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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.
(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)
Last night’s (May 7) episode of WWE Raw on USA Network drew a 1.94 rating, the first sub-2.0 rating since the 1.92 on Jan. 8. There were 15 out of 18 weeks in the span ending Jan. 8 where ratings were below 2.00, corresponding to football competition in the fall and winter.
The 1.94 last night still beat the year-ago rating of 1.90, but as usual fell short of the two-years-ago rating of 2.26.
The ten-week rolling average headed into this week was 2.28. The 2018 average is currently 2.24.
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The first hour drew 2,788,000 viewers, then dropped slightly to 2,731,000 and then the usual dropoff in the third hour to 2,549,000. The first-to-third hour dropoff was 239,000, well below the 409,000 average so far this year.
The advertised main event was Sami Zayn vs. Roman Reigns vs. Finn Balor for a Money in the Bank spot.
The NBA is part of the reason for the dropoff this week. The two NBA playoff games last night topped Monday cable ratings in the adult 18-49 demo. Raw finished 5 in the cable ratings behind both NBA games, the NBA post-show, and “Love and Hip Hop Atlanta.” The NHL playoff games followed right behind Raw in the rankings.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: Raw Ratings Report: Viewership and key metrics including hourly trends, comparisons to past years, 2018 average
TMZ reported Thursday that former two-division UFC champion Randy Couture suffered a heart attack Wednesday and is in intensive care in a Los Angeles hospital.
Few details are available at this time, but the report said that Couture suffered the attack after a workout at Jay Glazer’s Unbreakable gym when he didn’t feel right. Amazingly, he walked himself to the hospital where he is expected to make a full recovery.
The 56-year-old is a three-time UFC champion and was one of the faces of the company in their formative years with classic bouts against Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell. He famously won the heavyweight title for a second time as an underdog in a dominant win over Tim Sylvia in March 2007.
The fourth member of the UFC Hall of Fame would later lose the title to Brock Lesnar in another famous fight beginning Lesnar’s first and only title reign.
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“The Natural” retired after April 2011’s UFC 129 when he was knocked out by Lyoto Machida, closing out his career with a 19-11 record in his late 40s.
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The WWE Championship will be on the line at Survivor Series later this month.
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Brock Lesnar defending his WWE Championship against Rey Mysterio has been confirmed for the pay-per-view. The announcement of the match was made after a challenge that was issued by Mysterio on Raw tonight.
After Rey Mysterio fought him off with a steel chair at Crown Jewel, Lesnar appeared on this past Friday’s SmackDown and announced that he was “quitting” SmackDown to go after Mysterio on Raw.
Lesnar went looking for Mysterio on tonight’s Raw. But after Lesnar gave Dio Maddin an F-5 through the announce table, Mysterio attacked Lesnar with a baseball bat and laid him out with a belt shot with the WWE title.
Mysterio cut a promo challenging Lesnar to a match at Survivor Series. Mysterio vowed to get revenge for Lesnar attacking Dominik by coming after what Lesnar values most — the WWE title.
The Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois is hosting Survivor Series on November 24. Here’s the updated card for the PPV:
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar defending against Rey Mysterio
Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler in a non-title match
Raw Tag Team Champions The Viking Raiders vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Revival vs. NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish in a non-title match
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.
(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)
The following interview with WWE producer Adam Pearce was sent to PWTorch.com from the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame…
Anyone interested in ordering an all-access pass or tickets to the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame should contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at [email protected] or (319) 233-0745. You can also order online by clicking HERE.
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NOTE: PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell will be attending the Tragos/Thesz HOF weekend later this month for the fourth straight year and look forward to meeting PWTorch.com readers and PWTorch podcast listeners.
Five questions with WWE producer Adam Pearce
Adam Pearce will be the Master of Ceremonies for the 20th annual George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame induction banquet on July 26-28 in Waterloo, Iowa. He is currently a producer for WWE following a successful professional wrestling career where he was a five-time National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Champion.
