Daily Update: Anthem/AXS, WWE PPV changes, Raw
DAILY UPDATE
Latest News:
WWE replacing TakeOver with Worlds Collide during Rumble weekend
Two matches added to ROH Death Before Dishonor
Impact Wrestling’s parent company acquires majority interest in AXS TV
Riddle vs. Dain street fight set for first live NXT episode
Nashville to host week seven of AEW on TNT
New Japan Showdown in Los Angeles set for November
ROH Global Wars Espectacular results: Rush & Cobb vs. Kingdom
Latest Audio:
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F4W NEWSLETTER: Chris Jericho becomes first AEW World Champion Joseph Currier gives his thoughts on AEW choosing Jericho as their inaugural champion. Plus, Vinny’s TV reviews.
When AEW debuts on TNT on October 2, they’ll be doing so with Chris Jericho as their champion.
Saturday’s All Out pay-per-view ended with Jericho defeating Hangman Page to become the inaugural AEW World Champion. After Jericho kicked out of the Dead Eye, Page hit a Buckshot Lariat and went for the Dead Eye again. The finish saw Jericho reverse the move and then connect with his Judas Effect elbow strike to win the title.
The match was very good, but it fell short of being the epic main event you’d want to crown your first World Champion with. The dynamic just didn’t work quite as well as AEW wanted. The fans would ideally have been desperate for Page to defeat Jericho and become champion. But people weren’t all that interested in booing Jericho — and Page didn’t have the momentum that he needed going into the match. The way Page won his way into getting the title shot was probably a misstep. It’s understandable that AEW wants to create their own unique match concepts and give them meaning, but Jericho defeating Kenny Omega at Double or Nothing felt like a far bigger deal than Page earning his spot in the title match through winning the Casino Battle Royale. While Page got wins at Fyter Fest and Fight for the Fallen, they weren’t against big enough opponents and they weren’t strong enough victories for people to see him as being one of the top two wrestlers in the company.
Jericho was an obvious choice to become AEW’s first World Champion. He’s an easily recognizable star that lapsed and casual fans will already be familiar with. There will inevitably be criticism over a new company choosing a 48-year-old wrestler as their initial champion, but AEW isn’t at any risk of being seen as a nostalgia promotion. It’s fine to have one wrestler in their late 40s in a top spot. Signing Jericho and pushing him heavily is a no-brainer for any start-up company. Jericho is still wrestling at a high level, helps bring credibility to the promotion for those who aren’t already fans of The Elite, and has protected his image by only working in main event-level matches with great opponents since departing WWE.
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WON NEWSLETTER: AEW All Out review, Chris Jericho title saga, more
A full review of AEW All Out, and the saga of Chris Jericho’s stolen belt are the lead topics of discussion in this week’s double issue Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
We have complete coverage of All Out from a live perspective, as well as the television version of the show. We talk about what worked, what might not have, and what we can learn about match order when laying out a card. We have the latest on the business of the show, including preliminary pay-per-view numbers.
We have coverage of AEW and WWE running the same markets, and have notes and numbers on how each promotion is doing in selling tickets there. We also have all the details on the Chris Jericho AEW title story.
NJPW Royal Quest is covered as well in the new issue. We have star ratings for the matches, as well as business notes for the show.
The upcoming WWE Clash of Champions show is covered in detail. We have a preliminary card for the show.
We also cover the WWE writing team shake-up that took place this week.
NXT U.K. TakeOver: Cardiff is covered in detail as well, with everything from match reports and star ratings, to attendance and what we can learn from the show.
We have a story on Cris Cyborg signing with Bellator, and talk about potential opponents for her.
The new issue also has a history piece covering Harley Race’s St. Louis wrestling history. A lot can be learned from the piece, thanks to the late Larry Matysik’s Wrestling at the Chase Record book.
We also have Ryan Frederick’s coverage of the 8/31 UFC event in Shenzhen, China.
The passing of Australian wrestling legend, Norman Frederic Charles Lowndes, known as Sir Norman Frederich Charles III, is covered as well. We have notes on his life and career.
We look at AEW’s hype show that aired on TNT, and break down the viewership for the show, and what can be learned from it.
We also have news and notes on all of the top wrestling and MMA promotions in the world.
We have full coverage of all the WWE television shows from the past week.
As always, we have in-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows,the key demos for the WWE shows and what can be learned from them.
We also have the results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE
Bryan and I will be back tonight talking the Anthem purchase of HD-Net, the 2019 Hall of Fame, Raw, AEW PPV, Raw and the rest of the news. You can send questions to the show to [email protected]
Regarding the Anthem purchase of HD-Net, right now everything is up in the air. There is nothing definitive past the expectation is that Impact moves to AXS which had been in talks as part of this deal for months. Regarding the other wrestling content (NJPW and WOW), for now nothing is different but it is all to be determined.
