Daily Update: Batista, AEW Fight Forever, new Dynamite match

Daily Update

Latest News

WWE NXT ratings down, ranks second on cableBilly Corgan clarifies ‘you’re not a wrestling fan’ quote about NWA champion TyrusImpact announces Tag Team title match for SlammiversaryAEW Grand Slam returning this SeptemberWWE NXT spoilers for July 4 episodeNew matches announced for Impact Down Under pay-per-viewsAEW Fight Forever review: A good start

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Wrestling Observer Live: AEW Dynamite preview, WORLD FAMOUS NXT wrap, moreWe're Live, Pal: Did we just witness the match of the year?DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Hulk Hogan vs. Abdullah the Butcher '82Bryan & Vinny & Craig & Shawn Show: NWA-TNA from 21 years ago this week, plus GRANNY~!

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This Week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

June 26, 2023 Observer Newsletter: CM Punk returns on AEW Collision debut, Forbidden Door preview

In this issue:

The Punk interview and 1 Bill PhilTony Khan talks about the 1 Bill Phil commentThe business of AEW and profit/lossThe different ways this all could go in detailPositives and negatives about working for AEW and WWEThe Collision announce teamThe most detailed look at Collision ratings and what category was it tops among sports during the weekWhat TNT was doing in the time slot, what should be expected and what would be considered goodHow each segment didThe Marc Raimondi ESPN piecePunk talks Adam PageContradictory storiesOriginal idea for Collision that changedFull rundown of both Chicago shows with business notesPreview of Forbidden Door and what business mark for AEW may be set and where it ranks all-time among Canadian gatesNotes on Danielson vs. Okada and Omega vs. OspreayNotes on PPVThe rest of the cardThe Owen Hart tournamentUpdate on Wembley StadiumRickson Gracie battles Parkinson's and a look back at a fighting legend in the underground days as well as his battles with a famous pro wrestler in BrazilMoney in the Bank updateNotes on Saturday's UFC showTons of new major matches announced by UFC for the summer and fallThe most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling and MMA shows over the past week, how they do with different age groups, segment-by-segment and what WWE stars moved numbers big this past weekFirst wrestling company in history to hit 90 years consecutively in businessMultiple cities doing a 40th anniversary celebration for a Hall of FamerKonnan talks heavily about Bandido and RushAn issue with women's wrestling fans in JapanHow the women's wrestling fan base in Japan has changed multiple timesWhat happened to the key young Dragon Gate talent that was let goTwo wrestlers who started together, became big stars in different companies, have a dream match that sold out instantlyN-1 tournament including surprise entrantsNew Japan Strong shows in JapanA bill introduced in New York regarding regulating pro wrestlingLots of injury updatesMore on the MLW lawsuit against WWEImpact stars on major television show in CanadaMore on B.J. Whitmer caseTony Khan talks working with Gedo and where AEW stands among start-ups in the sports brand spaceTony Khan talks Bill GoldbergUpdate on BandidoInternational TV ratings and streaming numbers for WWE and AEWTicket sale updates for all the major shows for WWE & AEWTalks regarding the sale of Bellator, rumors about Tony Khan being interested and he shoots them downTons of drug suspensions handed out this weekGable Steveson debuts on TV and what his goals for 2024 are

This Week's Retro Observer Newsletter:

May 8, 2006 Observer Newsletter: ECW, WWE Backlash review

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Wednesday Update

WWE

In a video for Cool Kicks, Dave Bautista confirmed that he was supposed to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year but couldn’t attend the ceremony because he was filming a movie: “I was in South Africa. I was supposed to go into the Hall of Fame, but I was on this film I was committed to. I couldn’t get out of it.”Baron Corbin returned to his Lone Wolf character for his match against Carmelo Hayes on NXT Gold Rush last night.Nathan Frazer tweeted after defeating Dragon Lee on NXT: “Dragon Lee is a dude who I used to watch to get inspiration from on my way up. And to beat him tonight… it’s literally the biggest win of my career so far. Just reminds me of how far I’ve come. Cheers for the war @dragonlee95, proud to call you a friend”Tiffany Stratton was the guest on this week’s episode of Out of Character. Stratton addressed how much of herself is in her TV character: “I would say a lot of it is kind of just my inner thoughts. It's just me actually saying it. Honestly, if I'm going to be real, I kind of just take what I think and I like to turn it up a bunch of notches. I'm a very irritable person. It's not a good trait to have, but I guess it is for the character of Tiffany Stratton.”Sgt. Slaughter told Bill Apter that he watches less WWE programming than he used to because of Lacey Evans using the Cobra Clutch:I don’t watch it [WWE] as much as I did, cause I’m a little upset — I watch more Raw because SmackDown has Lacey on it. I don’t want to get — it doesn’t upset me because I know she can’t put a Cobra Clutch on like I do, but it’s just the thought that she’s using a move without — at least I would think the writer or somebody would call me up and say, ‘Hey, you mind if we use the Cobra Clutch?’Or maybe call it something else because [Ted] DiBiase [Sr.] brought it in when I was gone with G.I. Joe and he used it as the Million Dollar Dream, the Cobra Clutch was the Million Dollar Dream. She could have maybe come up with another name of it, but just to call it the Cobra Clutch — I had to end up using the Camel Clutch when I came back [in 1990] because DiBiase was using my hold. So I asked Khosrow [Iron Sheik], I said ‘Is it okay if I use your move?’ And he said, ‘Yes, Sergeant, it would be an honor for you to use that.’That’s the way the business was. You respected your talent, and the people that you worked with. I never would have used it unless he said yes, use it, because he’s the one who made it famous.Jake Paul spoke to Sports Illustrated about his brother Logan competing in Money in the Bank: “There’s no doubt in my mind he will win. At the end of the day, he’s an entertainer and a super athlete. He can do backflips, the splits, kip-ups, and he’s been creating his own moves out here training in Puerto Rico. He’s creative. That’s what the sport is built around: creativity. We’re hated in these worlds, and we fit perfectly into those characters.”On Foley is Pod, Mick Foley celebrated the 25th anniversary of his Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker from King of the Ring 1998.WWE wrestlers recalled where they were when the Undertaker vs. Foley Hell in a Cell match happened.Trish Stratus, Zoey Stark, Carmelo Hayes, Trick Williams, and Sam Roberts were on WWE’s The Bump this afternoon.

AEW/Other Wrestling

Click Here: Men football kit setsA trios match with Orange Cassidy, Keith Lee & El Hijo del Vikingo facing Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard & Angelo Parker has been added to the lineup for tonight’s Dynamite.IGN published its review of AEW Fight Forever, rating the game a six out of 10:‘Unrealized potential’ feels like the story of AEW: Fight Forever as a whole. So much of it feels like a very good start, going full gear with bouncy animations, the quick pace of the action, and fun and effective character design. But almost all of its good ideas are hampered by bugs and opaque or outright useless systems. Its big single-player mode is poorly written and, though it's a relative breeze to complete and full of branching options, it’s all out of good ways to point you to them. There’s a strong foundation to bet double or nothing on in a sequel down the road, and I think there's still fun to be had here with like-minded friends who are content with casually beating each other up, but this is no wrestling game revolution.Our Bryan Rose also has a review of Fight Forever. The game’s official release date is tomorrow.Due to illness, Max Caster will no longer be competing at this Thursday’s Wrestling Open show in Worcester, Massachusetts. Caster was scheduled to face Richard Holliday at the event. Holliday will still be wrestling against a new opponent.Last night’s Junkyard Dog episode of Dark Side of the Ring averaged 229,000 viewers on Vice TV. That’s up from the 201,000 viewers last week’s Doink the Clown/Matt Borne documentary averaged. The rating in the 18-49 demo was down slightly, going from a 0.07 to a 0.06.The trailer for “The Collective,” which Mercedes Mone has a role in, has been released. The movie is set to be released on August 4. Here’s the description for it:A group of righteous assassins called The Collective take aim at a highly sophisticated human trafficking ring backed by a network of untouchable billionaires. With their backs against the wall, The Collective has no choice but to put their most important mission in the hands of rookie assassin Sam Alexander.Jacob Fatu will defend his National Openweight title against Calvin Tankman at MLW Never Say Never in Philadelphia on Saturday, July 8. The show is airing live on Fite+.