He was nominated for the 2012 “Future Legend Award” by the Cauliflower Alley Club and honored with the CAC’s 2014 “Men’s Award” for his contributions to the industry as an active performer. He was also honored for his contributions to the wrestling industry by the National Wrestling Alliance and inducted into their prestigious Hall of Fame in 2015.
Below is a transcript of Pearce discussing his interest in professional wrestling, connecting with fans and his role as a WWE producer.
How did you get interested in professional wrestling?
I watched wrestling as a kid, mostly AWA television before my family got cable and I was able to see the WWF and NWA products that were available nationwide. I always enjoyed it.
What’s it like to have a display of your gear at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum during the 70-year anniversary of the National Wrestling Alliance, which was formed in Waterloo, Iowa?
It’s an honor. I was lucky to spend two decades performing, and a big chunk of that time was as NWA champion. To have some of my ‘relics’ on display in Waterloo – stuff I wore as NWA Champion – is somewhat surreal.
What’s the difference between a good professional wrestler and a superstar?
Worldwide exposure. Of course I could say the “it factor,” but that only gets one so far. Someone with means has to see that and want to exploit it, and only then can you go to the next level. There are a lot of good professionals that may be missing one thing here or there, but if you’re missing the means to get your wares in front of a global audience, it’s next to impossible to claim true superstardom.
Professional wrestling is a fluid business. What do fans really want?
I suppose you’d have to ask fans! Pop culture changes with time, and with it, tastes in the arts change. I think wrestling follows suit. There have been many different “stylistic tides” in our business, and they are ever changing – just as in television, music, and the like due to the fluidity you mentioned. One thing I think is constant, that I’ve never seen change, is that fans want someone to cheer and someone to boo. And there is the simple answer to how our business really works. Give the fans someone to love and give them the opposite and put them together. It’s magic.
What makes you an effective producer for WWE?
First of all, I’m able to successfully follow AND give directions. That may sound weird, but my primary job as a producer is to bring the vision on paper to life. In order to do that, I have to understand that vision and make sure I know what exactly it is that I’m charged with bringing to life. Once I have my marching orders, it’s all about communication. I have to make others see and understand that same vision, helping them find a way to physically make it a reality. That takes ingenuity and creativity and a working knowledge of the techniques used to make it all go ’round. From there, it’s also my job to effectively communicate to our camera operators and directors what we’re doing (and more importantly where and when). Only when every facet of what I described is executed successfully can I be considered an effective producer. Thankfully, that happens more often than not.
Anyone interested in ordering an all-access pass or tickets to the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame should contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at [email protected] or (319) 233-0745. You can also order online by clicking HERE.
NOTE: PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell will be attending the Tragos/Thesz HOF weekend later this month for the fourth straight year and look forward to meeting PWTorch.com readers and PWTorch podcast listeners.
NOW CHECK OUT THIS RECENT REPORT: INTERVIEW (PWTorch Exclusive): The red-hot PCO talks about his resurrection via bizarre social media videos that have gained a rabid following (a/k/a Pierre-Carl Ouellet)
WWE has made a few more announcements for Raw’s go-home show for Survivor Series.
Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair will team together on Monday night, though WWE has yet to reveal their opponents. Asuka vs. Natalya has also been confirmed for the show.
Asuka & Kairi Sane retained their Women’s Tag Team titles against Lynch & Charlotte on Raw this past Monday. Asuka rolled up Lynch after Lynch was distracted by SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley and NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler fighting on the outside.
Lynch will face Bayley and Baszler in a non-title triple threat match at Survivor Series. Lynch & Charlotte challenging for Asuka & Sane’s titles in a tables, ladders, and chairs match is being advertised for WWE’s December 15 TLC pay-per-view.
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Ahead of challenging for Brock Lesnar’s WWE Championship at Survivor Series, Rey Mysterio will make an appearance on Monday’s Raw. The episode is taking place at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts and will also feature Seth Rollins vs. Andrade and Raw Tag Team Champions The Viking Raiders defending their titles against Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins.
