Tag: georges st-pierre

Daily Update: Georges St-Pierre, Katsuhiko Nakajima, WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up:

  • Match and performer of the week for both of the past two weeks
  • The changes in WWE, Vince out of creative, how UFC and WWE are being treated differently
  • Showtime drops all sports programming and their entire sports department, both how in and of itself its a major story in boxing, MMA and could be in pro wrestling, but even more the trend that it shows
  • Stations still in the market for sports today
  • The ominous aspects of NBA current TV negotiations
  • Why boxing was dropped after such a great PPV year
  • A look back at the career of Sting after his retirement announcement
  • A look at his AEW run
  • His rise to the top in WCW
  • How his career got started
  • What person saw the potential in Sting the earliest
  • The famous 1988 Sting vs. Ric Flair match and how it changed his career trajectory
  • The multiple times Sting stepped away from wrestling
  • The TNA run
  • The WWE run
  • Power Team USA and Flash Borden
  • NWA on WB, the keys to this deal
  • Update on Crown Jewel and who isn’t scheduled right now on the show
  • The classic matches of 2023 Will Ospreay
  • New Japan Royal Quest and Power Struggle
  • Notes on last week’s UFC show
  • A look back at one of the most traveled enhancement star of the late 60s into the early 80s, Bill Howard
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the pro wrestling shows this past week, including segment-by-segment, competition and comparisons with a year ago
  • CMLL wrestlers traveling around the world
  • Two spectacular matches at Friday’s Arena Mexico show
  • Stardom opens tag tournament
  • One of AAA’s biggest stars likely not returning
  • Biggest woman promotion in the world at one time has a nostalgia reunion show coming in January
  • Chris Hero returns
  • What pro wrestling star of the 70s never lost a singles match in his entire career
  • AEW and CMLL relationship notes
  • Tony Khan’s tweets
  • Updates on ticket sales to WWE & AEW shows
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • UFC signs huge money international deal
  • UFC top star taking time off
  • Main event result in UFC overturned
  • Pat Miletich returns to fight at 55
  • Ari Emanuel criticized for working with Dana White, Vince McMahon and Conor McGregor
  • More on the Vince McMahon documentary
  • Completely exaggerated PPV claims
  • What percentage of Logan Paul buyers also buy AEW or WWE shows
  • WWE sells network rights internationally
  • Dynamite TV streak ends after two weeks
  • Notes on all the WWE & NXT arena events this past week

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

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 Update

We did our week in review show with Garrett Gonzales today with a heavy emphasis on the changing television business, along with doing questions and talking a lot about Sting, surprises, Reigns vs. LA Knight and more. Bryan and I will be back tomorrow which has Impact, UFC and Collision.

Georges St-Pierre who was going to come out of retirement for a grappling match on 12/14 in Las Vegas, two days before the final PPV show of the year, said he suffered a shoulder injury and is out of the match. He also said that the match was to be against Nick Diaz, and he said Diaz has a neck injury and had pulled out. St-Pierre said he doesn’t know if he’ll need surgery, and won’t for a few weeks. He said that he won’t be ready for that date but hopes they can do the match at a later date. He said the match agreed to was with Diaz all along, but also mentioned there were talks at different points about him doing a grappling match with Kamaru Usman, Demian Maia or Gilbert Burns.

Katsuhiko Nakajima had his last Korakuen Hall match for NOAH earlier today. Nakajima teamed with Go Shiozaki & Masa Kitamiya to beat Masaaki Mochizuki & Manabu Soya & Daiki Inaba in the main event.

Smackdown tonight in San Antonio has Iyo Sky vs. Charlotte Flair for the WWE women’s title, Montez Ford vs. Santos Escobar, plus Logan Paul is in to shoot an angle for a match with Rey Mysterio over the U.S. title. Roman Reigns is not on tonight’s show. The show sold out in advance and they just added new seats. There will be more than 14,000 in attendance tonight.

The Mistico vs. Rocky Romero battle of Historic world champions in two different weight classes headlines Rampage tonight taped in Rosenberg, TX. The match is two out of three falls although neither championship title is at stake. This has become a very talked about match for both good and extremely bad reasons over the past few days, largely because of the amount of tickets the show drew after the Mistico announcement and people who somehow couldn’t handle this being the case. Hey, I was like this in 1993 when AAA ran at San Jose State University and I figured they’d be lucky to do 500 fans and then there were 5,000 fans there and it was like stepping into a different world where people were insane over every single character on the show. Also tonight is John Silver vs. Kip Sabian vs. Brother Zay–winner faces Orange Cassidy for the International title tomorrow night in Memphis, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta vs. Exodus Prime & Bryan Keith and Skye Blue vs. Ruby Soho. Tony Khan also promised the announcement of a dream match for tomorrow night in Memphis will be made on Rampage tonight. If Memphis had 6,000 or more tickets sold, I’d say cool. But when they have so few sold, I’d think if there really was a dream match that is a difference maker, you’d want that info out ASAP.

Kinya Okada and Yasutaka Yano, who both vanished from NOAH in April, were charged with forcible indecency for inappropriately touching a woman in Sendai on 4/16 at 12:30 a.m. NOAH was on tour and had a show in that city the next day. The two didn’t wrestle on the show and never wrestled with the promotion again. (thanks to Gerard Di Trolio)

We are doing our poll this weekend on Impact Bound for Glory which takes place tomorrow night in Cicero, IL. You can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]

The top matches for Bound for Glory are Alex Shelley vs. Josh Alexander for the Impact title, Trinity vs. Mickie James for the Knockouts title Chris Sabin vs. KENTA for the X title, Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz vs. Chris Bey & Ace Austin for the tag titles, Masha Slamovich & Killer Kelly vs. Deonna Purrazzo & Tasha Steelz for the Knockouts tag titles, Will Ospreay vs. Mike Bailey and Rhino vs. Moose vs. PCO vs. Steve Maclin in a Monster’s Brawl match. There is also a Hall of Fame ceremony for Mike Tenay, Don West and Traci Brooks.

We also looking for reports on these shows:

  • Smackdown tonight in San Antonio (dark matches and off air notes only)
  • AEW Collision tomorrow night in Memphis (any matches or things that aren’t on the live show)
  • WWE house show tomorrow night in Edinburgh, TX
  • WWE house show Sunday night in Laredo, TX
  • We’re looking for results, finishes and other highlights to [email protected]

Impact last night did 71,000 viewers and an 0.01 in 18-49 against football and baseball.

