Daily Update: WWE SmackDown, weekend schedule, Gable Steveson

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

In this issue:

  • The life and times of the Iron Sheik and Khosrow Vaziri, and how the two men were the same person but altogether different.
  • The short WWF title run
  • The Sgt. Slaughter feud
  • His two very different periods as a pop culture celebrity
  • How the Iron Sheik name and gimmick came around
  • Famous Iron Sheik shoot stories
  • The first WWF run
  • The hostage crisis changes his career
  • Did you know Iron Sheik competed in the predecessor to the G-1 in 1982
  • The feud with Angelo Mosca in Canada
  • The last angle with Killer Karl Kox in Florida
  • Growing up as an amateur wrestler in Iran
  • Why he left Iran and wound up in Minnesota
  • His U.S. amateur wrestling exploits
  • His being trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson and altercations that came up
  • Why Gagne got so much heat when Sheik was injured
  • The angle to set up Sheik’s WWF tile run
  • Hulk Hogan comes to WWF
  • Sheik’s biggest matches during his biggest singles run with Hogan and Slaughter
  • His arrest in a feud with Jim Duggan
  • His teaming with Slaughter
  • His drug issues
  • The death of his daughter and what he wanted to do to the man who killed her
  • Longest reigning world champions in pro wrestling history
  • Stories behind the longest title reigns
  • Differences in how world champions were picked
  • New Japan Dominion, as well as build to Forbidden Door and the G-1 Climax tournament
  • Travel issues relating to getting the BCC into Japan for Dominion
  • Dominion match-by-match coverage
  • TripleMania news
  • UFC Saturday coverage
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for a huge week on television for pro wrestling
  • Where Raw, Smackdown and Dynamite rated among everything on cable and network, both sports and entertainment
  • Ratings breakdown, looking at competition for all the show
  • Perhaps the oldest living wrestling promoter passes away
  • Controversial angle in Stardom
  • Superstar Graham funeral notes
  • The career of Gary Albright
  • Pro wrestling documentary gets an Emmy nomination
  • The first-ever pro wrestling closed circuit show
  • Ticket sales for the upcoming AEW & WWE shows
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • What notable thing happened in ratings internationally this past week
  • Real WrestleMania attendance and gate figures for 2023 are released
  • Biggest gates in AEW history
  • Merch rankings
  • Dana White talks Tyson Fury vs. Jon Jones
  • MMA show draws 50,000 fans this past week
  • Update on Peacock
  • Notes on the Raw on Twitch show
  • Story behind Smackdown’s monster rating
  • Trends for AEW and WWE ratings
  • What Friday told us about television viewership of AEW and WWE

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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Friday Update

Garrett Gonzales and I did a show this afternoon talking the Iron Sheik, Forbidden Door, Young Rock and other topics. Bryan and I will be back for our weekend show tomorrow night.

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site today We’ve gotten a lot of talk about the story on the life of the Iron Sheik as well as on the longest world title reigns in pro wrestling history.

Smackdown tonight is in Des Moines, IA. They announced that HHH will present a new women’s title belt to Asuka, since that worked so well in the ratings last week. The show will be based around Jey Uso deciding which side he’s on, the Jimmy Uso side or the Roman Reigns side. Plus Michin vs. Bayley, Iyo Sky vs. Shotzi, Mustafa Ali vs. Santos Escobar and Butch vs. Baron Corbin in MITB qualifying matches. They had 6,300 tickets out for the show as of this morning. That’s lower than most WWE TV shoots of late. PW Insider reported that Charlotte Flair was at the show.

We’re looking for your thoughts on today’s All Together Again joint show of New Japan, All Japan and Pro Wrestling NOAH at Sumo Hall, 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

We’re looking for reports from Smackdown in Des Moines, IA with anything like dark match results and live notes on things not on the live show to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

Impact Against All Odds tonight on Impact + from Columbus, OH:

  • Steve Maclin vs. Alex Shelley for Impact title
  • Trey Miguel vs. Chris Sabin for X title
  • Chris Bey & Ace Austin vs. Jason Hotch & John Skyler for tag titles
  • Deonna Purrazzo & Trinity vs. Gisele Shaw & Savannah Evans
  • Killer Kelly vs. Masha Slamovich in a dog collar match
  • 8-4-1 match for an Impact title shot with Nick Aldis, Bully Ray, Mike Bailey, Jonathan Gresham, Heath, Moose, Rich Swann and PCO
  • Joe Hendry vs. Dirty Dango for Digital Media title
  • Eddie Edwards vs. Frankie Kazarian
  • Sami Callihan & Jake Crist & Madman Fulton vs. Angels & Kon & Deaner

NEW had a show on 6/17 at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson NJ. If you note that’s the day of the AEW Collision debut in Chicago. The Acclaimed, Billy Gunn, Penta and Willow Nightingale were all told that they are either being pulled from the show to work Chicago or that they are likely or possibly to work Chicago. The show itself was moved to 8/13 for that reason with Acclaimed, Billy Gunn, Nightingale, Mick Foley and Nzo.

Final X takes place tomorrow night at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. This will be the final playoff for the U.S. team at the world championships in Belgrade Serbia. WWE’s Gable Steveson faces Mason Parris, another WWE signee, for the 275 pound freestyle spot. The most talked about match has former Olympic medalists Kyle Snyder vs. J’Den Cox going for the 213 pound freestyle spot.

