Daily Update: WWE notes, Dark Side of the Ring, Mike Bailey (2024)

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• ByJoseph Currier

• Published: 29 Aug 2024, 13:22

Daily Update

Latest News

• Mick Foley ‘probably’ would have chosen MJF as opponent for final match
• Netflix reveals premiere date for six-episode ‘Mr. McMahon’ docuseries
• WWE’s Rey Mysterio ‘feels incredible’ after stem cell therapy
• Former WWE broadcaster Kayla Braxton thinks her time in wrestling is over
• Orange Cassidy to make CMLL debut at 91st Anniversary show
• Samoa Joe explains why ROH is favorite company he’s worked for
• AEW Rampage spoilers from Champaign, Illinois
• Konosuke Takesh*ta, Grizzled Young Veterans part of five-match AEW Rampage card
• Mercedes Mone ‘did sense some audience fatigue’ during Britt Baker match at AEW All In

Latest Audio

• Wrestling Observer Live: AEW Dynamite, Vince McMahon documentary, all the news

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

• August 26, 2024 Observer Newsletter: Afa Anoaʻi bio, AEW All In preview, Zack Sabre Jr. wins G1

We have a giant story on the life and career of Kevin Sullivan. It’s one of the biggest stories we’ve done in recent years covering this very unique person who wore a lot of hats in the industry and had a lot of very significant influence on aspects of the genre.

Among the other topics covered:

• Tony Khan announces the second AEW stadium show for 2025 and we talk about reports of a third one as well.
• Previewing All In
• Update on Bash in Berlin including a new main event not announced yet and the latest on the planned stipulation
• Bryan Danielson talks about his life and career
• AEW and Triller doing PPV bundles
• U.S. Olympic wrestling roundup as well as Hiroshi Tanahashi wants to recruit three Olympians
• Update on G-1 Climax tournament and all the bouts of the past week
• A look at the career of Yoshinari Ogawa who retired this past week
• A look at Dennis Brent, who passed away, a behind-the-scenes figure who was very close to many insiders in the wrestling community and had worked for and with World Class, Mid South, WCW, JCP and WWE before a tragic case of MS ended him in wrestling.
• Update on legal wranglings involving Janel Grant, Vince McMahoin and Dr. Carlon Colker
• The most detailed look at the TV ratings from the past week, weekly rankings, comparisons with a year ago, segment-by-segment, nightly placings competition and more
• Rundown from another big show at Arena Mexico
• More on the CMLL Grand Prix show featuring wrestlers from all over the world
• Return date announced for one of the biggest international stars
• Exactly what the issues are with AAA and Penta & Fenix and why their talent isn’t allowed to appear on the same shows in Mexico
• Update on the Stardom Five Star Grand Prix
• Dragon Gate Dangerous Gate update
• N-1 tournament update
• What WWE NXT star is getting over in Japan
• Grandson of one of the biggest wrestling stars of all-time now training to wrestle
• El Hijo del Santo retirement tour update and he talks about when he was negotiating to go full-time with WWE
• MJF vs. Michael Oku match story and angle with Ospreay
• GCW hits Japan
• PPV updates for recent pro wrestling and boxing events
• Tony Khan talks more on big announcements
• Update on Young Bucks
• Penta & Fenix update
• Behind the making of MJF vs. Oku in England
• Advances for upcoming WWE & AEW shows
• Streaming numbers and international TV numbers
• Update on Conor McGregor fighting
• Former MMA fighter involved in a shooting death of a man who was friends with the person who was accused of kidnapping his son
• Heyman talks his ECW run
• Ronda Rousey on Vince McMahon
• Jesse Ventura and his attempt to unionize wrestlers

