AEW Contract Challenge, NJPW G1 Kickoff, Conor McGregor | Pollock & Thurston
Pollock and Thurston discuss AEW's failed contract sealing attempt in the Ryan Nemeth case, where a magistrate judge ruled contracts must be filed with redactions rather than full sealing. The show also covers AEW's All Out announcement, G1 Climax attendance concerns, SummerSlam ticket sales projections significantly below last year, and Conor McGregor's controversial return to UFC amid sexual assault civil judgment and doping allegations.
Summary
Brandon Thurston and John Pollock open their show discussing the judicial ruling on AEW's attempt to seal Ryan Nemeth's contracts in their arbitration dispute. Magistrate Judge Patricia Barksdale denied AEW's motion to fully seal the three contracts but allowed redacted versions to be filed. Thurston explains the procedural background: Nemeth filed suit in February 2024 alleging assault and breach of contract, with both sides now disputing whether arbitration should occur in Florida (AEW's preference) or California (Nemeth's preference). AEW argued sealing was necessary to protect confidential business information from competitors, but Thurston filed pro se opposition arguing the public has a common law right to access judicial records, particularly when arbitration clauses are at issue. He contends AEW failed to make particularized showings of harm and made only general claims of competitive damage. The judge's ruling allows Thurston to further oppose if redactions prove too broad when AEW refiles. AEW now faces a choice: refile with narrower redactions or withdraw the contracts as exhibits, which would weaken their case for their preferred arbitration venue.
The show then pivots to AEW's announcement via Tony Khan that All Out will take place September 26 at the NOW Arena in Chicago, the same weekend NJPW runs the G1 at the same venue. This gives WWE an open weekend to potentially schedule content. Pollock notes the approximately one-month gap between All In and All Out differs from previous compressed scheduling.
Regarding the NJPW G1 Climax, Pollock observes that New Japan's U.S. expansion seems to have reached its ceiling, with current estimates around 3,363 tickets distributed for the Saturday show at NOW Arena. He argues that the novelty of New Japan has worn off in the American market, particularly with the talent pipeline now flowing toward AEW rather than maintaining New Japan as a standalone draw. The comparison is made to TNA's relationship with WWE—New Japan now occupies a secondary position relative to AEW. Without stars like the elite who possessed significant value for U.S. crossover, and with visa issues preventing talents like Gabe Kidd from appearing, New Japan struggles to fill larger venues.
Ticket sales data dominates the latter portion: SummerSlam's 25% off sale resulted in minimal movement (approximately 400-600 tickets across two nights), with projections showing around 31,000 for Saturday and 32,000 for Sunday—substantially below last year's 50,000+ each night. The minimal ticket movement suggests fans are trained to wait for last-minute price drops. AEW's All In at Wembley sold approximately 1,200 tickets during its 50% off sale, bringing the total to around 29,000 with projections reaching 40,000 based on historical distribution patterns.
The final major segment covers UFC 329 and Conor McGregor's return after five years away. McGregor was found civilly liable in November 2024 for sexual assault in a Dublin civil suit, ordered to pay €248,000, and his appeal was rejected. New York Times reporting indicates McGregor continued using banned performance-enhancing drugs (human growth hormone and testosterone) after his leg injury healed, allegedly because he liked how they made him feel. UFC and McGregor's defense centers on subsequent drug test clearances, though observers note he benefited from years outside the testing pool. McGregor faces Max Holloway at welterweight, with Holloway favored and questions surrounding McGregor's physical condition after five years and a shattered leg. Notably, McGregor's popularity in Ireland has collapsed—Irish bars are refusing to air the fight—while American enthusiasm remains high, with the UFC expected to set a new gate record exceeding $20 million. Pollock notes the contrast between McGregor's former status as an Irish national hero and his current pariah status in his home country.
