Author: Bryan Rose

Bryan Rose is an editor from California that has been covering professional wrestling for well over a decade. He officially joined F4WOnline as an editor in 2017.

Daily Update: Elimination Chamber fallout, Nick Diaz, Japan notes

Posted on by Bryan Rose

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News

Latest Audio

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Kenny Omega signs with AEW

While it had become expected leading into the announcement, that doesn’t make Kenny Omega joining All Elite Wrestling any less of a vital move for the start-up company.

Omega signing with AEW was confirmed at last week’s Double or Nothing ticket announcement party in Las Vegas. Omega signed a four-year deal that allows him to still wrestle for New Japan Pro Wrestling if he wants to (and if NJPW will have him). And in addition to his in-ring role, Omega will serve alongside Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks as an executive vice president of the promotion.

WON NEWSLETTER: February 18, 2019 Observer Newsletter: Death of Pedro Morales

I don’t expect more than a few more weeks of this format of Observers.

WWE grossed $930,160,000 and turned a $98,719,000 profit in 2018, both company records. Last year the company set a revenue record of $800,959,000 and turned a $32,116,000 profit.

Pedro Morales, best known for his three-year run as WWWF champion from 1971-73, passed away on 2/12 at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, NJ, where he had been hospitalized for two weeks. He was 78 and had been battling Parkinson’s Disease for several years.

NJPW New Beginnings: As a legit shoot, while NJPW almost always sells out Edion Arena for big shows, they comped less and opened up more seats so this number was the highest since the 2015 show headlined by Hiroshi Tanhashi vs. A.J. Styles.

UFC 234 – Chaos erupted the day of UFC 234, the first UFC pay-per-view offering of 2019, at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia, causing dramatic change unheard of when it comes to UFC pay-per-view events.

It is now official that Kenny has signed with AEW.

Mustafa Ali’s eyeball got busted open and really messed up after a Garvin stomp by Randy Orton on SD Tuesday night.

Dwayne Johnson said he was the first choice to host the Oscars this year. But he said he couldn’t make it work due to the timing of shooting the Jumanji sequel.

Roman Reigns (Joe Anoa’i) will be making an appearance on a Nickelodeon series next month.

ORDERING INFO:  Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered  via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].

Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.

In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.

For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.

If you order by  mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell,CA  95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

MONDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

  • Kofi Kingston spoke backstage after being the last one eliminated in last night’s WWE title Elimination Chamber match.
  • Kingston tweeted after the match: “I wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the love and good vibes over the past week. Your support has been just overwhelming. Tonight didn’t go our way, but I believe that we are one step closer…”
  • Bayley and Sasha Banks also spoke backstage after becoming the new WWE Women’s tag team champions.
  • The Usos contemplated on their title win as well.
  • Becky Lynch didn’t have nice words for Charlotte on Twitter.
  • WWE officially uploaded 34 episodes of WWE Confidential today on the WWE Network.
  • Rusev and Lana, going under their real names, have launched a YouTube page.

Pro Wrestling

UFC/MMA

  • Nick Diaz made it clear he’s not interested in fighting anytime soon, writing on Instagram: “I’m no role model, I’m 35 years old, but I definitely wouldn’t advise anybody to take a fight for less than their worth or fight for free. Which is practically what I would be doing at this point in taking a fight with some of these guys that are not on my level. Nor would I be within my moral ethics to even do that aside from you not painting me as a role model. If there was an offer I couldn’t refuse, things would be different. Until they are – I’d like to continue to think I’ve been fighting to make the world a better place, but until I can continue to do that: ‘I don’t want to hurt nobody, I just want to party.’”
  • Audie Attar, Conor McGregor’s manager, has denied a story from Joe Rogan saying that a McGregor/Donald Cerrone fight was a “done deal”.
  • Robert Whittaker was cleared to fly home Sunday after having emergency surgery for a hernia.
  • The Wrap reported that Sexy Star, real name Dulce Maria Garcia, will make her MMA debut for Combate Americas, the promotion backed by Alberto El Patron. She has a undefeated 5-0 record in boxing.
  • Following his loss last night (and also missing weight), Renan Barao’s coach said that this is his last fight at bantamweight.
  • Jessica Penne’s ankle isn’t looking great.
  • Scott Coker said that one of Sergei Kharitonov’s testicles was swollen, but not ruptured.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: WWF War to Settle the Score

