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1SEPTEMBER 2, 2019 OBSERVER NEWSLETTER: CHANGES IN THE WRESTLING LANDSCAPE IN THE COMING WEEKS, MORE
2BY OBSERVER STAFF | STAFF@WRESTLINGOBSERVER.COM | @WONF4W
3TWITTERFACEBOOKGOOGLE+
4Wrestling Observer Newsletter
5
6PO Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228 ISSN10839593 September 2, 2019
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8 
9
10The wrestling landscape in the U.S. changes greatly over the next few weeks with a lot of key questions needing to be answered.
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121) How will NXT do as a two-hour weekly live show, and how much will it increase the drawing power and marketability of the brand as well as what kind of ratings will it get?
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142) How will the television change by going to two hours and having pressure to draw ratings?
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163) How will it affect AEW getting off the ground on TNT as a television property?
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184) Will adding two more hours per week lead to a burnout and a decline of Raw and/or Smackdown numbers on Monday and Friday?
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205) If that is the case, how does FOX react to Smackdown numbers or do they, in the case of a decline, not believe the added hours are a factor? What happens to FOX ratings after football season and the newness wears off?
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226) Does Smackdown on FOX lead to a boom period, which many stock analysts believe and a narrative WWE has been pushing, so that everything increases?
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247) Who ends up the winner of AEW vs. NXT on Wednesday, and how does the losing side react?
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268) Does two hours of weekly television on a top ten station boost the viability of AEW and increase their drawing power for live events and PPV?
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289) Can AEW draw a new audience aside from its clearly proven hardcore audience if it has weekly television?
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3010) In this day of changing content viewing, especially among those under 30, what value does weekly television still have?
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3211) In this day of WWE content being viewed less-and-less live, does going head-to-head even hurt opposition in any significant manner?
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3412) What happens five years from now to the content market, especially if overexposure as opposed to a new boom period is the result of going from five hours weekly on cable channels to nine or ten?
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3613) Can AEW maintain or will it gain in the PPV arena by having weekly television to promote shows, and similarly, will the increase in exposure lead to more ticket sales, or not have an affect?
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3814) Can AEW maintain ticket sales at a solid level with return visits to the same market, or can it even gain sales?
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40There are other questions relating to New Japan, Impact and ROH in the marketplace, including what does a two horse race mean for the three companies battling for a third rung, including the relations between two of them.
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42Some of these questions will be answered to a degree in October.
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44Ratings for both NXT and AEW are a shot in the dark. NXT has a relatively small weekly audience on the WWE Network. AEW has a hardcore audience that has allowed them to sell out shows. But NXT, piggybacking off WWE big PPVs the next day, has drawn good crowds for Takeovers.
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46AEW has 4.5 times the number of Google searches in the U.S. as NXT over the last 90 days, including being ahead in 45 of the 49 U.S. continental states and District of Columbia. The four other states, Vermont, Montana, Wyoming and New Mexico have so few searches for either that it's not really applicable. Google searches have historically been a good method to predict PPV shows, but not television ratings.
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48In theory, NXT has the edge. There are arguments over whether the two week jump really gives them the advantage, but on paper it should. The key is they are on a station fans of the genre are more familiar with, they are part of the WWE, the promotion with the cultural tenure and by far the most popular, even with the cracks and declining popularity shown over the last year. NXT will be promoted heavily on Raw every Monday, likely with video packages, which is far more valuable in drawing a wrestling audience than brief mentions on TNT sports programming or commercials during regular station programming.
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50Kambi, the leading oddsmakers when it comes to pro wrestling, has put up odds that indicate higher expectations for viewership for NXT, likely for those reasons, because Google searches would strongly indicate AEW as the favorite if the playing field was even.
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52Regarding ratings themselves, we'll have early answers right away. But the first few weeks could be aberrations. There will likely be more media coverage in early October and both sides will be going all out promotionally to get the initial edge. There will be a story told, but if history is an indication, it will be months before burnout starts to take shape. And then the question also becomes if either burnout, or boom period affects the entire genre, or only WWE.
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54For AEW, nobody knows what the television will be to begin with. Vague things have been said. We know the key players. We've seen comedy on BTE which has in the past made stars at a certain level out of The Elite, SCU, Cody, Joey Ryan, Adam Page, Marty Scurll and Flip Gordon, including a period where many of them had strong T-shirt sales in mainstream outlets. The days of walking into Hot Topic and seeing New Japan merchandise front and center with its own display as the best sellers is long gone. A walk into the store a few weeks ago that was hot for pro wrestling in 2017 shows no signs of pro wrestling in 2019. We've also seen the serious side on Road To, with better match promotion and interviews than WWE. But two hours of weekly television is a completely different animal. AEW promises workrate, but NXT will also deliver that. And in both cases, what does that mean with repeated viewings. It was not that many years ago when access to a **** match made everyone rush to watch it. We've seen so many that people have been spoiled and numbed by the greatest in-ring wrestling ever. With the exception of WWE main roster fans who don't even watch NXT, let alone anything else, great matches are expected and in some cases, we've seen great matches that aren't matches of the year be regarded negatively. There's the axiom that in-ring doesn't matter and stories are what matters. But from a television standpoint we don't really know, because it's a new untested audience. The general rule of thumb has been, and always will be, that star power trumps all. But stars change very quickly. Can the companies now make stars with television?
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56For NXT, we do at least have a television product. Just looking at the 8/21 show, and trying to view this product with the idea it's on the USA Network, brings a lot of conclusions.
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58In watching the show, there were two people who looked like major stars, Matt Riddle and Velveteen Dream. Adam Cole had a major star aura because of how he carried himself and his talking ability. But his size as a heel is a factor. Shayna Baszler carried herself as a star to a certain level, really above most but not all main roster women. There is something in Damien Priest, and Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic are great big athletes but were not on this show but promoted for upcoming shows. There were the good workers and everyone knows who they are, and we've seen that Johnny Gargano has the ability to get over if used correctly even with the size thing working against him. Tommaso Ciampa is a fantastic heel, but he's been positioned of late as a face after surgery, and he's not going to be back for several months. But can they make the brand cool enough to overcome a real lack of that level of stars for two hours? What happens with Mia Yim, Bronson Reed, Shane Thorne, Cameron Grimes, and the whole crew of people who have various levels of talent but will need focus to get over. Plus, in head-to-head competition, do you really offer Yim vs. Vanessa Borne or Reed vs Thorne, which are routine TV matches on a streaming show?
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60And more, the setting. Nearly everyone in wrestling believes that the idea of, with USA and TNT very close to the dial, so to speak, on most systems. One show in a 400-seat gym and another in a 10,000 seat arena will give TNT a long-term edge of looking cooler, and its big stars coming across bigger. That's the long game. Of course, if AEW can't continue to draw and its own stars don't become big TV stars, that may mean less, but I wouldn't bet against their ability to make stars based on their history on smaller platforms.
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62It surprised me that WWE announced a schedule of live NXT tapings at Full Sail every Wednesday from 9/18 to 12/18, indicating no plans of moving just yet. And if they either win the ratings, or AEW doesn't do well, since the primary goal here is to eliminate the competition, there would be no reason to increase expenses and change. But if that isn't the case, there will be changes galore. Location and bringing in main roster stars to augment the shows would be the obvious first ideas. Eliminating showcase matches would be another, but without them, it's harder to get new talent over. And that really goes for both sides. The problem with both sides is also that each needs to get new talent over, but in a war, the pressure is on every segment, and that is not conducive to giving time to newer talent. But the positives of the television far outweigh the negatives, on both sides.
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64Does NXT going earlier, meaning they aren't new in week three, hurt themselves on that first week? There is already talk of a major NXT show on 10/2 to keep that from happening. Do the two audiences not even matter to one another? With NXT available the next day on the WWE Network, does that give AEW an edge? And what about time zones?
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66Wrestling on USA has always been viewed as entertainment, meaning tape delayed three hours on the West Coast. While we don't have official word from either AEW or TNT, those within TNT are of the belief the shows will run live on the West Coast. While that sounds like an edge for AEW, it's actually not. On the West Coast on a Wednesday, a taped show airing 8-10 p.m. is far better than a live show airing 5-7 p.m., which AEW will be. As anyone in the wrestling or television business knows, even though Los Angeles is the No. 2 market, when it comes to national TV, the West Coast is a major afterthought and the mentality is more about the far larger in population Eastern time zone.
67
68In the days of Nitro, TNT aired live and then a replay in prime time for the West Coast viewers. Nobody ever added up the two ratings, and it was always about the four time zone live TNT rating vs. three time zone live and one taped USA rating. It didn't matter in 1996-early 1998. It was an edge for USA, particularly in later 1998 when many weeks were close, but nobody ever talked about it. And it didn't matter because Nitro self-destructed to the point that brief close period was gone quickly. Will TNT air a West Coast prime time replay?
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70In the long run, it is likely one side will win, and these factors will be very minimal.
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72Quite frankly, how important is winning the ratings war? For AEW, because it's revenue is directly tied into ad sales, viewers do, in fact, directly relate to revenue. For NXT, it really doesn't. They are getting the same money every week as long as they do enough viewers to keep the slot, and given how much trouble USA has in making hits, that shouldn’t be a problem.
73
74A clear example is TNA and UFC on Spike. There were many times, often in fact, that TNA did more viewers than UFC. In the long run, exactly how did that matter? TNA couldn't get its audience watching to pay and constantly lost money. UFC could, and within a year of being on Spike, was for the most part beating WWE in categories like PPV and live gates, and even with the lower ratings, until last year, was considered the more valuable television property. And even now, because of the value ESPN+ placed on their streaming and PPV potential, they are making more revenue from ESPN for roughly 42 shows per year than WWE makes combined from FOX and USA for roughly 156 even with fairly minuscule television viewing numbers in comparison.
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76If AEW loses the ratings, but can build do strong monthly PPV numbers and strong live events, and strong merchandise numbers, that's hardly a loss. But in the long run, AEW needs to build value in its name. Ratings are a huge part of that. But the key is where they stand in a year, or three, such as their value when its negotiation time in a few year and what the landscape is like at the time. The landscape is the unpredictable factor.
77
78There is also a mental aspect, which is huge. Historically, the leaders of the losing side in these wrestling wars go through panic decision making and even major depression. It's not a guarantee, but it happens more than it doesn't. All of those factors killed WCW. They affected Vince McMahon as well, but he was able to turn it around. AEW hasn't even started as a TV property, and is hardly winning any war past a few shows with unbelievable ticket demand, and we've already seen a huge reaction, mostly great for talent, and even for fans as the quality of television and ratings have improved. But he's also on the winning side.
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80Ever since All In, one year ago, the people in charge of that show, who are now the key players in AEW, have had all the ups. Sure, they all had their downs. The Young Bucks starved on the indie scene and Matt was ready to call it quits and get a real job with a family to support, but since then, everything has been up. Kenny Omega spent years with his talent and few knowing it before becoming an overnight success, at least partially because Vince McMahon signed A.J. Styles from New Japan. Cody's career was going nowhere in WWE, and he wanted it bad. Brandi was a ring announcer, someone to get in the ring because of her striking looks and good voice projection and absolutely nothing else past enough memory to not botch names.
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82Since then, everything has been up. Merch sales. Star power. Crowds that make no sense. Even during the last few months in ROH, when business was starting to flatten, that wasn't anything to be depressed about because they all had huge offers from multiple bidders and everything looked bright.
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84But there is a reality. Sellouts probably won't last forever and it's a lot harder mentally when popularity declines, and in the entertainment world, the fad aspect and its ups and downs are a certainty, which is why the entertainment world is ripe with depression issues and why the wrestling world has a history of losing sides self-destructing.
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86Being an underdog in fights may be good to some of the public, but being outmanned when it comes to structure and being a start up against an established brand is not easy.
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88Really, for NXT, the prime goal is to make sure AEW doesn't become a threat. But there are other pandora's boxes out there.
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90USA is getting two hours of programming on Wednesday for $30 million. FOX is getting two hours of programming on Friday for $205 million. Obviously, there is no way in the long run FOX is doing seven times the viewers, so USA is getting a bargain. If NXT does well, perhaps it can negotiate a far higher price in its next deal based on an established track record. But if NXT does even close to Smackdown numbers, and the overexposure is likely to hurt Smackdown the most being the final show of the week, and on a bad night for television, how does that shake out?
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92Another situation with FOX is that they spent that money for live programming that is DVR-proof. Smackdown on Tuesdays is live and not DVR proof in the least. If anything, Fridays should be worse in that regard. Still, Smackdown in theory is a steady audience. And football promotion did historically help UFC. This past Friday, FOX put reruns of BH90210 from Wednesday and a Master Chef rerun and averaged 1,092,000 viewers. Smackdown is doing well over double that, at least at first.
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94Using the example of WCW in late 1995, when Nitro started, the ticket sales didn't appreciably increase until early 1996, and took a second major step up with the NWO later that year. Then again, AEW ticket sales blow pre-Nitro WCW out of the water so far, so the dynamic is completely different.
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96AEW is also building to quarterly PPVs at high prices as compared to the streaming prices of everyone left in the market of any size except a few boxing shows and monthly UFC's (streaming but still high priced). For decades, that carried the business. But has the customer based changed? The Double or Nothing show did phenomenally well given no television, but what is he value of television. ECW did very well on PPV with moderate syndication, then got national cable and its PPVs did not really increase. Of course, they lost their key players to the opposition once they got TV, and TNN is hardly TNT. Plus, ECW in its day, usually averaged about 1,000 paid for its live shows, so there is a difference there as well.
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98UFC's PPV exploded from the first one after getting on television. So the November number is a test, and really, the first 2020 number will tell even more. What All Out does is well and good, and if it's the same or up from Double or Nothing is a great sign, but everything changes in October.
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100All Elite Wrestling saw ticket sales come back to Earth this week.
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102After its first three weeks of TNT tapings sold out instantly, for various reasons, the fourth show, on 10/23 in Pittsburgh, sold about 4,000 tickets on the first day at the Petersen Events Center at the University of Pittsburgh. Its fifth show, on 10/30 in Charleston, WV, sold out 3,000 tickets the first day at the Civic Center.
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104WWE Raw was just in Pittsburgh and ended up with 6,000 fans, playing the larger PPG Paints Arena. Putting tickets on sale so soon after a Raw show, and in a secondary building for a lesser known promotion with no TV, is still a good sign. It’s likely going to end up around the same number, perhaps more if the early television leads to ticket sales right away. It will be interesting to see two things, which is how many tickets move in both cities over the next nearly two months, and more importantly, over the period after the debut of television on 10/2. It will be a test of the local market promotional ability since recent shows in Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia didn't have any need for local advertising or promotion with the instant sellouts.
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106For the company's second PPV show , on 8/31 at the Sears Center in Chicago, what was generally considered the biggest match on the show fell through when Jon Moxley had to pull out of his match with Kenny Omega when he was diagnosed with MRSA staph in his elbow that he picked up while in Japan. He worked with the infection for Northeast Wrestling last week, but after diagnosed, was told to stay out of the ring for four weeks. Moxley also had to pull out of his 9/14 Bloodsport main event in Atlantic City against Josh Barnett.
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108The four week timetable means he is expected to be ready for the first TV in Washington, DC. The company will do Omega vs. Moxley soon, but it's not clear whether that would be at an early TV, or the fall PPV show, which should be announced for a Saturday night in November on the 8/31 show.
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110"I'm absolutely gutted to have to deliver this news but I'd rather it came directly from me. In a nightmare scenario, a serious case of MRSA has returned in my elbow. The timing couldn't be worse. In this circumstance, I am forced to pull out of the fight 8/31 vs. Omega at All Out.”
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112Pac will replace Moxley. It's a match with no build up, as even after the switch, Omega did an interview on BTE focused entirely on insulting Moxley for missing Chicago and never mentioned Pac once. On paper, it should be a candidate for the best match in the company's short history, and it's unlikely the Chicago crowd won't be into it even with no build.
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114It's not clear whether Pac has signed a long-term deal with the company. Those in the company said that Pac was not booked for an angle on the show. But it had been known they were talking with him about coming in ever since they knew the date he was going to lose the Open the Dream Gate title. Pac and AEW had a five-date deal but not a full-time deal, and the match in England against Hangman Page that AEW released on YouTube was one of those dates. There has been an attempt to get him to sign a full-time deal but he's been very loyal to Dragon Gate. Pac was heavily speculated to be one of Chris Jericho's mystery partners for the first TV show in a six-man tag against Omega & The Young Bucks, but LAX has also been speculated on for that role.
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116But if a deal was made with him, the idea was likely for him to make a surprise debut, but the circumstances were necessary that they needed a top guy for the match and he was the best name for the spot.
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118Fenix, scheduled to team with brother Pentagon Jr. in a ladder match for the AAA tag titles against the Young Bucks, was also injured. Fenix & Pentagon were in a tag team match against Juventud Guerrera & Teddy Hart on 8/23 in Pawtucket, CT. He was throwing a superkick and thought he had a tear and they went right to the finish and he was helped out. He worked the next night but did almost nothing, with the match mostly a brawl with few high spots or flying and his brother carrying the workload. He once again was helped out after the match. He told those in AEW that he will be fine for the match. The expected standards of a ladder match are awfully high based on Young Bucks ladder matches in ROH.
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120The full show will feature two pre-show Buy In matches at 7 p.m. Pacific time and 6 p.m. local time with Private Party vs. Jack Evans & Angelico, a bout that will no doubt feature crazy action, and also has a chance to be very sloppy if things don't go right, and a 21 women Casino Battle Royale. The only names announced at press time are Awesome Kong, Sadie Gibbs, Nyla Rose, Britt Baker, Allie, Brandi Rhodes, Teal Piper, Ivelisse, Jazz and Big Swole (Ariel Monroe). At one point Bea Priestley was on this list and her not working Stardom this weekend in the middle of her tour makes her name likely. Other women on the roster not mentioned include Penelope Ford, Kylie Rae and Leva Bates. Rae is on a medical leave and has removed all her social media and it's a subject nobody has talked about.
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122The winner of this match faces the winner of Riho vs. Hikaru Shida on the main card to determine the first women's champion, in a match on 10/2 in Washington, DC.
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124The rest of the main show, scheduled for 8 p.m. to midnight Eastern, is Chris Jericho vs. Hangman Page to determine the first AEW champion; The Dark Order (Stu Grayson & Player Uno) vs. Trent Baretta & Chuckie T for a first round bye in the tag team title tournament (I saw this match live in PWG and it was very good, but the Dark Order hasn't gotten over in their AEW appearances); Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky vs. Luchasaurus & Jungle Boy & Marko Stunt in a battle of characters who will be over big to the live audience and feature a lot of high flying spots; Darby Allin vs. Jimmy Havoc vs. Joey Janela in a match to see who can top who in crazy moves and long-term injuries; Cody, with a mystery second that people have told themselves so much will be Arn Anderson that now they have to come up with someone in that spot of that level, against Shawn Spears, who will have Tully Blanchard in his corner.
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126The Buy In pre-show will air on AEW social media channels as well as ITV 4 in the U.K., and will air on regular PPV in the U.S., streaming PPV on B/R Live, ITV Box Office in the U.K., and FITE in the rest of the world.
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128Double or Nothing did about 111,000 buys on PPV worldwide between streaming and television, a record for a pro wrestling promotion without television. So that would be the goal here to see if they can maintain that. Losing Omega vs. Moxley hurts somewhat since PPV is usually a late decision, but it also only makes the match bigger when they do it next. The show will be unopposed. But the same day there are two shows a few hours earlier that are head-to-head, NXT UK Takeover on WWE Network and NJPW Royal Quest from London on FITE.
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130There are 286 tickets left on Stubhub with a $120 get in price, so that has lowered in the past week with the idea that people who are willing to spend big money on tickets already have, but that’s still many multiple of face value across the board to get in.
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132This past week they also announced an 11/6 TV taping at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, which is the original Charlotte Coliseum that was the home of Mid Atlantic Wrestling in the 70s and 80s. It will probably be set up for 7,000. Tickets go on sale on 8/30. What's notable about this date is that the WWE's 9/15 PPV show is in Charlotte, although at the larger Spectrum Center, the NBA building and the A arena in town. That show is far from sold out so you are having tickets out for both shows at the same time. AEW is both in the secondary arena and with lower ticket prices. So the first day will be interesting.
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134There is an interesting and different strategy. In Pittsburgh, Charlotte and really most major cities right now, WWE doesn’t come close to filling the big buildings for Raw and does poorly for Smackdown. However, they are continuing to book the major buildings because, aside from Toronto for house show where they do go smaller, the idea is that they are major league entertainment and don’t want to be in the buildings that the non-major league entertainment in the market plays. AEW is taking the opposite tact, looking at smaller buildings that they can fill up. For media and general public perception, it’s an interesting debate. AEW has gotten good Internet PR with the idea of selling out quickly. WWE gets the photos of the empty buildings. However, to the people not looking at such things, WWE is still the major league and AEW is the minor league alternative in a business where historically the masses haven’t supported minor league at any significant level. But to its audience, AEW comes across as hot and WWE doesn’t.
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136For the rest of the shows, the D.C. show sold nearly 1,200 tickets on Stubhub this past week because of the low prices, but the get-in price has fallen to $6.33 so panic selling is there with 3,570 seats left, even though the idea of the first taping and the instant sellout should make those tickets more valuable.
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138Boston's get in price is $60, so it's a strong market, while Philadelphia, at $24, is just barely above the listed bottom price.
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140Pittsburgh and Charleston are above market value at $38 and $35 for the lowest price. Both shows had virtually no scalper interest after the DC price fell so hard. That's among the reasons the first day sales were well down from the first three show which all had strong secondary market interest after Chicago. The situation in D.C. should make secondary market purchasers more wary, and thus the weekly TV’s are probably not going to be instant sellouts. The next PPV will be an interesting test case regarding big shows.
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142The question of how AEW does for return business will be known relatively soon, since at least two of the metro areas that have shows in this 8/31 to 11/6 cycle are expected to have another show before the end of November, so those are quick returns.
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144El Phantasmo won the 2019 Super J Cup tournament, a Jushin Liger/New Japan production this past weekend with shows in Tacoma, San Francisco and Long Beach.
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146It was the seventh Super J Cup dating back to the original at Sumo Hall in on April 16, 1994. It was the first since 2016, when Kushida beat Yoshinobu Kanemaru in the finals.
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148The hallmark of the shows were three blow away main events, Will Ospreay's win over Amazing Red on 8/22 in Tacoma, Ospreay's win over Sho on 8/24 in San Francisco, and Phantasmo's win over Dragon Lee to take the tournament on 8/25 in Long Beach.
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150It was the first major New Japan shows of the year not broadcast live in some form. All three shows are scheduled to have voiceover work done and be put on New Japan World in mid-September, so for a few weeks the legend of Ospreay vs. Red from the live comments of people claiming it was the best live match they had ever seen, or one of the best, will have to be it for everyone who wasn't there.
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152The tournament seemed about establishing Phantasmo as the strong rival to Ospreay. He worked as a major heel the entire tournament, beating Robbie Eagles with a low blow in the first round, then using a low blow to beat T.J. Perkins, and finally had help from Taiji Ishimori to beat Ospreay.
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154Phantasmo beat Lee in a bloodbath. Phantasmo had put Lee through a table. He then came off the ringpost with a double foot stomp on Lee on the broken table, but in landing, hit his head on the back of an open chair on the floor, and got what was described as a nearly two-inch gash straight down from his hairline. For the finish, Phantasmo had Lee on his shoulders, walked the middle ropes and gave him a TKO into the ring.
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156When it was over, Jushin Liger was supposed to put the J Cup jacket on him, but Liger refused and he and Phantasmo had words. Liger walked away and Phantasmo said he knew Liger was going to retire but he should just retire him right now. Liger flipped him off. This led to Phantasmo challenging Liger for his retirement match on 1/5 at the Tokyo Dome. Liger didn't accept the challenge so this story will probably play out over the next few months, but New Japan booking doesn't tease things that they aren't expecting to deliver.
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158Phantasmo then called Ospreay the Autistic Assassin. There was a lot of heat from fans regarding that remark, and not good heat either. But it wasn't tom the degree the company will be taking action over it. Ospreay came out to confront him but once again Ishimori helped Phantasmo beat down Ospreay. Eagles ran in for the save. Ospreay then cut a promo that got over so big the Walter Pyramid was shaking ending up challenging Phantasmo for a shot at his IWGP jr. title, so that will likely take place over the next two months. Phantasmo & Ishimori also challenged Ospreay & Eagles to a jr. tag title match. Ospreay then talked about how the Bullet Club was once known for having the most talented wrestlers and relying on their ability to win and told them to take their sports entertainment bullshit elsewhere.
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160Another angle was done earlier in the show during a Tetsuya Naito & Bushi vs. Jay White & Ishimori match. White laid out Naito with a sleeper suplex, then hit the sleeper suplex on Bushi and pinned him after bladerunner. After the match, he attacked Naito and laid him out with a chair, a low blow and hit another bladerunner. He then called for the mic. The heat on White was incredible as you couldn't hear him talk over the boos. He milked it for more than five minutes, which is incredible. Fans were screaming to keep him from talking, and finally he said, Okay," dropped the mic, and started stomping on Naito. He finally yelled "you did this" at the crowd and gave Naito another blade runner. He was getting great heat and said that Naito's dream of being both IC and IWGP champion at the same time at the Tokyo Dome is his "destino." This builds for Naito vs. White for the IC title in the Destruction in Kobe main event on 9/22.
161
162But in other ways, the real story was the Ospreay vs. Red match. Ospreay, growing up, idolized Red and Low Ki and that their matches made him a fan when he was 14. He basically talked him out of retirement back in March to do the three shows and face him. It was huge to Ospreay, in fact he was talking about it all week, on how determined he was to have a classic match with Red. From all accounts he succeeded. Numerous fans at the Temple Theater, including Bryan Alvarez, remarked that it was one of the greatest live match they had ever seen.
163
164Still, Ospreay avoided a letdown, including, from his own words, getting way too hammered on his night off the next night as he came to San Francisco early. He said he was both hurting and hung over, but still had a second classic with Sho, before a completely different type of crowd and doing a completely different match. In this one, Ospreay played subtle heel and his role was to get Sho over while still beating him to make the final four. This was one of the best matches of Sho's career, and the crowd was behind him huge looking for the upset, but it wasn't so much Sho as Ospreay making Sho look good. Still, seeing it was Ospreay, even though the crowd got behind Sho, was obvious as even little kids who were there could see it based on what several parents told me.
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166Tacoma was said to be a rabid crowd that was loud for just about everyone and everything and the show was said to be super.
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168San Francisco felt like a New Japan regular Road To house show in Japan, except the crowd was American. It was a small crowd packing a way-too-small gym at San Francisco State in what was the first pro wrestling match ever in the building. They were quiet but very into everything, reacting very much like a Japanese crowd in most cases. There were some exceptions.
169
170The show was good, but really, as far as every match but the main event, it didn't feel much different quality-wise from a WWE house show. You might get a match much worse on a WWE show than anything, but the WWE show will be more elements then just match, match, match for two-and-a-half hours with no breaks, talking or things on the video screen. Before the main event, I'd say as compared to an NXT live show, you'd get one or two higher-end matches, a louder very different crowd, but also a few matches with people not nearly as good as the inexperienced people here. As a comparison with PWG, it was clear just how PWG is so above and beyond for a full show. Every match except the last two would be weak by PWG standards, but the main event would be high-end PWG, at the top tier of matches there.
171
172The buildings in Tacoma and San Francisco seemed to small. Tacoma sold out, with standing room, at 991 paid and about 1,100 in the building. Aside from standing room, all seats went immediately. But they did $22 a head in merchandise, and San Francisco was likely similar with a giant merchandise line even though he paid was only 788. It sold out instantly. They announced an 11/9 return date at the San Jose Civic Auditorium, which would probably hold about 2,500 for a New Japan set up. No word as far as if this is part of a multi-show tour or not. The finals in Long Beach at the Walter Pyramid drew 2,512, which when you consider they did 3,000 last time for a far more star-laden show, it's about what would be expected.
173
174 
175
176AUGUST 22 - TACOMA TEMPLE THEATER - 991 SELLOUT
177
1781. Jushin Liger & Karl Fredericks beat Shota Umino & Ren Narita in 7:30 when Fredericks made Narita submit to a half crab. The crowd was into everything. They did a basic style good match.
179
1802. In a first round match, Soberano Jr. pinned Rocky Romero in 11:04 with a tornillo off the top rope. All action fast paced fun match.
181
1823. In a first round match, TJ Perkins beat Clark Connors in 11:56 with the Pinoy stretch. Connors, who is from the area. got the spear and Boston crab. Perkins reversed the Boston crab into his own finisher. Said to be an excellent match with a ridiculous amount of heat.
183
1844. In a first round match, Caristico pinned Bushi in 10:08 with a Spanish fly off the top rope. Bushi worked as a heel. They botched one spot badly. Caristico also messed up his own La Mistica finish. It took them some time to get back on track. It was still a good match.
185
1865. In a first round match, Ryusuke Taguchi pinned Jonathan Gresham in 12:59 with a series of cradles and Taguchi got a three count. Lots of comedy throughout. At one point both guys spun around and got dizzy. Then Taguchi went to do the bom a ye, but since he was dizzy, he missed Gresham and ran into the corner.
