Bryan Alvarez:
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Tonight has Smackdown & ECW tapings in Trenton, and a second night of Impact tapings in Orlando.
A look at symbolic end of eras for Pro Wrestling NOAH, K-1 and Ring of Honor on shows over the weekend is our lead story in Monday's issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. With a big week of international news, we look at all the major events including the Mitsuharu Misawa Memorial show at Budokan Hall, and its significance. We look at how K-1's show in Seoul, South Korea ended a last link to the glory days of that promotion. And we talk about the departure of Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness, with their final two matches in Ring of Honor, as well as the hiring of Jim Cornette, and that promotion going forward.
We also talk about the 9/19 PPV battle with HBO boxing vs. UFC, which updated numbers. We look at the many lessons that the weekend showed. We look at what Mayweather's camp credited his increase in drawing power to. We also look at three more major battles involving boxing, UFC, Strikeforce and WWE over the next two months as the competition for PPV dollars only increases.
We have updates on TNA's Bound for Glory with several matches not yet announced, a change with a major TNA group, reaction to Jim Cornette being gone as well as how the tapings last week went without him, and notes on the futures of Vince Russo and Jeff Jarrett, as well as an update on booking and TNA's problems with a longtime media supporter.
We also update Bobby Lashley's MMA situation including why he has no new fights scheduled, what show he's been told he's on, but probably isn't and why this would be. We also look at a note on TNA attempting to get one of the greatest wrestlers in history to make an appearance at Bound for Glory in one of its already scheduled matches.
We also look at a movie with three onetime major wrestling stars in it, including the roles they play, and have notes on TNA's international shows.
We also have notes on Dana White talking about Herschel Walker, talks regarding the return of an MMA icon to UFC and why right now it's not happening, lots of new UFC matches being signed, Tito Ortiz talks promos and pro wrestling, as well as trash talk between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin.
We also have updates on the Strikeforce show on CBS.
We've got more notes on Linda McMahon and Jerry Lawler running for office, WWE's COO talks more about the success of UFC, one of the reasons why Raw has been lackluster of late as well as why creative has so many inherent problems, a major angle that was put on hold and a lawsuit filed by a former WWF champion against the company.
We also look at the announced retirement of the person who was a major pioneer in Japanese MMA.
We also look back at Lester Welch, as well as a background of the Fuller/Welch/Golden/Fields wrestling family in the Southeast, looking back on the famous war in Atlanta. We look back at the first pro wrestling show ever held at the Omni in Atlanta, as well as the first sold out pro wrestling event at the Omni. We also look at how Lester Welch was responsible for the worked home town of one of the WWWF's biggest all-time stars.
We also have a look at AAA's Antonio Pena Memorial Show and the major storyline angle, as well as the return of a major star and what happened in negotiations with ex-WWE talent, as well as a more detailed look at the CMLL Anniversary show, as well as coverage of the last UFC Fight Night.
We also have a look at the ratings for all the major pro wrestling and MMA shows on television over the past week.
We also have our usual weekly features such as the results of the biggest matches of the week and rundown of the major television shows.
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--The final football rating was a 15.3 and the most watched television show of any kind in cable television history.
-- Sportscenter aired clips last night of Ben Roethlisberger and his crew doing crotch chops on Raw.
-- Shane sent in this awesome description of Bragging Rights from the WWE website: Offering the opportunity of a lifetime for the WWE Universe to see their favorite members of the blue and red brands' rosters cross paths, this innovative multi-Superstar encounter is sure to make history in Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena.
-- It appears for the show it will be Raw vs. Raw and Smackdown vs. Smackdown matches with the winners going onto the brand vs. brand main event. So it doesn't look like we'll be getting a Miz vs. Morrison IC vs. US title singles match even though you'd assume that based on last night.
-- There is a three-hour slot for Impact on October 15th. It will be a combination of a regular show and the Bound for Glory preview show all mixed together.
-- Of course, there are three hours of Impact this week as well as the regular show will be followed by the one-hour Global Impact from last December in Japan.
-- TNA will be doing several free autograph signings on the UC-Irvine Campus at both the Student Center Ring Mall and the Humanities Ring Mall. More info is up at tnawrestling.com.
-- Matt Morgan on his twitter announced he'd resigned a new long-term deal with TNA.
