POST IT NOTES
**Rewind-A-Dynamite streams live at 10:05 p.m. ET tonight on the POST YouTube channel. Wai Ting and I will review the show from Rochester and take your feedback from the POST Wrestling Forum.sc
**A reminder that POST’s G1 Climax Contest is open and it’s free to join for everyone. You can make your picks for every G1 match and the standings will be updated throughout the tournament and a winner crowned after the finals. You can enter anytime before Friday, July 15th at www.postwrestling.com/g1.
**We had a great interview with Tom Lawlor on Tuesday discussing his entry into the G1 Climax and the process of getting into the tournament. Lawlor also went through a difficult period in 2016 when he was suspended by USADA, which has completely changed its protocols and Lawlor lost two years of his career over this issue. He explained how he reinvented himself in professional wrestling and worked his way towards this next step of his career going to Japan for the G1. We will definitely aim to have Tom come back on the show after the G1.
**Braden Herrington and Davie Portman have a review of NXT’s Great American Bash from Tuesday night.
POST DAILY NEWS SHOW
– NXT Great American Bash
– Lengthy discussion about the role of social media for performers
– WWE & AEW ratings
– F1 British GP ratings
– AEW Dynamite tonight in Rochester
Audio version for POST Wrestling Café members.
WRESTLING NEWS
**One day after deactivating her Twitter account, Shotzi posted a follow-up statement on Instagram to assure people she was fine:
I appreciate everyone checking on me but I swear I’m fine. I have been going through the toughest year of my personal life so it’s deeper than nasty comments, but also twitter has not helped with my already fragile mind state. Just trying to stay motivated and positive. I am focused on my goals and not what’s on the internet.
The original statement she wrote came after the criticism she faced over the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. Shotzi acknowledged there were missed spots in the match and even joked about them herself believing she would end up on Botchamania. However, she said it did affect her when people started posting comments that she should be fired and crossing the line beyond fair criticism.
The struggle of maintaining a social presence online while balancing and preserving one’s mental health is an increasing problem for all public athletes and entertainers. Much has been researched and unearthed about the dangers of social media and the addictive qualities that have made it a tool that is very hard for people to drop completely. For many performers, there is no greater rush than succeeding at a high level and earning praise from your peers and fans, it is addictive and reaffirming to see people shower you with praise. On the other end, you’re under a microscope when you don’t meet those marks and are faced with intense scrutiny. If this was the limits of social media engagement, I don’t feel it would be the problem it has become. While we’re in an era where any criticism is equated to toxicity, there is room for healthy criticism and as an artist, performer, athlete, etc. in the public eye, you are putting your work out there for the public to judge. When it goes beyond the work and devolves into a personal attack, it crosses a line and there is no doubt, that there is a tremendous amount of that in all forms of entertainment.
More and more, it is hard to imagine why some of these public figures engage in online culture but that circles back to the affirmation and attention they receive positively, and is one willing to trade in the good to eliminate the bad? There are also plenty of incredible people that one would never encounter if not for social media. I can speak personally, operating on a platform a fraction of the size of any major wrestling company, and I have received stories and feedback from listeners that were truly moving and inspiring. If I wasn’t online regularly, would never have seen them.
While not something I’ve heavily researched, my assumption would be that the online day-to-day engagements for a female in the industry are far harsher than their male counterparts. Regardless of advancements in the industry, females are still going to be judged heavily on looks and held to a very high standard with one only needing to look at the comments of their posts.
The exceptionally troubling stories are when things go from online to offline. It seems to be a weekly occurrence where performers are posting PSAs about fans tracking down their home addresses, scamming fans for money with fake accounts of performers, and one of the most troubling stories from two years ago was when someone broke into the home of Sonya Deville and of course, the role social media played in Hana Kimura’s death.
Shotzi’s public statements this week have become normal but it’s a glimpse into the day-to-day experiences many of these stars have in an online setting. Technology has placed a premium on global connectivity, a nonstop online presence, and a willingness to hand over your data for the convenience of your favorite app. For a public figure, it seems like a horrible recipe and we have seen the effects on mental health.