187
1886. In a first round match, El Phantasmo pinned Robbie Eagles in 12:17 with a low blow after a ref bump and a cradle holding the tights. Tons of flying and crazy spots, with Phantasmo working as a complete heel. Said to be a great match.
189
1907. In a first round match, Dragon Lee pinned Yoh in 18:51 with the desnucadora. Yoh worked on his leg throughout. Lee did a great dive.
191
1928. In a first round match, Sho pinned Taiji Ishimori in 17:06 with a package piledriver. Super match going back-and-forth. There was a "Let's go Red Shoes" chant during the match. Unno got a standing ovation when he came out.
193
1949. In a first round match, Will Ospreay pinned Amazing Red in 28:19 with the storm breaker. Ospreay worked the match as a heel since he clearly was trying to get Red over. People were chanting "Let's Go Red" and then some guys would chant "Shoes" at the end. Lots of dives. Ospreay delivered ridiculously hard chops. Red used a code red for a great near fall which got a gigantic reaction. Ospreay did an Oscutter on the apron at one point. Ospreay did some crazy selling almost like Curt Hennig or Shawn Michaels comedy overselling stuff to put over Red's offense. Ospreay kicked out of the Code Red. Ospreay used an Oscutter off the middle ropes and the Storm breaker for the pin.
195
196 
197
198AUGUST 24 - SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT LIFE EVENTS CENTER - 788 SELLOUT
199
2001. Jonathan Gresham beat Alex Coughlin in 8:14. Coughlin launched him with a gut wrench. Gresham worked on Coughlin's left knee. Coughlin's chest was beat raw. Coughlin went for a Boston crab, Gresham reversed and they traded cradles until Gresham got the three count. **3/4
201
2022. Robbie Eagles beat Clark Connors in 9:12. Some bouncing off the ropes spots were a little off as they appeared to be used to a bigger ring. Connors did a great pounce and spear for near falls. Eagles' chest was all beat red. Eagles won with a leglock submission. **3/4
203
2043. Bushi pinned Shota Umino in 7:06. The crowd was really into Umino from the tag matches in G-1 with lots of Shooter chants. Bushi got the pin after the Midnight Express. **1/4
205
2064. Taiji Ishimori & Gedo beat Karl Fredericks & Ren Narita in 8:39. Gedo played total heel, at one point trying to walk out and Narita threw him back in. Fredericks at one point got the Boston crab on Gedo, who tapped, but Gedo wasn't the legal man. Ishimori got the submission with the LeBell lock on Narita. **3/4
207
2085. Jushin Liger & Amazing Red beat Rocky Romero & Yoh in 12:51 Liger got by far the biggest reaction on the show, as Ospreay was a distant second. It started with Romero acting he was a big fan of Liger and then Romero attacked and heeled on him. Red at one point did a missile dropkick on Romero & Yoh at the same time. Red did some cool moves on his hot tag. At other spots he was a little off. Red got the surprise pin on Romero with Code Red. ***1/4
209
2106. In the first quarterfinal match, Caristico beat Soberano Jr. in 8:30. Soberano's left shoulder was all messed up, taped and with a black protection piece over it. Lots of high spots but it never got intense, but was fun. Soberano used a Fosbury flop. Caristico did a running flip dive. Soberano did a moonsault on a draping Caristico. Caristico got the pin after a Spanish fly off the top rope. ***
211
2127. In another quarterfinal, El Phantasmo beat T.J. Perkins in 14:49. More comedy than you'd think. Perkins is a very good wrestler but he wasn't really over. Phantasmo spit on his hand and wanted to shake hands. Perkins wouldn't so Phantasmo flung his hand and the spot got on the ref. It was gross. When Perkins was down, Phantasmo stepped on his crotch and the ref didn't DQ him but refused to count due to the low blow. Phantasmo did a ropewalk into a super huracanrana. He also did a ropewalk into a top rope Asai moonsault which was probably the hottest single spot on the show. He did a springboard splash three-quarters of the way across the ring. Phantasmo did a Super Frankensteiner, a senton off the tp but missed a moonsault. After a ref bump, Phantasmo did a hard punch to the groin and a cradle holding the trunks for the pin. ***1/4
213
2148. Dragon Lee pinned Ryusuke Taguchi in 11:27. Lee did a great running flip dive to start. He's got a different level of explosiveness with his dives that make them more impressive. Taguchi did a sitting splash off the top rope and all his ass related offense. This was both comedy and at the same time also some serious, but never hit great. Lee won with a running knee. ***½
215
2169. Will Ospreay pinned Sho in 30:32. Sho blocked a tijera early to get over his power. Sho spent most of the match working the left arm and hand and Ospreay sold it like it was legit. He especially sold the fingers and late in the match when he did his big power bomb spot did it with only the right arm. Ospreay missed some sort of a running move on the floor when Sho moved. I believe the idea was to crotch himself on the barricade, but the barricade collapsed and he started acting like he broke his fingers or wrist. Red Shoes acted concerned like maybe he should stop the match. Ospreay did a phenomenal forearm off the barricade. Sho threw kicks and went for an armbar. Ospreay did a Fosbury flop dive and a bloody Sunday DDT. Sho did two German suplexes, but Ospreay landed on his feet on the third and hit a Paul Robinson kick. Ospreay went for the Oscutter, but it was blocked and Sho hit a spear. Ospreay hit a stunner. Ospreay went for an Oscutter, but Sho caught him and acted like he couldn't lift him due to the awkward positioning, but German suplexed him anyway. This spot got a standing ovation. The place went nuts when Sho kicked out of the power bomb and later when he kicked out of the Oscutter. Ospreay put Sho on his shoulders and climbed to the middle ropes and gave him an iconoclasm for a near fall. Ospreay used a high kick, a Spanish fly, hidden blade and storm breaker and got the pin. He and Sho embraced after the match. Ospreay did a great promo after the match, putting over Sho, talking about how some fans like him and some don't, but said, sometimes he doesn't even like himself. He noted that New Japan has lost key guys but called himself the best wrestler in the world and that New Japan was the best wrestling in the world, talked about coming to San Francisco early, drinking too much, being hungover in the morning, having a bad neck and bad arm and put over how great Sho was and how he'll be a major star and more. He also talked about how the last time in San Francisco, we lost one of the best, in reference to Hiromu Takahashi breaking his neck in the match with Dragon Lee at the Cow Palace. He said that he's heard Takahashi is doing well and will be returning soon. ****3/4
217
218 
219
220AUGUST 25 - LONG BEACH STATE UNIVERSITY WALTER PAVILION 2,512
221
2221. Dragon Lee pinned Caristico in 11:10 in the first semifinal. The match was said to be disappointing. A lot of great lucha work but it never reached the great level and people's expectations were so high. Some stuff wasn't smooth although no spots were blown. But Caristico injured his shoulder early in the match and both were concerned about it rather than worked it into the match story. Caristico worked heel and went after Lee's mask. Lee used a nice running flip dive and got the pin with the desnucadora. Caristico was selling his shoulder and Lee looked concerned after the match. There was nothing noticeable in the match and Lee never worked on the shoulder itself.
223
2242. El Phantasmo pinned Will Ospreay in 11:28 in the other semifinal. This match was said to be fantastic start-to-finish. Phantasmo attacked Ospreay before the match and worked over the right knee. When the bell rang, Ospreay immediately hit a Spanish fly for a great near fall and it was hot from there. At one point Phantasmo was walking on the guard rail and Ospreay kicked the guard rail causing him to fall into the first row. Ospreay then did the phenomenal forearm off the guard rail into the crowd. There was a ref bump. Ospreay used a series of kicks, the Oscutter and hidden blade. He had Phantasmo up for the Storm breaker, when Taiji Ishimori came out and hit Ospreay with the bloody cross. Phantasmo used the CR 2 for the pin. Tons of heat over that finishing sequence.
225
2263. Alex Coughlin beat Shota Umino in 7:34 with the Boston crab. Umino was over like crazy at every show with people chanting Shooter at him from the Jon Moxley promos. Both looked good. A notable thing is that Umino is really higher on the pecking order than Coughlin. In WWE booking, Umino would win this but they had Coughlin win as an American. The funny thing is, they changed what the normal finish would be based on Coughlin being the local. But in this case, the crowd was actually was more for Umino.
227
2284. Jonathan Gresham beat Clark Connors in 10:25. Well worked match. Lots of good stuff on the mat. Connors stayed right with him. The crowd reacted like a Japanese crowd here, quiet but into it. The crowd didn't cheer ether guy loudly. Gresham won with the Octopus catch, which was a choke and throwing elbows from that position over and over like an MMA tap out finish.
229
2305. Soberano Jr. beat Ren Narita in 6:55. Fun short match. Soberano used a Fosbury Flop dive. Soberano threw the most wicked chops on the show. Soberano won with a tornillo off the top rope.
231
2326. Juice Robinson beat Karl Fredericks in 9:55. Solid match. Robinson got big reaction, although not the level of Ospreay. Fredericks got nice near fall with a spinebuster. Robinson won with the left punch, a power bomb and then used the Tenzan style Boston crab for the submission. Robinson gave Fredericks a hand after the match. I think most people who have seen him the past few weeks figure in three years he's a major star.
233
2347. Jushin Liger & TJ Perkins & Amazing Red & Ryusuke Taguchi beat Sho & Yoh & Rocky Romero & Robbie Eagles in 14:17. Said to be a masterwork in psychology. The whole thing was about keeping Taguchi out of the ring so when he finally entered, the place went crazy. He kept missing the hip attacks until the second biggest pop of the show when he hit it. Perkins pinned Romero with the detonation kick. Liger got an incredible reaction.
235
2368. Jay White & Taiji Ishimori beat Tetsuya Naito & Bushi in 14:09. Naito got the biggest reaction on the show, even more than Liger. Everyone hated White.
237
238The match was good with everyone doing their big moves at the end. The post-match was said to be fantastic.
239
2409. El Phantasmo beat Dragon Lee in 25:33 to win the tournament. This was said to be the third best match in Long Beach, behind only Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Young Bucks vs. Golden Lovers. Phantasmo tried to bring out the Bullet Club, but Red Shoes (huge babyface reaction here) ordered them gone. Lee did a great tope. The crowd really got into it when Lee did his jump over the top rope huracanrana on Phantasmo on the apron to the floor. Lee then came off the apron with a tijera on the floor, but Phantasmo caught him and power bombed him through the timekeeper's table. Phantasmo then came off the top rope with a double foot stomp on Lee who was laying on the broken table. Somehow in all this Phantasmo got cut in the forehead on the table. The crowd was liking the match before but with all the blood, they started going crazy. Lee did the Del Rio double foot stomp to the floor and Phantasmo barely beat the 20 count. After a striking exchange, Lee licked Phantasmo's blood off his own hands. During a ref bump, Phantasmo punched him to the groin and rolled him up like he won his first two bouts, but Lee kicked out. He went after Lee's mask. Red Shoes tried to stop him and went down. Phantasmo gave Lee another low blow, then walked the middle ropes into a CR 2 for the win.
241
242The WWE's next PPV show, Clash of the Champions, on 9/15 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, looks to have eight matches locked in at this point.
243
244Announced thus far are Seth Rollins vs. Braun Strowman for the Universal title, Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton for the WWE title, Rollins & Strowman defending the Raw tag titles against the newly-created team of Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode, Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown women's title, the finals of the King of the ring tournament, and Drew Gulak vs. Humberto Carrillo.
245
246Other matches confirmed but not announced are Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks for the Raw women's title and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The Miz for the IC title. We know that Big E & Xavier Woods vs. The Revival for the Smackdown tag team title was pitched last week so it's a probable. There will be an A.J. Styles U.S. title defense. Because of Styles working a TV program with Strowman the past few weeks, there have been no teases who that opponent would be.
247
248The most pushed angle on television is the Roman Reigns angle, which looks to be building up a match with Daniel Bryan. With two weeks left of television, one would think, if that match is on the show and the build would indicate that, that the angle should get to the announcement next week.
249
250There's no word nor has there been a tease regarding the women’s tag team championship.
251
252King of the Ring is down to the quarterfinals, with Samoa Joe vs. Ricochet and Baron Corbin vs. Cedric Alexander on 9/2 in Baltimore, and Elias vs. Ali and Chad Gable vs. Andrade on 9/3 in Norfolk.
253
254They've been going face/heel across the board thus far, so that would be Joe-Alexander or Ricochet-Corbin, and of the two, the latter would seem to be the favorite. It is possible to book Ricochet vs. Alexander since the winners are in Madison Square Garden on 9/9 with the idea of giving people a classic flying match that maybe the MSG atmosphere can boost. But Ricochet and Corbin seem most likely on that side.
255
256It would be a surprise if Gable were to beat Andrade, not that it can't happen. But Andrade would appear to be the favorite on the Smackdown side of the four remaining. An Andrade win likely puts Ali in as his opponent, since Andrade vs. Elias doesn't even make sense. If we go with the idea Andrade is the favorite on the Smackdown side, it puts Ricochet as the favorite on the other side. Alexander is getting a push and he's known to be a guy with Paul Heyman's backing, but I don't know if that backing gets him to the finals. Corbin has been pushed hard for a long time, so he could win, although I can't see a Corbin vs. Andrade match and Corbin could beat Ali in the finals with the idea Ali can make the match.
257
258Currently the lower bowl has tickets on sale and they are selling about 20 percent of the upper bowl, so it looks like 9,500 is the current set up. It's not a major secondary market event. There are only 470 tickets out right now and the price to get in is $43.56, which would be a low price considering there aren't many tickets left and it's three weeks away.
259
260While Harley Race was a main event star for a quarter-century, and one of the most respected wrestlers of his era, the key period of his career was from 1977 to 1981, as NWA world heavyweight champion.
261
262Race, because of the great job he had done in the seven week run in 1973, when he won the title for the most unusual of reasons, came one vote shy from getting the title when Jack Brisco wanted out at the end of 1975.
263
264Race got the title from Dory Funk Jr., because they were looking for a guy tough enough and respected enough that Funk Jr. wouldn’t pull any shenanigans. While Funk Jr. had been a complete professional in his four years as champion, the uncertainty of the tractor accident that caused him to miss his scheduled title loss to Jack Brisco in Houston had thrown the alliance out of whack. While portrayed as a close brotherhood of the world’s top promoters, and actually in one of its strongest periods in history, it was still an alliance that was always hanging by a thread. Promoters always had their own interests at heart and their own ways of doing business. Sam Muchnick, the NWA President and booker of the champion, was a sports guy and had a very strong view of what the world champion should be. He was fine with 60 minute draws, and occasional non-title losses, or losses in tag team matches, but always wanted them kept under control. And in the end, the champion and championship had to be put over. It was the value and prestige of the championship that kept the alliance from falling apart.
265
266But after Funk Jr.’s injury, things got out of hand. The promoters who had dates on the champion were furious. Muchnick tried to book Brisco, the future champion, or Terry Funk, the champions brother, to fulfill Dory’s dates and lose to the local star, giving the future champion, Brisco, logical title defenses. But the timing of the accident made people want the belt off Funk Jr.
267
268Even Muchnick himself had talks with Vince McMahon Sr., His bringing in Bruno Sammartino at the time was a deal worked out through Vince McMahon Sr., with the idea that if the NWA was going to fall apart, he’d have his back-up plan working with McMahon.
269
270Race was a calming influence. He gave the alliance great matches, and put over Brisco just as instructed. Plus, the value of the belt to a career in those days was enormous. Lou Thesz was old and largely retired, so there were only a few NWA champions left active, Pat O’Connor and Gene Kiniski, who were aging, Funk Jr., and Race. Race appearing on top in major shows as champion in Florida, Georgia, both Texas circuits that also included New Mexico, Oregon, British Columbia, Stampede Wrestling and the Carolinas made him an instant superstar in all those places because of the prestige with that belt.
271
272Race was already the top star in his home territory, and a main eventer in St. Louis, the most important market for the NWA and arguably the first or second most important wrestling city in the country at the time along with New York. He was also a major star in Japan prior to becoming champion, and the luster of the NWA title made him even bigger there. If you were ever the NWA champion, and you want to Japan, you were always protected in booking and would only be asked to lose to Giant Baba, and even then only rarely.
273
274During the nearly four year period between his two NWA title wins, he had multiple reigns as Missouri State champion, considered by many as the top regional belt in the world, was brought into the Carolinas as the first U.S. champion, creating their top singles title to lose to Johnny Valentine, and then, after Valentine’s career ended in a plane crash and they wanted the belt on Paul Jones, they brought in Race for the one-night tournament that set a record crowd, with Race losing in the finals. He held the Southern title in Florida, the Georgia title, the Mid American title in Tennessee and versions of the North American title in both Eastern and Western Canada.
275
276It elevated the regional title to have a former world champion and international star holding it. And it even more so, added to the credibility of whoever beat him, since by winning the title from the former champion, it made the area fans think that person was on a roll and could beat either Brisco, or later Terry Funk, when they came into town to defend the NWA belt.
277
278Race booked in Georgia for Jim Barnett when there were issues and they felt they needed a tough guy that nobody would mess with, either in the promotion or on the outside, around. In St. Louis, he was almost always in either the main event, or a strong semi.
279
280It was Race and booker Pat O’Connor in St. Louis who infuriated Sam Muchnick, when Race dropped the Central States title to O’Connor on January 28, 1972 at Kiel Auditorium, and then defended his title in his home territory as if the match never happened. This led Muchnick to create the Missouri State title, and even before he had the worldwide prestige of being NWA champion, he was chosen to be the first champion. After winning the world title, his holding the Missouri belt gave it prestige and made it considered the stepping stone belt for the world title. And when he wasn’t world champion, he was almost always either champion or in contention for that title. He was the last champion when the St. Louis Wrestling Club folded in early 1986. But on the flip side, Race, Bob Geigel, O’Connor and Verne Gagne were partners in buying out a retiring Sam Muchnick for what was consistently one of the best wrestling markets anywhere. In making change, having the falling out with Larry Matysik, as well as having to compete with Vince McMahon and with both sides presenting a style of wrestling the locals didn’t like, they rarely did well after early 1983–usually only for matches where Ric Flair defended the title against either Bruiser Brody or Kerry Von Erich.
281
282While Race, when St. Louis was hot, would complain about how conservative Muchnick was as promoter, trying to open it up to the wilder booking in the rest of the country, he was also the first to note that the alliance itself started going downhill when Muchnick resigned as President in 1975.
283
284Jim Barnett took over as booker. Muchnick felt he was insulted at an alliance meeting and quit as President. Others have said that the situation was more set up, that the others had created a situation to get Muchnick out, so they were no longer bound by his strict rules regarding the world title. The key was that
285
286HARLEY RACE
287
288 
289
290CAREER TITLE HISTORY
291
292 
293
294NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT: def. Dory Funk Jr. May 24, 1973 Kansas City; lost to Jack Brisco July 20, 1973 Houston; def. Terry Funk February 6, 1977 Toronto; lost to Dusty Rhodes August 21, 1979 Tampa; def. Dusty Rhodes August 26, 1979 Orlando; lost to Giant Baba October 31, 1979 Nagoya; def. Giant Baba November 7, 1979 Amagasaki; lost to Giant Baba September 4, 1980 Saga; def. Giant Baba September 9, 1980 Otsu; lost to Tommy Rich April 27, 1981 Augusta, GA; def. Tommy Rich May 1, 1981 Gainesvlle, GA; lost to Dusty Rhodes June 21, 1981 Atlanta; def. Ric Flair June 10, 1983 St. Louis; lost to Ric Flair November 24, 1983 Greensboro; def. Ric Flair March 20, 1984 Wellington, New Zealand; lost to Ric Flair March 22, 1984 Kallang, Singapore
295
296 
297
298PWF HEAVYWEIGHT: def. Giant Baba October 28, 1982 Obihiro; lost to Giant Baba February 11, 1983 St. Louis
299
300 
301
302NWA UNITED NATIONAL HEAVYWEIGHT: def. Jumbo Tsuruta August 1, 1982 Tokyo; lost to Jumbo Tsuruta October 24, 1982 Kitami
303
304 
305
306NWA MISSOURI STATE HEAVYWEIGHT: def. Pak Song in tournament to become champion September 16, 1972 St. Louis; Title held up after December 16, 1972 match with Johnny Valentine St. Louis; lost to Johnny Valentine January 19, 1973 St. Louis; def. Gene Kiniski October 13, 1973 St. Louis; lost to Dory Funk Jr. May 24, 1974 St. Louis; def. Dory Funk Jr. February 21, 1975 St. Louis; lost to Bob Backlund April 23, 1976 St. Louis; def. Dick the Bruiser September 17, 1982 St. Louis; lost to Kerry Von Erich January 23, 1983 St. Louis; def. Crusher Jerry Blackwell May 13, 1983 St. Louis; Vacated title when winning NWA world heavyweight title June 10, 1983; def. David Von Erich January 6, 1984 St. Louis; lost to Crusher Jerry Blackwell November 16, 1984 St. Louis; def. Crusher Jerry Blackwell August 2, 1985 St. Louis; St. Louis Wrestling Club folds February 1986
307
308 
309
310NWA UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT (Carolinas version which became WCW and WWE version): def. Johnny Weaver January 1, 1975 Tallahassee in a fictitious match to become the first champion in the territory; lost to Johnny Valentine July 3, 1975 Greensboro
311
312 
313
314AWA WORLD TAG TEAM: w/Larry Hennig def. Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher January 30, 1965 Minneapolis; lost to The Crusher & Verne Gagne July 24, 1965 Minneapolis; w/Larry Hennig def. The Crusher & Verne Gagne August 7, 1965 Minneapolis; lost to Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher May 28, 1966 Minneapolis; w/Larry Hennig def. Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher January 6, 1967 Chicago; Hennig suffers torn ACL November 1, 1967 Winnipeg, replaced on team by Chris Markoff; lost to Wilbur Snyder & Pat O'Connor November 10, 1967 Chicago
315
316 
317
318IWA WORLD TAG TEAM: w/Larry Hennig first champions when belts were introduced in 1966 (based on AWA tag team championship reign); lost to Dominic DeNucci & Mark Lewin July 1, 1966 Sydney
319
320 
321
322WWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT: def. Bobo Brazil April 24, 1982 Indianapolis; Vacated title leaving territory July 1982
323
324 
325
326NWA SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT: def. Killer Karl Krupp August 25, 1975 West Palm Beach; lost to Dusty Rhodes September 15, 1975 West Palm Beach; def. Dusty Rhodes September 23, 1975; lost to Jerry Brisco November 1975
327
328 
329
330NWA FLORIDA TAG TEAM: w/Roger Kirby def. Johnny Weaver & Dick Slater April 16, 1975; Vacated title when leaving the territory July 14, 1975
331
332 
333
334NWA GEORGIA HEAVYWEIGHT: def. Mr. Wrestling II September 13, 1974 Atlanta; lost to Don Muraco September 21, 1974
335
336 
337
338NWA MACON TAG TEAM: w/Buddy Colt def. Gene & Ole Anderson November 12, 1974 Macon; lost to Rocky Johnson & Danny Little Bear December 3, 1974 Macon
339
340 
341
342WWC CARIBBEAN HEAVYWEIGHT: def. Miguel Perez Jr. January 6, 1990 San Juan; lost to Invader I March 4, 1990 Mayaguez
343
344 
345
346NWA U.S. CENTRAL STATES HEAVYWEIGHT: def. Sonny Myers April 5, 1968 St. Joseph; lost to Ronnie Etchison May 3, 1968 St. Joseph; def. Danny Little Bear June 19, 1970 St. Joseph; lost to Danny Little Bear June 26, 1970 St. Joseph; def. Bob Geigel January 21, 1971 Kansas City; lost to Pat O'Connor January 15, 1972 St. Louis (title change not recognized in Central States region where Race continued to defend it); lost to Danny Little Bear February 11, 1972 St. Joseph; def. The Stomper (Archie Gouldie) July 7, 1972 Kansas City; lost to Omar Atlas November 24, 1972 St. Joseph; def. Bulldog Bob Brown September 22, 1973 Kansas City; lost to Bulldog Bob Brown October 11,1973 Kansas City; def. Don Fargo June 29, 1974 Kansas City; lost to Don Fargo July 1974; def. Bulldog Bob Brown July 11, 1974 Kansas City; lost to Bulldog Bob Brown August 1, 1974 Kansas City; def. Bulldog Bob Brown July 8, 1976 Kansas City; lost to Bulldog Bob Brown September 1, 1976 Wichita; def. Dewey "Missing Link" Robertson June 2, 1983 Kansas City; vacated belt June 10, 1983 when winning NWA world heavyweight title; def. Hacksaw Higgins October 25, 1984 Kansas City; lost to Mr. Pogo January 10, 1985 Kansas City
347
348 
349
350NWA WORLD TAG TEAM (Central States): w/Pat O'Connor def. Bulldog Bob Brown & Mitsuo Hata December 16, 1976; lost to Bulldog Bob Brown & Mitsuo Hata January 16, 1977 Cedar Rapids
351
352 
353
354NWA NORTH AMERICAN TAG TEAM (Central States): w/Baron Von Raschke def. Bob Geigel & The Stomper (Archie Gouldie) April 30, 1970 Kansas City; lost to Rufus R. Jones & Danny Little Bear September 10, 1970 Kansas City; w/Baron Von Raschke def. Rufus R. Jones & Danny Little Bear October 5, 1970; lost to Rufus R. Jones & The Stomper October 29, 1970 Kansas City; w/Roger Kirby def. Rufus R. Jones & The Stomper November 2, 1972 Kansas City; lost to Rufus R. Jones & Bob Geigel February 1, 1973 Kansas City
355
356 
357
358NWA WORLD TAG TEAM (West Texas/New Mexico/Colorado): w/Larry Hennig arrived as champions 1967 based on being AWA tag team champions; lost to Bearcat Wright & Thunderbolt Patterson June 26, 1967 Denver
359
360 
361
362NWA MID AMERICAN HEAVYWEIGHT: def. Crazy Luke Graham September 1975; lost to Magnificent Zulu September 1975; def. Magnificent Zulu September 9, 1975 Memphis lost to Bob Armstrong October 13, 1975 Memphis; def. Koko B. Ware October 7, 1985 Memphis; lost title November 1985 in fictitious match with Tom Branch
363
364 
365
366NWA NORTH AMERICAN HEAVYWEIGHT (Western Canada): def. Archie Gouldie February 22, 1974 Calgary; lost to Archie Gouldie March 8, 1974 Calgary
367
368 
369
370NWA NORTH AMERICAN HEAVYWEIGHT (Eastern Canada): def. The Stomper (Archie Gouldie) May 7, 1974; lost to Leo Burke 1974
371
372 
373
3741975 ALL JAPAN OPEN TOURNAMENT (13TH PLACE)
375
3761981 REAL WORLD TAG LEAGUE w/Larry Hennig (5th place)
377
3781982 REAL WORLD TAG LEAGUE w/Dick Slater (4th place)
379
3801984 REAL WORLD TAG LEAGUE w/Nick Bockwinkel (tied for second place)
381
3821985 REAL WORLD TAG LEAGUE w/Jesse Barr (tied for second place)
383
3841986 WWE KING OF THE RING WINNER
385
3861986 SAM MUCHNICK MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT WINNER
387
388 
389
390WRESTLING OBSERVER AWARDS
391
3921980 WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
393
3941981 WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
395
3961983 MATCH OF THE YEAR - vs. Ric Flair (November 24, Greensboro)
397
398 
399
400TOKYO SPORTS AWARDS
401
4021978 MATCH OF THE YEAR - vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (January 20,  Obihiro)
403
404 
405
406PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED AWARDS
407
4081973 MATCH OF THE YEAR - vs. Dory Funk Jr. (May 24, Kansas City)
409
4101979 WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
411
4121979 MATCH OF THE YEAR - vs. Dusty Rhodes (August 21, Tampa)
413
4141983 WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
415
4161983 MATCH OF THE YEAR - vs. Ric Flair (June 10, St. Louis)
417
418 
419
420WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING HALL OF FAME - 1994
421
422WRESTLING OBSERVER HALL OF FAME - 1996
423
424PRO WRESTLING HALL OF FAME - 2004
425
426WWE HALL OF FAME - 2004
427
428TRAGOS/THESZ HALL OF FAME - 2005
429
430NWA HALL OF FAME - 2005
431
432IRON MIKE MAZURKI AWARD FROM CAULIFLOWER ALLEY CLUB - 2006
433
434STANLEY WESTON AWARD - 2006
435
436ST. LOUIS PRO WRESTLING HALL OF FAME - 2007
437
438STAMPEDE WRESTLING HALL OF FAME
439
440MISSOURI SPORTS HALL OF FAME - 2013
441
442PRO WRESTLING HALL OF FAME - 2017 tag team with Larry Hennig
443
444Muchnick was supposed to get 2.5 percent of every gate as booker of the champion and NWA President. Barnett said he would take over, and since Barnett liked to play that he was rich, although he really never was, he took over booking the champion for free. For Barnett, he was at the time living high off a very profitable Georgia territory, and booking the champion gave him power, and forced all the other promoters to be friendly with him. What was notable, though, is that even as booker, the NWA would never officially make Barnett President, leaving that title to Jack Adkisson (Fritz Von Erich), Eddie Graham, or Bob Geigel during that period. Barnett was the booker of the champion, and the Treasurer, meaning he also handled the money.
