Author: John Bass

Networks React To Revised AEW & WWE Nielsen Numbers (After Change In Way Ratings Are Calculated)

The numbers are in, and they’ve got people talking across the wrestling world. With Nielsen officially rolling out its new “Big Data + Panel” system, both WWE and AEW have seen noticeable dips in their TV ratings this week — and that’s raising a few eyebrows inside the industry.

While streaming has become a major player for both promotions — “WWE Raw” now living on Netflix and AEW airing live through HBO Max — traditional Nielsen ratings still carry major weight for networks, advertisers, and executives. The new hybrid data method, designed to more accurately reflect viewing habits across devices, has reshuffled the deck, leaving wrestling shows looking weaker on paper than before.

AEW Keeps Calm Amid The Shift

According to Fightful Select, AEW is keeping a close eye on the situation. Sources say Tony Khan understands the new methodology inside and out thanks to his well-known love of numbers and analytics. While the updated system might make week-to-week trends look rough, AEW still benefits from its simulcasts on HBO Max — even if those exact streaming figures aren’t being publicly shared. Reports suggest about 500,000 viewers tune in weekly to stream “Dynamite” and “Collision.”

A contact within Warner Bros. Discovery (AEW’s media partner) downplayed any panic, noting it’s far too early to make judgments with such a small sample size. The source also pointed out that AEW and WWE both ran head-to-head with Major League Baseball this past week, a sport that — along with college football and the NFL — has actually benefited from Nielsen’s new approach.

When asked if this change could spark talk of cancellations, the WBD insider reportedly laughed off the idea, saying that topic always comes up but is “never actually on the table.”

Interestingly, the new data system has one upside for AEW — it’s expected to end the use of “fast national” ratings, those early estimates that often circulated within hours of broadcast. Because Nielsen’s new reporting adds another day’s delay, those quick-turn numbers will no longer offer an accurate read, potentially eliminating a common talking point in the ongoing WWE–AEW ratings rivalry.

WWE’s Network Partners Weigh In

Over in WWE’s corner, USA Network and The CW are also monitoring the changes. While Raw has made the jump to Netflix, “SmackDown” remains on USA and “NXT” airs weekly on The CW — both still reliant on traditional TV numbers.

A USA Network source told Fightful they’re discussing the new metrics internally, but they’re not alarmed. The feeling is that while the numbers might suggest wrestling isn’t as “hot” as it looked under the old system, the overall value of WWE programming remains undeniable. WWE content continues to deliver strong returns at relatively low costs — something USA has appreciated for decades.

The CW didn’t comment, but the network has reportedly been pleased with NXT’s performance since day one. The shift in ratings measurement isn’t expected to change that enthusiasm.

TNA’s Situation & Industry Impact

One WWE insider did note that the updated Nielsen process could make things tricky for TNA Wrestling, which is currently seeking a new television home. Even so, company president Carlos Silva told Fightful the issue hasn’t come up during negotiations, and discussions with potential partners are still moving forward.

Meanwhile, talent across the major promotions have reportedly felt little direct impact, aside from a few more tweaks to production and travel schedules than usual.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, Nielsen’s overhaul is shaking up how TV success is measured, but the wrestling industry has weathered plenty of changes before. Between the rise of streaming, shifting network priorities, and a fan base that consumes content in more ways than ever, the true picture of viewership might take months — if not years — to fully understand.

For now, one thing’s clear: both WWE and AEW are still drawing millions of passionate fans every week, no matter how the math gets crunched.

Andrade El Idolo Captures The Crash Heavyweight Championship in Mexico

Andrade El Idolo made a statement in his first post-WWE appearance, returning to his roots in Mexico and walking out with gold around his waist. The former WWE Superstar headlined The Crash Lucha Libre event Friday night in Tijuana, defeating DMT Azul to claim the promotion’s Heavyweight Championship.

The win marked not only Andrade’s first match since parting ways with WWE last month but also his first championship reign since leaving the company. His victory ended Azul’s impressive near-900-day run as champion — a dominant streak that had defined The Crash’s top division for years.

This title win comes on the heels of Andrade’s surprise re-emergence in AEW earlier this week. Fans were stunned when El Idolo stormed the ring on Dynamite, ambushing Kenny Omega and revealing his allegiance to The Don Callis Family.

Now holding championship gold once again and aligned with one of AEW’s most notorious factions, Andrade El Idolo’s comeback is off to a powerful start — one that blurs the lines between international wrestling scenes and reminds the world exactly why he’s “El Idolo.”

AEW Collision Preview 10/4/2025

AEW Collision tonight at special early time of 6pm ET Coast-To-Coast (or soon after the college football game) on TNA and HBO Max.

