Daily Update: Jordan Breen, WWE Raw, Worlds Collide

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WWE Worlds Collide Vikingo vs Chad Gable
Image Copyright: WWE
  • Bryan and I will be back tonight talking about a number of topics including Jordan Breen, Sarah Rowe, Raw tonight and much more.  You can also ask questions for tonight’s show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com
  • Jordan Breen, who was a total genius when it came to MMA during  the heyday of Sherdog Radio, passed away.  He was to turn 38 today.  I used to talk with him all the time when he attended all the UFC shows and he had a brain that was just hard to explain.  Like he was a pro wrestling fan, but it was far from his main thing yet he understood it better than many people who spent their lives in it.  Nobody had seen him for a while and he had a myriad of problems in recent years.  I did several Internet radio shows with him in the past and his ability not to just remember everything, break down fights at a high level, but completely understand the business end of both MMA and  pro wrestling made him fascinating to talk with.  Even people in that world who generally did not like MMA reporters were in awe of him and more than one person I know who never did empty compliments called him the smartest person in the entire industry.
  • Raw tonight is from Tulsa at the BOK Center.  There are two Money in the Bank qualifiers with CM Punk vs. AJ Styles vs. El Grande Americano and Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan vs. Ivy Nile.  It should be noted that both Americano and Vaquer are already booked for Worlds Collide that afternoon.  Obviously they can do both shows but I’d think it was unlikely they’d book them for two shows, especially Vaquer since MITB is usually well practiced out.  Sami Zayn & Jey Uso vs.  Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed headlines.  Lyra Valkyria is also on the show.  There were 8,560 tickets out as of this morning.  The place would swell out at well over 13,000 so if they do announce a sellout, they are fibbing.  It has become the new thing of late to revert back to the Monsoon days where every show is called a sellout by the announcers whether accurate or not.
  • There are reports of Moody Jack Melendez and Savio Vega being on Saturday’s Worlds Collide show in some form.  Melendez is from Puerto Rico and helped book AAA and I think Lucha Underground at one point.  Vega has no connection with Mexico past he worked there as TNT in the 80s.  Puerto Rico and Mexico both speak Spanish.  Some people confuse that to think Mexican fans will like stars from Puerto Rico.  It will be very interesting on Saturday what audience they draw.  Will it be a WWE audience (my gut says it will) or will it be a Lucha Libre audience?  It will be very evident very quickly but either way I expect great crowd heat even with mostly cold matches except the top two bouts.
  • AAA has put up the El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Alberto title change from Saturday night on YouTube
  • Maycee Barber, who suffered a seizure moments before her main event on Saturday’s UFC show was to start, said on Instagram that she owes an apology to Erin Blanchfield (her opponent), Dana White, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby.  She said she was delivered a bad hand and “My life is not messy.”  That was in reference to Blanchfield saying that Barber was a “complete mess in every aspect of her entire life.”
  • -he biggest UFC women’s fight since the retirement of Amanda Nunes will be on Saturday’s UFC PPV show from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, with Julianna Pena defending the bantamweight title against heavily-favored contender Kayla Harrison.  This has had a lot of build up as far as Pena’s frequent steroid allegations against Harrison.
  • Nick Khan just sold 28,557 shares of TKO at a price of $4,506,580.17.
  • Yesterday’s Kosei Fujita Best of the Super Juniors win over Yoh was one of  the best matches of the year.  I had super heat and was , incredibly well wrestled.  As far as pure wrestling goes, it was better than any match of the year candidate.  Not quite the storytelling of Will Ospreay vs. Adam Page, nor the crazy moves, but better heat and better pure wrestling.  And it had great storytelling itself.  
  • Prestige, Deadlocked Pro and West Coast Pro ran a joint show at the Vermont Hollywood In Los Angeles yesterday.  I was told every match was good to great:  Anderw Cass & Jiah Jewell b Jason Xavier & JT Throne, Jordan Cruz b Starboy Charlie, Kevin Blackwood b Shane Haste, Dani Luna b Nicole Matthews, Matt Tremont & Jake Something b Adam Priest & Mad Dog Connelly (brawl all over the building including in the balcony), Alan Angels b Jordan Oliver to retain the Prestige title, Cedric Alexander b Trevor Lee, 1 Called Manders & Thomas Shire b Judas Icarus & Travis Williams of NTA.  (thanks to Chris Campol and Doug Hunt)
  • The Sky Team of Mistico & Mascara Dorada & Neon face Barboza & Zandkan Jr. & Difunto in the main event of tomorrow night’s Arena Mexico show.
  • An interesting note given what AEW is trying this summer.  Donn Davis of PFL noted today that they did a residency at the Universal studios in Orlando for their tournament.  He said, “We learned it was not as good for fans, so we will NOT be doing it again.  All events will be on the road for the best fan experience.”
  • Chris Masters and James Storm have been working for CWE out  of  Winnipeg.
  • Gisele Shaw vs. Kylie Rae for the Maple Leaf Pro title was announced for the 6/14 free show at  the Sportsplex in Windsor, ONT at 2 p.m.  Rhino is also on that show.
  • Bret Hart will be doing a HighspotsAuctions.com signing on 6 p.m.  Eastern Friday.
  • Defy on 6/13 at Washington Hall in Seattle has Marina Shafir vs. Vipress for the womens’ title as the main event plus Cedric Alexander vs. Starboy Charlie, Bollywood Boyz vs. Amerikan Gunz and Joey Janela vs. Artemis Spencer.
  • West Coast Pro on 7/26 at the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco has Kevin Blackwood defending his title against  Cedric Alexander in a 2/3 fall match.