445
446 
447
448Race losing the 4-3 vote to Terry Funk to take over after Brisco in 1975, led to a compromise promise after a near deadlock that was broken by Von Erich backing Funk. That when it was time for Funk to lose the title, Race would get it.
449
450When Funk asked out, a combination of trying to win his wife back and some knee issues, there was no debate on who the next guy would be.
451
452After beating Funk via Indian deathlock submission on February 6, 1977, in Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens, Race dominated the title over the next four years. With Barnett as booker, local promoters could do as they wanted. Under Muchnick, his mentality was the champion had to stay strong, but could do small things to elevate the local star,. Under Barnett, it was fair game, promoters could do as they pleased. That meant the champion’s job changed to putting over the local territory’s wrestlers. He usually worked with babyfaces, and would get to beat the secondary babyfaces, and escape by the skin of his teeth against the top faces.
453
454Race was great for the role. His offense looked believable. He did state-of-the-art moves, trademark spots like gut wrenches, various forms of suplexes, the diving head-butt, a piledriver that was never a finisher, and his big move, the delayed vertical suplex. He moved just a tad slower than most, and visually came off as a tough guy who was slightly out of shape because of his body type. To some, that was a negative representation of the championship, but Race had a tough guy reputation that the alliance liked, and was a super worker. When they brought him in, they were guaranteed a level of match that would rarely be seen in their territory, particularly in the smaller territories.
455
456In addition, he spoke with such conviction in his voice that when he said the NWA title was the real world championship, and that nobody alive could beat him, he made it believable. He never outwardly complained, even in places where at times he’d be asked to carry guys who were nowhere near his level for 60:00, and make it look for the last 15:00 that he was about to get beat.
457
458Race would emphasize that the championship he held was the only real title, claiming it dated back to 1905, or at other times simply saying “the turn of the century.” Even after being champion, he was sometimes joked at for taking it so seriously.
459
460One night, he and Nick Bockwinkel went together to Ribera Steak House in Tokyo. As was the custom, they posed together for a photo on the wall and autographed it. Race signed his name and wrote “Six-time REAL world champion.” Bockwinkel, who was AWA champion during Race’s glory period, then signed the same photo with his name, and wrote “Three-time semi-real world champion.”
461
462Race was reliable, but he also drank heavily, smoked heavily, didn’t go to the gym and there was a question about looking the part. Race is one of the great examples of the cycle of life in wrestling.
463
464When he was champion, many of the older wrestlers, particularly former champions like Lou Thesz, were heavily critical of him, saying that the guy in the main event should have a better body than the guy in the front row buying the tickets. There was also the claim that he did too many moves, that he would use finishing holds and his babyface opponents would kick out of them. That he’d do piledrivers and suplexes in television matches and even the job guys would kick out. That his TV squash matches were more a demonstration of how many different big moves he could do in a few minutes and prostituted moves. And in particular, his diving head-butt, the move that he popularized, made no logical sense.
465
466Of course, to the generation watching him, his style was the ultimate in realistic old school wrestling. To those of his era, there were very few at his level. And that style the prior generation mocked became the prototype of what the next generation became. He could do more different things than anyone, had more cool moves, took great bumps for his opponents and had amazing durability. He’s call himself a physical freak, noting he could work six or seven long matches a week, fly all over the world, never train, smoke, drink, and would never get hurt. But his style was much slower, deliberate as it would be called, and he was able to work that style 300 times a year. He’d have his best matches in St. Louis, where he got his biggest paydays, and his most fame, but would do so in what was generally called a rock hard ring. Plus, if there was trouble in the bar, he’d take care of business. Many considered him the best in the business, and by being that, he deserved the world championship. Those from the next generation held him in the highest regard, and copied what they could from him. Many consider Ric Flair one of the greatest world champions ever. His role model as champion was Race, as Flair copied the same type of showing off all kinds of moves squash matches, the same kneedrop to the pre-frontal lobe and the delayed vertical suplex, throwing in the figure four because of Buddy Rogers. Flair would talk, with conviction, putting over the NWA belt as the biggest prize in all of professional sports, which he learned from watching Race do the same.
467
468And as a teacher, he learned from his experience. Race was a huge bump taker and flyer, but as a teacher, would tell his students that the more you could do on the mat meant the longer your career would be, even though he himself was the perfect example of lasting longer than almost anyone in a top position worldwide by doing the opposite.
469
470Still, not all was always rosy. Paul Boesch hated Race, and essentially pulled out of the NWA and began recognizing Bockwinkel as his area’s world champion instead after Race twice no-showed major Houston events. Once was a miscommunication, Race thinking an afternoon show was an evening show. Boesch was furious. The second time, Race missing a shot because his son was in an amateur wrestling tournament he wanted to see, without contacting Boesch, was unforgivable. Houston was one of the largest and most successful NWA cities, and best paying.
471
472Fritz Von Erich at one point came to Bockwinkel and asked him if he’d like to be NWA champion. Bockwinkel wasn’t the worker Race was, although he wasn’t far behind, but was a different and in some ways a better talker, but looked the part with his great physical genetics. Fritz said that Race was making $400,000 per year, which was likely an exaggeration. Bockwinkel called Barnett, who said that Race was doing about 350 matches a year for that money. Bockwinkel said that at the time he was making about $150,000 for 150 dates as AWA champion, and able to have a normal life, and felt it wasn’t worth it.
473
474It was the ability to keep that schedule without burning out that made Race such a long-lasting champion. Thesz wanted out every time he lost. Kiniski wanted out. Dory didn’t want out, and did a great job for four years, but that was a long time. Brisco and Terry wanted out. Of the true touring world champions of that era, Race, Dory and Flair were the only ones who were both successful draws as champion, and were able to keep up the schedule without asking out.
475
476Of course Race’s career nearly ended before it started. He started doing carnival matches at 15. He was only 17 when his pregnant wife was killed in an auto accident on December 26, 1960. They were going to amputate his leg but promoter Gust Karras, who carried a lot of weight in those parts, insisted the doctors not do it. He had two metal braces and 12 pins put in his forearm, and four metal pins put in his right knee. The talk was that the braces in his forearm gave him real life one punch knockout power. He was out of action 18 months before his career resumed.
477
478It’s not known who was driving that car, but ever since that day, Race had a rule. No matter what, he would always drive. Even in his 50s as a legend, riding with the younger guys in his WCW managing days you’d think he’d be in the back seat getting to rest of the road trips, but he insisted on driving. But even then, it was at rapid speeds, and always drinking. In his days as the mentor for Leon “Vader” White, White’s job was to make sure that before Race was down with his beer, that he already opened the lid of the next beer. High speeds, long distances and heavy drinking did lead to accidents, and Race had his share, both in cars and boats. Some were serious. His being confined to a motorized wheelchair late in life was from injuries in a boating accident more than the decades of hard bumps and non bump-friendly rings.
479
480He was married a second time at 18, Sandra Jones, had a daughter. He married a third time at 19, to Christine. While he was married nearly 30n years, the split must have been bitter because he would not mention her by name in the autobiography. She had a bad reputation in Japan in particular. In the late 70s and early 80s there were cartoons in Japan about Harley Race, the tough world champion wrestler, who doubled as a hen-pecked husband. Shortly after they divorced, and his wrestling career was over, he married Beverly “B.J.” Race, the Vice President of the Commerce Bank in Kansas City. She helped him create his own business, running his wrestling school and promoting his World League Wrestling events, and it was a terrible blow to him when she passed away from pneumonia in 2009.
481
482His first outside territory was Tennessee, going there in October 1960. He used the name Jack Long, as part of a brother tag team with Johnny Long, usually wrestling other brothers like Bobby & Don Fields and Gino & Tony Calza. He suffered a broken fibula in May which ended his stay there.
483
484While the story is that he used that Jack Long name until Texas in late 1963, that story is inaccurate. He did work some as the Great Mortimer, but he was using the name Harley Race in the Central States from the start of his career. After September 1963, the only place he wasn’t Harley Race was a three-month run as an enhancement guy, Jack Long, for Roy Shire in San Francisco.
485
486Race wrestled for Muchnick for the first time on June 20, 1964, as a 20-year-old on Wrestling at the Chase. He worked the television semifinal, winning the first fall and losing the next two to local babyface Joe Tangaro. He came back on August 1 to Wrestling at the Chase, going to a draw with Angelo Poffo, the father of Randy Savage. On September 19, he went to a draw with Lorenzo Parente, a very talented underneath babyface worker. That indicates Muchnick and booker Bobby Bruns saw potential in the 21-year-old.
487
488The week after, he started full-time in the AWA in his tag team withy Larry Hennig, where he became an instant star. The team was one of the building blocks of the promotion. Race & Hennig largely headlined as AWA world tag team champions, or top contender, working singles and tags with the top babyfaces in the Midwest from the fall of 1964 until late 1967, when Hennig tore his ACL. Race took Chris Markoff as his new partner, but in their first title defense on November 3, 1967, in Chicago, they dropped the belts to Wilbur Snyder & O’Connor.
489
490Race worked as a singles wrestler from there. He beat AWA champion Verne Gagne in a non-title match on November 11, 1967, in a Minneapolis main event to make himself the top contender for the title. This led to the Thanksgiving show at the Auditorium where he lost to Viktor the Wrestling Bear. That actually only drew 4,951, but two days later in St. Paul he lost his title match in St. Paul and another a few weeks later in Minneapolis that both drew more than 6,000.
491
492He worked with every top babyface in main events, from Gagne to The Crusher, Mighty Igor, Bill Watts, Bruiser, Rene Goulet, Rock Rogowski (who became Ole Anderson), Luke Brown and Pat O’Connor.
493
494In 1968, he made his debut in Japan with the old JWA, doing well, including teaming with Bruiser to lose to Giant Baba & Antonio Inoki in Osaka.
495
496When he returned, Hennig was back, and they did some teaming, but Gagne was running with Mitsu Arakawa & Dr. Moto (Tor Kamata) as his championship team, so Race & Hennig were there to lose and set up title challengers. Race had singles programs with Crusher and Watts, where he mostly put them over, and finished up at the end of 1968.
497
498He spent five weeks in Southern California to start 1969, and then went to West Texas, where he was used as headliner, with Terry Funk, Dory Funk Sr. and Ricky Romero as his main rivals.
499
500It was while wrestling in West Texas that Race, no longer full-time with Gagne, got his first match at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis on February 22, 1969, and to show how much they thought of him, he went to a draw with O’Connor, a protected former world champion in a classic match. He was a high on the card regular for the next 16 years.
501
502His first NWA world title match appears to be a loss to Funk Jr. On April 16, 1969, in Lubbock. He faced him in a number of cites including a 57:00 title match in El Paso. An early interaction with Dusty Rhodes, his greatest rival of his world title period, came in 1969 when the two became a regular heel tag team. In Amarillo, they faced Terry Funk & Ricky Romero with Joe Louis as referee. In Odessa, they lost with an overflow crowd to Romero & El Santo. On December 1, 1969, Race & world champ Dory Jr. formed a team and lost to Inoki & Michiaki Yoshimura.
503
504He worked occasional shots elsewhere, but his West Texas run ended in March 1970, when he came back to the Central States. He was almost immediately the top star in the territory, frequently holding the Central States title, and soon bought into the promotion.
505
506Race brought the Central States title to St. Louis on May 14, 1971, going to a double DQ with Bruiser, at the top the city’s most popular wrestler. A rematch on August 20, 1971, was his first singles main event, with Race retaining the title via count out before a near sellout of 9,862 fans. Nearly selling out Kiel for a show without the world champion put Race solidly into the main event mix, and beating Bruiser, who was always protected, did so even more.
507
508He followed with a title defense over Cowboy Bob Ellis that drew 9,381 as the main event. This solidified that Race could draw on top, but also showed the value of a second championship belt in the market, that historically only had a world title, and never a tag team title either.
509
510This led to his first world title match in St. Louis on October 1, 1971, drawing 10,106 in losing to Funk Jr. with Thesz as referee.
511
512He followed with a double knockout in a title match with O’Connor before 9,110, and a win in a rematch before a sellout 11,912, although he main event was Bruiser against Blackjack Lanza & Bobby Heenan in a handicap match. He beat Jerry Brisco to keep the title on November 19, 1971 at the Arena before 12,614, as part of a promotion where both Brisco Brothers were going for the singles titles, with a Dory Jr. 60:00 draw with Jack on top.
513
514The Central States title, with it headlining St. Louis and Race on a nearly one year run, was becoming one of the biggest regional titles in the country. And then it fell apart.
515
516Race dropped the title to O’Connor at Wrestling at the Chase on January 15, 1972. The idea is O’Connor, the booker, thought it would draw bigger if he was champion and defended against Race, and using those two win to build him for Funk Jr. But in the Central States region, they ignored this and Race kept defending it. The O’Connor vs. Race rematch drew 9,716 fans, and O’Connor retained. At the show, Muchnick found out that even though O’Connor had won the title in St. Louis, that Race was still defending it elsewhere. He dropped the Central States belt, even though it had become a proven draw.
517
518After a mess of a tournament that was making no sense, Muchnick ordered O’Connor to crown a champion, so on the September 16, 1972 episode of Wrestling at the Chase, Race beat Pak-Son to become the first champion, and then six days later, Race made his first defense at Kiel Auditorium, beating Bruiser before 7,143 fans. He followed with wins over O’Connor and Archie “The Stomper” Gouldie, and a 60:00 draw with Johnny Valentine. Race losing via count out to Funk Jr. for the world title on January 5, 1973, drew an standing room crowd of 11,116, and drew a second sellout of 10,750 two weeks later in losing the Missouri title to Valentine.
519
520After winning and losing the NWA title, Race and Jack Brisco worked rematches all over the world, including a 60:00 draw in Hiroshima, Japan. Baba, in his own booking, then beat Race to keep his PWF title, so that even though the NWA belt was the world belt, Baba looked to be at the level above them to set up his first win over Brisco.
521
522In St. Louis, they wanted to build Brisco vs. Race into a major event, with Race beating O’Connor, beating Kiniski to win the Missouri title, going to a 45:00 draw with Funk Jr., to keep it, beating Kiniski in a rematch, beating Black Angus Campbell to keep it, teaming with Bill Miller to beat Angus & Brisco and pinning Brisco in the third fall of the Chase match, and then teaming with Bob Orton Sr. to beat Bobo Brazil & O’Connor in a Chase match when pinning O’Connor. In all, Race had six matches with world champions, won five and drew one, including a win over the champion.
523
524Everything looked set for a big event on January 4, 1974. Except a blizzard hit St. Louis. Two storms in the weeks before the match each dropped more than ten inches of snow. The advance was not good, but that was still a walk-up era. Then an ice storm was forecast and the crowd was only 7,390, with Brisco winning via DQ in the third fall when Race was disqualified by ref O’Connor for throwing Brisco over the top rope.
525
526Race laid out Brisco in a TV angle with his suplex and choked Brisco with his own tie to set up a February 1, 1974 rematch that Brisco won clean before 9,479 fans with O’Connor as referee.
527
528Race had his famous 45:00 draw with Billy Robinson for the Missouri belt before 9,462 just two weeks later. Race vs. O’Connor in a Texas death match after Race blamed O’Connor for his losses to Brisco drew a sellout 10,854 on April 5, where the story was that O’Connor actually won two of the first three falls, so it was as if he’d have won a regular match, but the match continued until one person couldn’t continue, and Race outlasted him.
529
530Race’s Missouri title run ended on May 24, 1974, to Funk Jr., one year to the day of Race’s win over Funk Jr. to take the NWA title.
531
532This was the period where the angle was with Race, Funk Jr., and Brisco, you had three world championship level guys, all of who could win on any given night. All over the country, they mixed and matched. Race spent 1975 almost on a world champion schedule, working mostly major cities, against the biggest names in the business in main events, like Brisco, Funk Jr., Baba, Bob Armstrong, Jos LeDuc, Haystacks Calhoun, Terry Funk, Jerry Brisco, Dusty Rhodes, O’Connor, Johnny Weaver, Johnny Valentine, Don Muraco, Bobo Brazil, Dick Slater, Edouard Carpentier, Mr. Wrestling, Mr. Wrestling II, Rocky Johnson, Andre the Giant (who would allow Race to bodyslam him, something he wouldn’t let anyone else that year do), Cyclone Negro, Dick Murdoch, Bob Backlund, Jerry Lawler, Bruiser and others. He finished the year in Japan, on a tour where he pinned Rhodes, drew with Baba and Funk Jr., and did double count outs with Abdullah the Butcher and Kintaro Oki.
533
534He was losing a lot in 1976, as it seemed they were setting up contenders for him when he was to win the title early the next year. People in that boat included Mark Lewin, Jack Brisco, Robinson, Backlund, Dory Jr., Rhodes, Ricky Romero, Wahoo McDaniel, Wrestling II, Mr. Wrestling and others. When he beat Funk in Toronto on February 6, 1977, they were all immediate contenders.
535
536Race worked almost every night, cris crossing he country, going to Japan and Australia, facing every major star in the business. In his first two months alone, he faced Jack Brisco, McDaniel, Mike Graham, Superstar Billy Graham, Rhodes, Ron Fuller, Paul Jones, Bob Armstrong, Ernie Ladd, Sgt. Slaughter, Johnson, Ken Lucas, Chavo Guerrero, Wrestling II, Moondog Mayne, Black Gordman, Watts, Baba, Ron Miller, Poffo and Ken Patera. Then Ric Flair came into the picture, as did Ted DiBiase, Bruiser Brody, Buddy Rose, The Funks, Muraco, Dutch Savage, Andre, Jimmy Snuka, Don Leo Jonathan, Kiniski, Rick Martel, Lawler, Steve Keirn, Pedro Morales, Ivan Koloff, Abdullah the Butcher, Dick Murdoch and David Von Erich.
537
538Over the course of eight days at the start of 1978, he had a match of the year 60:00 draw with Jumbo Tsuruta, finished his tour of Japan flying to Miami for another 60:00 match at the Orange Bowl in what was billed as the Super Bowl of Wrestling against WWWF champion Billy Graham and then went to San Francisco for the annual Cow Palace Battle Royal as well as a win over Chavo Guerrero.
539
540The Graham match on January 25, 1978, was the first-ever NWA vs. WWWF champion match in history, was one of the most notable of the era. Race went on the attack in the promos, saying he was the real world champion and everybody knew it, but in New York, there was a guy and fans who claimed a phony was champion. He said that he didn’t need 22 inches of pumped up baloney to prove he was a man. It was announced there would be two referees, Gorilla Monsoon representing WWWF and Don Curtis representing the NWA, and with the sports presentation it was brought up that both men were both accomplished pro wrestling stars but also college wrestling stars and it would be a wrestling match with no shenanigans with the two champions. But the match was a disaster. They drew 12,000 fans, which was less than hoped for, due to a major downpour. Plus the compromise worked out, much to Graham’s chagrin, was a 60:00 draw. Graham was hardly a 60:00 wrestler indoors, let alone in a rainstorm.
541
542A rematch was set for February 23, 1978, at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL. But three days earlier, Backlund beat Graham in Madison Square Garden. The second Super Bowl of Wrestling was somewhat better. The ending was the same, a 60:00 draw, but the match was a lot more entertaining.
543
544A third such match took place on October 29, 1978, in Orlando, with Backlund vs. Race, also a 60:00 draw.
545
546Race went to Australia, New Zealand and had the first NWA title match ever at Arena Mexico on April 21, 1978, beating El Halcon.
547
548People like Ricky Steamboat, Blackjack Mulligan, Tony Atlas, Thunderbolt Patterson, Stan Hansen and Paul Orndorff emerged as leading contenders that year.
549
550While the Super Bowl matches got the national coverage, within the business, a match talked about for decades took place in a medium sized city against a local promoter and top babyface, who actually tried to steal the championship. The older promoters and wrestlers would talk about double-crosses, but it was more than a decade since Kintaro Oki came after Lou Thesz in Houston with shoot head-butts trying to win the title in a double-cross, and ended up leaving on a stretcher.
551
552In wrestling folklore, Don “The Lawman” Slatton is best known for a May 10, 1978, match, on a show he promoted in Abilene, where he faced Race for the NWA title in a chain match.
553
554Slatton was the local hero, since he booked himself as the star in his city, even with people like the Funks as regulars. In Amarillo, Terry Funk in the 60s was promoted as the King of the Chain matches and in doing so, drew big crowds for those occasional bloodbaths. So Slatton did the same in Abilene. He was the King of the Chain matches, billed locally as never having lost a chain match. Because he was facing Race under his rules, there was a big push that the hometown star was going to win the world title, and the crowd was way up from usual.
555
556Race’s version of the story is that he got a phone call earlier in the day from Bob Geigel, the promoter in Kansas City, Race’s home territory and Race’s business partner at the time, asking if he was working with Slatton that night. When Race told him he was, Geigel told Race not to show up, saying he had been tipped off that Slatton was going to use the chain match rules of touching all four corners to try and steal the title. Race told Geigel not to worry because he was Harley Race. Some wrestlers might get double-crossed, but Race was one of the most feared real street fighters in the game, as opposed to Slatton, who was a tough guy in his youth, but he was in his mid-40s by that time and nobody messed in those days with Race.
557
558Race joked to Geigel that surely Slatton wouldn’t be that stupid to try something like that on him.
559
560Race’s version of the story is that the finish he got in the dressing room from the runners (usually the officials, who would go between the face and heel dressing room as in those days everyone was kept separate) was that Slatton would drag him to three corners, and be on the verge of winning, struggling to hit the fourth corner, when a heel would come out and distract Slatton, who would cost Slatton the match and the title, and lead to his next program. Terry Funk would then come out for the save, but in the commotion Race would knock Slatton out with the chain and touch all four corners to win.
561
562Everything was going as planned. The heel came out. Nobody involved seem to be able to remember who it was. Given who was on the card, it would have been Roger Kirby, Mr. Pogo, Lord Jonathan Boyd, who for some reason that name rings a bell with this story, or Rip Hawk, who had been one of Slatton’s biggest career rivals a few years earlier. Anyway, whoever it was came out, and Funk came out as well, but Slatton made sure there was slack in the chain and Race was unaware, and Slatton, instead of being distracted, touched the fourth corner. The place exploded. Slatton had just won the world heavyweight championship.
563
564He quickly took the chain off and rushed off to the dressing room, not even taking the belt with him, figuring being in the ring with Race in that situation in his home town, where he was the local hero and had a reputation to uphold as a tough guy, was not the best idea. The fans were still celebrating and shocked, because Slatton was hardly a guy anyone expected to win the world heavyweight championship, even if this was his specialty match and it was noted he had beaten Race under chain match rules several times when both were younger in the late 60s.
565
566The referee, a young Tongan former sumo wrestler just getting started and being trained for All Japan, using the name Tonga Fifita (who later became a star as Haku and Meng) was smart enough to know that the title wasn’t changing hands that night. Even though Slatton was the guy paying him that night, he never signaled for the bell. Slatton was gone and Race, first making sure the inexperienced ref wasn’t going to call the match, took off after him.
567
568Race’s version of the story as told to people over the years is that he ran through the crowd, not even stopping to take the chain off, went to the babyface dressing room and found Slatton hiding in the shower. Race said he slapped him twice, dragged him to the ring and punched him a few times, and then dragged him around the ring, even though he no longer had the chain on, touching all four corners. Fifita then ordered for the bell, and told the ring announcer to announce that Race, and not Slatton was the winner, and still world champion. Some of the fans had left. The ones who hadn’t couldn’t figure out what they were just seeing. There had been no actual announcement made about Slatton winning since he and Race were both in the dressing room before the announcement could be made and Fifita never made the call.
569
570In Race’s book, “King of the Ring,” the story differed slightly, with Race saying that he got to Slatton before Slatton left the ring, that he started throwing real slaps and punches, and then dragged him around the ring and Fifita called for the bell.
571
572Race in his book claimed he then went to the babyface dressing room, where he heard Slatton and Funk laughing, opened the door and started swinging the chain, smashed lockers and chairs while Slatton curled into a ball saying, “Please, Harley, don’t hit me! Don’t hit me! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
573
574He claimed Funk then yelled at Slatton for trying to double-cross Race, but Race suggested that Funk may have been behind it from the beginning.
575
576In other versions, Race said that he went back to his own dressing room, but ended up so mad, that he went back to the other side of the building. This time Slatton had locked the door, so Race kicked in the door. But Slatton was already gone, and he threw a few chairs against the wall, went back to his side of the building, then took his shower and went to the next town.
577
578Funk said he remembered the story, but what he remembered is that after Slatton double-crossed Race, that Race went to the dressing room, knocked down the door, and Slatton was pleading with Race not to punch him, saying he lost count and thought he was touching the third turnbuckle and it was all a mistake. Race’s version was also similar, saying, “Slatton lied through his teeth, claiming it was an accident. After screaming a steam of profanities at Slatton and kicking him a couple of times, I let the poor bastard go.”
579
580Funk said that Slatton always stuck to the story to him it was an accident, although what happened next would suggest otherwise.
581
582Slatton had to know that he wasn’t going to be declared world champion, no matter how well the double-cross went.
583
584The next day, the local Abilene Reporter story, likely coming from Slatton, reported that The Lawman had beaten the world champion, Race, but it had been changed to a non-title chain match.
585
586Slatton then purchased himself a belt and billed himself locally as the world chain match champion, and started defending it on his cards. His biggest show of the year a few months later, had a triple main event of Andre the Giant vs. The Sheik, Dory Funk Jr. & Terry Funk vs. David & Kevin Von Erich for the Texas tag team titles, and The Lawman defended his chain match championship against Abdullah the Butcher.
587
588In 1979, Race was back in the territory on a card with Slatton and saw a belt on the bench in the dressing room which read, “World champion chain wrestler.” He said Slatton walked in and Race took the belt and told Slatton, “You won’t be needing this,” and left with it.
589
590He said Slatton begged him not to take it because he spent a lot of money on it. By NWA bylaws, which could be ignored when convenient, no NWA promoter could bill someone as world champion who wasn’t the recognized NWA champion.
591
592“There’s no earthly reason for you to have this, and I’m not leaving here without it,” Race claimed that he said to Slatton while taking the belt.
593
594“To this day, I don’t remember what I did with the stupid belt. I just know Slatton never got it back.”
595
596Race had a big year in St. Louis as champion. On January 6, he beat Bruiser before a near sellout of 10,500 even though the weather was so bad a lot of the talent couldn’t make it and fans were told not to drive in that weather. On February 18, he went to a 60:00 draw with Rocky Johnson before 10,052 fans. On April 7, he beat Terry Funk before 9,450 fans, when after losing the first fall, he gave Funk seven piledrivers before pinning him in the second fall and Funk couldn’t answer the bell for the third fall. On June 16, he beat Murdoch before 6,586 fans. On August 11, he had a double count out with Bruiser before a sellout 10,804. On October 6, he beat Flair via count out before 9,130. On November 24, he beat DiBiase when after a 39:00 first fall, Race hit him with multiple piledrivers and DiBiase couldn’t come out for the second fall before a near sellout 10,500. And finally, on December 8, he lost a non-title cage mach to Bruiser before 9,998.
597
598In the first week of 1979, he did a double count out with Andre at the Omni in Atlanta, a 60:00 draw with Terry Funk in Tampa, beat Jos LeDuc in Miami Beach, beat Bruiser via count out before 9,812 in St. Louis and then did double count outs with Andre and Kevin Von Erich in Houston and Dallas.
599
600But every week was a big week. He had a week where Friday he beat Flair in St. Louis, flew to New Zealand for a series of matches with Peter Maivia, followed up on a Wednesday with Maivia in Honolulu, and then flew to Greensboro for another match with Flair.
601
602Another week saw him in Pearl Harbor against Maivia, Amarillo the next day with Murdoch, Houston the day after with the Spoiler, St. Petersburg the next day going 60:00 at the Bayfront Center with Rhodes and back to Houston for a double count out with Andre.
603
604Another three day stretch saw consecutive draws with Baba, Tsuruta and Murdoch. His first title defense against Hulk Hogan, then Terry “The Hulk” Boulder, was June win in Dothan, AL.
605
606Perhaps the most monumental angle of that year was in St. Louis, but was just as big when it played on television in Texas.
607
608On May 20, on Wrestling at the Chase, Fritz Von Erich, who returned two nights earlier to St. Louis for the first time in 20 years, laid out an angle.
609
610Larry Matysik explained it like this: “It was my impression also that Fritz felt his sons were being held back in St. Louis by O’Connor as booker. Thus, Fritz got to have the rush of teaming in St. Louis with his boys and also talking in person with his old buddy, Sam Muchnick. Once Sam was on board, and Sam always liked to give young talent a push, O’Connor got right on the bandwagon. On May 18, Fritz took me aside in the dressing room and laid out the entire idea. It really wasn’t anything that had not been done before in handicap matches, except that this time it would involve the NWA Champion. The bout itself told a great story about the young challenger {David Von Erich} and Race was most generous in making the Iron Claw something very special once again. Blood didn’t happen often on television, but, in this case, Harley left a bucketful on the mat. This rivalry had legs at the box office and Fritz was indeed correct about the box office potential of his charismatic son.
611
612The idea looked to set up Race vs. Fritz, with David as the sacrificial lamb. But it went differently.
613
614It was a handicap match where Race vowed to beat both Fritz & David, thus removing them as contenders at the same time. It wasn’t a two-on-one, but two matches, Race vs. David, who at the time was 21 and been a mid-card tag team guy in St. Louis, and after Race won, as everyone expected, he’d then face Fritz, which was the big match.
615
616Race was having his way with David and came off the top rope for his diving head-butt. David caught him with the claw. Everyone expected Race would get out. But he didn’t. Then Race was covered in blood. They still expected him to get out. Then David pinned him. The place exploded. Fritz never even got into the match. David became an instant attraction in St. Louis, and suddenly, with David and his brothers, Kevin and Kerry, to go along with Flair and DiBiase as younger talent, women, particularly teenage girls, joined the traditional audience that guys like Race, Bruiser, Brody and others were bringing in. It was the start of a several year boom period in St. Louis.
617
618When the tape played in Texas, David and Race became a big attraction there as well, which let to the territory drawing big with Race, and later Flair, coming in against any of the three brothers.
619
620At first it was just an angle for a match, for Race to go over. And he did on June 15, but they sold out 11,000 tickets at Kiel Auditorium, and David, a mid-level guy a month earlier, was now a significant main event star.
621
622On December 7, Kevin & David beat Race & Murdoch, when David once again beat Race with the claw in the third fall. This set up a January 4, 1980, show where Race drew David over 60:00 and Kevin retained the Missouri State tile with a double DQ with Murdoch before a sellout 11,055 fans.
623
624Also in 1979, Race did two quickie title changes. Rhodes had been constantly chasing the NWA title in Florida since Terry Funk beat Brisco. It was similar in some ways, and different in others, from Brisco’s 1970 to 1973 chase of Funk Jr. But this was going on close to four years, with countless matches with Terry Funk and Race in every city, with every finish imaginable to both not have Rhodes lose, but not have him win either.
625
626Rhodes beat Race on August 21, 1979, at the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa. To save face, Eddie Graham came up with the idea that Terry Funk, Rhodes’ arch-rival, who was not even in the territory, would show up five days later to the rematch at the Eddie Graham Sports Stadium in Orlando. Funk attacked Rhodes and broke his arm before the match. Still, Rhodes refused to let down the fans, and defended his title with the broken arm, but Race beat him to win it back.
627
628On October 31, Baba pinned Race to win the title in Nagoya, beat him in a rematch on November 5, but lost it back on November 7.
629
630The next year was more of the same. One of his biggest matches, billed as The Last Tangle in Tampa, taken from the movie name The Last Tango in Paris. It was held at Tampa Stadium on August 3, 1980, before 17,833 fans, setting a Southeastern record with a $160,000 gate. It was Race vs. Rhodes, two of three falls, with Fritz Von Erich, the NWA president, as referee. Rhodes won the only fall in 34 minutes, as they went the full 60. The rules were in a two of three fall match, the challenger had to win two falls, so Race retained.
631
632Baba purchased himself another one week run, with his going price of $25,000, winning on September 4 in Saga and losing it back on September 10 in Otsu.
633
634Newer stars such as Tommy Rich, Gino Hernandez and Barry Windham were becoming top challengers.
635
636Race had become the first NWA champion to defend his title in Madison Square Garden since the Buddy Rogers fallout in 1963. Vince McMahon rejoined the NWA in 1971, and unlike Bruno Sammartino, who was called WWWF world champion, Pedro Morales was just WWWF champion. Dory Funk Jr., was world champion, but McMahon never wanted to confuse the issue or acknowledge there was another world champion, even though he did bring in Verne Gagne as AWA champion in the early 70s.
637
638The programs sold in the buildings listed Backlund as WWF champion and Race above him as world champion. But Race was never mentioned on television. Race came to Madison Square Garden first, for a title defense in a mid-level bout over Tony Garea on December 16, 1978. He came back on April 30, 1979, to MSG and beat Steve Travis. On December 17, 1979, he beat Rhodes via blood stoppage on a loaded show that was also taped for New Japan television.
639
640The Backlund vs. Race title vs. title match took place on September 22, 1980, in a sold out MSG, with Backlund winning via DQ in 35:14. A rematch on November 7, 1980, took place in St. Louis at Kiel Auditorium, with Race winning via third fall DQ before 7,986 fans. Even though Backlund got his first break in St. Louis, and regularly defended the WWF title there, the new fan base wasn’t into title vs. title. Race’s previous defense in St. Louis, against David Von Erich, drew 15,464 at the Checkerdome and broke the city’s all-time record gate. Race vs. Backlund title vs. title was not only the lowest drawing Race match in the city in 1980 but many shows without title matches, or headlined by the Missouri belt, outdrew it.
641
642Race’s big run continued in 1981, including being in the last match Roy Shire would ever promote on January 24 at the Cow Palace against Pat Patterson. On June 12, a Race vs. DiBiase match at the Checkerdome drew 16,088 fans, once again breaking the city’s gate record. On June 21, at the Omni in Atlanta, Rhodes pinned Race with a crossbody off the top rope, and Atlanta finally got its first elusive world title change.
643
644On September 11, 1981, business was so strong and Kerry Von Erich was becoming so big of a star that a non-title match with he and Race sold out Kiel with 10,985 fans. Kerry was still very green and was a year away from becoming the true top draw he would become. Still, Race won the match, which made sense at the time.
645
646After Flair beat Rhodes to win the NWA title, his first St. Louis defense was October 2 against Race, which broke the gate record once again, selling out the Checkerdome with 18,055 fans, for a 60:00 draw. They weren’t rematched until October 8, 1982, which drew 17,002 fans, for a match where Race won one fall in a two out of three match, thus didn’t get the title. Fast forward three years and a Flair vs. Race match at Kiel Auditorium drew barely 1,000 fans.
647
648Race did put Kerry over clean at Texas Stadium to help build Kerry for his area matches with Flair. But when it was time, in 1983, for him to drop the Missouri State title to Kerry, he would only do it with the stipulation that the title could change hands via DQ. He had seen Brisco be used for years to get the new stars over and refused, as a part owner, to be like Brisco in his best city.
649
650Race held both the Missouri State title and the Central States title when he beat Flair on June 10, 1983, for his last major world title run, in St. Louis.
651
652His run was successful. A week later before an advanced sellout of 18,000 fans at Reunion Arena in Dallas, fans expected Flair vs. Kevin Von Erich, but were shocked to see Race coming down the aisle as the new champion. Race and Flair drew big all over the Carolinas, and even bigger in Toronto. A July 10, 1983 rematch drew 20,703 fans to Exhibition Stadium and set the country’s all-time record gate of $239,000 with Race losing via DQ. They came back two weeks later and drew another 11,000 fans, with Flair losing via DQ with the famed Dusty finish.
653
654In July, Race said he would never face Flair again, and put up the bounty, although they did two big houses after that in Richmond. An October 8, 1983 match in St. Louis, with Hogan vs. Race was notable as the first NWA title match in the city that was one fall, instead of two out of three, since Hogan wouldn’t lose a fall. St. Louis was pretty much the last holdover of the three fall world championship matches.
655
656Flair beat Race on November 24, 1983, at the first Starrcade at the Greensboro Coliseum. Race mostly worked in his home territory, but did a lot of rematches with Flair all over the country, including once at the Meadowlands. The final title reign saw Race beat Flair on March 21, 1984,in Wellington, New Zealand. Race won the rematch the next day in Auckland, but then lost the title back on March 23, 1984, for the final time, in Kallang, Singapore. He also beat Flair on May 22 in Tokyo, during the brief Kerry Von Erich NWA title reign, setting up a DDQ in a title match three days later, the day after Flair beat Kerry in Japan.
657
658Race went to the WWF in 1986, quickly became The King, and left in early 1989. He did work in Japan in 1989 and Puerto Rico in 1990, and did a number of WCW matches that year as well. It appeared his career ended on December 6, 1990, in Sioux City, IA, losing to Michael Wallstreet (Mike Rotunda). But due to an injury to Vader, he came back for three matches with Flair in 1993, ending his career with a DQ loss at the Jacksonville Coliseum on November 28.
659
660Dragon Gate ran its annual Dangerous Gate show on 8/24 at the Ota Ward gym in Tokyo before 3,394 fans, which was a full house with the set up they had.
661
662The big storyline continues to revolve around the attempt to bring Ultimo Dragon back as a regular with the promotion. Dragon worked another 20th anniversary celebration match, teaming with BxB Hulk & Kai to beat Masato Yoshino & Dragon Kid & Jason Lee.
663
664After the match Yoshino asked Dragon to return full-time to the promotion that in many ways he started. Dragon started it as Toryumon, and then there was a split the sides and it became Dragon Gate. The announcement by Dragon will take place on the 9/11 Korakuen Hall show.
665
666The way the storyline is playing out you have to think if they're making such a big deal about it and pushing this storyline for months that in the end, whether he agrees on 9/11 or doesn't but an angle brings him back, that he eventually has to be back as at least a semi-regular.
667
668It's not a secret that the promotion has been wanting him back, not just to wrestle on the shows but to help in training and to be the veteran legend in the company on big shows.
669
670The top two matches were strong, but both didn't play out the way they were designed. In the Open the Twin Gate title match, which was reported to us by John Carrey to be a ****3/4 match, Eita & Big R Shimizu retained the titles over Kzy & Genki Horiguchi. Horiguchi got a really bad cut from a weapons shot and was bleeding badly so they worked immediately to the finish.
671
672It the main event, Ben K retained the Open the Dream Gate title over Yamato. During the match, Yamato was knocked out cold. They realized he wasn't recovering all the way so also went right to the finish. They were already nearly 30:00 in at the time.
673
674It worked out fine in both cases because the champions came across as dominant in the finishes both ways. However, to some there was disappointment because they didn't have as long finishing stretches with big moves kick outs as the title matches here usually do.
675
676They announced a couple of matches for upcoming shows. On9/1 in Sendai, there will be another 20th anniversary series match with Ultimo Dragon & Jinsei Shinzaki & Great Sasuke & Dragon Kid vs. Yamato & BxB Hulk & Kai & Kagetora, plus a six--person intergender match with women from Sendai Girls, with Meiko Satomura & Dash Chisako & Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Nanae Takahashi & Dragon Gate male wrestlers Yosuke Santa Maria (a man who dressed up like a woman and plays the role) & Hollywood Stalker Ichikawa (a small guy who always loses).
677
678Announced for 9/11 at Korakuen Hall is Ultimo Dragon & Dragon Kid & Darkness Dragon vs. Yoshino & Naruki Doi & Yamato, plus Susumu Yokosuka defends the Open the Grave Gate title against Santa Maria.
679
6801. Kagetora & Yosuke Santa Maria & Shachihoko Boy & Dragon Dia & Jimmy beat Yasshi & Punch Tominaga & Problem Dragon & Martin Kirby & Hiroshi Yamato in 7:15 when Santa Maria beat Tominaga with the Neraiuchi.
681
6822. Ryo Saito & Super Shisa & K-Ness & Kennichiro Arai beat Yasushi Kanda & Takashi Yoshida & Kazma Sakamoto & Diamante via DQ in 6:48.
683
6843. The Strong Machines retained the Open the Triangle Gate titles over Yuki Yoshioka & Hyo Watanabe & Kota Minoura in 12:44 when Machine J beat Watanabe via submission. They are doing a storyline where Watanabe came close to winning but lost, while rival Keisuke Okuda in the same stable got a big win in the next match. This was said to be the best Machines match since their arrival.
685
6864. Masaaki Mochizuki & Keisuke Okuda beat Naruki Doi & Kaito Ishida in 10:36 when Okuda beat Ishida with a triangle.
687
6885. Ultimo Dragon & BxB Hulk & Kai beat Masato Yoshino & Dragon Kid & Jason Lee in 16:12 when Dragon pinned Lee with the la magistral cradle. Kai took a scary ultra huracanrana from Dragon Kid where he landed on his head, but Kai wasn't hurt at all. Or as Lance Storm would tell me when something like that happens, he's not feeling it right now but he will later in life.
689
6906. Susumu Yokosuka pinned Shun Skywalker in 13:03 with the Mugen package.
691
6927. In a no DQ match for the Open the Twin Gate titles, Eita & Big R Shimizu beat Kzy & Genki Horiguchi in 21:08 when Shimizu pinned Horiguchi with the shot put slam. There were a lot of chair shots, usage of ladders and table spots, which Dragon Gate rarely does, so it made for a contrast from the rest of the show. The blood did as well. It was completely different from the match where Eita & Shimizu won the titles.
693
6948. Ben K pinned Yamato in 28:10 with a Ben K bomb in his first title defense. I was told this was a **** match.
695
696Smackdown on 8/27 did 2,088,000 viewers, down 2.5 percent from the week before. The show was built around the Reigns-Bryan angle once again.
697
698It was down 11.1 percent from the same week last year. Smackdown was seventh for the night on cable, trailing only news shows. It was first in 18-49.
699
700The show did a 0.35 in 12-17 (up 9.4 percent from last week), 0.41 in 18-34 (up 5.1 percent), 0.87 in 35-49 (down 10.3 percent) and 0.96 in 50+ (up 1.1 percent).
701
702The audience was 63.3 percent male in 18-49 and 54.1 percent male in 12-17.
703
704The final episode of the season of Miz & Mrs did 1,094,000 viewers, up 9.7 percent from last week. The show was third for the night on TV in the 18-49 demo and placed fifth overall in its time slot. The show retained 76.6 percent of women 18-49 from Smackdown and 50.6 percent of men. It did 53.2 percent men in 18-49 but it was 40.2 percent male in 12-17 and retained 78.2 percent of the teenage girl audience from Smackdown.
705
706Raw on 8/26 averaged a 1.79 rating and 2,528,000 viewers (1.59 viewers per home), almost identical to the 1.76 rating and 2,534,000 the week before.
707
708Overall this has to be considered a positive. It was the fourth best number since mid-April on a show very limited in star power, with people like Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe unavailable due to a South American tour and Seth Rollins (who did appear in a taped segment) and Becky Lynch unavailable due to both asking for vacation this week.
709
710Even so, hour one in particular was strong, and there was a slight increase in hour two, which has been the strongest hour in recent weeks. But the hour three collapse, which had been a thing of the past since Paul Heyman was put in charge of creative, returned with a vengeance.
711
712The 15.9 percent drop from hour two to hour three was the seventh worst of all-time, and worst in 18 months.
713
714Raw was fifth for the night on cable, trailing only news shows, and winning in 18-49. It was down 11.1 percent from the same week last year in audience and 11.4 percent in ratings.
715
716Last week had NFL preseason football head-to-head, which this week didn't. But this week had the MTV Video Music Awards, which did 1,926,000 viewers on MTV, 887,000 viewers on VH 1, 504,000 viewers on Nickelodeon and 399,000 viewers on Paramount.
717
718The peak rating was for Baron Corbin vs. Miz in King of the Ring and Bayley vs. Nikki Cross. The low point was for Cedric Alexander vs. Cesaro and the 24/7 title angle at the FOX party. The only big drops were parts of the tg team turmoil. Corbin vs. Miz and A.J. Styles vs. Braun Strowman were the segments with appreciable gains.
719
720Regarding the third hour decline, which was pretty much across the board, the decline was 11.7 percent in women 18-49, 15.2 percent in men 18-49, a gain of 6.0 percent with teenage girls, a loss of 21.2 percent with teenage boys and a loss of 17.5 percent with over 50.
721
722The third hour was Natalya vs. Sasha Banks, Cesaro vs. Cedric Alexander, the 24/7 frivolity and A.J. Styles vs. Braun Strowman.
723
724The first hour did 2,637,000 viewers. The second hour did 2,686,000 viewers. The third hour dropped to 2,260,000 viewers.
725
726The show did a 0.40 in 12-17 (down 4.8 percent from last week), 0.54 in 18-34 (down 5.3 percent), 1.06 in 35-49 (up 1.0 percent) and 1.12 in 50+ (up 2.8 percent).
727
728The audience was 63.5 percent male in 18-49 and 62.1 percent male in 12-17.
729
730A lot of the key is the younger audience and especially teenage women were hurt by the VMA's while the over 50 crowd which solidified the audience would be hurt more by NFL football.
731
732Straight Up Steve Austin on 8/26 did 987,000 viewers on 8/26, a drop of 9.4 percent from the prior week. It was third overall in its time slot, behind news shows on MSNBC and Fox News, but easily won in 18-49. The average viewer age was 46 and 62 percent of the viewers were male.
733
734Ballers on HBO, starring Dwayne Johnson, in the first episode of season five on 8/25 did 588,000 viewers. That hardly sounds good when you consider the first episode of season three did 2,476,000 viewers and the first episode of season four did 1,054,000 viewers. The show had far stronger lead-ins.
735
736Bellator on 8/24, headlined by Sergei Kharitonov's second round TKO win over Matt Mitrione, averaged 285,000 viewers on Paramount. That is well under the 371,000 average for the year, and with two big punching heavyweights who should have above average name value.
737
738It was hurt by going against a Miami vs. Florida NFL game on ESPN that did 5,966,000 viewers, as well as NFL preseason, and also lost to Top Rank boxing doing 345,000 viewers on FS1.
739
740Mitrione's first fight with Kharitonov on 2/15, which ended in 15 seconds as a no contest due to Mitrione delivering an accidental low blow, did 365,000 viewers. The last Bellator show, headlined by Julia Budd defending the featherweight title against unknown Olga Rubin, did 325,000 viewers. The only Bellator show on Paramount this year to do a lower number was the 3/2 show headlined by Emmanuel Sanchez beating Georgi Karakhanyan.
741
742Bellator ratings are down 23.5 percent so far this year.
743
744With this being a double issue, it's the third and final issue of the current set. If you’ve got a (1) on your address label your subscription expires with this issue.
745
746Renewal rates for the printed Observer in the United States are $13.50 for four issues (which includes $4 for postage and handling), $25 for eight, $35.50 for 12, $46 for 16, $69 for 24, $92 for 32, $115 for 40, $149.50 for 52 up through $184 for 64 issues.
747
748For Canada and Mexico, the rates are $15 for four issues (which includes $6 for postage and handling), $27 for eight, $38.50 for 12, $50 for 16, $75 or 24, $100 for 32, $125 for 40 issues, $162.50 for 52 and $200 for 64.
749
750For the rest of the world, the rates are $17 for four issues (which includes $9 for postage and handling), $33 for eight, $47.50 for 12, $62 for 16, $77.50 for 20, $93 for 24, $108.50 for 28, $155 for 40 issues and $201.50 for 52 issues.
751
752You can also get the Observer on the web at www.wrestlingobserver.com for $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year for a premium membership that includes daily audio updates, Figure Four Weekly, special articles and a message board. If you are a premium member and still want hard copies of the Observer, you can get them for $9.50 per set in the U.S., $10.50 per set in Canada and $13 per set for the rest of the world.
753
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755
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757
758This publication is copyright material and no portion of the Observer may be reprinted without the expressed consent of publisher/writer Dave Meltzer. The Observer is also produced by Derek Sabato.
759
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761
762For back issues of the Observer, the "Wrestling Observer Index" lists almost every issue in our history going back almost 37 years with the major headlines by the week. Besides as a guide for ordering back issues, the Index is also a great way to keep a catalog of past issues and use for historical purposes. It is available for $30 from Grant Zwarych, 151 Hart Ave, Peterborough, ON K9J 5C5 Canada.
763
764Virtually every back issue from 1982-1990 are available from him at prices listed in the Index. Issues from 1991 to present are available from us at $4 per issue. If you are ordering back issues from us, please denote back issues on the envelope to ensure the quickest response. All payments to Grant & us must be made in U.S. funds.
765
766For those who have a previous Index, the 2018 supplement is available for $5 per year in Canada, $6 in U.S. and $9 internationally. Or you can get the supplement year(s) you are missing for a minimum $50 back issue order.
767
768He also has re-issues of some of the most popular Wrestling Observer publications of the past. He has the 1983-1990 Observer yearbooks and the 1986 Wrestling Observer Who's Who in Wrestling book. Grant also has pre-Observer publications of mine, both the California Wrestling Report & the International Wrestling Gazette. For more info, you can e-mail grantxindex@nexicom.net
769
770RESULTS
771
772 
773
7748/18 Kyoto (Dragon Gate - 555 sellout): Keisuke Okuda & Yuki Yoshioka & Hyo Watanabe b Ryo Saito & Martin Kirby & Jimmy, Kagetora b Kota Minoura, Big R Shimizu & Takashi Yoshida & Diamante b Masato Yoshino & Dragon Kid & Jason Lee, Eita & Yasushi Kanda b Genki Horiguchi & Yasshi, Ben K & Shun Skywalker b Naruki Doi & Kaito Ishida, Yamato & Kai & Yosuke Santa Maria b Kzy & Susumu Yokosuka & Punch Tominaga
775
7768/18 Tomakomai (All Japan - 505): Yoshito Takeuchi & Hammer Fall & Doctor b Shigeharu Kawanaga & Atsushi Hayasaka & Koyaki Tanaka, Yusuke Okada & Hikaru Sato b Koji Iwamoto & Atsuki Aoyagi, Tomoya b Hokuto Omori, Jun Akiyama & Ultimo Dragon b Takao Omori & Black Menso-re, Zeus & Noriyuki Yoshida b Yoshitatsu & Atsushi Maruyama, Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa b Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi, Jake Lee & Naoya Nomura & Ryoji Sai b Dylan James & Joel Redman & Atsushi Maruyama
777
7788/18 Cheltenham, UK (Revolution Pro): Sha Samuels b Gabriel kidd, Dan Moloney b Kurtis Chapman, Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher b Bredan White & Kenneth Halfpenny, David Starr won three-way over Mike Bailey and Mark Haskins, Carlos Romo b A-Kid, Pac b Matt Sydal, Jushin Liger & Michael Oku b Chris Brookes & Hikuleo
779
7808/19 Noboribuetsu (All Japan - 395): Yusuke Okada b Dan Tamura, Atsushi Maruyama b Hokuto Omori, Jun Akiyama & Ultimo Dragon b Takao Omori & Kyosuke Ikaho, Zeus & Ryoji Sai b Yuma Aoyagi & Atsuki Aoyagi, Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa & Hikaru Sato b Jake Lee & Naoya Nomura & Koji Iwamoto, Kento Miyahara & Yoshitatsu & Tomoya b Dylan James & Joel Redman & Black Menso-re
781
7828/19 Okazaki (Dragon Gate - 595): Eita & Big R Shimizu & Diamante b Dragon Kid & Jason Lee & Kaito Ishida, Kagetora b Martin Kirby, Naruki Doi & Ryo Saito b Mondai Ryu & Jimmy, Ben K & Shun Skywalker NC Yamato & Yosuke Santa Maria, Kzy & Susumu Yokosuka & Yasshi b Keisuke Okuda & Yuki Yoshioka & Hyo Watanabe
783
7848/22 Kushiro (All Japan - 470): Dan Tamura b Atsuki Aoyagi, Takao Omori & Black Menso-re b Jun Akiyama & Ultimo Dragon, Jake Lee & Naoya Nomura b Yoshitatsu & Hokuto Omori, Suwama & Yusuke Okada b Zeus & Atsushi Maruyama, Koji Iwamoto & Ryoji Sai b Shuji Ishikawa & Hikaru Sato, Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi & Yoshiaki Fujiwara b Dylan James & Joel Redman & Akira Francesco
785
7868/22 Venice, FL (WWE NXT - 300): Danny Burch b Cal Bloom, Xia Li b Reina Gonzalez, Cezar Bononi b Saurav Gurjar, Arturo Ruas b Jeet Rama, Riddick Moss & Dorian Mak b Raul Mendoza & Angel Garza, Matt Riddle b Kassius Ohno, Damien Priest b Keith Lee, Jessi Kamea b Marina Shafir, Roderick Strong & Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish b Angelo Dawkins & Montez
787
788Ford & Dio Maddin
789
7908/22 Tokyo (Game Changer Wrestling - 332 sellout): Great Sasuke b Tony Deppan, Death match: Jimmy Lloyd & G-Raver & Drew Parker b Violento Jack & Miedo Extremo & Ciclope, Daisuke Sekimoto b KTB, Death match" Jun Kasai & Takashi Sasaki Toshiyuki Sakuda b Shlak & Marcus Crane & Eric Ryan, Joey Janela & Invisible Man b Kikutaro & Invisible Stan, Death match: Alex Colon b Masashi Takeda
791
7928/23 Bogota, Colombia (WWE Smackdown - 10,800 sellout): Kevin Owens b Sami Zayn, Andrade b Matt Hardy, Ember Moon b Charlotte Flair, Kari Sane & Asuka b Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville, Street fight: Roman Reigns b Samoa Joe, IC title: Shinsuke Nakamura b Ali, Randy Orton b Rey Mysterio, WWE title: Kofi Kingston b Daniel Bryan
793
7948/23 Sanford, FL (WWE NXT - 350): Kushida & Jordan Mules b Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel, Taynara b Xia Li, Angel Garza & Raul Mendoza b Matt Martel & Chase Parker, Cameron Grimes b Jeet Rama, Women's title: Mia Yim b Shayna Baszler-DQ, Rhea Ripley & Mia Yim b Shayna Baszler & Marina Shafir, Dominik Dijakovic b Mansoor, Jaxson Ryker b Boa, Keith Lee b Brendan Vink, North American title: Velveteen Dream b Bobby Fish-DQ
795
7968/23 Mexico City Arena Mexico (CMLL): Sonic & Super Astro Jr. b Espiritu Negro & El Hijo del Signo, Chamuel & Guapito & Perico Zakarias b Atomo & Gallito & Microman, Cuatrero & Forastero & El Hijo del Villano III b Audaz & Flyer & Titan, Volador Jr. b Sanson-DQ, Gran Guerrero & Euforia & El Terrible b Angel de Oro & Mistico & Niebla Roja, Cavernario & Diamante Azul & Ultimo Guerrero b Ciber the Main Man & The Chris & Valiente
797
7988/23 Kumamoto (Pro Wrestling NOAH - 386): Akitoshi Saito & Masao Inoue b Hitoshi Kumano & Junta Miyawaki, Minoru Tanaka & Hi69 b Nosawa & Kinya Okada, Takashi Sugiura & Kazma Sakamoto & Hajime Ohara b Mohammed Yone & Quiet Storm & Sonico, Hayata & Daisuke Harada & Tadasuke & Yo-Hey DCOR Yoshinari Ogawa & Kotaro Suzuki & Atsushi Kotoge & Chris Ridgeway, Hayata & Daisuke Harada & Tadasuke & Yo-Hey b Yoshinari Ogawa & Kotaro Suzuki & Atsushi Kotoge & Chris Ridgeway, Kaito Kiyomiya & Shuhei Taniguchi & Alex Hammerstone b Kenou & Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura, El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. b Katsuhiko Nakajima, Go Shiozaki b Naomichi Marufuji
799
8008/23 Tokyo (Game Changer Wrestling - 336 sellout): Tony Deppan & KTB b Kikutaro & Shigehiro Irie, Violento Jack & Takashi Sasaki & Isami Kodaka b Alex Colon & Eric Ryan & Masashi Takeda, Jimmy Lloyd won three-way over Drew Parker and Toshiyuki Sakuda, Tag titles: Miedo Extremo & Ciclope b Shlak & Marcus Crane, Great Sasuke b Joey Janela, Fluorescent light tubes death match: Jun Kasai b G-Raver
801
8028/23 Tacoma (Defy Wrestling): Cody Chunn won four-way over Matt Cross, Judas Icarus and Guillermo Rosas, Rocky Romero b Clark Connors, No rules for 8xGP & PCW tag titles: Josef Samael & Jacob Fatu b Drexel & Dr. Kliever, Juice Robinson b Randy Myers, Dragon Lee b Douglas James, Jushin Liger & Alex Coughlin & Karl Fredericks b Ethan HD & Mike Santiago & Brian Pillman Jr., 8xGP title: Schaff b Artemis Spencer to win title
803
8048/24 Lima, Peru (WWE Smackdown): Kevin Owens b Sami Zayn, Andrade b Matt Hardy, Ember Moon b Charlotte Flair, Asuka & Kairi Sane b Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville, Street fight: Roman Reigns b Samoa Joe, IC title: Shinsuke Nakamura b Ali, Randy Orton b Rey Mysterio, WWE title: Kofi Kingston b Daniel Bryan
805
8068/24 Tampa (WWE NXT- 400): Xia Li b Jessi Kamea, Cameron Grimes b Jeet Rama, Rhea Ripley & Reina Gonzalez b Lacey Lane & Tegan Nox, Jordan Omogbehin won Battle Royal, Tag titles: Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford b Riddick Moss & Dorian Mak, Dio Madden b Suarav Gurjar, Bianca Belair b Chelsea Green, Matt Martel & Chase Parker b Nicholas Ogarelli & Rik Bugez, NXT title: Adam Cole b Bronson Reed
807
8088/24 Atlanta Center Stage (ROH - 700 sellout): PCO & Brody King b Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams, Angelina Love b Sumie Sakai, Okumura & Felino & Silas Young b Cheeseburger & Eli Isom & Ryan Nova, Chase Owens won three-way over LSG and P.J. Black, Marty Scurll b Bandido, Elimination match: Jeff Cobb & Rush & Jay Lethal & Kenny King b Matt Taven & Shane Taylor & Mark & Jay Briscoe
809
