AEW announced a residency at the Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas for six upcoming Collision shows and the Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view.
Dubbed the AEW Path To All In Summer Series, the July 20, July 27, August 1, August 10, and August 17 television tapings of Collision will take place at the arena along with the July 26 ROH pay-per-view. All shows are live except the August 1 episode, which is being taped on a Thursday to air on August 3.
“We are thrilled to partner with the City of Arlington for AEW’s first-ever events at Esports Stadium. This AEW summer series will add to the rich legacy of major professional wrestling events held in the great state of Texas and serve as the ultimate springboard for AEW: All In London on August 25 at Wembley Stadium,” said AEW CEO, General Manager and Head of Creative Tony Khan. “This partnership would not have been possible without the tireless support of Matt Wilson, Justin Grimsley, the Arlington Sports Commission and City of Arlington teams and of course, our incredibly passionate fanbase throughout Texas.”
The Esports Stadium hosts around 2,500 fans.
Tickets will go on sale Thursday, June 6 at 10AM CT via ETix.com and AEWTix.com. Fans interested in exclusive pre-sale opportunities can register to become an AEW Insider by visiting allelitewrestling.com/aew-insider.
NBA and NHL programming continued to wreck wrestling shows in ratings with Dynamite this week drawing 672,000 viewers, down 39,000 viewers from the prior week and the least-watched episode since January 6, 2021. The show had a 0.23 rating in 18-49, down 0.01 from last week and placed #6 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)
The CW have confirmed that NXT will remain on Tuesday nights once the show transitions to their network from USA Network in October of this year.
Unveiling their fall schedule today, NXT is listed as airing from 8PM to 10PM as part of a new, five-year deal between WWE and The CW.
This is the first time that NXT will be on network television and the first time that it has aired outside of USA Network in the United States since it moved to cable in September 2019.
The CW is trying to push into live sports with 500 hours of WWE, NASCAR, LIV Golf, ACC football and basketball, and other sports coming to the network in 2025.
Mercedes Mone got some AEW action last night on Dynamite, her first since she made her debut in March, and ended up going through a table.
Mone, playing the heel, was involved in a contract signing in-ring segment with TBS champion Willow Nightingale and after some bickering, Willow told her that the last time they were in the ring together, she walked out as champion while Mone didn’t walk out at all.
The line got a big pop from the crowd, but Mone was not impressed. She slapped Willow, grabbed the TBS title from the table and tried to take a shot at Nightingale. The champ ducked, kicked Mone in the stomach, lifted her up and hit a gut wrench power bomb through the table, a spot which also lifted the crowd on its feet.
Mone laid dead as Nightingale lifted the title and the crowd roared in approval. Referees and medical then attended to Mone who sold the move big time.
Turki Alsheikh, Saudi Arabia’s Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, told Ariel Helwani during an appearance on The MMA Hour that the Kingdom is currently in discussions with WWE to host either the 2026 or 2027 Royal Rumble or WrestleMania.
This comes a week after Alsheikh told ESPN that they are “sweetening” the current deal they have with WWE to host one of the big five premium live events in the country in the near future.
Currently, WWE get around $50 million per PLE and they have two per year in Saudi Arabia, making more money there then any WrestleMania since this is guaranteed money regardless of how many people show up or how many merchandise is sold.
Neither the Royal Rumble nor WrestleMania has been held outside North America before and just for comparison, Las Vegas paid WWE $5 million to bring the show there next year.
While hosting WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia might not be on WWE’s list for a variety of reasons, a Royal Rumble there is more doable.
Saudi Arabia recently also announced that they are sponsoring the UFC 306 event at The Sphere in Las Vegas, dropping a considerable amount of money in the process.
WWE President Nick Khan is handling negotiations with Saudi Arabia after getting the handover from Vince McMahon.
As the long-standing titan of the entertainment sports industry, the WWE faces what some perceive as threats to its viewership base due to competition from the globally popular UFC and the recently formed AEW. In many ways, it is difficult to truly tell if combat sports fans are switching from one company to the other. However, we’ll try to shed some light on this by examining the growth and decline trends for all three companies while also considering how they appeal to different audiences.
Ups and Downs of AEW and WWE Viewers
AEW launched in 2019 and became popular relatively quickly, to the point that Business Insider once said it could quickly rival WWE for viewers and dollars. AEW ownership targeted wrestlers whose contracts were ending near their own launch time to attract athletes with familiar faces to the new company.
Much can happen in a couple of years, however. While AEW’s shows have seen declining ratings recently, these numbers often change from week to week based on the competition of other sports. Measured year over year, though, AEW’s premier show, Dynamite, was down by nearly 20%.
Given the decline in TV and in-person ratings, viewers have noticed how much the AEW audiences seem to be shrinking. There is also significant speculation about AEW wrestlers becoming more frustrated as the viewership dwindles.
