Daily Update: WWE stock price, Vince McMahon, weekend schedule

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

  • Among the highlights:
  • Match and Performer of the week
  • Full coverage of Money in the Bank, business numbers and analysis, crossover fans with AEW, SummerSlam show and business and a look at the SummerSlam card.
  • The last two months of business for WWE and AEW, including major notes regarding both companies as far as arena success and a change in momentum going forward, as well as major gains by wrestling in what age groups.
  • New Japan talks its business when it comes to training young talent, goals for G-1, women’s matches in New Japan, return to the UK, joint show with Stardom and changing from old traditions.
  • UFC 276 coverage and what comes next for the champions, controversies, rundowns of the fights and business notes.
  • The life of Masashi Aoyagi, one of the key players in the start of the Japanese indie scene, as well as in the connection of karate to pro wrestling
  • The career and controversies of the retiring UFC star Donald Cerrone
  • The story of PWG and its influence on the changes in pro wrestling and what we were taught that was no longer valid to modern fans. A look at 19 years of some of the best matches ever held and top stars before they became famous.
  • The most detailed look at pro wrestling on television and ratings over the past week
  • More on sports rights fees and Tony Khan talks negotiations
  • Realities of pro wrestling on television
  • The next ROH PPV show
  • AEW sets international ratings record
  • Ticket sales for upcoming WWE & AEW shows
  • Looking back at WWE working with promotions on a joint promotion show
  • Streaming numbers for WWE & AEW
  • Big E update
  • Tyson Fury/WWE update
  • Israel Adesanya wants to do WWE
  • WWE & UFC head-to-head several more times this year for major shows
  • Next MSG show
  • Rundown of A&E TV shows on Sunday nights

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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Friday News Update

  • Garrett and I will be doing a show later today. That should be fun. If you have any questions on today’s news, send it right now to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com because we’ll be taping at around 8 p.m. Eastern. The subject matter will be today’s news.
  • The WWE letter to employees today read: “The Wall Street Journal has published a second story with expanded details on the initial WWE report last month. We want to reiterate that we and our Board of Directors take these allegations seriously. We’ve been cooperating fully with the investigation led by our Board of Directors and will continue to do so until its conclusion. Please note that upon is conclusion, WWE leadership will make itself available to answer any questions that you may have.”
  • WWE stock dropped today from $65.07 per share to $63.79. It was a decline but far from a collapse. A few notes about the women who got the $7.5 million payoff. That’s slightly less than the value of the 20-year contract Bret Hart signed that Vince tried to renege on. That’s more than Bruno Sammartino earned in his career as world champion in building the company. It’s just under double what WWE paid for all intellectual property rights and the tape collections of WCW and ECW combined.
  • Vince is at TV in Fort Worth. No word on if he will appear on the show.
  • A number of media stories, including the ESPN story, when covering the Vince story today, did reference Rita Chatterton and her rape allegation.
  • Smackdown tonight in Fort Worth has Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus with the winner getting at title show on the 9/3 Cardiff, Wales PPV show. Roman Reigns is on the show, and Ronda Rousey in an angle that may set up a SummerSlam match with Liv Morgan for the Smackdown title,
  • Rampage at 10 p.m. tonight on TNT has Konosuke Takeshita vs. Eddie Kingston, a match we’ve heard raves about, plus Kuan & Toa Leona vs. Jonathan Gresham & Lee Moriarty, Mercedes Martinez & Serena Deeb vs. Kayla Sparks & Christina Marie and Orange Cassidy vs. Tony Nese.
  • We’re looking for reports on these weekend shows to dave@wrestlingobserver.com:
  • WWE Smackdown tonight in Fort Worth (dark matches only)
  • NXT tonight in Dunellon, FL
  • WWE house show tomorrow night in Sacramento, CA
  • WWE house show tomorrow night in Bossier City (Shreveport), LA
  • NXT tomorrow night in Orlando,FL
  • WWE Sunday night in Reno, NV
  • WWE Sunday night in Waco, TX
  • Longtime CMLL referee Tigre Hispano, real name Ventura Lahoz, passed away today at the age of 85. A former local wrestling star in the 60s and 70s, he worked as a referee in Mexico City from 1987 to 2014.
  • Kevin Owens appeared on the NHL draft television show today. He came out as a surprise to Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau, who is a big Owens fan. We don’t know if this was put together by Jackie Redmond, but Redmond was in the booth with Boudreau as they went to make a draft pick. Redmond works regularly for both the NHL Network and for WWE hosting the post-Raw and post-Smackdown talk shows on Peacock. While on the show, Owens said he should be back in a few weeks.
  • UFC tomorrow night from the Apex in Las Vegas
  • ESPN 2 at 6 p.m. Eastern
  • Ronnie Lawrence (135.5) vs. Saidyokub Kakhramonov (136)
  • Kennedy Nzechukwu (205) vs. Karl Roberson (202.5)
  • David Onama (145.5) vs. Garrett Armfield (145)
  • Cody Brundage (185.5) vs. Tresean Gore (185.5)
  • Antonina Shevchenko (124.5) vs. Cortney Casey (126)
  • Aiemann Zahabi (135.5) vs. Ricky Turcios (135.5)
  • Main card on ESPN at 9 p.m.Eastern
  • Michael Johnson (155.5) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (155.5)
  • Cynthia Calvillo (126) vs. Nina Nunes (125.5)
  • Jared Vanderaaa (263.5) vs. Chase Sherman (253)
  • Said Nurmagomedov (135.5) vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade (135.5)
  • Caio Barralho (185.5) vs. Armen Petrosyan (185.5)
  • Rafael dos Anjos (156) vs. Rafael Fiziev (155)
  • AEW’s Paige VanZant will be doing another Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship bout on 8/20 in London at the OVO Arena. Her opponent will be Charisa Sigala, 38, who has a 1-2-1 record in Bare Knuckle bouts. VanZant is 0-2 thus far.

