Tag: espn

Daily Update: Kairi Sane, Tito Ortiz, Cody

Posted on by Bryan Rose

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

JOB LISTING: Web/UI Developer(s)

  • Experience with OnLamp(Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP)
  • GITHUB and Linux command line experience while be helpful as well.
  • CMS – Drupal and WordPress. vBulletin
  • Possible experience with AWS(s3 specifically), Dreamhost, UI development
  • Cloud based hosting experience a plus
  • Javascript also a huge plus

While this is a diverse request this doesn’t have to be just one person! If you fit any part of this please feel free to inquire.

This is not just for projects related to F4WOnline.

WON NEWSLETTER: July 27, 2020 Observer Newsletter: Extreme Rules review, Good Brothers podcast, more

A look at the very good, and the very bad, of Extreme Rules is the lead story in the new double issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. We also have a back-of-the-book feature on Carlton Haselrig, one of the greatest American heavyweight wrestlers in the history of the sport of wrestling.

The new issue also covers:

Interest levels in Extreme Rules and with the rating the next day, the lesson that tells us about certain types of angles, the background of Seth Rollins vs. Rey Mysterio, along with match-by-match coverage, star ratings and poll results on the show.

An examination of all facets of the Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson departure from WWE, including what makes sense, what doesn’t, why, how come they were signed, how come they were given such a strong offer to stay, their release, A.J. Styles, angles set up for them in New Japan and AEW last year, the booking of Raw under Paul Heyman and much more.  This is a very detailed look not only at Gallows &  Anderson, but the roles of a number of different people and how Raw fell off the creative tracks

Impact Slammiversary with match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results on the show.

Stephanie McMahon’s interview in Ad Age covering wrestling during the pandemic, testing and what changes look to be permanent, as well as race relations.

The current plan for WrestleMania and how it has shifted, the new WWE Board of Directors, next week’s Raw show, NXT North American title thoughts, notes on the next Takeover, update on Wendy Barlow and COVID, WWE producer let go, WWE loses major international deal and how it went down, WWE TV personality get bullied by fans, idea nixed for Raw this past week and all the different changes to the show, Adam Cole-Pat McAfee angel, Bellas update, sports ratings and Canadian TV ratings for the past week, another example of WWE marketing that ha led to the situation they are in, market value of WWE and the most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE Network.

This past weekend’s UFC show.

A feature on Haselrig, a Pennsylvania sports legend who could have been an Olympic medalist or an all-time great NFL player, but drugs curtailed his career, but not before he set a heavyweight record that may never be beat and another record that almost surely will never be beat.

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. 

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.

WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

  • WWE uploaded a video of Kairi Sane reflecting on her career in WWE.
  • Triple H tweeted about Sane: “A truly unique young woman with the ability to capture hearts, minds (and pirate ships!!!) Proud of @KairiSaneWWE’s growth as a performer and her time spent with #WWENXT and @WWE.”
  • Variety published a story on WWE’s declining ratings and Vince McMahon’s various explanations over the last few quarters as to why ratings have been down.
  • This week’s episode of The Bump featured the show giving out their half-year awards called Bumpys. WWE.com has the full list of winners.
  • Jerry Lawler paid tribute to his son Brian, who passed away on this date two years ago: “Today is a sad anniversary. Two years ago today we got the horrible news that my son Brian had died. I miss him every day. We are headed  to his gravesite now to visit. #RIPBrianChristopher #GrandMasterSexay #ToolCool”
  • Talking to Wrestling Inc, Doc Gallows said that AJ Styles would likely want another match with the Undertaker, one with a crowd. “The Boneyard Match was them doing the best they could do with what they had as a resource at the time,” he said. “Creatively, it was where to go and what to do. But I think that probably AJ would like to give Taker that match with a big crowd and a big reaction. I know that.”
  • WWE uploaded a gauntlet match between Ricochet, Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Andrade, and Rey Mysterio from the July 29, 2019 edition of Raw and Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley vs. Becky Lynch from NXT TakeOver: Rival from 2015.
  • Matt Riddle will be the guest on After The Bell with Corey Graves this week.
  • FS1 will air SummerSlam 2019 following its MLB coverage on August 11.