Maintaining a public profile in the current environment is not something taught at wrestling school but is becoming essential for talent, many of whom are entering the business have been online their entire lives and don’t know a world without Twitter or Instagram. The way the system is set with loose protocols is taking a technology that was designed to connect people and instead, will make many want to eliminate their online interactions because of the steep toll it entails.
**AEW Dynamite takes place from the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York, which was the home city of the late Brodie Lee (Jon Huber) and is where he was set to debut for the promotion in March 2020 when the pandemic began.
Last week, the show finished first on cable for the night due to Blood and Guts and tonight will determine a better idea for a baseline as they go into the summer months without the playoffs to affect their numbers. The biggest disadvantage AEW is dealing with is the loss of so many top stars, including its biggest in CM Punk. The injuries are compounded with the removal of MJF for the time being and leave them without many of their biggest names. On the other hand, they are coming off a tremendous month where they drew two tremendous crowds for their debut in Southern California and Detroit and a universally praised event in Forbidden Door that appears to have done slightly better than expected on pay-per-view.
The big match on the show is Jon Moxley’s defense of the interim championship against unheralded Brody King. This will be a test of the importance the audience places on the interim title. While it is Moxley wrestling, King is not a major star in the company and his battle royal win came on Rampage instead of the bigger show, so you didn’t have time to cement him as a threat for Moxley even though the match should be very good but it’s star power over in-ring quality.
Below are the announced matches and segments for tonight’s show at 8 p.m. ET on TBS and TSN 2 in Canada:
*AEW Interim Championship: Jon Moxley (champion) vs. Brody King
*Street Fight for the TNT Championship: Scorpio Sky (champion) vs. Wardlow
*Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland vs. The Butcher & The Blade
*Thunder Rosa & Toni Storm vs. Nyla Rose & Marina Shafir
*Christian Cage and Luchasaurus appear
**NXT viewership in the U.S. for the Great American Bash will be delayed until Thursday due to the holiday this past Monday. In Canada, the show averaged 57,000 viewers and 21,500 in the 25-54 demographic on Sportsnet 360. It was NXT’s highest viewership in Canada since April 20th. NXT aired against a Toronto Blue Jays game this week, which was the top sports program for the night with NXT finishing ninth among sports programming.
**WWE Raw will be airing against ESPN’s coverage of the Home Run Derby on July 18th.
**IMPACT Wrestling has released a wonderful video with messages of support for Don West, who continues to battle brain lymphoma. The video includes messages from AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, Scott D’Amore, Dixie Carter, Frankie Kazarian, Traci Brooks, Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, Christy Hemme, ODB, and David Sahadi:
To support Don West, there is a GoFundMe campaign to help assist with medical costs.
**Marko Stunt spoke with Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston and shared his thoughts on Christian Cage using his name in the recent segment involving Luchasaurus. When Luchasaurus grabbed Cage by the throat after the attack on Jungle Boy, Cage warned him by reminding him of what happened to Stunt, who is no longer with the company. Stunt said he was not aware of the line before it aired and said it was “kind of lame” while understanding it did fit with the story.
**Peter Rosenberg will interview The Undertaker this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on a live stream as a lead-in for his A&E Biography at 8 p.m. The two-hour documentary will be followed by WWE Rivals and Smack Talk as part of the WWE programming block on the network.
MMA NEWS
**The UFC 276 prelims were simulcast on ABC, ESPN & ESPN+ on Saturday night. Showbuzz Daily reports that the prelims averaged 929,000 viewers and 0.19 in 18-49 on ABC and 871,000 and 0.34 respectively on ESPN. On cable, they were #1 for the day for the 8-10 p.m. ET block of fights. ESPN also aired the early prelims at 6 p.m. ET which averaged 497,000 viewers and 0.18 in 18-49, finishing third for the day. The numbers on ABC were nothing special and for prime-time network programming wouldn’t be a great number. However, from a strategic standpoint, Disney is using an additional window in their network outlet to get eyes on UFC that will hopefully, be converted into buys on ESPN+ and the synergy makes all the sense in the world. Even with the fights airing on ABC, ESPN won the day with the prelims and has to be viewed positively.
