By: Kristen Ashly
*According to Showbuzz Daily, SmackDown averaged 2.181 million viewers on Aug. 28, the highest since rating 2.192 million average viewers on April 24. Friday’s SmackDown saw the return of Roman Reigns with his new manager Paul Heyman, which is likely the cause of the bump in viewership.
*WWE will return to Syfy to air reruns of NXT. On Sept. 1 and 8, NXT will air first on USA at 8 p.m. EST. Reruns will air on Sept. 2 and 9 on Syfy, also starting at 8 p.m. EST. NXT first launched on the SciFi Channel over 10 years ago, replacing ECW.
*New Japan Pro Wrestling held Summer Struggle in Jingu on Saturday. Several titles changed hands and one title was given to its first winner.
Minoru Suzuki defeated the defending Shingo Takagi for the NEVER Openweight Championship. Taiji Ishimori defeated the defending Hiromu Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. After losing both titles in Dominion in July, Tetsuya Naito defeated the double-defending EVIL to walk away a double winner, snatching the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.
Toru Yano beat out El Desperado, SANADA, and Kazuchika Okada for the inaugural provisional KOPW Championship.
*During the latest episode of WWE Chronicle that focuses on Brawn Strowman entitled, “The Monster Among Men”, Strowman opens up about an encounter with Vince McMahon that improved his mental health at a time he felt lost. [Transcription Credit: Fightful]
I kind of just busted in on Vince one day in a meeting and was like, ‘I need to talk to you,’ and he kicked everybody out of a production meeting and sat down and talked to me, not like boss to employee, but like like man to man, like almost like a father-son talk,” Strowman recalled. “He gave me such a level of confidence and reassurance in myself that day. It lit a completely new fire underneath my ass to be better at this, to continue to work my ass off because I knew it was for a cause. I got to the point where I was feeling like I was doing all this hard work and I was just spinning my tires in the mud and Vince reassured me that that’s not what was happening and told me like, ‘hey, not only do I want you here for the long haul, I need you here for the long haul.’ [He] reassured me I am one of his racehorses and it’s proven in this especially in this last year.
*WWE released a farewell video for Renee Young that featured backstage footage from the day of her departure announcement, interviews, and even Young’s original tryout video from 2012. Young announced during SummerSlam that after eight years with the company, she was parting ways.
Thank you for everything, @ReneePaquette. We'll miss you. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/WalkNqOGcy
— WWE (@WWE) August 29, 2020
*Via a video package released by NWA, Mike Bennett challenged Nick Aldis for the NWA Heavyweight Title on Sept. 15 at the United Wrestling Network Prime Time LIVE! pay-per-view. Aldis appeared on the This Is The NWA Podcast and accepted the challenge. In April of this year, Bennett was released by WWE along with several other Superstars due to measures implemented as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
*Major League Wrestling announced via their website that the company has been scouting locations for their return. According to their site, some of the locations they have scouted include “the greater Boston area, Southern California, the Midwest and yes, even an island.” A decision has been made by the company and details are to follow.
*WWE NXT Superstar Karen Q announced her engagement to independent wrestler Bison on Twitter.
*New matches for WWE Payback 2020 have been announced for tonight. The IIconics will face Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan during the kick-off, and Big E will face Sheamus during the main show. Payback will air live tonight, starting with the kick-off show at 6 p.m. EST.
*Several events have been announced for The Collective, hosted by Game Changer Wrestling October 9-11 at The Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Collective consists of several independent wrestling events taking place at the same venue during several days. Wrestling promotions that have announced events at The Collective include SHIMMER, Black Label Pro, Paradigm Pro, Southern Underground Pro, Absolute Intense Wrestling, Freelance Wrestling/Underground, and Effy holds Effy’s Big Gay Brunch.
*During the latest episode of Talking Smack, Big E gave a passionate promo that resonated through wrestling fandom throughout the weekend.
The fire and passion Big E shows here really hits you. So genuine and authentic.
I’ve always felt the argument that New Day ‘has to get more serious’ to get to the top was a lazy one.
They’ve shown countless times they can ramp it up.
pic.twitter.com/ZXfDxcJj29— Alex McCarthy (@AlexM_talkSPORT) August 29, 2020
*****
NJPW Summer Struggle in Jingu POST Show – EVIL vs. Tetsuya Naito
John Pollock and Wai Ting review NJPW Summer Struggle in Jingu as EVIL defends his IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental Title against former stablemate Tetsuya Naito inside the open-air Jingu Stadium.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/08/29/njpw-summer-struggle-in-jingu-post-show/
*****
Cruel Summer #29: Kota Ibushi vs. Jay White (2019) w/ Stephanie Chase
Cruel Summer returns and WH Park is back to talk about the finals of NJPW G1 Climax 29 with UK-based wrestling journalist, Stephanie Chase: Kota Ibushi vs. Jay White from August 12, 2019.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/08/29/cruel-summer-29-kota-ibushi-vs-jay-white-2019-w-stephanie-chase/
*****
Rewind-A-SmackDown 8/28/20: Heyman & Zayn Return, WWE Payback Preview
John Pollock and Wai Ting chat Friday Night SmackDown featuring the returns of Paul Heyman and Sami Zayn. Plus, AEW’s ratings from Thursday, AEW selling tickets to more shows, and a preview of WWE Payback.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/08/29/rewind-a-smackdown-8-28-20-heyman-zayn-return-wwe-payback-preview/
*****
upNXT MOVIE REVIEW: I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Braden Herrington and Davie Portman are joined by friend of the show and horror expert, John Siino to present a random “summer” horror movie review… I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)!
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/08/28/upnxt-movie-review-i-know-what-you-did-last-summer-1997/
*****
REWIND-A-DYNAMITE 8/27/20: Fans return, Mox-MJF signing, Dark Order celebration
John Pollock and Wai Ting review a Thursday edition of AEW Dynamite in front of limited fans featuring a Jon Moxley-MJF contract signing, Dark Order celebrating Brodie Lee’s TNT title win, and a Tables Match between Matt Hardy and Sammy Guevara.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/08/28/rewind-a-dynamite-8-27-20-mox-mjf-signing-dark-order-celebration-hardy-guevara/
*****
upNXT 8/26/20: “Krossed Out”
Braden Herrington and Davie Portman review the August 26th edition of WWE NXT including Karrion Kross vacating the NXT Championship due to injury and William Regal setting up a Fatal Four Way 60-Minute Iron Man Match next week between Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa and Finn Balor for the vacant championship.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/08/27/upnxt-8-26-20-krossed-out/
*****
BONUS SHOW 8/26/20: Raw & AEW Ratings, ThunderDome Problems, New Japan
John Pollock and Wai Ting are back with another bonus show covering the latest news including WWE Raw & Saturday Night Dynamite ratings, and a review of Wednesday’s New Japan card featuring KOPW matches.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/08/26/bonus-show-8-26-20-raw-aew-ratings-thunderdome-problems-new-japan/
*****
BONUS SHOW: Raw & AEW Ratings, ThunderDome Problems, New Japan
John Pollock and Wai Ting are back with another bonus show covering the latest news including WWE Raw & Saturday Night Dynamite ratings, and a review of Wednesday’s New Japan card featuring KOPW matches.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/08/26/bonus-show-8-26-20-raw-aew-ratings-thunderdome-problems-new-japan/
*****
ASK-A-WAI: Ask Us Anything! (September 2020)
John Pollock and Wai Ting answer their patrons’ questions from the POST Wrestling Forum in the September 2020 edition of Ask-A-Wai.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/40852946/
*****
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