Other Wrestling

  • A seriesoftweets between FTR and Tony Khan revealed that FTR will “make a decision” today regarding their contracts with AEW.
  • In an interview with ESPN, Cody spoke about the status of a second weekly AEW show: “I think probably in four to six weeks I’ll have a firmer answer on that. That’s still very much the case. The format of that show might be different. It might rely on the production we have in place already, it might not. I know we’ve got all kinds of different plans converging on what we want. The goal of what the third hour would be is to showcase a different crop of talent from AEW. It’s very hard when you have this much talent and you only have a single weekly show. It’s hard to keep people in the mix. As a wrestler, it’s even hard to train for. The only way to train for wrestling is still wrestling. It’s been an adjustment, even without the pandemic.”
  • Jeremy Lambert of Fightful talked to Ricky Starks about his match on Dynamite tonight and working with Taz.
  • Ace Austin and Kylie Rae will make their GCW debuts on Sunday’s show in Indianapolis. ACH vs. Joey Janela has been announced for the event.
  • In the latest edition of the Aces High interview series, Hiroshi Tanahashi talked to NJPW‘s website about working as an assistant to Riki Choshu.
  • NJPW’s theme entrance music is now available on Spotify.
  • Thunder Rosa will defend the NWA Women’s title against Lindsay Snow on Mission Pro Wrestling’s Hell Hath No Fury event on September 18 in Buda, Texas.
  • A trailer is out for 12 Hour Shift, a black comedy horror film featuring Mick Foley and David Arquette.

MMA

  • Tito Ortiz has filed to run for a seat in the Huntington Beach, CA City Council, according to TMZ.
  • Ryan Bader told ESPN he has signed to defend his Bellator heavyweight title against Vadim Nemkov at Bellator 244, which takes place on August 21.
  • Brett Okamoto spoke to Stipe Miocic regarding his upcoming title fight against Daniel Cormier on August 15.
  • Manel Kape is out of UFC 252 following an ankle injury.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Hansen & Gordy win All Japan tag titles

CONTACT INFORMATION

Daily Update: UFC weigh-ins, Urijah Faber, Martha Hart

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

WON NEWSLETTER: May 18, 2020 Observer Newsletter: Becky Lynch pregnant, UFC 249 controversies, more

A new double issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is out with a wider variety of news stories than any issue we’ve done in a long time. 

From a perspective among leading sports doctors about opening up, to Becky Lynch’s pregnancy and what the plans for her that won’t happen were scheduled to be, to Money in the Bank coverage, Roman Reigns risk factors, New Japan talks its future, AEW profitability, Oliver Luck’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon and Georges St-Pierre in the Hall of Fame, it’s all covered here.

The issue covers in detail:

Becky Lynch’s pregnancy, her comments on it, timing, what were the booking plans for her and how Money in the Bank changed, a look back at how Lynch got over when she wasn’t supposed to and the time frame where Lynch became the chosen one, while at the same time the crowd was mad, not realizing any of this.

Ronaldo Jacare Souza’s positive test for COVID, UFC handling the situation, and the key components of the story that have not been covered well elsewhere. 

How UFC didn’t abide by its own policies, what UFC did learn, and what fighters and reporters signed to get in the door to the show.

Facts of the Coronavirus and on combat sports from three doctors who have extensive experience with combat sports.

Harold Meij talking about New Japan Pro Wrestling, why it made the choices it did not to turn, as well as its plans when it can run and the stages it will go through, why the company has been able to remain solvent while not running live events.

Complete coverage of UFC 249 and WWE Money in the Bank, including match-by-match coverage and poll results on both shows.

Behind the scenes notes on  both shows, including UFC business, and interest level in WWE.

The arrest of Alberto Rodriguez, the former Alberto Del Rio, for sexual assault, the harrowing description of what happened and more.

Roman Reigns sitting it out including what he said and his risk factors.

Updated plans for SummerSlam and where Vince is coming from, plans for the next Takeover, WWE book on best sellers list, The softening of the brand split, update on Rey Mysterio, Rachael Ellering release info, NBA star says he’s going to WWE, Undertaker documentary notes, the story of how two different planned WrestleMania main events in 2011 fell through, Sting update, Canadian TV ratings, One of the best college wrestlers mentions going into pro wrestling, Raw DVR numbers, WWE market value and the most-watched shows on the WWE Network.

Smackdown’s renewal and what it means.

Feature on the career of Georges St-Pierre and his records and his legacy, as he gets inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

Oliver Luck lawsuit against Vince McMahon, including details of his contract, Vince’s attempts and arguments to get out of paying him on that contract and arguments both sides are making.

AEW’s Double or Nothing plans as well as the return of some of the company’s biggest stars.

AEW’s profitability in April, the cost of production and cost savings, Mike Tyson, the casino ladder match and more.

May 13 UFC show.

Full coverage of all the WWE and AEW television shows from the past week.

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. 

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

TNT will be airing a one hour Countdown to Double or Nothing II special on 5/22 at 10 p.m. 

