Daily Update: New WWE trademark, Mone Mag, Nic Nemeth

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

• September 16, 2024 Observer Newsletter: AEW All Out recap & TV rights updates, WWE/Fox era comes to an end

• Update on AEW rights negotiations and what new things we know about both the deal that is done and the one being worked on  
• Analysis of AEW, what ratings it would do on FOX, the value structure, why it won’t happen, FS1 coverage and value
• The problems AEW faces even if it turns profitable with the new deals
• A look at All In
• The Jon Moxley angle
• A look back at the original angle with Terry Funk, why that backfired and how cultural changes mean this one won’t face the same issues
• Early PPV number estimates for All Out and the reaction to the show
• Notes on the next AEW PPV show
• The life of Kuniaki Kobayashi
• A look at the heyday of New Japan on television and Tiger Mask vs. Kobayashi
• The jump to All Japan
• Kobayashi winning match of the year
• His biggest career bouts
• His role in making two Hall of Famers by putting them over in their gimmick debuts
• Life after pro wrestling and battles with cancer
• His run during a boom period in Mexico
• The end of Smackdown on FOX and a look back
• Analyzing why FOX didn’t bid to keep the show
• The retirement of Demetrious Johnson
• The business of UFC Noche
• CMLL’s 91st anniversary show preview
• Details on a major story in European wrestling
• The most detailed look at the ratings this past week
• International TV ratings
• Advance ticket sales for WWE & AEW shows
• Arena Mexico notes
• JBL angle in Mexico
• New stars in Dragon Gate
• NOAH goes to Europe
• New Japan’s big matches of the past week
• David Taylor the Magic Man comes out of retirement for World Team Trials
• One of the 80s greatest technical stars to retire next month
• Andy Quildan talks European business
• Wrestler to host new television show
• UFC TV contract news
• Why WWE is cutting back on house shows
• How the style of work in wrestling is going to change in the U.S. because of the decline of house shows
• Lots of notes on Raw with its move to Netflix
• Notes on the next few PPV shows
• Change with NXT with the move to CW

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

• April 9, 2007 Observer Newsletter: WWE WrestleMania 23 review

Thursday Update

WWE

• Lyra Valkyria told Instinct Culture that she would like to compete in an Iron Woman match with IYO SKY as her opponent:
  • Something hit me the other day. I’d love to do something like an Iron Woman or something like that. I feel that would be the ultimate trust. And you think about the Bayley and Sasha, incredible one that they had, and I would love something like that. I think that I’d be really, really proud of that in my career if I got to do something like that.
  • Against Iyo would be amazing.
• WWE filed a trademark for the name “Harlem Lewis” on September 18. It looks to be a new NXT name for a Performance Center wrestler.
• Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner reacted to attending Tuesday’s NXT episode: “My First @WWE & @WWENXT Experience Was DOPE Yesterday! I Definitely Understand The Hype! Those Are Some Talented ATHLETES! Fr Fr Good Looks @TyHaliburton22”
• Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was interviewed by Patrick Bet-David of the PBD Podcast.
• Nia Jax made an appearance on Unlikely with Adrian Hernandez.
• WWE uploaded a Playlist video on the history between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns.
• WWE Vault uploaded a video with footage of Dump Matsumoto and The Crush Gals in WWE.
• Here’s the lineup for this Friday’s NXT Level Up episode:
  • Mark Coffey vs. Shiloh Hill
  • Lash Legend vs. Lainey Reid
  • Brinley Reece vs. Kali Armstrong

AEW/Other Wrestling

• NFL Films Presents posted its full “24 Hours with Tony Khan” segment documenting Khan during AEW Collision/day three of the NFL Draft this April.
• Khan was interviewed by Busted Open Radio today.
• AEW has post-match promos from Ricochet, Chris Jericho, Mariah May, Harley Cameron, and Will Ospreay & Kyle Fletcher after last night’s Dynamite.
• Former ROH owner Cary Silkin was backstage visiting at Dynamite in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
• In this week’s Mone Mag, Mercedes Mone praised her former WWE co-workers Bayley and Natalya:
  • The subject of Bayley coaching the WWE’s women’s roster one day came up in conversation recently. All I can say is that she’s been a natural leader for years, and that coaching is something she’s always talked about. I see her opening her own wrestling school someday, if not being an actual WWE executive when she hangs up her boots. Even now, Bayley’s the go-to person backstage—always ready to help and elevate the women around her. She’s unselfish and passionate, constantly working to push the women’s division forward as a whole – not just herself. That’s a true role model and real leadership. When you talk about the women’s movement in life, not just wrestling, Bayley epitomizes what it needs to be and should be.
  • And on that note, let’s not forget about Natalya, the OG. She’s been leading the women’s division for years. SI called her the ‘Gatekeeper of Wrestling’ for a reason—if you can’t hold your own in a match with Natalya, you’re not going to make it. She’s wrestled pretty much every woman in the business and is so giving in the ring. Like Bayley, she’s unselfish and committed to helping the next generation of women succeed. Along with being the Gatekeeper, it’s no coincidence she’s called the B.O.A.T (Best of All Time). She makes us all better inside AND outside the ring.
• Mone also gave her thoughts on the reports that AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery are close to announcing their new TV deal:
  • As for AEW and Warner Bros? Money changes everything, and ever since Mercedes Moné hit the scene, the business has been on fire! Have fun with that, my Moné Haters. Seriously, the future of wrestling looks bright, and it’s just exciting to see where wrestling is going to be in the next five years. AEW has come so far, and these rumors flying around about their next big moves? I’m here for it. I’m excited to see where we end up, but we’ve got to stay patient. This company is just five years old. I defy anyone to compare our progress at this mark to any other company, past or present. With our talent roster and this move, I also think more opportunities will come as WB and Discovery are big ponds to play in. AEW already has a ton of programming and content to offer, but there is a lot of potential and room for more. Your CEO is here to help with all of it.
• MxM Collection are the guests on AEW Unrestricted this week.
• Chris Jericho interviewed The Outrunners on Talk is Jericho.
• AEW wished Renee Paquette a happy 39th birthday.
• For The Players’ Tribune, Willow Nightingale recorded some camcorder footage of her time in London for All In.
• TNA World Champion Nic Nemeth – the former Dolph Ziggler – will debut for House of Glory Wrestling at their show in Queens, New York on Friday, October 18.
• Nemeth vs. Matt Cardona will take place at TNA’s TV tapings in Spartanburg, South Carolina on Saturday, September 28. It’s a Pick Your Poison match where Steph De Lander has chosen Nemeth to be Cardona’s opponent.
• Donovan Dijak vs. TJP is set for MLW Slaughterhouse 2024 in St. Petersburg, Florida on Friday, October 4.
• Mistico will be in action at MLW’s Lucha Apocalypto event in Cicero, Illinois on Saturday, November 9.
• Sam Leterna, who recently departed TNA, will be the ring announcer for Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s debut events in Windsor, Ontario, Canada on Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20.

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