WWE

  • Alexa Bliss was the answer to a question in Wednesday’s Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle.
  • Mattell and WWE have a fan panel at the San Diego ComicCon on 7/21 at 11:15 a.m. Sam Roberts and Ciampa host. Bill Miekina and Steve Ozer from the Mattell Design team will be there along with Cody Rhodes and Queen Zelina and surprise guests. There will also be action figure reveals.

UFC

  • A fight with Belal Muhammad vs. Sean Brady is close to being finalized for 10/22 in Abu Dhabi as reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN.
  • ESPN also reported a 10/1 main event of Mackenzie Dern vs. Xiaonan Yan.
  • Bill Algeo vs. Herbert Burns takes place on next Saturday’s UFC show in Long Island. Algeo was to face Billy Quarantillo and Burns was to face Khusein Askhabov, but Quarantillo and Askhabov both pulled out.

Other Notes

  • Jordynne Grace vs. Mia Yim for the Impact Knockouts title has been announced for the next Impact+ PPV show on 8/12 in Cicero Stadium.
  • A story on Impact’s upcoming TV tapings in Louisville, KY (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
  • Pro Wrestling Phoenix on 8/17 at the Waiting Room Lounge in Omaha, NE.
  • MCW’s Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup will be 7/23 at the R.J. Meyer Arena in Joppatowne, MD. Ken Dixon vs. Kekoa for the MCW title headlines plus Joey Janela, Blake Christian and Jack Evans are in the Shamrock Cup tournament. There will also be meet and greets with Greg Valentine and Samuel Shaw.
  • Combate Global tonight from Miami, FL at 11 p.m. Eastern on Paramount+ with Enrique Gonzalez (12-4) headlining against Angel Alvarez (5-0) and Alfrego Ruelas (3-2) vs. Simone Serra (3-2).
  • The PFL will have playoff shows on 8/5 at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden, 8/13 in Cardiff, Wales at the Motorpointe Arena and 8/20 at the Copper Box in London. The New York show on ESPN features Anthony Pettis vs. Stevie Ray, Omari Akhmedov vs. Josh Silviera, Olivier Aubin Mercier vs. Alexander Martinez and Robert Wilkinson vs. Delan Monte. The Cardiff show will have welterweight and heavyweight playoffs including Bruno Cappelozza, Renan Ferreira, Rory MacDonald and Carlos Leal. The second show has women’s lightweight and men’s featherweight with Kayla Harrison, Branden Loughnane, Chris Wade and Larissa Pacheco.
  • Antonio Carlos Jr., who was the $1 million light heavyweight first prize in last year’s PFL tournament has pulled out of this year’s tournament due to suffering a torn ACL that will require surgery. Josh Silveira, the son of Marcus Conan Silveira, will take his place in the tournament.
  • Invicta runs 7/20 at 9 p.m. Eastern on AXS TV in the U.S. and The Fight Network in Canada. The show is from Denver. The main event is Taneisha Tennant (4-4) vs. Olga Rubin (7-2) for the bantamweight title.
  • Eve Wrestle Queendom V takes lace on 11/13 at 229 The Venue in London Alex Windsor and Japan’s Hyper Misao are announced.
  • Joey Janela recently worked a show in Belgium and said they he would like to have GCW work with the local promotion BodyZoi Wrestling for a joint show in 2023.
  • AIW on 7/23 in Akron, OH at the Tadmor Shrine featuring a meet and greet with Johnny Gargano. They also announced the JT Lightning Invitational tournament on 8/19 and 8/20 at The Odeon in Cleveland. They also have a show called WrestleRager 6 on 8/27 in Cleveland at No Class with Little Guido and Tommy Rich.