Daily Update: SmackDown ratings, Bound for Glory, MJF

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up:

  • Match and performer of the week for both of the past two weeks
  • The changes in WWE, Vince out of creative, how UFC and WWE are being treated differently
  • Showtime drops all sports programming and their entire sports department, both how in and of itself its a major story in boxing, MMA and could be in pro wrestling, but even more the trend that it shows
  • Stations still in the market for sports today
  • The ominous aspects of NBA current TV negotiations
  • Why boxing was dropped after such a great PPV year
  • A look back at the career of Sting after his retirement announcement
  • A look at his AEW run
  • His rise to the top in WCW
  • How his career got started
  • What person saw the potential in Sting the earliest
  • The famous 1988 Sting vs. Ric Flair match and how it changed his career trajectory
  • The multiple times Sting stepped away from wrestling
  • The TNA run
  • The WWE run
  • Power Team USA and Flash Borden
  • NWA on WB, the keys to this deal
  • Update on Crown Jewel and who isn’t scheduled right now on the show
  • The classic matches of 2023 Will Ospreay
  • New Japan Royal Quest and Power Struggle
  • Notes on last week’s UFC show
  • A look back at one of the most traveled enhancement star of the late 60s into the early 80s, Bill Howard
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the pro wrestling shows this past week, including segment-by-segment, competition and comparisons with a year ago
  • CMLL wrestlers traveling around the world
  • Two spectacular matches at Friday’s Arena Mexico show
  • Stardom opens tag tournament
  • One of AAA’s biggest stars likely not returning
  • Biggest woman promotion in the world at one time has a nostalgia reunion show coming in January
  • Chris Hero returns
  • What pro wrestling star of the 70s never lost a singles match in his entire career
  • AEW and CMLL relationship notes
  • Tony Khan’s tweets
  • Updates on ticket sales to WWE & AEW shows
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • UFC signs huge money international deal
  • UFC top star taking time off
  • Main event result in UFC overturned
  • Pat Miletich returns to fight at 55
  • Ari Emanuel criticized for working with Dana White, Vince McMahon and Conor McGregor
  • More on the Vince McMahon documentary
  • Completely exaggerated PPV claims
  • What percentage of Logan Paul buyers also buy AEW or WWE shows
  • WWE sells network rights internationally
  • Dynamite TV streak ends after two weeks
  • Notes on all the WWE & NXT arena events this past week

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

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Saturday Update

WWE

  • SmackDown averaged 2.15 million viewers in the fast national ratings last night, down from the 2.33 million viewers last week’s season premiere episode drew. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.5. The episode went up against competition from the MLB playoffs.
  • John Cena thanked the fans who attended last night’s show: “It’s you. It’s me. It’s us. Thank you to the incredible crowd at #Smackdown and @WWE Universe for allowing me to continue to spend time with you. Good & bad, ups & downs I am grateful for every second we spend together.”
  • SmackDown featured an angle where general manager Nick Aldis had Jey Uso and Raw general manager Adam Pearce ejected from the building. Jey Uso showed up on the show and fought with his twin brother Jimmy Uso, getting revenge for Jimmy costing him and Cody Rhodes the Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles on Raw. After getting kicked out, Pearce told Aldis to “let the games begin,” potentially hinting that there will be a WarGames match between Raw and SmackDown at Survivor Series.
  • In an interview with the Dallas Morning News, Raquel Rodriguez gave an update on Liv Morgan’s recovery from a shoulder injury:
          • Yeah, I’ve talked to Liv. She’s doing great. She’s really recovering well. She’s in very good spirits, and of course, she’s very, very anxious to come back. I don’t have a specific date of when she’ll be back. We’re all waiting for her. I know, I miss her terribly. So I’m very excited for that. But I feel like time has been flying, and she’s just been on it, on her recovery. So I would assume she’d be back sooner rather than later. And probably before any of us can really imagine.
  • Rodriguez also discussed Jade Cargill joining the WWE women’s division:
          • We have one of the most competitive and badass women divisions in the entire world when it comes to wrestling, especially women’s wrestling. The representation of strong, powerful, beautiful women is just really, really powerful right now in the WWE and across the globe. So, adding Jade to that — and of course, you know, on the blue side [SmackDown], we also have Bianca [Belair], we have Bayley, we have Charlotte [Flair], I mean, the list goes on and on of strong, beautiful women, and adding her just kind of gives it a little bit more of a perch. We just have a whole roster full of powerhouse women and I’m excited to see what we do.
  • Brogan Finlay, who recently took part in a WWE tryout, announced at a show for ACTION Wrestling that it’s time for him to begin the next chapter in his career. Brogan is the son of Fit Finlay and the brother of NJPW wrestler David Finlay.
  • LA Knight, The LWO, and Austin Theory & Grayson Waller appeared on The SmackDown LowDown.
  • WWE streamed a five-hour video of the best of The Bloodline.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • Impact Wrestling uploaded a video previewing tonight’s Bound for Glory PPV.
  • Trinity and Mickie James were interviewed by NBC Chicago ahead of Bound for Glory.
  • James explained to TV Insider why Nick Aldis turned down a previous AEW opportunity:
          • It’s really interesting when I was back at WWE there was an opportunity for Nick to go to AEW. He turned it down because it was too much on our family for him to be on the road full-time along with me. Our son Donovan was three or four. I think about it now, and it has shifted. Nick has deserved this opportunity for a long time. A lot of people don’t realize he has been at this for almost 20 years I’d say …The way our careers have gone. It’s weird not really being in the same place for long, but I think it’s by design. We have to do our best for our son first. That means someone has to have a lighter schedule. Business picked up for the Aldis family. In the wrestling world, if people don’t know who Nick Aldis is, they will. He is an incredible talent.
  • PWInsider reported that Chris Sabin vs. KENTA for the X-Division Championship is scheduled to open the Bound for Glory PPV.
  • In a social media post, MJF opened up about the year he’s had in 2023:
          • This will feel random but I just wanted to say I’ve been doing this since I was 18 and there were times I questioned if I belonged or if I was good enough to be involved in something I hold at such a high regard.
          • 2023 has been a year that has challenged me more physically and emotionally then any year of my life. One day I’ll tell everyone what stuff went down in my personal life….
          • But it’s also been the most amazing year as well. I can say confidently I’ve never loved this sport more.
          • I’m excited for the present and the future.
          • I wanted to thank everyone who ever told me I was great.
          • And everyone whoever told me I wasn’t good enough.
          • It all drives me to reach for my ultimate goal of going down as one of the greats.
          • Thanks for following my career.
          • Thanks for loving something I cherish and hold dearly.
          • Thank you Poors.
          • Thank you Pro wrestling.
  • CJ Perry and Nikki Garcia (the former Nikki Bella) will be featured on the upcoming season of MTV’s Cribs.
  • Macey Estrella-Kadlec (Lacey Evans) joined Mandy Saccomanno (Mandy Rose) & Sabby Piscitelli (Tino Sabbatelli) on the latest episode of their Power Alphas Podcast.
  • Will Ospreay was a guest on the Battleground Podcast.
  • NJPW’s English-language website has an interview with Yuya Uemura.