The WWE, meanwhile, has grown. Without digging too much into the show’s viewership philosophy over the years, WWE has become a bit more “PG” over the years in an effort to cater to a younger audience, as previous generations of fans found the show to have too much adult content for their kids. Numbers suggest their methods worked, as Smackdown remains up 15% in the key 18 to 49 demographic and overall up 3%, while Raw has stayed up by 6% but 7% down overall across viewers outside of their main demographic.
Another factor driving the popularity of WWE is online betting. Betting on small proposition bets like the length of a match can be quite fun and raises the question: should you try real money online casinos?
Let’s also discuss one important distinction: viewers will find Smackdown on TV on Thursday, having moved days a couple of times in its history, while Raw airs on Monday night. AEW’s Dynamite takes place on Wednesday night. Just like football and other major sports, some people enjoy watching sports multiple nights per week, so the two wrestling companies aren’t exactly showing at the same time.
Overall, it’s tough to say if wrestling fans are switching from the long-standing WWE to AEW or not, but the statistics and availability for wrestling, in addition to social media reports, indicate that AEW’s rivalry is fading while WWE is continuing its mastery of the art of attracting crowds.
WWE and UFC Merger
In 2023, UFC and WWE merged to form TKO Group Holdings, but has this impacted whether sports viewers are switching from one to another? We don’t think so, and we’ll explain why. UFC is mostly viewed by adults as the sport doesn’t appeal to kids, while WWE has actively grown that market. Generally, WWE and the UFC remain different in content and presentation, with the UFC offering a larger variety of fighting styles. While WWE is known internationally, the wrestling company doesn’t have as many stars representing other continents, giving the UFC a greater chance to grow worldwide.
UFC viewership has been up year over year, with events generating from 300,000 to more than 2,000,000 eyeballs for some pay-per-view matches. UFC and WWE share similar demographics, with the age range of 25 to 54 tuning in, with the most attendance being males 25 to 34.
UFC remains a more significant threat to WWE’s viewers, though, like AEW, there remains a solid chance that sports fans will watch more than one event and not change sports habits too much.
Crossover Athletes and Changes
Individual athletes can reach a level of stardom that comes with the influence to bring fans with them when they switch sports. A handful of athletes have attempted to transition from the UFC to the WWE or vice versa. Most notable are Brock Lesnar, who wrestled in college, and CM Punk, who was a WWE title winner and had a short run in the UFC. To some, these athletes switching companies and fighting styles could lead to their fans changing loyalties, but the data on this phenomenon is unclear. One thing is certain, however: WWE and UFC fighters possess the elite athletic abilities required to make such transitions.
As for whether or not crossover athletes and mergers matter, UFC’s leadership team, including CEO Dana White, doesn’t believe we are going to see a significant amount of people transitioning between the two types of combat sports, with UFC and WWE crossover athlete Ronda Rousey noting that UFC fans don’t care about individual fighters as much as WWE fans become loyal to specific wrestlers. Wrestling legends like The Rock, Undertaker, and many others whose presence readily provides viewership surges prove that Rousey’s assessment is correct and that wrestling fanatics are more personality-focused than other combat sports.
Conclusion
From our statistics, you could conclude that there isn’t clear data yet showing combat sports fans switching their loyalties from WWE to AEW or UFC. Instead, data shows that both the WWE and UFC have experienced some growth recently, but knowledge of how their fans connect with the companies indicates that fans won’t likely transition. AEW’s lack of growth shows that the company doesn’t have stable view numbers yet.
Sunday’s WWE block on A&E featured two new episodes of WWE Rivals as Most Wanted Treasures did not air.
The first episode of Rivals took a look at Triple H vs Seth Rollins and drew 265,000 viewers, down 6,000 viewers from the prior week. The show had a 0.10 rating in 18-45, up 0.02 from the last episode and placed #33 on the chart.
The second episode featured the feud of Ric Flair vs Dusty Rhodes. It did better in viewership, with 338,000 tuning in and a 0.12 rating in 18-49. It was #26 on the chart for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)
TNT Sports and AEW announced the launch of AEW: Figure Fighters – a new free-to-play casual mobile game – featuring 3D animated versions of AEW’s most popular wrestlers battling it out in the ring.
AEW: Figure Fighters enables players to expand their fandom of the world-class AEW roster in an autobattler format by collecting and leveling up their wrestler, playing in various game modes and competing in numerous challenges.
Players can step into the ring as their favorite AEW wrestler and compete in 1:1 matches – using a combination of signature moves from AEW champions and iconic stars including Swerve Strickland, Timeless Toni Storm, Darby Allin, Kris Statlander, and Chris Jericho – to defeat their opponents in a high intensity match on the mat.
After completing missions, players can level up and grow their collection of wrestlers to strengthen their rosters. The game gives users the option to connect a wallet to purchase or earn collectible versions of wrestlers. AEW: Figure Fighters is available now to download and play in the United States for mobile users in the App Store and Google Play.
The development of the game furthers TNT Sports’ commitment to innovation in web3 technology, supported by an ongoing partnership with Immutable X.