To compare, the UFC 275 prelims last month aired on ESPN2 and averaged 548,000 viewers and 0.16 in 18-49. The last pay-per-view prelims to air on UFC was prior to UFC 274 in May and averaged 623,000 viewers and 0.20 in 18-49 but also aired against the NBA & NHL playoffs.
**Jake Paul stated that Tommy Fury is off the August 6th card and Paul will be naming a new opponent that he will face at Madison Square Garden. Paul wrote that his company MVP Promotions did everything it could to help Fury and his team, but the fighter wasn’t interested and went “into hiding”. Fury did not appear at last week’s press conference after being unable to enter the U.S. It was reported by TMZ that Fury was denied entry into the country due to his family’s connection to Irish crime boss Daniel Kinahan, who the U.S. government is after.
Fury has since posted the following statement on Instagram regarding his inability to enter the U.S. and unable to fight on that date:
Statement from Tommy Fury on the Jake Paul fight… pic.twitter.com/wAe37lXNcw
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) July 6, 2022
ON THIS DATE
Perhaps the biggest moment in Nitro’s history on this date in 1998 was when Bill Goldberg won the WCW title from Hulk Hogan. The show drew 36,506 paid and over 41,400 total to the Georgia Dome with a gate of $906,330:
One of the greatest WWF pay-per-views events in its history occurred in 1997 with In Your House – Canadian Stampede featuring an electric audience for the ten-man tag main event. The Hart Foundation were heroes to this crowd at the Saddledome with each entrance louder than the previous one and peaking for Bret Hart’s walkout:
*****
POST DAILY NEWS: Shotzi deactivates Twitter, NXT Great American Bash
John Pollock & Wai Ting are back to chat about Tuesday’s Great American Bash special, Shotzi deactivating Twitter, Friday’s TV numbers & Dynamite tonight.
*****
upNXT: Great American Bash 2022
Braden Herrington and Davie Portman review NXT: The Great American Bash from July 5th, 2022 headlined by Bron Breakker vs Cameron Grimes for the NXT Championship!
*****
INTERVIEW: Tom Lawlor chats G1 Climax
“Filthy” Tom Lawlor joins John Pollock & Wai Ting to discuss his participation in NJPW’s G1 Climax 32 beginning later this month. Plus, John & Wai discuss the latest news.
*****
REWIND-A-RAW
John Pollock & Wai Ting review WWE Raw from July 4th featuring fallout from Money in the Bank.
*****
WRESTLENOMICS: Rita Chatterton allegations against Vince McMahon corroborated
Rita Chatterton, who says Vince McMahon raped her in 1986, is interviewed by New York Magazine. Brandon Thurston and Chris Gullo talk about the business of Forbidden Door, Logan Paul signing with WWE, and more.
*****
UFC 276 POST SHOW: Adesanya vs. Cannonier, Volkanovski vs. Holloway
Phil Chertok and Eric Marcotte review Saturday’s UFC 276 card featuring Israel Adesanya defending his title against Jared Cannonier and the third fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.
******
WWE MONEY IN THE BANK POST SHOW
John Pollock and Wai Ting review WWE Money in the Bank 2022 featuring Men’s and Women’s MITB ladder matches, The Uso’s vs. Street Profits, Ronda Rousey vs. Natalya, and more.
*****
Browse the POST Wrestling Store
https://store.postwrestling.com
Subscribe to POST Wrestling
https://postwrestling.com/subscribe
POST Wrestling Forum
https://forum.postwrestling.com
Support our Patreon – The POST Wrestling Café
http://www.patreon.com/POSTwrestling
