We’ll always have AEW ratings to argue over

Welcome to the weekly Rumor Look Back, where we look at the rumors from six months ago and see which played out as originally stated. Let’s jump right to it.

June 22, 2024

• According to this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa and Logan Paul vs. LA Knight are both currently planned for SummerSlam on August 3 in Cleveland. WWE also hopes that CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre can take place that night, but it’s “up in the air” due to Punk’s health.
• The matches they were sure on happened, as did the one they weren’t sure of. (2/2)
• Fightful Select spoke with talent in AEW who were surprised by the ratings crash for this week’s episode of Dynamite. Sources in AEW pointed to Black Panther drawing a poor lead-in number ahead of Dynamite.
• These were some bad ratings for them. Gotta make sure you have that Big Bang Theory lead in.
• A source at Warner Bros. Discovery indicated they don’t overreact to one week’s result, and it shouldn’t have an effect on current negotiations for a new TV deal between AEW and WBD.
• They still got a good deal, even though the ratings trend the last year hasn’t been great. If you look at the recent one, the numbers compared to that bad one everyone was all up in a huff about aren’t that much higher. There are obviously other data factors they look at outside rating trend (such as comparison overall and I’m sure peripherals). But they’re always going to be there for wrestling fans to try to bend to their narratives.
• F4WOnline’s Dave Meltzer agrees that Dynamite was “clearly hurt by the Black Panther movie lead-in, which did a 0.04 in 18-49, as compared to the 0.13 to 0.23 that Big Bang Theory usually does.” However, Meltzer says that “could explain a small drop” in the ratings but “nothing like this.” Meltzer concluded that “obviously there is less interest” in AEW’s product right now.
• I think that’s still the case with AEW in regards to interest, but outside something like ratings which fluctuate, it’s harder to measure something like buzz.
• The Observer says it’s believed that NXT’s Gigi Dolin is out of action right now due to “a torn ACL.”
• She only just returned. (1/1)
• WWE is negotiating possible partnerships with Mexico’s AAA and Puerto Rico’s WWC, per Planeta Wrestling.
• I don’t think that’s lead anywhere.
• Meanwhile, Hugo Savinovich (via luchablog) says he spoke to AAA Director Dorian Roldán, who denied a Wrestling Observer report he’s had conversations with WWE about working with NXT. Roldán didn’t rule out a future partnership though.
• Seems like split rumors. (1/2)

June 24, 2024

• According to Fightful, John Swikata was promoted to head writer of SmackDown last week, and those within WWE say he’s already making a big impact as evidenced by last week’s show.
• I don’t believe I’ve felt a huge change last summer, but with Triple H overseeing everything, it’s still his vision.
• Although there is still no movement on Shane McMahon going to AEW, the word is that he is not under contract to WWE in any way and could feasibly go there any time if both sides agreed to work together.
• That kind of vanished into the ether after their clandestine meeting.
• While saying they are unable to confirm if Lio Rush has signed a new contract with AEW, Fightful Select reports Rush will be a regular for them going forward and is currently factored into creative plans.
• He is part of the show as a bit of a midcard/lower card act, currently tagging with Action Andretti. (1/1)
• They also say Darby Allin has been granted time off to recover from his various injuries, and there is no timetable for a return to the ring.
• He was gone for maybe a month.
• On the Jaxxon Podcast, Josh Barnett said there were plans for an extended partnership with AEW after WrestleDream last year but it ultimately only ended up being a single match with Claudio Castagnoli.
• AEW has relationships here and there with other promotions.
• Luchablog notes that Ultimo Guerrero was not aware AEW was going to ask him to wrestle wearing a mask so he didn’t bring one with him to Collision. Because of this, there was a “mad scramble” to find a mask for him and that’s why there were issues with the mask he was wearing for the match against Kazuchika Okada.
• Isn’t the adage that you always bring your gear to a wrestling show?

June 25, 2024

• All future SummerSlam events will likely be held over two nights like WrestleMania, says Fightful Select, and it’s possible they adopt that for Royal Rumble someday too.
• That is the plan. We don’t know about the Rumble yet, though I suspect it will happen, but we do for SummerSlam. (1/1)
• On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said CM Punk’s status for SummerSlam is uncertain and while WWE is hopeful it’s “not a sure thing.”
• He was able to wrestle at SummerSlam.
• Fightful says NXT’s Brooks Jensen will be wrestling on indie shows to help sell the story that he’s been released by WWE.
• It doesn’t look like he wrestled anywhere outside a WWE/NXT show. (0/1)
• PW Insider says Chris Kaiser, Executive Vice President of WWE Television, has left the company.
• No relation to Ludwig?
• Prior to announcing her departure, Fightful Select reported that Kayla Braxton had been working under a verbal agreement with WWE after her contract expired. Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer “was told she could see the handwriting on the wall” since Cathy Kelley and Jackie Redmond were WWE’s top interviewers.
• She was very involved with the panels but it looks like Redmond took that over. The Bump ended up just ending.
• On June 23, WWE filed to trademark Jacob Fatu’s nickname “Samoan Werewolf”.
• He’s going to be a massive star me thinks.