On her YouTube channel, former mutli-time champion Asuka said that she would be taking some time off from the ring due to a knee injury she has.
Asuka has been dealing with a knee injury for several months now but soldiered on, eventually losing the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles at Backlash. That was her last match for a while.
Asuka thanked her Damage CTRL partners for helping her a lot during the past few months, especially the recent European tour where things got pretty rough for her.
Asuka was originally scheduled to be part of the Queen of the Ring tournament but was replaced by Dakota Kai.
With NBA Playoffs and NHL semi finals ramping up, NXT had a big drop from last week’s show, a decrease of 92,000 viewers for a total of 567,000 viewers. The show drew a 0.18 rating in 18-49, down 0.01 from the prior week and was #13 for the night on cable. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)
Eddie Kingston will not be able to participate at the Anarchy in the Arena match at Double or Nothing due to an injury he sustained at the NJPW Resurgence show last weekend.
But a replacement has been found already in the form of Darby Allin, who a few weeks ago was hit by a bus in New York City where he broke his nose.
Allin came out at the end of Dynamite as the rest of The Elite and Team AEW brawled following the main event of Okada vs Harwood.
The daredevil was already banged up after he broke his foot in Sting’s final match, an injury which prevented him from climbing Mount Everest last month.
Kingston was taken out after he went through a suplex by Gabe Kidd at the NJPW show and crashed his right leg on the steel security railing. The Elite beat him up afterward which was played into the angle as to why Kingston was not wrestling at the Vegas pay-per-view.
Seems Warner have not only allowed their exclusive negotiating period with the NBA to lapse, but NBC have offered more for the remaining ‘C’ package than Amazon paid for the ‘B’ one. And the NBA are inclined to go with NBC even if Warner match since NBC’s a higher profile channel.
Which might make AEW a whole lot more valuable.
*****
Jon Moxley & Bryan Danielson vs Kyle Fletcher & Jeff Cobb
Backstory: The Family want revenge for Hobbs, despite that injury not being mentioned at all on tv
Like Saturday, no intro package, right to the action, Moxley coming through the crowd. Callis on comms for this one. Though Taz is back. And Cobb has apparently joined the Family.
Kyle Fletcher’s losing right? In case there was a belief otherwise, the heels were waiting in the ring without an entrance, jumping Mox the second he hopped the barricade. Danielson rushing down to even the odds, the four brawling around ringside.
If you’re struggling for ratings, you could do worse than start with two of your biggest stars in a wild brawl. Which they’re really keeping going, Danielson’s music still playing minutes later as they continued to brawl. Until finally the bell rang as Danielson unloaded on Cobb in the corner, tape all down his spine.
Another of those countdown clocks for Swerve.
Mox in, crowd chanting, punches in the corner. Fletcher still down at ringside as Mox aimed a baseball slide at the big man’s leg then tagged BD. They still haven’t bothered explaining the beef re: Hobbs. Excalibur – as is his wont – brushed over it without explaining it.
Fletcher finally back to the apron, Cobb rushed Mox back there to tag. Fletcher aimed a big chop. Mox ignored it, shook off another and battered Fletcher with chops and strikes. Then his stupid back rake and bite.
They’re implying Kingston will be announced as injured for DoN later.
As Mox got a juijigitame which was broken by Cobb. Crowd chanted they wanted ‘Bryan’, Mox obliged: dropkick off the top to a draped Fletcher.
Ads. Fast, energetic start to the show.
Yay/boo Mox and Fletcher as we returned, Danielson begging for a tag, knocked off the apron as the heels worked over Mox in their corner. Cobb in, just watching as Moxley collapsed, mocking him wanting the tag as the crowd chanted for the IWGP champ. Mox shook free of a waistlock, rebound German to Cobb, crowd clapping, tag made, Danielson shotgun off the top, kip up, running dropkick for Fletcher, chest kicks in the corner for Cobb, flip off the buckle, running elbow strike, Cobb down, crowd up, Danielson feeling it.
Yes kicks to Cobb on his knees, the latter ducked the roundhouse but was bridged out where BD took flight at both heels, though Cobb ducked and Fletcher took the brunt. Cobb bundled Danielson back in, hit a uranage then mocked his chant. But missed a standing moonsault before countering a busaiku into a side slam.
Mox and Fletcher in, rebounding off the ropes into exchange of boots, yay/boo, strikes and kicks from Moxley until Fletcher absolutely nailed a leg lariat against the ropes. But took too long prepping his next move, Mox popping up to hit a lariat, cutter to Cobb, but wandering into a Fletcher Michinoku for a near fall. Super sequence.
Heels working over Moxley in the corner, who stumbled out into a tombstone for 2.999. This is really good.
Cobb scooped Mox on his shoulders for a domesday device, Mox slipped off and shoved Cobb into a busaiku, Kyle leapt off the top into a BD roundhouse, Moxley Death Rider, win.
That was so damn good. Try not to use the word ‘great’ too often but I’m tempted. Killer crowd and atmosphere, fast and aggressive New Japan-style tag. Hot start to the show.
