Lineups and Summer Slam Matches

Hey, this is Brian Alvarez and this is today's edition of the Wrestling Observer Daily podcast on the eight Side Network.

By from San Francisco. I'm a sports byline broadcasting network. You are listening to Wrestling Observer Live with your hosts Brian Alvarez and Mike Semper VV.

When you're ready, When you're ready, let's get it off.

How's it going everybody? Brian Alvarez here on Wrestling Observer Live. We are here every day Monday through Friday noon Pacific three Eastern, Sunday three Pacific six Eastern, and Saturday mornings with Jim Valley at Tenday in Pacific one Eastern. It is a Friday here on the show, and we got a lot to talk about here today going into the weekend.

Among seven nice comic con and Holvey.

Taken that sun on my bad.

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Eight hundred five three five six oh seven eight, eight hundred five three five six oh seven eight eight hundred five three five six oh seven eight that's eight hundred five three five sixties seventy eight.

Back in the show. Bran Elberz here, Wrestling Observer Live. Where's the deep voice?

Man?

I was waiting for that guy. Weddy apparently not here today. Maybe took the day off like I'm taking the weekend. Perhaps he's camping, or perhaps he'll be back in the next break. It is a Wrestling Observer Live here everybody, Bran Elberts and Mike SIMPERBBI and we got lots to talk about here today. EYSR will lineups for the next couple of days. SmackDown is tonight and we have got four segments announced for the show. We have got the Grayson Waller effect with Edge. We have aj Styles versus

Good? Well, if I had to put real money on it, I would probably say the favorite CM Punk, But but I would actually, if it was up to me, put Powerhouse Hobbs over Huge gigantically and it would I would have CM Punk do that. I would. I think that would be a great thing if you're ready to get Powerhouse Hobbs really amped up and started. If you're not to me, CM Punk would probably be the way to go.

You see, I have I have two ideas, but they conflict, ah is the problem. Obviously. My first idea, which I've talked about, is that Samo Joe beat Cmpunk via some sort of shenanigan, and that builds up to CM Punk and Samoa Joe in Wembley in front of your seventy five thousand people, and then Punk wins that match to set up his title match against MGF in Chicago the week after That is my That is my number one scenario.

So I guess he can put them over big time on the way to doing it. Though, Look, you don't lose. I know in your scenario you lose some off the fastball if you go in that direction. But if see Him Punk wins on Saturday, you have one to one, which then leads you into Wembley with the tie breaking scenario, the same thing we're talking about with Osprey and Omega.

See the other option you have here is that Samoa Joe beats Punk and this sets up the the Wembley match.

Yeah, but you could.

I guess if you do that, it's hard, dude, because either then Joe either has to win the tournament or Ricky Starks has to beat Joe. And I don't think that Ricky Starks should beating Joe. If Joe is going on to Wembley to face Punk and essentially number one contenders matches, what it would be not necessarily.

Look, it's how you structure the match. People believe in Ricky Starks. He's a very popular guy. Same thing with Powerhouse Hobbs. Joe would have a little more work to do, where Punk would have a little more work to do with Powerhouse Hobbs. But as long as those guys come out of that match feeling as though they're on the level of those other dudes, then it was actually worth it. And you do have the bigger name coming out of it to win the owen Hard Cup.

Let's see.

You know what else you can do?

This is this is kind of this kind of structure, it's kind of w W E booking. But here's what here's what else you can.

Do complete opposite.

Joe beats Punk, Yes, Ricky Starks hold on half our, Ricky Starks beats Hobbs Samoa Joe, and Ricky Starks in the Finalmjo wins. So not only would would samo Jo have knocked Punk out of the Owen Hard Tournament with you know, Punk and ftr's gimmick being the biggest fans ever of the Hard family, not only would you have knocked him out of the tournament, he wins the tournament and then you know, not immediately because you don't want

But why would Ricky Starts be the Ring of Honor television champion. He needs to be just an AW property And I know things are wrong, so.

To see someone Joe's an AW property. He needs the Ring of Honor.

Yeah, I know, but he is. Look now we're getting into semantics with it. But if you want to keep the roster separate and you want to keep things a little bit special, then Ricky Starks, I'm sorry, shouldn't be on ring of honor. He just shouldn't be first.

As who says it's Joe versus Punk it all in, I can see all out with Punk getting that win in Chicago. Well, listen, do you watch the show on ho It.

