Last night’s Game 7 of the World Series had 20.8 million viewers and clearly took a significant number of viewers from both AEW Dynamite and NXT. AEW Dynamite had 759,000 viewers (down 21%) and NXT had 580,000 viewers (down 17%). It probably isn’t worth over-analyzing these numbers given the circumstances, but I’m sure both companies are disappointed to see a double-digit percentage decline. It should be noted the NBA lost 60% of its audience week on week, so things could be a lot worse.

Ric Flair was on WWE’s “After The Bell” podcast and dropped a big hint he might get physically involved in the Team Hogan vs. Team Flair match tomorrow at Crown Jewel.

He would tell host Corey Graves:

“That’s a secret, I’ve been cleared. I’ve got a medical release. So, never, ever forget who the dirtiest player in the game is, man. I’ll be equipped and ready, in the words of Pedro Morales, for any kind of action.”

Flair has had numerous medical issues over the last few years, and at one point in 2017, was on the verge of dying, so his health must have vastly improved. His heart condition called alcoholic cardiomyopathy means he’ll never wrestle again, but there are going to be a few bumps in his future, and very likely at Crown Jewel.

During an interview with talkSPORT in the UK, Bea Priestley revealed she turned down an opportunity to sign with WWE and wrestle on their NXT UK brand.

A big reason for this was WWE wouldn’t allow her to wrestle for STARD✪M in Japan, while that wouldn’t be an issue for AEW.

Japan is significant to Priestley because not only is she a crucial part of STARD✪M, being their World Of STARD✪M Champion, she lives there with her boyfriend Will Osprey, who wrestles for New Japan.

She was also concerned she would get lost in the shuffle in NXT UK due to the signing so much talent from the UK scene.

Her opportunity to sign with AEW would come after she wrestled Brandi Rhodes twice at the end of last year. Brandi was obviously impressed, as shortly after Priestley was contacted by Cody.

She debuted for AEW at Fight for the Fallen in July, teaming with Shoko Nakajima beating Britt Baker and Riho. Since then, she was part of the Casino Battle Royal at All Out and has wrestled on both Dynamite and AEW Dark.

WWE has been heavily criticized for running shows in Saudi Arabia, for numerous reasons, including the fact female wrestlers were not permitted to be on the shows due to the woman having reduced rights in the county.

It was such a big deal that at Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018, when WWE accidentally aired a video that showed female wrestlers in their ring gear, The Saudi General Sports Authority felt the need to issue an apology for the “indecent material” that was shown.

To WWE’s credit they have been addressing the issue with the relevant people in Saudi Arabia, and in an April 2018 interview Triple H would make the following comment confirming this:

“I understand that people are questioning it, but you have to understand that every culture is different, and just because you don’t agree with a certain aspect of it, it doesn’t mean it’s not a relevant culture…You can’t dictate to a country or a religion about how they handle things but, having said that, WWE is at the forefront of a women’s evolution in the world, and what you can’t do is effect change anywhere by staying away from it….While women are not competing in the event, we have had discussions about that and hope that in the next few years, they will be”.

WWE had attempted to have Natalya wrestle Alexa Bliss at the Saudi Arabia event Super Showdown earlier this year, but the match didn’t happen despite the pair traveling to the event.

Earlier today, WWE would confirm their persistence had paid off and confirmed at a special press conference that Natalya will wrestle Lacey Evans at Crown Jewell on Thursday, October 31, 2019.

The history-making announcement can be viewed below.

 

At Sunday’s Honor United event in Bolton, England, Jay Lethal had his left arm broken when PCO landed on it following a PCO Bomb. You can see the accident occur in the video below.

Lethal would bravely finish the match and participate briefly in the past match brawl with the Briscoe Brothers.

The injury delayed Lethal return to the US, and it is now a race against time for him to be ready for ROH’s biggest event of the year, Final Battle taking place in Baltimore on 13th December.

Jordan Myles has been the main topic of discussion for wrestling fans on the internet since he called out Vince McMahon and Triple H over what he considered a racist t-shirt that was designed for him. WWE would issue a statement saying he had approved the shirt and put the responsibility on him. It’s a complex situation, and I’m sure much more will come out over the coming weeks and months.

Myles, though, hasn’t kept a low profile. Instead, he has been continuously Tweeting about racism, specifically that WWE doesn’t care about black people, and WWE employing Hulk Hogan. One of the most shocking tweets was when he went after his former Ring of Honor college, Jay Lethal, who he called an “Uncle Tom.”

The tweet was deleted shortly after it was posted, but you can see a screenshot below.

Allegedly the bad feeling between the pair goes back to 2014 when Miles, then wrestling as ACH, missed his flight to Canada for ROH’s All-Star Extravaganza VI iPPV. He was meant to be wrestling Jay Lethal for the Television Title in a featured match. Ring of Honor management was very upset with ACH missing the show and had Jay Lethal’s manager Truth Martini bury ACH during the show saying that ACH stood for “A Crack Head.”

It would seem that Myles bears a grudge against both ROH and Jay Lethal for this.

Despite advertising in advance that SmackDown was moving to FS1 for one-week, and promoting appearances of Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, Hulk Hogan, and Ric Flair, Smackdown only had 888,000 viewers last Friday.

A considerable part of that is due to the World Series, which drew 12.2 million viewers, but it shows WWE fans aren’t as loyal to the brand as in previous years, which must be a worry for Vince McMahon and FOX executives.

