Below are a couple of top WWE & AEW news stories of the day, featuring SmackDown, Rampage, Mike Tyson, and Bobby Roode.
• This past Friday, the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing event, which started at 8 PM EST, drew 60 million viewers on Netflix. This resulted in WWE SmackDown and AEW Rampage suffering in viewership.
SmackDown drew 1.23 million viewers with a 0.32 rating in the 18-49 demo, which is down from previous week’s 1.54 million viewers with a 0.47 rating.
Rampage drew 186,000 viewers with a 0.06 rating in the 18-49 demo, which is down from previous week’s 237,000 viewers with a 0.07 rating.
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• WWE is currently without two key figures, Bruce Prichard and Michael Hayes, who are on leave for personal reasons. While no exact return date has been set, Hayes is likely to return soon.
Hayes has played a crucial role in the creative direction of the Bloodline storyline since its inception in 2020 and typically serves as the agent for Roman Reigns’ matches and segments.
In Hayes’ absence, Jamie Noble and Bobby Roode have taken on his responsibilities.
According to PWInsider, Roode has been receiving “tons of praise” for his work, handling several top WWE main events and stepping up effectively during this period.
Roode retired from in-ring competition due to injuries, with his last match taking place in 2022, which was a loss to Omos at a WWE Live Event. He works as a Backstage Producer now.
