The latest WWE and AEW News and Results
Dave Meltzer and I are back with our Friday episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, talking about all the big news from today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Here were some of the things we covered:
Click here to listen (sub needed) or watch on YouTube (video sub needed)
Image: AEW
Subscribers can now read this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Dave Meltzer leads off with a full recap and review of AEW Grand Slam Australia and the subsequent news including “Ringgate”, continues with a look at the life and times of the late Gran Hamada, a look at NXT Vengeance Day, and the rest of the pro wrestling news & results of the last week.
Image: AEW
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including more on Gran Hamada’s life and times, AEW stars to CMLL, ratings, full reviews of Dynamite and NXT, Collision spoilers and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: More on Gran Hamada
8:20: AEW stars heading to CMLL next month
11:26: Michelle McCool entering the WWE Hall of Fame, ratings
23:16: UFC event notes
27:14: AEW Dynamite recap
54:25: WWE NXT recap
1:10:56: AEW Collision spoilers
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including the death of Gran Hamada, full reviews of AEW Collision from Australia, NXT Vengeance Day, Smackdown, and more, plus Josh Alexander and some Category B Observer Awards thoughts. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: Gran Hamada, Alcatraz pass away
16:20: AEW Grand Slam Australia recap
44:22: WWE NXT Vengeance Day recap
58:48: WWE SmackDown notes
1:05:08: Josh Alexander’s status
1:07:33: Thoughts on the Category B Wrestling Observer Awards
Gran Hamada has died.
His death was first reported by Realidad San Luis, a local news outlet in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, where he had been living. Online sources list his age as 74. No cause of death has been disclosed at this time.
Hamada was among the first wrestlers to train in the NJPW dojo and later made his debut for the promotion in its inaugural year of 1972. He’s also one of the first Japanese wrestlers to train in lucha libre and integrate it into his own style of wrestling. After training in the NJPW dojo, he went on excursion to Mexico and would wrestle in both countries throughout his career.
In addition to NJPW, he wrestled for AJPW starting in 1981 and the Universal Wrestling Association beginning in 1979. He founded Universal Lucha Libre in 1990 and later worked with Michinoku Pro Wrestling in 1993. In 1997, he appeared on two PPVs in the United States, performing at In Your House: D-Generation X and at ECW Barely Legal.
LuchaBlog wrote of Hamada’s passing:
“Maybe first Japanese wrestler to do an excursion to Mexico. Elevated the opinion of Japanese wrestling in Mexico, forever tying both wrestling scenes together. Blazed trail that Tiger Mask and Liger followed, and many more. Key figure in 1st Mexico promotion battle in decades.”
Maybe first Japanese wrestler to do an excursion to Mexico. Elevated the opinion of Japanese wrestling in Mexico, forever tying both wrestling scenes together. Blazed trail that Tiger Mask and Liger followed, and many more. Key figure in 1st Mexico promotion battle in decades.
— luchablog (@luchablog) February 15, 2025
Hamada was over two-thirds of the way to induction into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame Class of 2024. He received 42.5 percent of the vote last year, falling 17.5 percent short of the required 60 percent.
Voices of Wrestling and LuchaBlog recorded a podcast focused on Hamada’s case for the WON Hall of Fame in October.
“He’s the godfather of Lucharesu, so what does that mean? What were his business metrics? How incredible of a wrestler was he? What’s his influence case? Over the course of the episode, Case, Mike, and Cubs make the argument why Gran Hamada merits Hall of Fame inclusion.”
The podcast episode is available here.
This really is heartbreaking to hear. We sadly knew the day was near. Such a wonderful career, Gran Hamada is a Japanese icon who came to Mexico City and became one of the greatest Luchadores ever, and then went back to Japan and brought Lucha Libre with him in the 90’s, and… https://t.co/5gTcwwzCUM pic.twitter.com/ByTqq4Lhx1
— Roy Lucier (@roylucier) February 15, 2025
Image: WWE
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including the death of Scorpio Jr., Linda McMahon and the Trump Administration, Elimination Chamber to Toronto, Gran Hamada, Kemonito is kind of back, ratings, tons of MMA news, plus the RAW report and RAW spoilers to end the show. A fun time as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: Former CMLL star Scorpio Jr. passes away
10:25: Linda McMahon may be nominated for Secretary of Commerce
11:59: WWE Elimination Chamber coming to Toronto
17:27: Kevin Nash needs shoulder surgery, Gran Hamada in rough shape
23:09: There is a new KeMonito
25:49: Ratings, Jon Moxley says he wants to turn things around in AEW
34:12: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic this weekend, who Jones wants to fight next
44:05: WWE Raw recap (contains some spoilers)
59:08: WWE Raw spoilers for next week