The faces were celebrating when Takeshita attacked from behind, the heels 3:2 until Claudio came out with a weapon and they bailed.
Winner: Jon Moxley & Bryan Danielson
Swerve package as the new champ. Showing him doing the media rounds and etc. Then merging into his feud with Christian and the attack by Brian Cage etc last week. Good stuff. Woulda been even better if they’d bothered establishing the relationship between Swerve and his minions.
*****
Adam Copeland started to come out but was attacked immediately by Buddy and Brody. Malakai following in his own time. The other two held Copeland as Black took a mic. He got two words out and a loud ‘STFU’ chant started.
Black ordered Buddy to take Copeland’s wedding ring. Brody put him in a choke so they could grab it. Black took the ring. To murmurs. Crowd dead quiet after being scorching a few minutes ago. They placed Copeland in the corner and Brody was readying a cannonball when Kyle O’Reilly came out to fight off the other two until running into a Brody lariat.
Black Ended him.
Then the House hit an Elite-like spot in the corner, all attacking at the same time with chairs placed randomly near Copeland’s head but not really.
Zero heat for this whole thing. Crowd couldn’t have cared less about the HOB. Grabbing a wedding ring is just such a cheap replacement for a well-built story.
*****
We then went to footage of Kingston at the NJPW show Saturday. Including the Bucks and Perry attacking him after his match. Perry said Kingston prides himself on being real but sure didn’t hesitate to jump in bed with a bunch of fakes who claim to rep AEW. He did the ‘We all sacrifice’ line.
To the Elite backstage tonight, they joked that AitA might be 4:3 or maybe the others would even forfeit. Nick ran down the people they’d taken out and bragged that they run the place. Okada vowed to destroy Dax later, calling him a ‘bitch’ and mocking Kenny’s ‘mwah’ again.
As someone who really was not high on Jack Perry, these promos lately are a huge leap forward. They never actually explained/confirmed Kingston’s (legit) injury.
*****
Renee with FTR. They said if the Elite thought they’d forfeit, they were out of their minds, whether it was 4:3 or 4:2. But they think they’ve found a new fourth. Dax said name-calling isn’t very nice and Okada’s now the Elite’s bitch.
Young Bucks vs Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal (Tag Title Eliminator)
Backstory: Daniels got in the Bucks’ faces after Matt said he owed them his job; he was allowed to pick any partner and figured since he was losing anyway, he might as well go with Sydal
Jack Perry joined on comms. Excalibur meanderingly said Daniel’s new music had something to do with Frankie Kazarian or something. It was confusing.
Nick and Sydal to start, the vet teed off with kicks and a leaping knee, quick rollup for two, crowd silent again. Nick fled to tag out. Daniels in, sparking a crowd chant. He slapped Matt then fired a corner flurry; whip out, reversed, CD hit a lariat then knocked Nick off the apron.
Until Matt poked the eye; Daniels got a tag to Sydal. Then ran through double-team offense on Matt, a standing splash from Sydal buying two. Matt got a blind tag which was allowed despite them (legit) failing to make contact. Nick knocked Daniels outside then hit a double sledge off the top to Sydal.
Ads. It’s dumb to have the Bucks be dominated by a team like this. Heels do need some credibility to pass on to the top babyfaces they lose to.
Sydal struggling in the heels’ corner until a double rana took both down. He made the crawl, Daniels running through the champs, ducking a superkick, DVD to Nick, crowd behind him again. Matt broke up Angel’s Wings; Daniels hit a uranage to Nick but took a superkick to prevent BME.
Sydal and Matt ended up outside where Jackson sent him over the barricade. Nick gamengiri from the apron to Daniels who hit a right and prepped a top rope rana, plummeting down though when Matt grabbed Nick’s feet to block it. Thought he’d broken his damn neck.
They hit a TK Driver to win.
Nothing special. Again, heels don’t have to sneak wins against everybody. Perry asked if any of us were surprised at the outcome.
The Bucks fled to the stage where Matt asked for the music to be cut then yelled at Daniels for talking down to them and putting his hands on them. He said they’re trying to rid toxicity from the locker room. So unfortunately, he’s fired. But they have given him a 30-day severance package. And called for security to immediately remove him from the building. Perry clapped. Matt thanked Daniels for his work and said they loved him to death.
Then asked for an ‘A-E-dub’ chant on three. The crowd didn’t join in. Matt was almost breaking laughing here. Perry then dumped his drink on Schiavone to heavy boos. Before leaving.
And Daniels being fired was never mentioned again. We didn’t even see him being escorted out.
Winner: Young Bucks
Renee with Toni and etc. All the hangers-on have been banned from ringside for her match with Harley Cameron later. Toni vowed to ‘take your womb to the woodshed’ for hurting Mariah.
After being a comedic babyface, she made fun of Deeb’s ‘sob story’ last week. Then called herself ‘the whore that you all adore.’
They didn’t bother explaining the reason for this ‘grudge match.’