UFC 294 is from Abu Dhabi which means the show starts at 10 a.m. Eastern and 7 p.m. Pacific. It will air from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on ESPN+, and then the rest on ESPN + PPV:

ESPN + at 10 a.m. Eastern

  • Bruno Silva (186) vs. Shara Magomedov (186)
  • Jinh Yu Frey (116) vs. Vikitoriya Dudakova (116.6) – Dudakova missed weight by 0.6 pounds
  • Nathaniel Wood (146) vs. Muhamad Naimov (145.5)
  • Mike Breeden (159.5) vs. Anshul Jubli (155.5) – Breeden missed weight by 3.5 pounds
  • Abu Azaitar (186) vs. Sedriques Dumas (186)
  • Javid Basharat (136) vs. Victor Henry (136)
  • Mohammad Yahya (156) vs. Trevor Peek (155.5)
  • Tim Elliott (126) vs,. Muhammad Mokaev (126)

PPV at 2 p.m. Eastern

  • Said Nurmagomedov (136) vs. Muin Gafurov (135.5)
  • Ikram Aliskerov (186) vs. Warrley Alves (185.5)
  • Magomed Ankalaev (206) vs. Johnny Walker (205)
  • Kamaru Usman (184.5) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (185.5)
  • Islam Makhachev (155) vs. Alexander Volkanovski (154.5) for the lightweight title

New Japan Super Juniors tag league starts at 4 a.m. Eastern tomorrow morning from Kumagaya:

  • Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita vs. TJP & Francesco Akira
  • Kushida & Kevin Knight vs,. Douki & Taka Michinoku
  • Ryusuke Taguchi & The DKC vs. Desperado & Master Wato
  • Yoh & Musashi vs Clark Connors & Dan Moloney
  • Titan & Bushi vs. Sho & Yoshinobu Kanemaru

Today would have been the 65th birthday of Scott Hall.

A documentary on pro wrestling referees called “The Ref Didn’t See It” will be coming out soon. We’ll have more info going forward. Interviewed for the documentary include Earl Hebner, Bill Alfonso, Tommy Dreamer, Kevin Sullivan, Cameron Adamson and Emily Parker.

Combate Global announced its final show of the year will be 12/17 on Univision and Paramount +. Patrick Lehane (5-2) of Ireland faces Roberto Romero (7-2-1) of Mexico in an Ireland vs Mexico battle. The show is called Ireland vs. Mexico and is being sponsored by Conor McGregor’s Irish Stout beverage. It will be a rare Sunday night show for the promotion.

Mansoor is auctioning memorabilia and donating $4,000 for medicine, food and water into blockaded Gaza. He’s selling gear worn in WWE matches with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Middle East Children’s Alliance.

TNT Extreme Wrestling is joining the Demand Progress Plus streaming service. It is the first of what they expect to be many promotions added to the service. It has a nearly full catalogue of Progress shows from the past.

The New York Wrestling Connection runs 10/28 at The Space in Westbury, NY with Tommy Dreamer, Mikey Whipwreck, Tony Mamaluke, Mike Mondo, Alex Reynolds, John Silver, Tracy Williams and more. There will be both a meet and greet and a wrestling show as well as a 6 p.m. Hall of Fame ceremony before the start of the card.

Wrestle Queendom from EVE on 11/19 in Tufnell Park at the Dome in London has shows at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. with Miyu Yamashita vs. Safire Reed for the Eve championship in the main event. They also run 11/10 in Walthamslow, London at The Big Penny Social with Max the Impaler, Masha Slamovich, Konami, Nina Samuels, Emersyn Jayne and Session Moth Martina.

Empire State Wrestling on 11/17 at the Riverworks in Buffalo with Heath and Chris Adonis as the headliners.

Daily Update: Jim Valley, Georges St-Pierre, WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Observer is out with the following covered:

  • Match of the week and performer of the week from the past two weeks
  • The most detailed story of the AEW/C.M. Punk relationship
  • The honeymoon period
  • The business records
  • The difficulty of the decision to cut ties with him
  • Lots of new information not reported previously
  • The original records set and business success
  • The fight after All Out and its aftermath
  • Realities of pro wrestling
  • Analysis of him going to WWE
  • Support and non-support for him in AEW
  • Punk’s prior two contacts in recent years with WWE about returning
  • Conflict between Punk and other talent
  • The situation with Adam Page
  • The attempts to get everyone working together and why it kept being delayed
  • Details on what happened in the investigations after All In
  • Tony Khan’s speech before the live crowd in Chicago
  • The life and times of Sheik Adnan-Al Kaissie, the Native American babyface torn foreign menace
  • Amateur wrestling, legend in Hawaii, and giant stadium crowds in Iraq including beating Andre the Giant
  • His WWWF tag team title run
  • His AWA run including the biggest crowds in the heyday of the promotion affiliated with Jerry Blackwell and Ken Patera
  • The final run with Sgt. Slaughter
  • Full coverage of Payback, business notes, stories out of the show and match-by-match coverage
  • Full coverage of All Out, highlights, polls, business notes and more
  • UFC weekend coverage from Paris
  • More notes on the formation of a new all-women’s promotion that starts in a few weeks with Japanese stars
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for every wrestling and MMA show, segment-by-segment notes
  • Rocky Romero talks his CMLL run
  • Latest from Arena Mexico
  • Hall of Famer says he hopes to recover from recent operation and have a big retirement match
  • Stardom Five-Star Grand Prix tournament notes
  • Stardom PPV coverage
  • New rookie getting rave reviews
  • All Japan and NOAH have big shows
  • Terry Funk funeral notes
  • Notes on new TV show
  • Big tag team tournament coming
  • More notes on Wembley Stadium attendance
  • Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole talk post All Out
  • Advance ticket sales for WWE & AEW shows
  • AEW value calculated
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • Aussie Open on why they signed with AEW
  • Sports franchise owned by pro wrestling star wins championship
  • Dana White talks Bellator being for sale
  • More on Bellator sale talks
  • Analyst talks where he thinks WWE will wind up on television
  • Gable Steveson not doing world championships and update
  • Merchandise sales for Clash at the Castle and for All in
  • Cena’s drawing power on his return

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

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 Update

Garrett Gonzales and I have the week in review and covering the news in today’s Observer on the show up on the site right now. 

Our good friend Jim Valley is looking for a donor for a kidney transplant. He has been on dialysis for two years and it can take years unless he gets a living donor. His blood type is A positive but arrangements can be made possibly for another blood type. Anyone interested in donating can call 206-598-3627 or go to uw.donorscreen.org

Georges St-Pierre will be inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame on 10/19. He will also be awarded the Order of Sport, recognizing a Canadian athlete’s contributions to Canada through sports. 

Smackdown tonight is from Boston, which was just about sold out as of today, has A.J. Styles vs. Jimmy Uso, Charlotte Flair & Shotzi vs Bayley & Iyo Sky and Finn Balor & Damian Priest vs,. Ridge Holland & Butch.