Ed in San Antonio presents the WRESTLEMANIAWeekend Events (more to be added):

  • Sunday, April 6th, at 12:00 pm: Lunch (all you can eat) at Churrascaria Plataforma ($90 per person), located at 316 W. 49th street in Manhattan. Purchase tickets here~!
  • Luxury Bus to MetLife Stadium for Wrestlemania: We will depart from the Hilton Midtown (site of Wrestlecon) located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Departure time is 4:00 pm and will return from MetLife approximately 30 mins after the event. Times are subject to change, and cost $67.00 per person for the round trip. Purchase tickets here~!

CONTACT INFORMATION

Maryse & The Miz expecting second child

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The Miz and Maryse are expecting their second child.

Before the start of the SmackDown tag team title match at tonight’s Elimination Chamber event, The Miz introduced Maryse, who made the announcement. She made a similar announcement when she became pregnant for the first time.

Maryse would later gave birth to their first child, Monroe Sky, in March of last year. Although she managed the Miz at one point during his career, she has been mostly off the road since her first pregnancy.

The birth of Monroe Sky, as well as the events leading to it, was featured in the first season of Miz and Maryse’s reality show, Miz and Mrs. Shortly after the first season, which aired last summer, USA Network announced the show would be picked up for a second season that will air sometime this year.

Miz and Shane McMahon went on to lose the tag team titles to the Usos following the announcement, with the Usos becoming six time tag team champions.

Daily Update: Elimination Chamber, Becky Lynch, Jessica Penne

Posted on by Bryan Rose

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News

Latest Audio

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Kenny Omega signs with AEW

While it had become expected leading into the announcement, that doesn’t make Kenny Omega joining All Elite Wrestling any less of a vital move for the start-up company.

Omega signing with AEW was confirmed at last week’s Double or Nothing ticket announcement party in Las Vegas. Omega signed a four-year deal that allows him to still wrestle for New Japan Pro Wrestling if he wants to (and if NJPW will have him). And in addition to his in-ring role, Omega will serve alongside Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks as an executive vice president of the promotion.

WON NEWSLETTER: February 18, 2019 Observer Newsletter: Death of Pedro Morales

I don’t expect more than a few more weeks of this format of Observers.

WWE grossed $930,160,000 and turned a $98,719,000 profit in 2018, both company records. Last year the company set a revenue record of $800,959,000 and turned a $32,116,000 profit.

Pedro Morales, best known for his three-year run as WWWF champion from 1971-73, passed away on 2/12 at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, NJ, where he had been hospitalized for two weeks. He was 78 and had been battling Parkinson’s Disease for several years.

NJPW New Beginnings: As a legit shoot, while NJPW almost always sells out Edion Arena for big shows, they comped less and opened up more seats so this number was the highest since the 2015 show headlined by Hiroshi Tanhashi vs. A.J. Styles.

UFC 234 – Chaos erupted the day of UFC 234, the first UFC pay-per-view offering of 2019, at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia, causing dramatic change unheard of when it comes to UFC pay-per-view events.

It is now official that Kenny has signed with AEW.

Mustafa Ali’s eyeball got busted open and really messed up after a Garvin stomp by Randy Orton on SD Tuesday night.

Dwayne Johnson said he was the first choice to host the Oscars this year. But he said he couldn’t make it work due to the timing of shooting the Jumanji sequel.

Roman Reigns (Joe Anoa’i) will be making an appearance on a Nickelodeon series next month.

ORDERING INFO:  Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered  via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].

Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.

In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.

For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.