Mariah May is very distracting.
*****
Malakai did another spooky promo based around the wedding ring. He said the barbed-wire cage match idea proved the real Copeland still existed. And accepted the challenge. But if he wins, Copeland ‘bend(s) the knee’ to the House of Black. Guess he’s been catching up on Game of Thrones.
Hook vs Somebody Wolfe
Backstory: NONE
Swerve’s up in 7:20 so this ain’t goin’ long. Nope, immediate Redrum tap.
He grabbed the mic from Justin and said he was here for Jericho and ‘my FTW championship.’ He called him out. The Learning Tree obliged. Presumably with an attack from the back by Big Bill.
Nope, they’ve both just come down the ramp. Taz was trying to put heat on the heels; Excalibur cracked a joke.
Jericho played to the crowd and said it was great to see Hook back and hoped he’d learned lessons. Jericho said he loves being on tv even if it means sharing the spotlight. Hook said he doesn’t want the spotlight, he just wants to beat Jericho for the title. Tonight.
The vet teased it. Then said this is a teaching moment. The world doesn’t revolve around Hook. He needs to be unselfish like Jericho. He paused too long and a light ‘please retire’ chant started. Jericho said when he does he’ll be in every HOF going.
Jericho said you have to work your way back up to a title shot. So Hook has to win a match vs a few other guys on Collision. Hook said it sounded good then hit a ridiculously weak mic shot. They were beating him 2:1 when Shibata hit the scene. He booted Bill out as Jericho fled.
The crowd reacted far more to Shibata than any of the other three. Jericho wasn’t booed but indifference is probably worse. He was ‘bleeding’ from the head as he left.
Winner: Hook
Backstage, Swerve addressed Washington State, saying he’d brought them back a championship. He said he dealt with the Embassy and now is focused on Christian. Last summer he might have been put in a coffin (the match Cage said he cost them at All In); at DoN he’ll put Christian in his grave.
And speaking of coffins, Brian’s the final one in dealing with the Embassy: he told the crowd to welcome Cage to ‘Whose house?’ Then headed out for his entrance.
(Having Christian and Brian Cage involved in the same angle is a pain.)
Swerve Strickland vs Brian Cage (World Title Eliminator)
Backstory: Cage and etc. attacked Strickland last week
Swerve beat Claudio and Claudio beat Cage = Cage versus Swerve with a belt shot on the line?
Strickland raced at the bell to launch a double knee strike, armdrag takedown, loud chants from the crowd, he slipped out of a belly to back then bridged Cage outside. But had a tope caught into a brainbuster position though recovered to nail an apron pump kick then a leaping kick down.
Cage dragged him against the ringpost and fled inside. Then went for his out-to-in suplex, Swerve shook it off, vaulting inside to hit a flatliner. Cage was really selling his left arm but managed to hit a side slam and shoulders in the corner.
The match got weirdly slow before Swerve aimed punches at the injured shoulder. Swerve was crushed in the corner. Swerve got a boot up but walked into a military press and was dumped against the buckles.
Guess we’re going for a ‘good match’ since that brought the ads.
Back to a Cage superplex for two. Swerve tripped Cage into the buckle, running boot to the injured arm, they exchanged shots until Cage nailed a lariat but Swerve popped right back up to lay him out. Running back elbow in the corner, aggressive rights, snapmare, back elbow off the top, stupid dance.
The announcers are going all out to portray Swerve as a strong champ. Figuratively. As he proved it literally by hitting a brainbuster to his massive opponent. Cage blocked another flatliner with a leaping knee then tried Weapon X. Swerve rolled through into a short-arm scissors.
Cage got out and hit an F5. For two. Swerve hit a headbutt after avoiding a drillclaw, thrust kicking Cage so he was hanging off the apron. Swerve vaulted out to hit a stomp. Cage kicked out after a 450 from the top. Cage got more near falls we all knew weren’t going to get three. Via powerbombs.
They exchanged a bunch of strikes, Cage wobbly, he shoved Swerve free, an attempted Stomp out of a powerbomb didn’t quite come off. Swerve stamped the arm as it was bent behind Cage’s back, house call, win.
So if you’re after a ‘good match,’ this is your bag. But it never felt heated and went very long with an obvious outcome. While how much the term ‘eliminator’ means was highlighted by the fact it was barely mentioned that Cage could earn a world title shot here.
Swerve was wailing on Cage with a chair when the other Cage came out. Distracting Swerve so Nick Wayne could hit a low blow. Wayne brought a family photo of Swerve’s and broke it across the champ’s head. That seems dumb.
And really was, blood literally squirting out from right near Swerve’s eye. Cage said Swerve had embarrassed his son so now he’s forced to embarrass Swerve. Cage addressed the picture and asked Swerve’s daughter if she was proud of her absentee father.
Cage said he took Swerve’s blood this week and will take his gold.