Weigh-ins for tomorrow night’s UFC show on ESPN+ which starts at 6 p.m. eastern:

  • Don’Tale Mayes (241) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (255)
  • Mara Romero Borella (125.5) vs. Cortney Casey (126
  • Darren Elkins (146) vs. Nate Landwehr (146)
  • Giga Chikadze (145.5) vs. Irwin Rivera (not weighed in yet)
  • Anthony Hernandez (185.5) vs. Kevin Holland (182.5)
  • Miguel Baeza (170.5) vs. Matt Brown (171)
  • Marlon Vera (145.5) vs. Song Yadong (145.5)
  • Eryk Anders (186) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (185.5)
  • Edson Barboza (145.5) vs. Dan Ige (146)
  • Claudia Gadelha (115.5) vs. Angela Hill (115)
  • Alistair Overeem (253.5) vs. Walt Harris (264.5)

The main storyline for the show is Harris fighting for the first time since the murder of his stepdaughter.  He is dedicating the fight to her so it will be a very emotional main event and probably some strong video packages that will air on Sports Center and in other places.

Urijah Faber weighed in, for the possibility he would face Marlon Vera, if Yadong’s visa issues aren’t settled. Faber weighed 153.5. So if he fights, Vera will have to move up a weight class.

Talk is Jericho features an interview with Martha Hart preceding Tuesday’s airing of the Vice special on Owen Hart. The interview can be found here. I have a feeling this coming week will feature a lot of talk of Owen Hart. 

This week’s MLW TV show at 10 p.m. tomorrow night on Bein Sports will be built around L.A. Park, airing old matches with both Sabu and Shocker. 

WWE

  • Scheduled for Smackdown tonight is an appearance by Charlotte Flair, the beginning of the IC title tournament and Miz TV with Otis.
  • The second part of the Undertaker documentary series will air Sunday night on the WWE Network.
  • More on the lawsuit by Oliver Luck on Vince McMahon can be found here and here.
  • An interview with Otis.
  • FS1 will be airing the documentary on Florida Championship Wrestling that had previously aired on the WWE Network on 5/26 at 10 p.m. as the lead-in for WWE Backstage that week.

UFC

  • From Ronaldo Jacare Souza: “I was very sad to not be able to fight at UFC 249, but I want you to know that as soon as I’m medically cleared, I hope to reschedule my fight with Uriah Hall so that I can put on the show that everyone expects. I thank my corners for the partnership, my opponent for the words of support and the UFC for all the care.  Thank you all for the kind messages I have received in the last few days. The upcoming weeks I will be secluded with my family and coaches and focused on our health so I can be back soon.”
  • Legacy Fighting, which airs on UFC Fight Pass, announced a new Top 10 Knockouts of its UFC Fight Pass era special that was released this week.

AEW

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Kevin Eck’s ROH news post.
  • An interview with Lio Rush can be seen here.(thanks to Kenny McIntosh)
  • A review of the documentary on Cassandro. (thanks to Lee Wall)
  • Madison Eagles was announced as the second competitor in  the PWA Colosseum tournament in Sydney, Australia in October.
  • Melbourne City Wrestling canceled its 6/13 show and have refunded money. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
  • An article on small town pro wrestling from the territorial era. (thank to Mike Kuzmuk)
  • Brian Long drew a Pro Wrestling Coloring Book and it is available as a print on demand book from Amazon.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: AJ Styles wins NWA title

CONTACT INFORMATION

ESPN replay of WWE WrestleMania 35 averages 421,000 viewers

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Sunday afternoon’s WrestleMania 35 replay on ESPN, which also served as somewhat of a lead-in for the second day of this year’s show on the WWE Network and pay-per-view, averaged 421,000 viewers. 

That’s down 41.5 percent from last week, but previous replays had aired in prime time. The WrestleMania 35 replay started at 3 p.m. Eastern time.

The show averaged a 0.14 rating in the 18-49 demo, dropping to 70th for the day on cable. That’s down 40 percent from last week, when they finished in 38th on cable. 

The demo rating was also lower than what NXT did this week on USA Network, which was the lowest number for that show to date.

This was the last of three WrestleMania replays that were scheduled for ESPN. WrestleMania 30 and WrestleMania 32 had aired the two previous weeks.

Sunday’s WrestleMania pre-show, which aired on FS1 in addition to the WWE Network and WWE’s various social media platforms, averaged 112,000 viewers and a 0.04 rating in the 18-49 demo. That was 145th for the day on cable. That would be comparable to what a highly rated edition of WWE Backstage would do on the same network.

Ratings for Saturday’s pre-show on FS1 are not available as the show did not crack the top 150 in 18-49 for the day.

ESPN2 airing Brock Lesnar marathon on Sunday

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A five-hour Brock Lesnar marathon will be part of ESPN2’s schedule on Sunday (April 5).