About this episode
<p><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/iamjohnpollock.bsky.social" rel="nofollow"><strong>John Pollock</strong></a> and <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/brandonthurston.bsky.social" rel="nofollow"><strong>Brandon Thurston</strong></a> cover Thurston’s challenge to unseal AEW contracts, Conor McGregor’s return at UFC 329, and NJPW's kickoff of the G1 Climax in the U.S. </p><p><strong>VIDEO VERSION: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yrC5k0-exs" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yrC5k0-exs</strong></a></p><p>Topics this week include:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/wrestlenomics/posts/judge-rules-aew-163172798" rel="nofollow">Judge rules AEW can file redacted version of contracts</a></li><li><a href="https://www.postwrestling.com/2026/07/06/aew-returning-to-now-arena-for-all-out-in-september/" rel="nofollow">AEW announces All Out at the NOW Arena</a></li><li><a href="https://www.njpw1972.com/655494" rel="nofollow">G1 Climax begins this Saturday in Illinois</a></li><li>WWE & AEW hold sales for <a href="https://www.patreon.com/wrestletix/posts/wwe-summerslam-u-163047675" rel="nofollow">SummerSlam</a> & <a href="https://www.postwrestling.com/2026/07/08/aew-all-in-london-ticket-movement-following-50-off-sale-this-week/" rel="nofollow">All In London</a></li><li><a href="https://www.postwrestling.com/2026/07/07/conor-mcgregor-is-selling-america-a-comeback-story-but-ireland-isnt-buying-column/" rel="nofollow">Conor McGregor returns at UFC 329 this weekend</a></li><li>Listener questions</li></ul><p><br /></p><p><em>Music courtesy: </em><a href="https://soundcloud.com/IAmBenTramer" rel="nofollow"><em>“Panic Beat” by Ben Tramer</em></a></p><p><strong>POST Wrestling</strong></p><p><strong>Subscribe: </strong><a href="https://postwrestling.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://postwrestling.com/subscribe</strong></a></p><p><strong>Patreon: </strong><a href="http://postwrestlingcafe.com" rel="nofollow"><strong>http://postwrestlingcafe.com</strong></a></p><p><strong>Forum: </strong><a href="https://forum.postwrestling.com/" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://forum.postwrestling.com</strong></a></p><p><strong>Discord: </strong><a href="https://discord.com/invite/Q795HhR" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://discord.com/invite/Q795HhR</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.twitter.com/POSTwrestling" rel="nofollow"><strong>Twitter</strong></a>/<a href="http://www.facebook.com/POSTwrestling" rel="nofollow"><strong>Facebook</strong></a>/<a href="http://www.instagram.com/POSTwrestling" rel="nofollow"><strong>Instagram</strong></a>/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/POSTwrestling" rel="nofollow"><strong>YouTube</strong></a><strong>: @POSTwrestling</strong></p><p><strong>Bluesky: </strong><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/postwrestling.com" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://bsky.app/profile/postwrestling.com</strong></a></p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Wrestlenomics</strong></p><p><strong>Subscribe: </strong><a href="https://wrestlenomics.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://wrestlenomics.com/podcast/</strong></a></p><p><strong>Patreon: </strong><a href="https://patreon.com/wrestlenomics" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://patreon.com/wrestlenomics</strong></a></p><p><strong>Substack: </strong><a href="https://wrestlenomics.substack.com/" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://wrestlenomics.substack.com/</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.twitter.com/wrestlenomics" rel="nofollow"><strong>Twitter</strong></a>/<a href="http://www.facebook.com/wrestlenomics" rel="nofollow"><strong>Facebook</strong></a>/<a href="http://www.instagram.com/wrestlenomics" rel="nofollow"><strong>Instagram</strong></a>/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/wrestlenomics" rel="nofollow"><strong>YouTube</strong></a><strong>: @Wrestlenomics</strong></p><p><strong>Bluesky: </strong><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/wrestlenomics.com" rel="nofollow"><strong>https://bsky.app/profile/wrestlenomics.com</strong></a></p><br /><br />Advertising Inquiries: <a href="https://redcircle.com/brands">https://redcircle.com/brands</a><br /><br />Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href="https://redcircle.com/privacy">https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>
Key Insights
- Magistrate judges are non-Article III federal judges who exist primarily to help the judicial system move faster by handling matters that would otherwise burden district judges.
- AEW's sealing argument rested on general claims of competitive harm rather than particularized showings of actual damage, which Thurston argues is insufficient under federal precedent requiring specific harm demonstrations.
- The public has a common law right to access judicial records in democratic societies to supervise the fairness of the judicial system, with limited exceptions for matters agreed to be arbitrated in advance.
- Thurston was able to file pro se opposition to AEW's sealing motion without being a certified attorney, demonstrating that ordinary citizens can participate in federal litigation without special credentials.
- AEW faces a strategic dilemma: refile contracts with redactions (allowing potential future challenges) or withdraw contracts as exhibits (weakening their arbitration venue argument).
- New Japan's U.S. expansion has plateaued at around 3,300 tickets for major shows, substantially below what the company could draw during its 2017-2018 novelty period, due partly to talent migration to AEW.
- The talent pipeline from New Japan to AEW has replaced the leverage position New Japan once held, with secondary stars like Jay White and Gabe Kidd now typically graduating to AEW rather than remaining exclusive to New Japan.
- WWE's SummerSlam shows minimal ticket sales response to a 25% discount sale despite being the company's flagship summer event, suggesting fans are habituated to waiting for last-minute price reductions.
- Conor McGregor's civil liability finding for sexual assault in Ireland has caused a dramatic collapse in his popularity in his home country, with establishments refusing to broadcast his fights, while remaining largely inconsequential to American mainstream reception.
- McGregor's continued use of banned performance-enhancing drugs after his leg injury healed, allegedly for subjective effects rather than medical necessity, represents an unresolved competitive integrity concern despite subsequent drug test clearances.
- The UFC's welterweight bout between McGregor and Max Holloway presents significant uncertainty due to McGregor's five-year absence and recovery from a shattered leg, making analysis of his current competitive level speculative.
- TKO's first Monday night earnings call scheduled for August 3 will cover Q2 results including WrestleMania and UFC White House card performance, providing rare public financial transparency for professional wrestling's parent company.
Topics
Transcript
The new Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer is now at McDonald's. Made with freeze-dried dragon fruit and made to lock in. The all-new Energizer, now at McDonald's. Brandon Thurston from WrestleNomics is up next, and we're going to follow Brandon with John Pollock from Post Wrestling. Delivering on the returns returns increasing our margins ratings go down the toilet if i'm not here all i do is simply put the math in my favor we agree that brandon and john do good work the reason is simple wrestling economics i've been told the netflix numbers i've been told the metrics a little bit probably probably five different times, I still don't get it. There were respectable wrestling journalists who needed answers.…
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