Daily Update: Paramount & WBD freeze, Arena Mexico notes

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • The lawsuit that changed the entire framework of WWE is about to end quietly
  • Previewing all the major shows between now and the end of August, as well a WWE running competition to AEW more frequently.
  • Update on Paramount/Skydance being blocked from taking over WBD
  • A look at how WWE PLE events have drawn on Netflix so far this year and compared to last year, as well as how Smackdown and NXT weekly have done.
  • Coverage of Saturday Night’s Main Event from Madison Square Garden
  • How Conor Mcgregor vs. Max Holloway did in viewership compared to Justin Gaethje vs. Ilia Topuria at the White House and Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano.
  • What I learned going to Mexico City, going to Arena Mexico and Arena Coliseo, what’s it like and reviewing the shows.
  • G-1 Climax update
  • The life and times of Siva Afi
  • Dragon Gate’s biggest show of the year
  • The complete ratings rundown for every show over the past wek, as well as demos, competition and trends
  • Lots of big shows coming up the next few weeks in Mexico City
  • AAA and its new merch dealk
  • Big AAA show this weekend with Verano de Escandao
  • Wrestler has a match of the year candidate and days later announces retirement
  • Coverage of Stardom big show and Grand Prix
  • Takaaki Kidani talks why he sold New Japan when he did
  • Thoughts on ESPN releasing Andreas Hale
  • Death of Rizado Ruiz
  • Lots of big European shows coming
  • Thoughts on many things Tony Khan talked about this past week
  • AEW average ticket sales for the first six months of 2026
  • How many people watch AEW each week/
  • Mistico’s career goal
  • Tom Aspinall talks eye surgery
  • New VICE series comes in September
  • WWE Unreal
  • The difference in heel turns of Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and John Cena
  • Stock analysts look at WWE creative
  • WWE channel on XM
  • Thoughts on Bayley
  • Dave Bautista talks his career and pst-career
  • Lots of names getting tryouts next week

This Week’s Back Issue

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Friday Update

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CMLL logo (Image credit: CMLL)

— Garrett Gonzales and I just finished our show today. We talked some on the Paramount/WBD deal, Lots on AEW Redemption as well as SummerSlam, but most focusing on my trip to Mexico, what can and can’t be learned from it, why people who talk about “the casuals” are so out of touch now but how they can catch up, Ben Askren, Mexico City and Arena Mexico and much more. Bryan and I will be back Sunday night after Redemption.

— Paramount and the Attorney Generals of 12 states have agreed to hold up the purchase of WBD and takeover until either the completion of the trial or June 1, 2027, whichever comes first. It appears Paramount believed they were going to lose the second round of the case in court so made this agreement to bypass that happening. Every day starting on October 1, 2026, that this isn’t settled costs Paramount $6 million per day in contracted penalty to WBD. It’s obvious both sides are best off with a settlement. The politics are difficult with the first key being the midterms and control of CNN prior to it. I believe there is a good chance that if Paramount doesn’t take CNN that they could get the rest of it through but the main reason for spending $111 billion to get WBD was to get control of CNN for the Trump side, so the whole reason for the deal falls apart. For UFC, this will mean business as usual. For AEW, it means nothing will change until it goes through but also means talks for the next contract could start later than expected. Paramount is pushing for a trial date last this year.

— Mistico formally asked for a mask vs. hair match with Averno for the anniversary show after the angle last week.

— Dynamite on Wednesday did 706,000 viewers with an 0.12 in 18-49 and 0.19 in 25-54. It was down from the prior two weeks but still a good number. It was fifth for the night on cable in 18-49, third in 25-54. In 18-49 it was behind Baseball on ESPN, The Valley on Bravo, Jesse Watters on FOX News and the WNBA on USA. In 25-54, it was behind only Baseball in its time slot. The teenage numbers in particular were way up.

— Thunder Rosa confirmed today that she is no longer with Busted Open radio. Everyone expected this. Dave LaGreca never should have screamed about how this doesn’t change anything when he knew this was happening a day later. People know the playbook.

— Tyson 2.0, a cannabis company that Mike Tyson is part of, has claimed that they are owed $10 million by the estate of Hulk Hogan. The judge in the case ordered the Tyson company to file an action by 10/21. They also have a mediation session for late September.

— Arena Mexico sold out earlier today for tonight’s show. That’s 11 Fridays in a row as they break their all-time record each week. They have a ten-man elimination match on top which will come down to the last two, who then meet next Friday in a singles match for the Leyenda de Plata tournament. It’s a loaded match with Komander, Titan, Templario, Mascara Dorada, Neon, Angel de Oro, Volador Jr., Guerrer Maya Jr., Capital Suicida and Calavera Jr. I. Dragon Rojo Jr. vs. Barbaro Caversio, Tessa Blanchard & Skadi & Garra Negra vs. Keyra & Persephone & Reyna Isis and Dragon Legendario & Dragon de Fuego vs. VIllano III Jr. & E Hijo del Villano III are the main bouts.