If you order by  mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell,CA  95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

  • WWE Elimination Chamber takes place tonight at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The card is as follows:
    Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe vs. Randy Orton vs. Kofi Kingston in a Elimination Chamber match for the WWE title
    Nia Jax & Tamina vs. Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan, Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville, The IIconics, Bayley & Sasha Banks and Naomi and Carmella in an Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Women’s tag team titles.
    Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush vs. Finn Balor in a handicap match for the WWE Intercontinental title
    Ronda Rousey vs. Ruby Riott for the Raw women’s title
    Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin in a No DQ match
    Buddy Murphy vs. Akira Tozawa for the WWE Cruiserweight title (pre-show)
  • Becky Lynch on Twitter went after the McMahons, writing “The McMahons are killing everything I’ve built, and they’re doing it week by week, and show by show. And even though I have NEVER ENDING knee issues, I will figure out a way to stay alive in all of this.”
  • A Mark Henry documentary will be streaming following WWE Elimination Chamber.
  • Mustafa Ali talked about his feelings about being removed from Elimination Chamber due to injury.
  • Cain Velasquez continues to talk up WWE, saying there is a 70% percent chance he’s going.
  • Daniel Bryan is the subject of this week’s Canvas 2 Canvas.
  • Carmella plays Wheel of Fortune with Xavier Woods on UpUpDownDown’s Superstar Savepoint.
  • Shooting has wrapped for The Rock’s next movie, Hobbs & Shaw.

Pro Wrestling

  • Impact will wrap up tapings in Las Vegas tonight. According to PWInsider, former NXT star Sawyer Fulton was backstage during the last two days of taping. Luchasaurus also made his debut during the tapings.
  • This week’s MLW Fusion episode is now available on YouTube. It features Teddy Hart vs. MJF for the Middleweight title, Alexander Hammerstone vs. Ariel Dominguez, and Rich Swann vs. Ace Austin.
  • GCW will run two shows in Japan on 8/22 and 8/23.
  • CZW has been adding names to their Best of the Best tournament on 3/2, which now include Anthony Greene and Gary Jay. 

UFC/MMA

  • Jessica Penne, who was scheduled to fight Jodie Esquibel on tonight’s UFC show in Phoenix, is off the card following an injury. According to Ariel Helwani, she severely sprained her ankle this morning while warming up, and there will be no replacement fight.
  • This would make the 5,000th match in UFC history, barring any other change, Cynthia Calvillo vs. Courtney Casey.
  • If Kron Gracie were to get a win tonight, it would be the first Gracie win in the UFC since Royce defeated Dan Severn in 1994.
  • John Anik and Dominick Cruz will be commentating tonight’s UFC event.
  • Maurice Greene will replace Daniel Spitz, taking on Jeff Hughes at UFC Wichita on 3/9.
  • Jonathan Brookins talks to VICE Sports about his experiences with yoga.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Triple H wins 2008 Elimination Chamber

Ed in San Antonio presents the WRESTLEMANIAWeekend Events (more to be added):

  • Sunday, April 6th, at 12:00 pm: Lunch (all you can eat) at Churrascaria Plataforma ($90 per person), located at 316 W. 49th street in Manhattan. Purchase tickets here~!
  • Luxury Bus to MetLife Stadium for Wrestlemania: We will depart from the Hilton Midtown (site of Wrestlecon) located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Departure time is 4:00 pm and will return from MetLife approximately 30 mins after the event. Times are subject to change, and cost $67.00 per person for the round trip. Purchase tickets here~!

CONTACT INFORMATION

Daily Update: Starrcast additions, Joe Hendry, Mark Hunt/UFC

Posted on by Bryan Rose

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News

Latest Audio

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Kenny Omega signs with AEW

While it had become expected leading into the announcement, that doesn’t make Kenny Omega joining All Elite Wrestling any less of a vital move for the start-up company.

Omega signing with AEW was confirmed at last week’s Double or Nothing ticket announcement party in Las Vegas. Omega signed a four-year deal that allows him to still wrestle for New Japan Pro Wrestling if he wants to (and if NJPW will have him). And in addition to his in-ring role, Omega will serve alongside Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks as an executive vice president of the promotion.

WON NEWSLETTER: February 18, 2019 Observer Newsletter: Death of Pedro Morales

I don’t expect more than a few more weeks of this format of Observers.

WWE grossed $930,160,000 and turned a $98,719,000 profit in 2018, both company records. Last year the company set a revenue record of $800,959,000 and turned a $32,116,000 profit.

Pedro Morales, best known for his three-year run as WWWF champion from 1971-73, passed away on 2/12 at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, NJ, where he had been hospitalized for two weeks. He was 78 and had been battling Parkinson’s Disease for several years.

NJPW New Beginnings: As a legit shoot, while NJPW almost always sells out Edion Arena for big shows, they comped less and opened up more seats so this number was the highest since the 2015 show headlined by Hiroshi Tanhashi vs. A.J. Styles.

UFC 234 – Chaos erupted the day of UFC 234, the first UFC pay-per-view offering of 2019, at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia, causing dramatic change unheard of when it comes to UFC pay-per-view events.

It is now official that Kenny has signed with AEW.

Mustafa Ali’s eyeball got busted open and really messed up after a Garvin stomp by Randy Orton on SD Tuesday night.

Dwayne Johnson said he was the first choice to host the Oscars this year. But he said he couldn’t make it work due to the timing of shooting the Jumanji sequel.

Roman Reigns (Joe Anoa’i) will be making an appearance on a Nickelodeon series next month.

ORDERING INFO:  Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered  via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].

Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.

In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.

For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.

If you order by  mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell,CA  95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

  • Naomi on Twitter following the arrest and release of Jimmy Uso: ”Yes dear we are safe and ok thank you and love y’all.”
  • Total Divas on 2/24 will cover the backlash Brie Bella recieved after injuring Liv Morgan during Monday Night Raw back in September.
  • Stephanie McMahon will give the commencement address at Robert Morris University on May 11. The school also has a Survey of WWE class.
  • Shane McMahon will appear on the 3/30 episode of NCIS: Los Angeles..
  • WWE Chronicle covers the story behind Paige’s retirement.
  • Sasha Banks praised NXT’s Xia Li: “Shoutout @XiaWWE I always see her working her butt off @WWEPC she will be one to watch.”
  • Alexa Bliss and Mickie James rewatched the first women’s Elimination Chamber.
  • Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson appeared on the Jim Rome show today.
  • Sgt. Slaughter was on Boomer and Gio on CBS Sports talking about his career and WrestleMania.

Pro Wrestling

  • Impact tonight on the Pursuit channel and on Twitch will have a fatal four way match for the Impact World title, with Johnny Impact defending against Killer Kross, Moose and Brian Cage. Other matches include Tessa Blanchard vs. Taya Valkyrie, Willie Mack vs. Ethan Page and a eight man tag pitting the AAA team of Psycho Clown, Aerostar, Puma King and Hijo Del Vikingo against the Impact team of Sami Callihan, Eddie Edwards, Eli Drake and Fallah Bahh.
  • Joe Hendry wrote on Twitter that he is now a free agent, as he and Impact have parted ways.
  • Puma King vs. Hijo de LA Park has been added to the MLW Intimidation Games live special on March 2.
  • Davey Boy Smith Jr. will be wrestling at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport in Jersey City, New Jersey on the Thursday of WrestleMania week.
  • Conrad Thompson appeared on Busted Open Radio today and discussed The Undertaker being added to Starrcast II.
  • Jim Johnston will return to Starrcast for a “Behind the Themes” panel hosted by Sean Mooney.
  • Madison Rayne has been added to Starrcast, as well as comedian Ron Funches.

UFC/MMA

  • All but one of Mark Hunt’s claims against the UFC have been dismissed. Hunt filed a lawsuit back in 2016 saying that the UFC, Brock Lesnar and Dana White knew Lesnar was using performance enhancing drugs prior to the Hunt/Lesnar fight at UFC 200. The only claim on Hunt’s lawsuit that still stands is Hunt’s claim against the UFC for breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
  • Cain Velasquez says that if he can’t compete at a high level during this weekend’s UFC event against Francis Ngannou, he will retire.
  • Jake Hager (Jack Swagger) appeared on this week’s episode of the Edge & Christian podcast.
  • Scott Coker said he’s looking at doing another Grand Prix tournament in the fall, possibly in the featherweight division.
  • Brandon Moreno has been cut from the UFC.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Eddie Guerrero wins WWE title at No Way Out 2004

Ed in San Antonio presents the WRESTLEMANIAWeekend Events (more to be added):

  • Sunday, April 6th, at 12:00 pm: Lunch (all you can eat) at Churrascaria Plataforma ($90 per person), located at 316 W. 49th street in Manhattan. Purchase tickets here~!
  • Luxury Bus to MetLife Stadium for Wrestlemania: We will depart from the Hilton Midtown (site of Wrestlecon) located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Departure time is 4:00 pm and will return from MetLife approximately 30 mins after the event. Times are subject to change, and cost $67.00 per person for the round trip. Purchase tickets here~!

CONTACT INFORMATION

Jimmy Uso arrested for disorderly conduct, obstruction

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Jimmy Uso is free on bond following an arrest for disorderly conduct and obstruction.

According to TMZ Sports Uso, real name Jonathan Solofa Fatu, was arrested after being pulled over near downtown Detroit. Uso’s wife Trinity Fatu, aka Naomi, was allegedly driving in the wrong direction on a one-way street when they were pulled over. Police noted that their car smelled of alcohol.

As the police were talking to Naomi, Uso allegedly exited the car despite commands from police and took off his shirt and jacket, as if he were about to engage in a fight. The police officer was said to have taken out his taser in fear for his safety.

Uso was eventually calmed down and complied with police, then was arrested for disorderly conduct and obstruction. He was taken to jail, where he later posted bond and was released.

WWE has since released a statement saying “Jonathan Fatu is responsible for his own personal actions.”

The Usos are scheduled to face The Miz and Shane McMahon in a SmackDown tag team title match this Sunday at the Elimination Chamber.

Sasha Banks cleared to return for WWE Elimination Chamber

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Sasha Banks has been cleared to return to in-ring action after being out following the Royal Rumble.

Dave Meltzer reported on last night’s Wrestling Observer Radio (which you can see a clip of below) that Banks was cleared to compete at WWE Elimination Chamber on Tuesday. She was given partial clearance on Monday, which allowed her to do the barricade spot.

Banks last wrestled at the Royal Rumble, where she lost to Ronda Rousey in a Raw women’s title match. After not wrestling the following day, Bayley and Sasha Banks defeated Nikki Cross and Alicia Fox in a qualifying match to enter the Elimination Chamber on last week’s edition of Raw. Cross and Fox jumped Banks before the match, keeping her out of the bout entirely.

On Raw this week, Banks and Bayley competed against the teams of Nia Jax & Tamina and Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan. Banks was given a partial clear to be thrown into the barricade, which again kept her out of most of the match.

WWE.com has since ran a story saying that Banks has re-aggravated a shoulder injury, which is likely to play into the match on Sunday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYpAOy_7s9g

WWE Elimination Chamber notes: Orton gets advantage, Deville & Rose start

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The first two teams to enter the Women’s tag team title Elimination Chamber match has been determined, while we also now know who will enter the WWE title Elimination Chamber match last.

Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose lost tonight to Carmella & Naomi and the Iiconics in a three way match where the team that was pinned would start their Elimination Chamber match on Sunday. Naomi pinned Rose with a split legged moonsault off the top rope. They will start the match against Bayley & Sasha Banks, who lost a similar match on Raw against Tamina & Nia Jax and the Riott Squad.

Randy Orton meanwhile will enter the Elimination Chamber for the WWE title last. A gauntlet match was held for much of SmackDown’s second hour, with Kofi Kingston (entering the match after Mustafa Ali was pulled due to injury) outlasting four other men for nearly the entire duration of the match before tapping out to AJ Styles’ calf crusher. As Styles was anticipating Orton to enter the arena through the entrance, Orton instead snuck up from behind and planted Styles with the RKO, pinning him to win the match.

The Elimination Chamber PPV will be held this Sunday at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Takashi Iizuka’s retirement match set

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Takashi Iizuka’s retirement match has been set.

Iizuka will team with Suzuki-gun stablemates Minoru Suzuki and Taichi on 2/21 at Korakuen Hall. They will square off against the team of Kazuchika Okada, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Toru Yano in the main event of the first New Japan Road card taking place this month.

This comes as a storyline has been building between Iizuka and former tag team partner Hiroyoshi Tenzan, who wanted to team up with him before he retires. It was in April 2008 that Iizuka turned on Tenzan, joining GBH and radically changing his look, adopting a madman persona.

Despite this, Tenzan still wants to mend fences with Iizuka before he retires. Iizuka has rebuffed Tenzan’s requests, opting to attack him instead. Even after Tenzan showed him a shirt from their tag team days that said “friends”, Iizuka jumped Tenzan and ripped the shirt, making it clear that he has no intentions of teaming with him.

Iizuka first entered NJPW in 1986, his first match against Akira Nogami. He’s remained in New Japan ever since, winning the tag team titles on three occasions.

Becky Lynch & Ronda Rousey brawl with Riott Squad after WWE Raw

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch did the unlikely Monday night: team up to take out the Riott Squad.

After Raw ended, Ronda and Becky confronted one another about the bombshell Vince McMahon had just dropped, suspending Becky Lynch past WrestleMania 35. The Riott Squad then came out, with Ruby Riott saying that she is the number one contender for the Raw women’s title and therefore Ronda and Becky should be looking right at her.

The Riott Squad circled around Becky and Ronda and began attacking, but Ronda and Becky took them out, with Liv and Logan falling to double armbars by both women.

The end of Raw on Monday had Becky Lynch apologizing to Triple H and Stephanie McMahon for her actions in the last week, thereby allowing her to compete at WrestleMania. Vince McMahon immediately came out and said he did not accept her apology and that she was suspended for 60 days, which would be 5 days after WrestleMania 35. He eventually introduced her replacement, Charlotte Flair.

Ronda Rousey will defend the Raw women’s title against Ruby Riott this Sunday at Elimination Chamber.

The Revival win Tag Team titles on WWE Raw

Posted on by Bryan Rose

After several attempts, the Revival are now the new Raw tag team champions.

Securing another title shot last week, Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder pinned champions Bobby Roode and Chad Gable to win the titles for the first time. The finish had Gable going for a crossbody off the middle rope, but the Revival countered and hit the Shatter Machine, allowing them to pick up the win.

Roode and Gable had held the titles for 64 days, defeating AOP back on the December 10 edition of Raw.

After the match, Charly Caruso interviewed the new champions, where they reiterated that they were top guys.

The win comes after a number of previous attempts to win the titles in the last couple of months, which the Revival lost. They won a fatal four way last week, defeating the Lucha House Party, B Team and Heavy Machinery to win the number one contendership once again.

Daily Update: Daniel Cormier, WWE notes, Nick Diaz

Posted on by Bryan Rose

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News

Latest Audio

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: WWE’s WrestleMania main event decision

While the first women’s WrestleMania main event is all but official at this point, WWE still has a huge decision to make about who will be in it.

In a sense, WWE is playing with house money. Both options that they have are good ones. Whether the main event is Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship or a triple threat between Rousey, Lynch, and Charlotte Flair for the title, it will be the most heated match on the card and fully deserving of its place in the spotlight on WWE’s most important day of the year. 

WON NEWSLETTER: February 11, 2019: NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo review, more

I have no idea how this issue got done. I had surgery on my left little finger which was broken in three places on 1/30, and it seemingly went well.

NJPW – New Beginnings: The two nights together did 10,957 paid with one sellout up from 10,002 last year. Tanahashi & Okada as The Dream Team vs. Jay White & Bad Luck Fale did the same as Tanahashi vs. Suzuki did last year for the IC title but paid was much higher this year for Naito vs. Taichi in Taichi’s hometown than for Kenny Omega vs. Jay White for the U.S, title last year, although both were sellouts.

