by WrestlingObserver.com Staff
This Sunday is SummerSlam, between now and then we have a few shows. NXT TakeOver in Brooklyn on Saturday, UFC Fight Night Saskatoon headlined by Holloway against Oliveira on Sunday. ROH also has a show Saturday. Smackdown airs tonight to kick it all off.
Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive return today with Wrestling Observer Live to further discuss this weekend as well as other current events. This can be listened to live here or through the iHeart Radio app.
Tonight:
Smackdown (8pm Eastern on SyFy)
Ryback vs. Big Show
The New Day vs. Los Matadores and El Torito
Neville vs. Bo Dalls
Brie Bella vs Sasha Banks vs Becky Lynch
Orton, Ambrose, Reigns and Cesaro vs. Sheamus, Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Kevin Owens
If you don’t watch it or just want to read spoilers: WWE Smackdown TV results (August 20): SummerSlam go-home show, huge eight-man tag
Web site subscriptions, which include access to both current and older newsletters as well as every audio show in the history of the site are at Sign up here for as low as $9.99 per month!
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The new issue of Figure Four Weekly is now up for subscribers (subscribe to th site here and get access to Figure Four, the Observer, tons of audio, and more) featuring a chat with Konnan about the state of AAA heading into TripleMania XXIII. We discuss the company’s improvements in production, advantages over WWE and differences in philosophy, how to listen to fans, and much more. Plus, as always, we have all of the usual reviews and international news, including Dr. Lucha’s TripleMania preview.
Last week’s FREE Figure Four Weekly is still up with a look at the crazy story of why Gawker thinks the FBI may have helped Hulk Hogan cover up his racist and homophobic comments. A judge has ordered the FBI to turn over the records of their investigation, and what Gawker is saying in court about what has and hasn’t been turned over paints a very interesting picture.
Also, now available for the first time on Kindle (meaning Kindle devices and anything with the Kindle app) is Fall Guys, the seminal 1937 book that has been described as being like the 1930s version of the Wrestling Observer. It was surprisingly not on Kindle already, so we put together a nice version with a full table of contents w/ chapter marks, proper formatting on everything, etc. Right now it’s available from the American, Canadian, and Australian Amazon/Kindle stores OR you can also buy it from anywhere in the world on PayHip, who will provide you with both Kindle and ePub (every other e-reader) format files, and you can either sideload them to your device or have them email it to your Kindle.
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WWE’s weekend in Brooklyn is the main story in this weeks Wrestling Observer Newsletter now available. This includes both Summerslam on Sunday as well as NXT Takeover on Saturday. We also have full coverage of the now finished G1 Climax and what the results mean for NJPW in the near future. In addition we look at UFC teamsters looking at options of unionization and the morale issues that spawned it. We also have a look at the AAA TripleMania PPV show, UFC ratings increases, the brawl at the WSOF show, UFC suing Wanderlei Silva and Layla retiring.
The issue is on the site right now at August 24, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Summerslam preview, G1 Tournament and finals review, Silva trial details
Web site subscriptions, which include access to both current and older newsletters as well as every audio show in the history of the site are at Sign up here for as low as $9.99 per month!
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The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.
We look at the WWE events in Brooklyn with three straight full houses and look historically at the only other promotion that has been able to do it historically and the record, as well as updates on the NXT and SummerSlam shows and more details on the NXT card as well as the probable main event stipulation and ticket demand.
We have a complete look at the G-1 Climax tournament, including updates on the last few days, the standings, the Sumo Hall preview and coverage of all the shows this past week with star ratings.
We’ve got a look at the attempts to unionize UFC fighters, the real story behind the attempt, the letter sent by UFC to all of its fighters and why they probably could have written it better, and a look at UFC business.
We also look at the wealth of Vince McMahon, Rosa Mendes being pregnant, WWE injury updates, lawsuits, weird match, Tough Enough, new names, insider trading, Raw advance, Diva search news plus notes on all the weekend WWE & NXT events.
We look at TripleMania, all the problems with the show, what happened with the Spanish language broadcast, mistakes made in booking, how the card had to change from its original plans, the letter AAA sent out after, the retirements and Hall of Fame ceremony, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.
We also have coverage of this past week’s UFC show, with business notes, the Johnson-Dariush scoring, and match by match coverage with bonuses.