Swerve getting beaten, battered and outsmarted three weeks in a row isn’t great either. Even if it does play into the story of Cage taking something every week. Might help if in between whoopings he won against someone with some value or at least didn’t take an epoch to beat perennial losers.
Winner: Swerve Strickland
They pushed a new YouTube show with Renee and RJ City.
*****
Renee with Hook and Shibata. Hook said he’ll beat whoever he needs to to get an FTW Title shot. Shibata had his phone ask ‘Even me?’ He wants a rematch with Jericho too. Hook said that was fine by him.
Samoa Joe wandered in laughing. He said he’s watched Hook fall into the same trap every week. He said if he stopped falling for Jericho’s crap he might actually be dangerous. Hook yelled that he’d fight Joe. Joe left. They ended with Shibata using his phone to make a customary crack about fashion. In another of those Yes it’s funny, but does it fit? AEW moments.
Hook is not great at talking or acting. And they didn’t explain the match at all or do a lot to build it. Hopefully Joe has something better to do than this going forward.
Harley Cameron vs Toni Storm (‘Grudge Match’)
Backstory: Cameron beat up May or something (if I saw it I don’t remember it)
Member when grudge matches meant foes were wrestling for like the third ppv in a row?
After mat wrestling, Storm got a lariat and headlock takeover. Cameron hit knees to the gut, crowd absolutely silent. Until a Storm Thesz Press. I think Taz made fun of Schiavone always botching that.
Storm then hip-attacked Cameron off the apron.
Cameron took over because babyface challenger Serena Deeb came out to distract the heel champ from seeking revenge against an even bigger heel who beat up her protégé. Whoever is booking this must have a hell of a supplier.
Ads.
Storm hit a backstabber, ddt, fisherman suplex with a bridge for two. Cameron hit soul food and a running kick for barely two. Storm hit sky high for two. Series of bridging near falls, Storm hit Storm Zero for the win.
Short and limited enough to suggest Cameron’s not up to much more.
Winner: Toni Storm
Arkady was with Ospreay and the Disputed Kingdom + Wardlow. Ospreay called them all bellends, Wardlow a ‘big, veiny bellend.’ They didn’t know what it meant. (It’s the equivalent of ‘dickhead’. Surprised they allowed that to air.)
He hates that Strong is so comfortable around him with his title, like he doesn’t fear him taking it (they’re now pretending that Strong is the reason Ospreay won’t use the tiger driver. Weird). Ospreay said Strong has always looked down on him on the indies. So he has no respect for him either.
Strong said he doesn’t have respect for him since Ospreay is an ‘idiot’ outside of the ring. The crowd sounded like they were entertaining themselves here.
Strong said he’d overcome a neck injury and doesn’t quit. And works day in and out. He knows who Ospreay is: he’s a fraud, coward and child. Ospreay said Strong’s going to learn humility after ‘burying me to all the Ring of Honor guys.’
What the utter F?
The WCW comparisons are overdone but building a feud around a bunch of stuff which the majority of fans will be totally unaware of is absolutely WCW-esque.
*****
Mercedes and Willow came out for the contract signing. Willow sent Statlander to the back. Renee out there to oversee things. If Mone isn’t a heel then her self-satisfied smile is all kinds of wrong.
Willow said she respects Mone. But wondered if Mone respected the title. A title that celebrates a 50-year+ legacy on this very channel. Built on hard work, dedication and making a name for yourself in the face of obstacles.
Willow referred to her ‘Titantron.’ Then said her smile was her strength. And the title is what matters to her. So she’s not just going to let Mone walk into AEW and take it all away. Not now, at DoN or ever.
She signed.
Mone took the mic then played to the crowd in a heelish way. I assume. And was booed. Did the ‘CEO’ line. Yep, she’s def a heel. She laughed at Willow talking to her about legacy. She said she was changing the game while Willow was training. Kicking down glass ceilings and breaking down doors. ‘You wouldn’t be here without me Willow.’
She said she respects Willow as a champion but there’s a different between being great and being the greatest of all time. She stood up and posed and said she’s the real face of TBS. She’s the one on red carpets and front row at Celtics games. She said the best part of Willow’s career was beating her last year. And after the ppv it still will be.
She signed.
Willow stood. And said Mone could keep believing that. But last time they wrestled, she walked away a champion, ‘and you didn’t walk out at all.’
Crowd ooohed. That’s a killer line. Mercedes went for a belt shot. Willow ducked and gave her Babe with the Powerbomb through the table. To a massive pop.
Very good segment. Mone’s best mic work so far. Helped by the fact that she seems finally to be established as a heel. Thus seemed much more comfortable. And that final line was a belter.
Kazuchika Okada vs Dax Harwood (Continental Title)
Backstory: Dax challenged Okada on Saturday, though not for the title, that’s just a throw in, since title shots are cheap
There’s apparently a long overrun since Okada’s coming out with about five minutes left. He wasn’t remotely a heel to these fans. ‘Continental Rules,’ so no interference or peeps at ringside.