-- A heavily airbrushed photo of Gina Carano is on the cover of the new ESPN Magazine.
-- EMLL is having a 12-man cage of death match (last man in must unmask) on October 18th with Angel de Oro, Astro Boy, Flash, Pegasso, Rey Cometa, Tigre Blanco, Arkangel de la Muerte, Dr. X, Escandalo, Hooligan, Kid Tiger and Polvora. Thanks to Kris Zellner. I should note that this is counter programming as WWE is running that same day across town with Rey Mysterio. So anyway, good luck on that one.
-- Box y Lucha also wrote this week that referee Tirantes was leaving AAA for Perros del Mal, which would be huge news as he's one of the most important characters in the history of the promotion.
-- Steve Corino returns to Ring of Honor at the November TV tapings.
-- WWE Shop has a deal where you can get 15% of all "Championship Title Belts". I believe there is at least one new heavyweight belt that will be introduced to TV soon and perhaps some other belts as well.
-- Dana White will be in studio for Jim Rome tomorrow.
-- WEC has Greatest Knockouts II tomorrow night at 9 PM ET.
-- Ben writes: I was at the Staples Center box office today buying Lakers tickets so I decided to see what was still available for UFC 104. Apparently just about everything is. The lady said there were plenty of tickets at any price range I wanted (though I only asked about the floor and lower bowl).
-- Steve Austin is on the cover of the new Muscle & Fitness with an article inside talking about his latest film, Damage.
-- Joe went to Hell in the Cell and has a gallery of pictures available at this link.
-- A Fighter's Chance, which is similar to an MMA version of Wrestler's Rescue, is looking to raise money for a young mother with liver and bowel disease. They're trying to reach a goal of $150,000 by 2010, so there is a long way to go. They will have a booth set up on October 17, 2009 at the 2009 Dollamur Classic Red River Takedown Tournament and the Red River Knock Out MMA event at the Dallas Convention Center to help raise money for this cause.
-- Jim Ross has thoughts on Hell in the Cell and Raw at this link. He said he'd prefer one Cell match per year, but times change and he said you have to experiment with new concepts.
-- Ross has tons of Q&As up here.
-- If you are in Atlanta you can have all-you-can-eat Hooter's wings with the Axe Murderer Wanderlei Silva. They say it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it certainly sounds like it.
Who was the best of these wrestlers
Wahoo McDaniel 53.8%
Jim Londos 35.6%
Bill Longson 4.4%
Leroy McGuirk 4.4%
Everett Marshall 1.8%
What was the best TV show of the past week?
Smackdown 37.3%
Ultimate Fighter 28.4%
Impact 15.4%
ROH 8.6%
Raw 5.8%
ECW 2.4%
Inside MMA 0.7%
Maximum Fighting Championships 0.7%
Superstars 0.7%
Which show will have the highest rating this week
Raw 52.5%
Ultimate Fighter 47.5%
-- There is a video report on the Ultimate Collectibles weekend up here.
-- I Tap Boys will be selling women's jiu-jitsu/MMA t-shirts and shorts at the Arlington Submission Challenge in Arlington, WA this weekend. They have stuff available online in the store as well.
-- Shark Boy masks are 20% off at sharkboy.net.
-- Dynamic Championship Wrestling and the "Just Another F'n Show" Fall Tour roll into Minster, OH on Saturday night, October 10th at the Auglaize Mercer South YMCA.
-- Tulalip Championship Wrestling runs Saturday night at the Pacific Rim in Marysville, WA. I'll be there with some friends, so let us know if you want to show up.
-- Pizza Party 09 with Greg Valentine on November 8th at Rink's Flea Market, 9651 Hamilton AVE, Mt. Healthy, OH.
-- Info on the upcoming Tri State Alliance (TWA) Reunion Show is up here.
-- ISPW presents SLAMOWEEN on Saturday evening, October 24th at the ISPW Arena, located at 323A Fairfield Road in Freehold, NJ at 8 PM.
-- All Star Wrestling, Saturday, October 17, 2009, 2224 Mooresville Hwy Lewisburg, TN. Bell Time: 8pm $7 admission.
-- Ed, Cutrer and Peachmachine are joined by Davey Richards on this week's Drunkcast here.
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