Daily Update: Logan Paul & Donald Trump, Tony Khan, Sabu

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered in this issue:

  • Update on what Mexican talent can work on the same shows as other Mexican talent, the recent changes and how they’ve gone down and the current political situation leading into Forbidden Door
  • Looking at WWE Clash at the Castle and NXT Battleground
  • Update on Forbidden Door, ticket demand and AEW’s top programs
  • Conor McGregor and UFC 303
  • Full report on UFC 302, business and match-by-match coverage
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi’s 10-point plan to strengthen New Japan Pro Wrestling. We look at where the company stands and its obstacles as Tanahashi hits the six-month mark as President
  • Death of El Signo and the heyday of Los Misionero de la Muerte
  • A look at episode one of Who Killed WCW?
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all pro wrestling and MMA television shows over the past week including competition, key demos, segment-by-segment, analysis, standing and how it compares with one year ago.
  • New promotion gets weekly television on a top 20 station starting in one week, as well as being on the verge of a second deal
  • Celebration of 20 years of Mistico shows
  • Arena Mexico continues big crowds
  • Dream Gate title change
  • A look at the Dominion show this week
  • Update on next week’s show featuring talent from a number of major promotions including a rematch of one of this year’s best matches
  • More on the B Block finals and semifinals of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament
  • Gable Steveson tries the NFL and how this very much differs from other former top level wrestlers who have had NFL success
  • Missy Hyatt talks Vince McMahon and details her own experience with him
  • Wrestling book writers Hall of Fame
  • AEW star challenges for British title
  • Notes on MLW Battle Riot
  • GCW has a major weekend
  • Update on TNA office cuts and changes
  • Mike Santana talks about battling drinking issue
  • Notes on people whose contracts are expiring and updates
  • Chuck Taylor and his hopes of returning to the ring
  • More details on AEW doing a residency in Arlington, TX and the economics behind it
  • Kevin Kelly talks his AEW departure and issues with Ian Riccaboni
  • Story behind the Collision rating report
  • International TV ratings
  • Why certain wrestlers haven’t been on AEW TV of late
  • Another AEW star comes out publicly
  • More on the Cung Le antitrust lawsuit settlement
  • Just how much Saudi Arabia is paying for these big events
  • How UFC & WWE are doing record grosses
  • Mark Shapiro talks about how Dana White reacted to the merger and talks about White’s previous problems with Vince McMahon
  • How McMahon first saved UFC and then became a powerful enemy
  • Former WWE stars talk about how talent is paid now, why not getting booked is better for your paycheck and how easily it is to get around WWE drug testing
  • Updated King of the Ring and Double or Nothing PPV notes
  • Reports on WWE weekend house shows

