Daily Update: Ted Turner, AEW & NWA ratings notes, WWE SmackDown
Daily Update
Latest News
- WWE SmackDown notes: Tama Tonga returns, Ted Turner tribute, Danhausen
- Lil Yachty & Trick Williams fool Sami Zayn during WWE SmackDown Gingerbread Man funeral
- WWE’s Jacob Fatu explains why Tongan death grip is ‘sacred’
- Gunther joins WWE SmackDown brand, issues challenge to Cody Rhodes
- PRODUCE reveals full card for debut event
- AEW Dynamite 18-49 rating up, overall viewers down
- WWE reportedly shutting down streamers, content creators
Latest Audio
- Wrestling Weekly: Pay cuts, executive extensions & salary bumps
- WOL: Backlash notes, mystery partners, Lesnar’s future, WWE cuts, more!
Latest YouTube Video
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- May 11, 2026 Observer Newsletter: The life & times of Ted Turner, New Day depart WWE, TKO addresses criticism, Backlash preview
Among the topics covered:
- Ted Turner’s legacy in sports
- The history of pro wrestling on the Turner Networks
- The skyrocketing success and rapid decline of WCW
- The television heyday of Georgia Championship Wrestling
- How Ted Turner first got involved in pro wrestling
- Why Vince McMahon hated Ted Turner and how irrational it was at times
- The local TV business in the early 70s
- The 1972-74 Atlanta wrestling war, how it started and ended
- The start of Gordon Solie and Tony Schiavone on TBS
- The growth of TBS
- The launching of CNN
- How Vince McMahon got on TBS
- Why McMahon and Turner had issues during their year working together
- The role Jim Barnett played
- The death of Mid South Wrestling
- The death of Jim Crockett Promotions
- The death of WCW
- How Barnett manipulated the Crocketts getting on TBS
- Vince McMahon’s cable power plays and Turner’s reactions
- The signing of Hulk Hogan and rise of Eric Bischoff
- Hall, Nash and Bret Hart come to WCW
- How Bischoff nearly purchased WCW and how it fell through
- A reprint of a 2001 article on the closing of WCW that Ted Turner himself read and praised
- Reaction to the death of WCW
- Numerous people react to the death
- The tribute on AEW television
- His exploits in other sports
- Rupert Murdoch, Ric Flair, Jane Fonda, Tony Khan and others in sports comment on Turner’s death
- Turner’s life after he lost control of the networks
- His charitable work
- Update on Tanea “Rebel” Brooks
- A first look at how UFC is performing and its revenue driven vs. expense for Paramount
- WWE cuts continue and are looked at
- A crazy note about the income of just four of TKO’s top executives and how it compares to the pay for UFC and WWE athletes. This is absolutely shocking
- Nick Khan’s new contract with TKO
- Why so many cuts were made this year and more notes on the pay cuts
- New Day bid farewell
- WWE & UFC first quarter financials looked at
- More talk regarding Middle East shows, Zuffa Boxing, and complaints regarding WWE and UFC
- Backlash preview, business notes and odds
- Notes on AEW Double or Nothing
- New Japan Dontaku coverage
- Nico Ali Walsh on Nick Khan’s testimony before Congress
- NOAH big show notes
- The most detailed look at the TV ratings from the pro wrestling and MMA shows this past week
- Fantastica Mania Mexico
- CMLL vs. MLW at Arena Mexico notes
- Grande Americano vs. Grande Americano
- Lots of injury updates
- Who in AEW was set for a major push that is now on hold
- Champion Carnival down to final four
- Cuatrero convicted in domestic violence case involving Stephanie Vaquer
- Raja Jackson case coming to a close
- Former WWE wrestler murder case makes pub again
- Worldwide YouTuber numbers
- Dana White talks McGregor’s return
- Notes on Roman Reigns and his schedule
- When did Nick Khan learn Vince McMahon was being investigate for sex trafficking
- Janel Grant gets more public
- Notes from WWE’s television contracts
This Week’s Back Issue
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Friday Update
— There will be no Observer radio today as Garrett and I are going to do a show Sunday morning Pacific time. Bryan and I will be up tomorrow night after WWE Backlash.
— The new issue of the Wrestling Observer is up today. It is one of the biggest in our history covering the life and times of Ted Turner, both as it related to pro wrestling, a small part of his life but one that still made him one of the three most influential figures in pro wrestling over the past 55 years.
— Thanks for all the nice comments on the Ted Turner story. This was one of the longest stories I’ve written and had to get it done in two days. Crazy. It’s among the best stuff I’ve done. I will say the WWE cuts story has some very notable information people haven’t fully noticed yet.