Could be the deciding match to lead into Chicago too, with Joe and Punk with something on the line.

Yes, and that's what I've been saying the whole time. But my point is all Wembley is clearly I believe going to be MJF and Adam Cole. They're in the middle of the storyline right now, you know what I mean, They've got six weeks they're gonna split, and you do that first. And then so you're telling me that you would prefer that Cim punk faced Somojo in Chicago as opposed to him getting a championship match in Chicago, because

Such a great joy slash inner turmoil over talking about that three way.

For the because you know what, so much of this stuff is so well booked, but that three way is just it's ridiculous. Yes, she didn't get her rematch, Okay, I understand that she wants a rematch, but in storyline she was told you are going to get the winner of this match, but don't show up, do not interfere, don't be there. And she showed up anyway, she literally ruined the match, and in storyline, she is now being rewarded by being put into a three way for the title.

Get there?

Yeah, like you know, don't have her get involved, have oscin Charlotte go to anything where there's not a decisive winner. And then Bianca, you promised me a shot, so I'm getting the three way. That's better than rewarding somebody for breaking the rules. I'm a father here, I mean, come on, this is ridiculous. Clearly a nonfather wrote that storyline. Oh, man, that's what happened there. Well, we got ratings after the break.

You were listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alvarez and Mike Simper VV on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network.

Man, I got don't make the twitch chat worse than the old YouTube chat. Everybody, even Daggan here is on my nerves today.

Oh man, I refuse to watch.

A Vince McMahon book show in twenty twenty three. Well, you're not gonna because he's not booking the show. Well, he's got a couple of segments he does here and there, he's got input, but Paul is still booking the show. And uh, and that's from the people there, And it's albvious. It's also obviously you actually watch it. If you don't watch it, you can cherry pick things it sounds stupid and then say that the whole show is stupid, but it's actually not. I would say that eighty percent of

Oh yeah, how about forever since advertisers want, you know, rich people with money, especially young, to buy things. Then when they're old, they just kind of change up how they advertise to them. That's how this works.

Now NXT, Now that I realized it was on the fourth of July, this was a great number, five hundred and eight thousand viewers, which was the los audience total for an episode in USA history.

But uh bro, they have a cocoon around them. There is no real world thing that gets into the heads of some of these NXT viewers, especially the ones that are over fifty years old. That actually, I have no idea what the demo numbers were. Was that actually where it usually is?

And XC drawing a point thirteen on the fourth of July is is actually excellent because they had shows were down in the like the point oh eight area at their worst, and a point thirteen is is very good for NXT. That's eighteen forty nine. And uh man, that point thirteen is popular because Collision did a point thirteen and Rampage to the point thirteen and U and this NXT show did a point thirteen, So point thirteen's all around this week, but that's a good number given the day.

You know what Point one three also is, it's gonna be your blood alcohol level after a couple of days of screaming kids out camping.

M Dagan just did a whole big thing here. Maybe I should let him call in. He says, I don't have time to watch WWE, especially with Vince running the show. Didn't Brian just rant about that, getting mad at someone for not watching something. No, Dagan, I'm mad at you not because you're not watching WWE, but because you keep insisting that Vince is running the show and he's not and you're not even watching it to like, I mean, he's not not watch the show and tell me how

Dagan. If you want to say that you don't want to watch a Vince McMahon influence product.

I'm opening the phone lines for Dagan. If you only Dagan is allowed to call hold on a second, good talk.

I am if you want to say that you don't want to watch a Vince McMahon led product because he's back with the company where is okay, but day is not booking the company day to day. He tends to screw things up by sticking things in last minute. We've heard about that since the day after russell Mania. But but he is not booking this thing. And there are fingerprints of other people all over this show.

So I'm gonna see if I can do this without even listening with says, because I want people to know all these secret messages.

You're right, and they will pick up on the tone gimmick too, I believe, So you gotta be careful about that.

Let's see if I can do this all.

Right right now. For everybody who is listening terrestrially, i'd like to thank you for listening via podcast right now.

Brian is uh, oh my gosh, it worked firing up. I can't believe he's here just for only for Dagan. I only want to hear from Dagan and explain himself. I want, yeah, I want Dagan to explain himself. I want him to tell me more about this show. He doesn't watch you got it?

Dagan.