Lockup, standing switch, Dax headlock takedown, Okada headscissor counter, rinse and repeat with the roles reversed. Dax whipped off, shoulder block, legsweep, seeking a sharpshooter, champ bailing outside.
Back in, Dax broke out the chops, first mid-ring, then in the corner, Okada got a headlock to escape the strikes, Dax telegraphed a body drop and was launched hard to the ringpost.
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Dax dodged a hip attack, snapping jabs until cut off but nailing Okada with a spinebuster as the latter rebounded off the ropes, both down. The champ then placed Dax up top and hit a dropkick. Dax crumbling outside to take a running bootwash against the barricade.
Okada went back in to break the count. Bless you sir. Taz said he’d done this for the ‘sticklers for the rules.’ And repeated this several times.
Okada then hit a draping ddt off the barricade and headed back inside. Crawling up the steps at six, Dax slipped off to the floor, barely beating the count back in.
Nice twist on the usual.
Okada readied a Rainmaker, Dax collapsed. Okada dragged him up looking to hit it again, Dax ducked it, pair of Germans, third blocked, Okada hit a boot, Dax blocked a second, hit an uppercut, ducked another lariat, hit a dragon suplex, both down.
Okada countered a whip into a forearm, wrists clutched now as they teed off with chops and strikes. Dax was ready for the dropkick, seeking a sharpshooter but being kicked away into the corner, hurting his neck again on the ringpost. Each countered piledrivers until Okada hit his across-the-knee neckbreaker. For a near fall.
Crowd nowhere near as hot for this as they were for the opener. Which is when both they and the show peaked.
Dax hit a superplex, both down, ref counting.
From their knees, they butted heads, into rights, to their feet, each tiring until Dax hit a discus lariat. Okada rana’d through a slingshot powerbomb seeking a pin, Dax hooked the legs for two, Okada fought off a sharpshooter and went for the tombstone again. Dax reversed and hit one to a big ooh from the crowd, for a near fall.
Okada down, Dax to the top, diving headbutt missing (Okada’s so good, moving at the very last second so it looked ultra-realistic). Rainmaker coming, Dax ducked again, seeking the sharpshooter again, getting it but the bigger man powered his way immediately to the ropes.
Then bailed outside again, grabbing his belt and looking to leave. Dax forced him back into the ring, the ref just had to immediately get rid of the belt, allowing Okada to hit a low blow and Rainmaker to win.
The rest of the Elite swarmed Harwood. Led by Perry. Danielson and Cash joined but the heels still had the advantage. Until Darby Allin’s music played, he came in from behind with a skateboard, brawling immediately with Perry. Hope dude’s actually recovered, maniac that he is.
The announcers wondered if this meant he was the fourth man. Thankfully for their braincells, a graphic cleared things up within seconds.
Very different match from everything else on the show. Slower pace, lots of counters, everything believable. Built around each seeking a single move – Rainmaker and sharpshooter respectively.
Copeland vs Malakai (TNT Title, Barbed-wire Cage Match)
Darby’s the fourth man for Team AEW
Next Collision (8/7 Central):
Will Ospreay vs Shane Taylor
FTW Title qualifier involving Hook and Shibata
Thumbs Up/Down
Opening tag
Willow/Mone segment
Overall it was entertaining; the show’s been better for a few weeks now outside of some same ol’ booking issues:
*****
It’s concerning how poor they are at promoting and emphasizing things to make them mean something: potential world title matches (ie if Brian Cage won)… longtime employees being fired… who the new fourth man will be…
We’ll certainly find out if predictable finishes attract viewers
A lot of sloppy storytelling based around angles we’ve never seen or which weren’t at all explained, none worse than Ospreay/Strong
Stolen wedding rings and broken family photos on the same show is overkill – allow one or the other to stand out
Appreciate you reading. Hope you’re having a good week.
Several matches and a few in-ring segments have been announced for tonight’s Dynamite in Everett, Washington, airing live on TBS.
The AEW Continental title will be on the line as Kazuchika Okada defends his title against Dax Harwood. AEW Women’s champion Toni Storm takes on Harley Cameron in a grudge match while AEW World champion Swerve Strickland battles Brian Cage in an eliminator match. A second eliminator match also takes place with The Young Bucks vs Matt Sydal and Christopher Daniels and Jon Moxley teams up with Bryan Danielson against Kyle Fletcher and Jeff Cobb.
Plus, Adam Copeland calls out Malakai Black, Roderick Strong and Will Ospreay go face-to-face, and Willow Nightingale and Mercedes Mone have their contract signing for the TBS title.
NEW YORK – May 15, 2024 – Major League Wrestling (MLW) – one of the fastest growing wrestling leagues in the U.S. – today announced an A-list addition to its biggest event of the year Battle Riot VI. Emmy-winning Actor Paul Walter Hauser has declared for the 40-man Battle Riot match, which the company also announced will be streamed live, for free for the first time ever on YouTube on Saturday, June 1 from Center Stage in Atlanta.
