DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

Two more matches made official for NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff
WWE SmackDown ratings hold steady for ‘real culprit’ reveal
NXT UK results: TakeOver Cardiff build continues
Tag Team Champions to be crowned on week five of AEW on TNT
VIDEO: XFL reveals team names and logos
WWE SmackDown video highlights: Buddy Murphy pins Daniel Bryan
Andrade, Elias advance to WWE King of the Ring quarterfinals
Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair set for WWE Clash of Champions
WWE 205 Live results: Captain’s Challenge match
WWE SmackDown live results: Daniel Bryan vs. Buddy Murphy

Latest Audio:

WOL: TWO VINTNER reveal, Kevin Owens, tons more! 8/21
B&V&C: Retro Raw and Nitro from 19 years ago this week! 8/20

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Sasha Banks returns to WWE Joseph Currier looks at the return of Sasha Banks and what it means for the women’s division. Plus, Bryan Rose’s Japan notes, and Vinny’s TV reviews.

The return of Banks gives Lynch the opponent she’s needed since WrestleMania. After winning the biggest women’s match in company history, Lynch was put in an impossible position by WWE. She had to maintain her momentum without having any credible opponents to face. Lacey Evans was a poor choice for her first challenger. One of WWE’s most important goals should have been elevating Lynch and the women’s division further. It was always known that Rousey wouldn’t be with WWE forever. It’s great that Rousey was able to have main event-level matches with the company. It’s great that the Rousey/Lynch/Charlotte Flair rivalry was so deserving of its top spot going into WrestleMania. But a year of progress doesn’t mean that much if you don’t continue to build upon it. Instead of Lynch facing someone who was near her level, her opponent was a wrestler who wasn’t even in a star in NXT.

WON NEWSLETTER: August 19, 2019 Observer Newsletter: Summerslam and G1 Finals reviews, more

One of the most shocking and heated angles in modern wrestling is covered as the lead story in the new Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 

We discuss the angle itself, how it came together, and what it might be leading to. 

Reviews of WWE Summerslam and NJPW’s G1 finals, plus tons of news are also covered this week. 

We have results and star ratings from SummerSlam, as well as data and analytics on who bought the show on traditional PPV. 

Of course we have star ratings and business notes on the final G1shows of the year, as well as the readers’ poll for G1 MVP. We also examine how this year’s tournament compared to last year’s from a business perspective. 

We have a story on some changes to upcoming WWE house shows. We also have notes on WWE PPV buying habits in major markets in 2019.

As you might expect, we also have complete coverage of NXT TakeOver: Toronto, as well as star ratings for the matches. 

Also in this issue, Ryan Frederick covers this past weekend’s UFC show, and we have detailed TV ratings and business notes on the show. 

We have full coverage of all the WWE television shows from the past week.

As always, we have in-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows,the key demos for the WWE shows and what can be learned from them.

We also have the results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week. 

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WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE
A partnership between Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn began on last night’s SmackDown. It was set up that Zayn is now speaking for Nakamura. They appeared on Miz TV last night, with Nakamura laying out The Miz at the end of the segment.
The New Day (Big E & Xavier Woods) defending the SmackDown Tag Team titles against The Revival looks to be set for Clash of Champions. The Revival cut a promo issuing a challenge to New Day last night.
Mick Foley praised Buddy Murphy after Murphy’s match against Daniel Bryan on SmackDown: “Watching #SmackDown on DVR, so I’m a little late to the pardukey, but 
@WWE_Murphy is the real deal, isn’t he? Two great performances in a row is no fluke.”
Kalisto vs. Ariya Daivari and Jack Gallagher vs. Brian Kendrick have been set up for next week’s 205 Live.
WWE uploaded a post-show video where Isaiah “Swerve” Scott (Shane Strickland) said he’d love to be on 205 Live permanently.
On her YouTube channel, Ronda Rousey discussed the injury where she almost lost a finger while filming for FOX’s “9-1-1.” Rousey returned to filming after the injury. She said her next filming dates for “9-1-1” are from the beginning of September all the way into October. The video contains graphic footage of Rousey’s finger after the injury.
Roman Reigns spoke to Sports Illustrated about sharing the WWE 2K20 cover with Becky Lynch: “To share this with Becky makes it even more special. To be able to share this past year with her, breaking barriers, I’m pretty proud of that.”
WWE Network News reported that tomorrow’s addition to the Network’s Hidden Gems section is a Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling Superstars on the Superstation special from February 1986.
WWE announced that tickets for NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff are sold out.
The Miz and Maryse have purchased a $6.4 million mansion in Thousand Oaks, California.
WWE posted a video of NXT roster members reacting to the brand’s move to the USA Network.
Pro Wrestling
NXT’s Babatunde Aiyegbusi is off of this weekend’s EVOLVE shows. Gabe Sapolsky tweeted that Babatunde will return to EVOLVE in September.
AEW is advertising that Jon Moxley will be in action at their TV episode in Pittsburgh on October 23.
Private Party will be in OWE’s Tag Team title tournament that’s taking place in London and Liverpool next month.
UFC/MMA
Dana White doesn’t want Daniel Cormier to retire and is open to giving Cormier any fight that he wants: “I’ll do anything [Cormier] wants to do and obviously anything that Stipe wants to do. Stipe’s gotta want the trilogy, too.”
White said progress hasn’t been made on booking Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal yet.
White noted that the UFC would like to see Henry Cejudo defend his flyweight title against Joseph Benavidez next. White said Cejudo needs to give up one of his title belts if he doesn’t want to do that.
White thinks there’s no way Jose Aldo can cut down to bantamweight.
Stipe Miocic found out that his father is cancer-free right after his win against Cormier.
Duke Roufus said Anthony Pettis doesn’t need surgery for his injuries from UFC 241.
Scott Coker expects that Cris Cyborg will decide whether or not to sign with Bellator within the next two weeks.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Dusty Rhodes wins NWA World title for first time

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