Daily Update: Ratings, Seth Rollins, Jacob Fatu

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Notes from the new issue which apparently has been the talk of the social media wrestling world:
*Seth Rollins injury and how this will lead to numerous changes in  booking plans, including what was scheduled short and long-term for Rollins through Mania and after.
*Full coverage of Crown Jewel, business notes and match coverage
*The Media Ratings Council has questions about the new numbers
*Just how far Smackdown has dropped with younger viewers based on the new sampling and NXT isn’t much  different, nor is AEW
*Konosuke Takeshita beats Zack Sabre Jr. to win the IWGP title, a look at King of Prm Wrestling, WrestleKingdom, first thoughts on Aaron Wolf, and the angles on the show
*WrestleDream preview, business notes, as well as Saturday Night’s Main Event in Salt Lake City needs the entire show revamped
*Odds for upcoming big matches
*TNA Bound for Glory notes
*A detailed story on WWE cuts focusing on Ridge Holland and WEs Lee
*Pro  Wrestling NOAH at Sumo Hall
*A huge story on the 2025 Hall of Fame U.S. & Canada candidates
*What the awards voting over the last 45 years says about those who fare better not  in than those who are in.  
*The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling shows of the past week
*It women’s month at Arena Mexico but one person is still the star, a look at  the recent main events
*A look at two PPV shows from Arena Mexico coming
*Who is the obvious choice for tag team of the year that nobody is talking about
*Best of the Super Juniors tournament
*Japanese referee dies in bear attack
*Update on Smashing Machine business
*They named a bridge after Stu Hart and more notes
*NFL star copying Ric Flair
*Fantastica Mania UK
*The Andrade situation
*Lots of background details on similar stories
*Kota Ibushi update
*Notes on Chris Jericho and Britt Baker
*Darby Allin talks about the cancers that used to be in AEW
*Update on  a training camp for AEW in Asheville, NC
*Rematch of a match of the year candidate coming to AEW show in Edinburg, TX
*Updates on YouTube numbers for September
*Debate over the new and old Ali Act
*Details on Zuffa Boxing deals
*How much UFC makes in profit per Saturday show
*New UFC fights
*Sad BJ Penn story
*Stories on fighters getting screwed by promoters
*Ticket demand for John Cena’s ast show
*New WWE hire, usage of AI for wrestling storylines and some are worried about their jobs
*AJ Styles talks retiring
*WWE injury updates

This Week’s Back Issue

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Friday Update

Jacob Fatu
Jacob Fatu

–Garrett Gonzales and I did a show today covering Andrade and Seth Rollins and AI in wrestling as well as talked a lot about WWE in 1992 with James Dixon who wrote a book on that period.  I wished we had more time to talk because that was a fun discussion.  Bryan and I will be back tomorrow night covering all the news plus AEW’s WestleDream.

–The new issue of The Observer out today apparently has been the talk of the social media wrestling world.  

–I only have minimal ratings notes on AEW on Wednesday, but considering the environment we are in where wrestling 18-34 is clearly severely undercounted and  Hispanic viewing seems to be as well, the numbers were the best they’ve been since the new system was put in place.  Dynamite did 534,000 viewers and an 0.11 in 18-49 and Collision did 400,000 viewers and an 0.11.    These numbers don’t include viewership on HBO MAX.

–From talking with people in both companies, the belief, or at least hope, is that the flaws will be fixed in the system at some point.  There is a ton of technical stuff involved.  I’ve had some conversations with people not in wrestling but super knowledgeable about ratings and I think the key flaws have been discussed in the past two week’s issues.

–No word on where they are going with the WWF world title situation.  The only update on Seth Rollins is that until they do the surgery, they won’t know the level of the damage or the amount of time it will take for him to return.  The injury is legit, the surgery is legit, unless they are really trying to fool everyone.  It’s quite the amazing irony.  But as far as how long he’ll be out, anything you may see as an estimate is premature past it’ll be months.

–Regarding Jacob Fatu, I believe the story that it was a non-ring related injury is accurate.  The hope was that he wouldn’t be out of action tha long, but it does eliminate him from tonight’s main event in San Jose (Drew McIntyre vs. Cody Rhodes is scheduled).  This is a domino effect since that was scheduled to be on the Survivor Series show, and still may be.  But the McIntyre vs. Fatu program over who gets the shot at Rhodes may have to be delayed.

–Based on Shinsuke Nakamura copying Hiroshi Tanahashi at today’s WWE show at Sumo Hell where Nakamura & Jey Uso beat Bron Brakker & Bronson Reed, it opened up speculation regarding Nakamura being Hiroshi Tanahashi’s last opponent at the Tokyo Dome.  Nothing is finalized.  Could it happen?  It’s not like that’s a firm no.

–A correction from today’s issue.  When talking about tomorrow’s show and the mention of Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi vs. Josh Alexander & Hechicero as a planned  match, Omega & Ibushi were to do a tag match but it may have been a different Callis family team like Alexander & Mark Davis.  Omega & Ibushi were in the original plans, but Hechicero was not going to be their opponent as he was not booked on the show.

–Due to Mercedes Mone, tonight’s All-women’s show at Arena Mexico, with Mone vs. Persephone and India Sioux vs. Skadi, will be the largest crowd for an all-women’s pro wrestling show in many years.  The advance is well above previous CMLL shows and it will beat the WWE Evolution show this year or any women’s shows in Japan.  Aubrey Edwards is being brought in to referee the Mone match.   Barring injury, something with Mone will be added to tomorrow’s WrestleDream show.

–Most of the top CMLL stars are in the UK for tomorrow’s Fantastica Mania shows in Wolverhampton, UK.  The shows will take place tomorrow at 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern.

–UFC is in Vancouver for an all  ESPN+ show starting at 4 p.m. tomorrow
Melissa Croden (136) vs. Tainara Lisbos (135.5)
Azamat Bekoev (185) vs. Yousri Belgaroui (185.5)
Stephanie Luciano (116) vs. Ravena Oliveira (115.5)
Kyle Prepolec (155.5) vs. Drew Dober (155.5)
Danny Bartlow (185.5) vs.  Djorden Santos (185.5)
Bruno Silva (125.5) vs.  HyunSung Park (126)
Charles Jourdain (135.5) vs. Davey  Grant (136)
Kyle Nelson (155.5) vs. Matt Frevola (155)
Cody Gibson (136) vs. Aoriqileng (135.5)
Manon Fiorot (125.5) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (125.5)
Marlon Chito Vera (136) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (135.5)
Kevin Holland (170.5) vs. Mike Malott (171)
Reinier de Ridder (186) vs. Brendan Allen (186)

de Ridder could be in line for the middleweight title with a win.

–Ilja Dragunov is backstage in San Jose according to PWInsider training in the ring.

–Laredo Kid vs. Lince Dorado vs. Aerostar vs. Jack Cartwheel for the AAA cruiserweight title has been added to the 10/25 show at Juan de la Barrera Gym.  In a match I never would have expected last month, hje 11/2 show in Monterrey has El Grande Americano Kaiser vs. Galeno del Mal.

–Sedriques Dumas is back in UFC for a fight with Donite Johnaon on 11/1 in Las Vegas.  You can look up a ton of articles on Dumas to know why using him is so controversial.

–There was a shocking photo of retired NJPW star Manabu Nakanishi.  He was famous for eating huge amounts of food.  He’s now unable to do so and has lost 66 pounds and honestly you would never recognize him.

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