And then once you do that, maybe I'll let you talk about something else too, if you want to talk about uh, I don't know, well no, maybe, yeah, look about how about the Juggalos. Well you have to impress because Tom sure like that Juggalo show.

I'm sure he did.

He was.

He's still covered in fago right now. I'm I'm not kidding. He's drenched. I couldn't get it out of him.

Oh my god.

All right, Diagan, let's hear it.

Brother, you're you're really, you're seriously, yes, you're making me stop making my coffee for five minutes.

I gotta I gotta red hot line here, just like in those old cartoons. You got a red hotline straight to the show.

Yes, okay, So so let me just ask you something, Brian, After all this time of you saying that Vince Mickman is back, Vince smick Man is running the show. Vin sick Man is doing all this stuff. You're not suddenly telling me he's not running.

No, don't don't do this, Dagan. When when WrestleMania occurred. The night after WrestleMania, Vince showed up and he tore the entire script up, and he rewrote everything, and the show was awful. It was a total Vince McMahon show. And the next day, the next day, I factually he's back, which he was, okay, then he went home and all of the shows afterwards, with maybe one exception, I think there's been one or two exceptions where he's actually torn

Get them Okay, Okay, so I'm not I'm not cherry picking here, but but let me just put this out there. There is always the chance, now that Vince McMahon is back as CEO of w W or whatever the title is now, that he will even if it's only a couple of shows here and there. I can remember reports like last week that he was at RAW and changing things here and there and tearing up the script. There's

You're absolutely right?

Okay, Okay, So with that chance always looming, there's always going to be that threat. I don't personally want to take time out of my day to watch the show because, okay, there's so much other wrestling to watch. That's the fans.

Okay, that's fine.

If you.

If you say I don't want to watch w w E because I run the risk of watching a show that Vince is in charge of, fine, that's absolutely fine. But can you say that I'm not watching the show because Vince is running the show. That is factually incorrect. That's the issue that I have. No, it's not the same thing. He's not running the show.

Has the ability to which he has, but he's not.

Doing that, and so he's not doing that, so you cannot say that he is when he's not. That's the point.

He is running the show.

He will do I'm sure he will do that again. He might do that the night after WrestleMania. He might have done that at WrestleMania for particular match this year. But the fact of the matter is him changing a thing or two or a show or two occasionally. Is very different from saying he is running the show, because I have watched it when he is running the show and he is not running the show. Now, he has

They have some.

Influence over this, some influence over that. They all changes for that, but they're not running the show, neither of them. So this is exactly the same thing. Would you like to stick around and talk about something else naked?

Sure?

Why not?

All right? Stick around?

I love you guys too much to hang up.

Well, stick around back in a moment. Observer Live.

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You were listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alvarez and Mike semperviv on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network.

Back here on the show, I'm dying. I'm dying. I need a big padded wall to just bang, bang, bang bang my head on Letting Go over videos. I noted here that everybody that disagrees with me about this admits that they don't even watch it now, and so I said, you know, then Letting Goes, Well, why don't we watch it? And I said, well, you quit watching because it was probably over a year ago when it sucked, and now everyone is coming into the chat going I quit in

Yeah, I think we've had enough of w W talk for the day. You guys want to talk about blood and guts because I'm pretty hype for the show. I'm going to be attending that wive and uh, I'm just curious. So we're all kind of under the impression that Coda of Boushi is most likely going to be the mystery partner for the Elite, right I would be yeah, yes, So I think there are several potential options in play

You have suffered a a U. I think it was like a partially torn hamstring, but uh, it's it was described to me as basically exactly the same as what Moxley had for like six months and he never missed a day. He just taped it up for every show and uh and was out there working. Now. Granted this is this is John Moxley here, but I think the Wheeler can tape it up and get out.

There, gotcha. So the first name that comes to mind for me for the BCC's mystery partner, and I want to see what you guys think about this, Chris Jericho. Chris Jericho has been in every Bought and Guts match so far, and given what they kind of set up on Dynamite this week, that's kind of the first name that came to mind. But yeah, that's that's kind of all I got for now.

All Right, Dagan, thanks for the call here on the hotline. You're welcome on the dig in Line. Yeah, we'll see it ends up being. I think they should put that titanium cast that Cody has on Brian's arm and just send him out there. He'll be all right. I mean, isn't that thing indestructible or something like that. That's what they explained to us.

