Tag: Andrew Zarian

Wrestling Observer Live: Royal Rumble and much more

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Today on this special edition of Wrestling Observer Live, Andrew is joined by Garrett Gonzales to discuss all the fallout From Saturday’s Royal Rumble. We discuss the winners and losers and what the fan perception has been like since the end of the event.

Ronda Rousey made her big return, winning the women’s Royal Rumble only four months after giving birth. It has been reported she will face Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania.

Brock Lesnar lost the WWE Championship to Bobby Lashley after interference from Roman Reigns, but he would then enter and win the men’s Rumble.

We also run down Rampage from Friday and take a look at Dynamite this coming Wednesday 

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Mat Men: A Very Evil Beach Breakhausen

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The boys are back with another jam packed episode of Mat Men.

The WWE Royal Rumble is this Saturday and there are still some questions to be answered about the show. What big surprises might we get and who will the winners be?

Speaking of surprises, WWE is reportedly looking to bring Ronda Rousey back possibly as early as this weekend. We have the latest on that.

GCW held Wrld on GCW this past Sunday in their first-ever event made available on traditional pay-per-view. There was some good and bad but overall, it was a great sign for the independent scene.

On Wednesday, AEW had an extremely fun show that saw the debut of the “very evil” Danhausen and one of the best ladder matches ever done on free TV between Cody Rhodes and Sammy Guevara.

Plus, we do a WWE television roundup, other news, and your mailbag questions.

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Wrestling Observer Live: Dave Meltzer on the state of WWE NXT, GCW’s future

Posted on by Andrew Zarian

On the Sunday edition of Wrestling Observer Live, I was joined by Dave Meltzer to break down the current state of things in WWE NXT.

Matt Ryan of Catalyst Wrestling then joins the show to discuss the importance of GCW’s success for independent wrestling as a whole as they prepped for last night’s Wrld on GCW pay-per-view.

Hear all that and a lot more on a commercial-free episode of Wrestling Observer Live, available in podcast form or YouTube.

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WOL: Brock Lesnar wins WWE title at Day 1, the state of the indies

Posted on by Andrew Zarian

On Sunday’s edition of Wrestling Observer Live, I break down WWE’s Day 1 “premium live event” from Saturday. 

Due to Roman Reigns being pulled from the show due to COVID-19, Brock Lesnar was added to the fatal four-way WWE title match, winning the championship in a fast-paced match. What does this mean for the title picture? I give my thoughts on the direction I would like to see. 

Matt Ryan from Catalyst Wrestling joins the show in the second segment to discuss Friday’s AEW Rampage street fight, Jeff Jarrett’s surprise appearance at Saturday’s GCW event, and the outlook of independent wrestling as we start 2022.

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Mat Men: That’s a wrap for 2021

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2021 is over and we end it with a bang on this week’s Mat Men! It was a fantastic year for pro wrestling and we have all the latest news to go along with it.

  • Andrew and Rich discuss the details of Wednesday’s release of Toni Storm from WWE.
  • AEW Dynamite ended its run on TNT last night. We break it all down including how will they do on TBS starting next week.
  • WWE Day 1 is being positioned to be a big show and we give our thoughts. 
  • Between WWE, AEW and NJPW, there will be a lot of wrestling in the week ahead so we run through what will be a big week.

Plus, your questions and more on a packed edition of Mat Men.

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WOL: Cody wins TNT title, wrestling in January

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Today on Wrestling Observer Live Andrew Zarian is joined by Denise Salcedo to discuss all the happenings in the world of pro wrestling. Andrew and Denise break down Cody’s win of the TNT Championship this past Friday on Rampage. They also discuss WWE’s post-Christmas MSG House show and how the ticket sales have been impacted by numerous factors. Also, The sheer amount of wrestling happening the first week in 2022 will have all of us very busy.

All this and a lot more on today’s Wrestling Observer Live!

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WOL: Tribalism, 60-minute broadway, Lance Storm

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Andrew is back this week with another Sunday edition of Wrestling Observer Live, where he is joined by co-host Lance Storm. 

They discuss the incredible match between Bryan Danielson and Adam Page, as Lance provides insight and what it takes to put something like that together. Andrew clarifies a tweet he made over the weekend regarding tribalism in wrestling and they discuss why this is even a thing.

Lance has some strong feelings toward The Hannibal referee incident from last weekend. Roman Reigns firing Paul Heyman on SmackDown before Brock attacked the Bloodline is also discussed. Just how long can Roman stay hot with his current character?

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Mat Men: Winter is Here!

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Today on Mat Men, Andrew and Rich bring you all the news and happenings from this past week.

  • Kevin Owens has re-signed with WWE for another three years and we have all the latest details.
  • Johnny Gargano and Kyle O’Reilly have not re-signed and are possibly headed to AEW. We also discuss those from ROH that might find their way to AEW as well. 
  • AEW had Dynamite: Winter is Coming where Adam Page and Bryan Danielson had an hour-long masterpiece. Was a draw the right call?
  • Plus, ROH held what could be its final show, SmackDown, Raw, and much more is discussed. We also answer your mailbag questions! 

