DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

WWE SmackDown live results: Bayley explains her actions   
AEW reschedules multiple Dynamite tapings for next summer   
Updated date for this year’s WWE Hell in a Cell PPV   
Bellator MMA announces CBS Sports Network move, Cyborg’s return   
Homicide announced for Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport   
NJPW announces lineups, main events for all G1 Climax 30 shows   
NJPW crowns new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions   
New Japan Road results: IWGP Junior Tag tournament finals 

Latest Audio:

WOL: AEW ratings, Impact deaths, Smackdown, more! 9/11
Wrestling Weekly: A look at Gerald Brisco’s pre-WWE career 9/11
B&V: Bryan and Vinny review AEW and NXT head-to-head! 9/10

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WON NEWSLETTER: September 14, 2020 Observer Newsletter: AEW All Out reviewed, more

A look at recent concussion and head trauma issues in wrestling as it relates to Matt Hardy and other recent situations in other companies is the lead story in the new issue of the Observer.  We go through Hardy vs. Sammy Guevara, how it was handled, Reby Hardy’s reactions, AEW’s releases, as well as look at many other high profile situations in the last few years in New Japan and WWE, including Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar and how that match pretty much tells you that there will always be exceptions to concussion protocol.

Also in this issue:

Other risks taken in AEW of late, along with complete coverage of All Out, with business notes inculding PPV numbers, poll results,match-by-match coverage and star ratings.

WWE’s new policy on third party bookings, with WWE clarifying many issues, talent reactions, how things seemed to change during the week, as well as reaction from others in wrestling along with Andrew Yang.

G-1 Climax tournament including the blocks and favorites.

Appellate court ruling that threw out a series of lawsuits against WWE on different grounds.  We look at the legal technicalities regarding why these cases had little chance from the start, the one aspect still open and reactions from both lawyers.

Latest firings by WWE, who was involved , why they were done now, plus a look at the career of Gerald Brisco.

Finn Balor vs. Adam Cole, Clash of Champions card, PPV schedule change, NXT UK TV show note, Styles talks retirement, AOP firing notes, Canadian ratings, Where WWE ranks in sports ratings, Cena new TV show, Lawler talks why WWE announcing has changed, WWE star nominated for an award, next week’s TV, WWE current market value as well as the most watched shows for the week on the WWE Network.

Complete coverage of this past Saturday’s UFC show.

The formation of a new pro wrestling group by a major corporation and how it differs from any group in the world as far as its main platform.

Ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.

Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week. 

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FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE

Garrett Gonzalez and I will be doing a show tonight and Bryan and I will be doing our weekend show on Saturday night after the UFC show.

Smackdown tonight on FOX at 8 P.M. has Jeff Hardy vs. A.J. Styles for the IC title plus an interview with Bayley. 205 Live has announced Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch vs. Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde.

The first NFL game last night on NBC did 19.3 million viewers on television and 970,000 streaming, so a 95.3/4.7 percent split. It was down 10.6 percent from last year but up 5.2 percent from two years ago.  It was the largest audience for a television show since the Academy Awards on 2/9.  It led to all sports being down last night with the Lakers-Rockets doing 2.5 million viewers and the U.S. Open doing 1.5 million, plus NHL did 790,000. The NFL decline was generally considered due to the NBA competition and that the game was a blowout 

UFC has a full ESPN+ show tomorrow starting at 5 p.m. Eastern:

Sabina Mazo (125.5) vs. Justine Kish (125.5)
Bryan Barbarena (170) vs. Anthony Ivy (169.5)
Brok Weaver (164) vs. Jailn Turner (163.5)
Alexander Romanov (261) vs. Roque Martinez (258.5)
Roosevelt Roberts (155.5) vs. Kevin Croom (154.5)
Julia Avila (135) vs. Sijara Eubanks (135)
Kyle Nelson (145.5) vs. Billy Quarantillo (145.5)
Bobby Green (156) vs. Alan Patrick (156)
Ed Herman (205.5) vs. Mike Rodriguez (205.5)
Roxanna Modaferri (125) vs. Andrea Lee (125.5)
Khama Worthy (155.5) vs. Ottman Azaitar (156)
Angela Hill (115.5) vs. Michelle Waterson (115)

Croom is a late replacement for Matt Frevola, who was injured.  Weaver vs,. Turner was a 165 pound fight by agreement due to Turner taking the fight just a few days ago.  The fight with Matt Schnell vs. Tyson Nam is off when Schnell had health issues trying to make weight today.

