THE ROUND-UP
The Latest from the F4W Staff
NEWS
Watch Conor McGregor’s media workout at 6 PM ET
Netflix renews GLOW for second season
NXT St. Petersburg, FL, live results: Kairi Sane & Shayna Baszler debut
NJPW G1 Climax 27 A Block finals live results: Naito vs. Tanahashi
GFW Impact results: The final build to Destination X
AUDIO
WOL: NXT, Lucha Underground, GLOW renewal, Suede Thompson, more! 8/11
Wrestling Weekly: Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, Lio Rush, Mick Foley 8/11
B&V&G: NXT, Lucha Underground, Granny’s Wrestling Report, more! 8/11
We’re looking for reports on tonight’s WWE Raw house show in Bangor, ME, NXT in Jacksonville, FL, and last night’s NXT show in Bakersfield, CA to [email protected].
We’re doing polls for all three nights at Sumo Hall this weekend so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for today’s show as well as tomorrow’s show to [email protected].
NEW JAPAN WORLD PRO WRESTLING ON AXS TV AT 8 P.M. EASTERN TONIGHT
Kenny Omega vs. Hirooki Goto in the 2016 G-1 finals
EVOLVE FROM JOPPA, MD AT 8 P.M. TONIGHT
Anthony Henry & James Drake defend tag titles
Jason Kincaid vs. Austin Theory
Chris Dickinson & Jaka vs. ACH & Ethan Page
Keith Lee vs. Timothy Thatcher
Matt Riddle vs. Lio Rush non-title
Walter vs. Fred Yehi for Progress Atlas title
CES MMA ON AXS TV TONIGHT AT 9 P.M. EASTERN TIME
CMLL FROM ARENA MEXICO AT 9:30 P.M. EASTERN TIME
Shockercito & Stukita vs. Pierrothito & Mercurio
Blue Panther Jr. & The Panther & Esfinge vs Disturbio & Puma & Tiger
Princesa Sugehit & Silueta & Lady Maravilla vs. Dallys & Zeuxis & Amapola
Caristico & Soberano Jr. & Valiente vs.. Negro Casas & Sam Adonis & Cavernario
Diamante Azul vs. Rush
Mistico & Dragon Lee & Niebla Roja vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero & Mephisto
B BLOCK G-1 FINALS AT 5:30 A.M. EASTERN TIME SATURDAY MORNING ON NEW JAPAN WORLD
Jushin Liger & Kushida & Tiger Mask & Hirai Kawato vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Taichi & Desperado & Taka Michinoku
Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Tanga Roa & Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
Yuji Nagata & Togi Makabe vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Takashi Iizuka
War Machine & Ryusuke Taguchi & Ricochet & Katsuya Kitamura vs. Young Bucks & Cody & Hangman Page & Bad Luck Fale
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi & David Finlay vs. Tetsuya Naito & Bushi & Hiromu Takahashi
Michael Elgin vs. Juice Robinson
Tama Tonga vs Seiya Sanada
Minoru Suzuki vs. Toru Yano
Satoshi Kojima vs. Evil
Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega in B block finals
Saturday has WWE Raw in Augusta, ME, Smackdown in Tampa (a loaded show with Brock Lesnar vs Samoa Joe added to the Smackdown crew), NXT in Sacramento, CA and Venice, FL and Progress Wrestling in Queens, NY (Walter vs. Matt Riddle for the Progress Atlas title, Trent Seven & Tyler Bate vs. Travis Banks & TK Cooper, Pete Dunne vs. Jack Gallagher for WWE U.K. title, Donovan Dijak vs. Timothy Thatcher, Jimmy Havoc vs. Joey Janela, Jinny & Deonna Purrazzo vs. Dahlia Black & Dakota Kai, Mark Andrews vs. Zack Gibson vs. Mark Haskins). We’re looking for reports on all of those shows to [email protected].
EVOLVE SATURDAY FROM QUEENS, NY AT 4 P.M. EASTERN
Anthony Henry & James Drake defend tag titles
Ethan Page vs. ACH
Timothy Thatcher vs. Darby Allin
Mark Haskins vs. Austin Theory
Chris Dickinson & Jake vs. Travis Banks & TK Cooper
Matt Riddle vs. Keith Lee vs. Tracy Williams vs. Walter for the WWN title
NEW JAPAN G-1 CLIMAX FINALS AT 2 A.M. EASTERN (11 P.M. PACIFIC) LATE SATURDAY NIGHT/EARLY SUNDAY MORNING ON NEW JAPAN WORLD
Young Bucks vs. Ricochet & Ryusuke Taguchi for IWGP jr. tag titles
War Machine vs. Cody & Hangman Page for IWGP tag tilts
G-1 Climax finals: Tetsuya Naito vs. Omega-Okada winner
Sunday has WWE Raw in Worcester, MA and Smackdown in Miami, FL and a Progress Wrestling show in Boston.
