Daily Update
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- Adam Copeland says AEW Dynamite match vs. Christian Cage ‘the kind of scenario I dreamed about’
- Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts re-signs contract with AEW
- WWE Main Event results: Apollo Crews vs. Giovanni Vinci
- Killer Kelly taking time away from TNA Wrestling, but still with company
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F4W/WON Convention
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Among the topics covered in this issue:
- The Cung Le vs. TKO lawsuit and its settlement, words from someone close to the case from its inception, a lawyer following the case weighs in. stock analysts talk, how much TKO’s company value went up with the settlement and original goals of the suit.
- Dwayne Johnson and getting more leeway on promos after last Friday.
- WrestleMania update, who are the favorites in the matches, lineup, ticket sales and demand.
- Ronda Rousey in her book and interviews talks about WWE, Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, Bruce Prichard, history with concussions and more
- Coverage of the New Japan Cup, New Japan business, the final night and big shows coming up
- PPV buys for WWE, AEW and TNA by state and what states which companies are the biggest in
- The most detailed look at the ratings over the past week for all the wrestling shows, including segment-by-segment, competition, rankings for the week and comparisons to one year ago.
- 81st anniversary of wrestling in one of the legendary arenas
- AAA announces first TripleMania, more on its notalgia, Vikingo being stripped of his title and more
- Who is staying with Stardom and who is leaving
- Stardom PPV notes
- Mark Coleman news
- TV viewing notes from the past month regarding network, cable and streaming
- Lots of injury updates
- Wrestling show up for a multiple of awards
- A look at Buff Bagwell and Terry Gordy Dark Side of the Ring episodes
- Mark Hitchcock Memorial show
- RevPro announces major show
- AEW Dynasty PPV update
- Next Continental Classic notes
- Updates on PPV numbers for Elimination Chamber, Hard to Kill, Revolution and Joshua vs. Ngannou.
- Danielson talks Ospreay
- Advance ticket sales for AEW & WWE shows
- International TV rating and streaming numbers
- Former UFC champion coming out of retirement
- Bellator new TV deals
- Updated analysis of WWE stock
- Update on Vince McMahon documentary
- WWE upcoming major bouts
This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter
Sunday Update
Bryan and I will be back tonight talking about all the weekend wrestling news and probably have time for questions as well. I’ll be doing a Q&A show on Tuesday afternoon with Garrett Gonzales & Andrew Zarian.
As noted elsewhere on the site, Chigusa Nagayo said that last night’s West Coast Pro show in San Francisco would be her final U.S. match. Later yesterday she said it would be her final match period. Nagayo, whose heyday was in the 80s, was the most popular woman wrestler of all-time up until that point in time, the highest paid and biggest merch seller. West Coast Pro put the show up already so you can see her farewell ceremony at
Both Aaron Brooks and Carter Starocci of Penn State won NCAA Division I titles last night at 174 and 197 pounds respectively at the finals in Kansas City. They became only the sixth and seventh men in history to win four NCAA titles. It should be noted that in the 50s and 60s that freshmen weren’t eligible so wrestlers like Danny Hodge and Yujiro Uetake, two of the best of all-time, only won three. Starocci beat Rocco Welsh of Ohio State 2-0 in the finals. Brooks beat Trent Hidlay of North Carolina State 6-1. Brooks was put in the main event position on the show. Greg Kerkvliet of Penn State, who is under a WWE NIL deal, won the 285 pound class over Lucas Davison of Michigan by a 13-4 score in the finals. All the winners are automatically in the Olympic team trials. Brooks won Most Dominant Wrestler and is a favorite to win the Hodge Trophy. Penn State won the team championship with more than double the points of second place Cornell.
New Japan’s Alex Coughlin announced his retirement from wrestling at the age of 30. His last match in Japan was being the winning side of the Bullet Club War Dogs vs. United Empire cage match on 2/11 in Osaka at the New Beginning show which was Will Ospreay’s last match for New Japan. He gave no reason as to why.
There was a backstage sendoff for the Motor City Machine Guns at last night’s TNA tapings in Philadelphia which is their final show with the company. Their contracts expire a week from today. No word on what is next for them. Obviously they are one of the best tag teams of the past 20 years.
Atlantis Jr. & Soberano Jr. won Friday night’s Parejas Incredibles tournament, as expected. So the finals of the tournament will be against Rocky Romero & Mascara Dorada on the biggest CMLL show so far this year this coming Friday. The main event is the Arena Mexico debuts of Bryan Danielson & Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta facing Mistico & Volador Jr. & Blue Panther & Ultimo Guerrero. The main event led to one of the fastest sellouts ever in Arena Mexico history.
WWE last night in Springfield, IL:
- Becky Lynch & Bianca Belair & Naomi b Iyo Sky & Kairi Sane & Dakota Kai when Lynch pinned Kai
- Sami Zayn b Shinsuke Nakamua with the helluva kick
- Gunther b Jey Uso to keep the IC title
- R-Truth & Miz b Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh via DQ when Finn Balor & Damian Priest interfered. New Day made the save. You can guess what happened next when Adam Perace came out.
