We are just one issue away from having the entire full set of 2008 Wrestling Observer Newsletters available for subscribers.
In the June 2, 2008, edition, the lead story was inaugural UFC heavyweight champion Mark Coleman being pulled from a planned fight with Brock Lesnar (Lesnar’s second-ever in UFC) due to a knee injury and one that was never rebooked.
Dave Meltzer also does an extensive feature on former UFC and Strikeforce star Frank Shamrock.
Dave also looks at more detailed info from the first quarter of WWE financials plus news on Ring of Honor’s pay-per-view contract coming up and what that meant for their immediate future.
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including RAW from Monday night with more build towards WrestleMania, full card for the show thus far, New Japan Cup update and who may win the whole thing, Mark Coleman back in the gym, ratings, tons of news and more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: NJPW Cup updates
4:30: Mark Coleman released from the hospital, Matt Hardy at Raw, Shayna Baszler’s opponent for Bloodsport
9:13: Triplemania 32: Monterrey card, Ratings
17:48: Terry Gordy Dark Side of the Ring, Dave’s thoughts on other episodes, Bellator PPV
Going into detail with the name revelations in the Front Office Sports story by John Pollock, Brandon Thurston and Tim Marchman, more on the lawsuit, what it means in context, more notes not in the suit, Brock Lesnar update and the claims explained.
The heroic Mark Coleman story from the past week, as well as a look at his wrestling, MMA and pro wrestling careers.
The Mercedes Mone debut in AEW, what happened, ratings, live gate, money involved, and even a WWE comment
WrestleMania update, business notes, secondary market demand
Full coverage of UFC 299, business, what’s next for the fighters, how much of a superstar has Sean O’Malley become and what is next for him
Notes on SummerSlam coming to Cleveland
A study of WWE & AEW PPV buyers and how frequently each group has bought shows over the past year
The death of Yutaka Yoshie
A detailed look at Paul Levesque’s first Hall of Fame class and their respective backgrounds including multiple Muhammad Ali appearances in pro wrestling detailed, as well as the politics of the Hall of Fame, Vince McMahon, people not in and everyone going in this year
Joanna Jedrzejczyk enters UFC Hall of Fame
Major story on the 16 Carat Gold tournament
The most detailed look at the ratings from the past week, including demos, competition, placing for the night, time slot and week
The first-ever all women’s show at Arena Mexico and how it did
MLW title defended at Arena Mexico
Stardom PPV coverage
All Japan Champion Carnival notes
NOAH heads to the U.K.
NOAH tag team tournament ends and notes
Update on New Japan Cup
What to look for in the NCAA wrestling tournament in two weeks
Former WWE wrestlers wedding notes
Lots of TNA business news and build to the next PPV
Will Ospreay talks why he chose AEW
Tag team tournament notes
Update on AEW Revolution, WWE Elimination Chamber, TNA Hard to Kill and Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua PPV numbers as well as PFL vs Bellator
Kenny Omega talks surprise match that was being set up for him
Advance ticket sales for upcoming WWE & AEW shows
Takeshita talks Ospreay match
International TV ratings and top streaming numbers
Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Raw and all the latest news.
Mark Coleman was out of the hospital and in the gym today. Also, on Google trends for the week, the only thing from MMA, boxing or pro wrestling to crack the top 20 was Coleman at No. 9 on Tuesday with 50,000. The UFC show on Saturday, The Rock on Friday and Mercedes Mone during the week did not crack the top 20.
Afa , 81, is currently hospitalized after falling down and breaking his back in two places. Afa is the uncle of Roman Reigns and granduncle of The Usos & Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu.
Raw tonight is from Raleigh, NC. Matches announced are Becky Lynch vs. Nia Jax in a last woman standing match, plus Miz & R-Truth vs. Veer & Sanga, The Creeds vs. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa and New Day vs. Otis & Tozawa with the winners of those three matches going into the WrestleMania six-way tag team title ladder match. They had 12,400 tickets out earlier today so this should be another sellout.
Smackdown did 2.34 million viewers on Friday and an 0.68 in 18-49. It will be among the highest rated network shows of the week but won’t be No. 1. Rampage did 327,000 viewers and 0.11 on Friday.
AAA announced the first TripleMania will be 4/27 at the baseball stadium in Monterrey. Alberto el Patron will face Nic Nemeth for the vacant Mega title that El Hijo del Vikingo vacated due to injury in the main event.
