DAILY UPDATE
Latest News:
WWE Raw draws lowest ratings of ThunderDome era
AEW signs Anthony Bowens and Max Caster
Stipulation added to Sabre-Yano match at NJPW Power Struggle
Nyla Rose vs. Red Velvet added to AEW Dynamite
ACH returning to MLW for November ‘Restart’
Allysin Kay now a free agent, thanks NWA for opportunities
WWE Raw video highlights: Orton dares anyone to try and take his title
Latest Audio:
WOL: RAW, Smackdown ratings, Full Gear, AEW vs. NXT, and VOTE! 11/3
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Death of Jerry Blackwell 11/3
WOR: AEW vs. NXT, Kylie Rae, BTE, RAW report, more! 11/3
WON NEWSLETTER: November 2, 2020 Observer Newsletter: WWE Q3 financials, more
An in-depth look at WWE finances and the company going forward is the lead story of the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Our lead story not just looks at the investors call this week, but goes through financial details and what they mean from the call, and looks at the landscape as well as things said that were misleading.
The new issue also covers:
TV ratings, streaming, value of the Thunderdome setting, Nick Khan’s debut on the call and his main comments, Vince McMahon talks his new management team, WWE numbers, new programming, plight of furloughed employees, company market value, cutbacks in expenses, Saudi Arabia, costs going up next month, how many people view the free tier of the WWE Network, Vince talks ratings, network subscriptions in the U.S. and abroad, how much money the company makes from television, and unique notes about merchandise sales.
Daniel Bryan’s statements regarding his career, how much longer he wants to do this, what he’s said about his own athletic ability, where he can be valuable and Roman Reigns’ opponens.
Hell in a Cell, a look at Survivor Series, changes from last year, the top of Raw, Money in the Bank, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.
Khabib Numragomedov’s last fight, Dana White talks if he will retire, Khabib says he will, plus UFC 254 with match-by-match coverage and poll results.
WWE talent and Twitch and comments by Paige, update on Thunderdome location after the end of November and why they have to move, we update the latest COVID outbreak in WWE, why Matt Riddle got a name change, brutal WWE match this past week, where wrestling stands in sports ratings, Canadian and U.K. ratings, donors to Trump and Biden’s campaign,why little was announced ahead of time for Smackdown, new names for lots of WWE talent, what former wrestler is WWE trying to keep from using his WWE name, and the most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE Network.
Impact’s Bound for Glory. We look at the situation with Kylie Rae, the injuries, Ken Shamrock in the Hall of Fame and his relationship with Dwayne Johnson, Mick Foley and Bret Hart, Shamrock’s background plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.
Click Here: Golf special
TripleMania press conference, the matches announced, the unique new promotional tie-in with Marvel and the first show announced with no date and why.
Detailed look at the television business, with ratings breakdowns in every segment for Wednesdays and every category for other shows, looking at stats not available elsewhere to get the deepest read into how shows are doing, what categories are doing well and how shows compare with previous weeks and one year ago.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to dave@wrestlingobserver.com or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.
Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.
In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.
For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.
TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
WWE uploaded a post-Raw video last night where Reckoning (Mia Yim) said Retribution will decontaminate every aspect of the industry, including the women’s division. Reckoning called Raw Women’s Champion Asuka a dancing clown and said she’s reigned over the division for far too long.
Pat McAfee, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch, Elias, Maven, and Doggface from TikTok have been announced as guests for tomorrow morning’s episode of WWE’s The Bump.
Sports Illustrated and TV Insider interviewed Cedric Alexander ahead of last night’s episode of Raw. Alexander spoke to TV Insider about representation on television and how The Hurt Business fits into that: “When we first started, people might say, ‘Oh, this is another Nation of Domination.’ I feel like the group is a positive spin on strong, Black men. At the same time, we don’t want to spread the idea that race is the driving force. It just so happens we are four strong, Black men who believe in themselves. That’s a great thing to have on TV right now, especially when racial injustice is still prevalent and things are looked at so negatively. When you have four men with a positive goal in mind to succeed and be the best they can be, why not go for it? “
Toni Storm will be the guest on this Friday’s episode of the Swerve City podcast on the WWE Network. Zelina Vega appeared on yesterday’s edition of Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia on the Network.
Chris Van Vliet uploaded an interview with Garcia.
Nikki Cross is the guest on today’s episode of Uncool with Alexa Bliss.
R-Truth appeared on The New Day’s Feel the Power podcast this week.
WWE has filed a trademark for “Chigona Bomb.”
WWE’s YouTube channel uploaded The Undertaker vs. Jeff Hardy in a ladder match for the Undisputed Championship from the July 1, 2002 episode of Raw, Rey Mysterio vs. Shawn Michaels from the November 14, 2005 episode of Raw, and Mark Henry vs. Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship from Survivor Series 2011.
Other Wrestling
While appearing on Busted Open Radio, Thunder Rosa spoke about her contract status: “I am signed with NWA. I have another year with them and when it’s my time, it’s gonna be my time and when my time comes man, I am not gonna come as just another person on the roster, mark my words. I’m coming for everything, I’m coming to be on top, just like I did this first time. My value is gonna be bigger, because I’m gonna be a better wrestler, I’m gonna cut better promos. My body’s gonna look chiseled. I’m gonna have a better record [in MMA] so when I [get out there] I’m gonna be like, ‘This is all I have to offer. What do you have to offer me?’ That’s what I want when I get to a bigger company. It’s not the opposite way like, ‘Excuse me, excuse me! Can I get a contract?’ Like no, I want them to want me. That’s how it should be.”