— SmackDown was in Oakland today. I wanted to go but the schedule wouldn’t allow it. They had 7,366 tickets out for the show.

— Looking for reports on these shows this weekend:

  • SmackDown tonight in Oakland (dark matches only)
  • NXT house show in Fort Pierce, FL
  • WWE house show in Stockton tomorrow
  • NXT house show in Citrus Springs, FL
  • WWE house show in Bakersfield Sunday

We’re looking for results finishes and highlights to [email protected]

— We’ll be doing our post-show poll on AEW Redemption Sunday, thumbs up, down or middle, best and worst match to [email protected]

— AAA Verano de Escadalo from Aguascalientes will have part one live tomorrow night. Dominik Mysterio & Grande Americano team up against Daga & ? of Los Perros Del Mal in the main event. Lola Vice & Mr. Iguana defends the mixed tag team titels against La Hiedra & Laredo Kid.

— WWE is charging $63 to $297 for tickets for Worlds Collide on 9/26 in Chicago at the Allstate Arena. Whether this happens or not, CM Punk has challenged Dominik Mysterio for the AAA title. That’s the best thing WWE could do for an AAA show in that market. AEW is running All Out head-to-head at the NOW Arena and charging $54 to $240.

— Redemption has 6,569 tickets out. So they’ll end up likely 7,000 to 8,000. I’d call that neither good nor bad. Wembley Stadium is at 33,504, so they’ve passed Flair vs. Kerry Von Erich at Texas Stadium and headed for Bruno Sammartino vs. Larry Zbyszko at Shea Stadium, which they will pass in about a week. My impression is that the goal is to come close to the show two years ago and they would consider that a huge success. That was 53,000. That would need 20,000 in five weeks and that sounds like it will be very difficult. But it does look like 40,000 is not an unreasonable goal.

— 80s wrestler Johnny Rich/Roy Rogers (Rod Wilsford, 67) was hospitalized after a truck accident. He is now out of the hospital. He was a Southeastern wrestler in the 80s billed as the cousin of Tommy Rich.

— The City of Boston honored Pete Doherty on Wednesday. Doherty was a prelim fixture in Boston and much of New England in the 70s through the and early 90s, who passed away earlier this year.

— The city of East Palo Alto honored William Hobson aka Royce Keys yesterday before tonight’s show in Oakland.

— Shamil Musaev, who was set to face Thad Jean for the PFL welterweight title in Washington, DC, on tomorrow night’s ESPN show, is off the show due to weight cutting issues. Ernesto Rodriguez (11-1) will be moved up into the title fight wth Jean. The show airs at 10 p.m.

— UFC is an early show from Abu Dhabi on Paramount +, starting at 9 a.m. Eastern time

  • Cody Gibson (136) vs. Abdul Hussein (135.5)
  • Mike Davis (156) vs. Nurullo Aliev (136)
  • Magomed Tuchalov (205.5) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (206)
  • Ismael Bonfim (155.5) vs. Alex Sola (155.5)
  • Santiago Ponzinibbio (171) vs. Sam Patterson (170.5)
  • Dustin Jacoby (205) vs. Muhammad Saidov (206)
  • Valter Walker (248) vs. Thomas Peterson (245)
  • Abubakar Vagaev (171) vs. Saygid Izagakhmaev (171)
  • Rizvan Kuniev (265.5) vs. Tyrell Fortune (258)
  • Magomed Zaynukov (155.5) vs. Damian Rzepecki (155.5)
  • Islam Dulatov (171) vs. Wellington Turman (170)
  • Steve Erceg (126) vs. Razaman Temirov (126)
  • Magomed Ankalaev (205.5) vsd. Bogdan Guskov (205.5)

— Torrie Wilson turned 51 today. Zack Sabre Jr. turned 39. Gary Gordon/Angelo Dawkins turned 36. Levi Cooper/Tucker turned 36. Hercules Cortez, one of the biggest names in the history of Spanish wrestling, passed away 55 years ago today at the age of 39 while holding the AWA world tag team titles with Red Bastien. Ronnie P. Gossett passed away 19 years ago today at 63. Leo Burke/Rudy Kay passed away two years ago at the age of 76. (thanks to Tony Richards)

— The G-1 Climax tournament has shows this weekend from Tokyo’s Ota Ward Gym. They will be Saturday morning at 5:30 a.m. and very late Saturday night at 2 a.m. (Sunday morning)

Saturday has

  • Konosuke Takeshita vs. Oleg Boltin- should be great
  • Hirooki Goto vs Great O’Kahn
  • Yota Tsuji vs. Shingo Takagi – should be great
  • Jake Lee vs. Sanada
  • Yuto-Ice vs. Ryohei Oiwa- should be great

Sunday has:

  • Drilla Moloney vs. Callum Newman – should be great
  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs.Gabe Kidd – should be great
  • OSKAR vs. Aaron Wolf
  • Henare vs. Ren Nartita
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Dave Meltzer
Dave Meltzer

Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.