The marathon includes four of Lesnar’s UFC fights, along with his win from the 2000 NCAA Wrestling Championship. Here’s the schedule for it:

  • 6 a.m. — UFC Main Event: Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem
  • 7 a.m. — UFC Main Event: Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin
  • 7:30 a.m. — UFC Main Event: Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez
  • 8 a.m. — UFC Unleashed: Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture
  • 9 a.m. — 2000 NCAA Wrestling Championship

Lesnar’s E:60 feature from 2009 will also be replayed during Sunday morning’s SportsCenter, and ESPN+ has added a Lesnar UFC collection to their library.

The Lesnar marathon is in advance of WrestleMania 35 from last year airing on the main ESPN channel at 3 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday. Seth Rollins defeated Lesnar for the Universal Championship at that show.

This year’s WrestleMania is airing on the WWE Network across two nights on Saturday and Sunday.

“We’re having fun and being creative,” ESPN Senior Director of Programming Brent Colborne told Sports Illustrated. “This past Sunday we did an entire day of wrestling leading into WrestleMania 32 with the 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championship and some of our best 30-for-30s, including Nature Boy. We wanted to do the same thing for this upcoming Sunday. Brock Lesnar is obviously a huge star in WWE, and within in our own existing rights with UFC and the NCAA Championships, we have the ability to do something really fun and showcase Brock as an athlete.”

ESPN airing of WWE WrestleMania 32 averages 720,000 viewers

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Sunday night’s airing of WrestleMania 32 from 2016 averaged 720,000 viewers on ESPN, down 14 percent from last weekend’s WrestleMania 30 replay on the same network. 

Like last week, it was the highest viewed program on ESPN for the week with no live sports taking place.

There was other sports programming such as replays of NCAA tournament basketball, PGA Golf, NASCAR, and Super Bowl replays on other networks that beat it. 

In terms of pro wrestling, the WrestleMania 32 replay was beat out in the sports rankings by Friday’s SmackDown on FOX, which was the top rated sports programming of the week, and AEW Dynamite on TNT Wednesday night. For the purposes of TV ratings, Raw and NXT are included as entertainment instead of sports. 

The WrestleMania 32 replay drew a 0.25 rating in the 18-49 demo, finishing 38th on cable TV in that category on Sunday. Not counting news-related programming, the show would’ve finished 14th.

WrestleMania 35 from last year will air on ESPN at 3 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday (April 5).

VIDEO: Triple H appears on ESPN’s SportsCenter

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ahead of WrestleMania 36 airing on the WWE Network this coming Saturday and Sunday, Paul “Triple H” Levesque made an appearance on SportsCenter last night:

ESPN’s John Anderson asked Triple H about Goldberg vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania having to be altered. Triple H said he didn’t want to get into the specifics of WrestleMania because it’s a must-watch event, but working the show is voluntary and any talent or crew who think there’s a risk to themselves or someone around them don’t have to be there and nothing will be held against them. He said WWE doesn’t want to take chances in this situation.

Triple H also brought up Reigns having a pre-existing condition that would make him more susceptible to something and said it’s understandable that he wouldn’t wrestle at WrestleMania.

WWE has yet to officially announce that Goldberg vs. Reigns is off the show or reveal Goldberg’s new opponent. The tapings for WrestleMania took place last week.

Triple H said they’ve had very few talent who have had issues or chosen not to be there.

During the interview, Triple H also discussed the precautions WWE has taken due to the coronavirus pandemic, the difficulty of wrestling without a live audience, and WWE wanting to continue entertaining people during this time.

Triple H’s appearance on SportsCenter took place after WrestleMania 32 aired on ESPN last night. WrestleMania 35 will air on the channel at 3 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday (April 5).

ESPN airing of WWE WrestleMania 30 draws over 800,000 viewers

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Sunday night’s re-airing of WrestleMania 30 on ESPN averaged 839,000 viewers for the show headlined by Daniel Bryan winning the WWE Championship in a triple threat over Randy Orton and Batista.

It was the highest rated show on ESPN for the weekend, but with no live sports occurring in North America right now, it’s not as impressive as it sounds. 

It’s roughly the same number that the week five XFL game did, also airing in primetime on Sunday night on ESPN two weeks ago. That was the lowest any of the XFL games had done on ESPN. 

In comparison to UFC, it’s lower than what a live show would normally do on that station, but it did beat a re-airing of UFC 244 that was shown on Saturday night. That UFC 244 re-airing averaged 725,000 viewers. 

In the 18-49 demo, the WrestleMania 30 special averaged a 0.31 rating and finished 30th for the night on cable. The UFC show the night before finished 40th in that demo with a 0.21 rating.

ESPN to air past WWE WrestleMania events over next three Sundays

Posted on by Joseph Currier

With a lack of live sports programming due to the coronavirus pandemic, ESPN is partnering with WWE to show past WrestleMania events.

Past WrestleManias will air on ESPN and the ESPN App over each of the next three Sundays. It will begin with WrestleMania 30 airing at 7 p.m. Eastern time this Sunday night (March 22). WrestleMania 32 will then be shown at 7 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, March 29, and WrestleMania 35 will air at 3 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, April 5.

