Daily Update: Thoughts on G1 finals & other NJPW notes, UFC 330 fallout

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered:

• All In preview, business notes, plus current ticket interes for all the major shows through the end of November.
• Update on the shareholders lawsuit settlement and reasons behind it
• G-1 Climax coverage from the past week
• CMLL sets up its anniversary show, how the main events get decided, AEW stars involved, plus full coverage of the past week at Arena Mexico including the Grand Prix
• Part two of our story on Dory Funk Jr. We go through the NWA, its formation, why it formed, the first six champions, how Dory Funk Jr. became champion and how successful his run was. We talk about wrestling in Australia, the feud with Jack Brisco, legendary matches with Johnny Valentine, setting records in Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas and Carolina, mathes with Baba and Inoki in Japan, Dory Funk Sr., Sam Muchnick, the controversy regarding his losing the NWA title and politics in Japan.
• A look at the ratings for all the wrestling shows of the past week.
• Shocking stat about what arena will draw more American wrestling fans this year than any arena in a given year perhaps of all-time
• Will WWE raid CMLL for talent?
• Stardom Five Star Grand Prix notes and change in its business
• Naito wins GHC title
• Takeshita faces Japanese musical star
• Ali vs. Inoki exhibition notes
• Death of Diana La Cazadora
• Ticket sales for all the major U.S. and Canadian shows over the next two months
• Former wrestler hit by lightning
• Wyatt Sicks reunion
• New style promotion begins
• Update on the politics behind the sale of WBD to Paramount/Skydance
• AEW sponsoring concert
• UFC working on another big event
• Notes on Zuffa boxing and Max Kellerman announcing
• Update on ringboys lawsuit against Vince & Linda McMahon
• Injury updates
• House show notes

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Sunday Update

— Garrett Gonzales and I did two weekend shows On Friday we talked to Chris Jericho about his role in AEW, lesson learned in different places, Arena Mexico return, his decision to stay in AEW and producing Viet Slam, a videotape on the formation of pro wrestling in Vietnam, which he produced. We also talked about the big pan for the first national closed circuit show ever with Lou Thesz vs Bruno Sammartino, NWA title vs. WWWf title,in 1965, fell through. This morning we covered last night’s UFC, this weekend’s G-1 with Jeremy Finestone, answered questions, talked about Smackdown and Collision. I’ll be back with Bryan tomorrow night catching up on the weekend.

— Ryohei Oiwa beat Yuya Uemura in the Grand Prix finals earlier today in an all-time classic technical match. It was very 1970s Dory Funk Jr. vs. Jack Brisco style, not in moves at all, but in psychology, and couldn’t have worked better. Oiwa won via submission with a headlock. I expect this match to do very well in match of the year balloting. I’ve seen some of the nuttiest takes on this, but variety is what makes pro wrestling. Not everyone can pull this off and a show in 1970 with every match this style wouldn’t have worked, nor would it today. But it clearly worked here. The key also is the bookers were very in tune with the fan base, because this crowd wanted Oiwa to win. It made for a great story because Oiwa was the protege of Hiroyoshi Tenzan, who retired and was on commentary here, so that helped with the storytelling, especially with Tenzan in tears as Oiwa won.

— All this will come out in the next few days, but it appears Yota Tsuji will defend the IWGP title against Hirooki Goto in September and then against Oiwa in October at King of Pro Wrestling at Sumo Hall rather than the Tokyo Dome. The tag title looks to be a three-way program with Great O’Khan & Henare along with Yuto-Ice & Oskar and Toru Yano & Togi Makabe. Jeff Cobb is back, joining Unbound Company with Gedo and feuding with Callum Newman. Yoh will next be defending the IWGP jr. title againstTaiji Ishimori. Konosuke Takeshita will seemingly defend the TV title against Shun Skywalker, who is now full-time New Japan with House of Torture. It looks like Aaron Wolf vs. Kosei Fujita for the Never title at some point as well. Gabe Kidd’s next Global title challenger looks to be Drilla Moloney.

— Ken Johnson, 68, aka Slick the Doctor of Style, suffered a heart attack, was rushed to the hospital and underwent open heart surgery. He is now on the mend and best wishes to him. Johnson is the son of the wrestler Rufus Lloyd, who was Rufus R. Jones, a major star in the 70s.

— Mistico beat Averno via DQ with a low blow in the main event at Arena Mexico. This match had super heat. They mic’d the show better. I haven’t seen the whole show but I was told it was better than last week. The main event was pretty much perfect for its role of building a mask vs. hair match, as Averno unmasked Mistico twice and had incredible heat in their first singles meeting since the injury angle.

— On Google searches, last night’s UFC show did 1,275,000 searches. The Claressa Shields fight with Kaye Scott got 200,000. Nothing else was among the top 500 searches for the weekend.

— Thanks to everyone for the nice comments on part two of the Dory Funk Jr. story that is in the current issue.