Dark Side of the Ring tomorrow night will be covering Terry Gordy. Gordy was one of the bigger stars as a teenager in decades and remained one of the top performers in the game until a drug overdose on a flight to Japan. Gordy was a member of the Fabulous Freebirds and later the Miracle Violence Combination that was the top foreign tag team during a boom period in All Japan with Steve Williams.
Ronda Rousey is doing a book signing tour for her newest autobiography:
4/2 at Barnes & Noble in New York at 5 p.m.
4/3 in Plainview, MA at An Unlikely Story at 7 p.m.
4/4 in Middletown,CT and R.J. Julia Booksellers at 5 p.m.
4/6 in Philadelphia at Wrestlecon from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
4/7 in Columbus, OH at Thurber House at 6:30 p.m.
4/8 in Minneapolis,MN at Magers and Quinn Bookstore at 7 p.m.
4/11 in West Hollywood, CA at Book Soup at 6 p.m.
4/12 in Las Vegas at Barnes & Noble at 6 pm.
4/19 in La Jolla, CA at Warwick’s Bookstore at 6 p.m.
Negro Casas will be receiving the 2024 Lucha Libre Award from the Cauliflower Alley Club. The convention will be 8/19 to 8/21 in Las Vegas.
The Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, KS, has said that it is going to picket the Raw taping on 4/29 in Kansas City.
Marshall Zelaznik, whose background includes being head of PPV for inDemand and later helping build the UFC brand outside the U.S., was announced as the new CEO of Glory kickboxing. He was CEO there previously from 2018 and 2020.
Rick Martel turned 68 today.
The NCAA wrestling tournament starts Thursday in Kansas City. The current issue has the times of each session and where it’s broadcast. The prime time sessions Thursday, Friday and Saturday will air on ESPN. Saturday night, with no Collision due to the basketball tournament on TNT, will have the wrestling tournament championship matches at 7 p.m. followed by UFC at 10 p.m.
Glory Pro Wrestling ran Saturday and Sunday night at the South Broadway Athletic Club in St. Louis. Friday had Mansoor & Mason Madden , who were Maximum Male Models in WWE. Sunday had Warhorse over Danhausen in the main event. (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
Combate Global on 5/11 on Univision and Fuse from Miami is headlined by Lucero Acosta (5-2) vs. Alejandra Lara (9-7). Fuse is the new English language home of Combate.
Bellator has its first show under new ownership on Friday from Belfast, Northern Ireland. At this point no television has been announced for the show, although Ariel Helwani reported something should be announced tomorrow or Wednesday. I mean, one would think if there’s a deal they probably should be announcing it by now.
The Memphis Grizzlies basketball team gave Jerry Lawler a lifetime achievement award on Saturday night’s home game. Dave Brown was there for the ceremony. Jeff Jarrett and Satnam Singh came out to take the award away which set up the Grizzlies mascot getting the award back from Singh.
Mascara Dorada & Rocky Romero won Friday’s Parejas Increibles tournament at Arena Mexico and will team up in the finals on the El Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show on 3/29 which is the show AEW’s BCC will be headlining and is already sold out.
RevPro announced Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster vs. Grizzled Young Veterans for the tag titles on 3/31 at York Hall in London.
Petr Yan looks to be out the rest of the year due to a ruptured ACL and other injuries from his fight with Song Yadong that he won on 3/9 in Miami at UFC 299. He will be undergoing surgery tomorrow.
The book “Keirn Chronicles 2” after the very good Keirn Chronicles book that Steve Keirn did with Ian Douglass, will be released in the upcoming months.
Going into detail with the name revelations in the Front Office Sports story by John Pollock, Brandon Thurston and Tim Marchman, more on the lawsuit, what it means in context, more notes not in the suit, Brock Lesnar update and the claims explained.
The heroic Mark Coleman story from the past week, as well as a look at his wrestling, MMA and pro wrestling careers.