“This unique opportunity is a byproduct of the terrific working relationship we’ve enjoyed with WWE over the years and the unprecedented circumstances we all find ourselves in,” ESPN executive vice president of programming Burke Magnus said. “WrestleMania is one of the most popular global events in sports and entertainment and the spectacular content it provides will be a treat for fans.”

“It is a privilege for us to deliver historic WrestleMania content to our world-class partners at ESPN and provide more premium programming to our fans; putting smiles on their faces particularly during this trying time,” WWE chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon said. “We look forward to celebrating WrestleMania history with ESPN as we head into our two-night pop culture extravaganza on April 4 and 5.”

WrestleMania 36 will air on the WWE Network over two nights on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5. It will not only take place at the WWE Performance Center but will include multiple locations over the two nights. The locations will be closed sets with only essential personnel in attendance.

An 11-hour marathon of some of the best fights in UFC history will also air on ESPN this Saturday.

MMA notes: UFC PPV price increase, Rory MacDonald signs with PFL

Posted on by Josh Nason

On Wednesday, it was revealed that ESPN is raising prices for UFC pay-per-views on their ESPN+ streaming service starting with January’s UFC 246 show headlined by the return of Conor McGregor.

The new price will be $64.99, a return to the pre-ESPN era. When ESPN took over as the sole U.S. provider for the UFC’s PPV distribution last March, they reduced the price to $59.99 to help account for the $5 monthly ESPN+ fee.

As part of their PPV deal, the sports network giant pays UFC a monthly flat amount for the exclusivity and the two sides do a revenue split after a certain amount is reached.

**********

Former Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald has signed with the PFL, first reported by ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.

The move came as a surprise as the 30-year-old had a successful three-year run with Bellator after leaving the UFC. During his time in Bellator, he went 3-2-1 and won their welterweight title, successfully defending it twice. He lost it to Douglas Lima in October in the finals of the company’s welterweight Grand Prix.

After the Lima fight, he became a free agent as the champion’s clause no longer applied to him.

PFL runs on a season-style format where the winner of each weight division takes home up to $1 million. Helwani reported the Canadian will be part of their 2020 season and will compete for their welterweight title.

JNPO: 2019 MMA year in review, part 1

Posted on by Josh Nason

It’s December. You know what that means.

I kick off our four-part journey through the MMA year that was in 2019 with our good friend and website writer Paul Fontaine, aka The King of Winnipeg.

On the docket for our look through January, February, and March:

  • UFC’s debut on ESPN and the 32-second main event win to kick off the ESPN+ era
  • Ryan Bader becoming a Bellator champ-champ with a 35-second knockout of Fedor Emelianenko
  • Colby Covington’s non-stop petitioning for a UFC title shot and his verbal assault against Dana White
  • Cain Velasquez return and then exit from MMA after meeting Francis Ngannou’s hands
  • The fall of T.J. Dillashaw
  • March’s UFC 235 which featured the return of Jon Jones, Ben Askren’s memorable debut, and a new welterweight champion
  • The kickoff to Jorge Masvidal’s big 2019 with his knockout of Darren Till 
  • The constant will they/won’t they regarding Donald Cerrone and Conor McGregor
  • ESPN taking over the distribution of UFC’s pay-per-views…and tons more

Click the big red button to listen:

Right click save

WWE’s Becky Lynch featured in new ESPN SportsCenter commercials

Posted on by Josh Nason

WWE Raw women’s champion Becky Lynch is part of a new series of ESPN’s iconic “This is SportsCenter” commercials that will begin airing this Saturday.

As part of their 40th anniversary, the network is releasing 12 new spots with three of them featuring Lynch.

The first spot, which will air on TV, digital and social, is called “What’s My Name?” and features Lynch getting angry with a barista after asking what her name is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ImTcCmmPdM

The other two spots will air on digital and social. One (“Vending Machine”) features Lynch assisting SC host Jay Harris as he tries to get something unstuck from a vending machine while the other (“Push”) has Lynch shoving the Rutgers University mascot in a hallway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-GtZSOQfQYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH8xlG1kVAM

WWE talent has been part of these spots before, notably with the following featuring King Kong Bundy, Undertaker, Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels, and Paul Bearer:

Lynch was the only pro wrestler featured in the spots which were also devoid of any UFC/MMA fighters. She is no stranger to ESPN as she was on set to help promote this year’s WrestleMania main event and was recently on the cover of ESPN The Magazine with GLOW star Alison Brie.

