Daily Update: WWE Raw, SmackDown ratings, Happy Gilmore 2

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

This week’s issue is one of the biggest of the year when it comes to major shows and we have one our biggest issues of the year out:

  • Full coverage of All In Texas including why matches ended the way they did, business numbers, lots of injury updates, booking notes on the top matches,  PPV numbers, gate, merch, history of Texas stadium shows, complaints about the length and why, interest level comparisons with WWE this week and the past month, next head-to-head and more
  • Bill Goldberg’s retirement, his comments, a look into the ratings of the show, WWE side of the story, what could have been done differently, Seth Rollins angle looked at, SummerSlam card revealed, how to accurately look at the numbers and more.
  • WWE Evolution, early numbers, booking thoughts.
  • Great American Bash and competition wth All In.
  • ROH Supercard of Honor featuring an incredible main event
  • Dragon Gate has its biggest show of the year
  • The life and times of the Amazing Kung Fu on the death of Eddie Hamill and his influence on how babyfaces in the U.K. work
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling television shows this past week, with demo, comparisons with last year and quarters.
  • A look at the CMLL anniversary show
  • MJF heading to Mexico to challenge for title
  • Arena Mexico has trios match with young wrestlers that was super
  • Alberto turns face in AAA
  • G-1 Climax first week news
  • Celebrity returns to Japanese rings
  • MMA legends do pro wrestling title match
  • Cowboy Bob Ellis and the Hall of Fame
  • Tokyo Joshi Pro in the U.S.
  • Slammiversary is TNA’s  biggest event in years
  • Update on lawsuit against AEW
  • Tony Khan talks a number of subjects after All In
  • The story behind the Dralisico & Dragon Lee win over FTR in Mexico and what happened next
  • Advance ticket sales for WWE & AEW upcoming shows
  • Dana White talks about White House show for next year
  • MMA champion shot five times this past week
  • Randy Couture update
  • Business of Taylor vs. Serrano
  • Lawsuit involving Real American Beer
  • Stratus talks Evolution
  • SummerSlam advances

This Week’s Back Issue

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Monday Update

Bryan and I will be back tonight covering Raw, Cora Jade, Real American Freestyle, G1, TNA and much more with Wrestling Observer Radio.

WWE Raw tonight is in Houston and one would expect several key matches for SummerSlam to be finalized, including if Roman Reigns is doing a singles or a tag match. Reigns and CM Punk are on the show. Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez defend the Women’s tag titles against Bayley & Lyra Valkyria.  Sami Zayn returns (out an indefinite amount of time wasn’t long at all) to face Karrion Kross, Rusev vs. Sheamus, plus New Day vs. Creeds vs. Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro with the winners getting a tag title shot agaisnt Finn Balor & JD McDonagh.

The show is a complete sellout with more than 13,000 fans, so WWE sold out both of its TV shoots in Texas this week.

SmackDown on Friday was first on television at 1.55 million viewers and 0.45 in 18-49. The move to two hours helps although this was significantly up from last week’s two hour show. The WNBA All-Star three point competition and skills challenge on ESN did 1.32 million and 0.31 for second place. The biggest network number was 0.20.

We’re looking for your thoughts on TNA Slammiversary and the first night of the New Japan G-1 tournament, you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserer.com.

We’re also looking for reports from Raw in Houston tonight as far as Main Event matches or anything before or after the live show, as well as from the house shows in Corpus Christi and Edinburg, TX, over the weekend and any dark matches from San Antonio on Friday. We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton will be at the New York Mets game night at Citi Field as its WWE Night.

Mercedes Mone vs. Safire Reed, and Mortos vs. Robbie X will be on Friday’s RevPro show at The Hangar in Wolverhampton, UK.

The presale for the 10/12 TNA Bound for Glory is 7/30 at 10 a.m and the onsale to the public is 8/1 at 10 a.m. It’s set for the Paul Tsongas Center in Lowell, MA.

The first WWE ID men’s champion will be crowned on 8/1 at the Game Changer Wrestling show in Rutherford, NJ, with Jack Cartwheel vs. Cappuccino Jones.

