UFC president Dana White told ESPN Tuesday that the company is now focusing on Saturday, May 9th, for their return to action including a targeted card that would be among their deepest of all-time.
Brett Okamoto tweeted that White “remains adamant” that the company will get back on their schedule and that “barring outside factors”, the May 9th show will happen in a location that is still to be determined.
Okamoto tweeted that this is the card being targeted:
UFC interim lightweight championship: Justin Gaethje vs. Tony Ferguson
UFC bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz
UFC women’s featherweight champion Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer
Jair Rozenstruik vs. Francis Ngannou
Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis
Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar
Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan de Castro
Fabricio Werdum vs. Alexey Oleynik
Michelle Waterson vs. Carla Esparza
Jacare Souza vs. Uriah Hall
Niko Price vs. Vincente Luque
Charles Rosa vs. Bryce Mitchell
May 9th was originally slated to be UFC 250 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Last week, White had to cancel plans to hold this Saturday’s UFC 249 at the Tachi Palace Casino in Lemoore, CA, due to the governor intervening with Disney/ESPN officials as the show was set to be held on tribal land. White said plans for “Fight Island” — a secret location where infrastructure is being put in place to both train fighters and put events on — are ongoing and could be up and running within a month.
White said he had a state, athletic commissioner, and governor all lined up to do the 249 event, but that Disney/ESPN asked him to “stand down”. Florida is being speculated as a possible destination given their controversial governor’s decree Monday that pro sports, including WWE, are “essential businesses” but cannot have fans in attendance.
White has been thwarted by travel bans and location availability due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic in an effort to keep putting on events. He has had to cancel shows on March 21, March 28, April 11 and the aforementioned UFC 249, remaining steadfast that the UFC will be the first sports entity to return to action, even if it has to be in front of empty arenas.
The organization has yet to formally announce their plan on how to test all personnel involved for COVID-19 before, during, and after these events with White insisting they have it covered.
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday afternoon that White will be part of a group of sports commissioners working together on getting the sports industry back to work.
In between, we learned about a not-so-secret location in California and a private island that is being tricked out in order to host fighters’ training camps and events featuring international fighters.
Strange? Yes.
I called upon MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle to help me sift through the last seven days and to understand why it’s so difficult for fans to simply accept what is happening in the world and how things got so ugly on social media so quick. (Spoiler: it’s not the media’s fault UFC 249 got canceled. It’s the coronavirus pandemic.)
Dave also dropped a gem near the end of the show when he revealed he was backstage in Revere, MA, the night of the Mass Transit Incident detailed in the recent Vice Dark Side of the Ring documentary. We discuss what happened and how he almost got New Jack on the record first about what happened.
This story was updated at 9:30 PM Eastern | Image: Yahoo
In a dizzying week for the UFC, Dana White told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto Thursday afternoon that UFC 249 is canceled and all upcoming events have been postponed indefinitely.
The reason: the highest levels of Disney, owners of ESPN, and the sports network themselves told him to “stand down” and not do the event, which was set for Lemoore, CA’s Tachi Palace Casino a week from this Saturday. ESPN is both the UFC’s sole North American pay-per-view provider and rightsholder.
White insisted that “Fight Island” is real (a reference to a private island White said the company has secured to run shows featuring international fighters) and that the UFC will be the first sport back and that it will be on ESPN. He also revealed the idea was his and Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel, co-owner of the UFC. The location and logistics for how that island will work are yet undisclosed.
“When my partner (ESPN) says they are ready to go, I’ll be ready to go,” White said. Within a month, he claimed that fighters could start training on the island and that an event could happen there soon after.
White said the company could have gone April 18th in Lemoore or another venue he had secured with an athletic commission and the state’s governor on board. He didn’t disclose what state that was in. White took it as a personal mission to make the 249 show happen, repeatedly insisting that he could make the show happen and denouncing a New York Times article that questioned the company’s ability to do COVID-19 testing before, during, and after the show.
From a financial standpoint, White said he would take care of his fighters by getting them all of their contracted fights this year (“everyone is going to get paid”) and that no one was getting laid off.
Okamoto said afterward that White told him all 42 scheduled events for the year will still happen as planned.
Are you interested in attending our annual F4W/WON convention? We will hold it during AEW Double or Nothing weekend. For more information, check this post for activities and prices.
