Sat. Roundup: Jimmy Uso Injury Update, Athena on Main Eventing ROH DBD 2023, Sam Adonis Leaves MLW, El Phantasmo, Indies

WWE

• Friday’s WWE Friday Night SmackDown drew a preliminary viewership of 1,182,000 viewers on FS1, according to Sports TV Ratings. This week’s show was notable for airing on FS1 due to FOX’s commitments with the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
• As noted before, WWE made several changes to their original plans for Friday’s SmackDown show in Orlando, Florida due to several talents being pulled over COVID-19 related issues. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources provided several new details regarding what was changed and was not changed. Johnson reported that the only other notable change made involved WWE officials pulling their plans for a pre-show dark match between Rick Boogs and Odyssey Jones.
• WWE held a dark match of Tiffany Stratton vs. Kiana James, which was won by Stratton, prior to the start of Friday’s SmackDown show in Orlando.
• PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that Big E was in attendance backstage at Friday’s SmackDown show in Orlando.
• Today is the one-year anniversary of Vince McMahon announcing that he was stepping away from WWE for retirement. Prior to his announcement, McMahon was involved in a sexual misconduct and hush money payments scandal towards several former female employees and at least one talent. McMahon eventually made his return to WWE earlier this year and began talks for the company’s eventual sale to Endeavor.
• WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker reportedly is currently scheduled to be in Detroit, Michigan during SummerSlam 2023 weekend, according to PWInsider. Mike Johnson reported that WWE’s plans for The Undertaker that weekend are currently not known beyond him performing a One Deadman Show event on August 4th in the city.
• WWE recently announced that tickets for next year’s WrestleMania 40 event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will officially go on sale starting on August 18th.
• The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reported that his sources stated that WWE officials currently have scheduled for the United States Championship match between the winner of the U.S. Championship Invitational tournament and Austin Theory to take place on the August 4th SmackDown show. Meltzer reported that this was WWE’s plans as of earlier this week and this match was not originally planned to take place at the following night’s SummerSlam 2023 event.
• As noted before, Eric Young had requested and was granted his release from WWE this past April due to issues related to Vince McMahon’s return to the company. In a recent interview with Busted Open Radio podcast, Young gave his thoughts about his decision to leave WWE and revealed that he had initially signed a deal with the company around late October or early November of last year. Young stated “There was lots of issues. It’s (WWE) a difficult place to work and anyone that’s worked there knows that. For me, when I signed up, end of October, early November, I signed up to play on one team and when it came time to go to work, I was gonna be playing on a different team and personally, professionally and more important for me, morally, I can’t take instructions from a person like that. I refuse, and I’m in a very blessed position where I get to choose and I choose not to work there and everyone’s got their own lives and their own stories and I was going back and forth with a couple guys that are very well respected there. They were saying thank you for leading. I’m not doing it to be a leader or to set an example. I’m doing it because it’s right for me, and it’s amazing I get to make that choice but a lot of guys won’t ever get that choice, guys and girls. They won’t get that choice. I get to choose and I choose not to work for that particular person. I’m sure everyone’s following along.” (Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com)
• In a recent interview with Sportskeeda’s WrestleBinge podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels gave his thoughts about not being interested in coming out of retirement again for another match. Michaels stated “No, I absolutely do not think about that at all anymore. I’m so enamored and enjoy helping these young men and women come through NXT. I’ve had my time in the sun and I enjoyed every bit of it, but I so thoroughly enjoy being able to help them and allow them to have the same opportunities that I had. I was very happy to be able to work with Finn Balor in his second run in NXT because I certainly missed out on his first time. I have a great deal of admiration and respect for Finn and everything he’s brought to NXT. Now, this is about the generation of Bronn Breakker, Julius and Brutus Creed, Tiffany Stratton. We have a number of young men and women who have come through NXT that are going to be huge superstars on the main roster. I don’t think anybody is going to be surprised if they see Bronn Breakker and Carmelo Hayes headlining a WrestleMania in the very near future. That’s what I’m obviously focused on. We look forward to bringing the Great American Bash to Texas and putting together a great card, and me doing everything I can to help them out and bring them success in the future.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)
• As noted before, Peacock will be releasing a new documentary based on former AEW and current WWE talent Cody Rhodes on July 30th. In a recent interview with Denise Salcedo, Rhodes gave his thoughts about him being adamant that All In would be covered in his new documentary due to the importance of that event on his career. Rhodes stated “No because I had really minimal requests. Here’s why I had minimal requests. I’ve done enough reality TV where you think, ‘Oh, you’re a producer. Please, ask for this and you’ll get it.’ Then you’ll find out they’re not interested in what you have to say. They’re gonna run their show and that’s their job. So now my expectations are really low. So I have, ‘Hey, these are two things I’d like to see in there.’ They were really small. I wanted to see if they found any footage of me wrestling when I was in high school or younger. Found it. I was adamant that All In be covered. You cannot tell the story unless you cover All In, and All In is not mine, it’s someone else’s. That’s a troublesome but also beautiful thing, in the spirit of it. So for it to be covered here, I was really happy, and for WWE to allow it to be covered kind of goes along with how WWE has treated me since I’ve come back. The song says, ‘Wrestling has more than one royal family.’ It doesn’t say sports entertainment has more than one royal family. There hasn’t been a revision to me. Kevin Dunn and Vince (McMahon) and Bruce (Prichard) and Stephanie (McMahon) and Hunter [Triple H] have just tried to make me bigger, and I thank them greatly for doing that because they haven’t changed me in the process.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)
• Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the July 11th NXT show drew a key demographic ranking of #1 for that night. Meltzer reported that this was the first time in NXT history that a NXT show took the top ranking for a night.
• Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that despite WWE’s SmackDown shows have recently been the highest rated shows on Fridays for network television, WWE still generates around 30% less in ad revenues for their shows for FOX than what CBS, NBC, and ABC generates for their shows during those same nights.
• The July 7th SmackDown show featured an in-ring segment between the Bloodline and the Usos that resulted in the Usos being attacked and Jimmy Uso being stretchered out. WWE later announced that Jimmy had suffered a ruptured rib cartilage and would be out of action for the foreseeable future. Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that his sources stated that WWE writing out Jimmy was only for storyline purposes and not due to him recently suffering a legitimate injury or for any other reason.
• WWE recently announced that they will be holding their next investor’s meeting on August 2nd to discuss the results of their fiscal second quarter 2023 report.

AEW & ROH

• Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the July 12th AEW Dynamite show drew a key demographic ranking of #2, only behind that night’s 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer game of United States vs. Panama. In regards to other recent AEW shows, Meltzer reported that the July 14th Rampage show was ranked #9 for that night and the July 15th Collision show was ranked #4 and Battle of the Belts VII was ranked #6 for that night.
• Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the reason why AEW Dynamite shows do not peak as often in the first quarter compared to the past is due to the large decline in ratings for The Big Bang Theory as its lead-in programming. Meltzer reported that last week’s Big Bang Theory show drew a 0.12 key demographic rating. Meltzer reported that this is well below the 0.27 to 0.33 range the series had been averaging in early 2022 when Dynamite had moved over to TBS.
• In a recent interview with Fightful, Cody Rhodes stated that he remains in regular contact with The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega since he left AEW in early 2022. Rhodes also stated that if it was not for the Young Bucks giving their apporval for the usage of Being The Elite footage, his new documentary on Peacock probably would not have been possible.
• In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Claudio Castagnoli gave his thoughts about Wheeler Yuta working through a hamstring injury for the Blood & Guts match at this past Wednesday’s Dynamite show. Castagnoli stated “A lot of people pay good money to see us live. I’ll never give them less than 100% every single time I step through that curtain. That’s why I respect the BCC so much. Wheeler won’t say this, but he had a very hurt hamstring. He couldn’t run, but you couldn’t tell that during the match. Mox is energy and pure joy despite the pain, and it was inspiring to see Bryan [Danielson] working 10 minutes with a broken arm at Forbidden Door. Those are the people I want to surround myself with.“
• In a recent interview with the Busted Open Radio podcast, Daniel Garcia gave his thoughts about the development of his character in AEW and Ring of Honor. Garcia stated “Oh, it’s been great (his character development). I feel like when I came into AEW, I feel like I was typecast a lot just as a technical wrestler and a lot of times, technical wrestlers get typecast as boring and I feel like being with (Chris) Jericho and being able to stay in the Jericho Appreciation Society has really allowed me to show more levels and layers to my character and what I can do as a performer so I’m really grateful for that.” (Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com)
• In a recent interview with the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast, Britt Baker gave her thoughts about AEW’s new Collision television series. Baker stated “It’s awesome because it gives more people TV time. We have such a huge roster and we have the best wrestlers in the world, but there are like 20 of them, there are so many. It’s great to give people a split and more TV time. For us, we’re still getting used to it because we don’t know what show we’re going to be on yet. It’s not like a hard brand split. It’s not like a Raw and SmackDown thing yet. I don’t know what the plan for that is going to be in the future, but it’s awesome because we’ve only been on TV for three or four years now and we already have three TV shows. The network wanted another show.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)
• In a recent virtual fan signing event for Highspots, Kris Statlander gave her reason why she performs sign language during her entrances for her matches. Statlander stated “There is not a story. I just thought it would be cool and different. I’m not fluent in it, but I do know some basic sentences and stuff. I just thought it would be something different and you don’t see it often. That’s really all there is to it. I don’t know anyone that is deaf. I didn’t really have a reason to learn it.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)