Rollins vs. Andrade has a stipulation where — if Andrade wins — he’ll take Rollins’ spot in the men’s triple threat elimination tag match between Raw, SmackDown, and NXT at Survivor Series.
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.
(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)
-WWE is advertising for Smackdown 1000 next week in Washington D.C. the following in their email flyer today: Undertaker, Evolution (the flyer didn’t break down that Evolution consists of Batista, Triple H, Randy Orton, Ric Flair), Michelle McCool, Torrie Wilson, Teddy Long, and Vickie Guerrero as appearing as special guests, plus A.J. Styles & Daniel Bryan & Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton & The Miz & Shinsuke Nakamura, Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch, along with New Day, Jeff Hardy, Naomi, Asuka, The Bar, and The Usos.
-Impact Wrestling’s parent company, Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp., announced today that it is now working with Kings Highway Media LLC to expand Impact’s video and content distribution across all platforms, traditional and digital, worldwide. “We are delighted to have Kings Highway Media join us at this pivotal time as we embark on a major initiative to expand our audiences and continue to build our brand,” said Ed Nordholm, president of IMPACT Wrestling. “With an outstanding product, increasing fan engagement across all platforms and a rapidly growing audience, we are confident that Andrew and his team will leverage our existing global footprint into new markets and seize the opportunity to grow our presence on alternative media platforms.” Kings Highway Kings Highway Media Managing Partner Andrew Whitaker says, “(T)his the right time to deliver IMPACT Wrestling’s live pay-per-view events, 52 weeks of original programming and immense content creation capabilities to more audiences and fans worldwide.” Whitaker previously worked for WWE.
-MLW has announced they’ll be promoting an “MLW Super Fight” on Super Bowl weekend. The Feb. 2 event will feature “Filthy” Tom Lawler challenging for the MLW World Hvt. Title due to him because of his Battle Riot win. They have not announced the location of the event yet. The next MLW event is Nov. 8 in Chicago, Ill. for the latest MLW TV taping. They’ve already announced two events on WrestleMania Weekend on Apr. 4 and 5 in New York City. Tickets are available at MLWTickets.com.
-WWE Total Divas on E! drew 380,000 viewers, a rebound from the 355,000 last week, but still well below the 540,000 season premier on Sept. 19. The 18-49 male demographic was up to 103,000 from 77,000 last week and 71,000 the week before. Female viewership was also up to 157,000, an increase of 34,000 from last week’s season low for women. The replays that precede and follow the premiere at 8 and 10 drew 213,000 and 169,000 respectively.
-NOW JUMP TO THE AFTERNOON UPDATE: Afternoon News: Owens out with injury, major change to WWE’s MSG event, Impact’s Ed Nordholm opens up on struggles, WWE financial evaluation, Teddy Hart vs. Rich Swann in MLW
LISTEN TO OUR LATEST PODCAST INTERVIEW: WADE KELLER PRO WRESTLING PODCAST – AUSTIN ARIES INTERVIEW or search “Wade Keller” in your podcast app or click here for Apple Podcasts link.
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.
(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)
The Nov. 12 edition of WWE Raw on USA Network drew a 1.72 rating among live and same-night-DVR viewers, up from the 1.70 last week and down from 1.74 two weeks earlier. Raw’s hourly viewership: 2.761 million, 2.446 million, and 2.142 million.
The drop from the first-to-third hour was 619,000, the biggest drop since the Feb. 19 episode. The elimination of the overrun as part of the third hour viewership was a big blow to Raw’s viewership total in that third hour. WWE didn’t announce a main event match, which also may have cost Raw viewers. They went with an unannounced Bayley vs. Sasha Banks match and the Smackdown “invasion” angle with Becky Lynch and Co.
Raw’s three hours finished in the no. 7, 8, and 9 spots in cables rankings among the 18-49 key demo, behind VH1’s “Love and Hip Hop” (no. 4) and three NFL related programs on ESPN (nos. 1, 2, 3).
One year ago Raw drew a 2.14 rating, and two years ago Raw drew a 1.98 rating.