A look at plans for AEW and WWE tapings, the guidelines set forth by Donald Trump, how both companies violated them, and why UFC simply can’t adhere to them is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
It’s a news-packed issue giving the full background of WrestleMania including the dollars lost by WWE in doing the show the way they did, why the reasons for doing it now make no sense, who was taken off the show and why, what key thing that relates to both fighting and pro wrestling that makes certain people higher risk that everyone is ignoring, where the WWE medical staff failed at their jobs with Roman Reigns and others, the WWE’s false advertising, Reigns speaks on why he didn’t do the show, Brie Bella talks on why she had mixed feelings on Daniel Bryan doing the show, plus a match-by-match rundown with thoughts on everything.
The new issue also covers:
The changes in WrestleMania business, why what seems to make no sense has a long-term thought process but where it may be flawed, why WWE flooded television with product this week and why it’s dangerous not to keep this up.
The falling apart of the Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov fight, what Nurmagomedov and Dana White said this week as well Tony Ferguson’s demands ad who else was in contention for top spots on the show. Joe Rogan also talks why he’s not doing the show no matter what, as well as the reaction of the other leading groups while UFC insists on going forward.
The hidden story that nobody has talked about regarding a pro wrestling event where the coronavirus has already spread.
New WWE television deals, a major WWE deal ends and why. What WWE stars head the most popular YouTube shows, Canadian TV ratings, U.K. TV ratings, Drew McIntyre talks WrestleMania, Seth Rollins talks operating a small business during these times, Edge talks about how he’s improved his promos, WWE market value plus the most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE network.
The Japanese scene, who is still running, who isn’t, what shows were canceled last minute as well as the state of sports in Japan and South Korea.
Six months from now or longer, when people are allowed to go to live entertainment events who things may change greatly and who is hurts the most.
Live attendance, television numbers the future of television and streaming and how it also affects the smaller groups.
DAZN’s decision to withhold payments to sorts leagues and what that says about its future.
Update the arrest of Jon Jones, with details on his plea bargain, what happened when he was stopped, the government’s reaction to Jones, both officers and their report as well as Jones’ reaction to what happened.
A look back at the 2019 Wrestling Observer awards with comments on a number of categories, who was and wasn’t deserving, the closest categories, and more on winners and close placings.
A feature on the life and career of Dean Silverstone, a former promoter and historian who was one of the key people in keeping wrestlers from the past in touch with each other through the Cauliflower Alley Club. We look at his role in wrestling, how he first got into wrestling, his promotion, his book, life after wrestling and how he got back into wrestling through his wife and ripper Collins.
Full coverage of all the WWE and AEW television shows from the past week.
In-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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.
WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
TMZ has a story on WWE continuing to tape going forward. It includes notes in a memo WWE sent to talent and staff about the precautions they’re taking amid the coronavirus pandemic. Everyone will have their temperature taken before entering the door, and everyone is encouraged to wear face masks except for when cameras are rolling.
NXT UK posted a message from Sid Scala today and tweeted: “Starting this Thursday, get ready to take a look back at the greatest #NXTUK moments and matches. PLUS, you’ll get to hear from the talented Superstars involved.”
Triple H responded to a question from Sports Illustrated about the AEW vs. NXT ratings war: “I’m a believer in the long-term game. You create the right product, and over time, people will find it. I think back to Monday nights years ago, and it looks different now, but there were periods of time when WWE was putting on much better shows and the content was much better, but we were still getting beat. We were not winning ‘the war,’ but we stayed true to who we were. If it’s a flash and it’s exciting at first but you can’t maintain it, then it loses that pizzazz. It’s long-term duration, for me, that’s how you win. I’ve been saying it since the beginning—I’m not concerned about those numbers week-to-week. It’s about trying to put out the best show you can every week.”
“My Spy,” a movie starring Batista, will be released on Amazon Prime. It was originally supposed to be a theatrical release and had been released in theaters in Australia prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
AEW uploaded a promo featuring Cody talking about his involvement in the TNT title tournament.
Matt Hardy tweeted that he’ll be appearing on tonight’s Dynamite: “Exclusively from The Hardy Compound.. I respond to the DASTARDLY @IAmJericho after his comments towards me, The Elite & Vanguard 1.”
Jake Roberts told Wrestling Inc that he has been isolating in an Atlanta hotel since taking part in recent AEW tapings. He is expecting to stay there for another 3-4 weeks.
Due to the coronavirus, Dragon Gate has canceled events through 5/6, including their Dead or Alive event that was to take place on 5/6.
Rose Namajunas has pulled out of UFC 249, according to ESPN. She was originally scheduled to face Jessica Andrade in the co-main event.
