Daily Update: WWE SmackDown, Bill Howard, CM Punk

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

This week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer is out with these stories:

  • The Tuesday night head-to-head battle
  • The ratings numbers and competition, quarters, demos, and how both numbers compared to last year
  • Tony Khan’s tweets
  • Controversy over the MJF storyline
  • Some notable bad taste angles
  • Advertising of Moxley vs. Fenix
  • MJF talks his angle
  • Highlights and rundowns of both shows
  • Next head-to-head battle and why this one won’t be close
  • The end of the UFC/USADA relationship from both sides
  • Major questions on the USADA era and the good and the bad of it
  • The cases of Jon Jones, Brock Lesnar and Conor McGregor
  • Things fighters didn’t like about USADA
  • Travis Tygart’s statement and UFC’s response
  • WWE Fastlane coverage and business note
  • 2023 Hall of Fame ballot and thoughts on leading candidate
  • Who are unknown to most but almost have to be in
  • New Japan & Stardom talk future business, youth movement, reality show, Inoki movie
  • Destruction in Ryogoku coverage, business notes, major angles, and plans for Copper Box
  • This past week’s UFC coverage
  • The most detailed look at the U.S. TV ratings
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • Major women’s tournament
  • Stardom PPV notes
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Several wrestlers celebrate 25th anniversary
  • Small town locals draw nice All Japan crowd
  • Katsuhiko Nakajima update
  • Tanahashi & Okada talk about Inoki upon release of movie as well as their futures
  • Plans for January 4th by New Japan and Stardom
  • Mayu Iwatani’s first IWGP title defense in the U.S. and opponent
  • Bill Dundee update
  • Billy Corgan talks NWA changes
  • Update on Mil Mascaras
  • Four-part BBC drama on famous talk show host and sometimes wrestler Jimmy Savile
  • Controversy regarding business deal in Europe
  • Update on Davey Boy Smith Jr.
  • GCW goes to Japan
  • Lots of new directions for AEW
  • AEW injury thoughts
  • Gordon Solie award winner for 2023
  • Update on WrestleDream PPV numbers
  • Two AEW stars in movie roles
  • Ticket advances for AEW & WWE shows
  • International TV ratings
  • Kyle O’Reilly talks return
  • UFC Saudi Arabia deal
  • UFC 294 changes
  • Laurence Epstein talks WWE/UFC merger
  • New UFC historical specials to be released this month
  • Bellator 300 coverage
  • Talks about the future of Bellator
  • Real weights vs. weigh-in weights and some surprises
  • A look at the career of Alistair Overeem
  • Update on WWE creative process
  • Ari Emanuel with interesting notes on the WWE TKO stock declines
  • John Cena update
  • Survivor Series notes
  • Update on recent main roster call-ups
  • Brian Pillman Jr. update
  • Update on WWE prospect

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

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Friday Update

Garrett Gonzales and I did our week in review show, talking Tuesday night war and ratings, the follow-up, UFC & USADA and its history related to Jon Jones, Conor McGregor and others, other topics in the current issue, Hall of Fame and much more. Bryan and I will be back Sunday night covering the weekend news.

Smackdown is tonight in Tulsa, OK for the season premiere episode Roman Reigns returns and we may get the direction for the Crown Jewel main event. HHH will be making an announcement. John Cena is there. Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso defend the tag titles against Grayson Waller & Austin Theory. Pretty Deadly also faces Ridge Holland & Butch. Kevin Owens is backstage at tonight’s Smackdown show. He’s believed to be the Raw trade to Smackdown in the Jey Uso deal. Tonight’s show will likely set the gate record in the city. They had 10,155 tickets out. The paid record, which this will probably end up just shy of, was for a 2010 show that drew 10,035. Not including walk-up, they were up 49 percent in tickets from the last show in the building, a Raw show on 1/30. Nick Aldis is expected to debut on television tonight as well as an authority figure according to PWInsider. Aldis had been working as a producer. Jade Cargill is also there.

Bill Howard, who started pro wrestling in 1961 and worked major circuits from 1964 to 1984, and then did WWF television enhancement work through 1987, passed away earlier today at the age of 78. He was born Harold Newell but also used the name Bill or Billy Howard. He also wrestled as Ratamyus for the Poffo’s ICW promotion and for the WWC in Puerto Rico. He also worked in South Africa and had several tours of Japan, including briefly holding the IWA world tag team titles with Red Bastien. He later ran a carpet cleaning company in Kansas City. He also worked as a referee for WWE.

Regarding talk that C.M. Punk is in Florida today, that would be the case since the MMA promotion he announces for, CFFC, has a show tonight in Tampa.

Last night’s Impact show did 120,000 viewers with an 0.01 in 18-49

Tony Khan tweeted this earlier today: “This weekend marks 1 year since Mayo Clinic saved my mom’s life. During her ordeal many AEW talent came to me alleging WWE tampering, inducing them to break their contracts. I’ll never forget these phone calls at her side in the hospital. It’s when business become personal for me. This is nothing new. I mentioned it ast year after she came home. It’s relevant today because she checked in for surgery 1 year ago today. As I’ve mentioned several times since, Mayo Clinic are heroes and thanks to them, her recovery from a very grim outlook has been a miracle.”

The lawsuit filed by former WWE writer Britney Abramson alleging racial discrimination and wrongful termination was settled. There is no word on the terms whether she withdrew the case or there was a financial settlement. 

Impact Bound for Glory on 10/21 has sold out Cicero Stadium in Chicago. Impact has also sold out its first show in Coventry, England.

