tonight talking a major day of news including Raw, NJPW,, AEW and other news of the day. You can also send questions to the show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com

My Sports Illustrated story on Bray Wyatt, Bandido, Renee Paquette and the signing of Jon Moxley 

Raw tonight is from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and it’s the biggest shows in a while with the DX 25th anniversary, The entire Bloodline group, plus and more. In theory this should be well up in the ratings between DX, the usual PPV bump and being two days after the return of Bray Wyatt, which got a ton of attention. DX being advertised are HHH, Shawn Michaels, Sean Waltman and Road Dogg. The lineup has Bobby Lashley vs. Seth Rollins, which many expect a title change out of, Johnny Gargano vs. Austin Theory, and it’s also the Miz birthday celebration (42). The Monday night game is the Las Vegas Raiders vs. the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes who is one of the league’s biggest stars. But I expect enough juice for this to do well. An example of late interest is that this show had only sold 4,500 tickets when the announcement of the DX Reunion a made and it was still less than 6,000 as of Thursday, and that’s with the announcement of Reigns. It has now topped 9,000 and could easily hit 10,000 and there hasn’t been a show in a long, long time have that much in the way of late sales and momentum. Obviously they didn’t want to look bad in the New York market after the AEW show did so well for Dynamite on 9/21 but judging from when tickets were sold, I think Wyatt is the biggest draw of them all for this week. Wyatt wasn’t advertised for the show. There were Brock Lesnar rumors floating around all day which were neither confirmed nor denied to us.

We’re looking for reports from the Barclays Center with anything that doesn’t happen on the TV show with Main Event bouts, dark matches or anything else off television to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

We’re also looking for your thoughts on these shows:
Impact Bound for Glory on Friday
WWE Extreme Rules from Saturday
New Japan from Sumo Hall today
We’re looking for a thumbs up, down or middle, and best and worst match from each show to dave@wrestlingobserveer.com

Alexander Volkanovski said that he has been cleared to fight after a hand injury in his win over Max Holloway He also said that he is the backup fighter for the UFC 280 main event on 10/22 in Abu Dhabi. That means if for some reason either Charles Oliveira or Islam Makhachev gets hurt or ill or for whatever reason can’t fight for the vacant lightweight title, he will go to Abu Dhabi and be the replacement.

New Japan has a press conference at 2 a.m. tonight Eastern and 11 p.m. Pacific. They will officially announce the 1/4 Tokyo Dome main event as Jay White vs.; Kazuchika Okada, as well as announcing the 11/5 Osaka show and the new tour which starts Friday’s lineups. On today’s show from Sumo Hall, they did reference FTR as possibly defending the IWGP tag titles in Osaka, with Jeff Cobb & Great O’Khan as the likely challengers. The winners of that match, it if happens, would then defend against the winners of the tag team tournament in November and December, that would be on the Tokyo Dome show.

New Japan also announced they will be debuting a TV title where matches would have a 15:00 time limit. As if new Japan doesn’t have enough belts at this point.

The list of those who have left Impact after the weekend is Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Maria Kanellis, Vincent and Mia Yim. 

Other Notes

Trapper Thomas Leturgey looks at the brief career and tragically short life of “Futura” Kathy Blair, one of the forgotten names from women’s wrestling history

Combate Global on Friday night at 11 p.m. on Paramount + has Moses Diaz (4-0) vs. Juan Porto (11-3) at 150 pounds in the main event from their home base of Miami. There will also be a welterweight fight with Daniel Sanchez (3-2) vs. Gerardo Bazaldua (2-2).

Bob Magee has a list of independent promotions who are doing charity shows over the holiday period:

      • Crossfire Wrestling presented FIRED UP 2022 at Merriton Community Centre in St. Catharines, ON on September 25, including Tyler Tirva, Kongo Kong, Robbie MacAllister, Rage, Krystal Moon. Partial proceeds from the show went to the Niagara Peninsula Foundation for Children.
      • GCW Charity Wrestling/POP Culture Canada took place on September 25 at the Royal Canadian Legion for the Kingston ComiCon where 398 pounds of food were collected for the Kingston Foodbank.
      • All Pro Wrestling/Nevada presented Headlock on Hunger at Reed High School, Sparks, NV raising over $10,000 for the Food Bank of Northern Nevada.
      • CanAm Wrestling worked together on September 27 with Nanbert Manor as part of the Calgary Pop-Up Care Village down at Olympic Plaza Calgary; handing out hygiene products, non-perishable food items, winter wear, and blankets to all those less fortunate people in Calgary, assisting nearly 200 people.
      • Despite the beginnings of Hurricane Ian, Dangerous Adrenaline Wrestling Gladiators held an autism awareness show at Delsea Field in Glassboro, NJ entitled “Paws for the Cause” in association with the Glassboro Police Department, The Glassboro K-9 Unit and the Glassboro Parks & Recreation Department.
      • Despite contending with Hurricane Ian and numerous power outages in the area, Wrestling with Purpose raised $650 at a benefit show on September 30 in Pembroke, FL to assist Victoria Jacobs, who was recently diagnosed with breast and bone cancer.
      • On October 1, the 7th Annual Hollie Yatsko Memorial Cup took place as the Heritage Wrestling Alliance took place in Rutherfordton, NC raising $726 benefit the Hospice of the Sacred Heart.
      • Alabama Wrestling Alliance returned to Theodore, AL on October 1 and raised nearly $2000 for Kane’s Warrior Kids, helping families with children fighting cancer.
      • Tri City Wrestling presented the fourth annual Cassidy Christie Memorial Cup event on October 1 in Bay City, MI. At least $4,000 was raised for the Cassidy Christie Memorial Scholarship Fund.
      • GCW Charity Wrestling/POP Culture Canada took place on Saturday October 1, at Harmony Creek Community Centre Oshawa, ON. The event collected 200 pounds of canned food for the Simcoe Hall Settlement House.
      • GCW Charity Wrestling/POP Culture Canada took place on October 2 in Peterborough, ON, collecting 150 pounds of canned food for the Kawartha Food Share.
      • ACTION Wrestling returned to Tyrone, GA on October 7 to benefit Harts of Teal, a non-profit started by two ovarian cancer survivors to educate and bring awareness to the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, raising around $1,000.
      • Chaos4K9s and Rebelution Women’s Wrestling Dog Rescue presented DOGTOBER DAZE on October 8 at Don Kolov Arena in Mississauga, ON raising $5,850 for Southern Connection Dog Rescue.
      • Breakthrough Community Church in Mebane, NC held its tenth annual benefit show to help the Mebane Food Bank on October 8, with $600 between food and money donations and still counting.
      • On October 9, Independence Pro Wrestling joined in the fight against breast cancer with its second annual PINK OUT at Full Blast in Battle Creek, MI, raising $300 for a local breast cancer organization.
      • IWF held its 25th Anniversary Live Event on October 8 in Arlington, NJ to benefit Michael Robert Cammett Jr. Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization; featuring WWE Legends Mr. USA Tony Atlas and Gillberg.
      • Classic Pro Wrestling returned to Fredericksburg, VA on October 8 for Fighting for A Cure to raise funds for cancer research.
      • Crown of Maine Pro Wrestling will be having its annual coat drive Saturday, October 15 at our next event in Van Buren. Anyone who brings a coat will receive $2 off admission price.