Paramount/Skydance is doubling down on their relationship with TKO, announcing a media rights deal with their budding Zuffa Boxing promotion.
Announced on Monday morning, it is a “long-term media rights agreement in which Paramount+ will become the exclusive home of Zuffa Boxing throughout the U.S., Canada, and Latin America.”
Unlike the UFC’s seven-year, $7+ billion contract signed in August, no financial terms were disclosed.
The promotion is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh and includes UFC’s Dana White and WWE’s Nick Khan as the management team.
The deal begins in January 2026 with 12 events in the calendar year “with plans to grow that number in subsequent years.” The shows will stream on Paramount+ “with the potential for select events to be simulcast on CBS.” The wording was less definitive on the CBS front than in their UFC release.
TKO was involved in the promotion of this month’s Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight in Las Vegas.
What people thought of WrestleMania and Stand & Deliver
An in-depth look at WrestleMania
Crowd reactions
Dwayne Johnson and his role in the show and the entire back story
How the John Cena story started and evolved
Why the Cena retiring the belt story makes no sense historically
Johnson tells his version of what went down
Matches that at different points were scheduled for the show and how they changed
Show audience
Joe Hendry story
How much WWE spent on Mania week compared to what AEW spent for Double or Nothing week
A look at all the matches and angles
Detailed look at how the WWE purchase of AAA went down, the partners, different people comment on what it means, AAA’s history as well as its attempt to expand to the U.S., Lucha Underground, does this effect CMLL, the original When Worlds Collide, how AAA was formed and more
The death of Hisashi Shinma, the golden age of New Japan Pro Wrestling, how he first got into wrestling, what he’s credited with as a booker, the rise of Inoki, the first UWF, Universal Lucha Libre, WWE Presidency, Backlund vs. Inoki, Inoki vs. Ali and more
A look at the life and career of Steve McMichael
CMLL and a week of sellouts including a killer Friday main event
WWE NXT Stand & Deliver coverage and poll
The life and times of Black Terry
The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling and MMA shows this past week, demos, competition and segments looked at, as well as streaming numbers for Raw
Universal tournament ends this week
Biggest women’s show of the year this week
What’s new with Tetsuya Naito & Bushi
Dark Side of the Ring on Billy Graham
A look at the Mania week on the indies side including Bloodsport
Notes on future AEW PPV shows
Kenny Omega on What is the best schedule for wrestlers?
Mark Hunt’s case against UFC and Brock Lesnar thrown out
Advanced ticket sales to WWE & AEW shows
How streaming platform advertising works vs. television
Bayley talks her knee injury
WWE ID tournaments
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue
–Our weekend show with Garrett Gonzales is up on the site right now. We cover all the news of a very loaded week including background on Dwayne Johnson and the build for WrestleMania, Steve McMichael, John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes and the AAA sale to WWE.
–Looking for your thoughts on the TNA and Stardom PPV shows this weekend, thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
–The Athletic and the New York Times wrote an article on Turki Al-Sheikh, the most important player in the combat sports world today, and the man behind the money that will get Dana White and Nick Khan into the boxing business at the highest level. There is a lot to it but one thing notable is that the number of people detained in Saudi Arabia for nothing more than sending critical tweets about him is enough for a separate wing in a Saudi Arabian jail.
–TNA Rebellion tonight in Los Angeles at the Galen Center is sold out. I don’t know if that means 7,000 seats, which would be the all-time record for the company or they sold out a smaller configuration:
Joe Hendry vs. Ethan Page vs. Frankie Kazarian for the TNA title
Masha Slamovich vs. Tessa Blanchard for the Knockouts title
Moose in an X Division title defense in an Ultimate X match with KC Navarro, El Hijo del Vikingo, Leon Slater, Matt Cardona and Sidney Akeem
Matt & Jeff Hardy vs. Nic & Ryan Nemeth for the tag team titles
Mike Santana vs. Mustafa Ali falls count anywhere
Ash & Heather by Elegance defend the Knockouts tag titles against Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson, Dani Luna & Jody Threat and Gigi Dolin & Tatum Paxley
Elijah open challenge
Steve Maclin vs. Eric Young for the new International title
Xia Brookside & Lei Ying Lee & Rosemary vs. Jacy Jayne & Jazmyn Nyx & Fallon Henley
Ace Austin & Zachary Wentz & Trey Miguel (managed by Sean Waltman) vs. JDC & Brian Myers & Eddie Edwards (managed by Alisha Edwards)
–Impact also airs live from Irvine, CA at UC-Irvine on Thursday night.
–The Hollywood Demons episode this past week on the Von Erichs is the best of all the documentaries I’ve seen on the family. Between Dr. Drew Pinsky saying he believed the enteritis diagnosis for the death of David was a coroner mistake and he believed, it was a drug induced septic shock, and also the toxic shock diagnosis of Mike’s first brush with death was also more likely septic shock, you have some stuff that had never come out in mainstream media. Kevin was outstanding, I think he opened up far more about the deaths themselves, just how badly his father took Kerry’s death, and how Kerry had warned him about killing himself and he tried to alert his father who had been drinking and wouldn’t talk to him, and how he and his family drove three hours to stop Kerry but he had already killed himself before they got there. They corrected things from the movie, as well as told the story on Kerry’s foot amputation that was the same one we had reported but was contrary to urban legend of when and how it happened. Kerry’s daughters Hollie and Lacey were interviewed noting how hurt they were at the movie’s portrayal of Kerry as not having kids, and Kevin noted they combined the personalities of Mike and Chris into one person because the movie people made the decision there were too many deaths as it and pretended Chris didn’t exist. It’s a gripping must-see tearjerker.
Among others interviewed were Von Erichs bodyguard Bill Colville, Kerry’s childhood best friend Brian Gower (pro wrestler Brian Adias), David Manning, Kevin’s daughter Kristen, Chris Jericho and MJF. Jericho was very good as he was familiar with the story reading about it and I think really got it. MJF was in the movie and did far more here. He wasn’t even born during the heyday but had enough historical knowledge to have an understanding of it.
–Stardom All Star Grand Queendom 2025 held today at the Yokohama Arena drew 7,503 paid. Depending on what the actual paid was for the all-women’s show recently at Arena Mexico, it would be the largest paid crowd for an all-women’s show since the WWE’s women’s PPV in 2018. It’s being compared to AEW Revolution 2025 as the best PPV this year and some have said it was better overall:
Hanako won the Stardom Rumble with the winner getting a title shot of her choice
Hina b Ranna Yagami to keep the Future of Stardom title
Sayaka Kurara b Thekla – Storyline is Thekla was fired
Yumiko Hotta (90s legend) b Rina
Meiko Satomura & Mika Iwata & Yuna b Saori Aou & Natsupoi & Aya Sakura
Suzu Suzuki b Mei Seira in a no DQ match
Chihiro Hashimoto b Maika to keep the Sendai Girls world title
Hana & Saya Iida retained the tag tiltes over Hazuki &N Koguma
Syuri b Mayu Iwatani to win the IWGP women’s title
Starlight Kid b AZM to retain the Wonder of Stardom title
Saya Kamitani b Tam Nakano in a loser must retire match for the World of Stardom title
–Was told the last six matches were tremendous and last three were match of the year candidates.
–Another match people were raving about was yesterday’s Tomohiro Ishii & Taichi vs. Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito match from Hiroshima, Japan.
–AEW tickets for Arena Mexico went on sale yesterday. The lower deck sold out quickly but we don’t have a first day number. Tickets were the highest priced ever for the building, even more than the anniversary shows.
–Queen of the Ring was released for a one week showing this past week in Canada. It will be back in some U.S. theaters on 5/9 only for Mother’s Day.
–AEW Forbidden Door presale started today for the O2 Arena in London. AEWVIP is the code to get in.
–Bryan Danielson was at Wembley Stadium yesterday for the Chris Eubanks Jr. vs. Conor Benn Jr. fight at Tottenham’ Hotspur Stadium in London before 65,000 fans. He noted that he was interested because the storyline was like pro wrestling but better than pro wrestling. The big story was Chris Eubanks Jr., who won what was called an excellent fight via close decision, reuniting with his father in a dramatic and perhaps staged fashion. His father came out of a car backstage pro wrestling style with the announcers going crazy and the crowd popping. The two were estranged. Eubanks Sr. was a major mainstream boxing star in the 90s who had a rivalry with Niel Benn that drew huge ratings on network television. (thanks to Stephen Lyon)
–For Google searches, last night’s UFC show did 170,000 searches.
–Very sad to report the death of Jackie Caudle, the wife of former Mid Atlantic and SMW television announcer Bob Caudle. The Caudles were married 76 years.
–Titan won the Universal Champion of Champions tournament on Friday night at Arena Mexico.
–WWE is back on A&E tonight with LFG at 8 pm and another episode at 9:30 p.m.
–Jon Jones has become the second longest reigning heavyweight title reigning heavyweight champion in UFC history. His 785 day reign ranks behind only Cain Velasquez at 895 days. In this entire reign, Jones has defended the title once, against Stipe Miocic, who hadn’t fought in years.
–Eddie Hall beat Mariusz Pudzianowksi in :30 seconds in yesterday’s KSW battle of the world’s strongest men fight in Gliwice, Poland, which got a good idea of worldwide attention. Hall, who weighed 334, literally heaved Pudzianowski like he was 50 pounds when Pudznianowski went for a takedown. It was something to see. Hall jumped on him with punches right after.
–Dana White said Ian Machado Garry, who beat Carlos Plates in yesterday’s main event in KansasCity, will be the backup for UFC 315 in Montreal if something happens to headliners Belal Muhammad or Jack Della Maddaelan for the welterweight title. White also said Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev will happen for the middleweight title and said he’s super confident Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall for the heavyweight title also happens.
–Mistico returned to action last for Pro Wrestling Revolucion in San Jose which sold out a day in advance. Misterioso retained his PWR title over Mistico and Magnus in a three-way.
–Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows will wrestle on the 5/10 Maple Leaf Pro show in Toronto.
–John “Romeo” Roselli will do his retirement match on 5/10 for Northeast Wrestlng’s Wrestlefest at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY.
–Joel Goodhart’s Tri State Wrestling, the predecessor to ECW in the early 90s, will have a reunion show on Saturday night at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia featuring Tony Stetson, Doug Gilbert, Tommy Rich, Shane Douglas, Rick Morton, Robert Gibson, Tessa Blanchard and Super Crazy.
–House of Glory in Chicago on 5/9 at the Logan Square Auditorium has Indi Hartwell vs. Mihyu Yamashita, Rich Swann vs. Chales Mason and Zilla Fatu wrestling.
–Bandido and Mortos are headlining a show today in Torreon.
–Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley and Rose Namajunas vs. Miranda Maverick headline the 6/14 Fight Night sho win Atlanta and Rafael Fiziev vs Ignacio Bahomondes will be the No. 2 fight on the 6/21 show in Baku, Azerbaijan, which airs on ABC.
–38 years ago today was the legendary Jerry Lawler vs. Austin Idol hair match in a cage that Idol won when Tommy Rich came from under the ring.