USADA issued a statement on testing for UFC 249: “With all consideration to athlete safety and logistical challenges, we’re going to do everything in our power to conduct UFC event testing. Just like the referees in the octagon, our doping control officers are an essential part of a fair fight.”
Despite the state canceling combat sports events through the end of May, the UFC is heading to Lemoore, California’s Tachi Palace Casino as their new home base for the next two months according to the New York Times.
The Times confirmed an initial tweet by Jeff Sherwood, the founder of Sherdog and a host on Between Rounds Radio. The UFC has yet to announce the location of April 18th’s UFC 249 pay-per-view, but Dana White said Monday they found a location to run shows at but were keeping it secret.
Neither the UFC or the casino have publicly commented on the news as of this writing. Sherwood said four shows are set to be held at the casino, closed since March 30th. It sits on ground owned by the Tachi-Yokut Tribe, making it exempt from state regulations, enabling the UFC to hold events there.
In a statement released to the Times, the California athletic commission said they are following the guidance of local government and the Association of Ringside Physicians who recommended the indefinite suspension of all combat sports events in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. They will not participate in UFC 249 or other UFC events there.
The UFC could act as their own commission or use another commission, similar to what Bellator does when they visit a country that otherwise doesn’t have one. A frequent example is the Mohegan Tribe (CT) Department of Athletic Regulations.
Longtime MMA fans will remember the Tachi Palace Fights promotion, an early cradle for future UFC, WEC, and Strikeforce fighters that ran from 2009 to 2018.
White said Monday that in addition to his secret U.S. based location, he is finalizing a deal for a secret, private island on which he will welcome international fighters to put on events. There is no announced plan for how the logistics will work given the various travel bans around the world, but White has said in recent weeks that he wishes to tell the media nothing and that fighters won’t even know where they are going.
The UFC has canceled three shows due to the pandemic and has eight shows scheduled from April 18 through June 20th.
They might not have an announced location for UFC 249 in less than two weeks, but Monday afternoon saw the show get a main event and on Monday night, the UFC announced the full card.
Rose Namajunas vs. Jessica Andrade II in a rematch of former strawweight champions
Francis Ngannou vs. Jair Rozenstruik in a fight originally scheduled to headline their Columbus, OH, show
Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar
Uriah Hall vs. Jacare Souza
Vincente Luque vs. Niko Price (replaces Randy Brown)
Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro
Alexander Hernandez vs. Omar Morales (replaces Islam Makhachev)
Sijara Eubanks vs. Sarah Moras
Sam Alvey vs. Ryan Spann (replaces Khalil Rountree)
Marlon Vera vs. Ray Borg (replaces Eddie Wineland)
Michael Johnson vs. Khama Worthy (replaces Evan Dunham)
The official order of the fights (PPV, prelims) is unknown.
White has yet to announce the location of the event which is believed on the United States’ west coast and likely at a location based on Native American tribal land. The show was originally scheduled for Brooklyn, NY, but lost its home due to the coronavirus pandemic.
White told TMZ Sports he locked the venue up for two months so he could run shows there every week, and is close to securing a private island to do international shows there to avoid issues flying fighters into the United States.
“As of April 18th, the UFC is back in business,” White said.
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was slated to face Ferguson in the main event, but is stuck in Dagestan, Russia, because of the pandemic related travel ban.
Dana White announced Monday afternoon that former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson will face former World Series of Fighting lightweight champion Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 249 on Saturday, April 18th.
The location for the fight? “Somewhere on EARTH!!!!!”, White said in his tweet. A location on tribal ground somewhere in/around the West Coast is reportedly where the company will aim to run shows for the forseable future, according to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.
It’s assumed the event will be in front of an empty arena and is still scheduled for pay per view on ESPN.
The original main event was scheduled to be Ferguson challenging current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, but Nurmagomedov is stuck in Dagestan, Russia, due to the coronavirus related travel bans around the world. He said UFC had told him the fight was going to be in Abu Dhabi, but those plans changed after his arrival there.
The 31-year-old Gaethje has won three straight, all by first round finish while the 36-year-old Ferguson has won twelve straight dating back to October 2013.
On Sunday, White said he was going to announce the full card for the event on Monday, which is expected to feature only those fighters who live in the United States due to the travel ban. He and the Endeavor-owned UFC have come under scrutiny for continuing to push on having events despite the global pandemic and without a documented plan on testing fighters, staffers, and arena personnel for COVID-19.
Are you interested in attending our annual F4W/WON convention? We will hold it during AEW Double or Nothing weekend. For more information, check this post for activities and prices.