8108/24 Tokyo Korakuen Hall (Big Japan - 1,740 sellout): Masaaki Morohiro & Yuki Ishikawa b Koju Takeda & Kosoke Sato, Daichi Hashimoto & Hideyoshi Kamitani b Ryota Hama & Yasufumi Nakanoue, Great Kojika & Frank Atsushi & Yuya Aoki b Tajiri & Tatsuhiko Yoshino & Kota Sekifuda, Kohei Sato & Takuya Nomura & Fuminori Abe b Ryuichi Kawakani & Kazumi Kikuta & Shinobu, Death match: Isami Kodaka & Yuko Miyamoto & Masaya Takanashi b Orca Uto & Abdullah Kobayashi & Drew Parker, Death match light tubes and double boards: Toshiyuki Sakuda & Alex Colon & Jimmy Lloyd & Shlak b Ryoji Ito & Masashi Takeda & Kankuro Hoshino & Takayuki Ueki, Yuji Okabayashi & Takuho Kato b Hideki Suzuki & Akira Hyodo, Michael Elgin b Daisuke Sekimoto
811
8128/24 Bihoro (All Japan - 565): Hokuto Omori b Atsuki Aoyagi, Akira Francesco b Dan Tamura, Takao Omori & Black Menso-re b Jun Akiyama & Atsushi Maruyama, Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa b Dylan James & Joel Redman, Zeus & Naoya Nomura & Ryoji Sai b Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi & Yoshitatsu, All-Asia tag titles: Jake Lee & Koji Iwamoto b Yusuke Okada & Hikaru Sato
813
8148/24 Takamatsu (Pro Wrestling NOAH - 247): Hi69 & Junta Miyawaki b Nosawa & Kinya Okada, Go Shiozaki & Akitoshi Saito b Mohammed Yone & Quiet Storm & Masao Inoue, Hayata & Daisuke Harada & Tadasuke & Yo-Hey DCOR Yoshinari Ogawa & Kotaro Suzuki & Atsushi Kotoge & Chris Ridgeway, Daisuke Harada & Tadasuke & Yo-Hey b Yoshinari Ogawa & Kotaro Suzuki & Atsushi Kotoge & Chris Ridgeway-DQ, Yoshinari Ogawa & Kotaro Suzuki & Atsushi Kotoge & Chris Ridgeway b Daisuke Harada & Hayata & Tadasuke & Yo-Hey-DQ, Takashi Sugiura & Hajime Ohara & El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. b Kenou & Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura, Kaito Kiyomiya & Alexander Hammerstone b Naomichi Marufuji & Minoru Tanaka, Katsuhiko Nakajima d Shuhei Taniguchi
815
8168/24 Livonia, MI (Evolve): Anthony Gutierrez b Karam, Shotzi Blackheart b Cameron Bra-Nae, Adrian Alanis b Brandon Taggart, Arturo Ruas b Stephen Wolf, Anthony Greene b Curt Stallion-DQ, Kushida b JD Drake, Non-title: Anthony Henry b Austin Theory, Matt Riddle b Josh Briggs, Tag titles/anything goes: AR Fox & Leon Ruff b Sean Maluta & Joe Gacy
817
8188/25 Panama City, Panama (WWE Smackdown - 5,000): Kevin Owens b Sami Zayn, Andrade b Matt Hardy, Ember Moon b Charlotte Flair, Kairi Sane & Asuka b Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville, Street fight: Roman Reigns b Samoa Joe, IC title: Shinsuke Nakamura b Ali, Randy Orton b Rey Mysterio, WWE title: Kofi Kingston b Daniel Bryan
819
8208/25 Nashville, TN (ROH - 450): Brawler Milonas & Beer City Bruiser won three-way over Felino & Okumura and LSG & Shaheem Ali, Joe Hendry & Dalton Castle b Cheeseburger & Eli Isom, Angelina Love won four-way over Jenny Rose, Sumie Sakai and Damaris Dawkins, P.J. Black b Silas Young, Rush b Vinny Marseglia, TV title: Shane Taylor b Chase Owens, Tag titles: Mark & Jay Briscoe b Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson, Brody King & Marty Scurll b Bandido & Mark Haskins, Jeff Cobb won four-way elimination match over Matt Taven, Kenny King and Jay Lethal
821
8228/25 Osaka (Pro Wrestling NOAH - 489): Hajime Ohara & Nosawa & Kinya Okada b Hi69 & Hitoshi Kumano & Junta Miyawaki, Yoshinari Ogawa & Kotaro Suzuki & Atsushi Kotoge b Hayata & Tadasuke & Yo-Hey, Katsuhiko Nakajima & Go Shiozaki & Akitoshi Saito b Mohammed Yone & Quiet Storm & Masao Inoue, IPW jr. title: Daisuke Harada b Chris Ridgeway, Kaito Kiyomiya & Naomichi Marufuji & Minoru Tanaka b Kenou & Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura, Shuhei Taniguchi b El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr., Takashi Sugiura b Alexander Hammerstone
823
8248/25 Abashiri (All Japan - 340): Koji Iwamoto b Atsuki Aoyagi, Hikaru Sato b Hokuto Omori, Jun Akiyama & Ultimo Dragon b Takao Omori & Black Menso-re, Jake Lee & Naoya Nomura b Shuji Ishikawa & Akira Francesco, Zeus & Ryoji Sai b Suwama & Yusuke Okada, Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi & Yoshitatsu b Dylan James & Joel Redman & Atsushi Maruyama
825
8268/25 Mexico City Arena Mexico (CMLL): Leono & Retro b Cholo & Yago, Amapola & Comandante & Tiffany b Vaquerita & Sanely & Silueta, Fuego & Guerrero Maya Jr. & Rey Cometa b Dark Magic & Misterioso & Vangellys, Rey Bucanero b Blue Panther, Atlantis Jr. & Kraneo & Stuka Jr. b Ephesto & El Hijo del Villano III & Mephisto-DQ, Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja & Volador Jr. b Gran Guerrero & Negro Casas & El Terrible
827
8288/25 London Electric Ballroom (Progress - 600): Nina Samuels b Chakara, Jordynne Grace b Dani Luna, Niwa & TK Cooper b Santos & Damian No Fun Dunne, William Eaver b Paul Robinson, Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher b Spike Trivet & Chuck Mambo, Eddie Kingston b Chris Brookes-COR, Women's title: Jordynne Grace b Nina Samuels
829
8308/25 Chicago (Evolve - 500 sellout): Liam Gray & Adrian Alanis won three-way over Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett and Joe Gacy & Sean Maluta, Anthony Gutierrez b Jimmy Karryt, No holds barred: Anthony Henry b Arturo Ruas, Brandon Taggart won six-way over Karam, GPA, Craig Mitchell, Stephen Wolf and Noah Gray, Tag titles: AR Fox & Leon Ruff b Matt Riddle & Curt Stallion, Anthony Greene b Paco, Kendo stick match: Shotzi Blackheart b Brandi Lauren, Austin Theory won three-way over JD Drake and Josh Brigs, WWE cruiserweight title: Drew Gulak b Kushida
831
8328/26 New Orleans (WWE Raw/Main Event TV tapings - 7,800): Lacey Evans b Dana Brooke, Titus O'Neil & Heath Slater b Eric Young & Mojo Rawley, Ricochet b Drew McIntyre, Baron Corbin b The Miz, Bayley b Nikki Cross, Gauntlet series: Viking Raiders b Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel, Viking Raiders DDQ Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows, Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler b Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik, Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler b Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder, Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler b Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder, Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler b Heavy Machinery, Sasha Banks b Natalya, Cedric Alexander b Cesaro, U.S. title: A.J. Styles b Braun Strowman
833
8348/26 Tokyo Korakuen Hall (Takayamania - 1,500 sellout): Antonio Honda & Antonio Koinoki & Anton Kawamura b Danshoku Dino & Sanshiro Takagi & Hollywood Stalker Ichikawa, Meiko Satomura & Chihiro Hashimoto b Hiroyo Matsumoto & Dash Chisako, Daisuke Sekimoto b Masao Inoue, Atsushi Onita & Kazusada Higuchi & Ken Oka b Kazuyuki Fujita & Nosawa & Fujita, Yuji Nagata & Shinjiro Otani & Yota Tsuji b Satoshi Kojima & Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Shoki Kitamura, Kaito Kiyomiya & Daisuke Harada & Junta Miyawaki b Konosuke Takeshita & Yuki Ueno & Mizuki Watase, Hideki Suzuki & Minoru Suzuki d Naomichi Marufuji & Masato Tanaka 30:00
835
8368/26 Puebla (CMLL): Rey Apocalipsis & Toro Bill Jr. b Perverso & Tyson la Bestia, Amapola & Tiffany b Jarochita & Lluvia, Angel de Oro & Flyer & Niebla Roja b Euforia & Gran Guerrero & Templario, Elimination match: Caristico & Dragon Lee & Hechicero & Stuka Jr,. & El Terrible & Ultimo Guerrero & Valiente b Dark Magic & Jay Briscoe & Kenny King & Matt Taven & Mecha Wolf 450 & Okumura & Oraculo
837
8388/26 Monbetsu (All Japan - 323): Hokuto Omori b Atsuki Aoyagi, Koji Iwamoto won three-way over Atsushi Maruyama and Dan Tamura, Jun Akiyama & Ultimo Dragon b Takao Omori & Black Menso-re, Shuji Ishikawa & Hikaru Sato b Dylan James & Akira Francesco, Zeus & Joel Redman b Suwama & Yusuke Okada, Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi & Yoshitatsu b Jake Lee & Naoya Nomura & Ryoji Sai
839
8408/27 Baton Rouge, LA (WWE Smackdown/205 Live TV report - 2,800): Asuka & Kairi Sane b Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville, Ali b Buddy Murphy, Non-title: Bayley b Lacey Evans, Randy Orton b Big E, 24/7 title: Drake Maverick b Elias to win title, Chad Gable b Shelton Benjamin, Ariya Daivari b Kalisto, Humberto Carrillo b Oney Lorcan, Roman Reigns b Samoa Joe
841
8428/27 Tsushima (Dragon Gate - 351): Dragon Kid & Kaito Ishida b Keisuke Okuda & Kota Minoura, Takashi Yoshida b Shachihoko Boy, Naruki Doi & Jason Lee b Mondai Ryu & Martin Kirby, Ben K & Shun Skywalker b Kzy & Yasshi, Eita & Big R Shimizu & Diamante b Yamato & Kagetora & Yosuke Santa Maria
843
8448/27 Kodairi (All Japan - 360): Hokuto Omori b Dan Tamura, Hikaru Sato won three-way over Koji Iwamoto and Black Menso-re, Takao Omori & Ultimo Dragon b Jun Akiyama & Atsuki Aoyagi, Yoshitatsu & Akira Francesco b Zeus & Atsushi Maruyama, Dylan James & Joel Redman b Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi, Jake Lee & Naoya Nomura & Ryoji Sai b Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa & Yusuke Okada
845
8468/27 Mexico City Arena Mexico (CMLL): Angelito & Ultimo Dragoncito b Mercurio & Pequeno Nitro, Robin b Grako, Espanto Jr. & El Hijo del Signo & Nitro b Pegasso & Star Jr. & Super Astro Jr., Black Panther & Blue Panther Jr. & Guerrero Maya Jr. b Cancerbero & Raziel & Vangellys, Ephesto & Hechicero & Luciferno b Kraneo & Rey Cometa & Volcano, Audaz & Caristico & Stuka Jr. b Bestia del Ring & El Terrible & Mr. Niebla-DQ
847
8488/27 Guadalajara (CMLL): Alteno & Explosivo & Star Black b Difunto & Furia Roja & Guerrero de la Muerte, Atomo & Gallito & Microman b Chamuel & Guapito & Perico Zakarias, Cuatrero & Sanson & Universo 2000 Jr. b Esfinge & Titan & Triton, Angel de Oro & Cavernario & Diamante Azul & Dragon Lee & Euforia & Gran Guerrero & Negro Casas & Niebla Roja b Big Daddy & Dark Magic & Jay Briscoe & Kenny King & Matt Taven & Mecha Wolf 450 & Okumura & Oraculo, NWA welterweight title: Volador Jr. b Mephisto
849
8508/28 Asahikawa (All Japan - 475): Hikaru Sato b Dan Tamura, Takao Omori & Black Menso-re b Jun Akiyama & Atsuki Aoyagi, Dylan James & Ultimo Dragon b Hokuto Omori & Joel Redman, Tv title: Yoshitatsu b Noriyuki Yoshida, Zeus & Atsushi Maruyama & Ryoji Sai b Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa & Yusuke Okada, Jake Lee & Naoya Nomura & Koji Iwamoto b Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi & Akira Francesco
851
852CMLL: Miguel Uribe, who wrestled as Manuel Almanza and most famously as Dr. Karonte, passed away on 8/26. He is best known as the father of Caristico, as well as Argenis, Argos, Astro Boy II and Dr. Karonte Jr. He started in the early 60s and was already a star by 1964
853
854The complete lineup for the 8/30 CMLL World Grand Prix show at Arena Mexico has Matt Taven, Kenny King, Delirious, Jay Briscoe, Mecha Wolf 450, Oraculo, Luke Hawx and Big Daddy (Big Daddy Yumyum who briefly worked for New Japan when they were doing the NWA stuff with Bruce Tharpe as the heel director) as the foreign members and Negro Casas, Diamante Azul, Dragon Lee, Cavernario, Volador Jr., Forastero, Rush and Soberano Jr., as the Mexicans. Big Daddy Yumyum was doing smaller shows around Mexico City in May and June and CMLL must have heard favorable things about him. In an interesting note, CMLL will not be streaming this show live. They are also hinting they won't be streaming the Anniversary show on 9/27 live either. Delirious replaced Mark Briscoe due to his suffering a knee injury. Delirious was already scheduled to come to the show to have meetings with CMLL about future talent exchanges. Besides the tournament, also announced is Mistico & Caristico & Ultimo Guerrero vs Ciber the Main Man & Gilbert El Boricua & Titan, Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja & Valiente vs. Cuatrero & Sanson & Templario and Microman vs. Chamuel
855
856Most of the Grand Prix talent was in Guadalajara on 8/27 for a Mexico vs. rest of the world elimination match. Team Mexico of Angel de Oro & Cavernario & Diamante Azul & Dragon Lee & Euforia & Gran Guerrero & Negro Casas & Niebla Roja beat Daddy & Dark Magic & Jay Briscoe & Kenny King & Taven & Mecha Wolf 450 & Okumura & Oraculo. Azul pinned Taven, so Azul & Casas were the final survivors. Volador Jr,. retained his NWA welterweight title beating Mephisto in the main event
857
858In Puebla the night before, Caristico & Lee & Hechicero & Stuka Jr. & El Terrible & Ultimo Guerrero & Valiente beat Dark Magic & Jay Briscoe & King & Taven & Mecha Wolf & Okumura & Oraculo with Caristico winning. Caristico dedicated the match to his father. Mistico beat Soberano Jr. in the main event in a fast match. Soberano's left shoulder was in a brace from the J Cup and he was limited in what he could do
859
860The 8/23 show at Arena Mexico was something of a holding pattern since the Grand Prix next week is the big show with the outsiders. They did the overdone increibles gimmick on top as tecnico Diamante Azul teams with rudo Cavernario & Ultimo Guerrero to beat rudos Ciber & The Chris and tecnico Valiente. Cavernario and Azul beat Valiente and Chris to win the third fall. Ciber did win the second fall with a low blow on Guerrero to keep their top program going. The big angle is that after the match Ciber & Chris asked Valiente to join The Cl4n. Gran Guerrero & El Terrible & Euforia beat Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja & Mistico while Volador Jr. beat Sanson on a low blow DQ
861
862Mistico won 2/3 falls from Ultimo Guerrero on the 8/24 Arena Coliseo in Mexico City main event. it's the first time Mistico has ever beaten Guerrero in a singles match, although he once did in Japan.
863
864AAA: El Hijo del Vikingo suffered a ruptured MCL in an 8/24 match in Ciudad Guzman. He doesn't need surgery and will be out about six weeks, which puts him out of action for the 9/15 show in Madison Square Garden, although the timetable means the 10/13 show at the Forum in Los Angeles is possible. Vikingo did have a visa for MSG, although it's not clear if it was a single event visa or one that will allow him to be booked by independent promotions. He's expected to breakthrough in the U.S. scene as soon as he can come regularly, whether that be with AEW or the indie scene or WWE. Even though he does all kinds of crazy flying moves, this happened on something that would normally be considered safe. Carta Brava Jr. did a cross body off the top rope and Vikingo may have been supposed to catch him, or more likely, just take it. He went down and grabbed his leg immediately. It looked to me and others that his leg was out of position when he made the catch, but we were told it was because the ring was full of beer and his footing was bad because of it. He slipped when doing the catching and the MCL tore. He will be in a walking boot for three weeks and then need three weeks of rehab.
865
866The promotion feels Joe Dombrowski did an excellent job at TripleMania and will be the replacement for Vampiro on future major shows for English broadcast. Vampiro was so bad in that role, working with Matt Striker. Larry Dallas, who did a great job on the Dragon Gate show a few weeks ago, is also under consideration.
867
868PRO WRESTLING NOAH: 8/23 in Kumamoto saw Shiozaki beat Marufuji in 27:54 with a lariat as they teased a draw in the A block and Wagner Jr. beat Nakajima in an upset in 16:16 with a moonsault
869
8708/24 in Takamatsu had a B block match with Nakajima going to a 30:00 draw with Taniguchi.
871
8728/25 in Osaka drew 489 fans as Taniguchi pinned Wagner in 12:55 and Sugiura beat Hammerstone in 17:20 via a guillotine submission.
873
874NEW JAPAN: Because of the Olympics in 2020, which takes place in August and most of the key arenas will be used, the decision has been made to move G-1 to the fall next year
875
876Royal Quest takes place on 8/31 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern time. Once again, this won't be airing live on New Japan World, but will air on a short delay and will be live on FITE for a $24.95 price tag. It will be released at some point in September on New Japan World. The show will be close to or a complete sellout of the Copper Box Arena and all preshow events are sold out. It's a pretty loaded lineup with Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki for the IC title, Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi for the British heavyweight title, Tomohiro Ishii vs. KENTA for the Never Open weight title, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa defending the IWGP tag titles against the winners of a tournament taking place in Revolution Pro Wrestling (either Aussie Open or Josh Bodom & Sha Samuels), Tetsuya Naito & Sanada vs. Jay White & Chase Owens, Will Ospreay (I have no clue why he’s booked so low and not put in a jr. title match second from the top against Phantasmo when New Japan runs in his country given he’s considered the key reason for the subscription increases in the U.K. since the start of the Super Juniors tournament and in G-1) & Robbie Eagles vs. El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori, Kota Ibushi & Juice Robinson vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Hikuleo (who has been wrestling in the U.K. for Revolution Pro) and opening with Rocky Romero & Sho & Yoh vs. Ren Narita & Shota Umino & Ryusuke Taguchi.
877
878The 8/30 Revolution Pro show with Tanahashi & Okada vs. Sabre & Suzuki, plus the finals of the tag tourney and Will Ospreay vs. David Starr for control of the promotion is now officially sold out with more than 1,100 fans at York Hall in London the night before
879
880There is a going on behind-the-scenes regarding TV-Asahi, which has an ownership stake in New Japan (Bushiroad is the primary owner) and is partners with New Japan World. Apparently the issue is FITE getting the live broadcasts for the Melbourne and London shows. For Melbourne, we were told it was a situation where they weren't equipped to handle the technical end and FITE was, and thus FITE got the live broadcast. I don't know why London is on FITE but the New Japan World subscribers in many cases were wondering why the J Cup shows weren't on.
881
882For 9/27 in Lowell, MA and 9/28 in New York at the Hammerstein Ballroom, they've announced Okada, Tanahashi, Ibushi, Ishii, Goto, Yoshi-Hashi, Naito, Evil, Sanada, Shingo Takagi, Bushi, Jay White, Tonga, Loa and KENTA. All of those names except Okada appear 9/29 in Philadelphia at the 2300 Arena
883
884Cain Velasquez was at the 8/24 show in San Francisco with his family. His entire family watches all wrestling now, whether it be WWE, AEW, AAA and New Japan ever since he got back into it when Daniel Cormier took him to a WWE PPV show in Las Vegas to see Ronda Rousey in early 2018. As a kid he was a big fan of Lucha Libre like Santo, El Hijo del Santo and Mil Mascaras. Marc Raimondi of ESPN reported he was there to have informal talks with New Japan. The old New Japan under Antonio Inoki would have offered all kinds of money for him but it's a harder fit now. Raimondi wrote that multiple companies have shown an interest in him. An interesting note is that he was going to do an angle for Pro Wrestling Revolution for a show on 10/5 in San Jose at Mount Pleasant High School that also includes El Hijo del Santo but Zuffa wouldn't allow him to do it, even though he does have the ability in his contract to do pro wrestling matches. He will be at that show doing a meet and greet
885
886Lance Archer noted being unsigned with New Japan. I can't imagine, given the dearth of guys his size who can work at the level he can (like, basically nobody) that WWE or AEW wouldn't want him. The only negative I can see is he's 42 and traditionally big guys don't have the longevity athletically, but he also seems to be the exception to the rule
887
888There will be a Blue Justice show on 9/8 in Nagata's hometown of Togane on New Japan World. The show will celebrate 35 years since Nagata started wrestling in high school. He's been wrestling so long that every year is the anniversary of something. The bout will be Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi & Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Jushin Liger vs. Jado & Yujiro Takahashi & Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa & Bad Luck Fale. They are pushing Nagata vs. Fale since Fale was a Nagata protégé, and Fale and Nagata had that emotional G-1 match in 2017 which was Nagata's last-ever G-1 bout
889
890They also announced a Young Lions Cup tournament from 9/8 to 9/22. The participants are Shota Umino, Ren Narita, Yota Tsuji, Yuya Uemura, Clark Connors, Karl Fredericks, Alex Coughlin and Michael "I'm not Kramer" Richards. Richards is from the Fale Dojo. It'll be a round-robin with each wrestler having seven singles matches with 15:00 time limits. It'll be the point system. There won't be a championship match as when it's over the top point-getter wins. They key shows on the tour are 9/4 at Korakuen Hall with Umino vs. Connors and Tsuji vs. Coughlin; 9/5 at Korakuen Hall with narita vs. Fredericks and Uemura vs. Richards; 9/6 at Korakuen Hall with Fredericks vs. Connors and Coughlin vs. Richards; 9/8 in Togane with Tsuji vs. Uemura and Umino vs. Narita; 9/15 on the Destruction in Beppu show has Umino vs. Coughlin and Tsuji vs. Fredericks; 9/16 at the Destruction in Kagoshima show has Narita vs. Richards and Uemura vs. Connors; 9/20 in Kyoto has Tsuji vs. Richards and Uemura vs. Coughlin and the final show on 9/22 Destruction in Kobe has Umino vs. Fredericks and Narita vs. Connors. Those two bouts are a pretty good sign as to who the favorites are.
891
892Between the J Cup shows, New Japan talent worked the 8/23 Defy show in Tacoma which drew a nearly full house. Rocky Romero beat Clark Connors with an armbar. The Defy & PCW tag champs Josef Samael & Jacob Fatu retained over Drexel & Dr. Kliever, who are known as No One Lives, in a ***½ match. Juice Robinson pinned Randy Myers. The match wasn't good, built around Myers trying to kiss Robinson. That's what the whole match was, and then finally Myers kissed Robinson, nearly fainted and Robinson pinned him. Then Robinson got two beers frm the crowd, said Myers was a cheap date and they kissed again. Myers did a promo about going through depression and thanking the fans for cheering him. Dragon Lee pinned Douglas James with a falcon arrow in a **** match. A match with Ruan Cook vs. Jordan Oasis never started because El Phantasmo laid both out. Phantasmo said that America sucks, which actually got half cheers. Then he said the only good thing about America was its president. The people booed that one heavily. He then insulted Tacoma and Seattle. So they cheered. He then called Defy a PWG wannabe promotion, and that got a mixed reaction. I guess Defy fans don't like PWG fans. The big match was the Jushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman Jr. match-up in a trios match with Pillman teaming with the Amerikan Gunz, Ethan HD & Mike Santiago, and Liger with Alex Coughlin & Karl Fredericks. They teased Pillman vs. Liger but didn't deliver until late in the match. I've personally talked to a number of promoters who tried to make this match and I'm sure there are plenty of others who tried as well. Liger pinned Santiago with a brainbuster. Liger and Pillman hugged after the match. Schaff beat Artemis Spencer in a ****½ match to win the Defy title. Schaff cut a promo and noted that his grandparents flew in from Philadelphia to see his first big match.
893
894OTHER JAPAN NOTES: DDT announced the top two matches of its 11/3 show at Sumo Hall in Tokyo, with the big surprise being Kenny Omega & Riho vs. Antonio Honda & Miyu Yamashita in a mixed tag. Yamashita is the Princess or Princesses champion for Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling. Korakuen Hall went nuts when they announced Omega's return. Sanshiro Takagi vs. Isami Kodaka was also announced. DDT ran 8/25 at Korakuen Hall before 1,195 fans. Jiro Kuroshio won the main event, an Extreme title ladder match, beating Daisuke Sasaki in the main event. The semi saw Konosuke Takeshita & Yukio Sakaguchi & Sanshiro Takagi & Antonio Honda beat Danshoku Dino & Super Sasadango Machine & Mao & Santino Marella (using that name, Anthony Carelli was in Japan this week for the world judo championships at Budokan Hall, but while there decided to wrestle a match and come out of retirement)
895
896Antonio Inoki announced on 8/27 that his wife, Tezuko Tada, had passed away. No other details were given. Inoki's marriage to Tada was not a mainstream thing like Inoki's marriage to a famous Japanese movie star, Mitsuko Baisho from 1971 to 1987
897
898A benefit show for Yoshihiro Takayama, the second Takayamania show took place on 8/26 at a sold out Korakuen Hall with 1,500 fans. Wrestlers from DDT, Dragon Gate, Sendai Girls, Big Japan, NOAH, New Japan, Zero-1 and other independent wrestlers were all part of the unique show. The show included a 20:00 talk segment in the ring with Keiji Muto and Akira Maeda. In the top four matches, Atsushi Onita teamed with DDT's Kazusada Higuchi & Ken Oka to beat Kazuyuki Fujita & Nosawa & Fujita in 12:54 when Onita pinned Nosawa after a thunder fire power bomb. Yuji Nagata & Yota Tsuji of New Japan teamed with Shinjiro Otani of Zero-1 to beat Satoshi Kojima of New Japan and Shoki Kitamura & Tatsushito Takaiwa when Nagata pinned Kitamura. NOAH's GHC champion Kaito Kiyomiya teamed with Daisuke Harada & Junta Miyawaki of NOAH to beat DDT's threesome of top star Konosuke Takeshita & Yuki Ueno & Mizaki Watase when Kiyomiya pinned Ueno with a German suplex in14:40. The main event was a 30:00 draw with Minoru Suzuki & Hideki Suzuki facing Naomichi Marufuji & Masato Tanaka. After the main event, they played a video of Takayama upright in bed and very talkative. Takayama told people that he was recovering. Told the show was really fun, the main event was ****, and that Suzuki's chest was absolutely brutalized by Marufuji. I was told he'd likely show visible signs of this match on Saturday in the ring with Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP title
899
900Kohei Sato won the Big Japan Strong world title over Yuji Okabayashi in 16:28 with a German suplex in Nagoya on 8/25. The main event saw Isami Kodaka retain the Death match title in a fluorescent light tubes match, which drew a full house of 910 fans to Conference Hall, over Yoshihisa Uto in 13:36. Michael Elgin teamed with Dragon Gate's Masaaki Mochizuki to beat Daisuke Sekimoto & Takuya Nomura in 18:47 when Elgin pinned Nomura with an Elgin bomb. They did a tribute match to Motoshi Okuma, who was Great Kojika's tag team partner when he was young. Okuma wrestled for the old JWA from 1961-72, and left with Giant Baba when he formed All Japan in 1972 and stayed with the company until his death from renal failure in 1992. He and Kojika held the All-Asia tag titles four times between 1976 and 1981. Kojika & Atsushi Onita (isn't he supposed to be retired like eight times over) beat Masashi Aoyagi (also coming out of retirement) & Masaya Takanishi. There was also a Gamechanger style death match with light tubes with Toshiyuki Sakuda winning over G-Raver, Marcus Crane and Jimmy Lloyd
901
902The Michael Elgin debut in Big Japan against Daisuke Sekimoto , where Elgin won in 25:38, not only tore the house shown on 8/24 at Korakuen Hall, but was a complete sellout with 1,740 paid and the best house Big Japan has done at Korakuen Hall since 2011
903
904Big Japan also announced its annual tag team tournament from 9/1 to 11/26. They have two tournaments, the strong block which is basically strong style wrestling, and the death match block which is weapons wrestling. The winners of each block meet in the finals. The strong block teams are Sekimoto & The Bodyguard (from All Japan), Daichi Hashimoto & Hideyoshi Kamitani, Ryota Hama & Yasufume Nakanoue, Ryuichi Kawakami & Kikuta Kuzumi, Takuya Nomura & Fuminori Abe, Takuho Kato & Akira Hyodo, T-Hawk & Lindaman from OWE and Yuji Okabayashi & Shigehiro Irie. the Death match block has Isami Kodaka & Yuko Miyamoto, Masashi Takeda & Takuno Tsukamoto, Ryoji Ito & Rickey Shane Page, Abdullah Kobayashi & Kankuro Hoshino, Yoshihisa Uto & Drew Parker, Masaya Takanishi & Takayuki Ueki and Toshiyuki Sakuda & Yuji Ishikawa. Gamechanger Wrestling ran two sold out shows at Shinkiba First Ring in Tokyo, which is considered the home base of Stardom. The 8/22 show drew 332 fans with Alex Colon beating Masashi Takeda in a death match that I was told was ****1/4. There was also a comedy match with Joey Janela and Kikutaro on opposite teams where each man had an invisible partner. Also on the tour were Tony Deppan, Lloyd, G-Raver, Drew Palmer, KTB, Shlak, Eric Ryan and Crane. The 8/23 show drew 336 with Jun Kasai over G-Raver in a Fluorescent light tubes match and Great Sasuke over Janela. I was told the second night was wild. None of the matches were as good as Colon vs. Takeda, but the show was nuts. They ended with a GCW vs. Freedoms (a smaller Japanese promotion) angle to build for their shows starting on 8/25. The crowd was on fire for the show as the Japanese fans saw this as their chance to experience the idea of this type of an American indie group, and they reacted like a U.S. high-level indie crowd rather than acting like a Japanese crowd because the ones who were there had seen enough of it to get the crowd reactions down
905
906The GCW vs. Freedoms show on 8/28 drew 1,189 to Korakuen Hall. The main event was a glass board and Fluorescent light tubes death match with Jun Kasai & Masashi Takeda over Marcus Crane & Jimmy Lloyd.