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Mat Men: MJF’s homecoming

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It’s time for another edition of Mat Men.

NXT WarGames was this past Sunday and we discuss all the fallout from the show. Who were the big stars and what does the future hold for the old guard?

Are Johnny Gargano and Kyle O’Reilly done in WWE NXT? Both were left lying this week as a way to write them off. We discuss when and where we might see them next. 

AEW ran at the UBS Arena on Long Island this week, the home of MJF, and the crowd let you know that. CM Punk cut a heel promo and Bryan Danielson continued his stretch of beating up Dark Order members on his way to World Champion Hangman Page this Wednesday at Winter is Coming. 

Also, we talk Raw and SmackDown DVR numbers and whether it’s something we should be looking at.

Get all this plus your mailbag questions on the latest Mat Men, also available on YouTube.

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WOL: NXT WarGames, Smackdown, AEW TV

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On this Sunday episode of Wrestling Observer Live, Andrew Zarian is joined by Ryan Droste from Top Rope Nation Podcast. 

We run down the card for NXT Wargames and also discuss Brock’s return to Smackdown this week as they set up the Day 1 pay-per-view.  Also, we rundown the ratings, what is suffering, and what’s holding up.

We also discuss AEW’s week including Rampage and Dynamite and marvel at Billy Gunn’s shape.

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Mat Men: Get the Table!

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On the latest Mat Men, Andrew and Rich are back with all of this week’s pro wrestling news, rumors and opinions.

  • WWE Raw took place at the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York, Monday. On paper, it was a really strong card but it did execute the way we hoped?
  • AEW Dynamite saw both CM Punk and Bryan Danielson wrestle and a flaming table in a street fight to end the show. Will it help with the numbers?
  • Next week, AEW is live from the UBS Arena and the big question is will they hit 10,000 in attendance? Also, are we seeing live attendance swinging in the favor of AEW? 

We also talk ratings, Sunday’s NXT WarGames, NJPW news, GCW sells out NYC, and more. Plus, we answer your mailbag questions.

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WOL: AEW and WWE viewership, Sean Ross Sapp on wrestling in ’22

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Image: AEW

On the Sunday Wrestling Observer Live, Andrew Zarian is back discussing all of this week’s top pro wrestling news.

It was all about viewership this week. Andrew breaks down the AEW and WWE viewership numbers and what it means for 2022. Also, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful drops by to discuss where pro wrestling is headed in the year ahead.

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Mat Men: The Egg, Seth Rollins attacked, WWE Survivor Series recap

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Today on Mat Men, Andrew and Rich are back on this Thanksgiving eve.

The guys go into detail on this past Sunday’s WWE Survivor Series and what happened with the show, how good the Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch match was, and Roman Reigns beating Big E clean. Andrew has some more information on why The Rock wasn’t involved and why they never pivoted from their plan to feature him. 

We also discuss former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega taking time off to heal and when he should return. 

NXT War Games is just over a week away, so we take a look at the card and discuss the build to the show.

Also, the guys go into all this week’s pro wrestling news results and rumors along with your mailbag questions 

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Mat Men: WWE Survivor Series preview, AEW Full Gear aftermath

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On Thursday’s Mat Men, Andrew and Rich break down all that happened at AEW Full Gear and what it means for the company over the next few months as Kenny Omega steps away to heal up and Hangman Page begins his reign as the company’s new champion. 

Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite was a great show and was the start of a lot of new programs. We take a deep dive into everything that happened including trying to answer whether we are seeing a full-blown heel turn for Bryan Danielson ahead of his eventual showdown with Page.

WWE Survivor Series is this Sunday and the card is very different than what the original concept was. Andrew has all the latest and we break down the card, discussing why it still is going to be a good show in spite of the build.

While doing media, WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns was asked about The Rock and his availability this Sunday. We have the latest on the possibility of him showing up at some point as he celebrates his 25th anniversary of making his pro wrestling debut.

We have all that along with all of this week’s pro wrestling news, rumors and mailbag questions.

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WOL: AEW Full Gear review, Dave Meltzer appearance

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On Sunday’s Wrestling Observer Live, Andrew Zarian is back in studio with Harry Terjanian.

The guys break down all the results and aftermath of AEW Full Gear and wrestling news of the week. In the second hour, they are joined by Dave Meltzer for a discussion about Full Gear, where AEW goes from here and more.

Click below to listen for free or watch on YouTube.

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Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is on the air live and free on Sports Byline USA, Twitch.tv, YouTube, and THE MIGHTIER 1090 AM across all of Southern California. This hour-long show airs free and worldwide every weekday at 3 PM Eastern/12 PM Pacific and every Sunday at 6 PM Eastern/3 PM Pacific, hosted by Mat Men’s Andrew Zarian. WOL is the largest, longest running, and most listened to pro wrestling and mixed martial arts radio show in the world, debuting in 1998.

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