An update on pro wrestling around the world, where almost everything is canceled, update on WrestleMania, and how every company is handling the situation is the lead story in this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Why WWE had to tape WrestleMania in advance, update on the card, update on the changes, some of the early changes, what matches were changed from last week and why, many different matches that were talked about as recently as a week ago, PPV price, NXT big matches and the NXT UK next major show.
The new issue also covers:
The massive stock sale of Vince McMahon, the questions regarding why he would do it, how much of the company he still owns, the television deal with ESPN, and how it compares with airing of big fights from the UFC and boxing on ESPN this week. We also look at the latest WWE Network free offer and what it entails, how long AEW will be going without fans at shows, why the original plans for last week had to be scrapped, who is iced for now from appearing on AEW TV, how hard it has been to put shows together ad new dates.
Dana White’s comments regarding UFC 249, what he said about testing and what the doctors have said about doing shows right now. We also look at White’s plans to make up for missed shows, Impact canceling its PPV, the Japanese sports scene, the Governor of Tokyo talks shutting down the city, the difference in stats between Tokyo and New York, and what Korakuen Hall management has decided.
Shows in Japan this past week and decisions made by companies for this coming week. We look in particular at how New Japan is handling this as compared with other companies. We look at problems for Americans getting to Japan, when the next possible New Japan show is and what content New Japan has been producing.
The arrest of Jon Jones this past week, details of the arrest and a look back at Jones’ arrests and drug test failures.
The best of the 10s, who were the Best of the Decade as far as the Thesz/Flair Award, MMA Most Valuable, Most Outstanding Wrestler of Fighter, Biggest Box Office Draw, Best Tag Team, Best on Interviews, Most Charismatic, Best Technical, Best Brawler, Best Flyer, Best Promotion, Who had the best matches over the past decade, Best Non-Wrestler and Best Television announcer.
Daniel Bryan also talks his future after his current contract expires, WWE stars make marketing donations, WWE renews major TV deal, U.K. ratings for WWE and AEW, how WWE contract work and how that pressures some wrestlers into signing new deals, behind what Braun Strowman said that caused so much controversy, key exec stock sales, Arn Anderson on what Vince McMahon wanted said about Sting, new WWE movie coming to Netflix, Injury updates, and most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE Network.
A feature on the death of Branko Cikatic, the first K-1 champion and a pioneer on major MMA shows in Japan. We look at his gigantic career, what star was made in Japan by beating him, the first K-1 World Grand Prix and early Pride shows.
Regarding the Wednesday numbers, we’ve got full details, demos that each side won, how every segment did and what match ended up as the difference maker.
Full coverage of all the WWE and AEW television shows from the past week.
In-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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.
MONDAY NEWS UPDATE
Bryan and I will be back tonight covering Raw, the ever-changing UFC 249, WrestleMania and many other subjects with Wrestling Observer Radio. You can send in questions for tonight’s show to [email protected]
It was said that UFC’s first call for a potential new opponent for Tony Ferguson on 4/18 would be Justin Gaethje. Colby Covington and Tyron Woodley both said they would also be willing to fight each other on the show. With Russia having sealed its borders and Khabib Nurmagomedov there right now, it doesn’t look good for him fighting on the date. If he misses this date, because of Ramadan, which Nurmagomedov celebrates, he probably wouldn’t be able to fight again until August. This is officially the single most jinxed main event fight in MMA history.
Raw tonight has Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Edge and Becky Lynch. It is the most low-key go-home show for WrestleMania in history, a show taped this past Tuesday. With a closed set, little is known but I believe they will shoot an angle to change the Raw tag title match to the Street Profits vs. Austin Theory & Angel Garza, but who knows what they’ll do and how they’ll handle things.
Roman Reigns confirmed being off WrestleMania. Paul Levesque was on SportsCenter earlier today pretty much saying the same thing, but he’s still being advertised everywhere for it and WWE’s web site hasn’t listed a change.
We have a two-part interview with Jim Ross up on the site today that Jim Valley and I conducted yesterday, talking about a plethora of different subjects. Ross’ new book, “Under the Black Hat,” which he wrote with Paul O’Brien, covering the last 20 years of his life, will be released tomorrow. You can order the book right now here and Ross will personally autograph it .
WWE
Drew McIntyre talked to Mirror about WrestleMania and going on with the show, and his thoughts behind-the-scenes on Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman.