• In a recent interview with Inside The Ropes, Saraya gave her thoughts about how WWE’s Senior Director Talent Medical refused to allow Saraya to undergo any more medical tests for neck that would be paid for by the company. Saraya stated “WWE, I asked to see my neck a few times and the medical said that the book was closed on that and that they weren’t gonna keep checking on it which was really disappointing so if I wanted to check on my neck, it would have to come out of my own pocket. Her name was Stacy (DePolo). That was her who said that by the way so it wasn’t anything to do with Hunter or anything. It was just that medical department which I thought was a little unfair but it’s okay.” Saraya also gave her thoughts about her in-ring return from retirement in a match against Britt Baker in AEW. Saraya stated “It’s really ironic because I was wrestling a dentist (at AEW Full Gear 2022) but, my wisdom teeth got really badly impacted and so I was in pain all that week but the next day after I wrestled, my face had swollen up and then I got on a plane and I had thrown up on the plane because of this infection as well so there was a lot going on and a lot of stress and again, Tony (Khan) was so wonderful. That’s why the week after my match, that’s why I wasn’t on TV or appearing on TVs because I was at the dentist getting this sh*t taken out, you know? And so, again, they were really helpful. It was a really good company to be in when you’re under stress, because they have a lot of empathy and the lawyers there have a lot of empathy and so, it was a very, very, very stressful time. Like very stressful.” (Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com)
• PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that Cheeseburger and former Ring of Honor owner Cary Silkin were in attendance backstage at ROH’s Death Before Dishonor 2023 event on Saturday in Trenton, New Jersey.
• In a recent interview with the Ten Count podcast, Athena gave her thoughts about an all-women’s event involving AEW and ROH is the ultimate goal of both AEW and ROH’s women’s locker rooms. Athena stated “Absolutely. That’s the cool thing with Tony Khan; anything is a possibility. You never know what’s going on in his crazy head. I know that every time any woman from the AEW locker room, the ROH locker room, we’re going out there to prove a point that we deserve the position we’re put in. The fans are loving it, it’s our heart put on a platter. Of course, that would be the ultimate goal, to do an all-women’s pay-per-view with Ring of Honor and AEW. That is the ultimate goal down the road. I know every locker room across the board; Collision, Dynamite, Rampage, Ring of Honor, that’s something we all want, it’s just a matter of time.” Athena also gave her thoughts about the idea of a potential unification of AEW and ROH’s Women’s Championships in the future. Athena stated “Let’s be honest, if I’m in the mix, whether it be Toni Storm, Kris Statlander, whoever is AEW Champion or TBS Champion, I’m down for that fight and I will take all the belts. I’ll be a belt collector. I’ve never done that. Let me write that on my bucket list. Triple champ.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

Impact, NJPW, Indies, & Misc. Wrestling

• As noted before, indies wrestler Rosario Grillo has been out of action since this past January due to a broken fibula injury. Grillo provided an update on Twitter stating that he was recently medically cleared for an in-ring return. Grillo stated “In 2006, I saw my first live wrestling show in this building. In 2023 in the same building, in my home state, I got news that I never thought I would hear. I’m cleared.“
• West Coast Pro recently announced that Japanese wrestling legend Manami Toyota will be making an appearance for the company at their From The West Coast With Love event on September 10th in Los Angeles, California. It was also announced that Lee Moriarty and Daniel Garcia will also be making an appearance at this upcoming event as well.
• Lucha Libre AAA and Major League Wrestling talent Sam Adonis announced on Twitter that he recently left MLW. Adonis stated “The time has come for myself and @MLW to part ways (for now). I have nothing but wonderful things to say about the MLW Crew and I wish them nothing but the best! Thank you! ?“
• Jireh Seven LLC filed a trademark for “EJ Nduka” for wrestling and merchandise-related purposes on July 17th to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Jireh Seven LLC is the name of a company owned by Nduka for trademarks filing.
• As noted before, former WWE wrestler Ted DiBiase Jr. was charged this past April with several criminal charges by the United States Department of Justice over his involvement in embezzling welfare funds as part of a larger welfare scandal in the State of Mississippi. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that a status conference is currently scheduled to take place on August 14th before the Mississippi Southern District Court based on recent court records.
