Tag: pro wrestling illustrated

Daily Update: WWE 2K26, PWI Awards, Taka Michinoku

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered:

  • A look at Saturday Night’s Main Event, the interest level, the Royal Rumble and Rumble odds
    Big Bad Bobby Duncum, a look at the career of a worldwide headliner who worked on top with almost every major babyface of the 70s, including big WWF and AWA runs and Japanese major tournaments
  • CMLL has a big business week with Bandido, Ricochet, Komander, Gates of Agony and Lee Moriarty.
  • A look at some of the best matches so far this year and the craziness that ruined what could have been the best of all of them.
  • A look at prior plans for 2025 PPV shows that changed
  • A look at Netflix numbers over the past six months, as well as how every PPV in 2025 did and some surprises in that direction, as well as how SmackDown did internationally as well as NXT, and how shows that went head-to-head with AEW PPVs drew.
  • Notes on the TNA ratings for the first show on AMC and what they tell us.
  • TNA Genesis coverage
  • 2025 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards ballot
  • More AEW stars to CMLL next week
  • AAA TV taping notes
  • Thoughts on the current AAA product and how it relates to Lucha Libre and WWE
  • Stardom makes claim against Marigold
  • Saya Kamitani returns early
  • Notes about a mainstream model who became one of the first big stars in Stardom and women’s MVP
  • Best tag team match of the year
  • New Japan next major show lineup
  • Eight promotions combine for a singles tournament
  • The potential best actual wrestler in the world signs with RAF
  • Feast or Fired thoughts
  • More on AEW’s future with the WBD sale to Netflix
  • Trey Miguel situation
  • Ticket sales for upcoming WWE & AEW shows
  • The most detailed look at the TV ratings over the past week
  • UFC returns to action with first big show of 2026
  • Top exec since the inception of  PFL leaves
  • More notes regarding a lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE
  • WWE headliner talks bowing out
  • WWE and AEW injury updates
  • Punk movie box office
  • Talent coming and going from promotions
  • TKO and WWE execs get millions this quarter

This Week’s Back Issue

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Thursday Update

WWE

Other Wrestling

  • Mercedes Mone was chosen as Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Woman of the Year for 2025, with Toni Storm taking home the award for Most Popular Wrestler of the Year.
  • Harley Cameron thanked the readers of PWI for naming her their Most Improved Wrestler:
    • Thank you to the readers of PWI for voting me Most Improved for 2025. And thank you @aew and @tonyrkhan for allowing me to live out my dream! I vow to continue improving…my improvement!
  • Mike Santana reacted to being chosen as PWI’s Most Inspirational Wrestler of the year:
    • Huge shoutout to all the readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated and every person who’s walked this path with me. 
    • Blessed and humbled that my journey has connected with so many. You all have played a huge role in motivating me to push forward every single day. 
    • THANK YOU.
  • Shotzi Blackheart was named PWI’s Indie Wrestler of the Year.
  • Evil Uno has been announced for DDT Pro Wrestling’s 29th Anniversary show on March 22.
  • Taka Michinoku noted that he’ll be in the United States at the end of March and is looking for bookings around Indianapolis:
    • I’m going to Indianapolis on March 27th and 28th. If I go all the way to US, I’d like to wrestle around that time. I went to England and Australia in the last few years, but it’s been seven years since I went to the U.S. Please make an offer to DM.
  • CMLL wrestlers Persephone and La Catalina were featured in a documentary from L’Oreal Groupe:
    • What’s the secret behind the Olympian Noah Lyles’s record-breaking sprints? How do star lucha libre wrestlers Persephone and La Catalina prepare their game face ahead of a match? And how does the FC Barcelona soccer player Jules Kounde achieve greatness through routine?
    • ‘Meeting the Moment’ is a documentary narrated by the basketball legend Sue Bird that follows four athletes as they prepare for a major sports competition, revealing how physical training, mental fortitude and self-care rituals make up their winning formula.
  • Madison Rayne discussed her in-ring retirement on AEW Unrestricted.
  • Daria Rae (the former Sonya Deville) appeared on a new episode of TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast.

DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Pro Wrestling Illustrated from January 1983

Posted on by Karl Stern

In my rotation of retro pro wrestling podcasts on the DragonKingKarl Wrestling Show, I am adding old magazine reviews. 