- R-Truth & Miz & New Day b Balor & Priest & McDonagh & Dominik Mysterio when R-Truth pinned Dominik.
- Omos b Oddysey Jones
- Rhea Ripley won a three-way to keep the women’s title over Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler when she pinned Baszler with the Rip Tide
- Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins b Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa when Rollins pinned Uso after a curb stomp.
At today’s Stardom show in Kobe, Donna Del Mondo reunited for one last time with Giulia leaving. Giulia & Maika & Syuri & Natsupoi & Mai Sakurai & Mirai beat Saori Anou & Tam Nakeno & Sayaka Kurara & Ami Sohirei & SakiKashima & Rana Yagami. Giulia said this was the last time they’d be in a match together and thanked Himeka and Thekla, who weren’t there but were key parts of the group.
Igor Severino became the first fighter in a long time fired before the end of the show. Severino was disqualified in his fight with Andre Lima at yesterday’s show at the Apex. It was the first person to be DQ’d for biting in UFC history. Dana White then told Kevin Iole that he was being fired. White told Iole, “If you get frustrated and want out of the fight, there are plenty of ways to do it, but the worst thing you can do is bite your opponent. Now, you get cut and lose the biggest opportunity of your life. Not to mention, he’s going to have a real problem (with the commission).”
On A&E tonight, WWE Rivals is Hardys vs. Dudleys vs. Edge & Christian at 8 p.m. This is notable obviously for the ladder and TLC matches and that they are doing a feud where four of the six are currently with AEW. Biography at 10 p.m. is Davey Boy Smith.
Sorry to report on the death of John Burke, who wrestled as Big Jack, from complications of liver cancer. He passed away on Friday at the age of 58. He had worked for Chicago independents for years and was a five-time PWI champion and formed PCW. He was among the people who started AAW which is one of the most notable indie groups of the past ten years. He trained wrestlers like Pauly Thomaselli, Tony Scarpone, Tony Rican and Robert “Ego” Anthony. Burke started AAW 20 years ago with Scarpone and a few others and Danny Daniels bought them out. Burke was a part of the Chicago scene and a big reason PWI and PCW started. (thanks to Comic Connectors and Keith Lipinski)
We’re looking for reports on these shows from the weekend
- NXT from last night in Gainesville, GA
- TNA from last night in Philadelphia, PA
- West Coast Pro from San Francisco
- WWE tonight in Rockford, IL
- GCW today in Rochester, NY
Looking for results, finishes and highlights to [email protected]
As far as items that were heavily searched on Google this past week, nothing from pro wrestling or boxing made the list. Rose Namajunas from last night’s UFC show at the Apex had 50,000 searches for No. 11 on the list. Also nothing from the NCAA wrestling tournament. And obviously tons of stuff from the basketball tournament.
Michael Chandler said that he’s expecting his fight with Conor McGregor at UFC 303, which would be 6/29 in Las Vegas as part of International Fight Week.
AEW/ROH’s Christopher Daniels turns 54 today.
The blocks for the All Japan Champion Carnival tournament were announced today:
- A block has Shotaro Ashino, Kento Miyahara, Yuma Aoyagi, Hokuto Omori, Ren Ayabe, Kuroshio Tokyo Japan (Ikemen Jiro), Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Cyrus
- B block has Suwama, Jun Saito, Rei Saito, Ryuki Honda, Yuma Anzai, Hideki Suzuki, Hartley Jackson and Lord Crewe.
Smith was originally in the tournament, then he was out, and then he was back in. This means he’ll have singles bouts with Miyahara and Aoyagi.
QT Marshall & Teil Margaret Runnels’ new version of Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling debuted on 2/8 and this is the video from the first event. Among those on the show were Aaron Solo, Marshall, Scotty Riggs, Lexy Nair, Glacier Ray Lloyd and Adam Priest.
GCW from last night in Detroit: Alec Price & Cole Radrick b Malcolm Monroe III & Tommy Vendetta, Gringo Loco won over b Joshua Bishop, Karam, Isaiah Broner, Marcus Mathers and Oni El Bendito, Blake Christian b Sawyer Wreck, Microman b Dan the Dad, Parrow & Richard Holliday b Allie Katch & Dark Sheik, Jacob & Zilla Fatu b Davey Bang & August Matthews, Joey Janela b Shane Mercer, Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku b John Wayne Murdoch & ?, Danhausen b Matt Cardona, Jimmy Lloyd b Tacka Racks. Missy Hyatt managed Janela. (thanks to Leonard Brand)
GCW is sold out tonight in Rochester, NY. Nick Wayne is on the show and Mance Warner faces Microman. It’s streaming as part of the Triller package.
Kirk White’s Big Time Wrestling from Friday night in Newark, CA before a sellout crowd: Teixeira b Dom Cirrus, Jiah Jewell b Eddie Cuervo, Jheri Figalow b Ishmael Vaughn, Too Fresh b Sonico & Lazarus, Viva Van b Sandra Moone, Aaron Solo vs. Starboy Charlie turned into Charlie pinning Calvin Tankman, Will Hobbs vs. Marcus Lewis turned into Hobbs & Lewis beating Los Suwavercitos (thanks to Jim Davis)