The Mercedes Mone debut in AEW, what happened, ratings, live gate, money involved, and even a WWE comment
WrestleMania update, business notes, secondary market demand
Full coverage of UFC 299, business, what’s next for the fighters, how much of a superstar has Sean O’Malley become and what is next for him
Notes on SummerSlam coming to Cleveland
A study of WWE & AEW PPV buyers and how frequently each group has bought shows over the past year
The death of Yutaka Yoshie
A detailed look at Paul Levesque’s first Hall of Fame class and their respective backgrounds including multiple Muhammad Ali appearances in pro wrestling detailed, as well as the politics of the Hall of Fame, Vince McMahon, people not in and everyone going in this year
Joanna Jedrzejczyk enters UFC Hall of Fame
Major story on the 16 Carat Gold tournament
The most detailed look at the ratings from the past week, including demos, competition, placing for the night, time slot and week
The first-ever all women’s show at Arena Mexico and how it did
MLW title defended at Arena Mexico
Stardom PPV coverage
All Japan Champion Carnival notes
NOAH heads to the U.K.
NOAH tag team tournament ends and notes
Update on New Japan Cup
What to look for in the NCAA wrestling tournament in two weeks
Former WWE wrestlers wedding notes
Lots of TNA business news and build to the next PPV
Will Ospreay talks why he chose AEW
Tag team tournament notes
Update on AEW Revolution, WWE Elimination Chamber, TNA Hard to Kill and Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua PPV numbers as well as PFL vs Bellator
Kenny Omega talks surprise match that was being set up for him
Advance ticket sales for upcoming WWE & AEW shows
Takeshita talks Ospreay match
International TV ratings and top streaming numbers
Bryan and I will be back tonight talking about the weekend news. We had our week in review show talking highlights from the Observer, Mark Coleman, WWE Hall of Fame, Mercedes debut and Dynamite rating.
Mark Coleman was actually out of the hospital briefly, but was brought back after complaining of numbness in his arm and chest pain. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and has been bedridden again.
Dark Side of the Ring was nominated for these Canadian Screen awards:
Best Factual Series
Best Visual Research (Abdullah the Butcher episode)
Best Photography in a Documentary (Marty Janetty episode)
Best Picture Editing (The Graham Dynasty)
Two matches that I haven’t seen yet from today that are getting rave reviews are Konosuke Takeshita vs. Yuma Aoyagi on today’s DDT show at Korakuen Hall and the main event on that show where Yuki Ueno retained the KO-D title over Harashima. If you like technical wrestling, the Bryan Danielson vs. Katsuyori Shibata match last night was excellent. The crowd loved it. Other bouts we’ve heard to go out of your way to see are Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino vs. Yuma Anzai & Ryuki Honda from today’s DDT show and the Ricky Knight Jr. vs. Leyton Buzzard RevPro match.
Last night in Canada, they were going to air Collision on TSN because it’s in Canada. Normally Collision doesn’t air but episodes taped in Canada do. Even though TSN has six channels, they decided not to air it live. It was scheduled for midnight but because tennis ran long, it didn’t start until 12:45 a.m. For those setting their DVR’s they probably missed a lot of the ending of it.
The semifinals of the New Japan Cup at 5:30 a.m. Eastern tomorrow from Fukushima has Sanada vs. Hirooki Goto and Evil vs. Yota Tsuji. The finals are on Wednesday in Nagaoka.
On Amazing Race Wednesday night, there was a Lucha Libre Battle Royal. This season was actually filmed two years ago. The show was taped in Puerto Vallarta and a young Zandokan Jr., before he gained prominence in CMLL, was one of the wrestlers in the Battle Royal.
Komander was injured in Wednesday’s match with Konosuke Takeshita. Pac was to face Komander last night on Collision. Aaron Solo was the replacement.
WWE from last night in Augusta, GA (thanks to Shannon Walsh and Wrestling Nutshell):
R-Truth b Dominik Mysterio via DQ due to interference from Finn Balor and Damian Priest. New Day made the save
R-Truth & New Day beat Priest & Balor & Dominick when R-Truth made Dominik submit to the STF.
A.J. Styles b Carlito with the calf slicer submission
Rhea Ripley won three-way over Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler to keep the women’s tite using the rip tide on Baszler
Sami Zayn b Shinsuke Nakamura
Omos b Akira Tozawa with a tree slam
Bianca Belair & Naomi b Iyo Sky & Kairi Sane when Belair pinned Sane with the KO-D
Cody Rhodes b Drew McIntyre in a street fight after putting him through a table
Samoa Joe turned 45 today. MJF turned 28 a few days ago.