Edge did an interview with Sports Illustrated and noted that to get in shape, because he didn’t want anyone to know he was training, WWE sent him a ring for his house and The Revival, who live in the same city as he does, were his regular training partners.
New Japan has canceled its May tryouts in New Zealand for obvious reasons.
Anarchy Wrestling did an empty arena show on Saturday night in Cornelia, GA.
Both ROH and the New Japan World service will be putting out last year’s Madison Square Garden show up for free. ROH will stream the show Sunday at Noon on YouTube. New Japan World will also put the show up for free at some point on Sunday.
There will be a huge convention of former wrestling stars from 8/13 to 8/16 in Charlotte at the University Hilton. There will be a banquet hosted by Jim Cornette where they will honor The Road Warriors, the Von Erichs, The Rock & Roll Express, The Fantastics and Jimmy Valiant. Among those appearing will be Animal, Paul Ellering, Kevin Von Erich, Ricky Morton, Robert Gibson, Bobby & Jackie Fulton, Valaint, Ron Simmons,Butch Reed, Stan Lane, Steve Keirn, Tom Prichard, Tommy Rich Terri Runnels, Billy Jack Haynes, Steve Simpson, Ronnie Garvin, Ken Resnick and more.
CWE on 5/5 in Grand Prairie, Alberta, at the Jackpot Grill Events Center has Shane Douglas vs. Beri Gayson.
One of the most anticipated fights in recent history has also been one of the toughest to book and for a fifth time, it appears it will carry that mantle once again.
On a social media chat Monday, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov said he is unable to leave his home in Dagestan, Russia, due to the coronavirus pandemic related travel ban, thus putting his UFC 249 main event against Tony Ferguson on ice once again.
Nurmagomedov said the UFC told him the event was “100%” happening in the U.S, and was “99%” going to be in Abu Dhabi. He then moved his camp from San Jose, California, based AKA to the United Arab Emirates in preparation only to be told the borders were going to close, so they went home to Dagestan instead. He said he continues to train, but is unsure for what fight and when.
While UFC has not commented publicly on this development, ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported that they are looking for an alternative which could be fellow top lightweight contender Justin Gaethje. Nurmagomedov alluded to the fact UFC was looking for other options and Gaethje is a managerial teammate of the champion’s.
Helwani’s sources say the UFC 249 pay-per-view will likely be somewhere in the U.S., but would have to feature all fighters based in the U.S. due to the various travel bans. The show was originally slated for Brooklyn, NY.
The face of the Endeavor-owned company, Dana White, has been unrelenting in his efforts to put on events while other major sports have shut down. Various state regulations surrounding mass assemblies of people have ensured any event in the short term will have to be held in front of no fans, but there are questions surrounding COVID-19 testing procedures and related medical testing that White has yet to answer outside of saying “the less the media and fans know, the better.”
Are you interested in attending our annual F4W/WON convention? We will hold it during AEW Double or Nothing weekend. For more information, check this post for activities and prices.
A detailed look at how the pro wrestling and MMA industry has changed in just one week is the subject of our in-depth lead story.
We cover:
Steps taken, made, executed, and constantly changed, from WWE, UFC, AEW and every other company.
Which companies can afford the lockdown the best, and which companies are threatened the most.
WWE, why they chose to do WrestleMania now on tape, why the move made little sense.
Why UFC was forced to shut down shows and the steps they took to avoid it.
What AEW said and what it actually meant.
The dangers from doctors on doing shows right now.
Latest ideas for WrestleMania, revenue lost by not doing the show now, just how fast decisions were changing, pro wrestling vs. MMA in an empty arena, styles vs. styles in an empty arena, what does and doesn’t work, ideas to make the show more entertaining, what is and isn’t finalized for WrestleMania, and update on other planned WWE events.
We also cover:
WWE training, who were brought to the WWE & AEW taping, what was said to those working there, Dana White’s memo to the staff, why UFC had it harder to keep shows going than pro wrestling, UFC’s economic realities, different reactions of talent about shows continuing, new dates for major shows, next shows on UFC schedule, ESPN plans, Japanese government reaction, updates on Japanese shows, XFL ending the season, how the first season leaves the XFL in its quest to make it, Bellator’s reaction, MLW’s reaction, Impact’s reaction, NWA’s reaction, Independent shows, WrestleCon, U.K. groups, Mexico and other U.S. indies.
AEW’s live television show, the in and out of character remarks, Cody and Tony Khan’ reactions, and show things were handled
A look at the career of Jushin Liger, his historical status, his early career, his becoming the best wrestler in the world, his debut with the character, who was first pegged for the role, his debut with the gimmick, his U.S. arrival in WCW, his one MMA fight, and his list of credentials.