We’ve looking for reports on these weekend shows:

  • Impact Victory Road tonight from White Plains, NY
  • Smackdown tonight in Boston (dark matches only)
  • NXT tonight in Sebring, FL
  • AEW tomorrow night in Cleveland (non-live TV matches only)
  • WWE tomorrow night at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY
  • NXT tomorrow in Melbourne, FL
  • WWE Sunday in Charlottesville, VA
  • We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights to [email protected]

AEW tonight at 10 p.m. on TNT has Jay Lethal vs. Penta and Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Hardy in the tournament, plus Young Bucks vs. Matt Menard & Angelo Parker and Hikaru Shida & Britt Baker & Skye Blue vs. Taya Valkyrie & The Bunny & Anna Jay.

Junior Dos Santos faces Fabricio Werdum tonight for Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebread Bare Knuckle MMA promotion, which is basically UFC before UFC 5 when Tank Abbott introduced gloves. The show takes place from the Vystar Arena in Jacksonville, FL. It will be live streamed on YouTube and Facebook for free.

Impact Victory Road tonight is an Impact+ PPV show from White Plains, NY

  • Bully Ray vs. PCO anything goes
  • Trinity vs. Alisha Edwards for the Knockouts title
  • Kenny King vs. Tommy Dreamer – Digital Media title vs. Dreamer having to retire
  • Lio Rush vs. Kushida for the X title
  • Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz vs. Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley for the tag titles
  • Jordynne Grace vs. Deona Purrazzo
  • Josh Alexander vs. Steve Maclin

UFC has a PPV tomorrow from Sydney, Australia:

ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time

  • Kevin Jousset (170.5) vs. Keifer Crosbie (170.85)
  • Shane Young (149.75) vs. Gabrel Mirdanda (144.95) – Young forfeited 30 percent of his purse for missing weight by 3.75 pounds
  • Blood Diamond (170.25) vs. Charlie Radtke (170.30)

ESPN & ABC at 8 p.m. Eastern

  • Nasrat Haqparast (155.85) vs Landon Quinones (155.75)
  • Jamie Mullkarey (155.35) vs. John Makdessi (155.10)
  • Jack Jenkins (145.85) vs. Chepe Mariscal (145.85)
  • Carlos Ulberg (204.70) vs. Da Un Jung (205.30)

PPV at 10 p.m.

  • Tyson Pedro (205.45) vs. Anton Turkalj (205.35)
  • Justin Tafa (262.20) vs. Austen Lane (205.35)
  • Manel Kape (126) vs. Felipe Dos Santos (125.40)
  • Tai Tuivasa (265.60) vs. Alexander Volkov (262.90)
  • Israel Adesanya (184.80) vs. Sean Strickland (184.90) for the middleweight title

All Japan ran Yoyogi Gym in Tokyo earlier today: Yoshi Tatsu b Black Menso-re, Naruki Doi & Naoki Tanizaki & Hokuto Omori b Kotaro Suzuki & Keiichi Sato & Mazada, Masa Fuchi & Kaz Hayashi & Ryuji Hijikata b Osamu Nishimura & Mitsuya Nagai & Masao Inoue, THawk & Lindaman & Shigehiro Irie & Junjie b Koji Iwamoto & Takuya Nomura & Fuminori Abe & Ryo Inoue, Jun Akiyama & Sanshiro Takagi & Yusuke Okada b Suwama & Hikaru Sato & Dan Tamura, Kairi & Saori Anou b Unagi Sayaka & Sareee, Yuma Aoyagi & Atsuki Aoyagi & Rising Hayato b Ryuki Honda & Yusuke Kodama & Masao anabata, Jun & Rei Saito b Ren Ayabe & Shuji Ishikawa to keep the G-Infinty tag titles, Kento Miyahara b Yuma Anzai. In the All Japan vs. DDT match ther was a post-match angle with Suwama and Yukio Naya. They showed Rossy Ogawa at ringside during the women’s match. The other women went at it after the match but not Kairi since there’s no point in her shooting an angle with her leaving for WWE.(thanks to Shannon Walsh)

Tickets for the 11/17 and 11/18 AEW shows at the Forum in Inglewood went on sale today. The PPV show on Saturday did more than 4,000 tickets sold while Collision did 1,500. That’s only pre-sale but compared to previous events it was obviously way down.

A correction from today’s issue. The legends Ciberneticos on 9/22 at Arena Mexico will not be a three-week tournament. It will be one match with Felino, Aguila Solitaria, Solar, Black Terry, Octagon, El Satanico, Atlantis, Blue Panther, Panterita del Ring, Panera, Negro Navarro and Rocky Santana.

WWE gates from Pollstar. The 7/17 show in Atlanta sold out with 11,082 paid and $513,206. The 6/19 show in Cleveland sold 9,432 for $561,928.

AIW announced a new location for its show tomorrow at 4 p.m. in Wadsworth, OH. It will now be at the OJ Work Auditorium at 151 Main St. Eric Taylor vs. Mikey Montgomery in a cage match is the main event plus Swoggle will be wrestling. Their annual JT Lightning tournament which features Tom Lawlor, Ale Price, Colin Delaney, Masato Tanaka and Chavo Guerrero Jr. will be 9/15 and 9/16 in Cleveland at Temple Live. Eddie Kingston also will wrestle on 9/16 in a non-tournament match.

Aljamain Sterling vs. Nathaniel Wood in grappling takes place at Polaris 25 on 9/30 in Wales. The event will air on UFC Fight Pass.

Lucha Teotl, a stage play based on Lucha Libre will be running at the Goodman Theater in Chicago from 9/29 to 10/29. (thanks to Jacob Burnett)

Demetrious Johnson has challenged Kenny Omega to play Street fighter VI against him for charity.

Daily Update: Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou, WWE SmackDown, Georges St-Pierre

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

See Dave & Bryan in London

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

In this issue:

  • Match of the week and performer of the week for the past two weeks
  • Full coverage of Money in the Bank, the story behind all the matches angles and finishes
  • Eight confirmed matches for SummerSlam
  • Ticket sales for SummerSlam and records already broken and other records on the verge of being broken
  • Live gate for Money in the Bank and a breakdown of the multiple records set
  • WrestleMania in London and an update on where that stands
  • Total viewership for the show
  • PPV numbers for the show and how it compares to other shows plus crossover with AEW Forbidden Door
  • Story behind the results and angles on the show
  • The life and times of Darren Drozdov, comments from wrestlers, family, friends and the story behind the accident that changed his life and how he battled back and ended up close with his family.
  • His brief career in wrestling
  • Jerry McDevitt removed from the MLW lawsuit and announces his retirement. A look back at the legendary attorney and his history with WWE
  • What happened with Collision in week three. A detailed breakdown of what was one of the most important TV ratings of the year
  • WWE & AEW quarterly business, viewership, house shows, what is up and what is down and why
  • New Japan Strong at Korakuen Hall with four title changes and two brutal matches
  • Full UFC coverage for the week and business notes
  • Dragon Gate’s biggest show of the year takes place
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the major wrestling shows, including weekly rankings
  • CMLL runs major event with Romero vs. Volador Jr., and notes on the debut of Mascara Dorada 2.0
  • Stardom PPV coverage
  • Notes on the Five-Star Grand Prix tournament
  • Triple Crown title change and fantastic performance by Yuji Nagata
  • Father and daughter appear on show together in Japan
  • What companies in Japan have drawn the most fans so far this year
  • One of the biggest tag teams of all-time having a special show
  • Lots more on the Mildred Burke movie that was being filmed this past month and stories about Burke’s legend
  • Grappl lists its fan voted best matches in history
  • Matt Morgan talks back surgery
  • Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame notes for 2023
  • Stardom star coming to GCW and notes on the deal
  • Kenny Omega talks AEW video game
  • Updated ticket sales for All In and where it ranks on the all-time list
  • Update on Forbidden Door PPV numbers
  • Jon Moxley goal to become an historical first
  • Omega talks Will Ospreay match
  • Ticket sales to the upcoming WWE and AEW shows
  • Jim Ross updates his condition
  • Injury updates
  • Streaming number updates
  • Merch number updates
  • International TV ratings
  • Lots of gimmick fights being talked about
  • ESPN announce new multi-part documentary
  • Paul Levesque talks NXT Europe
  • Plans for net year’s Mania
  • Gable Steveson issues challenge for another sport he’s never done before
  • Rundown of all WWE events this past week

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

Moderators needed:

We are currently looking for two people to moderate our message board. Those interested please contact [email protected].

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 Update

We won’t be having a show today but Garrett Gonzales and I will be back tomorrow night covering Collision, Smackdown, UFC 290 and all the news of the past week including all the Observer stories and business notes, and there is a lot of it.

The new Observer issue is up on the site now. We’ve already gotten a lot of great feedback on the Darren Drozdov story. 

Ariel Helwani reported that Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou is expected to be announced shortly under boxing rules no doubt.

Smackdown tonight is from Madison Square Garden. The huge ratings run will likely continue tonight with the trial of Roman Reigns by the Usos, plus Edge returns in the Grayson Waller Effect, A.J. Styles faces Karrion Kross and Austin Theory defends the U.S. title against Sheamus. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor for the world title is scheduled as a dark match. Trick Williams was sent to the show, so he may be in a dark match or in an angle. Vince McMahon is at the show as he would be expected to be because he almost always goes to MSG events. About 13,500 are to be in attendance and it is sold out.

Georges St-Pierre, who will be doing a grappling match in December coming out of retirement, has said he would like to face Anderson Silva, Khabib Nurmagomedov or Kamaru Usman.

Bandido after surgery yesterday on his broken wrist is hopeful to be back in action in six to weight weeks. All In is 7 1/2 weeks and that is the hoped for goal if he would even be booked on the show.

Josiah Harrell, who was to face Jack Della Maddalena tomorrow on the UFC show, in his MRI was found with moyamoya syndrome, a rare disease that results in blocked arteries at the base of the brain according to Nolan King of MMA Kings. He will undergo a brain procedure and is obviously out of the fight. UFC confirmed that Della Maddalena will be off the card.

We’ve looking for reports from these weekend shows:

  • Smackdown tonight in Madison Square Garden (dark matches only)
  • NXT tonight in Largo, FL
  • NXT tomorrow night in Melbourne, FL
  • We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights

Some more notes on the AEW ratings from Wednesday, which came out today. Dynamite’s 855,000 viewers and 0.29 was first place on cable, and also beat everything on at least English language television except The Price is Right from 8-9 p.m. on CBS in 18-49. It was second on television and an 0.29 on cable is more impressive than an 0.42 on network in hour one. In house two, it was tops on all of television. Sista Series on BET was second on cable at 0.18 and Real Housewives of Orange County on Bravo was third at 0.17, followed by Expedition Unknown on Discovery at 0.16. The 35-49 numbers were way up but 18-34 was still at the same 0.19 as last week. The MJF/Adam Cole post-match was the 18-49 and 18-34 high point.

The G-1 Climax tournament starts a week from Saturday, which is also the day of the Kenny Omega vs. El Hijo del Vikingo match for AAA in Tijuana.

UFC 290 is tomorrow from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas:

6 p.m. on ESPN 2

  • Kamuela Kirk (155.5) vs. Esteban Ribovics (156)
  • Shannon Ross (126) vs. Jesus Aguilar (126)
  • Cameron Saaiman (135) vs. Terrence Mitchell (135)
  • Vitor Petrino (206) vs. Marcin Prachnio (206)

ABC and ESPN at 8 p.m.

  • Tatsuro Taira (130) vs. Edgar Chavez (129)
  • Jimmy Crute (205) vs. Alonzo Menifield (205.5)
  • Yazmin Jauregiu (115.5) vs. Denise Gomes (115.5)
  • Robbie Lawler (170.5) vs. Niko Price (171)

PPV at 10 p.m.

  • Bo Nickal (186) vs. Val Woodburn (185.5)
  • Jalin Turner (158) vs. Dan Hooker (155.5)
  • Robert Whittaker (185.5) vs. Dricus Du Plessis (186)
  • Brandon Moreno (125) vs. Alexandre Pantoja (125) for the flyweight title
  • Alexander Volkanovski (144.5) vs. Yair Rodriguez (145) for the featherweight title
  • We have a preview in the current issue. Turner missed weight by two pounds and has to forfeit 20 percent of his purse.

Dana White is claiming that 100 percent Mark Zuckerbeg and Elon Musk want to fight in UFC and he said he has a date planned for the fight. He said if a commission says no, he’ll find a commission who says yes and said the show will do one billion in revenue.

Becky Lynch & Seth Rollins and Montez Ford & Bianca Belair are being sent by WWE to the Espy Awards.

Best wishes to former pro wrestler Rick Allen, known as Sunny Beach on Northeast indies and the Herb Abrams UWF, who had heart surgery on Thursday. He worked many television matches for WWF as well.

The Impact shows this past week in Wagga Wagga, Australia will be airing later this month on Impact in 60.

MLW is doing a PPV show on FITE+ tomorrow night from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia with Alex Hammerstone vs. Alex Kane for the title as the main event.

Battery charges against former UFC fighter Luis Pena were dismissed, stemming from an October 2021 arrest. Pena was accused of striking two women, and injuring them, one of which was his partner who he allegedly struck several times with a cosed fist and another woman attempted to stop him and he allegedly punched her and knocked her down. UFC then released Pena from the promotion but has fought five times in smaller companies since.

Marlon Vera will face Pedro Munhoz at UFC 292 according to Vera’s management team on social media. Munhoz replaces the injured Henry Cejudo.