UFC 289 is tomorrow night from Vancouver, BC. Prelims on ESPN from 7-10 p.m. Eastern:

  • Diana Belbita (114.5) vs. Maria Oliveira (115.5)
  • David Dvorak (125.5) vs. Stephen Erceg (125.5)
  • Kyle Nelson (145) vs. Blake Bilder (145.5)
  • Aiemann Zahabi (135.75) vs. Aoriqileng (135)
  • Miranda Maverick (125.5) vs Jasmine Jasudavicius (125.25)
  • Nassourdine Imavov (185.5) vs. Chris Curtis (185.25)

PPV at 10 p.m. Eastern:

  • Eryk Anders (184.75) vs. marc-Andre Barriault (185)
  • Dan Ige (145.5) vs Nae Landwehr (145.25)
  • Mike Malott (169.5) vs. Adam Fugitt (170.75)
  • Charles Oliveira (154) vs. Beneil Dariush (156)
  • Amanda Nunes (135) vs. Irene Aldana (135) for the bantamweight title

BetOnline has released odds for the G-1 Climax tournament. The favorites are:

  • Zack Sabre Jr. +200
  • David Finlay +250
  • Kazuchika Okada +300
  • Sanada +300
  • Will Ospreay +300
  • Tetsuya Naito +400
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi +500
  • Jeff Cobb +500
  • Kaito Kiyomiya +500
  • The longest shot at +5000 is Toru Yano

Yuka Sakazaki is out of action with a neck injury so the TJPW Princess tag team titles are vacant and the Sakazaki vs. Nyla Rose match upcoming is off Rose is still coming but will have a new match.

Viviane Araujo vs. Casey O’Neill has been added to UFC 293 on 9/9 in Sydney, Australia.

Karine Silva, coming off her big submission win on Saturday, is scheduled according to MMA Fighting to be very close to confirming a match with Maryna Moroz on 8/19 in Boston.

Other Notes

Defy has inked a deal with WREMIX to stream its last show, headlined by KENTA vs. Nick Wayne, which debuts on the platform on 6/22 at wremix.tv The show will air free.

The NWA 75th anniversary weekend will be 8/26 to 8/29 in St. Louis. They will run PPV shows on 8/26 and 8/27 and do TV tapings on 8/28 and 8/29.

Scotty 2 Hotty faces ESW champion Will Calrissan for the title on 6/23 in Niagara Falls, NY at the Frontier Fire Hall.

Jon Moxley will be doing a seminar for Sami Callihan’s Wrestling Revolver promotion on 6/16 in Dayton.

EPW on 6/16 in Perth, Western Australia at Willeston Stadium with Michael Morleone vs. Taylor King for the EPW title and Mikey Nicholls vs. Pete Curulli, a breakfast radio host in Perth. Nicholls and Curulli have been doing angles on his radio show to build the match.

Vampiro is taking autograph, appearance and limited wrestling bookings through Bill Behrens at showbis@aol.com. Behrens can also book Thom Latimer, Kamille, Flip Gordon, Thrillbilly Silas, Earl Hebner, Jay Lethal, Matt Sydal, Griff Garrison, Joe Hendry, Markus Cross, Slim J, Ken Anderson, Moose, Hernandez, Missy Hyatt, TJP, Sean Waltman, Eric Bischoff, Jim Ross, DDP, EC 3, Devon Dudley and Tommy Dreamer.

After Thursday night’s show, the PFL final four for the year at featherweight are Bubba Jenkins, Gabriel Braga, Movid Khaybulaev and Jesus Pinedo (who scored a huge knockout upset of Brendan Loughnane). At light heavyweight the final four are Joshua Silveira (the son of Marcus Conan Silveira), Marthin Hamlet, Impa Kasaganay and Ty Flores.

Greektown Wrestling from London, ONT last night: Mick McGuire b Ethan Dux, Nacci Mafia b Mick McGuire & Ethan Dux, Bryce Hansen b Trent Gibson Seleyzia Sparks b Nova, Space Monkey b Wes Barkley, Tyler Tirva b Cody Ireland, Cody Deaner b Derek Dillinger, Zack Nystrom b Mo Jabari Sonny Kiss b Bill Collier, Channing Decker & Masato Tanaka b Bollywood Boyz. They are running tonight in Hamilton ONT, Saturday in Toronto and Sunday in Waterloo, ONT, all at 5:30 p.m. Decker vs Tanaka in a ladder match is tonight. The shows are on FITE +. (thanks to Shannon Walsh)

Ehren Schaffter has a new book called “Ascending The Queendom”. The book will chronicle the lives of talent such as Madi Wrenkowski, Rebecca Scott, Savanna Stone, Amaris Blair, Airica Demia, Mystii Marks, Mylo , Amy Crimson, and Judi Rae. Ascending The Queendom will also explore the struggles for female talent navigating within the sport of wrestling such as harassment and sexism. You can preorder the book.

AAW Crush & Destroy tonight on High Spots features Robert Anthony vs. Mance Warner in a Pure rules match, Alec Price vs. Gnaris Garvin, Sierra & Heather Reckless vs Shazza McKenzie & B3CCA Braden Lee vs. Joe Alonzo Silas Young vs. Silas Mason, Russ Jones & Schaff defend the tag titles against Xavier Walker & Ren Jones plus Jake Something and Fred Yehi.