Daily Update: Raja Jackson incident, AEW Forbidden Door fallout, Vince McMahon

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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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Sunday Update

— Garrett Gonzales and I did our Friday show talking about the WWE’s deal with ESPN as well as new deals ESPN is looking at with WWE and UFC, Chris Jericho, Forbidden Door, Will Ospreay and injuries,  and a lot more. Bryan and I will be up later tonight covering Forbidden Door NXT, and the rest of the weekend news.

— Perhaps the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen in a wrestling ring took place last night at the Knokx Pro show in Sun Valley, CA. This is the wrestling school that is being run by Solofa Fatu (Rikishi), the father of Jimmy & Jey Uso. Raja Jackson,the son of Rampage Jackson, was at the show and wrestler Syko Stu (Stu Smith) hit him with a beer can, which he didn’t react to at all and others told Smith Jackson was not a worker. Still, they all talked things out and set up a spot later in the card (all of this was being filmed) where Jackson would do a run-in and slam Stu. He did but followed up throwing 21 all out punches from the mount, probably 20 after Smith had been knocked out. Smith is back home but it looked terribly scary. Los Angeles police are investigating. Smith apologized and they shook hands and the person running the show thought it would be cool to do a run-in spot since the beer can spot was taped.  

The slam was planned but then Jackson, a trained MMA fighter, just unleashed on Stu with punches. Jackson will likely be in a lot of trouble because he was filming himself and even after the two shook hands, he was on camera saying after the slam he’s going to hit Smith as hard as he can, over and over, until they pull him off.

— Vince McMahon turns 80 tomorrow. He had a birthday party last night at Gotham Hall in New York.  Among those attending were John Cena, Undertaker, Glenn “Kane” Jacobs, Michelle McCool, Sgt. Slaughter, Gerald Brisco, Shane McMahon, Sheamus, Bruce Prichard, John Layfield and Ron Killings.

— If the 18,988 figure for Forbidden Door attendance today is accurate, that would not only have set the O2 Arena attendance mark, breaking the 2023 Money in the Bank record, but would have been the largest attendance for an arena pro wrestling show in the history of the U.K. The largest was 18,514 in Manchester for an April 4, 1998 WWE show with a double main event of Undertaker vs. Kane and HHH vs. Steve Austin.  

— After the PPV was over, they tended to Will Ospreay and carried him out on a stretcher. Many cable systems shut off before the angle had taken place.

— We’re looking for your thoughts on Forbidden Door and NXT Heatwave, thumbs up, down or middle, best and worst match to [email protected]

— We’ve had a ton of recommendations when it comes to great matches this weekend. At the Friday Arena Mexico show, very strong last three matches with a great main event of Mistico & Neon & Titan vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr., plus TJP & Templario defending the New Japan Strong tag titles against Villano III Jr. & El Hijo del Villano III, Mercedes one vs. Emersyn Jayne, Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jay Joshua, Leon Slater vs. Michael Oku, Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Zozaya, as well as Momo Watanabe vs. AZM in the finals of the Five Star Grand Prix and Ishii vs. Konosuke Takeshita and Young Bucks vs. Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly from Collision.

— WWE results from yesterday’s show in Liverpool, UK:

  • Iyo Sky b  Roxanne Perez
  • Damien Priest b Aleister Black clean
  • Lyra Valkyria b Bayley clean.  Both worked as faces
  • Sami Zayn & Jimmy Uso & Jacob Fatu b Solo Sokoa & JC Mateo & Tonga Loa.  Fatu was barely in.
  • Bronson Reed & Bron Breakker b War Raiders.  Breakker was shaking hands with the fans like a face but Reed was not.
  • Tiffany Stratton won a three-way over Jade Cargill and Nia Jax to keep the women’s title when she pinned Jax
  • CM Punk & LA Knight & Penta b Finn Balor & Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh.  The main event had been advertised as Dom vs. Punk for the IC title, but they did this instead.  Punk pinned Dom after the GTS.  Said to be the best match by far with Punk & Knight getting the biggest reactions.  They sang Happy Birthday to Jimmy after the match.  The Usos both turned 40 the day before. (thanks to Jack Randles)

— We’re looking for reports from today’s WWE house show in Newcastle, UK, results,. finishes and highlights to [email protected]

— Jake “The Milkman”Milliman, a cult favorite AWA enhancement wrestler of the 1980s, has entered hospice care according to Mick Karch. He was always a popular enhancement guy until getting a cult push as an unlikely star during the dying days of the company. He was a guy who in the Midwest in the early 80s when AWA was a television institution, everyone knew him.

— Not much as far as trends. Raja Jackson was at 500,000. Forbidden Door was 20,000 earlier today while the UFC show yesterday was at 10,000.

— AEW announcing 12/13 and 12/17 shows for Collision in Cardiff, Wales and Dynamite in  Manchester at Co-op live would in theory based on the dates be part of the Continental Classic tournament.

— The PFL tournament matches on Thursday night on ESPN were helped by a strong Little league World Series lead-in and the show did 356,000 viewers and 0.08 in 18-49, its best numbers of the year.  The game that preceded it did 1,575,000 viewers and 0.21. In the time slot it was behind the NFL post-game show on the NFL Network and Impractical Jokers on TBS for third place in the time slot.

— Brian Jossie, who was a manager in WWE as Abraham Washington, underwent surgery for a torn intestine. During surgery he aspirated which causes fluid to go into his lungs and was put in an induced coma and on life support. He did fully recover and was able to return home on Thursday after a month in the hospital.

— Josh Emmett vs. Yousseff Zalal has been added to the 10/4 UFC 320 PPV show in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena.

— A&E has WWE programming tonight with WWE’s Greatest Moments on Tag teams of the 90s at 9 p.m., Mic Drops of the 90s at 9:30 p.m. and LFG at 10 p.m.

— Undertaker was at today’s PBR event while Kevin Owens was at yesterday’s NASCAR event.

— Nyla Rose won the Pro Wrestling Eve title last night in London.  She will return to defend against Rhio on 11/7 and Willow Nightingale is also on that show in her Eve debut.

— Dana White has announced Fight Pass would free for a month.  This announcement came just as ESPN was reported as being interested in buying Fight Pass from UFC to give them MMA  programming after UFC moves to Paramount.