  • Eddie Kingston vs. Dralistico
  • Kevin Knight vs. A member of FTR
  • Death Riders (Jon Moxley, & Daniel Garcia, & Claudio Castagnoli) vs Adam Priest, Tommy Billington, & Jay Lethal
  • Orange Cassidy & Paragon (Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) vs Don Callis Family (Hechicero, Lance, Archer, & Rocky Romero)
  • RUSH & Sammy Guevara vs. TBD
  • Toni Storm and Kris Statlander face-to-face
  • MxM Casting call

WWE SmackDown Preview 10/3/2025

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown will air live on the USA Network in the United States and Netflix internationally from the Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

  • Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton vs. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed
  • Sami Zayn United States Championship Open Challenge
  • Tiffany Stratton looks ahead to Crown Jewel with her match against Stephanie Vaquer
  • Damian Priest in action

Update On Alberto El Patron’s Status With WWE & AAA

With WWE now officially owning AAA, several of the Mexican promotion’s top stars have already started finding their way onto WWE programming. But one name noticeably missing from the spotlight is Alberto El Patron — and his future remains very uncertain.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE inherited Patron’s AAA contract when they acquired the company. However, the former WWE Champion hasn’t been used on television, nor has he been featured in major AAA events like Worlds Collide or Triplemania.

Despite still having a strong fan following in Mexico — with crowds regularly chanting his name during AAA shows — WWE has no immediate creative plans for Patron. His history of personal controversies, combined with his rocky past relationship with WWE, has reportedly made the company hesitant about committing to him in any major capacity.

Patron most recently competed on September 26 at an AAA affiliate event, teaming with Mr. Iguana in a winning effort. But storyline-wise, he was written out of AAA after losing a “Loser Leaves Town” match, further fueling speculation about whether WWE will ever bring him back into the fold.

At this point, Patron’s future is up in the air. WWE may simply keep him under contract without using him, or they could look for a way to test the waters with a one-off appearance down the line. For now, though, fans hoping to see Alberto El Patron back on a big stage will have to keep waiting.

Backstage News on Why NJPW Has Cut Back on U.S. Shows in 2025

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s footprint in the United States has noticeably shrunk this year, and new details are shedding light on why fans aren’t seeing as many American dates from the promotion in 2025.

According to Fightful Select, NJPW has only run three shows in the U.S. by the end of August. That’s a sharp decline compared to six in 2024 and eight in 2023 — and that doesn’t even factor in the company’s collaborative events with other promotions.

The reasons behind the pullback appear to be a mix of business and talent concerns. Ticket sales for NJPW’s American events have been slipping, which has made the financial side of the expansion harder to justify. On top of that, some wrestlers within the company reportedly aren’t enthusiastic about making the trips across the Pacific, leading management to rethink how often they stage shows in the States.

This isn’t the first time NJPW’s U.S. strategy has shifted. Years ago, the company pushed hard to build its presence in North America, bolstered by a roster of international stars. Even after the exodus of talent to AEW, NJPW pressed ahead with its expansion, introducing the STRONG brand during the pandemic to keep its U.S.-based wrestlers active. That initiative eventually came to an end, but NJPW still maintained some of its championships and sporadically held American shows.

The landscape, however, has changed dramatically since AEW’s arrival. With AEW now firmly established as the number two promotion in North America — and offering the kind of in-ring product that once drove fans to NJPW — New Japan’s influence outside Japan has diminished.

For now, it seems the company is prioritizing stability at home rather than overextending abroad. American fans may have fewer chances to see NJPW live in 2025, but the promotion continues to focus on strengthening its core product in Japan.

TNA Wrestling Is ‘In Active Negotiations’ With A New Broadcast Partner

TNA Wrestling may be on the verge of its biggest move in years, as company president Carlos Silva has revealed that the promotion is now in active talks with a new broadcast partner.

Speaking to TV Insider, Silva confirmed that negotiations have officially gone beyond the “feeling out” stage, with one network showing serious interest in bringing TNA to its lineup. While Silva stopped short of naming names, it’s worth noting that TNA has recently been linked to networks like The CW and A&E — both of which already feature WWE programming.

“We’re now in active negotiations with a partner,” Silva explained. “The good news is the process has started. We’re no longer just talking to a bunch of people to gauge interest. Now we have an interested partner, and we’re working through, potentially, a deal for 2026.”

TNA has called AXS TV home since 2019, but the promotion has been openly exploring new broadcast opportunities throughout 2024. With the company looking to expand its footprint — including a show earlier this year at Long Island’s UBS Arena — Silva is confident that a bigger television deal could be the next major step in TNA’s resurgence.

