Dave Meltzer and I are back with our Friday episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, talking about all the big news from today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
WWE posted a tribute to baseball legend Bob Uecker following his death today at 90 years old: “WWE is saddened to learn that legendary baseball play-by-play announcer and WWE Hall of Famer Robert George ‘Bob’ Uecker has passed away. WWE extends its condolences to Uecker’s family, friends and fans.”
Paul “Triple H” Levesque tweeted about Uecker’s passing: “One of the most entertaining voices ever…and an even better person. Rest in peace to a @WWE Legend, Hall of Famer, and great friend.”
Levesque also commented on the official multi-year partnership that WWE & TNA Wrestling announced today: “Massive news for everyone. @WWE, @ThisIsTNA, and, most importantly, fans around the world. This valuable partnership will help prepare both companies for the next generation of this industry.”
Becky Lynch & Seth Rollins were in attendance at last night’s Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat NBA game in LA.
The Roku Channel uploaded the trailer for John Cena’s new “What Drives You” series. Logan Paul and The Miz are each set to appear as guests on the show, which premieres on Tuesday, January 21. Here is the description: “John Cena fuels his two biggest passions, cars and connecting with people, by spending time with today’s most successful celebrities and talking about what drives them—on the road and in their hearts.”
The Takedown has an in-character interview with Toni Storm following her Casino Gauntlet Match victory on Dynamite last night. Storm, whose storyline is that she has amnesia and believes she’s a rookie, spoke about the support she has received from the AEW fans:
I’m amazed with how fast everything’s happened. I’ve only been here just over a month and everyone’s been so welcoming. People just keep treating me so well, and the applause, I can’t get over it. It’s like they’ve known me my whole life. It just blows my mind. I can’t believe the support of AEW fans and the people backstage.
Storm and AEW Women’s World Champion Mariah May are set to face off in a rematch for the title next month at Grand Slam Australia. Storm said about May:
Best in the business today. She’s the real deal. I’m not gonna lie, I’m super intimidated.
I hope I get an opportunity to show some respect. I hope she doesn’t think I’m rude for not coming and saying hello. I’ve never really met a star so big before and I’m just such a huge fan of her work. I’ve seen stuff she’s done since Stardom. I mean, it’s just insane. I just wanna be like her. I wanna follow in her footsteps.
AEW shared separate videos of Storm (2024 Woman of the Year) and May (2024 Most Improved Wrestler of the Year) accepting awards from Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Staying in character, Storm was confused why she won despite only having a couple of matches.
MVP tweeted after having his first AEW match on Dynamite: “Thank you! To all of you sending me positive messages regarding my match last night. I had a blast and felt really good. To those of you with the negative comments, have a mediocre day!”
Maki Itoh has been added to the multi-person DLC (Doors, Ladders & Chairs) match that’s taking place at GCW’s Hammerstein Ballroom event this Sunday. It is now for both the vacant GCW Ultraviolent Championship and Itoh’s Extreme Championship. Itoh, Rina Yamashita, Matt Tremont, Brandon Kirk, Matthew Justice, Drew Parker, John Wayne Murdoch, and Dr. Redacted are the participants.
CJ Perry (the former Lana) posted that she underwent surgery yesterday: “Made it out of surgery. Thank you all.” Earlier in the week, Perry wrote that she was safe in Los Angeles amid the wildfires and had been volunteering for the past three days. Perry said she could not leave the city because she was in the middle of a very important medical procedure.
Bob Uecker — a celebrity WWE Hall of Famer best known for being one of the most entertaining personalities in baseball history — has passed away at 90.
His death was announced on Thursday by the Milwaukee Brewers, who said they were heartbroken over the news: “We are heartbroken to announce that Brewers icon & Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Uecker passed away today at the age of 90.”
Uecker called Brewers games for more than five decades following a six-year career as a baseball player. Famous for his self-deprecating humor and quick wit, Uecker also had success in Hollywood, starring in the “Major League” movie series and the TV show “Mr. Belvedere.” He appeared as a regular guest on “Tonight Show” and in commercials for Miller Lite, and Johnny Carson is credited as giving Uecker his “Mr. Baseball” nickname.
In WWE, Uecker played a role at both WrestleMania III and WrestleMania IV, including serving as the guest ring announcer for one of the most famous pro wrestling matches of all time. He introduced Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant for their WrestleMania III match and announced Hogan as the winner.
A memorable backstage interview with Uecker and Andre the Giant then took place the following year:
Uecker joined the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010 as that year’s celebrity inductee.
MLB Network shared the following video paying tribute to Uecker: