Daily Update: UFC, Bobby Fulton, Billy Corgan

Latest News:

• NXT Level Up results: Chase U vs. Javier Bernal & Myles Borne
• WWE purchases rights to Kurt Angle documentary
• WWE Main Event results: Akira Tozawa vs. Mustafa Ali
• Impact Derby City Rumble Saturday TV taping spoilers: Bailey vs. Romero
• NJPW G1 Climax 32 night two results: Shingo Takagi vs. Juice Robinson

Latest Audio:

• Wrestling Observer Live: Dave Meltzer on WWE TV-14 story, Vince McMahon allegations
• DragonKing Dark: Death of Chester Bennington

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This Week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

July 18, 2022 Observer Newsletter: More details on Vince McMahon hush money payments, WrestleMania 38 business

• Among the highlights:
• Match and performer of the week
• Vince McMahon, the non-disclosures, the economic effect, reaction from talent, the investigation, keys as to whether he stays or goes, keys to the current investigation, the settlements, details of the most recent settlement story and key points in it, comments from women over the years, the 2006 tanning bed story, Rita Chatterton talks, and follow-ups of other investigations.
• WrestleMania, SummerSlam and ROH Death Before Dishonor
• Stardom Midsummer Champions and the next major Stardom events
• UFC notes from this past week
• Ratings from all wrestling shows
• 2022 World Grand Prix tournament
• AAA major summer show
• What will be Triplemania's major title match
• Dragon Gate's biggest show of the year
• Triple Crown title change
• Pro Wrestling NOAH co-promoting this year's tournament that led to the formation of ROH in 2001
• Keiji Muto has one of his final matches this week
• Update on Kota Ibushi
• First week of G1
• Two legendary tag teams have singles matches against each other
• Three AEW stars on Japanese women's show
• Bill Goldberg talks Bret Hart
• Ric Flair documentary series
• Japanese stars coming to base in North America
• Legendary promoter cutting back after 52 years
• Full breakdown on ticket sales to All Out
• Lots of injury updates involving the biggest stars
• Goal of the three-way tag title match on Dynamite and original plans
• Upcoming ticket sales for WWE and AEW
• Chris Jericho talks his illness from last year
• AEW star in Bare Knuckle fight in England
• Streaming numbers for WWE & AEW
• UFC lobbying for a bill that could have great effect on pro wrestlers
• US group opening regular promotion in Europe
• Next MSG show from WWE
• International TV numbers

This Week's Retro Observer Newsletter:

June 6, 2005 Observer Newsletter: The future of ECW, Simon Inoki named NJPW president

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Sunday News Update

• Bryan and I will be back tonight talking the latest pro wrestling news including Raw tomorrow, Smackdown, AEW tapings and take your questions to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com
• Bryan I will be doing a Q&A in Chicago on 9/3, the morning before All Out. We also have a bus to and from the NOW Arena for readers to avoid people being stranded there waiting for Uber. There are also meet & greet tickets for our show and you can also sit with other readers in a special section at the show. Details are here.
• We're looking for your thoughts on the first two nights of the G1 Climax tournament so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for each show to dave@wrestlnigobserver.com We're also looking for your thoughts on the NOAH Budokan Hall show.
• We're also looking for reports on tonight's WWE house shows in Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale, FL to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

• Yesterday's UFC show on ABC got 200,000 Google searches, putting it at No. 3 for the day. That's the best non-PPV number in a while, but this was a better than usual Fight Night given it was in New York and on ABC. Nothing related to boxing or pro wrestling cracked the top 20 all week.
• During the main event with Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez, Ortega's shoulder popped out of its socket in the first round so the bout had to be stopped.

• Bobby Fulton noted that he's battling shingles that has spread to his eyes. That is very painful. He told everyone to make sure and get your shingles shot if you are older.

• NWA President Billy Corgan will be doing a benefit concert on 7/27 for the surviving victims of the Highland Park, IL parade shooting. Corgan lived in Highland Park for 20 years. the show will be at Madame Zuzu's a tea house that Corgan co-owns, on the same strip where the shooting took place.

• AEW debuted a new heel group called the Trust Fund. Ariya Daivari is now Ari Daivari with the idea his trust fund kicked in and he's got access to money, and he purchased the contract of Slim J and Parker Boudreaux (Harland in WWE) and they are the Trustbusters. Right now no decision has been made regarding if this will be primarily for AEW or ROH, but Tony Khan was high on the idea.

• Ric Flair's last match opponent (s) are to be announced at 6:05 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow night.

• PWInsider has reported Bayley will be in Nashville for SummerSlam weekend. We've heard she is expected to return soon.

• Logan Paul will be on Miz TV tomorrow night. Raw will be in Tampa and goes head-to-head with Home Run Derby. That usually huts the rating a little and Raw will be behind baseball tomorrow which may be the last time until football season that Raw doesn't win the night.

• Tony Khan noted that Andrade has not been wrestling due to an injury. We've noted that the idea is Rush & Andrade vs. Penta & Fenix for weeks but it's been delayed due to the injury. Andrade said it was not serious, saying he has inflammation in his ankle.

• WWE from last night in Tallahassee, FL
• Ezekiel & Street Profits b Chad Gable & Otis & Theory - Ford pinned Gable after a frog splash
• Dana Brooke won three-way over Tamina and Nikki ASH to keep the 24/7 title. Reggie tried to pin Brooke after but she escaped
• Veer Mahaan b Cedric Alexander
• A.J. Styles b Ciampa - Very good match
• Bianca Belair b Carmella to keep the women's title
• Omos b R-Truth in a squash
• Alexa Bliss b Doudrop
• Rey & Dominik Mysterio b Finn Balor & Damian Priest-DQ when Dominik fakes being hit with a chair and the ref DQ'd Judgment Day
• Riddle b Seth Rollins

• Missy Hyatt was at ringside. Correspondent Jared Marlowe said he was sitting behind her and noted how nice she was to everyone.

• WWE did a surprise finish at last night's show in Estero, FL, as Drew Gulak pinned Happy Corbin. Usos over New Day was the main event.

• Today is the 34th anniversary of the stabbing death of Bruiser Brody inside the dressing room bathroom at Juan Loubriel Stadium at the hands of Jose Gonzalez.

• This weekend was also listed as the 80th birthday of Mil Mascaras, although many believe he's a few years older than that. He wrestled until just a few years ago.

• Unless they have signed a new deal in the past few days, Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows' contracts with Impact ended yesterday.

Other Notes

• AAW from Friday night in Merrionette Park, IL before 455 fans: Davey Vega b Shane Hollister, Manders NC Fred Yehi, Russ Jones b AJ Alexander, Brayden Lee & Gnaris Garvin b Silas Young & Karam, Billie Starkz won four-way over Lady Frost, Sierra and Vert Vixen to become top contender for the women's title, ACH & Jah-C b Ace Perry & Hammerstone to win the tag titles, Christi Jaynes b Heather Reckless to keep the women's title,Ren Jones b Spyder Nate Webb, Jake Something won over Calvin Tankman, Levi Everett (Tucker of Otis & Tucker fame),Hartenbower, Connan Lycan and Schaff, Mat Fitchett won three-way over Manders and Fred Yehi to keep the AAW title. Said to be a great main event.

• A story on the documentary on the life of former wrestler Mike Pappas, a 70s star who became a jeweler that came out recently.

• Thema Klarides, a former WWE ring card girl (yes they had one in the early days of Raw) is looking at battling Richard Blumenthal in a race for the U.S. senate in Connecticut. Blumenthal a few terms back beat Linda McMahon in an election where McMahon spent record amounts of money. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)

• Former WWE writer Phil Blechman is putting together a musical called "The Last Match: A Pro Wrestling Rock Musical." He said that Tito Santana,Tommy Fiero, Brutus Beefcake and Demolition are part of the production team. PW Mania had a story on this. (thanks to Phil Johnson)

• EPW from Saturday night in Western Australia: Cannon Connors b Tyler Jacobs, Jordan Bishop & Ryan Allen b Zenith & Del Cano, Marcius Pitt & Damian Slater b Faizai Keris & CJ Langkay, Bruno Nitro b Taylor King, Jarrad Slate & Felix Young & Chris Target NC David Storm & Edith Night & Tyler Jacobs, Julian Ward b Adam Brooks to keep the EPW title. Told the main event was excellent. This was Storm's 300th match in EPW, the most in the history of the company. Ward vs. Brooks vs. Caveman Ugg wrestle for the Southern territory title on 7/23 in Perth. 

• The first-ever match with Robbie Eagles vs. KrackerJak headlines a 7/30 show in Melbourne Australia (thanks to Kevin Chiat)

• Ch. 62 in Los Angeles aired three hours from the most recent Triplemania. AAA has made a television deal with a Spanish syndicated network.

• The MCW Shane Shamrock Cup is 7/23 at the RJ Meyer Arena in Joppa, MD with Ken Dixon vs. Kekoa for the MCW title on top. Samuel Shaw, Moses, Mandy Leon, Vita VonStarr, Rich Swann, Blake Christian and Jack Evans are on the show.

• Pro Wrestling Revolver on 8/21 in Dayton, OH at the Calumet Center with Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz vs. Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin, Joe Doering vs. Manders plus Jon Moxley, Chris Bey, JT Dunn, Rich Swann, Ace Austin, Alisha Edwards and Allie Katch on the show.