Daily Update: Melina, Tony Nese, TNA media rights deal timeline

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

We have one of the most news and business heavy issues of the year:

*All the details of the WWE’s deal with ESPN, what is in the deal, what isn’t, who can watch for free and why that probably won’t be for long, what ESPN Needs for it t make economic sense, as well as break-even for the ESPN UFC PPV deal and when the ESPN deal with WWE starts
*Brock Lesnar returns to WWE, how it happened, why it happened, why it was inevitable because of how TKO management views things, the double talk, comments from loads of people in WWE as well as Janel Grant’s side, exactly what was in the lawsuit that regards Lesnar and other example of TKO decisions which show a pattern
*Full coverage of SummerSlam, business details, the Rollins cash-in, Netflix numbers, attendance numbers and next PPV show
*Notes on UFC and WWE business numbers, what is up and what is down
*Hulk Hogan’s funeral, Brooke Hogan’s claims of info on Hogan’s Moves never talked about before, a ton of Hogan history, Hogan’s heyday in Japan and much more.
*Update on the G-1 Climax tournament
*Forbidden Door and the surprising record it has set and other major notes regarding the show and update n the card
*The most complete look at the ratings for all the wrestling and MMA television shows of the past week, competition, demos, why ratings were up or down, as well as Netflix numbers for Unreal and Raw.
*MJF returns to Arena Mexico and coverage of Friday’s hwo
*Salvador Lutteroth talks his fan base and AEW
*TripleMania updates
*Five Star Grand Prix updates
*Hogan documentaries
*RevPro anniversary shows
*Bloodsport notes
*A change at Discovery that is major and how that affects AEW streaming as well as notes on the current streaming deal
*How much did WBD loss or gain by losing the NBA
*Lots of injury updates
*Notes on Dustin & Cody Rhodes
*Backstage stuff in AEW ande what is and isn’t real
*Who at this point isn’t at Forbidden Door
*Ticket sales for upcoming TNA, AEW and WWE shows over the next few months
*More notes on Zuffa Boxing run by Nick Khan and  Dana White
*Peacock and WWE business
*How much is Dwayne Johnson’s WWE stock worth
*Karrion Kross and Scarlett contract update
*Raw ad rates on Netflix and comparisons to AEW on TBS

This Week’s Back Issue

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Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE uploaded the full Nia Jax vs. Lash Legend match from NXT last night.
  • In an interview with SHAK Wrestling, Torrie Wilson named Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, and Tiffany Stratton as some of her favorite women’s wrestlers in WWE.
  • Wilson also praised Dominik Mysterio for how much he’s grown as a performer:
    • It’s crazy to see how far he’s come [since being a kid]. I mean, he is not only an exceptional performer, but his wrestling ability is crazy. And to think when he first came in with Rey [Mysterio], it was just like, okay, he seemed a little quiet, like, you just had no idea that this was going to come out of him. And it’s just really been fun, as I’m sure you think, watching him grow and he just really does remind me of Eddie [Guerrero] also, which people say a lot.
  • Former WWE wrestler Melina told WrestlingNewsCo that she would like to see Evolution treated as the women’s version of WrestleMania:
    • It’s a shame that it’s the second [Evolution event] – the first was a long time ago. The first Evolution was a long time ago, in my opinion. That’s a long time [2018 to now].. and now it’s a beautiful thing to finally see Evolution 2. I hope on everything, there needs to be an annual one. This is the women’s WrestleMania. It should be treated as such.
  • R-Truth spoke to Undisputed about his backstage segment with John Cena from SmackDown last Friday, where they reunited for the first time since Cena became a babyface again:
    • It was so organic. That’s why it came across that way. You could feel it.
    • The proof is in the pudding. For just over a minute promo to be one of the biggest takeaways from the show, come on, I love that.
    • John is the G.O.A.T. in my eyes. Not only is he my childhood hero, I’ve learned a lot from being in the ring with him–and I’ve learned a lot from him in the back.
  • NXT wrestler Adriana Rizzo posted a Tiktok video explaining how her torn ACL happened, saying she had a partial tear a year and a half ago but worked through it until recently having her knee “explode” while doing a drill at practice.
  • Houston Life interviewed Charlotte Flair.
  • Ten Count Media has an interview with Jacy Jayne.
  • MMA journalist Ariel Helwani was the guest on this week’s episode of Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast.

Other Wrestling

  • To promote tonight’s Dynamite episode in his hometown of Cincinnati, Jon Moxley made an appearance on Cincy Lifestyle.
  • Fightful reports that Tony Nese has been working as a coach/agent in AEW.
  • “Speedball” Mike Bailey uploaded a new episode of his vlog.
  • While speaking with The Takedown, TNA President Carlos Silva gave an update on the timeline for when the promotion could agree to a new media rights deal: 
    • I think Bound For Glory is a great stake in the sand in terms of us getting everything together as we look to the 2026 year and season.
    • And so, I think August will be quiet. It usually is in the media, in the media deal space, but hopefully we’ll work through a few things, move the ball forward a little bit in August, and then I think in September and October as we get to Bound For Glory, that would absolutely be the goal to try and get it done by then. Or certainly, if it’s not done, have it agreed to.