Monday has WWE Raw TV tapings in Boston, with Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman appearing, plus Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax with the winner getting a shot at Alexa Bliss’ women’s title at SummerSlam. There is also a Smackdown brand house show in Springfield, MA on Monday night.
Smackdown and 205 Live will be taped on Tuesday in Providence, RI.
FIGURE FOUR WEEKLY: Figure Four Weekly 8/7/2017: Looking at Kota Ibushi’s G1 reintroduction
As this summer’s G1 Climax begins to wind down for New Japan Pro Wrestling, so does a stretch of matches that has further reminded everyone that Kota Ibushi is one of the absolute best professional wrestlers in the world. While that isn’t a surprising development, it was a necessary one after Ibushi’s relatively quiet last two years in pro wrestling.
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WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER: August 14, 2017 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Takayama paralyzed, WWE financials examined, tons more
It’s a double issue this week, with extensive coverage of the WWE business, breaking it down in every category, the sad story about the paralysis of Yoshihiro Takayama, G-1 coverage, SummerSlam weekend notes, and even Hall of Fame news.
Our lead story looks at the injury and the new life of Yoshihiro Takayama, going back to the May spot where he became paralyzed, his most famous matches, his career, the Don Frye fight and his big matches during the heyday of Pro Wrestling NOAH.
Our WWE business report looks in more detail than anywhere about the quarterly numbers. Look at how the network did so far this year compared to the past few years and how the different gimmicks played out, the difference in profitability of the network vs. PPV, the exact numbers of cancellations this year as compared to the past, the remaining WWE PPV business, real attendance figures for WrestleMania, social media numbers, sponsorship numbers, where the revenue comes from, and breaking down every single revenue stream.
Look at WrestleMania business, what parts of the business are up or down, the costs and revenues per episode of Total Divas, the reality vs. fantasy of the decline in television ratings, the house show business for WWE and NXT, comparing the last two WrestleManias as well as the movie studio numbers.
There is in-depth coverage of G-1, looking at this year’s booking, the updated standings, star ratings and business notes for every show this past week, thoughts on how to change G-1 for the better next year, the Sumo Hall cards, future fall title matches, the injury to Evil and the best matches of the tournament so far.
Inside is an update on SummerSlam and NXT, as well as the ticket situation for SummerSlam weekend, WWE injuries and show length.
Check out Brock Lesnar’s post-SummerSlam schedule, the Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen angle, WWE TV deal in South Africa, Rey Mysterio’s next contract, SummerSlam viewing parties, Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly updates, and a Bruno Sammartino update.
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ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer, or by using PayPal directing funds to [email protected].
Rates in the United States are $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52. In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to [email protected]. For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52. If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.)
If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can choose one free classic issue, or two free classic issues with a 40-issue subscription.
WON BACK ISSUE: July 17, 2000 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WCW Bash at the Beach with big angle reviewed, plus tons of news
It all started in late 1995 at the coffee table of the strength coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, Kim Wood’s house. Brian Pillman was 33 years old. His body was breaking down from the years of football and high flying wrestling. His contract was due the next summer. His future was stable in that there was little doubt he’d be able to renew his deal, probably for at about the $250,000 per year on a three-year deal at the level he was at.
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FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE
With the G-1 finals late Saturday night, we will be doing our weekend Wrestling Observer Radio show on Sunday.
For the WWE house shows this weekend, based on advertising, John Cena will be working on the Raw brand with shows on Saturday night in Augusta ME and Sunday in Worcester, MA. He then moves Monday to the Smackdown show in Springfield, MA and will be at Tuesday night’s Smackdown tapings in Providence. Randy Orton is on the road with the Smackdown crew. Brock Lesnar vs. Samoa Joe will be on the Smackdown show on Saturday night in Tampa. Braun Strowman is not advertised for the Raw brand house shows this weekend but will be on Raw on Monday.