Daily Update: Paul Heyman, Blink-182, Pat McAfee

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

We’re looking for reports from these shows. Reports can be sent to [email protected]:

  • WWE Raw Saturday night in Oklahoma City
  • WWE Smackdown Saturday night in Nashville (entire show, not just the Smackville portion)
  • NXT from Sunday in Concord, NC. 

We’re also taking poll results from both New Japan shows this weekend in Nagoya as well as UFC 240 last night, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match from all three shows to [email protected]

Raw is Monday night in Little Rock with Brock Lesnar appearing, plus Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler, a gauntlet match for the U.S. title with Ricochet, Rey Mysterio, Cesaro, Sami 
Zayn and Andrade, The Revival vs. Usos vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson for the tag titles, R-Truth & Carmella vs. Drake Maverick & Renee Michelle in a mosh pit match and a Samoa Joe/Roman Reigns confrontation.

NEW JAPAN G-1 CLIMAX TOURNAMENT TUESDAY MORNING AT 6 A.M. EASTERN FROM TAKAMATSU ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

  • Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma & Yuya Uemura vs. Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi & Yota Tsuji
  • Toru Yano & Ren Narita vs. Jon Moxley & Shota Umino
  • Minoru Suzuki & Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Jay White & Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
  • Juice Robinson & Jeff Cobb & Toa Henare vs. Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi & Bushi
  • Kota Ibushi vs. Bad Luck Fale
  • Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Lance  Archer
  • KENTA vs. Sanada
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Evil

Smackdown and 205 Live are Tuesday in Memphis.  Trish Stratus will be there for the angle to set up her SummerSlam match with Charlotte Flair, plus Dolph Ziggler vs. Finn Balor (maybe as Balor is ill right now), Xavier Woods & Big E vs. Elias & Drew McIntyre, and Billie Kay & Peyton Royce in a non-title match with Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Smackville, EVOLVE & the WWE Network

Joseph Currier looks at two Network specials and what they could mean for the future of the service.

EVOLVE’s 10th Anniversary Celebration streamed on the Network opposite AEW Fight for the Fallen on July 13. Another in-ring special has also been added to the Network schedule for this month, with “Smackville” set to air this Saturday (July 27).

Smackville is similar to past specials like The Shield’s Final Chapter and WWE Starrcade. The WWE Network broadcast of Smackville will be an hour long. Kofi Kingston will defend the WWE Championship against Samoa Joe and Dolph Ziggler in a triple threat match, Finn Balor will face Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura in a rematch from Extreme Rules, and there will be a musical performance segment with Elias.

The Smackville name is playing off the show taking place in Nashville, Tennessee and the city’s Bridgestone Arena, which is the home of the Nashville Predators. The event was just a house show prior to the special being announced, and it will still feature some untelevised matches.

Televised house shows have been something WWE has surveyed subscribers about for a long time. Smackville feels very much like a by-the-numbers house show card. After already having defeated them in his most recent pay-per-view title defenses, Kingston is facing Joe and Ziggler again. Balor has already moved on to a storyline with Bray Wyatt and is set to take some time off from WWE after SummerSlam, so it seems unlikely that he’ll be regaining the Intercontinental title. The Smackville theme should play into the Elias segment, but it’s unlikely that it will have much meaning to the larger audience.

WON NEWSLETTER: July 29, 2019 Observer Newsletter: AEW announces TV details, more

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has details on the first episode of AEW on TNT, the possible name of the show, why the host city was chosen, and potential TV competition in the first few weeks of airing. 

We detail the latest G1 Climax 29 shows, and how it compares to last year’s tournament. 

We have coverage of Jon Jones and his latest potential legal trouble.

We cover Summerslam, how the card is shaping up, and the possible return of a WWE Hall of Famer on the show. 

We look back at Saturday’s UFC show, and the business notes on the show.

We have details on Dragon Gate’s biggest show of the year, and have business notes on that as well. 

We also have coverage of a wrestling star being part of Hollywood box office history.

There’s also a run down the ratings of all the major TV shows, along with detailed demo info for the WWE shows and results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.

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

Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer Radio, covering Raw, G-1 from yesterday and the rest of the latest news. You can also send questions to the show to [email protected]

We’ll see if this is for the better or the worst, but tonight’s Raw is the heaviest Paul Heyman influenced show to date. I had that feeling when I heard about the gauntlet match since he’s trying to make new stars and the gauntlet is really what created Kofi Kingston as a singles main eventer and another gauntlet helped Seth Rollins greatly.  But it’s pretty much confirmed the idea that they will attempt to make one or more stars in that match.

Saturday is a big day again this coming week with G-1 shows in Osaka, TripleMania on Twitch and UFC on ESPN for an afternoon show.