By joining MLW, Hauser is taking a huge step in his growing Pro Wrestling Career by entering the flagship Battle Riot match for a shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Championship. The acclaimed actor has been training and competing since November 2023, while making high-profile appearances in film and television.
A mash-up of a battle royale and anything goes street fight, this super-sized main event will feature 40 of the fiercest wrestlers on the planet with new participants entering the ring every 60 seconds.
“I’m so excited to take part in Major League Wrestling’s 6th Annual Battle Riot,” said Paul Walter Hauser. “While some could misconstrue this to be an actor making a cameo in wrestling, or a fan checking off some bucket list or wish fulfillment – don’t get it twisted. I am entering to prove myself worthy of a spot in the world of wrestling, as well as a shot at Satoshi Kojima’s World Heavyweight Title.”
“Paul is building something special with a two-track career driven by his passion and an unrelenting quality that separates the pretenders from the contenders,” said MLW Founder and CEO Court Bauer. “I don’t think there is anything Paul wants more than to put MLW gold next to his Golden Globe and EMMY. Now he will get his chance of making that happen at MLW Battle Riot VI.”
Battle Riot VI will be MLW’s first-ever free live-streamed event since the company began its live broadcasts a year ago on pay-per-view.
Said Bauer about the new streaming avenue, “The ‘content is king’ era is over. The creator economy is here and it’s powered by YouTube. Direct to consumer is the future for sports leagues. We are going right to the fans that watch us and giving them MLW’s biggest signature event of the year for free.”
Additional MLW Battle Riot VI will include former UFC stand-out Matt Riddle, Mexico’s biggest box-office draw Místico, multiple global champion Bobby Fish, “Death Machine” Sami Callihan, WCW legend and Karate Hall of Famer Ernest “The Cat” Miller, former MLW World Tag Team Champion Matthew Justice, multi-league champion Timothy Thatcher, third generation grappler Davey Boy Smith Jr., CONTRA masked mercenary Mads Krule Krugger, Atlanta’s own Alex Kane, former NFL player AJ Francis and many more to be announced.
Monday Night Raw did its lowest number since January 15, drawing an average of 1,589,000 viewers against heavy NBA and NHL competition. That was down 30,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast.
The show started with 1,644,000 viewers and then decreased slightly to 1,643,000 viewers in the second hour, before ending the night with 1,481,000 viewers in the third and final hour.
In 18-49, Raw was #4, #5, and #6 with 0.54, 0.53, and 0.52 ratings respectively for an average of 0.53, the same as last week. Raw beat everything on network television and was #4 overall on all of TV. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)
AEW today announced a new show titled Meal and a Match, hosted by Renee Paquette and RJ City which will air weekly on the TBS YouTube channel.
The first episode, with Eddie Kingston, will drop this Friday at 2PM ET.
“RJ City and Renee Paquette look to prove we’ve been watching wrestling wrong as they look to break bread and break tables with some of the biggest names in AEW,” the preview of the show reads.
The first episode is titled Eddie Kingston on Crying, BBQ, and Punchable Faces.
Rampage on Saturday following Collision drew 324,000 viewers, down 107,000 viewers from the prior week when the show aired on Wednesday after Dynamite. Rampage had a 0.11 rating in 18-49, down 0.04 from the last show and placed #23 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)
The first two NXT stars to advance in the Women’s North American title ladder match at Battleground were revealed last night on NXT on USA Network.
Lash Legend defeated Ivy Nile in the first qualifier and then Sol Ruca beat Izzi Dame in the second qualifier for the second spot. Four spots remain in the match which will crown the inaugural NXT Women’s North American champion.
The next two participants to advance will be known next week when Jaida Parker takes on Brinley Reece and Fallon Henley battles Thea Hail.
In total, 12 NXT stars advanced to the qualifying matches after a combine was held on last week’s show, with the top 12 moving on. Sol Ruca topped the combine.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority paid a total of $5 million to bring WrestleMania to the city next year according to a report on Las Vegas-based 8NewsNow.com.
WrestleMania 41 was heavily tipped to go to Minneapolis until Vegas got in the picture and earlier this month WWE announced that Sin City will host its second WrestleMania and first one since WrestleMania IX in 1993.
WWE World will return and will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center during WrestleMania week while Lisa Motley, VP of Sports and Special Events for the LVCVA, also said that Raw and Smackdown would take place “at an MGM Resorts venue” although she did not specify which one.
“The dates of the event will occur over Easter weekend, which is a typically slow time for Las Vegas,” Motley said. “We anticipate more than 180,000 WrestleMania fans will occupy 144,000 incremental room nights over that time period.”
Motley also noted that WrestleMania 41 will host more than 300 media outlets from 12 different countries.
Collision on Saturday night, which aired on TBS instead of TNT, drew 378,000 viewers, down 243,000 viewers from two weeks ago, a broadcast which aired right after the NBA Playoffs game. There was no Collision last week. In the 18-49 demo, Collision had a 0.12 rating, down 0.09 from two weeks ago and placed #18 for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)