June 26, 2024

• Fightful notes that there are creative ideas in place for Rhea Ripley where she can slot right into ongoing television stories, even if she isn’t wrestling. So her return could come sooner rather than later.
• She was back for SummerSlam. (1/1)
• According to WrestleVotes, Ludwig Kaiser suffered an injury on Raw this week during his match with Bron Breakker. He was apparently scheduled for a Money in the Bank qualifier next week before the injury.
• He missed maybe a month.
• PW Insider, meanwhile, says Kaiser was favoring one arm and his side before being looked at by WWE medical personnel backstage.
• Tough week for him - first his brother leaves the company and then an injury.
• Fightful Select had a big update on Ricky Starks, noting that while there were rumors he was turning down all creative for him that’s not the case and he has only turned down some ideas. The most recent being a breakup with Big Bill that would have led to a feud. He apparently felt that beating Bill coming out of that wouldn’t be beneficial to him so preferred an amicable split. He also feels he hasn’t been booked well since CM Punk left.
• I wonder when we get the true shoot interview on what happened in AEW.
• For whatever it’s worth, Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio that Vince McMahon’s office at WWE HQ remains empty, and the T-Rex skull up on the wall remains.
• Someone should try to steal that since Vince isn’t there.
• Some have noticed Satnam Singh has been removed from the active AEW roster listing on the company’s website and placed under the list for “broadcast team.”
• He still wrestles dark matches but I don’t see anything about him announcing for an Indian announce team.

June 27, 2024

• Warner Bros Discovery sources “stressed” to SI.com’s Justin Barrasso that they were not concerned with “one low rating” and believe this week’s Dynamite “will jump considerably... especially with the Big Bang Theory returning to its familiar spot as the lead-in.”
• I love how it’s all dependent on the Big Bang Theory. The next week did improve back to their normal levels (slightly below).
• Early odds from BetOnline for Money in the Bank have Damian Priest and Sami Zayn as slight favorites to retain their titles.
• That’s how it went. (2/2)
• In Forbidden Door’s title matches, BetOnline’s odds favor Swerve Strickland and Toni Storm retaining. Mercedes Moné is a big favorite in her title for title match, and Tetsuya Naito a slight one over IWGP champ Jon Moxley.
• That’s the case. (4/4)
• Regarding speculation that Hangman Page will be The Elite’s Wild Card in AEW’s Owen Hart Tournament, Fightful Select couldn’t confirm it’s Page but says he was out for personal reasons and always expected back in late June or early July. Hangman was discussed for the tournament at one point, and is expected to still be a heel when he returns.
• It was Page. (1/1)
• Fightful also says former WWE tag team Mace & Mansoor have been in talks with AEW, with company sources saying they’re discussing Ring of Honor appearances.
• They work some ROH. (1/1)
• WWE recently filed trademarks on the terms “WWE Independent Development” and “WWE ID”. The applications indicate they’ll be used for training programs, and/or content about them.
• WWE ID is part training program and part recruiting program.
• On his YouTube channel, former WWE personality Matt Camp said WWE had talks with the White House during the COVID pandemic about having Dr. Anthony Fauci appear on The Bump to discuss “vaccine awareness”. The idea got as far as Vince McMahon, who was initially on board before deciding it was too political an issue.
• Vaccinations/public health shouldn’t be inherently political but that is where we are now.

June 28, 2024

• According to Fightful Select, Dijak found out a couple weeks ago that WWE wasn’t renewing his contract, after a match against Xavier Woods that was taped for WWE Speed. Some people in WWE were very surprised that he wasn’t factored into creative plans after being drafted to Raw.
• Yeah, they kind of just gave up on him.
• For what it’s worth, Dijak mentioned on social media that WWE would take “half of my Cameo money.”
• Damn.
• During a call with the media yesterday, Tony Khan said Britt Baker is “close to ready” for an AEW return, and she should be back “very soon.”
• She returned to face Mercedes Moné.
• Luchablog notes there is no deal between CMLL and AAA that allows Mistico to team up with Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo on the Forbidden Door pre-show. “This is CMLL saying they believe [the Lucha Bros] are not AAA guys.”
• Those politics.
• Fightful says Matt and Jeff Hardy are working in TNA as free agents and are not signed to a formal deal.
• They eventually signed.
• The site also claims that former WCW star Glacier has been hired by AEW as a producer and coach.
• Interesting. I’m sure there’s something he brings to the table, but I just remember him as the Sub Zero cosplay guy in WCW. It looks like he was mainly active between 1996 and 2000 (though he did do some work in the 80s). And then he worked very sparingly since then. Again, he may be one of those guys who is a good worker but was never big or had good ideas that never happened, but he’s a surprising name when you hear he’s working as a producer/coach.
• Hiromu Takahashi told NJPW USA Fan Club that he went to a urologist for the first time and was told that he has “very nice balls.”
• High praise.

This week: 15/17 - 88%

Overall: 5,437/9,365 - 58.1%

Have a great week, everyone!