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Originally Posted by Observer Coming on a night where they faced competition in the form of three of the four major sports, AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT ratings were both up from last week. Last night's Dynamite was up 16.6 percent in total viewers, averaging 901,000 viewers. NXT was also up 6.5 percent, averaging 753,000 viewers ... In the 18-49 demo, AEW averaged a 0.36 rating, up 20 percent from last week. Dynamite finished fifth overall on cable behind two NBA games, Tucker Carlson Tonight, and Real Housewives ... NXT saw an 11.1% increase in the 18-49 demo from last week, averaging a 0.20 rating. NXT finished 27th overall on cable for the night. The combined 18-49 number of 0.56 beat all three hours of Raw on Monday. The story in the other demo categories was similar to most weeks in that NXT won the 50+ category with a 0.39 to 0.33 advantage, the exact same numbers as last week. AEW won every other demo and doubled or nearly doubled NXT in almost every category, particularly in the younger demos. AEW's strongest category was men 18-49, where Dynamite averaged a 0.45 rating, tied for third on cable for the night. It's notable that AEW averaged a 0.29 rating in people 18-34. That beat Raw this week by itself, which averaged a 0.28 in that category.

Originally Posted by Post Wrestling AEW’s viewership average was its highest since March 18th, which was the first empty arena show after the shutdown and their sixth-highest number of the year. In the 18-49 demo, it was their best performance since February 5th, which did the same rating. This week’s demo number is tied for AEW’s second-best performance of the year with the episodes airing on January 1st, January 8th, and Feb. 5th ... For NXT, they did see increases in all their demos as well as overall viewership, which averaged 753,000 and was up 6.5% this week. It was their best numbers in those categories since the second Great American Bash show on July 8th that was headlined by the Double Tite Match between Adam Cole and Keith Lee ... It was a rare week where no key demo decreased on either program.

Originally Posted by Observer Adam Cole vs. Pat McAfee is now official for NXT TakeOver XXX after McAfee posted a video accepting the challenge that was issued to him. The show is taking place on Saturday, August 22.

The fact this actually got made as an official Takeover match is crazy. Feud itself has been somewhat dumb but to actually waste a spot on a TakeOver card is another thing. Road Dogg really wasn't joking when he mentioned a while ago that NXT was going to start leaning a lot more into WWE booking mentality for the brand and storylines.

Originally Posted by PWI Triple H announced that Metallica’s “Moth Into Flame” is an official theme song of NXT TakeOver XXX: “#NXTTakeOver: XXX will be our biggest event yet…so we had to make it as LOUD as possible. A special thank you to @Metallica for this #NXTLoud theme. ‘Moth Into Flame’ gets even LOUDER on S&M2, out August 28th. #WeAreNXT”

Link: https://twitter.com/TripleH/status/1291090843995123713

Originally Posted by Fightful Eric Bischoff is not officially All Elite. Bischoff made a surprise appearance on Wednesday's AEW Dynamite as the moderator for the debate between Chris Jericho and Orange Cassidy. It was his first appearance on TNT wrestling since 2000 when he was a regular on WCW Nitro. Mike Johnson at PWInsider reported Bischoff's appearance was a one-off. Bill Pritchard of WrestleZone talked to Bischoff and asked if any future plans with AEW were discussed. Bischoff said, “No. It was a cameo and it made sense in that particular scene between Orange Cassidy and Chris Jericho."

Originally Posted by PWI Q - Could the hooded new group in WWE be formerly released wrestlers? A - That would actually be a hell of a story, but I haven't heard that to be the case. They could easily just have everyone under hoodies until the reveal so it would be very easy to have others in their place before the reveal.

From PWI's weekly Q&A articles about who might be members of WWE's new mysterious faction.

Originally Posted by Post Wrestling Xavier Woods guest appeared on The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast. Woods spoke about his gaming feud with Kenny Omega and stated that he still wants to do an inter-promotional wrestling match with Omega. “Kenny Omega has been on my YouTube show before and so have the Young Bucks. We have been able to do a Street Fighter Tournament together with a wrestling spin on it of course with the contract signing and cutting promos on each other beforehand. Using video games as a conduit we have been able to do something no one else has been able to do. That rivalry is still going strong today and I’m pretty sure it will never end. I would love to do some sort of inter-promotional match with him one day. The goal is to destroy boundaries. Do things that we aren’t supposed to be doing because people would really enjoy it. Given the right circumstances, I do think it could happen, but we’ll see.” Xavier Woods recounted some of his experiences with Vince McMahon and mentioned how McMahon was laughing uncontrollably backstage when he first saw Woods with the trombone. Once New Day got to the backstage area, McMahon told Woods to always carry the trombone with him. “I decided why don’t I bring out the trombone to the ring with me. I may never get another chance to bring it out onto TV with me. Kofi and Big E are having a match and I’m on the floor, as per usual (laughs). So I have the trombone and I’m thinking to myself what would make the guys laugh. I just started randomly playing the trombone during the match and during the commercial break the cameraman walked up to me. He said Vince is dying laughing in the back, he loves the trombone, keep playing it. Vince had tears in his eyes and he was screaming laughing, he loved it that much. When we got to the back he said, ‘Forever, forever, you will always be bringing out the trombone to the ring with you.'”