Other Notes

Combate Global, coming off one of its best ratings in years, will be on Univision and Paramount + at 11 p.m. tomorrow night Carlos Briseno vs. Micaias Ureno as the main event.

MCW Fan Jam on 7/23 at the RJ Meyer Arena in Joppa, MD has a free admission fan fest with Roderick Strong, Lio Rush, Headbangers, Eric Bischoff, Ricardo Rodriguez, Mickie James, Melina Perez, Reby Hardy, Matt Hardy, Renee Paquette, Jeff Hardy and more.

Pro Wrestling Revolver tomorrow night in Grand Prairie, TX at The Epic with Alex Shelley vs. Zachary Wentz, Keith Lee vs. Aaron Eagles, Sami Callihan vs. Allie Katch in a street fight, Rich Swann vs. Shane Taylor, Mike Bailey vs. JD Griffey in a no ropes fight pit match, Lance Archer vs. Matthew Palmer and Chris Bey & Ace Austin vs. Gabe Wilder & Tommy Prince.

Former WWE developmental wrestler Kyla Rasmussen, 42, pleaded no contest to charges of trying to strangle the driver on a moving vehicle in Rochester Hills, MI. (thanks to Mike Malasev)

AAA has its first TV taping in six weeks tomorrow night in Orizaba, Veracruz with Jack Evans & Pentagon Jr. & Aramis vs. Bestia 666 & Mecha Wolf & Pagano plus Negro Casas & Dalys vs. Daga & Chik Tormenta as the top bouts.

Georges St-Pierre announced for 2020 UFC Hall of Fame class

Posted on by Josh Nason

Georges St-Pierre, the face of Canadian MMA and the favorite fighter for a generation of fans created during the post-TUF boom period, was announced as joining the 2020 UFC Hall of Fame class during the UFC 249 broadcast.

He will be in the Modern wing, joining Ronda Rousey, Michael Bisping, Forrest Griffin, BJ Penn, Urijah Faber, and Rashad Evans. The designation is for fighters who turned pro after November 17, 2000; are at least 35; and have been retired for more than a year.

The event is traditionally held during July’s International Fight Week in Las Vegas, Nevada, but with the current situation with the pandemic, all bets are off as to when the ceremony happens.

The 38-year-old retired last February after a 26-2 career that was nearly all spent in the Octagon.

The Montreal, Quebec, Canada, native had his first UFC fight in 2004 and it only took him three fights to earn a title shot — one he lost in a round to Matt Hughes for the vacant welterweight title.

He then won six straight, including a 2006 rematch against Hughes in which he won the title via second round TKO. However, a subsequent first round knockout loss to longshot Matt Serra could have derailed everything.

It would be the last loss of his career.

He went on to win 13 straight, including unifying the welterweight title in a dominant effort over Serra, and had nine defenses of the title before vacating it after a controversial split decision win over Johny Hendricks in November 2013. The win streak is tied for second most in UFC history.

Four years later, he returned at UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden and finished middleweight champion Michael Bisping in the third round in one of the year’s most poignant moments. With the win, he became one of seven fighters in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes.

His 13 title fight wins are second most in UFC history, his 20 wins are tied for third most in UFC history, his 2591 strikes are the most in UFC history, and his 90 takedowns are also the most in UFC history.

He also headlined one of the largest events in MMA history: UFC 129 in Toronto, Canada, held in front of nearly 56,000 fans at the Rogers Centre.

Daily Update: WWE notes, Joey Janela, Jose Aldo

Posted on by F4W Staff

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News

Latest Audio

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Main roster arrivals and WWE departures

Last week was a period of arrivals and departures for WWE.

Without much advance warning, Ricochet, Aleister Black, Johnny Gargano, and Tommaso Ciampa all debuted on Raw last Monday. After news of them being backstage was reported online, WWE tweeted out pictures of them to hype that they were at the show. Triple H then opened Raw and confirmed that they would be debuting later in the night. Ricochet made a save for Finn Balor and teamed with him to defeat Bobby Lashley & Lio Rush, Black defeated Elias, and Gargano & Ciampa got a win against Raw Tag Team Champions The Revival in a non-title match.

WON NEWSLETTER: March 4, 2019 Observer Newsletter: Roman Reigns returns to WWE after leukemia remission

The return of Roman Reigns and information on leukemia and how some athletes have returned quickly while having it is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 

This issue is back to the usual format with a news filled issue, including comparisons of Georges St-Pierre to the other all-time greats in MMA, as well as details regarding the comings and goings in WWE including Bruce Prichard, TJP, Tye Dillinger, Arn Anderson and others.

Look at the background of the hiring of Prichard and departure of Anderson, Prichard’s past roles in WWE, how long Prichard is committed to doing live events with Conrad Thompson, and what this hire says about Vince McMahon.

Also look at plans for 2020 WrestleMania, 2019 Fan Axxess, Hardy’s contract, WWE injury updates, XFL notes, how AAF negotiated with WWE to buy XFL name, how that led to Vince doing the XFL, and football on WWE Network. Also look at how the AAF is doing.

Also look at “Fighting with my Family,” WWE star running for mayor has a major hurdle based on his past, Ric Flair’s real birthday party, Flair and Hogan history, Nikki Bella wins award, and new WWE signees.

Read notes from all the WWE and NXT events at arenas this past week, with results, highlights and business notes.

Have a look at the Matt Hughes situation, with what he’s alleged to have done, his response, and what others have said about him as well as his life post-accident.

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].

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TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE

by Bryan Rose and Joseph Currier

WWE

  • Ricochet & Aleister Black vs. Cesaro & Sheamus has been added to tonight’s SmackDown. The episode is taking place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and is the go-home show for Fastlane. R-Truth will issue another United States title open challenge, while The Miz will face Jey Uso.
  • 205 Live’s number one contender’s tournament continues tonight with Cedric Alexander vs. Akira Tozawa and Humberto Carrillo vs. Oney Lorcan in first round matches. The winners will face each other in the semifinals on the right side of the bracket. Drew Gulak vs. Tony Nese is the other semifinal.
  • Triple H tweeted about the passing of King Kong Bundy: “Saddened to hear of King Kong Bundy’s passing. A WrestleMania attraction, a true big man and a fan-favorite of the @WWE Universe. My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.”
  • Asuka posted another update on the back injury that she suffered at last night’s SmackDown house show, again noting that she’s feeling fine: “Good morning. I’m very very fine and energetic. Thank you for your concern”
  • Despite Fastlane being billed as the last time the Shield will team up, the Wells Fargo Arena is advertising the same match pitting the Shield against Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre for the 4/22 Raw. The match may just be a placeholder for advertising.
  • Pro Wrestling Sheet reported that the former Kizarny is at the WWE Performance Center this week as a guest coach.
  • John Cena will be signing copies of his “Elbow Grease” children’s book at the Strand Book Store in New York City at 4 p.m. Eastern time on April 5, which is the Friday of WrestleMania week.
  • In addition to the WLW appearance, Tomasso Ciampa has also been pulled from a upcoming Chaotic Wrestling appearance. Hanson will instead be appearing at the Chaotic Wrestling show. It’s taking place in Haverhill, Massachusetts on March 15.
  • Vince McMahon appeared on Forbes’ Billionaires List at number 691, with a net worth of $3.2 billion.
  • ABC News has an article on Dwayne Johnson buying his dad, Rocky Johnson, a house.
  • Former Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman has been introduced as the head coach and general manager of the XFL’s Tampa Bay team.
  • WWE announced that they have signed a deal with SBS in Belgium to broadcast Raw and SmackDown in the country.

Pro Wrestling

UFC/MMA

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Goldberg wins WWE Universal title

Ed in San Antonio presents the WRESTLEMANIAWeekend Events (more to be added):

  • Sunday, April 6th, at 12:00 pm: Lunch (all you can eat) at Churrascaria Plataforma ($90 per person), located at 316 W. 49th street in Manhattan. Purchase tickets here~!
  • Luxury Bus to MetLife Stadium for Wrestlemania: We will depart from the Hilton Midtown (site of Wrestlecon) located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Departure time is 4:00 pm and will return from MetLife approximately 30 mins after the event. Times are subject to change, and cost $67.00 per person for the round trip. Purchase tickets here~!

CONTACT INFORMATION

JNPO: Au revoir, Georges St-Pierre

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: CBC

Even though a great Canadian retired Thursday in Montreal, another Canadian icon ready to take his place. 

On a new Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, POST Wrestling co-founder John Pollock returns for an hour-long edition of the podcast, hitting on three main topics and splintering off from there.

We begin with the retirement announcement of Georges St-Pierre, his relationship with Dana White the past few years, the situation around the Khabib Nurmagomedov fight not happening, and who we wish we had seen him fight before he retired.

We then transition to some POST Wrestling updates which veers off to some talk about the media and why they can’t be blamed for everything.

Finally, I get to vent a bit about Bellator MMA after a near disastrous weekend that saw one main event end due to a groin shot and another that was a complete dud despite a huge build-up. 

Hear that and more by just clicking below. Can you do no less?

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Daily Update: Georges St-Pierre, Amanda Nunes, WWE notes

Posted on by F4W Staff

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News

Latest Audio

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: WWE takes first steps toward WrestleMania 35 triple threat

It appears that WWE has officially taken the first steps towards Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair all being involved in the main event of WrestleMania 35.

An angle where Vince McMahon suspended Lynch for 60 days and announced that Charlotte would be taking her place at WrestleMania closed last Monday’s episode of Raw. Charlotte aligned with Vince and fully turned heel, with Vince calling her someone with charisma, someone with charm, and someone who knows their lane and stays in it.

WON NEWSLETTER: February 25, 2019 Observer Newsletter: Elimination Chamber review

The show didn’t sell out, even in one of WWE’s best markets. The show had more good than bad, with the highlight being the main event, the men’s Chamber match where Daniel Bryan retained and the crowd got so strong behind Kofi Kingston in the Mustafa Ali slot that Vince McMahon changed plans for Fast Lane to put Bryan vs. Kingston on top.

The show was the brainchild of Motoko Baba, to run a big Baba celebration show in 2019, 20 years after his early 1999 death. With her passing away last year, it was her nieces and nephews who put the show together.

All but one count of Mark Hunt’s lawsuit against the UFC, Dana White and Brock Lesnar on the grounds they conspired against him to allow a juiced up Lesnar to fight him at UFC 200 was thrown out of court.

The 2020 Royal Rumble will take place on 1/26 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Most likely that would also mean Takeover on 1/25 at the Toyota Center, Raw on 1/27 and Smackdown on 1/28.

FOX this weekend started advertising 10/4 as the debut of the new Friday Night Smackdown show.

“Fighting with My Family,” the Dwayne Johnson Seven Bucks Entertainment movie about Growing Up as Paige, which has its big national release on 2/22, has gotten great word-of-mouth so far.

Chris Jericho noted that while he and Gedo are on the same page, that New Japan management hasn’t talked with him about a new deal.

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.

THURSDAY NEWS UPDATE

by Joseph Currier and Bryan Rose

WWE

  • WWE uploaded a video that has interviews with new behind-the-scenes employees Jeff Jarrett, Chris Parks (Abyss), Sonjay Dutt, Shawn Daivari, and Shane Helms.
  • Triple H responded to the announcement that Roman Reigns will appear on Monday’s Raw to address the status of his battle with leukemia: “No one fights harder and is tougher than @WWERomanReigns. Can’t wait to see him back in his yard this Monday on #Raw and hear how his battle is going.”
  • Xavier Woods tweeted about New Day’s goal of Kofi Kingston becoming WWE Champion: “If you’re late to the party, #NewDay has been repping that @TrueKofi will become the WWE world champion since our inception. It will soon become a reality. There is no bandwagon. There is no alternate truth. We are here for him and always will be. #KofiVsBryan”
  • Pep Hamilton was officially introduced as the head coach/general manager of the XFL’s Washington DC team today. Hamilton was formerly the offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts and Stanford University.
  • Oliver Luck said the XFL is very close to announcing a “very strong broadcast package” for the league.
  • This week’s WWE Network Hidden Gems additions were:
    Sputnik Monroe vs. Jack Pesek (Championship Wrestling from Florida, 1966)
    Bobo Brazil & Dick the Bruiser vs. The Sheik & Bobby Heenan (AWA, 1974)
    Rocky Johnson & Pedro Morales vs. Ivan Koloff & Mr. Saito (Championship Wrestling from Florida, 1978)
    Junkyard Dog vs. Buzz Sawyer (Houston Wrestling, 1983)
  • The Charlotte Observer has a feature story on Charlotte Flair.
  • WWE posted full video of the sit-down interview Matt Riddle did with Jeremy Borash that aired on this week’s NXT TV.
  • People has an interview with Paige about “Fighting with My Family.”
  • Billy Gunn appeared on Busted Open Radio to discuss D-Generation X being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Gunn said he thinks Chyna going into the Hall of Fame is the most exciting thing about it.