Road House, with Conor McGregor as one of the stars, debuts on Prime Video on Thursday. McGregor said he’s got two fights left on his UFC contract but doesn’t know as UFC hasn’t offered him a date. From the UFC perspective, with their PPV money guaranteed by ESPN, there is no special impetus like in the past to get McGregor to fight as much as possible.
Jose Aldo is coming out of retirement to fight Jonathan Martinez on 5/4 in Rio de Janeiro on UFC 301. Aldo confirmed the fight on his Instagram account. Aldo hasn’t fought MMA since losing to Merab Dvalishvili in 2022.
Updated card for the three-hour AEW special on Wednesday night from Toronto:
Adam Copeland vs. Christian Cage I quit match for TNT title
Eddie Kingston vs. Kazuchika Okad for the Continental title
Hook vs. Chris Jericho
Thunder Rosa & Deonna Purrazzo vs. Toni Storm & Mariah May
Julia Hart & Skye Blue vs. Willow Nightingale & Kris Statlander street fight
Orange Cassidy & Trent Baretta vs. Powerhouse Hobbs & Kyle Fletcher in the tag team title tournament
AEW will be running Daily’s Place on 4/24 through 4/27. The reason they are there is because that’s the week of the NFL draft.
A&E tonight has John Cena vs. Randy Orton for WWE Rivals at 8 p.m. Eastern and the bio on DDP at 9 p.m.
Bille Starkz vs. Queen Aminata to create the first ROH women’s TV champion will be added to the 4/5 ROH Supercard of Honor special.
Tag team tournament winners Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa, who were to challenge Jack Morris & Anthony Greene for the GHC tag titles today in Yokohama, ended up being replaced by Saxon Huxley & Timothy Thatcher in that match because Kiyomiya suffered a spinal cord concussion during training earlier in the week. Morris & Grene retained in the main event.
The Stardom Cinderella tournament has the semifinals and finals on Wednesday in Nagoya. The semifinals are Ruaka vs. Hanan and Mei Seira vs. AZM. Today in Shiga, Seira beat Ami Sohrei via over the top rope, Hanan beat Starlight Kid, Ruaka beat Xena and AZM beat Miyu Amasaki. The main event on Wednesday is Maika vs. Utami Hayashishita for the World of Stardom title.
TNA’s Under Siege PPV in Albany, NY, was supposed to go on sale yesterday, but didn’t. A new on-sale date will be announced.
Parker Boudreaux debuted in AAA this weekend.
This is a list of those coming to WrestleCon in Philadelphia and doing autograph signings: Ronda Rousey, Ric Flair, Tony Shiavone, Bobby Fulton, Abdullah the Butcher, Jim Duggan, Dustin Rhodes, Ricky Stars, Thunder Rosa, Bryan Keith, Paul Walter Hauser, Enzo, Kelly Kelly, Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, Sgt. Slaughter, Atsushi Onita, Tajiri, Willow Nightingale, The Bunny, Xia Brookside, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Josh Alexander, Mike Santana, Jonathan Gresham, Jordynne Grace, Queen Aniomanta, Chavo Guerrero, Hector Guerrero, Steve Blackman, Elias, Lisa Marie Varon, Lex Luger, Arn Anderson, Jerry Lawler Jake Roberts, Bob Orton, Mistico, Matt Riddle, Steph De Lander, Summer Rae, Tod Gordon, Nic Nemeth, Stnig, Rob Van Dam, Kevin Nash The Hardys, Lita, Dan Malenko, Mikey Whipwreck, John Nord, Terri Runnels, Warlord, Barbarian, Alicia Fox, Colt Cabana, Mil Muertes, Maria Kanellis, Mariah May, Rikishi ODB, Demolition, Tommy Rich, Lince Dorado, Tony Atlas, Masha Slamvoch, Godfather, Anna Jay, Tito Santana, Brooke Adams and more.
Paul Walter Hauser vs. Sami Callihan was added to the Mark Hitchcock Memorial show on 4/5 in Philadelphia at the 2300 Arena. The show is about to sell out. Mike Bailey faces Rob Van Dam on the show.