Bellator tonight from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT at 10 p.m. Eastern on DAZN and Paramount:

Phil Davis (205.7) vs. Lyoto Machida (205.3)
Cat Zingano (145.9) vs. Gabby Holloway (150.7)
Ed Ruth (185.1) vs. Taylor Johnson (185.7)
Raymond Daniels (169.7) vs. Peter Stanonik (166.6)

Prelims are at 8:15 p.m. on the Bellator YouTubs channel:

Rafael Carvalho (205.8) vs. Alex Polizzi (203.6)
Tyrell Fortune (251.1) vs. Jack May (259.8)
Leslie Smith (145.7) vs.; Amanda Bell (149)
Keith Lee (140.7) vs. Vinicius Zani (143.2)

Bell missed weight by 3 pounds and Holloway missed weight by 4.7 pounds.

Bellator’s final show on Paramount is Saturday at 10 p.m. Eastern with YouTube fights starting at 8:45 p.m.:

Juan Archuleta (134.6) vs. Patchy Mix (135) for the vacant bantamweight title – A lot of people think this is the big fight of the weekend
Jon Fitch (170.5) vs. Neiman Gracie (170.8)
Liz Carmouche (125.5) vs. DeAnna Bennett (131.7)
Derek Campos (154) vs. Kenni Diggs (157)

Bennett missed weight by 5.7 pounds and Diggs by 1 pound.

New Japan Strong at 10 p.m..Eastern on New Japan World:

TJP & ACH vs. Adrian Quest & Logan Riegel
Rocky Romero vs. Danny Limelight
Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. PJ Black & David Finlay
KENTA vs. Jeff Cobb for U.S. title challenger briefcase
 WWE
Wells Fargo has downgraded WWE stock to a projected $37 per share earlier today.  The reasons included the added expense of running at the Thunderdome and running weekly will cut profit margins.
A story on Adam Cole visiting a children’s hospital. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
UFC
A fight with Elizeu Zaleski vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov has been added to the 10/24 PPV show in Abu Dhabi
Austin Springer announced his retirement today after being cut yesterday by UFC.  He missed weight for his 8/29 fight and said that he told his family that if he ever got to UFC that would be the last place he would fight.  He also lost via first round submission in that fight with Alex Caceres.
MISCELLANEOUS 
The Huffington Post has a Mick Foley politics story (thanks to Paul Kacprzak)
Kevin Eck’s ROH news and notes column.
CWE announced notes on its next tour. Right now their tour throughout Canada for 10/17 to 11/9 is on, but obviously there are many things out of their control.  Vampiro has pulled out of the tour telling promoters he is shooting a movie internationally.  They still don’t know whether U.S. talent will be allowed in.  Shane Douglas, Vincent and Jimmy Jacobs are booked for the tour but they say they have enough talent to do the tour with all Canadian talent.  Robin Lekime and Lory are also off the tour due to issues with traveling and quarantining from Europe.  Norman Harass may be on the tour because his dates start later but it will be unlikely.  Manitoba and Alberta dates are on.  As far as Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Ontario, they don’t allow indoor gatherings of more than 50 people in some places, 30 in others and ten in others so without changes, those shows can’t take place.  But things can change.
Western Pro Wrestling in Australia announced it was closing. That was expected by those in the know in Australia. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
Aron Stevens is the new booker for Championship Wrestling from Hollywood. He’s also helping book the weekly PPV shows that the NWA and CWFH are doing starting 9/15.
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has a ten bout show tonight starting at 9 p.m. Eastern in Daytona Beach, FL. It will air exclusively on the Bare Knuckle TV streaming service with Thiago Alves vs. Julian Lane, Hector Lombard vs. Kendall Grove and Abdiel Velazquez vs. Reggie Barnett Jr. as the top fights. They also announced a 10/10 show from Salina, KS with Joey Beltran vs. Marcel Stamps and 2016 Olympic bronze medal winning boxer Nico Hernandez vs. Chacney Wilson.  Plus former Bellator star Dave Rickels will be on that show.
LFA runs tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern on UFC Fight Pass with Chidi Njokuani  (18-7) vs. Cristian Torres (15-10) in a middleweight main event.
The PFL has announced a multi-year television deal with Eurosport in India.
AIW returns to Indianapolis on 10/9 at the Marion County Fairgrounds with Matt Justice vs Joshua Bishop in a no rope barbed wire match for the absolute title as part of The Collective series of shows that weekend in that building.
Eddie Kingston’s Grindhouse show on 9/26 on club WWN will feature Lenny Leonard back as announcer. 
Superkick’d returns on 10/1 on their YouTube channel.
IWTW presents ICW No Holds Barred tonight at 9 p.m. on IWTV.Live with Eric Ryan vs. AKIRA .
Pro Wrestling EVE will live stream a classic event that includes Riho, Emi Sakura, Shanna, Kay Lee Ray, Viper Piper Niven and Nina Samuels tomorrow at 7 p.m. Eastern on its YouTube channel. The show will not be archived and can only be watched live. 
A video on TV shows with pro wrestling storylines. (thanks to Chris Cruise)

Daily Pro Wrestling History: AJ Styles wins his first WWE World title

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