Tetsuya Naito beat Hiroshi Tanahashi earlier today to win the A block in the G-1 Climax tournament. Naito will face the winner of tomorrow’s Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega match. If Okada vs. Omega goes to a 30:00 draw or double DQ or double count out, Okada will advance to the finals. Omega needs a win in less than 30:00 to meet Naito in the finals. Since I’ve been flooded with questions on this, Okada vs. Omega 3 should start at 7:45 a.m.to 8 a.m. Eastern time, as far as the match itself goes. The show will start at 5:30 a.m.
The Omega vs. Goto championship match in last year’s G-1 Climax tournament will air on AXS tonight. Many of the top matches in G-1 will start airing a week from tonight starting with the Kota Ibushi vs. Naito match from night one, which airs on 8/18.
Scott Dawson had the surgery for his torn right biceps this week and the current timetable for a return is early December. Pro Wrestling Sheet reported this earlier today and WWE has confirmed it.
Today is Hulk Hogan’s 64th birthday. Happy birthday to him.
WWE
Mae Young Classic finalists Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane worked against each other in a trios match on last night’s NXT show in St. Petersburg. I expect the two of them to work together several more times and train for the match in the gym together leading to their 9/12 match in Las Vegas.
A lot of the U.K. contracted talent will be brought to Orlando this week. Among those coming are Pete Dunne, Trent Seven, Tyler Bate and Mark Andrews.
Regarding rumors of Gabe Sapolsky working for WWE as a producer in NXT, the story is that he was at the last set of tapings and they were talking regarding different ideas but he said he is not with WWE, has no official role there and there’s no talk of him getting an official role there, and he’s still with the WWN group.
MISCELLANEOUS
Joe Carr, who is the UFC Senior Vice President of International Business and Content is leaving the company according to a Twitter post by Ariel Helwani. He had become one of the company’s major executives inr recent months.
At least parts of TripleMania on 8/26 will air on national television in Mexico on Televisa. Details aren’t available but it’ll probably be used as either the lead-in or lead-out of the Mayweather-McGregor fight as a way to do synergistic programming. TripleMania features the climax of the more than one year build of the Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. Psycho Clown mask vs. mask match from Arena Ciudad.
If G-1 wasn’t enough, this match with Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Brian Cage for the GHC title that took place on 7/27 at Korakuen Hall is worth going out of your way to see.
Deadline has a story on a movie called the 60-yard line, about Green Bay Packers fans. Chuck Liddell is in the movie.
Tommy Dreamer talks his House of Hardcore promotion.
Ignite Wrestling will be live streaming on Twitch on 10/21.
Kayfabe Dojo Wrestling tomorrow in Rochester, NY at Pineapple Jack’s at 4 p.m.
CWE tonight in Medicine Hat, Alberta at the Medicine Hat Stamped Wildrose Room with Tyler Colton vs. Kute Kody plus Sydney Steele vs. Silas Young and Tony Kozina vs. Jonathan Gresham vs. Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Ethan Price.
Today in Pro Wrestling History: Masahiro Chono wins 1991 G1 Climax
F4W Online / Wrestling Observer Vegas Convention Event Info
August 17-21; All times are TBA; Full information on the group Facebook page; Activities subject to change
For ticketing information go to https://f4wvegas.brownpapertickets.com/
Thursday: Meet at the High Roller for Bowling at the Link; Party at Carnival Court at Hurrah’s
Friday: Kiss Mini Golf tournament at the Rio; Dinner at Texas de Brazil; Suite party (location TBA)
Saturday: Future Stars of Wrestling show featuring Disco Inferno, Stephan Bonnar, Phil Baron, Shotzi Blackheart, and co-main events: 3-way match with Leva Bates vs. Mia Yim vs. Hudson Envy, and “Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs. Thomas Santell (f.k.a. Antonio “The Promise” Thomas); NXT viewing party at the Sci-Fi Center
Sunday: SUPER CHINA BUFFET DAY at the Wicked Spoon Buffet at 1pm; SummerSlam viewing party at the Sci-Fi Center
Monday: Goodbye lunch at Chen Chen at NY NY
All website members will also receive a 15% discount on any purchases from the Las Vegas Fight Shop for the entirety of the convention
Texas de Brazil, Wicked Spoon, NXT and Summer Slam will all be sign up and pre-paid events, prices and collection begin in mid July~!
Pro Wrestling Tees is now carrying our latest line of F4W shirts. Support the Empire~! Grab yours today!
CONTACT INFORMATION
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