Daily Update: WWE SummerSlam fallout, UFC 277, Ric Flair’s Last Match

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

August 1, 2022 Observer Newsletter: Vince McMahon resigns from WWE

  • In this issue:
  • The life and career of Vince McMahon. His rise, his fall, both sides of the coin, how things could have been different. The fall of the territories, the WCW feud, buying the company from his father, his pre-WWF promotions, announcing, getting on the USA Network, the expansion, Hulk Hogan, Saturday Night’s Main Event, the first WrestleMania, the death of Crockett Promotions, the McMahon family as TV characters, angles with the family he suggested that never happened, a potential sale, Paul Levesque, what brought Vince down, Brock Lesnar, Tony Khan and much more.
  • WrestleMania 2024
  • Full coverage of ROH Death Before Dishonor with business notes
  • SummerSlam and Clash at the Castle notes
  • Full coverage of the G1 tournament, with business, standings, star ratings and all that good stuff
  • Full coverage of Saturday’s UFC show
  • Television ratings for every national wrestling show
  • Details behind the IWGP Women’s Championship and why
  • Stardom PPV coverage from last week and the upcoming shows this week
  • Dragon Gate’s biggest shows of the year this week
  • Why a top Dragon Gate star left the promotion
  • Lots of injury updates
  • New Japan Strong tapings
  • Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame induction ceremony notes
  • Nick Wayne’s flight issues make mainstream news
  • Update on AEW injuries and business
  • Streaming numbers for the week
  • Fedor’s last fight
  • How much Peacock is really losing
  • NXT vs. AEW is back on
  • International TV ratings

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

June 20, 2005 Observer Newsletter: ECW One Night Stand

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Sunday News Update

  • Bryan and I have a show up covering SummerSlam and UFC 277 last night. We will be doing another show tonight covering the Ric Flair retirement show tonight in Nashville.
  • No reports of any injuries off last night’s SummerSlam. Becky Lynch landed badly on her shoulder in the first match but continued on. I was scared to death regarding the Brock Lesnar overhead throw on both Usos, particularly the second one, but they were okay as well. After the Big E injury, when I see someone taking that move on the floor and headed straight for the top of their head, it makes me scared something really bad can happen. 
  • The listed producers from last night were: Lynch vs. Belair (TJ Wilson), Miz vs. Logan Paul (Shane Helms), Mysterios vs. Balor & Priest (James Gibson), Pat McAfee vs. Happy Corbin (Shawn Daivari), Usos vs. Street Profits (Daivari), Ronda Rousey vs. Liv Morgan (Petey Williams), Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (Michael Hayes)
  • No real controversies from last night’s UFC show past an early stoppage in the Sergei Pavlovich win over Derrick Lewis, but Lewis was beating lit up from the start of that fight. Pavlovich passed the Lewis test with flying colors and has to be taken seriously as a contender. The Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena fight and two fight series kind of reminds me of the GSP vs. Matt Serra deal where Serra pulled off one of the biggest upsets in history before being totally dominated in the rematch. Pena showed tremendous guts and even went for a number of submissions that she appeared close with, but Nunes dominated her from start-to-finish.
  • Dana White said last night that Pena needed plastic surgery on her forehead because she got a big chunk missing from her forehead in the fight.
  • However, White said Anthony Smith had no fracture in his leg or ankle as he believed and told Joe Rogan after his loss to Magomed Anaklaev.
  • Dana White after talked of Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko. Both have pretty much run through their divisions. But Nunes noted she’s beaten Shevchenko twice already.
  • Flair retirement show is tonight at at 7 p.m. Eastern
  • Bunkhouse Battle Royal: Bully Ray, James Storm, Crimson, Rickey Shane Page, Komander, Sin Bodhi, Big Damo, Crowbar, Bryan Myers and many others
  • Jonathan Gresham vs. Alan Angels vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Nick Wayne
  • Ricky & Kerry Morton (with Robert Gibson) vs. Brock Anderson & Brian Pillman Jr. (with Arn Anderson)
  • Mark & Jay Briscoe vs.; Ross & Marshall Von Erich
  • Ren Narita vs. Yuya Uemura
  • Bandido vs. Rey Fenix vs. Laredo Kid vs. Black Taurus
  • Killer Kross vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
  • Chris Sabin & Alex shelley vs. Eddie Edwards & Davey Richards
  • Jordynne Grace vs. Deonna Purrazzo vs. Rachael Ellering for Impact women’s title
  • Josh Alexander vs. Jacob Fatu for Impact title
  • Ric Flair & Andrade El Idolo vs. Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal
  • Google searches indicate a very low PPV number for last night’s UFC show, as they did 550,000 searches. SummerSlam also did 550,000, which is in line with what would be expected. Most UFC shows top 2 million and most WWE shows are around 200,000, but SummerSlam would be way above. The Jake Paul-Hasim Rahman Jr. fight being canceled was No. 7 yesterday with 100,000. Logan Paul was No. 10 yesterday at 50,000.
  • We’re looking for your thoughts on SummerSlam, UFC 277, the Flair retirement show and both nights of G-1 in Nagoya so you can leave a thumbs up, down or middle, best and worst match for each show to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • Gil Hayes, who wrestled from 1966 to 1985, best known in Stampede Wrestling where he was legit star and in the company’s Hall of Fame, passed way on 7/28 at the age of 82. His death was reported as due to a heart attack. We will have a story on him in the new Observer. He gained his most fame in Stampede as well as the early years of WWC in Puerto Rico, and IWE in Japan, but worked all over Canada. He worked very little in the U.S. outside of a short run in the heyday of Championship Wrestling from Florida.