Pro Wrestling

UFC/MMA

  • At his retirement press conference today, Georges St-Pierre spoke about why a fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov didn’t happen: “My agent was talking to the UFC, we tried to organize the fight with Khabib. I know Khabib wants it and I want it, but the UFC had other plans. To the point where I am in my career, for me it’s more at this time taking one fight at a time instead of being there for several fights. The way the business works in UFC, if they promote someone they want to keep him there to have a guarantee that the guy is there. It’s like an investment.”
  • Nurmagomedov wrote on Instagram: “Now look at this video and you’ll understand why I wanted to fight with him, simply he’s one of the best оf all times. I just wanted to share cage with him while he’s active, that’s the history and people be watching it again and again, I want to fight with the best. Anyway, good luck to you Legend @georgesstpierre time is merciless, and your decision is right.”
  • ESPN2 will be airing three GSP fights starting tomorrow morning at 2:30 eastern. First will be the fight against Johny Hendricks, then the second fight against Matt Hughes followed by his fight against Carlos Condit.
  • With a message on their marquee, Madison Square Garden thanked GSP and congratulated him on his career.
  • Scott Coker also wished GSP the best in his retirement.
  • GSP was honored at tonight’s Canadiens/Flyers game.
  • Amanda Nunes doesn’t feel she will be ready to fight by May for UFC 237. Her goal is to fight in November or December against Holly Holm, then rematch against Cyborg next year before retiring.
  • ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong posted a picture with himself and Vitor Belfort, saying that he will be at ringside tomorrow as his guest, and to “stay tuned for some big news!”
  • The ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix tournament brackets have been revealed.
  • Jose Aldo is looking at fighting Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 237.
  • Rose Namajunas announced a partnership deal between her and Reebok.
  • Bethe Correia vs. Irena Aldana has been booked for UFC 237.
  • Marcin Tybura will fight Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC St. Petersburg on 4/20.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Vader vs. Sting at WCW SuperBrawl III

Ed in San Antonio presents the WRESTLEMANIAWeekend Events (more to be added):

  • Sunday, April 6th, at 12:00 pm: Lunch (all you can eat) at Churrascaria Plataforma ($90 per person), located at 316 W. 49th street in Manhattan. Purchase tickets here~!
  • Luxury Bus to MetLife Stadium for Wrestlemania: We will depart from the Hilton Midtown (site of Wrestlecon) located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Departure time is 4:00 pm and will return from MetLife approximately 30 mins after the event. Times are subject to change, and cost $67.00 per person for the round trip. Purchase tickets here~!

CONTACT INFORMATION

UFC’s Georges St-Pierre to announce his retirement

Posted on by Josh Nason

Georges St-Pierre, one of the most popular and successful MMA fighters of all time, will announce his retirement on Thursday at a 10:30 AM press conference in Montreal, Canada.

The news was first reported by Benoit Beaudoin of RDS in Canada and verified by ESPN.

The 37-year-old St-Pierre last competed in November 2017 after four years out of the sport, defeating Michael Bisping by third round submission to win the UFC middleweight championship. He vacated the belt after a month after he revealed he was suffering from colitis and didn’t want to hold up the division.

His name had been brought up repeatedly over the last year-plus for potential fights with Conor McGregor, Anderson Silva, and Khabib Nurmagomedov, but UFC president Dana White continually shot the notion of GSP returning down.

ESPN’s Ariel Helwani tweeted that when efforts at making a Nurmagomedov fight fell through, the decision to retire was made.

St-Pierre made his pro debut in January 2002 and after five fights, he made his UFC debut two years later. What followed was two runs with the UFC welterweight title, one interim welterweight title win, nine successful title defenses, and a 13 fight win streak to end his career.

He left the sport after a controversial split decision win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 in November 2013, saying he needed to take time off — a decision that fractured his relationship with White and UFC ownership.

During his run, he elevated the UFC’s brand in Canada, making them a financial bonafide hotbed for MMA during the post-TUF boom period. He headlined the company’s first-ever stadium show, UFC 129 in Toronto, Canada, in front of nearly 56,000, and during his run, he defeated the likes of Bisping, B.J. Penn, Matt Hughes, Frank Trigg, Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit, and Josh Koscheck among others.

He also became one of the few fighters of that era to crossover into mainstream pop culture. He signed a deal with Under Armour, one of the few mainstream sports apparel deals an MMA fighter had, and even played the role of Batroc in the Captain America sequel.

JNPO: MMA Year In Review, January-March

Posted on by Josh Nason

With a few weeks left to go before the end of the year, that means it’s time to begin our annual look back at the MMA year that was, broken up into four parts.

This 90-minute edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out covers the first three months of the year and features WrestlingObserver.com and MMADraws.com writer Paul Fontaine, returning for his third straight year of kicking off the series.

Just a few of the items on our topic board:

  • Mayweather vs. McGregor started moving from ‘no way’ to ‘it looks like there’s a chance’
  • GSP officially announced his return and was booked in a middleweight title fight with no date or location
  • The fallout from Ronda Rousey’s late-December loss
  • USADA suspended Brock Lesnar in January and then he retired in February
  • Meryl Streep takes a dig at MMA during her Oscars speech and the MMA world goes nuts
  • Tyron Woodley made news by feuding with Dana White, teasing a fight vs. Michael Bisping and having a boring rematch against Stephen Thompson
  • Everyone wanted to box. EVERYONE.
  • Tito Ortiz retired, Matt Mitrione had kidney stones, and Bellator announced their return to PPV
  • Germaine de Randamie won the UFC women’s featherweight title and turned everyone against her in the process
  • Our Tom Lawlor got suspended by USADA
  • A dream fight of Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov was canceled at the last minute due to a bad weight cut, causing all of us to cry
  • Bellator signed a slew of free agents, changing up the game
  • And plenty more!

Click below to listen now:

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Georges St-Pierre drops UFC middleweight title

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: Esther Lin

Less than a month after winning the UFC middleweight title in dramatic fashion, Georges St-Pierre is dropping that title in not-so-dramatic fashion.

Due to a condition known as ulcerative colitis (an inflammatory bowel disease), St-Pierre dropped the belt officially Thursday night, saying in a statement that he was going to have to take some considerable time off, adding that he didn’t want to hold up the division.

“My fight at UFC 217 was one of the greatest nights of my life but I now need to take some time to focus on my health. Out of respect to the athletes and the sport, I don’t want to hold up the division. I will be giving up my belt and once I’m healthy I look forward to working with the UFC to determine what’s next in my career.”

That means Robert Whittaker gets the ‘interim’ removed from his middleweight title reign and now becomes the official champion — on paper anyway. He’s been injured since defeating Yoel Romero for the interim title and will look to defend the official gold for the first time against former champion Luke Rockhold at February’s UFC 221 in his home country of Australia.

St-Pierre returned after a four year layoff to submit Michael Bisping for the middleweight title in November at Madison Square Garden. He had been a dominant welterweight champion before taking time off after a controversial split decision win over Johny Hendricks at the promotion’s 20th anniversary show. There was some question as to whether GSP would remain in the middleweight division as he was non-commital after the Bisping win.

