Daily Update: AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, ESPN, weekend preview

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

*The most detailed coverage of the WWE’s deal with ESPN starting early, why the different moves were made by all sides, the costs, more details on Wrestlepalooza, the embarrassment to sports journalism that ESPN has been and emphasized this week, how WWE benefits and doesn’t from the changes,and  more.
*Will Ospreay, his neck issues, comparisons with other major stars and their serious problems, and his future.
*More questions regarding the death of Hulk Hogan.
*A look at Forbidden Door and the card, AEW injury rate ,NXT Heatwave, WWE Clash in Paris, France attendance record and more.
*Full coverage of TripleMania, lots of behind the scenes stuff, why the next show is where it is and when it is, what Nick Khan told AAA talent, records set and a  record claimed that was so far from accurate, actual  viewer numbers for each match and more.
*A look at The G-1 Climax tournament, the booking, the business, Konosuke Takeshita, new record set and upcoming book New Japan bouts.
*Real attendance figures for WrestleMania in Las Vegas and stats on who traveled for the show vs. who lived in Las Vegas and bought tickets,
*Full coverage of UFC 319, business,  Chimaev and his future.
*Dragon Gate’s Dangerous Gate 2025 show
*The most detailed look at the ratings for all pro wrestling and MMA shows this past week, including weekly standings, nightly standings, head-to-head shows, segment numbers and more notes.
*Details of another big CMLL week
*Stardom Five Star Grand Prix update
*Kents vs. Marufuji
*Women’s legends show packs Korakuen Hall
*Cauliflower Alley Club awards
*Man who claims to have saved Scott Steiner’s life.
*Wrestler charged with murdering a neighbor in a brawl
*Sami Callihan retires
*Lots of thoughts on Chris Jerich as a free agent
*Tony Khan media call
*Unionizing wrestlers
*Ticket advances for upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA shows.
*Dana White talks Jon Jones
*Sean Strickland suspended.
*PFL crowns new world champions.
*The farce that is Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis.
*Gable Steveson’s MMA debut.
*BJ Penn back in court.
*Time changes for a lot of the WWE TV shows over the next month.
*High level athletes being recruited by WWE.
*Rhodes talks about leaving AEW.
*Bronson Reed talks about his injury.

This Week’s Back Issue

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Friday Update

WWE on ESPN

Garrett Gonzales and I have a new show up today. We talked a ton of  subjects, the wars for content, why TV has always overpaid for the NFL and why WWE and UFC having their rights come due now was perfect timing with the Skydance/Paramount merger and launch of the new ESPN app, we talk about more things ESPN is after from pro wrestling and MMA, WWE losing television for Saturday Night Main Event, AEW prospects for a new deal, Mercedes Mone, Mascara Dorada, new WWE women recruits, WWE or AEW running Sphere in Las Vegas, Forbidden Door and more.

Forbidden Door is well over 17,000 tickets out and just about sold out.  As of this morning the gate had topped $2.7 million, making it the fourth biggest gate and fifth biggest attendance in AEW history.  It’s also the third biggest attendance figure for a non-WWE show ever in the U.K., and third biggest gate for a non-WWE show in Europe.  I don’t think the gate can pass $2.8 million because there just aren’t enough seats left.

Regarding the note in the Observer this week on different ideas regarding Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin vs. FTR and the idea of doing an injury and that leading to a tag title change, while that definitely was suggested, it was never going to happen. Tony Khan did not like the idea and there was never a chance of it happening. 

Blake Avignon of The MMA Draw has reported that ESPN is in active talks to acquire UFC Fight Pass and to put the full UFC archives as well as some live content in the new ESPN streaming service.  It was said discussions are advanced but not finalized and they were also looking at the WWE Vault and archives.  We talked about this in depth on today’s show.

–We’re looking for reports on these shows:
*RevPro this afternoon at the Crystal Palace in London
*WWE today from Dublin (matches not on Smackdown)
*RevPro tomorrow at the Crystal Palace in London
*WWE tomorrow in Liverpool, England
*WWE Sunday in Newcastle England
We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights to [email protected]

-This weekend we’ll be doing polls on AEW Forbidden Door and NXT Heatwave, thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match form each show to [email protected]

–The UFC show this weekend is from Shanghai, China,  It starts tonight at 3 a.m. Eastern on ESPN+ or midnight Pacific Time
Xiao Long (136) vs. SuYoung  You (135.5)
Yizha (145) vs. Westin Wilson (146)
Michel Pereria (186) vs. Kyle Daukaus (185)
Rongzhu (155.5) vs. Austin Hubbard (155.5)
Lone’er Kavanagh (126) vs. Charles Johnson (126)
Maheshate (155) vs. Gauge Young (155.5)
Taiyliake Nueraji (170) vs. Kiefer Crosbie (170.5)
Sumudaerji (125.5) vs. Kevin Borjas (126)
Sergei Pavlovich (255.5) vs. Waldo Cortes-Ascota (262)
Brian Ortega (153) vs. Aljamain Sterling (153
Johnny Walker (206) vs. Zhang Mingyang (205)