907
908 Oz Academy drew 2,137 fans on 8/25 to Yokohama Bunka Gym with a match where Oz Academy champion Mayumi Ozaki beat Blast Queen champion Hiroyo Matsumoto to unify the titles in a baseball bat death match.
909
910The Stardom Five-Star Grand Prix continued with afternoon and evening shows at Osaka World Hall, drawing packed houses of 265 and 248 fans. On the first show in the Red block, Tam Nakano beat AZM, Saki Kashima beat Hana Kimura and Sumire Natsu beat Mayu Iwatani. In the blue block, Jamie Hayter beat Natsuko Tora, Konami beat Utami Hayashishita and Jungle Kyona beat Bea Priestley. On the second show, before 265 fans, in the red block, Momo Watanabe beat Kashima and AZM beat Hazuki. In the blue block, Andras Miyagi beat Kyona and Arisa Hoshiki beat Tora. The leaders in the red block are Watanabe, AZM, Nakano, Kimura and Kashima with four points. In the blue block, the leaders are Hayter with six, Konami, Priestley and Hayashishita with four.
911
912HERE AND THERE: The culture change regarding television continues to be a major story going forward. It's now estimated that in the second quarter, that 1,530,000 homes dropped cable in some form. Between cable television and satellites, the country is down from 88,131,517 homes at the start of April to 86,601,254 at the end of June. Satellite homes dropped 855,000. DirecTV lost 778,000 homes over the quarter while Dish lost 79,000. Currently DirecTV has 17,901,000 homes for television and 1,340,000 for DirecTV Now, the latter a drop of 168,000.
913
914Jerry Jarrett was on Wrestling Observer Radio on 8/25 talking Eddie Marlin. He noted that when he went to Marlin to ask if he could marry his daughter, and Marlin had not wanted either of his daughters to marry wrestlers, he gave his blessing feeling Jarrett was going to make it in the business. At the time, Jarrett was booking half the territory but it was before the business really took off. Marlin told Jarrett that if he ever verbally abused her or didn't treat her right, let alone physically abused her, he would have to face his wrath. He also told Deborah, his daughter, that once you marry him you can never come back and live in this home. His way of thinking was shaped in the early years of his own marriage where he and his wife, Norma, would have fights and she'd run back to her parents house and said he would not allow her daughter to have that option. Jarrett talked him into leaving his job at Gates Tires to work full-time in wrestling, offering him the rights to buy the promotion in two cities while he worked a full-time wrestler with his team with Tommy Gilbert. Later he got more and more responsibilities and was Jarrett's right-hand man once he broke off from Nick Gulas and started Jarrett-Welch Enterprises, which later became Jarrett Promotions, in 1977. He noted that there were times, such as when he moved to Texas to run the company there, and in the 90s when he went to Connecticut to work for Vince McMahon when he was being groomed to run WWF if Vince was convicted of steroid trafficking and had to serve time, that in both cases Marlin ran the business. He noted Marlin did everything in the company but booked, and never offered booking advice, never made a suggestion to him about talent or ideas. He said Marlin was as knowledgeable about wrestling, but simply did his job and never offered an opinion. He said that in nearly 50 years of being his son-in-law that they never had an argument or a fight. After Jarrett got out of pro wrestling, he started a construction company and Marlin worked for him there as well. He said that it wasn't until they were long out of wrestling that Marlin told him he never liked some of the cartoon angles that Jerry Lawler would book. He noted that he knew the time was coming but it still hit him hard and that he never was someone who had issues with depression but he was very depressed. He noted that he never had a father and always romanticized what a father would be like, and it wasn't until Marlin came along that he felt he had a father. He said that from a family standpoint, Marlin was the patriarch, but once they left the family home and did business, Marlin treated himself as the employee of Jarrett, not as the father. He said that while Marlin never gave him advice, booking ideas, never said what talent should and shouldn't be pushed or recommended guys to use, that after his death, so many wrestlers came to him and said how Marlin helped them in their career. He said the role Marlin played as both a babyface wrestler and television figurehead promoter/matchmaker was himself and that he always would go to wrestlers who he thought were playing pro wrestler or acting or talking like they were trying to play a character to be themselves
915
916This got almost no talk within wrestling, but the movie "Peanut Butter Falcon" debuted this past weekend in nearly 1,000 theaters and grossed $3 million, and had a 98 percent audience approval rating and a 95 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes after winning best picture in a number of festivals. The movie is about a 22-year-old with Down's Syndrome who dreams to become a pro wrestler due to his love for a wrestler named the Saltwater Redneck (a character based on Steve Austin) and runs away from the nursing home he's living in. The movie is about the young man and an older mentor traveling to a wrestling school. The movie ends with a pro wrestling independent show which features Mick Foley, Jake Roberts and Jay Lethal.
917
918For those traveling to Chicago for All Out, the main other shows are AAW on 8/29 and 8/30 at the Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago with the 16-man Jim Lyman tournament. 8/29 is very close to sold out with the first round of the tournament plus LAX vs. Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett for the tag titles. The second show, with the quarters, semis and finals of the tournament, has been sold out for some time. Game Changer Wrestling has a midnight show Friday night at the Grand Sports Arena in Hoffman Estates while Warrior Wrestling has a loaded Sunday show at Miriam Catholic High School in Chicago Heights. The Game Changer show has Nick Gage vs. Effy for their world title, Jerry Lawler vs. Mance Warner (this was the bout they wanted for Orange Cassidy but Lawler nixed it), Cassidy vs. Gangrel, Black Taurus vs. Laredo Kid vs. Gringo Loco plus Tom Lawlor and others
919
920The NLL promotion that Alberto El Patron is the face of apparently is having money issues. Pulpomo Renteria, who was the announcer fr the first taping, said that he still hasn't been paid and there are reports saying he's not the only one. They taped TV on 8/24 in Ecatepec and Sangre Azteca, who recently quit CMLL, was on the show. Chavo Guerrero turned tecnico after breaking up with Apolo after they lost to El Hijo de Dos Caras & La Mascara. Main event saw Alberto & L.A. Park beat Carlito & Mesias in a match where Apolo interfered and El Hijo de Dos Caras made the save. Jack Evans also debuted on that show
921
922Billy Corgan's NWA announced more details on its first set of TV tapings. We don't know if this will be a weekly Internet series, as they have talked about, or actual television. the tapings will be on 9/30 and 10/1 in Atlanta at the Georgia Public Broadcasting Studios, so it'll be the return of studio wrestling with a 100 seat capacity. They announced that multiple former NWA champions would be brought to the first tapings. Of the legendary enduring champions, really the only ones alive are The Funk Brothers and Ric Flair, and Flair I can't see doing it even though he lives in Atlanta. Terry Funk hasn't been traveling due to health issues. Dory I could see doing it. There are shorter term guys like Ron Garvin and Tommy Rich who are around, and all the post 1991 guys. Nick Aldis as world champion, James Storm as National champion, Allysin Kay as women's champion, plus Eli Drake and Ricky Starks are announced. Joe Galli was announced as the lead announcer.
923
924Wildkat Wrestling is doing its biggest event to date on 11/3, booking the 4,600-seat Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, LA for a show called Revolution Rumble. The city of Kenner is co-promoting it with Luke Hawx's promotion. The group, which has local television, has booked Booker T, Stevie Ray, Rob Van Dam, MVP, Psicosis, Honky Tonk Man, Stevie Richards and Bestia 666 as the top attractions for the show.
925
926EUROPE: El Phantasmo vs. Michael Oku has been added to the 8/30 Revolution Pro show in York Hall. That's the show with Will Ospreay (representing Andy Quildan) vs. David Starr with the winner getting control of the promotion, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Minoru Suzuki and Josh Bodom & Sha Samuels vs. Aussie Open with the winning team getting a shot at Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa the next night
927
928RevPro had its seventh anniversary show on 8/18 in Cheltenham, England. The main event saw Jushin Liger & Oku beat Chris Brookes & Hikuleo, while Pac beat Matt Sydal and Carlos Romo beat A-Kid. Starr won a three-way over Mark Haskins and Speedball Mike Bailey
929
930Progress drew 600 fans on 8/25 at the Electric Ballroom in London. It's the company's smallest crowd in the 700-seat building that they used to routinely sell out instantly. A lot of people made a lot ut of the previous show being about two dozen tickets shy of capacity, and this not selling out, and obviously the U.K. landscape has changed and Progress has changed, such as next week having both a major NXT Takeover event and a New Japan major show in the market. They've got a major show on 9/15 at the Alexandra Palace and also another Electric Ballroom show on 9/14. The 9/15 show is doing well. The show was built around a four-woman tournament with both their title on the line, and the winner defending against Meiko Satomura on 9/15. In the first round, Nina Samuels beat Chakara and champion Jordynne Grace beat Dani Luna. Grace then beat Samuels to keep the title a second time and win the tournament. William Eaver beat Paul Robinson to become the last entrant in their Rumble match that will crown the first Proteus champion on 9/15. Eddie Kingston beat Chris Brookes via count out so Kingston got to choose the stipulation for the LAX & Kingston vs. CCK (Brookes & Jonathan Gresham & Lucky Kid) match on 9/14, and he chose a street fight
931
932Promoter Dann Read of the EVE group, had a take from a promoter standpoint regarding the scene, saying, "I've seen a lot of people tweet / post on social media about the declining numbers of fans at UK indie shows especially this past weekend at Progress and the numerous reasons that have been speculated on. Perhaps as a promoter myself I can offer a take of interest... Now obviously this is only my personal take, I don't know the finances of the promotions themselves, their merch or on demand services could all be drastically up. My personal take however is things aren't as bad as they may seem in the UK on the outside but do need looking at...Now I don't know exactly how everyone has done over the summer but a number of promoters have said to either myself or a mutual friend that this Summer was either their worst or one of their worst. There is absolutely "wrestling burnout" in some of the older markets but... there are other factors happening at the same time too which need to be taking into consideration. The cost of living has gone up a lot in the last year+ & w/ prices rising pretty much everywhere in the uncertainty of Brexit there is less money for people to spend on leisure. The timing of the rise in costs has also coincided with the rise in number of events & I don't just mean wrestling events. This has meant audiences have been forced to choose more. This summer specifically saw more outdoor events in London than any other summer in history... This past weekend (where the photo in the first tweet stems) was also a big festival weekender. There's also more non UK promotions running too at expensive prices plus NXT UK running 2 events in 1000+ seaters every 6 weeks and they're all grabbing fans from the same market... A number of non UK indie stars coming over or looking to come over have told me their schedules are looking light (especially compared to previous trips) or are now being ghosted by promoters. This means promoters are noticing the decline and thus lowering their show budgets..Whilst BritWres is in no way dead like the rhetoric among some recently was, there absolutely is a decline in some BritWres promotions and it would be foolish to not acknowledge that. Most of these feeling it have likely been drawing on the same fans from the indie boom period ...And it's only right that after an amount of time a number of these fans will begin to drift away especially with the volume in product now compared to that of 5+ years ago. Just look at the volume of WWE, NJPW & US indie content available live online now compared to then... That being said it's been a particularly hard summer across all events so whilst from within our own bubble it may look like things are going sour it really is impossible to say right now how bad for the UK it really is as there are so many variables right now in UK society... The Progress picture itself is also somewhat misleading as it's just one side of the room. Whilst I haven't checked this I'm willing to bet there were still 500+ fans in attendance on a hot Bank Holiday Sunday afternoon opposite a LOT of competition. This is still fantastic!.. .Additionally Progress have continually sold out or near sold out shows for a number of years on the trot now, that trend was never going to last forever but they're nearly at their 100th show which is a tremendous run and achievement. It's hardly the death of them or the scene ...That being said as I mentioned earlier people do need to be aware of the situation and take into account the changing landscape of everything previously mentioned both wrestling and non-wrestling related. If the trend repeats itself of years gone by in the UK then...Promotions will again decide to go back towards advertising more towards families as oppose to just the hardcore wrestling fan audiences. As these older groups of fans begin to disperse themselves across the scene, traveling and frequenting less shows then either promoters... Who cater to those fans will decide to call it a day, promote less shows or budget less for shows to match their falling audience numbers. This is exactly what has happened before in the UK with FWA.
933
934Alexander Wolfe will be coming to the 11/23 wXw show in Dresden, Germany, his home city. The last time he wrestled in Dresden was in 2014, before signing with WWE
935
936wXw is doing a fan balloting for champion Bobby Gunns' opponent for the 9/13 show in Hamburg, with the choices being Veit Muller or Marius Al-Ani, with Muller in the lead by a large margin as of last week. That show also has Walter & Ilja Dragunov defending the tag titles against Aussie Open. They shot an angle where Walter & Dragunov talked about how they have better things to do than be in the World Tag Team festival on 10/4 to 10/6 (because NXT UK tapes that weekend), but did say they would defend their titles on the final day
937
938Oriental Wrestling Entertainment has five shows, 9/18 and 9/19 in London in a 500-seat building, then 9/20, 9/21 and 9/22 in Liverpool in a 1,200 seat building. The talent will be OWE regulars from China, AEW's Private Party, Luchasaurus and Marko Stunt and unsigned U.K. talent. There will be a tournament for the OWE tag team titles. , , Future Shock ran its 15th anniversary show on 8/17 in Prestwich, England using Jack Gallagher from WWE as well as the Grizzled Young Veterans and Ashton Smith, who are also under WWE contracts. Gallagher beat Sam Bailey. The Grizzled Young Veterans kept their FSW tag titles in a tables match over Chris Egan & Danny Hope.
939
940MLW: They are doing a co-branded show with The Crash on 10/5 in Tijuana. That's an interesting concept. The show will be taped for Bein Sports. The most notable thing is the politics involving Konnan, who left the Crash on bad terms, but is a regular with MLW and an agent
941
942Austin Aries vs. Brian Pillman Jr., Mance Warner vs. Jimmy Havoc in a bunkhouse match and L.A. Park & El Hijo de L.A. Park vs. Septimo Dragon & Magnus have been added to the 9/7 show in Dallas.
943
944ROH: Sinclair and Disney announced this past week that Sinclair has purchased the old Fox regional sports networks (the old Fox Sports Net stations) for $9.6 billion. While nothing is official, this would seem to benefit ROH as far as expanding its television presence in a number of new markets. ROH, owned by Sinclair, would make sense on a Sinclair-owned sports network
945
946TK O'Ryan is out of action due to multiple concussions. He was a guy who seemed to have a future in wrestling. He'd been having issues with it, and resulting depression, dating back several months
947
948They are doing an eight-man single-elimination tournament to determine who gets the title shot at Bound for Glory on 12/13 in Baltimore. There will be first round matches at both the 9/27 PPV show, Death Before Dishonor, at Sam's Town in Las Vegas, as well as the 9/28 TV tapings in Las Vegas. The dates for semifinals and finals haven't been announced
949
950Some bouts announced for the Global Wars shows are: 9/6 in Dearborn, MI, has Matt Taven & Vinny Marseglia vs. Volador Jr. & Triton, Marty Scurll & PCO & Brody King & Flip Gordon vs. Okumura & Rey Bucanero & Hechicero & Cavernario and Rush vs. Stuka Jr. 9/7 in Villa Park, IL at the Odeum has Taven vs. Volador Jr. for the ROH title, Rush vs. Cavernario and Jay Lethal & Jonathan Gresham & Jeff Cobb vs. Caristico & Stuka Jr. & Triton. 9/8 in Milwaukee at the Potawatomi Casino instead of at Turners Hall has Briscoes & Cavernario vs. Bandido & Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams and Gordon vs. PJ Black vs. Triton
951
952They had two shows this weekend, an 8/24 show in Atlanta, which, even with the slow advance did sell out Center Stage with 700 fans. But the 8/25 show at the Nashville Fairgrounds only drew 450 fans
953
954Lanny Poffo announced the main event for the Atlanta show. That show opened with PCO & Brody King over Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams in a hard hitting match. Flip Gordon hit Williams in the back of the head with a cane and King pinned him after a ganso bomb. PCO missed a dive earlier, cracked his head on the floor, was bleeding badly, but no sold it in front of the fans for his gimmick. But he did end up being taken to the hospital after the match. PCO's blood was everywhere. Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson came out and vowed to win the ROH tag titles in Nashville. It ended up as a pull-apart with the Briscoes. Angelina Love beat Sumie Sakai. With the ref distracted, Mandy Leon sprayed perfume in Sakai's face and Love hit a botox injection for the pin. They were building up Love getting a shot at Kelly Klein's WOH title. Okumura & Felino & Silas Young beat Cheeseburger & Eli Isom & Ryan Nova in a good match. Felino pinned Nova with a power bomb off the ropes. Josh Woods came out and took out Okumura and Felino after the match. Chase Owens won a three-way for a TV title shot the next day winning over LSG and P.J. Black when Owens pinned LSG with a package piledriver. Dalton Castle did an interview and said that he would win the ROH title back soon. Joe Hendry then came out and his mic went out. Hendry said he would be the next world champion and showed a T-shirt that read "World champion Joe Hendry." Marty Scurll beat Bandido in what I was told was a fantastic match. Bandido did a springboard tornillo, a Fosbury flop and a top rope moonsault powerslam. Scurll won with the black plague. Poffo came out throwing frisbees and said that the wrestlers of this generation were much better than the ones from his generation. That'll upset a lot of older fans. The main event was the Champions vs. All-Stars match with Rush & Jeff Cobb & Jay Lethal & Kenny King over the champions team of Matt Taven & Shane Taylor & Mark & Jay Briscoe in an elimination match. Rush got the biggest reaction. Cobb and Taylor had the hottest action against each other. Rush pinned Taylor when Taylor was the last guy left on the champions team. Rush & Cobb were both not eliminated on the all-stars team. Cobb went to shake hands with Rush, but Rush kicked his hand away and knocked into Cobb and left
955
956Nashville opened with a three-way with Brawler Milonas & Beer City Bruiser over Felino & Okumura and Coast 2 Coast of Shaheem Ali & LSG. The Bouncers used closing time to pin Ali. The Bouncers then drank beer in the ring with Felino and Okumura. They announced that due to PCO's injury the night before that the six-man title match was off the show. PCO then showed up throwing chairs everywhere. He beat up security and put one person through a table with a senton off the top rope to the floor. Flip Gordon showed up and PCO went after him until Gordon convinced him he was on his side. Hendry & Castle beat Cheeseburger & Isom. Hendry pulled Isom to safety when Castle tried the bangarang, as they were teasing stuff between them. Hendry then hit the codebreaker on Isom for the pin. Love won a four-way over Sakai, Jenny Rose and Damaris Dawkins. Dawkins was making her debut. She was green. Love pinned her with the botox injection. The lights went out and Maria Manic was in the ring. Love & Leon ran off and Manic choke slammed Dawkins and beat down Rose. Kelly Klein came out to confront Manic. While this was going on, Love snuck back in and grabbed the belt and hit Klein with it. Manic chased Leon & Love away. Black beat Silas Young with a cradle. Rush beat Vinny Marseglia with the Shibata low dropkick into the corner. Marseglia was bleeding from the mouth. Taylor pinned Chase Owens to keep the TV title with the greetings. The Briscoes beat Morton & Gibson to keep the tag titles. It was short and very good, just like their last match. Mark went for an elbow drop on Morton, who was n a table on the floor, but Gibson pushed Morton off and Mark flew through the table. They used a double dropkick on Jay, but Jay kicked out. Mark pinned Morton with an elbow off the top. All four shook hands after. Brody King & Scurll beat Bandido & Haskins. King came off the top rope and Bandido was supposed to catch him, but he dropped him. Haskins & Bandido did a double tope. Bandido used the 21 plex on Scurll and Haskins put Scurll in the sharpshooter to take the fall. Bandido & Haskins will be getting a tag title shot against the Briscoes after the win. Main event was an elimination Defy or Deny match won by Cobb, over Taven, Kenny King and Lethal. Taven was disqualified for hitting Cobb with a chair shot. King hit Lethal with a belt shot and followed with the Royal flush for the win. Cobb pinned King with tour of the islands. This puts Cobb in line for a shot at Taven's title.
957
958IMPACT: Ken Shamrock, at 55, is coming in for a program with Moose that will start at the 9/5 and 9/6 tapings in Las Vegas. Shamrock was charging huge money on the indie scene, which is why he wasn't getting a lot of dates, so it's interesting he's working here
959
960Killer Kross and Impact remain at an impasse. He is still under contract but wasn't used at the last set of tapings. He was on a per show deal and wanted a guarantee. The story we were told is that he was offered a $40,000 guarantee with the idea that they only have a small number of shows per year so he can augment that income elsewhere. He was looking for around $100,000 and was turned down, wanted a release, and turned down in that request, with the mentality that he signed with them and when he did nobody else was interested and now that people are interested shouldn't give him the right to leave before the end of his contract. They did gave his girlfriend, Scarlett Bordeaux, a release when she asked for it. At this point it doesn't appear she's signed anywhere
961
962Brian Cage has been frustrated about his title reign, because of his injuries and being out of action for so long. He wrote this week, "I know many might be upset with my inactive title reign. Trust me, no one is more disappointed than me. Right when I reach the top of the iceberg I'm dealt with nothing but set back after set back due to injury. Everytime I try to push through, I get another set back. This is not the champion I wanted to be. I wanted to be a fighting champion, not a once in a while attraction you'd see else where. And I've done everything possible to heal and recover, and in a timely manner. And that's why I'm in Colombia seeking the world's best stem cell therapy from @bioxcellerator. I'm not gonna stop and to quote another machine, `I'll be back.'
963
964Impact on Twitch on 8/23,viewership was up. Jessicka Havok vs. Alisha Edwards was the peak at 6,700 with most of the show between 5,500 to 6,150. The Tommy Dreamer vs. Sami Callihan main event did 3,350 viewers
965
966Impact is pushing Kiera Hogan for coming out that she is gay with a coming out celebration in Chicago in conjunction with Bound for Glory. There will be a 10/17 Pizza Party at Lou Malnati's Pizzeria in Buffalo Grove to benefit the Pinta Pride Project; a coin toss on 10/19 at 11 a.m. at Warren Park for a gay sports organization flag football game and a puck drop that night before the Chicago Wolves minor league hockey game at the Allstate Arena. She will also speak on 10/20 at 11 a.m. at the Center on Halstead, the area's LGBT community center, doing a 45 minute Q&A.
967
968AEW: Regarding any idea of running on Mondays down the line, Tony Khan has said that he'd never go against the NFL, and that's four months of the year on Mondays
969
970The announcement of Tony Schiavone coming in was made this week as they said he has signed a full-time multi-year contract. In the press release, they listed Ross, Schiavone and Excalibur as the broadcast team. Schiavone will be calling some stuff. Right now the main broadcast team will be Ross, Alex Mendez (Goldenboy not Alex Marvez) and Excalibur. They will be the team working Saturday's PPV show. Marvez will remain with the promotion as part of the broadcast team in some form that is still being decided. Marvez will be working the show doing backstage and shoulder programming roles as well going forward. Lots of decisions regarding the broadcasting are in flux as to everyone's role past Ross & Excalibur will be the fixtures of the broadcast team and Mendez right now is the third guy, while Marvez's role is being determined but what they do Saturday seems to be the idea for television as well. Schiavone will work in the studio in Atlanta with Cody and is keeping his job with the University of Georgia as producer of the football and baseball games and continue as an announcer for the Gwinnett Stripes, the AAA Atlanta Braves affiliate. Schiavone has other commitments and won't be on the show. Schiavone won't be at All Out and will be missing some shows for University of Georgia commitments. Schiavone will also be senior producer. Court Bauer, who had Schiavone under contract, worked with AEW and Tony Khan in making this deal, said Schiavone will also be working for MLW "100 percent for years to come.
971
972At one point the scheduled first show on TNT was to be an introduction special and PPV hype show, similar to what UFC has done, which would have aired on 8/30, the night before All Out. It was never announced and evidently with the schedule listing "Supernatural" in the time slot it was talked about for, it doesn’t look like it’s happening. I was on the TNT schedule at one point. Nobody in AEW had said a word about it of late
973
974There was at least last week still talk of an introduction special to promote the debut on the network but has been announced on that front either
975
976Regarding Kenny Omega's DDT appearance on 11/3, his contract allows him to work Japan provided it doesn't interfere with an AEW date. Nobody knows big picture. He was offered a match with DDT on their big show and took it. The reality is that New Japan has not called him to offer him any dates, unlike with Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley. At one point, when Dallas got off to a slow start, there was at least talk of calling him but they never did, and even if they did, it was in the U.S. and would likely not be allowed. It's just like everything with NJPW and AEW in the sense that from the outside everyone knows they can be mutually very beneficial to each other but there's no movement as best we can tell of anything happening. It is notable that New Japan is not sending talent as much to ROH but that's because they look to be running the U.S. more on their own. AEW's policy, as shown by the AAA situation, is they are glad to work with AAA, will send their top guys to AAA's big shows in Mexico, but not in the U.S
977
978Chris Jericho on AEW vs. NXT on Wednesdays from the Busted Open radio show. "I think WWE is great but there's too much WWE as it is, By adding another two hours, that really dilutes the product, it dilutes their mindset, it dilutes the focus. It's a reactionary move that's done by a guy who wants to start a war. We don't care if you want to start a war, that was never our intention. There's no war for us, we're just doing what we're doing. People there don't like that and they're reacting to it, and it just dilutes their own product
979
980"You remember in the 90s, Nitro would start at 7:57 and Raw started at 8:00, and the reason that we started early is because we wanted our pyro to be before theirs. Who gives a crap? What's the show like? Don't worry about what the other guys are doing, worry about your own stuff." "I don't care about any other wrestling company in the world. I want everyone to do good, everyone be the best that you can be, whether it's WWE, Ring Of Honor, Impact, New Japan, AAA or friggin' George Swanson's show at the Armory on a Friday night. Do your thing. We don't care, and I think that's one of the things that makes us cool. It's a typical thing, the more other people will do, the more it makes us look revolutionary and cool, and we haven't even started yet. Just wait until we start." He also said he doesn't know if NXT will hurt them because he's not sure of the crossover fan base. "We still don't know who our fan base is," Jericho admitted. "I don't think that there's a lot of crossover between WWE fans AEW fans. I think a lot of people that are into AEW are people that maybe haven't watched wrestling in a while, or maybe are looking for something different. Maybe they don't like WWE, I don't know.
981
982BTE this week had a Kenny Omega promo where the idea was, in mid-promo for the match with Jon Moxley, he found out about Moxley's injury. He cut what I'd call a heelish promo where he made fun of Moxley having a boo-boo, brought up how Moxley was trying to play Kenny Omega as the hot wrestler in the world for 15 minutes but went to Japan and asked how he did in that tournament with Omega noting in his first G-1 he won it. He said that he would love to wish him a speedy recovery and that's what he's supposed to say, but he really doesn't give a shit. Next was Cody, Matt & Nick in the war room (they were all in Atlanta that day with meetings with TNT and a Turner Network party the day they found out about Moxley) trying to figure out what to do about filling the Moxley spot. So they did a worked segment of them reacting to the news, essentially a worked booking meeting. Matt suggested making the title match a triple threat and Nick said that didn't make sense and Cody said that was a WWE move. Cody brought up Kota Ibushi but that was nixed because "we don't work with that company." Nick suggested "Marty" and Cody suggested "Flip" but they're both under contract to ROH. Matt then without saying a name, said I know but Nick and Cody were negative saying we've tried that already, and then Matt picked up his phone and said, "What time do you think it is in London now?" and showed the Omega vs. Pac graphic. They did a cartoon-like gimmick to build SCU vs. Luchasaurus & Marko Stunt & Jungle Boy in some form. Luchasaurus & Jungle Boy were walking when they came upon John Hennigan & Taya walking Stunt with a leash like he's a dog, and an irate neighbor complained that the kid took a dump on his lawn and everyone ran away while Luchasaurus said he didn't sign up for this. They showed Young Bucks, Cody and Tony Khan at the Turner and DDPY headquarters. Then Tony Schiavone announced 11/6 in Charlotte and the 9/6 on-sale date for the fourth TV and announced his signing. Jericho did a promo saying this will be either be the best night of his career or the beginning of the end of his career. If the Omega and Jericho promos are an example of what will be on TV, it's a definite positive.