The newsstand pro wrestling magazines were a staple of wrestling from the 1950s through the 1990s and especially peaked in the 1970-80s. Before the Internet and before newsletters were so widely distributed, the wrestling magazines are where you got your news and information about wrestlers outside your regional area. 

To kick things off, let’s take a look at Pro Wrestling Illustrated from January 1983 featuring Ricky Steamboat, Bruiser Brody, Tommy Rich, and more.

Click Here To Listen

Daily Update: The Undertaker, FTR, Riddle lawsuit

Posted on by Bryan Rose

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WON NEWSLETTER: November 16, 2020 Observer Newsletter: 2020 Observer Hall of Fame issue

One of our two biggest issues of the year, the 2020 Hall of Fame issue is out this week.  It’s got complete results of the balloting among historians, active and retired performers, reporters and historians by category as well as final voting totals, plus who will and won’t be back on next year’s ballot.

The issue runs down the new members with extensive biographies on all of them.  It explains the voting process and criteria, as well as runs down who came close.  We also look at voting combinations that were popular, and notes on some of the key candidates. We list all of the first ballot Hall of Famers in history as well as the four highest vote getters in history. We look at people new to the ballot next year, who picked up Hall of Fame numbers in different categories along with bios of four of the five inductees.

Also in this issue: 

AEW Full Gear show, including future AEW direction, match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results on the show.

Changes in the fundamental manner WWE has run its business since the beginning of time and why health conditions and economics have completely changed the industry.

New Japan’s upcoming tournaments, the Tokyo Dome show plans, the story behind it, business notes, plus a complete rundown of Power Struggle with match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

Survivor Series and this week’s WWE television that leads to it.

Where WWE may be taping from after it leaves Orlando and the pros and cons of the place, Tribute to the Troops and why the rating number may surprise people, WrestleMania note, Paige talks Alberto Del Rio’s case, Stalker tries to invader Paige’s home, Bellas talk a return to the ring, WWE new trademarks, Dwayne Johnson after a movie franchise adn plan for new show, John Cena’s next big role, UK TV ratings, how Smackdown and AEW rank among sports shows, plus the market value of WWE and the most-watched shows from the past week from the WWE Network.

Saturday’s UFC show with match coverage and business notes.

Ratings breakdowns in every segment for Wednesdays and every category for other shows, looking at stats not available elsewhere to get the deepest read into how shows are doing, what categories are doing well and how shows compare with previous weeks and one year ago.  

Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week. 

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WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

  • HeelByNature obtained court documents showing WWE is seeking to move the Samantha Tavel/Matt Riddle lawsuit to federal court.
  • The Undertaker was the guest on this week’s The Bump. Sasha Banks, Leon Ruff, Johnny Gargano, and Candice LeRae also appeared. Street Profits, Bruce Prichard, and Lana will be the guests on a special Sunday edition of The Bump prior to Survivor Series.
  • Murphy will be the guest on this week’s After the Bell with Corey Graves.
  • Xavier Woods revealed on Twitter that The New Day will be downloadable DLC characters in Gears of War 5.
  • People Magazine has a profile on The Undertaker, including exclusive photos of himself and his family.
  • Undertaker spoke to Ariel Helwani about officially retiring. He considers himself done, but there’s one caveat:  “In my mind, I am 100% done. But there’s this guy that lives up in Stamford, Connecticut, who lives by the motto, ‘never say never.'”
  • Undertaker also spoke to USA Today about his career and his farewell taking place at Survivor Series on Sunday.
  • Shawn Michaels spoke to both CBS Sports and Metro about The Undertaker’s upcoming farewell.
  • Leon Ruff spoke to Sports Illustrated on his NXT North American title win.
  • Matches added today to YouTube include Undertaker & Triple H vs. Edge & Big Show from the February 6, 2009 episode of SmackDown and AJ Styles vs. Rey Mysterio from the November 25, 2019 episode of Raw.
  • Pawn Stars last night featured a WWF Kamala Hasbro toy that was eventually found out to be a fake.
  • The Miz and Maryse were recently on The Kelly Clarkson show.
  • WWE Supercard launched its seventh season today on iOS and Android.
  • Baylor Lariat spoke to Jason Osei, a former Baylor football player who recently took part in a  WWE tryout.

Other Wrestling

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Team WWF vs. The Alliance at Survivor Series 2001

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