New Japan Pro Wrestling returns to the PayPay Dome, the former Fukuoka Dome, on 5/1 for its first show in the building since 2001, with the card taking a hit when both Will Ospreay and Tatsumi Fujinami tested positive for COVID this week.
COVID is back in the news in wrestling in recent weeks after seemingly not being a factor in recent months. During the week not only Ospreay and Fujinami, but AEW world champion Adam Page and GHC heavyweight champion Kazuyuki Fujita tested positive. Page was scheduled to appear on the AEW show in Philadelphia on 4/27, likely to shoot an angle to results in the Page vs. C.M. Punk title match at Double or Nothing on 5/29 in Las Vegas. Both the Dynamite and Rampage shows were changed around at the last minute (we’re told Rampage more than Dynamite with a match changed) for Page and another situation. Page noted to us that he was feeling fine and expected to be back next week. Fujita had to vacate his title due to being scheduled to face Go Shiozaki for the title on NOAH’s biggest show of the year on 4/30 at Sumo Hall in Tokyo. Ospreay was scheduled to face Hiroshi Tanahashi in the No. 2 match on the show for the vacant U.S. title. He’ll be replaced by Tomohiro Ishii. Ospreay was said to be completely fine other than having a cough, which he believed he got from the child of his girlfriend and was fully ready when he got the word his test before his flight to Japan came back positive. He was tested just prior to getting on the plane and was not allowed to travel.
Will Ospreay and Tatsumi Fujinami are both off this weekend’s NJPW Wrestling Dontaku event due to COVID-19.
The company confirmed this morning that as a result of PCR testing, both are off the card that will take place May 1 at the Fukuoka Dome. As a result, a mystery opponent will replace Fujinami in the opening tag match, and Tomohiro Ishii will now challenge Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP United States Championship.
“As a result of PCR testing, it has been determined that Tatsumi Fujinami and Will Ospreay are both positive for COVID-19, and will not be able to wrestle on Sunday May 1 at Wrestling Dontaku,” NJPW wrote on their website. “New Japan Pro-Wrestling deeply apologizes to fans who were looking forward to seeing Fujinami and Ospreay wrestle. We appreciate your understanding, and join fans in wishing a speedy recovery and return.”
Here is the updated lineup for Wrestling Dontaku:
Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP World Heavyweight title
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii for the vacant IWGP United States title
El Desperado vs. Taiji Ishimori for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title
EVIL vs. Tama Tonga for the NEVER Openweight title
Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb vs. Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI vs. Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens for the IWGP Tag Team titles
Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles
Hiromu Takahashi vs. YOH
Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, and ? vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., and Taka Michinoku
On his weekly CarCast podcast, Bill Goldberg revealed that he was dealing with COVID-19 when he got the short notice call to take on WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at last Saturday’s Elimination Chamber in Saudi Arabia.
Goldberg admitted that he was “behind the eight ball” from the start as the fans understood what the outcome of the Reigns match would likely be and that he had a short time to prepare.
He said he had not trained in three months and had COVID-19 when he got the call to go.
“I literally had two weeks in the gym to get ready for this,” he said.
He also alluded to a documentary being filmed that will help explain his preparation.
“What people don’t understand, and it will come out in the documentary, is (wrestling) is tough to do as a 20-year-old. It’s even more difficult to do it as a 30-year-old, a 40-year-old and it’s almost impossible (as a) 55-year-old,” he said. “’I’m one of the .003 percent of humans on the planet that can pull something like that off.”
He joked that he would have liked to do the Reigns match in his 40s instead of doing it at 55. He said his role in coming back for any match was to give back to the business and in this case, make Reigns “look like a million bucks” before heading into his WrestleMania match with Brock Lesnar.
He also opened up about the mental challenge of staying positive when things are working against you like they did ahead of Elimination Chamber.
“In doing (wrestling), it’s very tough mentally to keep yourself in a positive space because you’ve got so many negatives going against you. And then, 90% of fans understand what the storyline is gonna be, so I’m fighting an uphill battle the whole way. But you know, at this point and throughout the years, I have been able to do this on a short schedule,” he said.
He added that he tries to do the best job he can and that he hopes fans appreciate the effort in some way despite a much different way that they interact.
“Now these days with social media, things are different. Back in the day, wrestling was extremely interactive. When somebody had a chant, these fans couldn’t wait to get on board with it. Now you got schmucks that wanna be the person that yells during somebody’s chant to completely change the narrative. And then they go on social media and go, ‘Hey, I was that schmuck that did that’ and try to get some adoration. So, it’s a different crowd,” he said.