We also look at the brawl at the WSOF show with The Diaz Brothers and Khabib Nurmagomedov, as well as the problems in the Jake Shields vs. Rousimar Palhares fight.
We’ve also got notes on the retirement of Layla from WWE and highlights of her career.
We also look at the lawsuit WWE has filed against Wanderlei Silva for alleging the company fixes fights.
We look at the CMLL Anniversary show, an injury to the best older wrestler in the business, a New Japan star comes to Mexico and a rundown on the main events the past two weeks at Arena Mexico.
We also look at another Rey Mysterio match, as well as the next major Dragon Gate show lineup and highlights from the past week.
We also look at New Japan stars heading to NOAH.
We also look at the beginning of talks for an international group to return to PPV, as well as a look at the Fire Festival, one of Genichiro Tenryu’s last matches and a set up for an angle with one of the biggest stars of the 80s vs. one of the biggest stars of the 90s.
We’ve got notes on the funeral of Roddy Piper, more on the Hulk Hogan tapes story, Hogan’s first public appearance, two Roddy Piper moves that haven’t come out, one of the biggest stars of the last ten years suffering a major health issue, a former star gets his number retired, a U.K. star returns after cancer, a retirement that probably isn’t a retirement, a Japanese promotion running in October in California, a wrestler having his first match in 20 years, the second oldest living wrestler and his background, big shows in Puerto Rico and news no two different wrestling Halls of Fame.
We also have an update on the status of Lucha Underground, what changes have to be made, the audience watching the show, what to look out for, notes on the contracts the performers have, update on Vampiro and coverage of both weeks of Ultima Lucha.
We also look at the ROH show in Brooklyn, TNA Hall of fame ceremony, and upcoming TNA house shows.
We also look at McGregor vs. Aldo, a big show vs. normal show, Las Vegas vs. Cowboys Stadium, Rousey vs. Cyborg update, Lawler vs. McGregor, UFC financials, how much it costs them every year just in interest on their bond, what kind of profits they are making, lots of ratings into, Rousey business notes, the Aldo drug testing fiasco, Overeem vs. Dos Santos, Punk vs. Pendred, fighter already talking about coming out of retirement, and lots of new UFC fights.
If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today. With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today.
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Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.
Thursday Update
Fight Network presents RFA 29 USA vs. Brazil Live August 21 at 10:00 PM ET.
Natalya did a pre-Summerslam interview with Newsday
WWE NXT TakeOver Brooklyn preview: Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens ladder match, Bayley vs. Sasha Banks title match
WWE News: 2K announces Supercard Season 2 updates
SportingNews did an interview with this week’s Tough Enough elimination Tanner
UFC Fight Night 74 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions
August 22 GFW will be running a show in Reno, NV. Tickets can be purchased here
Sonjay Dutt v Ryan McQueen, Reno SCUM v The Bullet Club, Christina Von Eerie v Amber O’Neal, Chris Mordetzky (formerly Chris Masters) v Nick Aldis (formerly Magnus), Virgil Flynn v PJ Black (formerly Justin Gabriel), JR Kratos v Paul Isadora
WWE NXT TV results (August 19): Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, and the last stop before Takeover
Fox News has a story on Lanny Poffo vowing to live to 100
Matt Hardy did an interview with WrestlingInc and talked about his WWE departure, his TNA run, and much more
Harley Race has a free shoot interview posted for a limited time
UFC News: UFC issues statement on Rumble Johnson
EWF presents a couple of FREE Pro Wrestling events. One on Thursday Augut 20th in Baldwin Park. and the other At The Plaza in Norwalk also a FREE event on August 22nd. If you like those events then I would like to invite you to a spectacular event on September 4th in Covina. is a family friendly event fun for the whole family. It’s wrestling the way it used to be. The way it should be. Wrestling the way our parents and Grandparents remeber it.
There are standing room tickets available for Friday’s ROH show in Philadelphia
Check our our most recent free shows:
Bryan & Vinny & Craig Show 8/18: Raw go-home for SummerSlam, WCW Nitro from 19 years ago, tons more!
Wrestling Observer Live 8/18: Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker, SummerSlam, plus Vito Thomaselli and Seth Petruzelli appear!
Aug 17 Wrestling Observer Radio: WWE SummerSlam go-home Raw report, new UFC fights, more!