Brian Danielson running his mouth during the breaks on the shows. For those people who are only listening by audio, if you're not a twitch or a YouTube homie. You don't get to see Brian Danielson at the press conference running down Nigel saying, man, you can't get back into shape to face me. I don't know, Daniel, for as much as you keep getting hurt, you know, maybe Nigel can

Heys, Chicago had enough wrestling because now you're gonna get Survivor Series. It is going to be held to the All State Arena, Rosemont, Illinois, November twenty fifth, smack down to the All State Arena November twenty fourth. And you know what's fascinating about this, They're gonna put tickets on sale for this show on July nineteenth, So they're gonna have tickets on sale for the November Survivor series, probably quite a while before AW puts tickets on sale for

It's very interesting considering they have gone with this philosophy of not announcing shows and kind of putting shows on sale, you know, relatively close to the date where they're going to hold it, and making that announcement. Here they're doing it way far out. So yeah, that is a very interesting change of pace to how they've been doing things.

So we've got ford Field Summer Slam on August fifth, and we have got Payback at the You know, you're old when you see all these arena names here, Like, what is that payback? Is it the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

You're not a hockey fan. Call it the Igloo?

What did it used to be?

Is it new? Well, it's it replaced the Civic Arena. That Okay, there you go, old Igloo. But yeah, yeah, I made it a smaller building. So now Dusty Rhoads and like Big Bubba will always hold the record in Pittsburgh unless they run a stadium show there because that was the last time in that building. That was the biggest amount they did. Now they're in a smaller spot. But yeah, I like Baltimore Arena where they ran for

And we've got the fast Lane Show on October seventh at the gained Bridge field House in Indianapolish. Those love these field houses. Mart is it the eighteen hundreds. It's gotta be at the field.

House, Frank, big basketball town.

You know.

And then we've got Survivor Series in Rosemont, Illinois at the All State Arena.

Used to be the Horizon now it's the All State Arena.

Got the Rosemont Horizon.

I am the Ancient Survivor Series eighty seven, right, I am ancient.

By the way, that big old ball in Las Vegas turned on the other day.

Uh huh.

It looks like one of those speaking of old you know, a kid and they had that that crystal ball and you put your fingers on it, lightning, That's what it looks like.

But you go in it.

I'm not going to that thing. Oh it's got cool, it could be killed.

Maybe it spins around like that thing at the fair and the boardwalk and stuff like that. You jump in and you kind of ping you to the wall because it's spinning so fast.

Then we've got twenty seven dates for WWE in September and October. Brian, they're going all over the place.

Who's gonna run it first, Who's gonna run that bat wrestling in there? If they have or if AW has an event or WWE. I can see it taking place inside the Big Ball.

You know what, I don't understand, and I'm sure there's a reason for it, But like I'm looking at these WWE dates, these places are going I'm like, uh, Kennewick Washington. What are you going to Kennewick for?

What day is it?

It's it's like it's a Saturday, I know that, But why go to Kennewick. You don't know what Kennewick is?

Do you do?

It's right in the middle of the state, and it's just like there, I mean, what are you doing in Kennewick? Can you run like Seattle Tacoma? Do you know think you gonna sell tickets? Seattle, Tacoma, Everett even they're going at Kennewick, I don't know.

They go to Salteah as opposed to Norfolk and places like that. I don't know. They've done a lot of shows, although it was mostly you know, coming out of the pandemic. They'd have those Saturday and Sunday Stunner House shows and it would be like, you know, someplace in the middle of Iowa followed by Idaho.

Yeah, but it's probably like a place in the middle of Iowa where like you know, you can you can draw from a bunch of different different cities.

That the thing is they had to cancel a bunch of those. And if you look at like the wrestle ticks and all those types of comparison sites. It's like they're structured or they're set up for only like three thousand, but they if they only sell like five hundred tickets and the initial thing, they're gonna go, Okay, we're gonna go ahead and cancel that show. So maybe that's what it is. I don't know. They go to some odd places, they really do. I always wonder how that goes for

Kennewick is middle. It's literally in the middle of the state, and you have to go for a mountain range, like if you're if you're in the populated portion of washing you go for a mountain range to get to Kennewick. Who wants to do that?

Is it?

Is it a partially sold show?

Is it a in Kennewick? Doubtful?

Well, I mean why else would you go there unless you have maybe some sort of again, a promotional thing or something like that that may tie in with a TV station or something. I don't know. I mean, yeah, it's again, where are they around that? Are they in cities around that? Like the next day? Are they in a No?