• As noted before, New Japan Pro Wrestling currently have scheduled for Stardom talent Giulia to defend her NJPW Strong Women’s Championship at either their All Star Junior Festival 2023 event on August 19th or their co-promoted Impact x NJPW Multiverse United 2 event on August 20th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that his sources stated that Stardom officials are currently working under the assumption that Giulia will only be working one match and at one of the shows. Meltzer reported that due to Bushiroad and NJPW being the ones in charge of her bookings in the United States, it is possible that Giulia could also work that week’s AEW show similar to Utami Hayashishita working for ROH as part of her tour this past week. Meltzer reported that Stardom officials have not been told of any other plans beyond Giulia working at one NJPW event.
• Friday’s G1 Climax 2023 event for NJPW in Nagaoka, Japan featured Great-O-Khan defeating El Phantasmo in a G1 Climax tournament match. In a post-match press conference, El Phantasmo revealed that his grandfather recently passed away and how he only found out about it an hour before his match with Kazuchika Okada at this past Tuesday’s G1 Climax show. El Phantasmo stated “You may think you know how hard the G1 Climax really is on you. You can look up and down the blocks, and everybody’s got some sort of injury. My [trapezius muscle] is fucked. People’s necks are fucked, their legs, their knees, and that’s fine. That’s what we expect. What you guys don’t realize is how hard emotionally it can be when you’re all by yourself, when you have no friends, and you get a call from your dad, who says ‘your Papa has passed away’ an hour before you gotta go out there and wrestle Okada in the main event. You try and block those emotions and go to your job and then you finish, the adrenaline wears off, and you go back to your little, tiny, dinky-ass Japanese hotel, and then you realize it’s too late to call your grandma, whose husband of 70 years just died, whose daughter died over a year ago, and you’ve got to stay up all night by yourself unable to tell them how much you love them. Then in the morning, you call Grandma and talk about how Papa is gone, and that’s okay. Then you have to lie to her, and you have to tell her that you’re doing good. You can’t say that you’ve lost three matches. You have zero points at the bottom of the blocks. You’re going to tell her that you’re winning and you’re fighting for Papa. You go to the gym by yourself, you listen to music, and you come here and pretend like everything’s okay, but it’s not. That’s what this job is. I was here all pandemic when my aunt died. I’m here when my Papa dies, and I don’t know how much the people know, but when you guys chat my name, that’s the only love I get around here these days, and it means so much to me. You guys don’t know. Just those three little letters keeps me going. I told myself I wouldn’t be sad. My papa was 91 years old. He was supposed to die a month ago. That’s why I was at the hospital. I couldn’t do Wrestling Revolver [because] he was supposed to die, but he kept fighting. Not one week, not two weeks, not three weeks. He fought four weeks past the time that he was supposed to pass away, and that’s fighting spirit. That’s the fighting spirit that I need. That’s the fighting spirit that I need to have to win matches, to win the G1 Climax, to tell my grandma that I’m okay.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)
• Game Changer Wrestling recently announced that Tony Deppen will be making an appearance for the company at their Homecoming 2023 events on August 19-20 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
• GCW also recently announced a new match for the card of their Homecoming 2023 Part 1 event on August 19th in Atlantic City. This is a tag team match of Maki Itoh & Nick Gage vs. Matt Cardona & Steph De Lander.
• Prestige Wrestling recently announced that Jonathan Gresham will be making an appearance for the company at their The Respect Issue event on September 24th in Los Angeles, California.
• In a recent interview with the Under The Ring podcast, Samoa Joe gave his thoughts about the famous Steiner Math promo by Scott Steiner in 2008 about Steiner calculating the odds for his match with Joe and Kurt Angle at Impact Wrestling’s Sacrifice 2008 event. Joe stated “I was there for it live and it was hilarious. I was standing on the other side of the camera guy, laughing. To Scott’s credit, I think it was only a two-take go and I think the first take was just because maybe Petey (Williams) broke because nobody was really expecting it. It was hilarious. Still is.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)
• Impact talent Josh Alexander recently announced on Twitter that he will be taking over as the head trainer for Can-Am Wrestling’s Can-Am Dojo in Windsor, Ontario, Canada starting this Fall.
• As noted before, a new Japanese Joshi wrestling promotion is currently planning to launch this Fall in the United States. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that Seadlinnng talent Arisa Nakajima and Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling talent Tomoka Inaba are two notable names confirmed to be working for this new upcoming promotion.
• Pro Wrestling Revolver announced a new match for the card of their Revolver Heat event on August 3rd in Dayton, Ohio. This is a singles match of Jessicka vs. Max The Impalier.