At Smackdown on Tuesday, several talents with contracts coming due were asked to sign new long-term deals after Dean Ambrose told the promotion he wasn’t going to sign a new contract. 

Ian Riccaboni signed a new contract with ROH to continue as their play-by-play announcer.

UFC held a press conference today. The big heat seemed to be between Tyron Woodley and Kamaru Usman, building up their Welterweight Title fight at UFC 235 on March 2nd. Jon Jones is facing Anthony Smith on that show.

Conor McGregor will not be fighting Donald Cerrone in April. Khabib still claims he is not fighting for a year.

Jose Aldo defeated Renato Moicano, 44 seconds into the 2nd round. First round was very close. But it was the “old Aldo”, just destroyed him. Aldo is still talking about retiring at the end of this year. 

Filthy Tom Lawlor is the new MLW champion defeating Low Ki at their super fight one hour Bein Sports TV special from the 2300 (ECW) Arena in Philadelphia.

ORDERING INFO:  Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered  via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].

Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.

In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.

For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.

If you order by  mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell,CA  95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

MONDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

  • WWE Raw tonight will be held at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The key segment will have Becky Lynch coming back to Raw following another invite from the McMahon family based on her actions from last week. Dana Brooke vs. Natalya was also hinted at last week, but was never made official.
  • PWInsider is reporting that Luke Harper is slated to be at this week’s SmackDown tapings in Toledo, Ohio.
  • WWE has come to an agreement with SKAI that will air Raw and SmackDown in Greece.
  • Stephanie McMahon is on the latest episode of 3.5 Degrees The Power of Connection.
  • John Cena will be releasing a second children’s book called Elbow Grease vs. Motozilla.
  • Monty Brown, who is best known for his run in Impact Wrestling and a brief run on ECW as Marcus Cor Von, resurfaced at a WWE house show in Saginaw over the weekend.
  • They announced today in a press release that they have been voted Best Sporting Event in the SSE Live awards, which are awards held for those who performed at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.
  • Eva Marie, who was recently voted off Celebrity Big Brother, expressed an interest in returning to the WWE.
  • Riddick Moss talks about the achilles tendon injury that kept him out of action for seven months.

Pro Wrestling

  • A match between the Lucha Bros and the AAA team of Taurus and Laredo Kid is set for MLW Intimidation Games on March 2nd, which will air live on beIn SPORTS.
  • Impact’s Moose was a guest on a recent Comedy Suplex Podcart. 

UFC/MMA

  • Daniel Cormier is pushing back his retirement date, which was originally set to be on his 40th birthday on 3/20 due to injuries. He mentioned that he would like to face Brock Lesnar or Stipe Miocic when he comes back, mentioning a spring or summer return.
  • Nick Diaz isn’t interested in fighting again after Anderson Silva brought up his name during the weekend.
  • Ryan Bader’s coach Jair Lourenco insists that Bader could beat Cormier in a battle of heavyweight champions. “I believe that a five-round fight would be a great scenario for us,” Lourenco said. “Bader does great in five-round fights, but they both have heavy hands. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a war, but I believe Bader has a great chance of finishing him inside five rounds.”
  • Luis Pena will fight Steven Peterson at Ultimate Fight Night Nashville on 3/23.
  • Happy birthday to Ken Shamrock, who turns 55 today.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: NXT TakeOver: Rival

Ed in San Antonio presents the WRESTLEMANIAWeekend Events (more to be added):

  • Sunday, April 6th, at 12:00 pm: Lunch (all you can eat) at Churrascaria Plataforma ($90 per person), located at 316 W. 49th street in Manhattan. Purchase tickets here~!
  • Luxury Bus to MetLife Stadium for Wrestlemania: We will depart from the Hilton Midtown (site of Wrestlecon) located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Departure time is 4:00 pm and will return from MetLife approximately 30 mins after the event. Times are subject to change, and cost $67.00 per person for the round trip. Purchase tickets here~!

CONTACT INFORMATION

Seth Rollins to address Brock Lesnar on WWE Raw

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Seth Rollins will appear on Raw this Monday to address Brock Lesnar following an assault two weeks ago.