983
984UFC: In the Cung Lee vs. Zuffa lawsuit, a lot of information has gone public in recent days with public hearings in Las Vegas from coverage by John Nash at Bloody Elbow and Paul Gift at Forbes. The hearings are before Judge Franklin Boulware's court where the future of the case is at stake. Boulware said the plaintiffs have to prove to certify the class of athletes as part of the suit as without it, "I can't see how this case will proceed," he said. Reporter John Nash, who was on the scene, noted that Dr. Hal Singer, the plaintiff economic expert, said UFC fighters received 26 percent of revenue in 2007, but that number has declined ever since. It went under 20 percent in 2011 and has stayed around 19 to 20 percent since then, aside from 2016 when it was 22.7 percent largely because of UFC 200. UFC 200, which featured Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Hunt and Daniel Cormier vs. Anderson Silva (the billed main event was Meisha Tate vs. Amanda Nunes) grossed $55.3 million, of which $19.9 million went to fighters because of a huge Lesnar payday, and overall expenses of the show were $32.7 million). An internal Zuffa document projected, with the guaranteed money for rights fees and PPVs from ESPN, that in 2020, Zuffa would gross $980 million (more than WWE now, but less than they will going forward with their better TV deals), and was having a talent budget of $196 million, or right at 20 percent. That's still well above that of WWE which at last word was at eight percent. There was another document that WME-IMG (now Endeavor) sent to financing sources noting that fighter pay was the most asked question by those putting up the money and Zuffa management intended to contain costs to 20 percent of revenue. The same court case listed Bellator as paying 44.7 percent of the company's gross revenue to fighters and that Strikeforce paid 63.0 percent. That's why Strikeforce doesn't exist and why Bellator wasn't turning any significant profit until the DAZN deal came in. A smaller company that is in competition with a larger company in an entertainment business will always pay a higher percentage. WCW paid a higher percentage than WWE. AEW will pay a higher percentage than WWE. ROH pays a higher percentage. While this has nothing to do with the case, it did come out that in 2014, when Bellator was negotiating with Gilbert Melendez, at the time a top lightweight contender, which led to UFC giving him a big raise to stay, Lorenzo Fertitta sent text to Dana White that said, "We gotta keep taking those f***ers oxygen until they tap out." For what it's worth, in the old wrestling territory days when people were paid off the house the percentage, depending on the territory, ranged from 15 percent to about 40 percent, with the idea of 25-32 percent being "fair" although in reality most of the promoters did not pay anywhere near that figure. UFC, in countering a Singer proposal on what is fair pay for fighters, noted that based on his calculations a number of the top fighters would have earned substantially less. They claimed by using Singer's idea of what is fair pay that Brock Lesnar should have earned $6.8 million to $7.1 million less than what he earned over his career, Anderson Silva would be $6.6 million to $9.4 million overpaid, Conor McGregor $5.3 million to $6.6 million, GSP would be $3.3 million to $4.6 million, Rampage Jackson would be $2.2 million, Dan Henderson would be $2.0 million to $2.7 million, Jon Jones would be $1.7 million to $2.9 million, Tito Ortiz would be $1.5 million to $3.2 million. C.M. Punk also shows up on that listing as $332,000 to $344,000
985
986McGregor did an interview with Ariel Helwani and ESPN 2 put the entire interview on television as a one-hour special. The gist was him saying he's never retired, he was going to fight in July against Justin Gaethje but suffered a broken hand, was hurt for his fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov and wants a title match. He said he was in the wrong for hitting the guy at the bar in the footage that surfaced last week. Regarding that point he said, "In reality it doesn't matter what happened. I was in the wrong. That man deserved to enjoy his time in the pub without it ending the way it did. And although it was five months ago and I tried to make amends and I made amends back then, it's still, that doesn't even matter. "I was in the wrong. I must come here before you and take accountability and take responsibility. I owe it to the people that have been supporting me. I owe it to my mother, my father, my family. I owe it to the people who trained me in martial arts. That's not who I am. That's not the reason I got into martial arts or studying combat. The reason I got into it was to defend against that type of scenario. So to see that, months ago, although I have been making steps, continually making steps to do better and be better, to see it, it's like a dagger into my heart as a young martial artist." Regarding his fight with Nurmagomedov, he said, "The camp was incorrect. I learned so much from that. My foot was a balloon when I walked into that fight. I've got all the footage backed up from that entire camp, I broke my foot three weeks out and it was a balloon. Knowing the commitment I had in that camp, and knowing the performance I put on, he ran away for that first round, he didn't throw a punch. He shot for the legs before he threw a punch. That first round I should have been talking to Herb (referee Herb Dean). He (Nurmagomedov) says he was talking to me in the cage, there wasn't a whisper out of him until he ended up in a dominant position. The only reason he ended up in that dominant position is because I walked around in a disrespectful way towards him because he was just running around the cage. I switched off for a millisecond and he got that lucky shot. Even after he got that lucky shot, although it was a beautiful shot, I bounced back up and engaged and what did he do? He shot again. There's so many great things I can take from that, and I can come back and avenge that." He said that he wanted to fight before the end of the year. Frankie Edgar is willing to delay his move to bantamweight if Conor McGregor would fight him. It's unlikely to happen but in McGregor's ESPN 2 television special interview, he did mention Edgar's name along with Justin Gaethje, Tony Ferguson, Nate Diaz, Khabib Nurmagomedov (the fight he made it clear he wants the most), Max Holloway and Jose Aldo were all mentioned. Edgar would likely be down on that list. Edgar's camp has since said McGregor turned down opportunities to fight him in the past
987
988Dana White, in talking to reporters after his Tuesday night Contenders show at the UFC's arena, said that he didn't tell McGregor to apologize and he did it on his own. "Conor and I talk at least a couple times a month and I think he needed to do that. I didn’t tell him to do it. He did that on his own and good for him." White was also asked about the New York Times story about the sexual assault claim that mentioned McGregor. That story was huge behind-the-scenes in Ireland but due to the law there his name was never mentioned in any of the stories. There has been no arrest or charges filed against him. "I know zero about that. To be honest with you, the back and forth that I’ve had with him about that, it's not him. It's somebody else so I don't know.
989
990Ben Askren vs. Demian Maia is now official as the five-round main event of a 10/26 show in Singapore. Other bouts announced thus far for the show, which will be an ESPN+ show, are Michael Johnson's return to lightweight against Stevie Ray, Sergei Pavlovich vs. Maurice Greene and Ciryul Gane vs. Don Mayes.
991
992Percy Benoit, the stepfather of Daniel Cormier, passed away this last week due to cancer. Benoit raised Cormier, whose father was murdered when he was very young
993
994After Dana White said they made a mistake with Darren Till of pushing him too fast, Till is moving up a division and his first match in the new division is Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 244 on 11/2 in Madison Square Garden. Also announced for that show is Lyman Good from New York against Chance Rencountre and Krzysztof Jotko vs. Edmen Shahbazyan. While not official, White said that the Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington welterweight title fight would also be at MSG
995
996Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, according to manager Ali Abedlaziz, will be filing the paperwork to get back into the drug testing program and come out of retirement in 2020. Because he retired and pulled himself out of the program, once he puts himself in the program he can't fight for six months. Johnson has said he will come back as a heavyweight and is targeting March for a return according to ESPN. Johnson's recent domestic violence case is closed after he made a deal with prosecutors. TMZ reported Johnson made a deal to enter a pretrial diversion program, and that he is required to complete an anger management course, and when he does, the charges of misdemeanor domestic battery will be dropped. Johnson was arrested on 5/6 when his girlfriend told police the fighter roughed her up in an argument. Johnson claimed he picked her up and carried her to a different room because he was tired of arguing with her, but he never did anything to hurt her
997
998TMZ had two different B.J. Penn street fight videos this past week. The first video released showed Penn at the Lava Shack, a bar in Hilo, on 8/27, on top of the guy throwing punches while security tried to pull him off. There were a number of people hovering around and it appeared one woman threw kicks to the other guy after Penn walked away and he was still on the ground. The report said police were called but there was no indication Penn was arrested. Police said they got there and the crowd had dispersed and nobody gave them any information. A second clip, also from 8/27, believed to have taken place earlier, looked to have been the same person and Penn. The guy threw a wild punch and nearly fell over, but then they kind of locked up, Penn goaded him to throw, and he landed a slap with his right and then landed a left to the jaw and Penn went down and was knocked out. Penn had been shown in a similar bar fight video from June in Oahu
999
1000Mark O Madsen, a former Olympic silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling, makes his debut on the 9/28 show in Copenhagen, Denmark, facing Danilo Bulluardo. Madsen is 8-0 in fights all thus far in Denmark, starting in 2013. His situation was unique. Madsen, 34, burst onto the world scene in wrestling back in 2005 when he won a silver medal at the world championships in Greco-Roman wrestling at 163 pounds. He placed third in 2006 and second in 2007. But he was eliminated in the first round at the 2008 Olympics. In 2009, he came back and placed second. He competed in the 2012 Olympics, lost in a match that would have gotten him a bronze medal, and ended up fifth. He went into MMA at that point. Unlike most wrestlers who go into MMA, and give up wrestling since they are different sports with very different mental tendencies, he kept wrestling, but didn't compete in both. He started MMA in 2013 and 2014. Then he went back to wrestling to try and win an Olympic medal. In 2015, he placed second in the new 165 pound division and in 2016 got an Olympic silver medal at 165. Then he went back to fighting
1001
1002Matt Brown, who had talked retirement and then was injured, will return on the 12/14 show in Las Vegas against Ben Saunders. Brown, who is 38, last fought on November 11, 2017, where he scored a first round knockout win over Diego Sanchez
1003
1004Paige VanZant, beset by an arm injury, who has one fight left on her deal, said that she makes more money via posting photos on Instragram than she does fighting in the UFC in an ESPN interview with Ariel Helwani. "I make way more money sitting at home, posting pictures on Instagram, than I do fighting. When I did my contract negotiation the last time, the talk was, `I can't pay you more than a female champion.' Okay, but why are comparing me to just women? All of us should be getting paid more in general. I want a significant pay raise, to be completely honest. I've just been extremely accomplished outside of the UFC, as well as inside of the UFC. Five wins in the UFC, four finishes, I've been main event twice, and I think someone with those accolades should be paid more.
1005
1006This week's show is an ESPN+ show from Shenzhen, China on 8/31. The show starts at 3 a.m. Eastern time or midnight Friday night on the West Coast. The match order has Heili Alateng (12-7-1) vs. Dana Batgerel (6-1), Anthony Hernandez (7-1) vs. Jun Yong Park (9-3), Andre Soukhamthath (13-7) vs. Su Muedaerji (9-3), Karol Rosa (11-3) vs. Lara Procopio (6-0), Kai Kara France (18-7) vs. Mark de la Rosa (11-2), Thiago Moises (12-3) vs. Damir Ismagulov (18-2), Mosvar Evoloev (11-0) vs. Zhenhonhg Lu (16-6), Mizuki Inoue (13-5) vs. Wu Yanan (10-2), Khadis Ibraginov (8-0) vs. Da Un Jung ((10-2), Derrick Krantz (23-11) vs. Song Kenan (14-4), Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (21-5) vs. Li Jingliang (16-5) and a main event with Jessica Andrade (20-4) defending the strawweight title against Weili Zhang (19-1). It's pretty much a one-fight show with Zhang, who has looked impressive thus far, but not at the level where you'd see her at Andrade's level, getting the shot since they are in China. I'm sure the hope is to get a Chinese world champion to help in that market, but Andrade is the favorite.
1007
1008The 9/7 PPV will also be an early show, which is the Nurmagomedov vs. Dustin Poirier lightweight title fight. That's expected to be a nearly seven hour show, from 10:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern, which would then be followed by the Bellator show on DAZN at 10 p.m. Eastern from San Jose
1009
1010C.B. Dolloway was suspended for two years after testing positive for a ton of different banned substances. Dolloway, 35, tested positive for anastrozole (a post-cycle therapy judge used to kickstart the body's testosterone production after a steroid cycle would shut it down), and two Growth Hormone release peptides (GHRP-2 and GHRP-6) in a December 29, 2018 test. He also tested positive for Clomiphene in a February 9, 2019 test. Also, in his last fight on 12/13, he received an IV above the limit allowed to rehydrate. Just compare that list of things all at the same time for two years as compared to what others got for two years
1011
1012Alex Perez pulled out of his 9/21 fight with Sergio Pettis in Mexico City due to an injury. Tyson Nam will be the replacement
1013
1014Marc Diakiese vs. Lando Vannata has been announced for the 9/28 show in Copenhagen. Also on that show, Jack Shore who is 11-0, makes his debut against Noehlin Hernandez
1015
1016Carlos Condit vs. Mickey Gall has been added to the 12/7 show in Washington, DC, along with Bryce Mitchell vs. Matt Sayles.
1017
1018Leah Letson vs. Duda Santana has been added in a women's featherweight bout to the 11/16 show in Sao Paulo.
1019
1020BELLATOR: Rory MacDonald vs. Douglas Lima for the welterweight title, a $1 million first prize and the tournament final is set for 10/26 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT. That will be a DAZN exclusive as are all the tournament fights
1021
1022That will be the second show of a two-day booking at the Mohegan Sun. The Friday night, 10/25, will be on Paramount and DAZN, with a Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson main event
1023
1024Bellator had an amazing show on 8/24 in Bridgeport, CT. Between prelims and television show there were 14 matches, with 14 finishes. I wonder what the odds of that are. Wouldn't it be something like 16,000 to one? Nick Newell, the one-armed fighter who was a star in WSOF but lost when trying to get into UFC through the Dana White contenders show, went to 16-2 with a arm triangle choke win over Corey Browning. Newell first became a fan of MMA through WWE's Curt Hawkins being his friend in college. Austin Vanderford, the husband of Paige VanZant, went to 8-0 with a doctor stoppage due to cut win over Joseph Creer. Amateur wrestling star Tyrell Fortune went to 7-0 with a second round choke over previously unbeaten Rudy Schaffroth in a battle of two guys who have known and competed against each other previously in high school football and wrestling. Yaroslva Amosov went to 22-0 with a win over David Rickels with a D'arce choke in the second round. Alejandra Lara beat Taylor Turner via TKO from punches. Heavyweight contender Vitaly Minakov went to 22-1 beating Tim Johnson via knockout in 1:45 and Sergei Kharitonov beat Matt Mitrione via TKO at 1:24.
1025
1026OTHER MMA: ONE, which is spending tons of money, opening new offices and preparing for a major U.S. debut, is running its biggest event to date, called One Century (I believe it is their 100th show). It's actually two shows on the same day, on 10/13 in Tokyo at Sumo Hall. The first 11-match show that day has eight prelims but the finals of their lightweight Grand Prix tournament with Eddie Alvarez vs. Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev, the finals of their flyweight Grand Prix with Demetrious Johnson vs. Danny Kingad and Angela Lee defends the atomweight title against Xiong Jing Nan. That show will be airing live at 11 p.m. Eastern on 10/12 on TNT
1027
1028The second show is an 11-match event that features the champions of Shooto against the champions of Pancrase in four different weight divisions, bantamweight (Shoko Sato vs Rafael Silva), lightweight (Koshi Matsumoto vs; Takasuke Kume), strawweight (Yosuke Sabuta vs. Daichi Kitakata) and welterweight (Hernani Perpetuo vs. Hiroyuki Tetsuya). Among the other fights include pro wrestler and former MMA legend Shinya Aoki vs. Honorio Banario, former Canadian wrestling national team heavyweight Arjan Bhullar, who was with UFC, faces Mauro Cerilli. The finals of their featherweight kickboxing championship tournament has legendary Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Sammy Sana. Rodtang Jitmuangnon defends the Muay Thai flyweight title against Walter Goncalves. Then Bibiano Fernandes defends the One bantamweight title against Kevin Belingon and Aung La N Sang defends the One light heavyweight title against Brandon Vera. So this is Vera, who is the heavyweight champion, cutting down to light heavyweight to try and become a dual champion. That show will air live on B/R Live
1029
1030Alberto El Patron cut a pro wrestling promo face-to-face with Tito Ortiz at the Combate Americas show on 8/23 in Lake Tahoe on Univision to build up their fight later this year. He even did Paige's "this is my house" line and called Ortiz a Perro.
1031
1032WWE: Right now there is a concept of another draft type of thing to build permanent Raw and Smackdown rosters. What we were originally told is that they wouldn't be making major changes, but some changes, but this is Vince. Everything is being kept quiet and USA and FOX will be the first to know when the concept is decided. Regarding NXT guys on Raw to build their names prior to the show, nothing is certain but there are arguments both ways, that it will give them exposure to help build the launch, or that everyone knows that any cross-pollination on Raw would establish them as secondary level stars and you don't need that now. Plus, it would lead to more interference from the NXT people's own vision. It was described that Paul Levesque's dream of creating a legitimate third brand of his own just came true, but now he has to play defense to keep Vince and Kevin Dunn's influence away
1033
1034Dwayne Johnson once again topped the Forbes list of highest paid actors during the period from June 1, 2018 to June 1, 2019, earning $89.4 million. By the way, that's significantly more than all the wrestlers in WWE combined earned last year. The story noted that Johnson will get his biggest guarantee to date, of $23.5 million for his work in Jumanji: The Next Level. He also gets 15 percent of the pool from his franchise movies, gets $700,000 per episode of Ballers and more than $1 million from his sponsorship deal with Under Armor for clothes, shoes and headphones. It was noted Robert Downey made $55 million in Avengers: Endgame. Downey's total earnings were $66 million, putting him in third place behind Johnson and Chris Hemsworth at $76.4 million
1035
1036Testimony regarding UFC pay brought up a few notable things. Between September 1, 2011 and August 31, 2017, all the UFC fighters combined made $626 million. All the WWE wrestlers combined made about $400 million. During that same period, Floyd Mayweather made $638 million. A lot of WWE talent is paying attention to this case. People realize that if the plaintiffs win (which I still can't fully understand how this would happen), there is virtually no difference between UFC and WWE within their respective markets from a history standpoint and there is probably more of a history of WWE holding down competition and underpaying talent as a percentage of revenue than against UFC. While WWE and UFC talent is underpaid compared to the revenues generated, that isn't illegal and the talent signed deals. They can unionize and do collective bargaining. If they don't, I don't see how a court case can rule against the companies for getting people to sign for less money and to increase profits, because whatever you think of it, whether it's WalMart, or whatever, these companies are hardly unique in that structure. A lot of talent in NXT have seen that AEW and ROH are offering a lot more money and better working schedules. WWE is renegotiating deals and bumping some NXT talent up in pay
1037
1038“Ballers," the HBO football-based comedy starring Johnson, started its final eight-episode season on 8/25
1039
1040WWE and Endeavor, the ownership company of UFC, are partnering on a podcast network. It looks like the idea is to have wrestlers do podcasts. The launch and personalities involved will be named soon
1041
1042Seth Rollins (Colby Lopez, 33) and Becky Lynch (Rebecca Quin, 32) announced they had gotten engaged on 8/22. Lopez was once engaged but broke it off several years ago. Lynch has never been engaged. Also married over the weekend were Shawn Spears (Ron Arneill, 38) of AEW and Peyton Royce (Cassie McIntosh, 26). When Lopez & Quin are married, they would also join Montez Ford and Bianca Belair, Natalya & Tyson Kidd, Jimmy Uso & Naomi, Aleister Black & Zelina Vega, Daniel Bryan & Brie Bella, Rusev & Lana, Miz & Maryse, Mike & Maria, Nikki Cross & Killian Dain, Sarah Logan & Erik of the Viking Raiders. Drake Maverick & Renee Michelle, Lesnar & former performer Rena Mero and of course HHH & Stephanie as among the married couples currently on he roster, while Mickie James is married to wrestler Nick Aldis. There are also rumors going around that Finn Balor and girlfriend Vero Rodriguez are very serious. It's notable how different wrestling is from any other performance art, in the sense all media reports were that Becky Lynch & Seth Rollins were engaged and not Quin & Lopez, which would be different in coverage of entertainers in any other kind of genre, even those where their stage names are far more famous than their real names. Like, no congratulations or stories on the Luke Hobbs wedding last week
1043
1044The new season of Total Divas will premiere on 10/2 at 10 p.m., so it will be Wednesday nights built around Ronda Rousey as a regular. The cast this season is Natalya, Naomi, Jax, Carmella, Rousey and Deville. Nikki Bella, who was pushed as the top star of the show since its inception, is gone for Total Bellas, but she and Brie will make appearances during the season. Rousey will be the featured star, showing her and husband Travis Browne at their ranch, Browsey Acres. The show was filmed for the most part in the latter part of 2018 and early 2019, so key subjects include the Evolution PPV, the death of Neidhart, and the Women's Royal Rumble
1045
1046Austin being announced for the 9/9 Madison Square Garden show is because neither show has sold out, or even come close, although as noted last week, the belief is that the Raw show will eventually sell out, which is very important since WWE is trying to keep AEW out of the building. There was apparently a pickup in sales after the Austin announcement but there are a lot of unsold tickets that aren't in the super high price range
1047
1048WWE has been in contact with Enzo and Cass about a surprise return to be top stars on the NXT brand. We don't know if they've accepted, but Cass really hasn't done much on the indie scene and has also made it clear he wants to get back. Enzo, who really knows. He says a lot of things but his rap career isn't exactly going anywhere and he also hasn't done much on the indie scene, but hasn't walked away from wrestling either. We don't know, but the obvious speculation is either a return on the first show or, the way Vince thinks, I could see the third show being the favorite. The crowd in Orlando live would probably go nuts if this happens, and keep in mind we only know they've been talked to, not that they've accepted, but I can also see a lot of social media negativity toward Enzo in NXT as a featured star. But it's a war and you want surprises and there just aren't that many surprises out there. They are also looking at adding to the writing staff for the show, so there will be one major philosophical difference because AEW is not hiring writers for their show. While that won't be a major factor in ratings, because that'll be determined by station and promotion, but as far as a head-to-head show battle each week, it will be a completely word-for-word scripted WWE style show against an old school version of segments laid out but not complete scripting
1049
1050Rob Gronkowski this past week was asked about doing WWE. He said that he didn't feel like he would want to be a full-time wrestler, but he is down to do one crazy pro wrestling match, like a Royal Rumble. He said he's not saying when, and said he would practice for it heavily. He said it could be in five years. He said he's got the rest of his life t o do it, but he's always dreamed of doing one match all out
1051
1052Bryan's gimmick of environmental concern is actually not a gimmick at all. In fact, when speaking to William Beltran of Super Luchas this past week while in Colombia, he spoke of it: "(It's) really sad because apparently there are hundred of thousands of indigenous people in the area that are losing their home but not only that.. .there is it's weird because I hate to get in the politics but there are people letting it burn so they can use the land for other things. So
1053
1054I don't know. As somebody who has environment concerns I'm very concerned about whole situation for
1055
1056it's more than just, okay, the environment, is the people who live there! That's hundred of thousands of people and you can't just move them on
1057
1058to the city… right? That's not the way how it works. You know what I mean, they have been living there like
1059
1060for the longest time remember and they want to move them to the city and expect them to work in factories or something? I don't know. It's a tragedy and I hope it gets controlled soon because it's a central part of the ecosystem." "The diversity of species in the Amazon rainforest is higher than anywhere else in the world, and there is much that could be lost. There are species that could become extinct. And the interesting part is that we don't know which species correlate with others. We cannot say `These specific species must be saved' There is, for example, the kingdom fungi, fungi. There is no variety of fungi as large as the one that exists in the Amazon rainforest, and we do not know how many of them are necessary for the planetary ecosystem, because everything causes an impact. We already know the impact caused by the reduction in the number of bees and the danger it represents. However, it is a devastating scenario." As far as wrestling goes, he said he's having more fun in WWE then in the past. He said he does miss being on the independent scene, and loves the idea of facing new people, which is why he enjoyed his match with Murphy so much. He said he likes the experience of not knowing his opponent, not knowing what he does, and the first time in a new arena. He said as great as it is to do WrestleMania or a show like Bogota, he misses the feeling he gets doing independent events. He was asked which three Mexican wrestlers he's like to see in WWE. He said it's hard, because his personal favorites, Blue Panther and Negro Casas are too old. He mentioned Rush, Bandido and Dragon Lee. He also said they have a guy as is as spectacular as anyone already in Gran Metalik and he watches 205 Live to see Metalik. To me, if I want to see Gran Metalik, I look at Mascara Dorada tapes. 
1061
1062. Mysterio missed all the TV this week because he's in Colombia undergoing stem cell treatments. A number of wrestlers have been going there for such treatment as it’s the new fad thing, like blood spinning in Germany for super rich athletes was a few years ago. The idea is that if you go to Colombia for treatment as opposed to the U.S, they’ll give you tons more and that this helps heal injuries, regenerate tissues and even helps will cognitive issues like Alzheimer’s. An older family member of a major wrestling star went there and had stem cells shot into his brain to combat Alzheimer’s. Brian Cage was getting similar treatments at the same time and other names we’ve heard that have done it include John Morrison, Brian Cage, Kevin Nash and Ryback. Nash claimed it made a big difference with him.
1063
1064Mauro Ranallo wrote on Twitter about his current state: "It's a daily battle comprised of small goals; a routine. I am currently in outpatient treatment for five hours a day Monday to Friday. I chose to keep fighting the good fight despite the amount of times I've been knocked down by my chronic bipolar disorder.
1065
1066Jazzy Gabert is working as part of the Udo Lindenberg tour. Lindenberg is one of the most famous singers in Germany. During his show, there is a segment where characters wrestle in a ring on stage. Gabert is part of that and also trained the others in the skit how to wrestle
1067
1068The NXT U.K. Takeover from Cardiff, Wales, which is sold out at the Motorpoint Arena, which is about 3,500 with the set up, has Dave Mastiff vs. Joe Coffey in a last man standing match, Travis Banks vs. Noam Dar, Zack Gibson & James Drake defending the tag team titles against Mark Coffey & Wolfgang and Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster in a three-way, Toni Storm defends the women's title against Kay Lee Ray and Walter defends the U.K. title against Tyler Bate. That main event is a lock to be incredible. Cesaro is likely to do an angle at the show. Paul Levesque a few months back said that both Cesaro and McIntyre had come to him asking if they could be involved in some form with the U.K. arm of the promotion
1069
1070The company had a super successful show in its debut in Bogota, Colombia on 8/23, with a sellout crowd. Joaquin del Rivera, the WWE's Vice President for Latin America said that there would be another show in 2020 there. A lot of the talent was talking about how amazing the crowd was. There were even talk of a television show taped there or a PPV, or doing multiple shows next year, but for not the only thing certain is one show next year.