Other Notes

  • Today’s Stardom results from the Five Star Grand Prix at the Ota Ward Gym in Tokyo:
  • AZM & Miyu Amasaski b Lady C & Hina, Amasaki & AZM Rina & Ruaka,
  • Amasaki & AZM b Hazuki & Hanan, Maika & Mai
  • Sakurai b Amasaki & AZM to win the gauntlet
  • Koguma b Momo Kohgo
  • Mina Shirakawa b Momo Watanabe
  • Risa Sera b Saki
  • Kairi & Natsupoi b Mayu Iwatani & Saya Iida
  • Tam Nakano b Himeka
  • Mirai b Giulia
  • Starlight Kid b Saya Kamitani
  • Utami Hayashishita b Syuri
  • So both major champions lost. Heard top three bouts were really strong. They have 15:00 limits and Hayashishita scored the pin with four seconds left. 
  • WAR on 9/10 in Lima, OH at the Empowered Sports Center.
  • Insane Wrestling Revolution from Thursday night in Monroe, MI: Ben Boone b Miss Vicky (Jeremiah Goodman in drag), Shawna Reed b Hayley Shadows, Kenny Urban b Zach Thomas in a goose on a pole match, Trey Miguel b Sam Beale, Tanner Nix won Battle Royal, Jason Hotch b Malcolm Monroe III, Madman Fulton b Crash Jaxson, Nate Bock & Big Flex b Aaron Orion & Tommy Vendetta to keep tag titles, Dread King Logan b PCO to keep heavyweight title (thanks to Leonard Brand)
  • The late Kirk White’s family drew a sellout last night for Big Time Wrestling in Newark, FA: Eddie Cuervo b Truex, Alex Ace (7 foot legit I’m told) b Matt Carlos, Shane Kody & EOC b Dominic Teixiera & Kaka Meng, Levi Shapiro b Dave Dutra, JR Kratos b Vinnie Massaro, Jeckles & Jinx b Sir Simon & Drake Frost-DQ, Chris Bey won three-way over Frankie Kazarian and Marcus Lewis (said to be great). (thanks to Jim Davis)
  • SHWA from last night in Western Australia: Felix Young & Jarrad Slate b Faizel Keris & CJ LangKey, Elijah Henry b Del Cano, Matthew Pace won over Twitch, Ryan Rivera, King Shahil, Lucas Fantasia, J Kalus and Bruno Nitro, Jay Taylor b Harry Dux, Johnny & Tommy Dux b Julian Ward & Taylor King, Jordan Bishop & Ryan Allen b Stella Nyx & Lizzie Maximums and Antonio Corrado & Mr. Thompson, Kiel Steria b Noah Greene, Chris Target b Cat Collins to keep SHWA title. Next show is 9/17.