— AEW Dynamite on Wednesday did 590,000 viewers with an 0.10 in 18-49. Collision did 429,000 viewers and 0.07. Dynamite was 9th for the night and 4th in the time slot, behind NBA playoffs which did 5,178,000 viewrs and 1.59 in 18-49, NHL playoffs which did 1,260,000 and 0.31 as well as FOX News. Collision was 8th in its time slot. The latest change in cable continues to hurt all pro wrestling.
— Regarding the 275,000 viewer claim of NWA for Saturday, at this point we have no corroboration on it as to where that number comes from and how it was calculated. The NWA has announced its 78th anniversary event will take place on 7/25 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia
— SmackDown tonight is from Jacksonville. The matches announced are Tiffany Stratton vs. Kiana James for the US title, Rhea Ripley & Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Jacy Jayne & Falln Henley & Lainey Reid, Damian Priest vs. Talla Tonga plus appearances by Gunther, Jacob Fatu and the funeral of the Gingerbread Man. There were 7,340 tickets out for the show as of earlier today.
— Reports today from Ring Magazine list Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao as being held on 9/25 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Netflix.
— Backlash tomorrow night from Tampa opens with Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker and Trick Williams vs. Sami Zayn for the U.S. title on ESPN 2 at 6 p.m. Eastern. After that will be Danhausen & ? vs. Miz & Kit Wilson, Iyo Sky vs. Asuka and the main event of Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu for the world title. We have a preview in the current issue.
— We’ll be doing a weekend poll on Backlash, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
— Dana White called the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland feud the third biggest in UFC history behind Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov and Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier. That sounds high. I don’t see this as above Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir, Rampage Jackson vs. Rashad Evans, GSP vs. Nick Diaz, GSP vs. Matt Serra, Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate or GSP vs BJ Penn.
UFC 328 starts at 5 p.m. Eastern on Paramount +
- Clayton Carpenter (126) vs. Jose Ochoa (125)
- Baisangur Susurkaev (186) vs. Djorden Santos (186)
- Pat Sabatini (145) vs. William Gomis (15)
- Roman Kopylov (185) vs. Marco Tulio (186)
- Jim Miller (155) vs. Jared Gordon (156)
- Grant Dawson (156) vs. Mateusz Rebecki (156)
- Yaroslav Amasov (170) vs. Joel Alvarez (170)
- Ateba Gautier (185) vs. Ozzy Diaz (186)
- King Green (155) vs. Jeremy Stephens (160) – Stephens missed weight by three pounds and has forfeited 30 percent of his purse
- Sean Brady (170) vs. Joaquin Buckley (170)
- Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosts (264)
- Joshua Van (125) vs. Tatsuro Taira (125) for the flyweight title
- Khamzat Chimaev (185) vs. Sean Strickland (185) for the middleweight title
— From 8-10 p.m. on CBS they will air Amasov vs. Alvarez, Gautier vs. Diaz, Green vs Stephens and Brady vs Buckley.
— Arena Mexico tonight has Mistico & Titan vs. Angel de Oro & Cavernario Barbaro, Neon vs. Black Tiger, Futuro & Hombre Bala Jr & Max Star & Valiente Jr. vs. Elemental & Explosivo & Maquina Letal & El Terrible, Kira & Jarochita & Tessa Blanchard vs. Keyra & Reyna Isis & Zeuxis, La Calavera Jr. I & II vs. Diamante & Brillante Jr. and Espiritu Negro & Fuego & Rey Cometa vs Dark Magic & El Gallero & Espanto Jr.
— Saturday night at Arena Coliseo has Titan & Neon & Esfinge vs. Barboza & Difunto & Furia Roja, Yutani vs. Valiente Jr. in a lightning match and Los Gemelo Diablos vs. Euforia & Mephisto.
— Next Friday at Arena Mexico is the 20th anniversary of Me Muero, the song and music video that is now Mistico’s iconic entrance music. Keep in mind that we actually never hear that song on CMLL shows since they don’t have the rights. They do play the song in the building and the place goes crazy. Literally this is like if they played Cult of Personality in the buildings but then on television played a cover song so you couldn’t hear it or the crowd reaction. The same happened in New Japan. Tony Khan has paid for usage of the song, so the only televised place to hear it is actually on AEW television. The 20th anniversary main event is Mistico & Mascara Dorada & Neon vs. Volador Jr. & Averno & Ultimo Guerreo
— AAA TV tomorrow night looks to have Octagon Jr. vs. Cruz del Toro vs. Lince Dorado and Catalina vs. Jessy Jackson. This will air on YouTube after the Backlash broadcast ends.
— Walter Holloway, who wrestled for Matt Tremont’s H2O Wrestling group in the Northeast as well as other independent groups, passed away from a shooting at the age of 31. The shooting took place Wednesday night at about 10:30 p.m. in South Philadelphia. He had been shot several times. The belief is the shooting is related to an incident on Tuesday that has yet to be reported.
— An interview with Diana Hart Smith.
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.