Rosa added: “Because of all the projects I have on the side, it has to be a place where I’m able to continue to work with what I’m working on. As you guys know, I run and I’m part-owner of Mission Pro Wrestling. It’s an all-women’s show and I’m not just talking about in the ring. Everybody that runs stuff is women and there’s so much stuff that I’m working on with other projects that I have with this to make it bigger, so if I’m able to do it in [the] NWA, then NWA. If I’m able to do it with AEW, probably, but now knowing what WWE is doing with things that we have on the side, [it’s] gonna be very difficult for me to work on my personal projects and sometimes, those personal projects are the things that bring you the most joy in life and I don’t want that joy to be taken away from me for money. If that’s what I have to sacrifice sometimes, then I’d rather be happy than be enslaved somewhere where I’m gonna be there for like, I don’t know how long.”
Jon Moxley told TVInsider about being AEW World Champion during the pandemic era: “The way I look at it is I’m carrying the torch during a weird pandemic era. Nobody is going to look back on this time decades from now saying, ‘Remember back in the day when Moxley was champion and it was like weird with no crowds and things were f—ing strange.’ A time where we had to change the card due to someone coming in contact with someone with COVID. We’re going to look back on this as a weird time, but to me it is what it is. As the good guy around here, I bring stability to an unstable world. People watch our show because they want to escape and have fun and not think about anything bad. They want us to tell stories and inspire. When you tune in to AEW, you know Jon Moxley is the f—ing world champion no matter what challenge is put in front of me. I have to keep my head held high and persevere. I have to present strength to people. There was a time I was in a literal sea of fans bleeding and sweating. It was a totally different world. It has been my job to cultivate and grow this championship. It’s kind of like the Powerball. If you just flip flop a title every 30 seconds, it becomes a prop. The more you defend it against different challengers and situations and put value into it, the value goes up like the Powerball. So when someone does cash in, it’s a huge monumental moment. Chris Jericho was the perfect choice as the first champion to establish it. Now it has been my job to foster the value of the title. It’s really easy to do when you have so many talented guys to wrestle.”
Anthony Bowens wrote on Instagram about signing with AEW: “I’m so proud I can finally announce that I’ve officially signed with @allelitewrestling. Ever since I was 6 years old I’ve loved pro wrestling and after 8 years of ups & downs, huge sacrifices, passion and a restless work ethic..I can finally say I’ve achieved my dream of doing this for a living. There was a time in my life, when I was closeted, where I didn’t think this could ever be possible and that fear haunted me everyday. I wish I could go back and tell that 21 year old that everything is going to be ok. Through my journey I hopefully can provide hope to anyone else who unfortunately is experiencing that same fear. I want to thank @tonyrkhan @americannightmarecody @mattjackson13 @nickjacksonyb @kennyomegamanx for this opportunity and everyone who’s ever supported and believed in me. Thank you again and I’m so excited to continue to entertain you for years to come. Oh yeah and make sure to pls VOTE.”
Kenny Omega hyped AEW Games and their special event that will air on social media next Tuesday: “I’ve made subtle hints here and there and given some details, but this is what you’ll want to watch…”
Excalibur hosted a virtual side-by-side interview with Miro and Trent ahead of their match on tomorrow’s episode of Dynamite.
Brandi Rhodes posted a tweet yesterday wishing Kylie Rae the best after Rae announced that she’s no longer a professional wrestler: “Wishing @IamKylieRae the absolute best as she moves forward. I hope that people will allow her the privacy she desires now. Health > theories #SmileyKylie”
Madison Rayne, Bayley, and Mustafa Ali were among those who also tweeted in support of Rae.
On his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T discussed Rae’s retirement.
New ROH Pure Champion Jonathan Gresham spoke to Sports Illustrated about ROH again embracing the pure style of wrestling: “I always gravitated to Ring of Honor because of its style and presentation, but over the years it moved away from what it was. Stylistically, everything changed, and the main guys in the company changed. I decided to stick with it. I stayed persistent. Ring of Honor, it’s all about sport. That’s the genre, pure wrestling. That is what makes us unique, and I kept telling the office that we needed this market of our own. A lot of fans feel the same. They want their wrestling to be pure, technical wrestling, so let’s fill that void.”
Lance Storm is opening a virtual version of the Storm Wrestling Academy: “As mentioned on my @WONF4W show with @bryanalvarez I will be Opening SWA Virtual in the coming weeks. Still working out the details but Zoom match review, feedback and coaching will be step one. I’ve done match review & feedback for countless people via email and with 1 on 1 video interaction it should be even better. If I’ve done match review feedback for you before, please feel free to RT and endorse/rate your experience with my coaching. Thanks you. More details soon”
Lio Rush spoke to Wrestling Inc about being part of MLW’s Restart: “I am mutual friends with Wale [who is friends] with Court. I think he’s been trying to get me in MLW for a while, but obviously, I was with WWE. It was a match made in heaven honestly, and he reached out to me and said he wanted me to have me in the company. And I jumped on the opportunity. I knew that I didn’t have any other dates with any other companies coming up. So I said to myself, this is the perfect time especially after putting out that list and possibly seeing some people in MLW that I put out on my list. That was a huge driving point for me. I know that I had Myron Reed on there. I had Brian Pillman Jr. on there. I believe I had Jordan Oliver. There’s a few others I’m sure, but those are the three that I remember off the top of my head.”
Su Yung posted pictures of her and her husband Rich Swann from after they won the Knockouts Championship and Impact World Championship at Bound for Glory.
Daily Pro Wrestling History: Bobby Roode wins TNA World title
CONTACT INFORMATION
Poll opinions: dave@wrestlingobserver.com
Feedback: feedback@wrestlingobserver.com
Show results and news tips: newstips@wrestlingobserver.com
Wrestling Observer Radio questions: mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com
Support the Empire~! with F4W shirts. Grab yours today