There is a Grapple Con event on 4/20 in Orlando at the Rosen Centre with Ron Simmons, a World Class panel with One Man Gang, Missy Hyatt, Al Perez, Brian Adias, Jack Victory and Marc Lorrance plus Stan Hansen, Larry Zbyszko, D-Von Dudley, Kimberly Page, Serana Deeb, Matt Riddle, AJ Francis, McKenzie Mitchell , Bushwhacker Luke Williams and Ivelisse.
CZW will be running the Murphy Rec Center in Philadelphia on 4/7 at 1 p.m. over Mania weekend. Rich Swann is on the show.
Jesus “Ricardo” Rodriguez said today that he is celebrating two years of sobriety.
Wrestling Revolver from last night in Clive IA:
Ace Austin b Rich Swann
Jake Something b Madman Fulton
Marina Shafir b Mike Bailey
Lince Dorado & Samuray del Sol b Grizzled Young Veterans to win Revolver tag titles
Paul Walter Hauser b Matt Cardona in a no DQ match. Bully Ray helped Hauser and power bombed Cardona through a flaming table.
Gringo Loco over Kevin Knight, Jake Crist, Myron Reed, Brent Oakley, Warhorse and Damian Chambers
Alex Shelley b JT Dunn to keep the Revolver title
Steve Maclin & Killer Kelly & Alex Colon & Rickey Shane Page b Mance Warner & Matthew Juice & 1 Called Manders & Masha Slamovich in an Elimination Games match which is a combination War Games and elimination match
An article in Front Office Sports on 3/11 written by Tim Marchman, John Pollock, and Brandon Thurston revealed that WWE President Nick Khan, WWE COO Brad Blum, former WWE co-CEO Stephanie McMahon, and former head of WWE Legal Brian Nurse were the four mystery executives talked about in the Janel Grant lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis and the WWE.
The reporters came up with the four names from descriptions in the suit, and with help from an employee or employees with the company, and then got the four names confirmed by Grant’s attorney, Ann Callis.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including the debut of Mercedes Mone, tons of discussion of Dynamite, all of the news including Mark Coleman rescuing his parents from a burning house, AEW line-ups for next week and more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Mark Coleman says he’s “the happiest man in the world.”
The 59-year-old has been hospitalized since saving his parents from a house fire early Tuesday morning in Fremont, Ohio. Coleman was visiting his parents when his dog, Hammer, woke him up around 4 a.m. alerting him to the fire. After getting his elderly parents to safety, Coleman reentered the burning building to rescue Hammer, who unfortunately did not survive.
Coleman was airlifted to hospital where he was intubated and sedated as doctors worked to remove soot from his lungs. Reports from yesterday stated he was “somewhat conscious” and squeezed his daughter’s hand at one point.
I’m the happiest man in the world. I swear to God I’m so lucky. I can’t believe my parents are alive.
I had to make a decision, ’cause I got out of my room and went to the door and it was already horrible. I couldn’t breathe, I almost had to go outside, and I went back in and got them, I can’t believe it. I got them but I couldn’t find Hammer.
Great news to start the day.
Per his Facebook page, Mark Coleman is responsive, talking and laughing with his family.
Mark says "I'm the happiest man in the world!", as he recalls saving his parents lives.
Update: this is Kenzie. God is good. Miracles do happen. Our dad is breathing on his own. We want to thank you all for the love and support from the bottom of our hearts
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the Coleman family with expenses related to the fire.
Mark was life flighted to a hospital where he is needing lots of prayer to get his lungs clear. His adult daughters, McKenzie and Morgan have not, and will not leave their Dads side as he battles for his life. We all knew he was one of the best athletes, now we know he is a true Hero.
All funds donated will go directly to Mark’s living expenses as well as support to his adult daughters who will be off work and by his side aiding in his recovery as well as assisting in any necessities the Coleman family needs.
Firefighters said the roof of the home collapsed shortly after they arrived on the scene.
By the way, we've got the Gaspard/Huber award winner for 2024 locked up.
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including the death of Jackie Crockett, Yutaka Yoshie’s career and cause of death, Mark Coleman in rough shape after rescuing his family from a burning house, New Japan Cup, the debut of Mercedes Mone, NXT and AEW Dynamite, Rampage spoilers and more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: Jackie Crockett and Rey Destroller pass away, update on Yutaka Yoshie cause of death
4:43: Mark Coleman update following heroic rescue
12:51: New Japan Cup updates, Tony Khan meets Stardom President