JNPO: UFC 217 and the GSP relevancy question

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: Getty Images

Josh Nason’s Punch-Out returns this week with a show centered around Saturday’s UFC 217 and some of the questions we all hope to have answered coming out of it

Joining yours truly this week is first-time guest Ryan McKinnell of SiriusXM Rush 93, FanSided, Yahoo, and SI.com. 

A few of the topics on the board:

– Ryan goes into his background and how he got to SiriusXM where he hosts the UFC 217 pre and post show this Saturday

– Whether he believes the talk about Georges St-Pierre’s relevancy going into this event is misguided or legit

– Some rants and raves about Jorge Masvidal’s gay slur to Michael Bisping and fighter talk in general

– Thoughts on the show as a whole and what we’re looking forward to, especially Cody Garbrandt vs. TJ Dillashaw

– Who we think will hold the keys to the future of the welterweight division

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Dana White: UFC’s plans for Michael Bisping vs. GSP are off

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Dana White said tonight that after Georges St-Pierre said he would be ready to fight Michael Bisping in November, that the plans for what was the biggest fight on the books for this year are off.

“I made this GSP fight, we did a press conference, the thing was supposed to happen in July,” said White on the UFC Fight Week television show that airs on Fox Sports in Australia. “Michael Bisping is going to have to defend his title now. We’re not waiting for GSP.”

White said that Bisping would instead be defending his middleweight title against former Olympic wrestling medalist Yoel Romero, who has been considered the top contender since he defeated Chris Weidman in Madison Square Garden in November.

St-Pierre, the greatest welterweight champion in UFC history, vacated the title at the end of 2013 and hasn’t fought since. He talked in early 2016 about wanting to come back, but attempts to put together a deal sputtered due to St-Pierre’s demands because he was used to making so much for sponsorships that UFC’s deal with Reebok wouldn’t allow. It wasn’t until early this year that St-Pierre agreed to terms, and to an opponent, Bisping.

UFC was attempting to make the fight on July 8th, as the main event for the International Fight Week show at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. But St-Pierre would never commit to the date.

The entire middleweight division was unhappy when St-Pierre released a statement five days ago, saying he’d be ready for Bisping after the end of October. A few weeks ago, when it seemed clear he wasn’t going to agree to fight on that date, Bisping spoke of it happening in the fall and seemed willing to wait.

“(Yoel) doesn’t need to voice his opinion on why he needs a title shot,” said White. “He definitely deserves a title shot. He’s next in line. He’s the No. 1 ranked guy in the world.”

“Georges St-Pierre is saying he will not be ready to compete now until November,” said White. “Who knows if that’s even the case. It could be next year. So we’re not waiting for Georges St-Pierre anymore. We’re moving on with the division, and Yoel Romero will get the next shot.”

GSP to face Michael Bisping in UFC return fight

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While an exact date for the fight hasn’t yet been determined, Georges St-Pierre has an opponent for his UFC return.

Dana White appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Wednesday afternoon to announce that St-Pierre will challenge for Michael Bisping’s middleweight championship upon his return. Though neither a date nor a venue have officially been announced, White said that GSP vs. Bisping will take place in the second half of 2017.

White also noted that there would be a press conference with GSP and Bisping on Friday in Las Vegas.

The fight will be St-Pierre’s first since November 16th, 2013, where he picked up a controversial split-decision win against Johny Hendricks to retain the welterweight title. GSP will debut at middleweight against Bisping after White previously said that welterweight, middleweight, and even lightweight were all in play.

Yoel Romero had been thought to be Bisping’s next challenger, with the two seemingly constantly engaged in a war of words over the last several weeks. But Bisping had maintained that it wasn’t definitive that he would face Romero next and said that he wanted the biggest money fight possible.

Georges St-Pierre officially signs new UFC deal

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Confirming what had been known since earlier this week and rumored for far longer, Dana White revealed to Lance Pugmire of the LA Times that Georges St-Pierre is returning to the UFC.

“He’s back. I’m excited,” White told Pugmire. “We worked at it for a long time and finally got it done.”

White said that the deal for GSP to return to the company was completed on Thursday.

While the news that St-Pierre is back with the UFC is confirmed, who he’ll be facing upon his return isn’t. White told Pugmire that GSP could fight for the championship at welterweight or middleweight, and that fighting at lightweight is even a possibility.

Middleweight champion Michael Bisping has been a rumored opponent for St-Pierre’s return fight, with a bout targeted for UFC 206 in Toronto last December unable to be made as GSP and the UFC couldn’t come to an agreement. MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani reached out to Bisping, who said, “I’m happy Georges is back part of the UFC roster, and hopefully we’ll meet in the Octagon soon.”

St-Pierre is, of course, a former UFC welterweight champion and successfully defended that title in a controversial split-decision win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 in November 2013 before stepping away and vacating the title.

His negotiations to return to the UFC have been well-publicized, with GSP’s endorsement deal with Under Armour a sticking point given the UFC’s relationship with Reebok. He was also previously critical of the UFC’s drug testing procedures before USADA came into the picture. 

GSP’s next fight may not be immediate, however, as Helwani reports that the target for the fight remains the third or fourth quarter of this year.

GSP, current UFC fighters join labor fight against WME-IMG

Posted on by Joseph Currier

As was expected when the announcement was teased earlier in the week, Wednesday saw the public unveiling of the latest organization to join the labor fight against the UFC and WME-IMG.

With Georges St-Pierre, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Cain Velasquez, Tim Kennedy, and TJ Dillashaw in the fold, the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association was announced on a conference call with the media this afternoon. Former Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney joined the fighters on the call, saying that he is working as an advisor and helping provide strategy and support.

The association laid out their plans to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with the UFC and establish a 50/50 revenue split between the promotion and fighters. They are solely focused on the UFC, and the participants claimed multiple times on the call that UFC fighters only receive eight percent of the company’s revenue.

The call began with each participant making a statement. Kennedy went first and made the official announcement. He mentioned that they’re concerned about the fighters of yesterday and tomorrow, and pointed to how fighters of the past have been forgotten and discarded.

While saying that the association was something that needed to be done, Cerrone noted that he’s scared to death but still has a contract with the UFC and will still be fighting on next weekend’s pay-per-view.

St-Pierre was asked about potentially recruiting Conor McGregor to the organization, and said that they want the biggest names in MMA but every name helps. St-Pierre said that even McGregor and the UFC’s top stars don’t get paid their fair share.

“He knows what’s right,” St-Pierre said about McGregor. “He’s not a coward. Everyone knows what we’re doing is right.”

Though some of the fighters are represented by CAA — a rival to UFC owners WME-IMG — Rebney said that CAA isn’t officially backing the association but supports their athletes.

The five fighters make up the current board of the association. Rebney clarified that the organization is indeed an association and not a union because UFC fighters are independent contractors and unionization would slow down the process.