1071
1072Kingston vs. Orton and Reigns vs. Bryan are being advertised as the top matches for the October tour of Australia
1073
1074A correction from last week's issue. The Lucha House Party team that lost on the 8/19 show in St. Paul to Roode & Eric Young was Dorado & Metalik, not Kalisto & Metalik as reported here
1075
1076For what it's worth, and you know the drill with anything this far in advance, the WWE sent the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento info that the main event for the 10/6 PPV in that building would be the Rollins-Strowman winner at Clash of Champions defending the title against Wyatt in a Hell in a Cell match. I should point out that usually in this situation it's just filler to advertise something to sell tickets. This is not the case here. The real plan at this point is for Wyatt to headline the show and challenge for the Universal title
1077
1078Those in the state of Maine that got their WWE Network will found them being charged $10.53 instead of $9.99, because Maine implemented a sales tax on those type of Internet sales and WWE passed the tax on to the consumers
1079
1080The Usos are out of action after Jimmy's most recent DUI arrest. They are expected back in a couple of weeks
1081
1082Evolve ran 8/24 in Livonia, MI and 8/25 at the Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago. Both shows were sellouts, with the Chicago building holding about 500 or so, very much like a slightly larger Legion Hall in Reseda. Just so there is no doubt, and there hasn't been for some time, of what Evolve is as Lenny Leonard opened the show in the ring and said Evolve and WWN are the pipeline to NXT. They did a match where Anthony Gutierrez beat Karam where the winner was to get an Evolve contract with Gutierrez winning with a triangle. Trevin Adams then came out and gave Gutierrez a contract. Gutierrez was an MMA featherweight and bantamweight from 2010 to 2019 who had an 12-3 pro record and was on the 13th season of The Ultimate Fighter but didn't make the UFC. Gutierrez will be a regular after standing out in a WWN recruitment camp two weeks ago. Karam was from the same camp and will be booked on future shows as well. Arturo Ruas beat Stephen Wolf with a choke. Wolf did a standing shooting star press but his head landed on Ruas' knee and it seemed to hurt him legit and they went to the finish. Kushida beat JD Drake with the hoverboard lock, which they now call the Sakuraba lock. They got a standing ovation. After the match, a man in a mask came to the ring, he unmasked and it was Alex Shelley, who was Kushida's tag team partner for years as the Time Splitters in New Japan. It was a total surprise to Kushida. Shelley said that Kushida was his tag team partner who later became his best friend, noted he was best man at Kushida's wedding. Shelley said that he's not in Evolve, he was just there to praise Kushida. He said he didn't know if the chapter with them was over but he wanted to thank Kushida for making a difference in his life. He was emotional and choked up and then bowed to Kushida. There's actually a back story on this. Shelley had made plans to do this and wanted it to be a surprise. Kushida had e-mailed him saying he was coming to Michigan and that he wanted to get together with him but Shelley told him he was booked out of town that night. Anthony Henry beat Austin Theory, the Evolve champion in a non-title match. Theory talked about going to NXT and being on the WWE Network. Henry said he wanted Theory to shake his hand after he beats Theory. Theory agreed only if Henry agreed that if he beats Henry, Henry would have to kiss his boots. Henry submitted him with a stretch muffler. They did shake hands quickly and Henry said he wanted a title match. Matt Riddle beat Josh Briggs. Fans chanted both "Goldberg" and "Broberg" at him, and for fun, Riddle used a jackhammer for a near fall before winning with the bromission. Main event saw Leon Ruff & AR Fox retain the tag titles in an anything goes match over Joe Gacy & Sean Maluta
1083
1084Chicago was headlined by Drew Gulak retaining the WWE cruiserweight title over Kushida with a roll-up with his feet on the ropes in 14:45 Good crowd that was into everything on the show and the main event was strong. Theory was to defend his Evolve title in a three-way with Drake and Briggs. Anthony Henry came out and wanted it to be a four-way (earlier in the show they did an angle where they turned a tag match into a three-way), but Theory said that he signed for a three-way, it wouldn't change, he was not under the authority of William Regal and that if Henry was in the match, he'd leave and go back to the WWE Performance Center. Henry left and Theory pinned Drake when Henry turned heel and cost Drake the match. The crowd was expecting Drake to win the title since everyone knows Theory has signed with WWE and is on the way out. Riddle & Curt Stallion lost against Evolve tag champs Fox & Ruff. They are running 9/20 and 9/21 in Brooklyn and Queens and then 10/11 in Atlanta and 10/12 in Charlotte
1085
1086I don't know what this means in the big picture, past where wrestling stands in colleges, but a list of people using wi-fi at one of the country's most well-known colleges (I was asked not to reveal the school but if I say major college, it would be one of the first schools to pop in your head) over a 24 hour period Tuesday and Wednesday, which would be all students on campus, faculty, staff and guests showed 10,800 logged at one point into Netflix. Seven logged into the WWE Network
1087
1088WWE stock closed on 8/28 at $73.07 per share, roughly the same as a week ago, giving the company a market value of $5.748 billion. .. The most-watched shows on WWE Network for the past week were: 1. SummerSlam; 2. NXT on 8/21; 3. Raw on 7/22; 4. Ride Along with Lynch, Rollins, Logan and War Raiders; 5. NXT Takeover Toronto; 6. Ride Along with Ricochet, Black and Heavy Machinery; 7. King of the Ring 1993
1089
1090Notes from the 8/26 Raw tapings in New Orleans. They were lower on star power since all the guys on the Smackdown tour had worked in Panama City the night before and weren't available here, so no Reigns, Joe, and most of the Smackdown crew. That's probably why McIntyre and Bayley were pulled from the South American shows since they were booked here and McIntyre was needed her for the King of the Ring tournament. They felt they needed a major woman star on the show with Lynch not there and they felt Flair was important for South America. The show was about creating new tag title contenders in one night by having a gauntlet match, and using Roode & Ziggler in that role winning four times. Heyman is a proponent of Roode so this was kind of meant as a showcase to get him going after he was slotted as a nobody for so long. In addition, Rollins and Lynch were on a vacation after getting engaged. Rollins did appear on the show with Strowman, but it was a taped promo. Later, when Strowman was in the main event, the announcers, to set up that he wasn't going to be saved by Rollins (or anyone), mentioned Rollins not being there. So from a depth standpoint, they had far less star power than a usual show. The show drew 7,800 fans. There were a couple of changes in the show by Vince McMahon. Originally the Authors of Pain were going to be in the tag team turmoil match and do well in it, but I believe lose to Roode & Ziggler, not necessarily in the finals. The Viking Raiders were going to do a squash but they were moved into the match and did a one minute DDQ instead with Gallows & Anderson. Miz vs. Corbin was scheduled for about 5:00 rather than 10:00 but changed to go longer when the Viking Raiders match was pulled. Maverick said he wasn't there because of a storm, but actually he wasn't written into the show and he was there. For Main Event, Evans beat Dana Brooke with the women's right. O'Neil & Slater beat Eric Young & Rawley. Raw opened with Banks out. WWE got The Wrap to essentially write a story for them about Banks opening the show and explaining her heel turn. She didn't exactly do that. She said she was crying on the floor at WrestleMania and that she did take her ball and go home. She claimed she did it because she was relegated to a tag team match she cared nothing about and defending tag team titles that meant even less. She actually quit because she and Bayley really wanted to make the tag titles mean something, and then they were told they were dropping them to the Iiconics and the belts have been jokes ever since. She said while she was in the tag title match, that Lynch was headlining the show against Rousey. Well, she was, but there was a third person, but boy did nothing come out of that. The crowd wasn't reacting to this promo and she's only been back a few weeks. She said she came back to work and she had a plan. So she's Ole Anderson. She said she lied when she told Natalya that her father would be proud of her. There were some boos for that bit it was groaning rather than heat. She said she attacked Natalya knowing Lynch would come and save the day and you saw what happened to Lynch. Natalya came running out and they had a pull-apart brawl. Banks was trying to pull Natalya's hair out. The Street Profits announced tag team turmoil, which was a new name for a gauntlet. They listed the teams. So you've got a tag team cutting the promo for all the teams, and they aren't in the match. I mean, I know why, but it does seem strange. Ricochet pinned McIntyre in 12:49 in a really good match. Ricochet did one of those corny bad inset promos. I mean I know why, but Ricochet did good promos in the ring in front of fans winging it at PWG so I know he can talk. But at reciting lines, that's a different issue. McIntyre did his inset promo about how all the prior King of the Ring wieners were disappointments and many of them hurt the WWE. Lots of good stuff here. Ricochet did a Fosbury flop. He tried a poison rana, but McIntyre blocked it and gave him an Alabama slam. Ricochet used a Northern lights suplex and a standing shooting star. Ricochet came off the steps into a head-butt by McIntyre. McIntyre got some near falls before Ricochet won clean by coming off the ropes with a recoil (one knee codebreaker) and followed with a 630. They showed a tape of Strowman & Rollins. They talked about defending the tag titles and Strowman was pretty blase about it. Rollins recognized it and said he knew Strowman wanted a title shot and accepted it. The two shook hands. Miz did a promo. It's the same promo that works as a heel and is annoying as a face where he runs down all his title wins, his movies, and all that stuff, including plugging the season finale of his reality show. Corbin pinned Miz in the King of the Ring tournament in 10:00. The match was just there until Corbin kicked out of the skull crushing finale and people popped for that. Then he won clean with the end of days. Corbin said that a poll said that people wanted anyone but him to win King of the Ring. But he said he doesn't care what the people think He told the fans that on their best day they wouldn't be able to accomplish a single thing he has. He said he's where he is because of one person. Himself. I thought it was Vince McMahon, or his parents. Gallows & Anderson did a promo. They said that last week they gave Strowman & Rollins a title shot that they didn't deserve. But they said that this week they have to beat seven teams to get their rematch. When it's put that way, they do have a legit gripe. Mysterio was still in South America but they pushed hard that he nearly retired last week. Bayley pinned Cross in 3:58 after a Randy Savage elbow. Strowman did an interview saying that he and Rollins will keep the tag titles first and then he'll beat Rollins to win the Universal title, and then he'll defend the U.S. title on the same show. The gauntlet started with the Viking Raiders over Dallas & Axel in 1:17 with the Viking Experience on Dallas. Then Viking Raiders went to a double DQ with Gallows & Anderson in 1:12. So they were both eliminated. Roode & Ziggler beat Dorado & Metalik in 1:24 when Ziggler kicked Dorado in the back of the head and pinned him. Roode & Ziggler beat The Revival in 5:09. The crowd was quiet but this was technically good. Roode pinned Dawson after a DDT. Roode & Ziggler beat Hawkins & Ryder when Ziggler pinned Ryder after a superkick in :41. Roode had immediately thrown Hawkins into the post. Ziggler & Roode beat Heavy Machinery to win it in 5:28. Tucker is really one hell of a big athlete. Roode was the star of this match, and really the show. Otis did the caterpillar on Ziggler and didn't get that big of a pop. Machinery set up the compactor but Ziggler superkicked Tucker and used the Zig Zag on Otis who landed on top of Tucker. Roode pinned Tucker with a DDT. Banks beat Natalya in 4:00 with a back stabber and bank statement and then also twisted Natalya's arm injury that she was still selling. Styles did a promo and said Gallows & Anderson were screwed out of the tag team title shot. Alexander pinned Cesaro in 10:49. Good match but again not a lot of crowd reaction. Alexander tried a tope but flew into an uppercut by Cesaro. Alexander did a flip dive. They told the story that Cesaro was trying to hurt Alexander so he couldn't wrestle next week and that maybe it would get him back in the tournament. Alexander won with the lumbar check. Next was footage from the weekend FOX party that a lot of the wrestlers were at. Elias was playing guitar. R-Truth showed up. Maverick showed up as well and he distracted Elias and R-Truth pinned him and ran away. Maverick was chasing him. Maverick ended up thrown in a dunk tank. R-Truth was on the set of the Fox College Football talk show with Brady Quinn and Rob Stone among others. R-Truth was distracted and Stone pinned him. But Elias then cradled Stone t get it back. The Street Profits were back. Angelo Dawkins was talking about partying on Bourbon Street. Strowman walked past them. Styles beat Strowman via DQ in a U.S. title match in 10:56. Strowman ran over him twice. Strowman used a choke slam but Styles got his foot on the ropes to break up the pin. Styles used a quebrada for a near fall and the calf crusher. Strowman powered out of it. Strowman charged into the post, which I think is a rule in every Strowman match. Styles knocked Strowman into ref Chad Patton. So Patton was down and Styles gave Strowman a low blow. Strowman came back and used a powerslam but Patton was still down. Anderson & Gallows were beating down Strowman. Strowman hit both with a chair. Styles then went down faking he was hit by a chair. Patton got up, saw Strowman with the chair and Styles down and called for the DQ on Strowman. Strowman then hit Styles over and over with a chair shot, as well as hit Gallows and Anderson again and powerslammed Styles
1091
1092. Notes from the 8/27 Smackdown tapings in Baton Rouge. A good show before a small crowd. Vince McMahon wasn't in Baton Rouge, but he once again changed a ton of stuff and we were told much of this was largely put together by Vince the day of the show. The show continues to be built around the who attacked Reigns storyline. There was another cliffhanger ending where footage of the first attack with all the stuff falling on Reigns backstage clearly showed somebody who looked like Rowan pushing at least some of the stuff over on him. Bryan freaked out, started slapping Rowan around and acting like Rowan lied to him and that he hates liars. Bryan said he was betrayed and that somebody told Rowan to do it. Reigns speared Bryan to end the show. The crowd was 2,800. Asuka & Sane beat Rose & Deville in the opening dark match. The show opened with a Kingston interview. He said that Orton got his ass knocked out last week, out of nowhere. Kingston noted that Orton & The Revival took Woods out to explain his not being there. He said last week Orton crawled up the ramp with fear in his eyes because Kingston said that you do not mess with family and he doesn't play around. He said he was going to prove Orton was wrong 11 years ago when he said he wasn't ready and that he's ready then and he's ready now. Orton was on the screen, said stupid about 20 times, and read a letter supposedly from Kingston's son Kai that claimed Kingston was scared so badly by Orton that he cries every night. Orton said he was staying at the same hotel as Kingston's family and he was going to pay his son a visit. This was way too similar to that Styles vs. Joe angle. Kingston ran to the back and started an intense brawl with Orton. It looked good and ended with Orton giving Kingston a draping DDT off a backstage table and leaving him laying. I've always thought from the top babyface should never start a fight and lose the fight cleanly. He can lose the fight to a foul or distraction or get jumped and left laying but if he starts the fight and gets beat up, that's the role of the set up guy, not the top guy. Big E cut a promo and said that Kingston would be okay for Clash of the Champions, but that he's got a match tonight with Orton and he can't say the same for Randy. Ali pinned Murphy in a KOTR first round match in 9:08. This was very good, at ***½. Ali did a tope. Murphy channeled Kenny Omega, as usual, Will Ospreay and Kota Ibushi. Murphy did the Terminator dive. Ali did a poison rana. This felt like a short version of a normal PWG match. There was a "this is awesome" chant, but it was light. Ali won clean with a 450. I'm still at a loss as to why Murphy beat Daniel Bryan, a top guy, which should have been used to shoot him up the ladder, but then gt his ass kicked like a jobber by Rowan and here lost clean to Ali. They shook hands after the match so the idea seems to be that Murphy is a face. Bayley and Moon were backstage. Moon admitted Bayley beat her last time but she would beat Bayley next time. Moon said that Charlotte is not the face of this division, you are. Evans showed up and said that Charlotte was right, and that Bayley brings the division and the championship down. Evans said she was the face of the division. Moon and Bayley laughed at her. Miz did a promo saying Nakamura was a champion but Zayn was a stage five clinger hanger on. He's the spokesperson for Nakamura because he can't hack it in the WWE ring. Miz said that he made the IC title the most prestigious title in the company. When exactly was this? He said he could do it again and challenged Nakamura to a match at the Clash. Zayn then came out and said that Miz was the King of Soft Style. Miz went after Zayn when Nakamura laid him out from behind while Zayn stood in the background laughing about it. Nakamura gave Miz a Kinshasa on the floor and a second one in the ring. So the announced Miz vs. Zayn match never happened. Bayley pinned Evans in a non-tile match in 14:26. Evans got to the ropes on the first Bayley-to-belly. Bayley hit a second one later and followed with the Savage elbow for the pin. It's notable that they've had Bayley move to that as her finisher while Sane already has that finisher. In a trivia note, when Sane was first signed and told them her finisher, she was told she couldn't use it in WWE because it's Bayley's move, even though not her finisher. I guess then they saw her do it and changed their mind. This went way long. You could see Evans was really green here. Bayley covered for her well. Flair came out to watch but never got involved. Bryan & Rowan were out. Bryan wanted Reigns to say he was sorry for claiming Rowan attacked him. Bryan said they weren't leaving the arena until Reigns apologized. Orton pinned E in 8:40. This was a good match as well. E missed a splash on the apron. Orton used two back suplexes on the announcers table. Later, he went for a third, E blocked and did the move to him. E did his three belly-to-bellies. The Revival came out to distract. E went for the big ending, Orton escaped and shoved him into the Revival and hit an RKO for the pin. The idea was that nobody helped E because Kingston was hurt earlier and Woods wasn't there. Gable did an interview. Benjamin showed up and made fun of his height and called him Shorty Gable. that pretty much confirmed the new name the company trademarked, Shorty G, is for Gable. Gable looked all sad. I'd say this angle will bury him worse, but the reality is they've done nothing with him anyway, but this comedy push has a good shot of hindering him in a different way. Elias was sitting on the king throne with a crown on his head. He said he would be King Elias. Earlier in the show he was paying guitar in Shane McMahon's office when Owens came to see Shane and they had words. It was weird how Elias had the 24/7 belt and nobody was chasing him. It was like when a guy they don't have at the comedy level has the belt, they changed the rules. Owens was sneaking up behind the throne and attacked Elias, threw him in the ring and hit a stunner. He never went for the pin showing the prestige of the title given Elias actually had the belt around his waist through all of this. Owens just walked away. The announcers never acknowledged the belt or why Owens would just walk off. R-Truth ran in and tried to pin Elias, but Maverick pulled R-Truth out of the ring and Maverick pinned Elias to win the title. So I guess that means we'll have another consummate the marriage vignette coming up. Gable pinned Benjamin in 3:41 with a Toyota roll. They worked New Japan mid-card style and pacing here. The announcers were playing up Shorty really big. The highlight was Benjamin giving Gable a giant swing into the barricade. The final segment saw Reigns come out. Bryan & Rowan were backstage and Bryan told him to apologize. He asked the fans if he should. The fans said "no" and when he asked a second time, they chanted "no." It does say one thing because in the past if Reigns was in that position and did that, the chant probably would have been "yes." Then Reigns said he wanted everyone to see the footage. It seemed to indicate it was Rowan. The problem is last week Bryan showed a guy who looked exactly like Rowan, enough that the grainy footage couldn't tell the difference. By the way, that guy seems to have disappeared in the storyline. We don't know who he is, although he was prominent in the video recap. Maybe it'll all play out. But even given all that, Bryan reacted by going crazy, slapping Rowan around and screaming at him that he hated liars. Bryan came to the ring and told Reigns that he had been betrayed, and that somebody told Rowan to do this and it wasn't him. Reigns speared Bryan to end the show. 205 Live was next. Ariya Daivari pinned Kalisto with an eye rake and a rainmaker. Tony Nese was shown losing last week and he said the Premier Athlete isn't cutting it anymore. The Singhs also said they need to change because things aren't going their way. They said they are going to study footage and return a the best tag team in 205 Live history. Humberto Carrillo pinned Oney Lorcan in a very good match to earn a title shot at Drew Gulak at Clash of Champions. There wasn't much heat here, but that's the usual for a 205 Live match. Carrillo did a running flip dive and Lorcan didn't quite catch him. He actually barely broke his fall and Carrillo landed hard, back first, on the floor. What was crazy is that neither guy sold this as they both got up and went back in the ring. I mean, got right up and no pause at all. Carrillo did a missing dropkick knocking Lorcan off the apron and hit a Fosbury flop dive. They went to near falls. Lorcan used a half nelson German suplex on the floor. Aiden English said that Carrillo had to get Lorcan in the ring because you can't win via count out. I didn't get that at all, especially saying that as the referee is counting. What is the ref counting for? Lorcan did a flip plancha off the top rope to the floor. Carrillo won in 17:31 with the Stardust press. I know names are changed so WWE can own the characters and all that, but it seems so weird to have the announcers push that Carrillo is a member of the Garza family but his ring name is Carrillo and not Garza. Gulak was on the screen after and called Carrillo his student and star pupil but that he'd be treating him a lot differently when they wrestle. The dark match main event saw Reigns beat Samoa Joe with a spear
1093
1094Notes from the 8/21 NXT TV show. This was the first hour of what will end up being the last tapings as once these shows run out with the 9/11 show, they go live weekly. The show opened with the Undisputed Era out. Adam Cole said that he would be the greatest NXT champion that ever lived, greater than Shinsuke Nakamura, Finn Balor, Johnny Gargano or Tommaso Ciampa. He said that on the Mount Rushmore of NXT champions, his face would have all four slots. Roderick Strong said that he, Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly all got screwed at Takeover. Strong said he wanted another match with Velveteen Dream. This was at one point scheduled at the tapings and the long-term plan was for the Undisputed Era to get all the belts. But it never took place. Maybe they're saving it for the first live show to have a title change, which makes sense. Or they could go in another direction because Dream to me is even more valuable when you're talking national TV. Strong noted that Dream beat Pete Dunne in Toronto, not him and that Dream's title run is on borrowed time. Kyle O’Reilly pointed out that in Toronto, the Street Profits pinned the illegal man. Fish called out William Regal to make it right. Jordan Myles then came out. Cole said, "Please tell me you're not using your championship opportunity to challenge me." Championship opportunity just sounded so fake. He said if he challenges him he'll break that smile right off his face and told him to challenge Shayna Baszler or go to the U.K. or challenge somebody on 205 Live because those champions aren't the caliber of him. Myles went to hand him the contract. Cole went to take it and Myles dropped it on the ground, smiled, and left. Bronson Reed did a promo. He said he was the leader of Australian strong style. Shane Thorne came out and said that Reed had an opportunity and blew it. Thorne took credit in getting Reed there. Reed wanted a match with him and Thorne told him that he knows what a bad idea it is to start a fight with him. Thorne and Reed as Shane Haste and Jonah Rock were TMDK members in Australia together. It was never said on the broadcast nor in the promo, but there was a hint that they knew each other well. Damien Priest pinned Mansoor in 3:14 with a bad luck fall and crossroads. Mansoor was given a lot of offense. They pushed that he won the Battle Royal in Saudi Arabia over all the top stars, but he's still basically enhancement. Mansoor did a flip dive and other moves. Priest wasn't doing any of the high flying that he did before WWE. Mia Yim pinned Vanessa Borne in 2:48 with protect ya neck. There wasn't much to this match at all. Baszler came out with Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir. Baszler told Yim that they don't have to be enemies. Duke had her arm in a sling which explains why she hasn't been wrestling. It did look silly trying to have intimidating heels with her out there in a sling. Then, the babyface Yim went after Duke, not Baszler nor Shafir. Baszler and Sharif then attacked Yim. They beat her down. But it ruined the sympathy on Yim because Yim had gone after the woman in a sling. They pushed a Dominik Dijakovic vs. Keith Lee program. Dijakovic said that he's the reason Lee walked through the doors and he brought up that his last match before coming to NXT was with Lee. It was the PWG match which was one of the best matches in PWG history as you had these two big guys do everything big guys weren't supposed to do and kicked out of everything in the world in the BOLA tournament. Dijakovic talked about while they showed big moves from Evolve bouts between the two of them and their double count out in NXT. Thorne pinned Reed in 5:12 with a running knee. Reed did a cool powerslam and Samoan drop. Dream came out on a sofa with wheels. Two women dressed up to be hot wheeled out the sofa. Dream said that he likes it on top in a double entendre because that's where the spotlight is. They announced the Cole vs. Myles title match would be on the 9/4 show. They announced Street Profits vs. Fish & O'Reilly, which is the title change match, for 8/28. Killian Dain pinned Matt Riddle in the main event in 11:16. Riddle used a German suplex on his much larger foe. Dain survived the Bro to sleep and a knee. Dain sent Riddle into the post shoulder first. Dain backdropped Riddle who landed face first on the steps. Dain squashed hi with a senton on the steps. Dain used a Vader bomb off the apron, a Vader bomb into the ring and a third Vader bomb for the pin. Riddle was bleeding from the mouth. Luckily they don't do blood and guts here even though bleeding from the mouth is actually more graphic blood and guts than a bleeding from the head that you see on every combat sports show. Even after being pinned, Riddle got up and attacked him after the match
1095
1096The NXT Florida tour opened on 8/22 in Venice, FL, before 300 fans. Danny Burch beat Cal Bloom via submission with a crossface. Xia Li pinned Reina Gonzalez with a spin kick. Cezar Bononi pinned Saurav Gurjar with a roll-up. Arturo Ruas beat Jeet Rama via kneebar submission. The Outliers, Dorian Mak & Riddick Moss, beat Raul Mendoza & Angel Garvia. Matt Riddle beat Kassius Ohno via submission with the bromission.; Damien Priest pinned Keith Lee with Priest winning with crossroads. Said to be a great match. Jessi Kamea pinned Marina Shafir. Rhea Ripley's music started playing while the match was going on. This distracted Sharif and Kamea got a quick pin. Ripley then came and told Shafir and Jessamyn Duke that she had nothing to prove to sidekicks, and to give Shayna Baszler the message that she's coming for her. The main event saw Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly & Roderick Strong beat The Street Profits & Dio Maddin. Maddin was pinned after Fish & O'Reilly gave him the high-low
1097
10988/23 in Sanford, FL, before 350 fans opened with Kushida & Jordan Myles over Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner with Kushida using the hoverboard lock for the submission. Taynara beat Xia Li after a kick. Angel Garza & Raul Mendoza beat Matt Martel & Chase Parker. Even though Garza was on the heel side earlier this week on 205 Live, he got a big face response here. Martel & Parker are the former Jeff Parker & Matt Lee of the 2.0 tag team. Cameron Grimes pinned Jeet Rama using the trunks. Mia Yim beat Shayna Baszler via DQ in a title match when Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir attacked Yim and Rhea Ripley made the save. This led to a tag match where Ripley & Yim beat Shafir & Baszler when Ripley pinned Shafir with a pump handle slam. Dominik Dijakovic beat Mansoor via submission with the old Taz submission. Dijakovic actually went on social media recently and asked Taz for permission to do the move. Jaxson Ryker pinned Boa with a tree bomb. Keith
1099
1100Lee pinned Brendan Vink with a clothesline off the ropes. Velveteen Dream beat Bobby Fish via DQ to keep the North American title when O'Reilly hit Dream with a chair. Dream cleaned house and challenged O'Reilly to a singles match for 8/29 in Orlando. It's so funny, and good, to see them do these spot show to spot show somewhat localized angles that haven't been done in like a decade or two on the main roster
1101
1102The final weekend show was 8/24 in Tampa before 400 fans. Li pinned Kamea with a back bridge and pin. Grimes pinned Jeet Rama. Ripley & Reina Gonzalez beat Lacey Lane & Tegan Nox. Lane was pinned after a double-team move. Jordan Omogbehin, who is a 7-foot-3 guy they are grooming, won a Battle Royal for a shot at Adam Cole on the 8/31 show in Fort Pierce, which sounds like the modern version of Ric Flair vs. El Gigante, but without Ric Flair. The Street Profits kept the tag titles over Riddick Moss & Dorian Mak. Maddin pinned Saurav. Bianca Belair beat Chelsea Green. Martel & Parker beat Nicholas Ogarelli (formerly Nick Comoroto) & Rik Bugez. Main event saw Cole beat Bronson Reed to keep the NXT title in a great match. Reed missed a splash off the top and Cole won with the last shot. Malcolm Bivens who manages Omogbehin, came out and told Cole that he's got seven days before Omogbehin takes the title
1103
1104The entire Raw tour was canceled while Smackdown was in South America this weekend. They opened 8/23 in Bogota, Colombia, which was the first time WWE ever visited that country and the demand was huge. They sold out the Moviestar Arena with 10,800 fans. AAA went there and drew 8,000 and at the show, we were told most of the fans were WWE fans and not AAA fans, but they came because it was the first major big-time event in the country. The Bogota crowd was also super hot for everything. Everyone was cheered. The heels tried to play heel and still got cheered. We didn't get a crowd for 8/24 in Lima, Peru. 8/25 in Panama City, Panama, drew 5,00
1105
1106In Bogota, it opened with Owens over Zayn with the stunner in 6:00. After the match, Zayn said that he wasn't ready and challenged anyone in the back. He was able to cut that promo in both English and Spanish. Matt Hardy came out, which got a gigantic reaction since nobody has seen him of late. He attacked Zayn and ran him off after hitting a twist of fate on him. Andrade then came out to face Hardy and pinned him with a hammerlock DDT in 12:00. The usual rule of thumb on foreign shows is faces go over unless it's a title match, but notably here that didn't happen. Fans were chanting "Eddy" at Andrade when he teased a three amigos, stopping after two to get heel reaction. Moon pinned Flair with the eclipse in 8:00 of a match with good action. Flair tried to work heel and was cheered like crazy. But Moon was able to get the crowd behind her. Then, to try and get heat for the next match, Rose & Deville attacked Moon. Asuka & Sane came out and they did a tag match. Sane won that with the insane elbow on Rose in 15:00. Reigns beat Joe in a street fight in 18:00. Reigns got a giant reaction. The crowd was hot for both guys. There were "We Want Tables" chants. Hard hitting match. They used kendo sticks and chairs. Joe used a uranage on a table for a near fall. Reigns pinned Joe after a spear through a table. Nakamura pinned Ali in 10:00 to keep the IC title with the Kinshasa. Lots of good high flying from Ali. Mysterio came out to a monster ovation. He cut a promo in Spanish talking about Eddy Guerrero and Latino fans. He talked about Dominick and brought up his television angle. Orton pinned Mysterio with an RKO in 15:00. Mysterio did a promo saying that Colombia feels like home to him and he can't wait to come back as soon as possible. Fans started chanting "Viva La Raza" at him so he switched his promo to talking about Eddy Guerrero. I guess with them doing the angle that Mysterio is old and washed up, he should have lost since Orton is a top star. But that is so weird on a spot show to do that finish. Orton did beat him down after the match and Mysterio got a comeback and hit the 619. Kingston pinned Bryan in the main event in 10:00. Big E was in Kingston's corner and Rowan was in Bryan's corner. Rowan went to use a chair and E stopped him. The ref sent E to the back. Rowan interfered again and the ref sent him to the back. Kingston won a great match with Trouble in Paradise.. Among those advertised and not there on the tour were Elias, McIntyre, R-Truth and Maverick
1107
1108The Lima show nd Panama City show were identical.
1109
1110In Panama City, Zayn tried to get heat by saying how the Chile crowd was better. Andrade was mostly cheered like a Latino star, but he worked heel. He went for the Eddy Guerrero three amigos but stopped at two. Fans were chanting for "Eddy" multiple times during the show. It's notable because Eddy died 14 years ago. Crowd cheered Flair louder than Moon. The Sane & Asuka vs. Rose & Deville match was said to be very sloppy. Mysterio came out with a Roberto Duran hoodie since Duran is the national sports hero in Panama. Mysterio cut a promo in Spanish saying how injuries have almost forced him to retire but he's staying because of the fans. He also said that he would be teaming with his son soon. Bryan vs. Kingston said to be very good. Big E was having fun doing a Damien Sandow bit at ringside where he would do all of Kingston's moves. Mysterio was by far the most popular. All matches were 8-12 minutes except Mysterio vs. Orton at 15 and Bryan vs. Kingston at 20.