Then they go to Boise Idaho, which is way the heck out there. That's probably ten hours from Kennewick. Yeah, maybe AD is a big center in Idol, but still I don't know. Dude, I ain't going to Kennewick. Come on, come on, any Kennewickens out there can explain this to me.

I when's the last time we got to ask our people that are listening, uh in North in South Dakota and North Dakota, in both Dakota's let us know what's going on out there.

Sky goes.

I'll have you know.

Kennewick was voted most Livable Mountain town by Rand McNally in nineteen eighty five.

Now I want somebody from the Dakotas to the debate.

That I mean, I know that uh you know Don Kels was driving through ball Zac that's out in the middle of nowhere too. You know what I'm saying, probably taking prozak m Ring of Honor death before dishonored. July twenty first, it will be Claudio Cassie only defending the Ring of Honor title against Mark Brisco.

He's an aw guy too.

By the way, Mark ain't gonna win this match. What they're holding it off. Whoa, that's what I think. I think that something's going wrong and uh, and Claudio's gonna win and then you gotta do that Claudio Eddie match and then uh, Mark's got to win the title at Final Battle. That's my that's my long term booking.

This take that as long as Mark ends up with that title, he's.

Got to end up with the title. It would be it would be that house.

Then in Salisbury, boy, do I have an idea for TK if he wants Slonbury.

The only thing that ever came out of Salisbury was a bad steak.

In some of the greatest wrestling video you've ever seen in your life down on the Farm, which is, uh, that's true, well technically Salisbury, but no, no, but they stomped there too.

Okay, this for says all Out goes on sale July fourteenth, So do they get the jump on him. Let's see what I what did I have here? July fourteenth. Let's see WWE is putting theirs on sale. It's actually uh, let's see July nineteenth. So there, that's interesting. Now, that's actually really interesting. I would think the w WE would actually put them on sale like the thirteenth or the fifteenth or something like that, So you'd have to pick, like which one you're going to.

Well, here's the thing. You know, they may not do damage to the big show, but how many they're in Chicago for what? Three days? For four days? Again, this is one of those things where you may not hurt one show, but you may if people have to then choose because they want to go to the big WWE show too. Those secondary you know, collision and whatever is taking place around aw that may be the issue. You know, with all out, that's going to be the issue.

Versays, the looming threat of Vincent Creative makes it difficult to invest in WWE because he can't trust anything will resolve. That's fine. I'm not telling anyone to watch. What I'm requesting is if you don't watch, don't tell those of us that do watch that it sucks. Like the exact analogy would be if I sat here and I told you how much stardom sucked if I wasn't watching it, people would be furious you don't watch it. So if you don't want to watch it, that's fine. If you

Crazy annoying to be told over and over again that Zach Saber Junior isn't a legitimate threat because of how he looks.

I never said watching I never said that.

And saying this guy, you know.

Traw Observer Radio, that's what this has become here, you know something about that. Maybe Jack Perry could join Don Kalas's family. I figure, oh Don's sliminess would rub off on Jack and help him become a better heel. He wrote, slimness. His slimness is going to run off on him him. Wrestling fans who love anthropology might love Kenwick. Are you familiar with the Kennewick Man?

Yes?

And he's dead. He's not buying a ticket back in a moment. Observer Life.

Gives me.

Something that I won't whatever. You were listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alvarez and Mike SIMPERVIVI on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network.

I got the show. Brian Albarez here Wrestling Observer Live, Mike Simper vv, also of Wrestling observer dot com.

Let's see what we.

Got here in this text message Ben. By the way, I'm going to the bunk house today. Actually, those e that remember last year, a shoot bunk house, a legitimate shoot bunk house is where I will be staying the night the next two nights. Then we're camping, and then we'll be at Cannon Beach. So I'm gonna be all over the place. But if you want a travelog, you can become a super follower on Twitter a subscriber. I'll

Oh?

Do you ever have Maryland fried chicken?

Well, not from actual Maryland. I've had many types the fried chicken. I don't get into those spices thing like Kentucky fried chicken. Eleven herbs and spices. You know, they took those to a lab. I read a book about it. They took it to a lab because they were going to find out what the secret eleven herbs and spices were. You know they were There was salt and there was pepper, and that was it. No, it's true. Anyway, we're out of here. Talk to you next time wrestling is over live.