Industry insiders had been forecasting between 1.6-1.8 million viewers, so these viewing figures will have caught WWE off-guard. To put it into perspective, AEW Dynamite had 963,000 viewers for their live broadcast.

Almost certainly, SmackDown’s ratings will rebound next week when the show returns to FOX, but this is still a scary precedent of how low ratings can fall.

Following on from NXT’s Jordan Myles calling out Vince McMahon and Triple H for a racist t-shirt, WWE has issued the following statement:

“Albert Hardie Jr. (aka Jordan Myles) approved this t-shirt for sale. As always, we work collaboratively with all of our performers to develop logos and merchandise designs and get their input and approval before proceeding. This was the same process with Albert, and we responded swiftly once he later requested that the logo/t-shirt be redesigned. No t-shirts were sold.”

Noticeably there was no apology, and WWE essentially said it was Myles’s fault as he approved it.

It should be noted that in the past, WWE has not always worked with their wrestlers on designs, as you can see from the below tweet from Pac. Of course, things may have changed since 2017.

This ATROCITY is not on the NEVILLE LEVEL.

THE KING deserves better. @WWEShop pic.twitter.com/fMcwUnldoW

— THE PROBLEM CHILD (@BASTARDPAC) September 29, 2017

Jordan Myles, previously known as ACH in ROH, has taken WWE to task over a racist t-shirt they released for him, which angered him so much he decided to publically criticize the company.

It features his ring name inside a smile and shares similarities of the racist caricatures seen with white performers in blackface from old-time minstrel shows.

Interestingly the t-shirt was released a month ago and quickly removed from sale, but Myles chose to make his objection public today.

As you can see below, he tagged in both Vince McMahon and Triple H, which may not be the wisest move for his career progression, but you have to respect him for making a stand.

Earlier today was UK indie promotion Southside Wrestling’s final event. It is best known as the show WWE pulled talent from, and then AEW would step in help.

During the show, Cody Rhodes would announce the signing of former British boxing Olympian, Anthony Ogogo, for AEW. He was a bronze medal winner at the 2012 London Olympics and would go on to have a professional record of 11-1 losing his final fight after suffering a shattered eye socket. This injury would sadly force him to retire from boxing. He underwent 7 eye operations over a two and a half years period but would later confirm his eye was too damaged for him to safely fight.

Later on, during the show, Ogogo would have an angle with MJF, resulting in him punching him.

Ahhhhj shittttt! @AEWrestling developmental signing @AnthonyOgogo lamps @The_MJF at @SouthsideWE tonight! #aew #wrestling #prowrestling @CodyRhodes pic.twitter.com/8bJWrw5g6u

— Laney (@sittopbomb) October 26, 2019

Ogogo did discuss he was considering becoming a professional wrestler following his retirement in an interview with Eastern Daily News.

“I’m seriously considering becoming a professional wrestler, I may join one of the big companies and do some wrestling because it has always been something I’ve enjoyed.”

“At first it was a bit of a guilty pleasure because most kids get to an age where it’s all glitz and glam and the wrestling if you’re a kid, is exciting as you don’t know it’s scripted. It’s an amazing show, and as a kid, I fell in love with it. As I grew older, I thought I would grow out of it, but I never have – and if anything it’s the opposite, I love it even more.”

“I think for me it would tick so many boxes. I have been a massive fan of it my entire life, I’m physically – other than my eyes—in the prime of my life. I want to utilize all the years of hard work, all the time in the gym, I’m very fit, very athletic and I think I’m going to give it a go so watch this space.”

Ogogo has already wrestled, debuting in February for World Association of Wrestling, the promotion run by Paige’s family. Apart from his boxing achievements, he is also well known in the UK for having competed on the 13th series of BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing, plus other reality shows.

Jake Hager, known to WWE fans as Jack Swagger, was coming into Bellatotor 231 with a 2-0 MMA record and fighting Anthony Garrett.

Hager, who was accompanied by his Inner Circle stablemates Sammy Guevara, Santana, and Ortiz, was seemingly winning the fight. Unfortunately, he would hit Garrett with two low blows that were deemed accidental during the first round. The referee had no choice but to stop the match as Garrett could no longer continue, and the match was ruled a no-contest. You can see the blow below.

 
Hager’s MMA record now stands at 2-0,1 NC, which will disappoint him, considering he was favorite and winning the match.

It will be interesting to see how AEW follows up on next Wednesday’s Dynamite.

Last Sunday, La Parka was seriously injured after a suicide dive went wrong. You can read about the accident and watch the video of the shocking incident here.

His son Karis La Momia Jr. who himself is a wrestler told reporters in Mexico:

“Thank God he is very well, he is recovering. Day by day, he is trying to move on, just today in the morning he started talking and breathing on his own, he was in intensive care, and he is going to intermediate therapy.”

When asked what it was like to have to leave his father to fulfill his own wrestling commitments, he replied:

“Here, I am very worried. Unfortunately, I am not in Monterrey with my family, but he knows it, I reminded him before I left, that I love him very much, that he is everything for me and that I will always be talking and thinking about my dad.”

“I feel very sheltered, thanking all the people, the wrestling fans, my AAA teammates for asking me about my dad’s health every day. All the people who are always sending messages, telling them that I can’t answer them because I don’t feel very well yet to talk about the subject, that’s why we are given this space to say ‘thank you very much’ to everyone, I really appreciate them very much.”

We understand that additional surgery is/was scheduled on his fourth vertebra, and the outcome of this will indicate how well La Parka will recover longterm.