by David Bixenspan | davidbix@wrestlingobserver.com | Follow @davidbix
Show notes for the weekend:
Tonight is the second night of PWG Battle of Los Angeles, which is, as always, sold out and not on IPPV:
Rich Swann vs. Marty Scurll
Chris Hero vs. Timothy Thatcher
Drew Gulak vs. Tommy End
Jack Evans vs. Angelico
Drew Galloway vs. Mike Bailey
Ricochet vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Fenix & Aero Star vs. Pentagon Jr. & Drago
Young Bucks & Super Dragon vs. Biff Busick & Andrew Everett & Trevor Lee
Also tonight:
WWE in Orlando (John Cena, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Prime Time Players, Dolph Ziggler) and San Juan (Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho, Big Show, Ryback)
NXT in Fort Pierce, FL.
ROH in Atlanta at the North Atlanta Trade Center (Cedric Alexander vs. Corey Hollis, Michael Elgin vs. Adam Page, Matt Taven & Michael Bennett vs. Will Ferrara & Takaaki Watanabe, Roderick Strong vs. Caprice Coleman, Matt Sydal & ACH vs. Ray Rowe & Hanson, Cliff Compton vs. Mark Briscoe, Jay Lethal & Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian vs. Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish)
GFW in Richmond, VA
Sunday has WWE in Daytona Beach (John Cena, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Prime Time Players, Dolph Ziggler) and Tallahassee (Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho, Big Show, Ryback).
Raw will be Monday in Tampa.
Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday in Miami.
If you’re attending any of the shows this weekend, whether WWE house shows, BOLA, ROH, or anything not listed here, please send reports/results to to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com:
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Figure Four Weekly:
The new issue of Figure Four Weekly is now up for subscribers (subscribe to the site here and get access to Figure Four, the Observer, tons of audio, and more) featuring a hands-on look at WWE 2K16 from the 2K/WWE media event last week. There are also notes on WWE’s lawsuit against their Thai TV partner, including how this type of litigation is familiar territory for WWE and one past suit is exceptionally bizaree. On top of that, we have all the usual stuff like Vinny’s reviews and international news from Dr. Lucha Steve Sims and and Alan”4L” Counihan.
Last week’s FREE Figure Four Weekly is still up with a look at the crazy story of why Gawker thinks the FBI may have helped Hulk Hogan cover up his racist and homophobic comments. A judge has ordered the FBI to turn over the records of their investigation, and what Gawker is saying in court about what has and hasn’t been turned over paints a very interesting picture.
Also, now available for the first time on Kindle (meaning Kindle devices and anything with the Kindle app) is Fall Guys, the seminal 1937 book that has been described as being like the 1930s version of the Wrestling Observer. It was surprisingly not on Kindle already, so we put together a nice version with a full table of contents w/ chapter marks, proper formatting on everything, etc. Right now it’s available from the American, Canadian, and Australian Amazon/Kindle stores OR you can also buy it from anywhere in the world on PayHip, who will provide you with both Kindle and ePub (every other e-reader) format files, and you can either sideload them to your device or have them email it to your Kindle.
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Wrestling Observer Newsletter:
A complete rundown of the WWE’s weekend in Brooklyn, with all the business notes, surprises and what is known about the future direction is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. We also cover the decision to have Holly Holm replace Miesha Tate as Ronda Rousey’s opponent next, a UFC business year-in-review story, ROH big weekend, New Japan next tour, 2017 Mania and Daniel Bryan future note.
The latest Wrestling Observer: Wrestling Observer Newsletter August 31, 2015: SummerSlam weekend wrap-up, UFC business
Web site subscriptions, which include access to both current and older newsletters as well as every audio show in the history of the site are at Sign up here for as low as $9.99 per month!
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The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.
We have rundowns of NXT Takeover, SummerSlam and Raw from Brooklyn. We look at the Night of Champions card and what is and isn’t confirmed, the unique aspect of that weekend no PPV, the returns of Sting and the Dudleys, Dudleys tag title reigns, Jushin Liger’s WWE future, New Japan stars at SummerSlam, Bray Wyatt’s new Wyatt family member and his booking, Jon Stewart, Lesnar and Undertaker’s finish, business notes, NXT in the U.K., Wrestlers complaining about fans at Raw, as well as more on the problems in the WWE Diva Division and what isn’t working.
We look at UFC’s 2015 business numbers and what they show about the UFC audience, the appeal of the audience to advertisers, how it compares with the audience at other sports, how much of this year’s increases have to do with Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey and what their effects are on business as a whole. We also look at who the new fans UFC has brought in this year are.
We also have full coverage of UFC from Saskatoon, with match-by-match coverage and business notes on the show.
We look at two major stars returning to a major promotion after seven years and their first programs, the CMLL Anniversary show main event, notes from the Arena Mexico shows from the past weekend Ultimo Dragon taping TV in Mexico City.
We also have notes on a top woman star being injured, a booker getting bad pub from television, a promotion so hot that their sold out events are going to be broadcast in movie theaters as well as upcoming tournaments in Japan.
We also have a look at the New Japan business and how it has increased over recent years, More on A.J. Styles challenging for the IWGP title, New wrestlers debuting in Japan including names not announced yet, lineups for the New Japan World shows in September, Hiroshi Tanahashi talks neck problem, Tanahashi talks theories of wrestling and Ricochet in New Japan.