The timing couldn’t be more interesting, as TNA continues to ride the wave of mainstream attention from its ongoing working relationship with WWE. That partnership has brought more eyes to the product, and the company isn’t shying away from the competition either. In fact, TNA is set to go head-to-head with WWE NXT on October 7 when NXT presents its Showdown edition.

Silva made it clear that while there’s no finalized timeline just yet, the wheels are in motion: “It’s done when it’s over the finish line. We’re excited about it and keep pushing it forward.”

If TNA does land a new broadcast partner, it could mark one of the company’s biggest opportunities in over a decade — giving them a national platform just as momentum around the brand is starting to climb again.

TNA IMPACT Preview 10/2/2025

Witness the fallout from Victory Road as the Path to Bound For Glory continues on TNA iMPACT! this Thursday at 8/7c on TNA+ around the world, AXS TV in the US, and Sportsnet+ in Canada.

  • Fallout from Victory Road
  • TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship: The Elegance Brand (c) vs. The IInspiration
  • Nic Nemeth vs. The Home Town Man
  • Tasha Steelz vs. Alisha Edwards
  • Xia Brookside & Lei Ying Lee vs. TBD
  • The King’s Speech w/ Frankie Kazarian – Special Guest Kelani Jordan

ROH TV Preview 10/2/2025

ROH TV tonight, streaming exclusively on HonorClub

  • Pure Rules: Yuka Sakazaki vs. Zoey Lynn
  • Pure Rules: Katie Arquette vs. Serena Deeb
  • Dralistico vs. Beef
  • Johnny TV vs. AR Fox
  • MxM TV (Mansoor, Mason Madden & Taya Valkyrie) vs. Skyflight (Top Flight & Leila Grey)
  • Aaron Solo vs. Jay Lethal
  • The Workhorsemen vs. TBD
  • Premiere Athletes vs. TBD
  • The Frat House Initiation

Andrade Returns to AEW and Aligns with the Don Callis Family

Andrade El Idolo has officially made his way back to AEW, closing the loop on one of the most unusual journeys we’ve seen in modern wrestling. After bouncing between WWE and AEW over the last few years, Andrade has now returned to Tony Khan’s promotion, making his shocking reappearance during the sixth anniversary episode of Dynamite.

The surprise came at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino when Kenny Omega was addressing the fans. Just as Omega was wrapping up a heartfelt promo, the arena lights went out. When they came back up, a masked figure was lurking behind Omega — only to unmask himself as Andrade. The former WWE and AEW star wasted no time reminding fans of his intensity, drilling Omega with his signature move, The Message. Moments later, he shook hands with Don Callis, officially joining forces with the Callis Family.

This return also marks a unique milestone: Andrade is now the first wrestler to make the jump from WWE to AEW, return to WWE, and then head back to AEW again. His career path has been anything but conventional, and this latest twist keeps him firmly in the spotlight.

What Led to His AEW Comeback?

Andrade’s WWE comeback earlier this year was short-lived. Reports suggest he was released in mid-September after disciplinary issues, despite still having significant time left on his contract. With no non-compete clause in play, AEW was able to bring him back immediately. According to Fightful Select, Andrade has signed on full-time with AEW, meaning fans can expect to see him regularly on Dynamite and Collision moving forward.

His first AEW run ended somewhat chaotically, with rumors of a backstage altercation with Sammy Guevara and speculation he was pushing to leave early. Despite that, Tony Khan spoke highly of him upon his 2023 departure, leaving the door open for a return — a door Andrade has now walked back through.

Andrade vs. MJF Brewing?

The timing of Andrade’s comeback is also interesting considering his recent online back-and-forth with MJF. What started as a playful exchange about meeting up in Mexico quickly escalated, with Andrade challenging Friedman to a potential Mask vs. Hair match. MJF brushed it off, but not before throwing some personal jabs Andrade’s way, referencing his divorce from Charlotte Flair and past backstage conflicts.

With Andrade now standing alongside Don Callis, who has been staking claims against the Hurt Syndicate (MJF’s crew), it feels inevitable that these two will cross paths sooner rather than later.

What’s Next for El Idolo?

Outside of AEW, Andrade is also booked for House of Glory’s Superclash on November 15th, though his opponent has yet to be announced. With AEW and TNA talent also set to appear at the event, his schedule looks busier than ever.

One thing is clear: Andrade’s latest AEW run isn’t just a cameo — it’s the start of a new chapter. And with Don Callis in his corner, it might be the most dangerous version of Andrade El Idolo we’ve seen yet.