Originally Posted by Post Wrestling D-Von Dudley welcomed Kofi Kingston onto the Table Talk podcast. Kofi was asked about the public viewing him as the first African-American WWE Champion and not Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Kofi feels that it’s “silly” that people don’t associate that accolade with Johnson because he’s half-Samoan. “And I agree with you too man. I think it’s sometimes kinda silly that people try to not count The Rock in that category because regardless of what you look like, you are what you are, you know what I’m saying? He’s black, whether he’s half-black or full black, he’s black so, but I definitely take a lot of pride in that sentiment like you said. I think for a long time, people of color, especially African Americans have been waiting for someone who looks exactly like them to hold that championship title and I mention it all the time but on Twitter and social media, the moment that happened, I got so many different messages and people in tears. There’s a video of actually Shad [Gaspard] and MVP crying.”

Originally Posted by Figghtful Anyone who has seen The Rock's animated hit "Moana" knows just how catchy those songs are. "You're Welcome" was listed in the Top 5 of Spotify's most listened to Disney songs in the car. And Daniel Bryan, like most parents out there who have had to endure the song endlessly after one viewing of "Moana," is TIRED OF HEARING IT! Taking to social media, Bryan gave his reason as to why he wants a match with The Rock. Not because it would do big business at the box office or elevate Bryan's career to new heights. Nope, it's all because he's sick of that friggin' song. Always one to put talent over, The Rock is ready to do the job for Bryan.

Link: https://twitter.com/WWEDanielBryan/s...76874136903681 , https://twitter.com/TheRock/status/1291444518215192577

Originally Posted by Fightful Vickie Guerrero is officially All Elite. Speaking with Simon Hannig of Daily DDT, Vickie confirmed that she officially signed her AEW contract this week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Vickie made cameo appearances in Inner Circle segments during 2020 but took on a more prominent on-screen role at AEW Fight for the Fallen when she was announced as the manager for Nyla Rosa. When asked about joining AEW instead of going back to WWE, Vickie said, "No hesitation, put it that way. I retired from WWE in 2014. My focus was not to return to them. We just had a lot of just difference of opinions and things going on. If it wasn’t going to be for AEW, I don’t think I would be anywhere else, but when AEW presented that there was some opportunity, I gave 100%, just my whole being. I said, 'I’m here for you and I can’t wait to be a team player with the company.'"

Originally Posted by Fightful Kazuchika Okada has an idea of what his first stipulation for the KOPW Title tournament will be. During today's NJPW Summer Struggle show, Okada revealed that he is in the tournament as well as Yujiro Takahashi. Okada cut a quick promo on Takahashi and made his first proposal for their first round match which is Okada facing Takahashi in a 3 vs. 1 handicap match, except it is Okada who would be at a disadvantage.

Link: https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/statu...28412095660032

Originally Posted by Fightful On Monday, AEW began its Women's Tag Team Tournament: The Deadly Draw. The concept behind the tournament is similar to WCW's Lethal Lottery where teams are randomly drawn for the tournament. Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Brandi Rhodes, discussed the tournament and how it will help spotlight the women in the division. “I see people saying they want more for the women in AEW, and that’s where my idea for the Tag Team Cup Tournament came from,” said Rhodes. “I don’t book the women’s division, but I help out wherever I can, and I’m really excited for this tournament. I hope people take their cues from the women involved, because we’re really excited about this. This exists on its own, with no restraints. I think people are going to be charmed by it, both by the production and the talent. Very quickly, it’s become a labor of love, with graphics, travel, filming pre-tapes, every detail. People are working really hard to create new content. It’s not tacked onto Dark or Dynamite, this is the start of something great for the women’s division.”

TPWW Frontpage:

• Matt Hardy Needed Stitches, Posts Photos of His Head After Being Busted Open
• NXT: Three Matches Announced for Next Week, New TakeOver Match, Dexter Lumis Pulled From TakeOver
• Four Matches Announced for Next Week’s AEW Dynamite