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CHECK OUT THIS WEEK’S POST-RAW EDITION OF THE “WADE KELLER PRO WRESTLING PODCAST”
PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by cohost Cameron Hawkins from the PWTorch East Coast Cast to discuss WWE Monday Night Raw from Kansas City, Mo. including Becky Lynch’s bloody invasion, Ronda Rousey’s odd millennial and avocado toast rant, the latest Survivor Series developments with Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman, and much more including an on-site correspondent and mailbag.
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-Or search “Wade Keller” on your podcast app of choice
The ten week rolling average for Raw is 1.72. The 2018 average so far is 2.01, down rom the year-ago average to this point of 2.09.
The NFL Monday Night Football game drew 10.501 million viewers, compared to Raw’s best hour which drew 2.761 million. Paw Patrol on Nickelodeon knocked on the door of surpassing Raw’s third hour in total viewers (1.987 vs. 2.142). Overall, Raw’s three hours in total viewers ranked behind the three ESPN programs and “Tucker Carlson” on Fox News, finishing no. 5, 6, and 7.
RELATED: Raw length to be trimmed, Raw ratings on brink of dropping below key level for year, big drop-off on third hour this week
With the release of this week’s top-five roster rankings, Jon Moxley is currently ranked as the top challenger in AEW’s men’s division.
Moxley replaces PAC in the top spot after PAC lost to Kenny Omega on Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite. AEW World Champion Chris Jericho retained his title against Scorpio Sky in the main event of the show. Jericho put Sky back in the Liontamer after the match, with the show then ending with an angle where Moxley appeared in the crowd and had a staredown with Jericho.
Hikaru Shida remains the top challenger in the women’s division in the new top-five rankings, while Santana & Ortiz have moved up to first in the tag team division:
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Men’s division —
Jon Moxley (3-0-1 singles record, 3-1-1 overall)
PAC (4-2-1 singles record, 4-3-1 overall)
Kenny Omega (4-2 singles record, 7-4 overall)
Cody Rhodes (4-1-1 singles record, 5-2-1 overall)
MJF (2-1 singles record, 3-1 overall)
Women’s division —
Hikaru Shida (3-1 singles record, 4-2 overall)
Emi Sakura (1-1 singles record, 3-3 overall)
Britt Baker (3-2 singles record, 6-3 overall)
Nyla Rose (2-3 singles record, 3-3 overall)
Bea Priestley (1-2 singles record, 3-2 overall)
Tag team division —
Santana & Ortiz (3-1 tag team record, 4-1 overall)
The Young Bucks (4-3 tag team record, 7-4 overall record for Matt Jackson, 7-5 overall record for Nick Jackson)
Best Friends (4-3 tag team record, 6-5 overall record for Trent Barreta, 5-4 overall record for Chuck Taylor)
The Lucha Bros (4-4 tag team record, 5-6 overall record for Pentagon Jr., 6-5 overall record for Fenix)
Private Party (4-4 tag team record, 4-6 overall)
The NWA has added another match to the card for their Into the Fire pay-per-view.
Thunder Rosa will face Tasha Steelz in a singles match on Saturday’s PPV. That announcement clarifies another match for the show, with Melina & Marti Belle set to team against NWA Women’s Champion Allysin Kay & Ashley Vox.
Steelz is making her NWA debut at the PPV.
It had been announced that Kay & Vox would be facing two members of Melina’s stable at Into the Fire, but the participants weren’t revealed until now.
Into the Fire is taking place at GPB Studios in Atlanta, Georgia tomorrow. It begins at 6:05 p.m. Eastern time and will be available via Fite TV.
Here’s the updated card for the PPV:
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NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis defending against James Storm in a two-out-of-three falls match
NWA Tag Team Champions The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) defending against The Wild Cards (Thomas Latimer & Royce Isaacs)
NWA National Champion Colt Cabana defending against Aron Stevens and Ricky Starks in a triple threat match
Allysin Kay & Ashley Vox vs. Melina & Marti Belle
Eli Drake vs. Ken Anderson
Thunder Rosa vs. Tasha Steelz
Trevor Murdoch vs. The Question Mark
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.