The Eddie Murphy movie “The Pickup” will be released on 8/6 on Amazon Prime Video. Joe Anoa’i (Roman Reigns) is part of the cast that includes Murphy, Pete Davidson, Keke Palmer, Eva Longoria, Marshawn Lynch, Andrew Dice Clay, and Ismael Cruz Cordova.

Happy Gilmore 2 will  be released on Netflix on Friday. I’d expect it to be heavily advertised on pro wrestling television this week with MJF, Becky Lynch and Nikki Garcia/Bella all having parts. MJF plays a son of star Adam Sandler in, by far, his biggest major movie role to date.

The result of the Slammiversary main event, where Trick Williams retained the TNA title even though fans wanted Mike Santana to win, was because the sides were doing an angle where NXT has both of TNA’s major titles.

Santino Marella will be on NXT tomorrow night.  Undertaker will also be on to confront Williams. They are taping NXT in Houston tomorrow rather than running in Orlando. One would think Undertaker being advertised as a focal point of the show will boost the ratings above the usual level. Also on the show is Blake Monroe vs. Wren Sinclair, Jasper Troy vs. Ricky Saints and Oba Femi defending the NXT title in a three-way against Josh Briggs and Yoshiki Inamura.

AEW has reached a deal with the American Association of Professional Baseball for appearances at shows over the next few days. Jeff Jarrett and Wheeler Yuta will be in Fargo, ND, for their All-Star game today and tomorrow. Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh will be at a game in Genevera, IL on Thursday and the Outnunners will be at a game on Thursday in Gary, IN.

Roddy Hogan, a fan out of Detroit who dressed up as Hulk Hogan at matches, passed away this past week. He was very well known in that part of the country to people who went to matches in the 80s and 90s.

Trey Miguel wanted to do the Slammiversary show last night, but he is in need of surgery for a hernia. He doesn’t have a date set, but it looks like he’ll be out of action until September at the earliest. Myron Reed, another member of the Rascalz, replaced him in the tag title ladder match.

Brianna Laughlin, the woman who did the national anthem at last night’s TNA show, is the daughter of Tommy Dreamer and wife Trisa, well-known in the ECW days as Beulah McGillicutty.  

EJ Nduka, who was recently not renewed by AEW, was backstage at the TNA show last night.

There are a lot of wrestler appearances at the San Diego Comic-Con which runs Thursday through Sunday. Brandon Cutler, Orange Cassidy and  Nyla Rose will be at the Omni San Diego Hotel on the 4th Floor Grand Ballroom at 10 a.m.  Johnny TV will be at the Neil Morgan Auditorium at the San Diego Central Library.  Vampiro will be at Nova SD Club at 11 a.m. Thunder Rosa will be in Room 9 at the same location on Thursday.  Giulia, Jacob Fatu and Jey Uso will be in Room 6A with Mattell unveiling action figures at 11:15 a.m.   At 12:45 pm.. they will be at the Mattel Booth.  Dragon Lee will be at the Masked Republic Booth at 2 p.m.  Anthony Bowens will be at the Headlocked Booth at 2 p.m.  Samoa Joe will be at Ballroom 20 promoting Twisted Metal.  Vampiro and Dragon Lee will be in Room 10 at 5:30 pm.  Paul London will be at Room 11 at 6 p.m.  Mike Bailey will be at Grand 6 at the Marriot Marquis at the San Diego Marina at 8:05 p.m.

On Friday AJ Mendez will be at the Nova SD club at 2:30 p.m. in Room 6DE, Danhausen will be at the Headlocked booth at 1 p.m., Vampiro will be at the Masked Republic Booth at 2 p.m., Santana Garret, Jennie Buss and David McLane will be part of the Women of Wrestling group at 5:30 pm. in room 6DE

Darby Allin will have a  Shark Week tie in as part of the show Caught!  Sharks Back’s on Thursday at 9 p.m. on Discovery.  This is expected to be promoted on Dynamite on Wednesday.

Arena Puebla sold out for CMLL in advance today for its anniversary show with a unique match featuring Mistico & Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero vs. Averno & Mephisto & Esfinge as well as Volador Jr. vs. Mascara Dorada.