Afternoon Update: WWE’s potential losses if they pull out of Saudi Arabia, Impact Ratings update, Impact addresses timeslot change, weekend schedule for WWE & NXT & NJPW, Booker T in-ring update, Shimmer

-WWE has a full house show schedule this weekend. If you plan to attend any of these events, please submit a report for publication to pwtorch@pwtorch.com.

• Fri. Oct. 19: WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Cross Insurance Center, Bangor, Maine
• Sat. Oct. 20: WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, XL Center, Hartford, Conn. (Roman, Ronda, and Braun Strowman also listed on wwe.com to be at this show)
• Sat. Oct. 20: WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Cross Insurance Arena, Portland, Maine
• Sun. Oct. 21: WWE Live Supershow, TD Garden, Boston, Mass.

-NXT is also running events this weekend. If you plan to attend any of these events, please submit a report for publication to pwtorch@pwtorch.com.

• Friday Oct. 19 – Mark Lance Armory – St. Augustine, Fla.
• Saturday Oct. 20 – Venice Community Center – Venice, Fla.

-New Japan has these events scheduled this weekend. If you plan to attend any of these events, please submit a report for publication to pwtorch@pwtorch.com.

• Friday, Oct. 19: NJPW Road to Power Struggle: Super Jr. Tag League 2018 – Night 3 in Hiroshima, Japan
• Saturday, Oct. 20: NJPW Road to Power Struggle: Super Jr. Tag League 2018 – Night 4 in Ehime, Japan
• Monday, Oct. 22: NJPW Road to Power Struggle: Super Jr. Tag League 2018 – Night 5 in Shimane, Japan
• Tuesday, Oct. 23: NJPW Road to Power Struggle: Super Jr. Tag League 2018 – Night 6 in Tottori, Japan

-WWE has announced a special “Road to Evolution” special that will air on USA Network right after Raw on Monday night and then air again on Wednesday night at 10 ET.

-Impact Wrestling last night drew 189,000 viewers, according to our Nielsen Ratings source in the TV industry, up slightly from last week’s 183,000, but still the second-lowest viewership total ever for Impact in prime time. In the key 18-49 adult demo, it drew a record-low 50,000, with only 36,000 in the male 18-49 demo, another low.

-Impact Wrestling has acknowledged their timeslot change on a recent ImpactWrestling.com website post, instructing fans to “remember to change your DVR settings because Impact is moving to 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT each and every week on POP. You will still get the same great action, the same great passion, the same amazing two hours of Impact each and every week, but it will just get started a little later. Don’t miss anything, set your DVR now, and start thinking about changing your viewing habits for next week.” Check out our original story HERE and also our report on dropping viewership for Impact in recent months HERE.

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–Deadline.com reports WWE stands to lose $2-3 million in cashflow in Q4 this year and $12-16 million operating income in 2019 if they put a pause on or cancel their deal with Saudi Arabia to run live events there. Excerpt:

Were the company to go beyond the Crown Jewel event and walk away from its 10-year, multi-platform partnership, the hit to 2019 operating income would range from $12 million-$16 million, Handler estimates. He called that “not an inconsequential number, but far less impactful than WWE’s new TV contracts” with networks including Fox.

-On the latest Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast “Interview Friday,” I interview author of “TrumpMania” Lavie Margolin about the decades-long history of business deals and friendship/kinship between Vince McMahon and President Donald Trump. It’s a fascinating hour worth checking out, especially in light of the recent overlap of politics and WWE with the “Crown Jewel” event still scheduled for Saudi Arabia.

-Shimmer, the long-running women-only wrestling promotion, has an event scheduled this Saturday, Oct. 20 (2 p.m.) and this Sunday, Oct. 21 (noon) in Berwyn, Ill. at the Berwyn Eagles Club. Tickets are available at www.ShimmerWrestling.com. The scheduled main event is Dust (w/Rosemary) vs. Ashley Lane for the Heart of Shimmer Title, plus Kay Lee Ray vs. Viper and Rachael Ellering vs. Karen Q. Tessa Blanchard, Allie Kat, and Thunderkitty are scheduled for Sunday’s event. Tickets for Saturday are very limited. In their press release, Shimmer refers to their women as “athletes” and “elite women wrestlers” and “top female professional wrestlers.”

-Dynamo Pro Wrestling is running a free all-ages family-friendly event in Chesterfield, Mo. at the second annual “Eat & Treat” event this Saturday, Oct. 20. No start time was listed on their press release.

-Former NWA Tag Team Champion Matt Riviera has become president of Right Now TV, a digital broadcast network based in Atlanta, Ga. targeting male viewers including USA Championship Wrestling and TCW Wrestling. Details on the network available at www.rightnowtv.net.

-Booker T is training, but he said on his recent podcast episode “Heated Conversations” that it’s not for a comeback, but rather just to be able to keep up with his trainees at Reality of Wrestling. However, he said he is interested in a comeback match at some point. “I feel like I can deliver. Still. Can I do it every day? No. Do I want to do it every day? No. I’d rather be out flying my helicopter. Why not do it while you can. To be able to say I did it, that I left my footprint, is huge to me.” Full podcast recap available at PWPodcasts.com. The report also includes details on Booker T’s interview C.M. Punk UFC opponent Mike Jackson talking about the Conor McGregor-Khabib Nurmagodov controversies.

NOW CHECK OUT THIS UPDATE: NFL team ownership family reportedly looking to launch pro wrestling start-up promotion with All In wrestlers, plus Jericho and Jim Ross