(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)
WWE LIVE EVENT
DECEMBER 29, 2018
BALTIMORE, MD. AT ROYAL FARMS ARENA
REPORT BY REV. KEITH BENNETT, PWTORCH VIP CORRESPONDENT
If you attend a live event, please send results in the format of the following report to [email protected]. Thanks!
Attendance: Est. 7-8,000 (with the entire upper bowl was empty)
Byron Saxton served as host for the evening.
The show opened with Miz TV. Miz informed us that he had just gotten off the phone with Shane McMahon and learned that A.J. Styles “had the flu” and isn’t here tonight. Substituting for Styles will be none other than John Cena, who will meet Daniel Bryan for the WWE Title inside a steel cage. The Miz began cutting a promo when he was interrupted by Mustafa Ali, which led to our first match.
(1) Mustafa Ali defeated The Miz in 5:00 with the 054. A very solid opener.
(2) R-Truth & Carmella defeated Andrade Cien Almas & Zelina Vega when Truth pinned Almas after being slapped by Carmella in 10:00. An exciting mixed match tag which also included a “dance break ” by Truth and Carmella.
(3) The Good Bros. & Shelton Benjamin defeated The Colons & Aiden English with the Magic Killer on Epico in 3:00. This led to Sanity coming down to issue a challenge to Anderson & Gallows, which they accepted.
(4) The Good Bros. defeated Sanity with the Magic Killer in 4:00.
(5) Rey Mysterio pinned Randy Orton in 2:00 after administering the 619 and a frog splash from the top rope. The crowd was stunned at the quick finish to this match.
CHECK OUT THE LATEST “WADE KELLER PRO WRESTLING PODCAST” – A BONUS SATURDAY MAILBAG EDITION WITH TODD MARTIN…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents the Mailbag Saturday bonus edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast with guest cohost Todd Martin from the weekly PWTorch VIP Podcast “The Fix.” In this episode, they answer questions on these topics: Big Show, predicting New Japan’s foreign stars in three years, All Elite roster depth challenge, video game suggestions, Daniel Bryan, Raw/Nitro viewing habits, reasons for Vince McMahon’s vision of pro wrestling, is Okada’s IWGP Title run best ever…
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Byron Saxton announced that our next match would be the first of four title matches on the card.
(6) Sheamus & Cesaro (“The Bar”) defeated The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods w/Big E) and The Usos in 13:00 to retain the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Titles. This was a Match of the Night candidate with exciting spots and aerial maneuvers. The finish came when Cesaro intercepted a dive attempt by Jimmy Uso onto the outside and countered with a roll-up.
(7) Jeff Hardy pinned Samoa Joe in 4:00 with the Twist of Fate.
(8) Daniel Bryan defeated John Cena in a steel cage to retain the WWE Championship in 15:00. Prior to the match, Bryan cut a heel promo on Baltimore. Cena was very over with the crowd. Bryan escaped the cage after hitting Cena with a low blow and a belt shot to the head.
Intermission
(9) Naomi & Lana defeated Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville when Naomi scored the pin after a Rear View in 10:00. The IIconics served as guest ring announcers for this women’s bout and annoyed the audience with anti-Baltimore rants. They were eventually sent to the back by referee Danilo Anfibio due to constant interference.
(10) Rusev defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in 10:00 after the Machka Kick to retain the United States Championship.
(11) Asuka defeated Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch in 20:00 to retain the Smackdown Championship. A good back and forth match which kept the crowd engaged. Asuka reversed an attempted Natural Selection into the Asuka lock for the win on Charlotte.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Overall, a very impressive house show. It was by far one of the longest in recent memory. The show lasted three hours and ten minutes.
Loudest Pops
(1) John Cena
(2) New Day
(3) Becky Lynch
Most Heat
(1) Daniel Bryan
(2) Samoa Joe
(3) The IIconics
If you attend a live event, please send results in the format of the following report to [email protected]. Thanks!
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