During the podcast, he went into detail about the trip, the travel issues, the light amount of food choices, and a funny he and Lashley buying up all the protein they could before boarding the plane as a large group of wrestlers were coming behind them.
The former Kalisto in WWE took to Instagram Wednesday to detail his past battle with COVID-19, saying the virus “nearly ended him.”
In the post seen below, he said he was hospitalized for the entire month of August and nearly had two heart attacks in addition to the virus and a stomach ulcer, adding that he “only had a day to prepare for my return on tv.” That was a reference to a SmackDown match he had with Cesaro — his first such action since December 2019.
“Beyond my belief I thought I never get this bad, but i took that as a sign, really trained hard and rolled the dice and Lucha. 2022 is all I focus on…LUCHA always like there’s no tomorrow, he wrote.
He was released by WWE in April 2021.
Returning to his old working name of Samuray del Sol, he made his return in a tag team match with Aero Star against AAA Tag Team Champions FTR on the November 3rd AEW Dynamite. He drew criticism after the fact for invoking the name of the late Brodie Lee, saying he “prayed and talked” with Lee before the match and thanked him for showing him his home.”
Huber’s widow and AEW community outreach team member Amanda Huber and Chris Jericho called del Sol out both directly and indirectly for misspelling Huber’s first name with our Bryan Alvarez saying that Huber and others were “very, very upset” by the tweet.
Since then, del Sol has wrestled twice, one for The Crash in a MLW co-promoted show and again in the five-way for the vacant AAA Mega title at TripleMania Regia.
According to PWInsider’s Mike Johnson, a number of WWE talent and staff have tested positive for COVID-19 coming off this past weekend’s TV tapings and live events.
Citing multiple sources, Johnson said some talent and staff were feeling run down after the weekend, prompting them to get tested. He also reported that “others who were feeling sick are still waiting for their test results to return.”
No names have been reported, nor a number of those who could be pulled off the road.
While this Friday’s SmackDown is fine because it was already taped, it’s unknown how much the positive tests will affect the upcoming live events and TV tapings after Christmas.
On Sunday, the company begins a five-day stretch in which they are running two shows a day in various locations as part of their annual holiday tour. That includes stops at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Toronto, Washington, DC, and Orlando.
Johnson said there are no plans to cancel any U.S. shows as of now. WWE did have to postpone their December 30th show in Laval, Quebec, due to a COVID-19 related lockdown.
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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE
Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Raw, Biggest Box Office draw of 2021 and the rest of the wrestling and MMA news tonight with Wrestling Observer Radio. You can send questions to the show to [email protected]
New regulations are starting soon regarding allowing people into Japan. As best we can tell as of this morning, Kevin Kelly was still going to be able to go to Japan for WrestleKingdom. As for Will Ospreay, who was scheduled to main event on 1/5 at the Tokyo Dome, that question has not been answered yet.
The high quarter for AEW Dynamite was the Punk-MJF quarter which did 968,000 viewers and 474,000 in 18-49. AEW killed its previous Wednesday before Thanksgiving ratings but they still skewed older than for a normal week.
I saw the NOAH Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Kenou match from yesterday at Yoyogi Gym in Tokyo wit both the GHC and National titles at stake. If you like hard hitting wrestling, this could be your match of the year. I could also see a lot of people not liking it, as its’ very different from the American version of pro wrestling and really most Japanese versions as well. The two went to a 60:00 draw. We’re also doing polls on both Saturday’s Stardom show and Sunday’s NOAH show at Yoyogi Gym so you can leave a thumbs up, down or middle, best and worst match to [email protected]
We’re also looking for live reports from Raw at the UBS Arena in Long Island, NY with dark match results and Main Event match results to [email protected]. It is the debut wrestling show in the arena that just opened a little more than a week ago. The story about ticket sales struggling has been noted for weeks, but with all kinds of moves being made including discounts and adding Smackdown talent and Roman Reigns in particular, it will end up okay. It will be well below what AEW will draw on 12/8, but WWE has outdrawn AEW in several markets of late as well. Edge returns tonight, plus Big E vs. Kevin Owens theoretically non-title, Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor and Randy Orton & Riddle defend the tag titles against Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode and Damien Priest vs. Apollo Crews for the U.S. title. Locally advertised is Roman Reigns & Usos vs. Drew McIntyre & Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods for the dark match. They also advertised Big E vs. Owens vs. Lashley vs. Rollins in a four-way but who knows if that will happen.
Tonight’s NFL game is the Seattle Seahawks vs. Washington Football team, which are two teams with sub .500 records.
AAA and FITE have confirmed that the TripleMania Regia PPV on Saturday will air at 7:30 p.m. Eastern and that the last six matches on the show will air. It is available with both English and Spanish commentary.