WWE made the announcement this afternoon on their website. It will be the first time he’s appeared on the show after being laid out by Brock Lesnar at the Raw following the Royal Rumble, taking several F5s.

Despite being advertised, Seth Rollins has been taken off house shows for the last couple of weeks due to what is being reported as a back injury. His match against Brock Lesnar for WrestleMania 35 doesn’t seem to be threatened despite the injury.

Also set for Raw is an appearance by Becky Lynch, who again has been invited by the McMahons to appear. Dana Brooke also seemed to challenge Natalya to a match last week, but it hasn’t been confirmed if the match will happen.

Raw will take place this Monday at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Lucha Bros vs. RVD & Sabu to headline Impact’s WM week show

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A big tag team match featuring former ECW talent is set for Impact’s United We Stand event during WrestleMania weekend.

Impact announced tonight that Rob Van Dam and Sabu will challenge Penta El 0 M and Rey Fenix at their United We Stand event on April 4. The Lucha Bros are the current Impact tag team champions, with tonight’s episode of Impact showing the title win, but it isn’t clear if the titles will be on the line for this match.

According to Cagematch, the last time Rob Van Dam and Sabu teamed up together was back in 2015 when they defeated the Hardy Boyz at the 2015 WrestleCon Supershow. They also teamed up on an episode of Impact Wrestling in 2010, when they lost to Beer Money.

Tickets are on sale now. It will take place at the Rahway Rec Center in Rahway, New Jersey, and it will stream live on Twitch.

Kenny Omega reveals AEW contract details, talks NJPW and WWE

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Kenny Omega opened up recently about the contract negotations that led him to signing with AEW.

In an interview with Dave Meltzer and Garrett Gonzales, which you can see a clip of below, Omega talked about negotiating with WWE, AEW and New Japan. He mentioned that negotiating with WWE was more pleasant than people had previously told him.

“The most surprising thing to me was just how accommodating and how cool it was to discuss, you know, future with WWE” he told them. “I didn’t think they’d ever be in the running. I was like ‘yeah, I’ll hear you guys out’ but I didn’t think it’d be good because everyone was telling me, well, what to expect.”

“I have nothing but great things to say about them,” he added, “but in the end, AEW was the best thing for me and, you know, it’s the most exciting choice I’ve made in my career.”

Omega also said he’s signed a four-year deal with AEW, and that he would be allowed to appear in New Japan if he wants to and if NJPW will have him.

“I have it specifically written in my contract that I can go anytime I want and appear for New Japan Pro Wrestling.” he stated.

You can hear a clip of the interview below, and subscribers can listen to the full interview here where Omega talks about his upcoming documentary, his recent feud with Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, video game fans and wrestling fans plus more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw23JU5i3J0

AEW announces new talent for Double or Nothing

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A number of new talent were introduced tonight at AEW’s Double or Nothing ticket party press conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sonny Kiss started the night by coming out and announcing that he would be part of Double or Nothing. He has previously wrestled for Lucha Underground under the name XO Lishus and has wrestled in the past for Warriors of Wrestling and Tier 1 Wrestling. Sammy Guevara later arrived, billed as the AAA Cruiserweight champion saying he was a part of the AEW roster as well.

Best Friends, Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta, also made an appearance and announced that they would be joining the promotion after being introduced by the Young Bucks. The two had just finished their last commitments to New Japan Pro Wrestling over the weekend.

Brandi Rhodes followed and announced that Aja Kong and Yuka Sakazaki both would be appearing at Double or Nothing. Sakazaki is a regular for Tokyo Joshi Pro, which is under the DDT umbrella. Kylie Rae followed those announcements, with Brandi Rhodes noting she was no longer a free agent. Nyla Rose soon followed and the two had a staredown which eventually led to a seperation.  Rae was trained by ACH and has wrestled for Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling promotion, as well as competing for RISE and SHIMMER in the past.

Nyla Rose has wrestled for Warriors of Wrestling, and has worked for a number of promotions in Japan including Sendai Girls, Marvelous and Zero One.

Double or Nothing will take place on May 25th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.