— We are doing weekend polls, with a thumbs up, thumbs down orr thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for, individually,k the Saturday show at Sumo Hall and today’s show to [email protected]

— Our other polls are for G-1 Climax MVP and best match of the G-1 Climax tournament to [email protected]

— There was no judging controversy last night, nor any dispute that Islam Makhaachev beat Ian Machado Garry to retain the welterweight title and Mackenzie Dern beat Gillian Robertson to keep the strawweight title. I had 48-47 for Makhacev with him winning one, two and five, Four could have gone either way. Judge Eric Colon had the same scores while Sal D’Amato and Mike Bell gave Makhachev round four to make it 49-46. 81 percent of media soers had it 48-47 with the other 19 percent giving Makhachev four rounds. I had 49-46 in Dern vs. Robertson, with Robertson winning round five. Judges D’SAmato and Chris Bolinski had it the same. Judge Ric Winters also gave Robertson round four. All reporters’ scores had Dern winning four rounds but four gave her a 10-8 round, which is not inconceivable at all.

— Yesterday’s UFC show was No. 3 among TV shows for the day on Paramount + behind Lioness and Yellowstone worldwide and No. 4 among all programming on the station. The only country it was No. 1 in was Brazil. It was No. 2 in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Salvador, U.S. and Uruguay.

— Dana White blasted Macho Garry for a lack of killer instinct and was mad he wanted a hug and handshake for Makhacev going into round five.

— Din Thomas, in Robertson’s corner, said this was the last time he would corner someone.

— NXT results from last night in Petersburg, VA with CM Punk

• Zaria b Lizzy Rain to retain the North American title
• Stacks Lorenzo & Uriah Connors b Dorian Van Du & Sean Legacy
• Jaida Parker b Arianna Grace
• Saqun Shugars won three-way over Mason Rook and Tristan Angels due to help from Shiloh Hill
• Tony D’Angelo & Cruz Montana b Naraku & Grayson Waller
• EK Prosper b Uriah Connors
• Kendal Grey won three-way over Kelani Jordan and Kali Armstrong to keep the women’s title
• Punk & Myles Borrne & Tavio Heights b Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes & Jacksn Drake
• Tristan Angels came out and cut a promo onPunk and Punk gave him the GTS

— Smackdown was No. 1 for the day on Netflix in The Bahamas, Bahrain, Canada, Costa Rica, Egypt, Jamaica, Kuwait, Panama, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad & Tobago and the U.K.

— Dwayne Johnson is being awarded a Disney Legend Award tonight. The ceremony will be on Disney + at 9 p.m. Eastern tonight.

— Raw from Buffalo tomorrow will have Jey Uso delivering Solo Sikoa to Roman Reigns, Dragon Lee vs. El Hijo del Dr.Wagner Jr.and Rey Fenix vs. El Piscal in the tournament for a shot at Reigns’ title Sol Ruca vs Lyra Vakyria plus Becky Lynch and Stephanie Vaquer announced.

— In the Stardom Five Star Grand Prix, it ended with Maika, Knami,Suzu Suzuki and Ami Sohrei as the four block winners. Julia Hart of AEW went 4-3, finishing fourth in the Blue Stars A block that was won by Suzuki. The quarterfinals on Tuesday at Korakuen Hall have Saya Iida vs. AZM, Rina vs. Rina Yamashita, Hanan vs. Ruaka and Hanako vs Starlight Kid. The four block winners then meet the winners of those bouts the same night, with Maika against the Iida vs. AZM winner, Konami against the Rina vs. Yamashita winner, Suzuki against the Hanan vs. Ruaka winner and Sohrei vs. the Hanako-Starlight Kid winner.

— Mayumi Ozaki had a 40th year celebration on today’s Korakuen Hall show.

— Big Bill/Big Cass turned 40 today. Cedric Alexander turned 37. Fritz Von Erich was born on this day in 1928. Frank Hester was born on this day in 1935. Plowboy Stan Frazier/Uncle Elmer was born on this day in 1937. Dick Murdoch was born on this dya in 1946. Tarzan Goto was born on this day in 193,. Pat O’Connor was 65 when he passed away 36 years ago today. Dewey Robertson/Missing ink was 68 when he passed away 19 years ago today. Xavier was 42 when he passed away six years ago today. Afa Anoa’i was 82 when he passed away two years ago today (thanks to Tony Richards)

— Joseph Sawyer, the former Joe Gacy, won the GCW world title Atlantic City over Attiicus Cogar. Max Recon, part of Cogar’s group, tried to count three but this led to Drake Wuertz running in and stopped him. Werutz hasn’t been around wrestling for five years since WWE cut him for not following COVID protocol and he later tried to claim that those who wore masks were often connected to child trafficking. He retired from wrestling in 2023.

— WWE on A&E tonight

• 8 p.m. WWE Rivals Jake Roberts vs. Randy Savage
• 9 p.m. LFG
• 10 p.m. LFG 11 p.m. Rivals – Steve Austin vs. Booker T

— Coyote vs. ACME movie with John Cena in a lead role will be released on 8/28 but there will be a one-day screening next Sunday at movie theaters around the country.