New Japan at 4:30 a.m. tomorrow on New Japan World from Kasukabe:
Yuto Nakashima vs. Kosei Fujita
Tomoaki Honma & Togi Makabe vs. Minoru Suzuki & Taka Michinoku
Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Bad Luck Fale & Chase owens
Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask vs. Great O’Khan & Aaron Henare
Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. Evil & Yujiro Takahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano vs Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi
Tetsuya Naito & Sanada vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi
AEW
Jim Ross had his first of 22 radiation treatments today in Jacksonville. As he noted several days ago, he is targeting the 12/29 show for his return.
AEW is taping Dark on Friday with sessions from 2-5 p.m. and again from 7-10 p.m. at Universal in Orlando. Limited seating is available. Those advertised are Eddie Kingston, Thunder Rosa, Orange Cassidy, Jade Cargill, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks and Wardlow.
OTHER NOTES
ESPN has reported that Bellator has signed Keri Taylor-Melendez to a multi-fight contract. She has been with the company for five years and is 37 years old with a 5-0 record. She also did kickboxing many years ago. She is married to former UFC star Gilbert Melendez.
Pro Wrestling Phoenix tomorrow in Omaha, NE at the Waiting Room Lounge.
Sanctuary Fight Club from last night in Hamtramck, MI: Krimson b Kenny Urban, Juntai b Mysterious Movado & Sherman Walker, Jason Hotch won over Lord Crewe, Ren Jones and Joe Demaro, Jody Threat b Kyler Coleman, Sam Beale b Dickie Bronson, Joe Coleman & Idris Abraham b Rohit Raju & Karam (thanks to Leonard Brand)
AIW on 12/18 in Cleveland, OH at the Odeon Concert Club featuring Ethan Page. They also ran 1/13 in Lakewood, OH at the Winchester Music Tavern with Max Caster.
OTT will be doing a Will Ospreay vs. Session Moth Martina match on 12/5.
The Wrestling Collector store in Stockholm, NJ is advertising Jake Roberts for Saturday from 2-5 p.m.. selling autographs and photos, plus The Berzerker and Scott Putski appear from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Dragon Gate on Wednesday at Korakuen Hall has a rematch of what many consider the company’s best match of the year, with SB Kento vs. Jacky Funky Kamei for the Open the Brave Gate title and Dragon Dia & Shun Skywalker vs. Dia Inferno & Diamante where the loser of the fall gets his head shaved.
This week’s Big Audio Nightmare is a solo affair as I guide you through a spate of COVID-19 scares in New Japan Pro Wrestling, STARDOM, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling and 2AW. I talk about what happened, what is canceled, what may be coming next, and what it could all mean for the Japanese wrestling scene.
After that, you and I go on a tour of Japan including NOAH’s terrible booking reaching a new level, great Joshi matches from Ice Ribbon’s Yokohama show, how King of DDT delivered the goods, Dragon Gate’s buzzworthy rookies vs. vets match, and a look at tournament season in NOAH, AJPW, and elsewhere.
Get all that and more on the Big Audio Nightmare with me, Adam Summers!
A story on the life of Shad Gaspard is the lead in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
We cover the circumstances of his tragic death, notes from his family and friends, his acting career, his childhood, his thoughts about MMA, what world champion MMA fighter did he tell to pursue MMA before pro wrestling, and look at his wrestling career.
Whether Vince McMahon is doing an end-around to get out of paying people money owed and then restarting the league. We look at why the people he owes money to believe that is the case.
The new issue also covers:
A preview for Double or Nothing II.
Update SummerSlam, more on Ric Flair’s new deal, more on Drew Gulak leaving WWE, brand-to-brand changes, IC title tournament, key person in directing television shows leaving, Backlash update, In Your House update, Jim Cornette’s comments on Becky Lynch and Dana Brooke, Seth Rollins and Dana Brooke respond, Glenn Jacobs talks shutting down businesses, WWE star nominated for major sorts award, Lio Rush talks leaving WWE, Nikki Bella talks her back, sports ratings for the past week, Canadian ratings for recent weeks, top amateur star talks going to WWE, WWE market value right now and the most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE Network.
Complete coverage of this past week’s UFC show.
A feature on the career of Kevin Randleman, the newest UFC Hall of Fame inductee, nothing his amateur wrestling days, his fighting days and his pro wrestling days. We look at his most famous fights and biggest pro wrestling matches.
A lot more looking back 21 years ago to the tragic death of Owe Hart. We look at comments by Martha Hart and Jerry McDevitt and go back through the legal proceedings.
The highest television rating for any pro wrestling match in history and the legend of Kim Il, a forgotten South Korean sports legend.