This may be the week that Arena Mexico doesn’t top 15,000 fans as it’s a normal main event with Mistico & Neon & Titan vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr., Templario & TJP vs. El Hijo de Villano III & Villano III Jr. for the  New Japan Strong tag titles, Esfinge vs. Donovan Dijak in a lightning match and Hombre Bala Jr. & Max Star & Futuro vs. Taiji Ishimori & Okumura & Yutani.    Tomorrow night at Arena Coliseo in Mexico City has Templario & TJP & Titan vs. Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja & Volador Jr., Euforia vs. Dijak and Esfinge & El Hijo del Pantera & Star Jr. vs. Okumura & Ishimori & Yutani..  Sunday at Arena Mexico has Volador Jr. & Zandokan Jr. vs. TJP & Dijak, Titan & Xelhua vs. Ishimori & Yutani.  TJP faces Volador Jr. in a singles match in Puebla on Monday.

On 8/29 at Arena Mexico, they have the World Grand Prix tournament that will sell out with Mistico, Mascara Dorada, Neon, Templario, Titan, Volador Jr., Zandokan Jr., Angel de Oro, Atlantis Jr., Difunto, Action Andretti, Dijak, Lio Rush, Michael Oku, Mike Bailey, Robbie X, Rocky Romero, Ishimori,TJP and Mortos.  A unique semi has Ultimo Guerrero & Rey Bucanero vs. Averno & Felino.  Guerrero & Bucanero were the best tag team in the world 20-25 years ago.  It’s been years since they last teamed up at Arena Mexico.

Tickets for Worlds Collide on 9/12 in Las Vegas are priced from  $103 to $656.  The idea is a lot of rich people are coming in that weekend for Alvarez vs. Crawford so they can charge high prices.

The Netflix series “Wrestlers,” a reality show that covered OVW, was renewed for a second season.

The HBO Max Series “Mysteries of the Abandoned:  Hidden America” is doing a feature on the Mid South Coliseum  in wrestling as a wrestling venue interviewing King Cobra.  They also talk about Sputnik Monroe forcing integration in the late 50s at wrestling shows.  That story, while very significant, is often told  very differently from how it happened.  But Monroe was a key in the starting of allowing blacks and whites to sit together at sports and entertainment events in Memphis when previously they each had separate sections of arenas or theaters they were allowed to sit in.  However, this wasn’t at the Mid South Coliseum, which began the regular arena for wrestling in 1971.  It was at the Ellis Auditorium, where Jimmy Hart as a teenager used to sell cokes in the 50s during the Monroe heyday.

Jeff Jarrett will wrestle for the first time in Hendersonville, TN (he’s wrestled hundreds of times in Nashville) where he grew up, on a show called “Jeff Jarrett’s All-Star Superslam on 10/23 at Veterans Park.  Jarrett & Jay Lethal & Satnam Singh face QT Marshall &  Brady Booker & Elijah Drago in the main event.

WWE has moved Karrion Kross T-shirts to clearance sale prices.   Kross was announced for the 10/10 House of Glory show in Amazura, Queens, NY.

After failing to make weight last weekend for his right with Nursuton Ruziboev by four pounds, the second time in a row he missed making weight Bryan Battle was released by UFC.  He had been 7-1 in the promotion.

What is listed as the longest singles match in WWWF history, Bruno Sammartino vs. Waldo Von Erich, took place 61 years ago today in Madison Square Garden.  The two wrestled to what was billed as an 81:00 draw,  Most likely the time was considerably shorter, as they  usually added 10-20 minutes to the announced time of long matches in that day, but it was still a long match.

After having his right leg amputated from above the knee, Buff Bagwell returns to Memphis Wrestling for tomorrow’sTV show.  He won’t be in a match but will be in the corner for a tag team title match with the Hollywood Clique defending against The Big Manes.  Bagwell is there to keep The Clique manager Jimmy Blaylock from interfering.

Netflix announced Jon Anik, Max Kellerman and Andre Ward as the announcers for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terrence Crawford fight on 9/13.  Michael Buffer will announce the main event and Joe Martinez will announce the other matches.  Mario Lopez, Antonio Tarver, Mark Kriegel, Mike Coppinger, Jim Gray, Heidi Androl and Skipper Kelp will also be part of the broadcast team.