Bryan and I will be doing a Q&A in Chicago on 8/31 at 11 a.m. with a 10 a.m. meet and greet.  We have about 20 tickets left.  This will be our only show of that weekend.  It will be fun.  For ticket info you can go to www.f4wonline.com/chicago

The band Blink 182 has a cameo in this short video done in Jacksonville at the last show. It’s a spoof on the Joey Janela vs. Enzo fight but with Jimmy Havoc, who faces Janela on the next show.  Tony Khan put the video together on the fly.  He was a Blink fan in high school and asked the band if they would do it for him.  Video is at 

WWE

  • Pat McAfee will be part of ESPN’s Thursday night College Football broadcast squad.  McAfee does some WWE pregame shows as well.
  • Hobbs & Shaw, the new movie starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham will debut at the theaters on Friday night. Roman Reigns has a role in the movie playing Johnson’s brother.
  • Chad Gable has been added to the NEW show on Friday in Monroeville, PA.  Gable won’t be wrestling but will be signing per agreement with WWE as part of a fund raiser for the Bruno and Carol Sammartino Foundation.  Others announced for the show are Corey Graves, Mick Foley, Jerry Lawler, Darby Allin, Billy Gunn, Brian Pillman Jr., and Sam Adonis.
  • A number of people have noted that ICW from Scotland appears on the WWE Network when you search for it, as well as a weekly show “Fight Club” as a series.  Both are locked at the moment.  It appears this is getting ready for the new content that will appear on a more expensive tier when they start the three-tiered network. (thanks to Iain Oliver and many others.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Impact runs Friday in Santa Ana,CA at the Esports Arena with Tessa Blanchard vs. Sami Callihan with the winner facing Brian Cage for the title.  Saturday they will run a Twitch show from Los Angeles at Florentine Gardens working with Championship Wrestling from Hollywood.  Saturday they will tape television with Championship Wrestling from Hollywood at the Oceanview Pavilion in Port Heuneme, CA.
  • Killer Kross has been added to the 9/1 Warrior Wrestling show in Chicago.
  • AWS from Saturday night in South Gate, CA:  Mike Camden b Hunter Freeman, Funnybone b Human Tornado, Jenna Van Muscles & Notorious Nadi b Viva Van & Violet Payne, Deimos b Terex, Jesse James & Hoss Hogg b Hindu Jr. & Super Boy Jr., Race b Shotzi Blackheart to win women’s title,Vipress b Karissa Rivera-DQ, Andy Brown b Mr. Iguana, Gringo Loco won four-way over Legacy, Lil Cholo and Che Cabrera.  Next show is 9/21 and 11/30 is the final show of the promotion.  Human Tornado also took off his boots and left them in the ring after the match to signal retiring.  He did retire in 2010, but came back two years later.  He announced 14 months ago that due to back issues he would be retiring soon. (thanks to Shannon Walsh and wrestlingwithdemons.net)
  • Glory Pro Wrestling from yesterday in Collinsville, IL:  Anton Alexiev & Karam & Nick King b Camaro Jackson & Kenny Alfonso & Reilly MaGuire, Steve Manders won six-way over Mike Outlaw, Mark Wheeler  Billy Brash Kody Lane and Josh Bishop, Jake Something b Kobe Durst, Barackus b Tommy Vendetta, Halal Beefcake won three-way over Timmy Lou Retton & White Mike and Space Monkey & Shane Sabre, Stephen Wolf b Myron Reed, Ethan Page & Josh Alexander b JD Drake & Anthony Henry, Seishin b Layne Luck, Hakim Zane b Danny Adams, Curt Stallion DDQ Paco Gonzalez, A.J. Gray b Jake Lander, Chris Castro & Nick Brubaker b Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett to win the tag titles (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
  • A correction from yesterday in the Sendai Girls results from Manchester.  It was Chihiro Hashimoto on the show not Chihiro Matsumoto.
  • Combate Americas has announced new main card fights of Maria Paula Buzaglo vs. Felisha Magallan, Erick Sanchez vs. Jose Luis Verdugo and Marilia Fanta vs.Chelsea Chandler for its 8/23 show in Lake Tahoe, CA,which will air live on Univision, Univision Deportes and DAZN.  The main event is bantamweight champion Gustavo Lopez (10-4-1) vs. Jey Ruquet (7-1) and  featherweight title match with Andres Quintana (18-2) vs. Bruno Cannetti (8-6)./
  • NFC MMA on 8/3 at Center Stage in Atlanta has less than 200 tickets left.  Will Banks vs. Michael Fortner for the NFC lightweight title is the main event.
  • Rocky Mountain Pro will be airing television every Thursday night on Right Now TV and Twitch.
  • Stardom from Saturday night in Kanazawa:  Saya Iida won three-way over Ruaka and Rina, Saki Kashima & Starlight Kid b Hina & Leo Onozaki, Kagetsu & Hazuki & Andras Miyagi & Natsu Sumire b Hana Kimura & Jungle Kyona & Death Yama-San & Bobbi Tyler, Bea Priestley & Momo Watanabe & Utami Hayashishita b Mayu Iwatani & Arisa Hoshiki & Tam Nakano (thanks to Shannon Walsh)
  • The update on the AAW Jim Lyman Memorial tournament on 8/29 and 8/30 in Chicago at the Logan Square Auditorium has Eddie Kingston, Jimmy Jacobs, Laredo Kid, Jake Atlas, Colt Cabana, Curt Stallion, MJF, Myron Reed, Jacob Fatu, Josh Alexander, Ace Romero,Ace Austin, Jake Something, Trey Miguel and two spots remain.  Sami Callihan, LAX , Penta 0M & Rey Fenix are also on the weekend shows.
  • A feature on Jake Atlas can be found here.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Ric Flair wins NWA US title