The movie “My Dad is a Heel Wrestler,” starring Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Full coverage of all the WWE and AEW television shows from the past week.
In-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE
Bryan and I will be back tonight for Wrestling Observer Radio covering Raw and the latest wrestling news. You can send email questions for the show to [email protected]
The state of emergency restrictions in Tokyo are being lifted. Buildings will be reopened for sports events. As far as pro wrestling is concerned, we haven’t heard anything directly but there should be some news in the next few days.
Tonight’s Raw will have NXT wrestlers and company staff acting as fans. They needed something new because with the head-to-head competition of the season debut of Titan Games, which stars Dwayne Johnson, on NBC, that could have brought numbers down to record lows coming off last week’s second lowest in history performance. The MVP lounge with Drew McIntyre plus Nia Jax vs Natalya vs. Charlotte Flair for the next Raw women’s title shot at Asuka is on the show.
Also announced for Raw is Ric Flair giving his thoughts on the Randy Orton/Edge match prior to Backlash and an interview with WWE 24/7 champion Rob Gronkowski.
Matt Riddle’s main roster debut right now is scheduled to be imminent, so his cage match with Timothy Thatcher could either be his blow-off or lead to it.
There was a hilarious Vanguard One funeral on BTE that came out today. Actually the most newsworthy is that Marty Scurll does a cameo in the final segment and The Young Bucks wore an ugly outfit that was basically a spoof on one of the comedy outfits WWE creative came up with for The Revival on the way out.
There are a lot of questions about the future of the TV show Terrace House after the suicide death of Hana Kimura this past weekend.
Independent wrestling shows with crowds took place over the weekend in Tennessee. Bert Prentice ran USA Championship Wrestling on Friday night in Dickson, TN before 150 fans with city officials on hand to make sure everything ran according to guidelines. Prentice also ran Saturday in Jackson, TN also with a city official present. Greg Anthony’s Pro Wrestling Mid South ran Saturday night in Dyersburg, TN at the Herb Welch Wrestleplex before 100 fans were shut down at intermission when local police came, allegedly after being tipped off by a rival promotion complaining about them running a show with crowds. There was a new order that allows noncontact sporting events and activities and other social gatherings but also had this wording which seems to ban pro wrestling, and now everyone doesn’t know whether it’s allowable. This was the ruling that got Anthony’s show shut down:
“Contact sporting events and activities, where there is a requirement or substantial likelihood of routine close contact and adequate social distancing is not feasible, are prohibited, but this does not apply to collegiate or professional sports conducted under the rules or guidelines of their respective governing bodies. This also does not prohibit training or otherwise practicing the elements of such sports that do not involve close contact with persons.”
WWE
WWE is taping Raw & Smackdown for this week today and will tape next week’s shows tomorrow.
The next episode of Undertaker’s Last Ride will air on 6/14 on the WWE network.
There is no Dark Side of the Ring new episode, but there will be an After Dark episode at 9:30 p.m. talking about Owen Hart. So WWE will be unopposed this week on FS1 tomorrow and run the Florida Championship Wrestling documentary at 10 p.m. which previously aired on the WWE Network.
Kurt Angle referees Matt Riddle vs.Timothy Thatcher in a cage match on NXT next week as well as a three-way with Kushida vs. Drake Maverick vs. Jake Atlas for the A block in the cruiserweight classic tournament, an angle with Adam Cole likely to set up the NXT Takeover title match as well as Charlotte Flair & mystery partner vs. Io Shirai & Rhea Ripley.
UFC
Frankie Edgar vs. Pedro Munhoz has been added to the 7/11 UFC lineup.
AEW
Mike Tyson will be on Wednesday’s show that will also include a Battle Royal for the first shot at Cody’s TNT title, as well as the announcement of the date of Fyter Fest, which will headline with Jon Moxley vs. Brian Cage for the AEW title.
Matt’s wife Dana said that he has a broken rib. What I was told is that Matt wasn’t getting X-rays because he wants to avoid the hospital but that it feels the same as when he fractured a rib in the past. This injury took place on a stadium dive last Wednesday and he worked with it on Friday night when filming Stadium Stampede.
PCW in Melbourne has announced a 6/27 show but with governmental rules attendance will be limited to the first 50 people.
ROH is doing a trivia night on Thursday at 7 p.m. Eastern on Zoom. Any one or team interested in playing can e-mail [email protected] Deadline to sign up is 9 a.m. Thursday morning and teams should be 3-10 players..
Bill Apter talks to Al Snow about Shad Gaspard, who he helped train.
Mick Foley has a nice story about how he was trained in the past by woman wrestler Susan Sexton.