Some changes in the WWE major PPV policy. For the Royal Rumble in January, there are no longer going to be four shows in the same arena. The plan for Rumble week is the Friday night Smackdown show is being moved to Dallas. Saturday night will not be NXT Takeover, but there will be a live WWE Network special called World’s Collide at the Toyota Center. It is believed that show will have NXT, NXT U.K. and 205 Live talent combined although that is still in the formative changes. Royal Rumble will be at Minute Maid Park. Raw that Monday will be in San Antonio.There still will be NXT Takeover shows but that schedule is being changed as well and will be released in the near future.
As of a few hours ago, Steve Austin was only listed for the contract signing segment on Raw tonight. The show is loaded tonight and expected to be a big one for a number of reasons, including it being the first TV in MSG in a decade, it going against the first night of Monday Night Football (Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos) and it being the go-home show for Clash of the Champions. We had been told an A.J. Styles U.S. title match was scheduled for Clash, but it hasn’t materialized yet. So if it’s still happening, the angle would have to be shot tonight.
The AEW talent that works indies are doing farewell shows across the country this month. This would not include the guys who are under contract to MLW, that will continue to work for MLW and AEW.
WWE
Ronda Rousey has a new gig, as Executive Producer of a new ESPN+ show called “Why We Fight.” There will be a seven episode second season that will be hosted by Cat Zingano.The first four episodes will be available later this month. Season one of the show aired on Verizon Go90 and was not hosted by Zingano.
Pat McAfee’s podcast debuted today on DAZN. This was a different move for a station that been all about live event coverage and baseball game highlights. The feeling was there are only a few singular talents not tied to ESPN or FOX with the reach and audience he can deliver (thanks to John Wallstreet’s newsletter)
Ric Flair has a signing and meet and greet at the Atlanta Walker Stalker Con, which is mostly Walking Dead celebrities from 10/18 to 10/20. Ricky Steamboat was originally announced but pulled out. The convention draws bout 100,000 people annually and this is the first time a pro wrestler has been booked (thanks to Ross Blair)
Dwayne Johnson was on the Kelly Clarkson show today.
Gabriel Iglesias is the guest on Straight Up Steve Austin that airs after Raw tonight.
A story on Ricochet (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa will be doing a seminar/tryout together on 9/20 before the Evolve show in Brooklyn. The seminar os open to wrestlers, mnagers, referees and prospective announcers.
MISCELLANEOUS
Dylan Postl’s (Hornswoggle) autobiography “Life Is Short and So Am I” comes out tomorrow through ECW Press. Ross Owen Williams, who did the very underrated Bob Holly book, is the co-author.
GOUGE from Saturday night in Raleigh, NC: Encore & Ryan Miller b Waylon Maze & Seymour Snott to keep the tag titles, Roni Nicole b Natalina Corvino, Jimmy Jack Funk Jr. b Blaqtus Jack, Jimmy Jack Funk Jr. b Bobby Shane, Snooty Fox b Bobby Wohlfert. Next show is 9/21 in Raleigh, NC at American Brewmasters.
I Believe in Wrestling on 10/4 at the Team Vision Dojo in Orlando with Larry Zbyszko as a guest.
Hoosier Pro Wrestling from Saturday night in Columbus, IN: Duke the Nuke b Kovus, Omega D b David Dawson, Scarecrow b Bubba James, Cooter b Scarecrow, Drax O’Brien b Lightning Bolt-COR, Guy Lombardo b Dodo Brown, Dynamite Dillen & Buck Sexton b Tank & Fireball-DQ, Butcher Manson won three-way over Tim Lutz and The heat. Next show is 10/5 with Jimmy Valiant returning.
Smash Wrestling is running two shows a day at the Western Fairgrounds in London, ONT from 9/7 to 9/15, running 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. weekends and 5 p.m. and 8 pm. weekdays in the Progress Building.
Smash also runs 9/20 in London, ONT at Fanshawe College.
A correction from yesterday’s update. The show listed as being in Chatsworth, GA was in Chatsworth, CA. They run every Friday night in Chatsworth. This coming week’s main event is Diego Vallens vs. Luchasaurus for their title (thanks to Robb Block)
House of Hardcore runs 11/23 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
Kelly Klein faces Angelina Love for the WOH title on the 9/27 Death Before Dishonor PPV show from ROH.
Daily Pro Wrestling History: Dusty Rhodes wins NWA TV title
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