This week’s Wresting Observer Newsletter back issue

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • Former President Donald Trump will be the guest on tomorrow’s episode of Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast. Paul posted a picture of himself and Trump posing with Paul’s WWE United States title belt.
  • Jordynne Grace told Sports Illustrated about how her NXT Battleground match against Roxanne Perez came together:
    • The new President of TNA spoke with me about a month ago and told me WWE wanted to have me back. I was like, ‘What is happening?’ We spoke specifically about Battleground, and honestly, I thought I was going to be in the [North American title] ladder match. When I found out it was a singles match, and for the title, I was mind-blown.
    • Going back, it’s been a great experience. It’s impressive how much of a well-oiled machine they are in WWE. There is someone with an answer to everything. And they have a barber on-site. That surprised me.
  • In an interview with Comicbook.com, Ash By Elegance (Dana Brooke) said her appearing at Battleground was a last-minute thing:
    • My gosh, it was seriously last minute. I was going about my week and I had an appearance on Saturday in Jacksonville. I get a call, I think it was late Thursday, even maybe early Friday morning, and they’re like, ‘Hey, are you available this weekend? We’d love to have you come back and do something with TNA and NXT. I was like, ‘What?! Oh yeah, count me in!’ They booked my flight from Jacksonville over to Vegas.
    • I kept everything on the DL. I was hiding. I had my hat, I had my hoodie, I had my sunglasses. Nobody knew who I was. I made that sneak appearance, sneak attack, and here I am. I took a redeye back to Miami this morning and am enjoying about a day and a half vacation with my family and then I’m back on the road for some TNA action in Chicago. I’m booked and busy, baby.
  • TKO Group posted a time-lapse video of the UFC Apex being transformed so it could host Battleground.
  • Drew McIntyre explained to the Metro what was going through his mind when CM Punk indirectly mentioned Vince McMahon during their promo battle on Raw this March. In a segment with McIntyre and Seth Rollins, Punk asked McIntyre which “paragon of good virtue” picked him to be the Chosen One.
  • McIntyre said:
    • What was going through my mind was I could respond right now, and would it be a good look for our company? And I have to make a decision because we’re going O.K. Corral-style, unloading rounds on each other.
    • I did what I thought was right for not just the company, but for our roster, and held my tongue on that night. I had a couple of things in mind that would have melted the internet, but potentially hurt us in different ways.
  • McIntyre noted that he probably could have gotten away with what he wanted to say, but he’s intelligent enough to make it work without going there:
    • If you see Drew McIntyre going off those lines, swearing and saying things like ‘wow, this is gonna potentially hurt himself or the company or the roster,’ then it’s because I have lost it.
  • The Indian Express also interviewed McIntyre.
  • On his Kliq This podcast, Kevin Nash praised Damian Priest:
    • I think that Damian has really f**king risen to the occasion. Damian’s star power gave him the appearance of being bigger than he actually is. Like he just looks like a star. He looks like he should have that belt.
  • Hulk Hogan is launching a “Real American Beer” brand.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • While speaking with TV Insider, Tony Khan said he’d love to have actor Paul Walter Hauser back in AEW:
    • Yes. I want Paul to come back. He is a really good friend of mine. I met Paul in LA many years ago. He is a great person. Paul and his agent Ryan are two of my really close friends. I like Paul a lot. He is always welcome in AEW to do anything. I have so much respect for Paul Walter.
  • Khan was asked to give his thoughts on WWE and TNA working together:
    • Since we launched AEW we’ve been looking to work with great wrestling companies across the planet. The relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling developed in 2021 and built to the point where we teamed to do a co-branded event like Forbidden Door. We’re approaching the third one. It’s a whole new level of great cooperation between wrestling promotions to see the stars of CMLL and Stardom in addition to the great wrestlers from New Japan Pro Wrestling competing with AEW stars.
    • I’m always open to working with great wrestling promotions all over the world. It feels like the spirit of cooperation in worldwide pro wrestling is greater than it has ever been, which is a big positive. Seeing the top stars of AEW go to Tokyo and compete at Wrestle Kingdom, I think that the fans can always count on AEW and New Japan to put on great collaborations. I think this year’s Forbidden Door will be one of the strongest shows any promotion will put anywhere in the world.
  • NBA broadcaster Mike Breen spoke to Sports Illustrated about the respect he has for Jim Ross:
    • Everyone in this profession should know Jim Ross. He’s an icon. I’m always listening to different broadcasters, whether it’s in baseball, football, hockey, tennis, or wrestling. Right away you can feel how much passion he brings to his calls. When you hear Jim Ross, you can instantly tell how much he loves what he does.
  • Tony Khan and Orange Cassidy appeared on Local 5 News in Iowa.
  • Renee Paquette conducted an interview with Christopher Daniels.
  • Deonna Purrazzo spoke with SHAK Wrestling.
  • On Casual Conversations with The Wrestling Classic, Sabu said GCW wants to host his last match in January. Sabu would prefer to have it take place in Las Vegas this July. He’s also open to having his last match in AEW:
    • My goal is to work out until the last match and I know the last match isn’t tomorrow. GCW wants me to do my last match with them in January. I said, ‘I don’t know if I’ll be ready.’ I don’t want my last match in January. I want it in July and I want it in Las Vegas.
    • I’m gonna have a final match eventually, I’m not in shape for it yet. I’m hurting too much, but I’m hoping my pain eases up. I’m sure it will. I’d like to maybe do my final match with [AEW] because they have a big platform and a big paycheck.
  • Sabu named Matt Cardona as a potential opponent for the match:
    • If all else fails, [I’ll face Rob] Van Dam, but to me, that’s too predictable. It’s too easy. Of course, we’re going to have a great match. I want something else. Maybe Matt Cardona in an explosion match when the time is right. Maybe not January, but down the line more.
  • The book “Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Pro-Wrestling’s New World Order Changed America” is now available for pre-order. It’s written by ESPN’s Marc Raimondi and is scheduled to be released on March 25, 2025.