Daily Update: CM Punk vs. Gunther house show match set, Lilian Garcia, Claudio Castagnoli

Claudio Castagnoli | AEW
Claudio Castagnoli prepares for action. (Image credit: JJ Williams)

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered:

  • How with CM Punk and Kenny Omega title wins affect upcoming shows
  • A look at big shows with WWE & AEW with very little announced and only a few weeks to go
  • Updates on ticket sales to SummerSlam, All In, Redemption and more
  • The story of Conor McGregor, going through the drug testing issues, an amazing thing that seemed to come up, double and triple standards, the sexual assault cases and UFC covering up so much of his news. We go through a lot of fairness issues in UFC that others may not fully understand or won’t touch
  • We look at tomorrow’s UFC show
  • Sheamus leaves WWE, a look back at his run and where he goes next
  • Tiger Mask IV retires, and it’s all about the original Tiger Mask and the golden age
  • Notes on the ceremony
  • Dark Side of the Ring and TNA history, a look back and what was and wasn’t overed from the start of the promotion and the twists and turns
  • Tomoaki Honma announces retirement
  • The most complete look at the TV ratings for all the wrestling, boxing and MMA shows, details about who watched, the World Cup kills wrestling and more.
  • Wrestler leves promotion after 33 years
  • This week’s CMLL records being broken
  • Is CMLL overextending itself with the number of live events
  • World Grand Prix lineups
  • Vikingo update
  • AAA YouTube numbers
  • G-1 Climax first day notes
  • Notes on New Japan’s big show of the week in Japan
  • Ticket sales for all the major pro wrestling events in the U.S. for the next two months
  • Most watched YouTube segments for WWE and AEW
  • Notes from recent wrestler interviews
  • More notes from depositions reveal what the Board of Directors knew about Vince McMahon and Janel Grant long before the lawsuit was filed
  • Dwayne Johnson plays character based on his grandfather

This Week’s Back Issue

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Wednesday Update

Lilian Garcia WWE

WWE

  • Lilian Garcia reflected on filling in for Mike Rome as the ring announcer on NXT last night:
    • I have had a very interesting journey in my life thus far. Been through some very tough times which led me to having low self esteem, to then healing and finding my true essence through the grace of God, and leading me to places I could not even imagine.
    • Every day I try my best to live in the moment. Sometimes is easier than others but I realize that when I do that, that’s when I can sit in full gratitude of where I am being used and placed.
    • Last night I was so grateful to be announcing @wwenxt. The love and energy in the room was truly special and getting to meet those of you I was fortunate enough to take a pic with and say hello to was special to me.
    • Also very impressed with the talent that is coming up through NXT. Keep up the great work!
    • Thank you @shawnmichaels & @mattjbloom for having me back. [Mike Rome] I hope you are having a great vacation and keep up the great work at NTX!
  • WWE uploaded the full Lola Vice vs. Kelani Jordan vs. Kali Armstrong number one contender’s main event from last night.
  • CM Punk defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Gunther is set for this Thursday’s WWE house show in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
  • ESPN produced a brief hype video for Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins at SummerSlam.
  • Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be reading a bedtime story on this Friday’s edition of the BBC show CBeebies Bedtime Story in the United Kingdom.
  • Ahead of Brie Bella & Paige defending the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles against Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid at Saturday Night’s Main Event this weekend, Brie uploaded a vlog of her training in the ring with her husband Bryan Danielson.
  • AJ Lee & Paige are set to appear on The Nikki & Brie Show with The Bellas at Fanatics Fest in New York City this Sunday.
  • New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns met up with Liv Morgan and Danhausen before Fanatics Fest.
  • JD McDonagh was interviewed on TMZ’s Inside the Ring.
  • Michael Cole appeared on The Sal Licata Show.
  • WWE’s YouTube channel ranked Shane McMahon’s scaffold fall from 2000 as the 15th most shocking moment in SummerSlam history. Here is the countdown so far:
    • 25. Logan Paul smashes Jelly Roll through a table (2025)
    • 24. Bray Wyatt debuts The Fiend (2019)
    • 23. Shawn Michaels returns to the ring in unsanctioned match against Triple H (2002)
    • 22. Ultimate Warrior ends Honky Tonk Man’s historic Intercontinental title reign (1988)
    • 21. IYO SKY cashes in to win WWE Women’s Championship from Bianca Belair (2023)
    • 20. Hardys, Dudleys, and Edge & Christian face off in first-ever TLC match (2000)
    • 19. Nikki Bella betrays Brie Bella (2014)
    • 18. Brock Lesnar defeats The Rock for WWE Undisputed Championship (2002)
    • 17. Finn Balor double-crosses Damian Priest (2024)
    • 16. Seth Rollins defeats Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship (2019)
    • 15. Shane McMahon’s scaffold fall against Steve Blackman (2000)

Other Wrestling

  • Daily Star asked Claudio Castagnoli if he’d like to see his former WWE tag team partner Sheamus join AEW in some form:
    • I mean, I feel that’s not for me to talk about. I feel that is for him to talk about when he’s ready for it. I’ve stayed friends with him throughout, of course I would like to see my friends on a more regular basis. I feel I’m going to get that question a lot, but I do feel that is his to answer when he’s ready for it.
  • Tomasso Ciampa spoke with NBC Boston ahead of this week’s AEW shows at MGM Music Hall. He discussed what it’ll be like to perform in front of his hometown fans:
    • I don’t even know what to expect. I will say it feels similar to when I made my debut at AEW. I remember saying to my wife right before I went out, I was like, ‘This isn’t one of those, I hope they remember things, because I just left WWE like two months ago.’ I said, ‘It’s one of, I hope, they care things.’
    • And I feel that similar feeling of like, man, this means a lot to me and I hope that that translates to them.
    • I hope they realize, because I haven’t performed ever in front of Boston with AEW. Haven’t ever performed at this venue, but it’s been a long time since I’ve got to like show out in Boston.A lot of times when I got to go there with WWE, it wasn’t like I didn’t get a big role on the show.
    • So that’s kind of what I’m hoping the most for. I was like, ‘Hey Tony [Khan], just let me show out on this one.’
  • Part two of Dark Side of the Ring’s season seven premiere on Jeff Jarrett and TNA Wrestling is now available on Vice’s YouTube channel.
  • Dark Side of the Ring shared the trailer for next Tuesday’s “Necro Butcher vs. Samoa Joe” episode.
  • While being interviewed by Fox News Digital, Rocky Romero praised NJPW’s Callum Newman:
    • Look, I don’t think anybody was expecting that Callum Newman at his age, 23 years old or whatever it is, to win the IWGP championship earlier this year. Now he lost it, you know, back to Yota Tsuji, but he is a guy that I think the world has a lot of stock in, New Japan has a lot of stock in, that he’s going to be a major player. I think he’s got some big shoes to fill. He is a protege of Will Ospreay. If he can manage to reach the heights that Ospreay has done, I mean you know, Ospreay never won a G1, maybe Callum can.
  • Scott D’Amore was a guest on The Ariel Helwani Show today, promoting Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s new “Mayhem” TV series.
  • Fightful reports that commentator Joe Dombrowski has re-signed with MLW.
  • The False Face Show has a nearly two-hour interview with former WWE composer Jim Johnston.
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Joseph Currier
Joseph Currier

Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.

In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.