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Thursday Update

WWE

• A spokesperson for Janel Grant confirmed that neither Grant nor her representatives were interviewed for Netflix’s docuseries on Vince McMahon. The series premieres on Wednesday, September 25.
• WrestleVotes reports that the movie “The Killer’s Game” will be the presenting sponsor for CM Punk and Drew McIntyre’s strap match at Bash in Berlin this Saturday. The movie stars Dave Bautista and features McIntyre in a role as well.
• WWE produced a video of Gunther training for his match against Randy Orton at Bash in Berlin.
• Gunther explained to German publication Bild why he moved to the United States after previously not wanting to: “But at some point I couldn’t achieve anything in Europe anymore. It had to be done.”
• In an interview with The Independent, Orton said his 2022 back surgery has given new life to his career: “I was able to do things in the gym that I hadn’t done since I was in my 20s, and since I had my back fixed, I was able to strengthen it. That gave me new life. That gave me stability – almost like body armor, so to speak, that I had never had before.”
• Lilian Garcia told TV Insider how proud she is of Samantha Irvin and Alicia Taylor for taking things to another level as ring announcers:
  • Mike [McGuirk] opened the door for me. Then I was able to take it to another level. Now these ladies are taking it to another level. That’s what makes me so excited that we can keep breaking barriers. The fact I got to be the first female ring announcer to ever announce WrestleMania. I hold that dear to my heart and don’t take it for granted. It’s a tremendous privilege not only as a woman but as a Latina. Then now they get to break their own barriers. Two women hosting these mega shows. I’m so proud of them, especially when I see how much they love the job. That’s what I told Howard [Finkel]. I told him I would work so hard at this job because I knew how much he loved this job. He was helping me and mentoring me. I appreciated it so much. I wanted whoever had this position to appreciate it and love it like I did. Alicia and Samantha are definitely doing that. It just makes me really proud.
• Baron Corbin spoke to TV Insider about meeting Taylor Swift at a Kansas City Chiefs game last season:
  • It’s wild. The magnitude that she brings to everything and anything. It was awesome, but the biggest takeaway for me is when you are around her, she doesn’t act like a star. She acts like a normal amazing person. She is very sweet. As soon as I was introduced to her, she gives you a big hug. Then you’re like, ‘This is crazy. She is the biggest star on the planet right now.’ To see someone so humble and how they carry themselves. In that way, it’s nice to see. It really teaches you that when people have an ego, they shouldn’t. You look at how the biggest star in the world acts. You should be the same. It’s the same reason I say in our locker room that if Roman Reigns doesn’t have an ego, nobody on this roster should. He is the standard at the top.
• As part of WWE’s partnership with the Big 12 Conference, CM Punk, The Miz, Jey Uso, Bron Breakker, and Paul “Triple H” Levesque appeared in a hype video for the 2024 college football season.
• The New York Post has an interview with Dominik Mysterio.
• Rhea Ripley was featured on a new episode of WWE’s Tattooed digital series.
• NXT’s Jaida Parker appeared on the Under the Ring podcast.
• Booker T paid tribute to Sid Vicious.

AEW/Other Wrestling

• On Grilling JR, Jim Ross said he did a long interview for an upcoming Dark Side of the Ring episode on Mick Foley. Ross said the Dark Side of the Ring creators told him they really liked the interview.
• In his return to AEW Dynamite last night, Jon Moxley formed an alliance with Marina Shafir.
• AEW uploaded post-Dynamite promos from Saraya, Undisputed Kingdom, and Christopher Daniels.
• Ross & Marshall Von Erich were the guests on AEW Unrestricted this week.
• Scott D’Amore’s Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling announced “Speedball” Mike Bailey for their debut shows in Windsor, Ontario, Canada on Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20.
• PWInsider reports that former NXT creative team member Nick Bonanno will be working for MLW as a producer.
• The Andersons (Brock Anderson & CW Anderson) are set for action at MLW Fightland in Atlanta on Saturday, September 14.
• Matt Riddle told the New York Post that he’d love to tag with Rob Van Dam more: “I think kind of what I did for Randy [Orton], I could kind of do for Rob. If he wanted to we could probably have a crazy run as a tag team.”
• Mickie James went in-depth about five top moments from her career in an interview with Ring The Belle.
• Stan Hansen turns 75 years old today.