CONTACT INFORMATION

Roman Reigns’ return wins Best WWE Moment ESPY award

Posted on by Joseph Currier

ESPN has revealed the winner of the inaugural Best WWE Moment ESPY award.

On the red carpet special for tonight’s ESPYS, Roman Reigns returning on the February 25 episode of Raw and revealing that his leukemia is in remission was announced as the winner of the Best WWE Moment award. This is the first time WWE has had its own category at the ESPYS.

“For me just to be able to be healthy was the only award I needed. This is just so flattering for everyone to kind of lift me up and show me that I have that support system and that love from everybody,” Reigns said. “It was never about awards or anything like that. It was just about awareness, it was just about sharing my story and hopefully someone could use it for a little bit of hope.”

Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon also appeared on the red carpet show. Rollins revealed the winner of WWE’s award.

Reigns’ return won a fan vote over Lynch winning the Raw and SmackDown Women’s titles in the main event of WrestleMania 35, Kofi Kingston defeating Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35, and Ronda Rousey defeating Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam 2018 to win her first title in professional wrestling.

Reigns later appeared on the ESPYS broadcast and presented an award to college basketball coach and fellow cancer survivor Jim Calhoun.

Daniel Cormier won the Best MMA Fighter ESPY award on the red carpet special. Amanda Nunes, Henry Cejudo, and Israel Adesanya were the other nominees.

This is also the first time MMA has had its own ESPY. MMA fighters and boxers were previously grouped into the same category.

Becky Lynch, GLOW’s Alison Brie appear on cover of ESPN magazine

Posted on by Joseph Currier

For the first time ever, a current WWE wrestler is on the cover of ESPN The Magazine.

Becky Lynch and GLOW’s Alison Brie are on the cover of ESPN The Magazine’s Blockbuster issue, which is about the intersection between sports and Hollywood. The magazine will be available on newsstands this Friday (July 12).

ESPN’s interview with Lynch and Brie is already available online.

Lynch tweeted about being on the cover: “Last year I said I wanted to be the face of this business that I love so much. We don’t always have to accept the status that’s given to us. It’s been quite a year and it’s an honor to be the first @WWE superstar to be on the cover of @espn magazine”

Season three of GLOW will premiere on Netflix on Friday, August 9. Brie appeared on an episode of SmackDown in June 2018 to promote GLOW’s second season.

Charlotte Flair was featured in last year’s edition of the Body issue of ESPN The Magazine.

It was announced in April that the print version of ESPN The Magazine would end this September.

WWE also has its own category in the ESPY Awards for the first time this year. Roman Reigns announcing his leukemia is in remission, Lynch winning the Raw and SmackDown Women’s titles in the main event of WrestleMania 35, Kofi Kingston defeating Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35, and Ronda Rousey winning her first title in professional wrestling by defeating Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam 2018 are nominated for Best WWE Moment.

The ESPYS will air on ABC at 8 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow night (Wednesday, July 10).

Best WWE Moment category added to ESPY Awards

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE is getting its own category at this year’s ESPY Awards.

ESPN revealed the nominees and opened up fan voting for the awards today. There’s a WWE-specific category for the first time ever, with four nominees vying for the Best WWE Moment of the year award.

The nominees are: Roman Reigns returning to Raw and announcing that his leukemia is in remission, Becky Lynch defeating Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair to win the Raw and SmackDown Women’s titles in the main event of WrestleMania 35, Kofi Kingston defeating Daniel Bryan to win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35, and Ronda Rousey defeating Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam 2018 to win her first title in professional wrestling.

There’s also a Best MMA Fighter category at the ESPYS for the first time. The UFC’s Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, Henry Cejudo, and Israel Adesanya are nominated for the award.

MMA fighters and boxers were previously both represented in the Best Fighter award.

The ESPYS celebrate the past year across sports. This year’s ceremony is being hosted by Tracy Morgan. It’s taking place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on Wednesday, July 10 and will air live on ABC at 8 p.m. Eastern time.