We also look at WrestleMania in 2017, the Madison Square Garden network special the 2K 16 launch party, the next Stone Cold podcast, an update on Daniel Bryan and well as some of his own philosophies of wrestling, Dolph Ziggler talks contract, the end of Tough Enough, more on NXT talent and pay, stars with new deals, the WWE Divas title, HHH talks NXT, other stars talk who they’d like to see in WWE, Jericho talks Hogan and more.
We also note an indie show in Japan that outdrew Brock Lesnar and WWE at Sumo Hall, as well as the 40th anniversary of the pro debut of one of this era’s biggest stars.
We note the death of Duke Myers, his career highlights, GFW’s latest TV taping and everything that happened, Taz getting a new gig, Wale and pro wrestling, Terry Funk wrestling again in a few months, Jim Ross talk show, Leroy McGuirk into NWA Hall of Fame, Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Red, Alberto El Patron in Europe, promoter critical of Sabu and an update on Len Rossi.
We also look at the future of Lucha Underground, ROH/New Japan relationship update, next ROH PPV show, ROH weekend shows in Philadelphia and Brooklyn notes as well as the upcoming show.
We also update TNA.
We look at UFC’s marketing its fall and winter shows, what main events all UFC ‘s upcoming dates, Plans for the debut in Melbourne, Australia, and more notes on drug testing UFC athletes.
We also look at the next FOX show, lots of new fights, Ronda Rousey T-shirt sales, Anthony Johnson situation, Two UFC women fighters pregnant and new Fight Pass series.
We also look at a major wrestler signing, Alberto Del Rio in negotiations to be an announcer, early UFC promoter back running live shows and huge One championship bout.
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Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.
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Saturdayday Daily Update
— As noted earlier:
Hulk Hogan will be appearing on Good Morning America and Nightline Monday to apologize and rehab his image. He told a TMZ cameraman that “The only hard feelings I’ll have for Vince McMahon is when I get him back in the ring again. It’ll be a replay of WrestleMania 19″ and “I want to be Trump’s running mate.” With the type of comments that are getting Trump heat, comments like that, even jokingly, may be unwise.
Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm has been moved to November 15’s UFC 193 in Melbourne dur to an injury to welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, who was set to defend against Carlos Condit. It doesn’t look like the women’s strawweight
Sting will open Raw on Monday.
— UFC issued a statement last night saying that “an investigation into allegations of domestic violence against heavyweight Travis Browne” had “found inconclusive evidence to support claims of alleged domestic violence involving Browne.” He’s no longer suspended and can be booked in fights again. Thefull statement, which was released last night during the Bellator card and before the Rousey announcement, has some details on the law firm used and things of that nature. Browne’s estranged wife, Jenna Renee Webb, had posted photos of bruises on Instagram and initially didn’t say what happened until a fan directly asked her if Browne had hurt her. Disucssion of the allegations had heated uthis past week after Webb wrote on Twitter that Browne is dating Glendale Fighting Club teammate Ronda Rousey, who just got a ton of attention for taking shots at Floyd Mayweather’s history f domestic abuse convictions.
Webb issued a statement to WomensMMA.cm:
I told them the truth, I gave them photos, I gave them a dated and detailed journal, and how they came up with those results is beyond belief. The investigator got this info and helped the UFC come to this conclusion. My family and I are totally baffled. It just shows what an abused person from a close family in Florida faces when they go up against an ex-FBI investigator, Campbell & Williams, and the UFC. They have more money than we do. They appear to be the winners. We believe that in the end truth prevails.
— Watch UFC lightweight and welterweight fighter Benson Henderson get tapped out during the ADCC ubmission grappling tournament.
— Marc Madison talks to Sam Shaw. Shaw on TNA’s brief flirtation with OVW as its developmental program: The developmental program for TNA at OVW was very short lived and changes were always happening. There was no real structure I guess you could say. It was sort of like here we have training a couple of days a week and you have 4 or 5 shows a week which is tremendous because you are getting into that mode of working each and every day and I think that it was a tremendous learning experience. I went into the whole OVW experience thinking that I was already trained really well coming from Curtis Hughes and then coming from Team 3D academy for four years. Getting signed with TNA and then I thought I had to go back and train some more? Destroy my body and this and that. I was there for practically a year and I feel like I learned a tremendous amount in that time and I look back on it as a very fond memory for me.
— Soctt Fishman talks to Dolph Ziggler at the WWE 2K16 event.
— On Friday night September 11th, Absolute Intense Wrestling (AIW) will return to Our Lady of Mt Carmel School located at 1355 W 70th St in Cleveland, OH for Faith No More. Bell time will be at 7:30pm with doors
opening at 6:30pm. Card includes Bob Holly vs. Nick Gage in the most awesomely ridiculous indie match of 2016, Colt Cabana and Cliff Compton vs, To Infinity & Beyond (Colin Delaney & Cheech), Josh Prohibition vs Eddie Kingston, and more.
— The United Wrestling Coalition returns from its annual summer hiatus on Saturday evening, September 5. The event will take place at Kelly’s Banquet Hall, 14 Railroad Avenue, Wrightstown, New Jersey 08562 with a 7:00 p.m. belltime. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and all tickets are available for $10. The main event is the Wrightstown Rumble battle royal.
— Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) will return to the Pinnacle Bank Arena Lincoln, Nebraska with RFA 30 on September 18. Brock Jardine vs. Anthony Smith main events the card, which will air live on AXS TV.