An update and correction from our report from yesterday on the next AEW PPV show after Full Gear. There will be an ROH Final Battle show in December as we noted, but it will not be at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York as we speculated.

The former Dolph Ziggler, now as Nic Nemeth, will join brother Ryan Nemeth for an 11/24 comedy show in Chicago at the Lincoln Lodge called Hunkamania.

Haley Cavnider of the Cavinder twins, who had both been in talks with WWE and had decided against playing college basketball this season, announced today that she is sitting out this season but intends to play in the 2024-25 college season. She is considering returning to the University of Miami or going to another school according to ESPN. This would seem to indicate no deal was reached for her and WWE. Her sister Hanna is not planning on returning to college basketball next year.

We’re looking for reports on these weekend shows:

  • WWE Smackdown in Tulsa (dark matches only)
  • NXT tonight in Largo, FL
  • WWE tomorrow night in Kansas City
  • NJPW tomorrow night in London
  • AEW tomorrow night in Toledo (anything not on Collision such as ROH and dark match tapings
  • NXT tomorrow night in Winter Haven, FL
  • WWE Sunday night in Springfield, MO
  • We’re looking for results, finishes, angles and other highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

We’re also taking a poll this weekend on New Japan Royal Quest at the Copper Box Arena in London, thumbs up, down or middle, best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com. The show will be airing live on the RevPro streaming service, not on New Japan World. It will be put up on New Japan World later. The show is loaded up with Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. for the UK title and Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii.

Israel Adesanya told The Rock FM in New Zealand that he’s not going to fight again for a long time. “I’m going to take time off to look after myself and I’m not going to fight for a long time. I’m definitely not going to retire. I know me, and if I did, I’m fine. I don’t need to prove anything else. But I know what I can do. I know that I can change my lifestyle to make me adapt to where I need to be. I’m going to heal myself up.”

Tomorrow’s Collision show in Toledo at 3,449 tickets out as of this afternoon.

UFC runs tomorrow at the Apex for a pure ESPN+ show from 4-10 p.m. Eastern:

  • Ashley Yoder (115.5) vs Emily Ducote (115.5)
  • Chris Gutierrez (136) vs. Alaternghelli (136)
  • Irina Alekseeva (135) vs. Melissa Dixon (135.5)
  • Terrance McKinney (155.5) vs. Brendan Marrotte (155.5)
  • Tainra Lisboa (133.5) vs. Ravena Oliveira (133)
  • Darren Elkins (146) vs. TJ Brown (146)
  • Cameron Saaiman (135.5) vs. Christian Rodriguez (140) – Rodriguez missed weight by four pounds)
  • Edgar Chairez (135) vs. Daniel Lacerda (130)
  • Michel Pereira (186) vs. Andre Petroski (186)
  • Jonathan Martinez (136) vs. Adrian Yanez (135.5)
  • Jennifer Maia (125) vs. Viviane Araujo (126)
  • Sodiq Yusuff (145.5) vs. Edson Barboza (146)

Logan Paul came out for weigh-ins today wearing a mask for his boxing match with Dillon Danis in Manchester, England. Danis can’t box. The show will air on PPV through DAZN and other places. Paul weighed 194.4 pounds to 195 for Danis. KSI (181.3) vs. Tommy Fury (182.6) is the other main fight. Paul was cut near the right eye during a face-off when he threw his mic at Ariel Helwani it appeared and Danis then hit Paul in the head with his mic, cutting him. Paul was also hit by a water bottle thrown by a different person during the brief skirmish.

The 2024 Cauliflower Alley Club reunion will be August 18-20 at The Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas. 

J Bouji vs. Brett Ryan Gosselin and O’Shay Edwards & Mr. Thomas vs. Mane Event have been signed for tomorrow’s MLW show at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

Some wrestlers scheduled for the New York Comic Con this weekend at the Jacob Javits Convention Center are Mercedes Mone, Sting, Jamie Hayter, MJF, Britt Baker, Mick Foley, Rikishi, Brody King, Buff Bagwell, Jake Roberts Team 3-D, Ted DiBiase Lex Luger, Matt Hardy, Ron Simmons, Ric Flair and Scott Steiner.

The Columbus Blue Jackets hockey team announced that the Ric Flair “Whooo!” drink is the official energy drink of the team. 

ISPW has a Sunday morning show at 11 a.m.on 10/29 at Hinchcliffe Stadium in Paterson, NJ. Paterson Mayor Ander Sayegh will be a ring announcer. Tito Santana will be a referee. Danny Morrison and Crowbar will be wrestling. The gates open at 9 a.m. with a Halloween party with a costume contest, a parade, kids activities and more. There will also be a food drive at the event.

Spark Pro Wrestling from Wednesday night at the LA Dojo for NJPW i Carson, CA: Jonnie Robbie b Brooke Haavok, Viva Van won three-way over Zeda Zhang and Mighty Mayra, Sumie Sakai b Dani Mo, Xia Brookside b Vipress, Maya Yukihi b Trish Adora, Maika Ozaki b Saki, Ram Kaichow b Alex Garcia to retain the Pacific title, Billie Starkz b Miyu Yamashita to win the Spark world title. The next show is tomorrow in Orlando, FL at the Englewood Neighborhood Center at 5 p.m., and will air live on FITE. Saki vs. Yukihi wrestle for the Atlantic title, Kaichow vs. Brookside, Yamashita vs. Jessie, Miu Watanabe vs KiLynn King plus Emi Sakura appears.(thanks to Shannon Walsh)

A story on independent wrestler Kreepy the Clown arrested outside a show for a brawl with a fan.