Why WWE stock hasn’t collapsed, Shane McMahon’s income, Michelle Wilson and George Barrios’ severance packages, update on The Revival, WWE threatens small group on a frivolous case, WWE legend selling his home, last several weeks of Canadian TV ratings, Jerry Lawler talks empty arena matches, latest WWE tryout, Sonya Deville talks storyline she wanted, as well as the most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE Network.
Full coverage of the UFC’s empty arena show in Brasilia, Brazil with the stories coming out of the show and match-by-match coverage.
A feature on the worst weekend in the history of the business when Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son. We look at the Reelz television show that just came out covering the crime as well as a look at the Viceland story coming this week. We talk about different theories, the death of Eddy Guerrero, CTE, steroids, xanax and more, WWE reaction, drug testing questions and problems and much more.
Regarding the Wednesday numbers, we’ve got full details, demos that each side won, how every segment did and what match ended up as the difference maker.
Full coverage of all the WWE and AEW television shows from the past week.
In-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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.
WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
This week’s episode of The Bump featured Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, Daniel Bryan, Drew Gulak and Tyler Breeze.
Samoa Joe’s 30-day suspension for violating the WWE Wellness Policy ended on March 24.
WWE has filed for new trademarks related to the WrestleMania 36 changes, including “Too Big For One Night!” and “I wasn’t there”.
Becky Lynch and WWE are partnering with the Special Olympics for School of Strength, an exercise regimen focusing on at-home workouts.
NJPW has uploaded a number of matches from their New Beginning USA tour from earlier this year on their YouTube page.
MLW has signed a new TV deal in Poland that will allow MLW Fusion to air on Fight Klub Poland.
MMA
Dana White told Brett Okamoto today that the UFC 249 card will likely be a totally new card that will have a mixture of existing fights and new bouts. A Francis Ngannou/Jairzinho Rozenstruik bout is currently in the works for the event.
Conor McGregor says he will donate 1 million euro worth of protective equipment that will be deployed to all hospitals in the Leinster region of Ireland.
Journey Newson’s knockout victory over Domingo Pilarte from UFC 247 has been overturned by Texas officials due to a drug test failure.
UFC president Dana White promised that UFC 249 would happen despite the coronavirus pandemic and it appears he is .01% away from making that happen.
In an Instagram chat with Yahoo’s Kevin Iole Monday and confirmed again with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, White says that a location for the April 18th pay-per-view is “99.9% done” and will also feature a full undercard but with no fans in attendance.
White told Iole, “I do (know where it is), but I’m not ready to tell you yet. I know lots of things.”
The show is set to be headlined by UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. no. 1 contender Tony Ferguson in the company’s fifth attempt to make the fight through the years. The champion is currently training in Russia while the challenger is still in the U.S.
While the UFC did have a full slate of fights scheduled before the pandemic, the question of where the show will take place if it does happen could determine how many of those originally scheduled fights actually take place, especially if those fighters don’t want to risk the travel or if travel bans remain in their countries of origin.
The co-main event features two former strawweight champions rematching in Rose Namajunas vs. Jessica Andrade, Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar, Uriah Hall vs. Jacare Souza, Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Hernandez, and more.
White told Iole that any fighter or staffer who doesn’t feel comfortable with being part of the show doesn’t have to be.
The show was originally slated for Brooklyn, NY, but cannot be held there due to the state ban on large gatherings due to the pandemic.
Are you interested in attending our annual F4W/WON convention? We will hold it during AEW Double or Nothing weekend. For more information, check this post for activities and prices.
A story on the Corona Virus and pro wrestling and MMA shows around the world is the lead story in a double-issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter this week.
We go through:
Where everything stood at press time for large and small promotions all over the world, as well as other sports.
Which companies can survive this period the best and how this threatens the future of many companies and wrestlers, a well as WWE and other name indie talent that likely can’t be coming to the U.S. because of travel bans.
This is one of the biggest stories to have faced the world in our lifetime, and it affects every business, but sports and entertainment businesses, like all, will take an unforeseen shock.
The issue also covers:
Rob Gronkowski and WWE, what is believed to be the extent of the deal, who is Gronkowski, his prior experience in WWE, what he had said about doing pro wrestling in the past and what kind of impact his being in WWE could have.
The series of copycat lawsuits filed by a number of legal firms against WWE, the claims in the cases and a response by Jerry McDevitt to the cases.
The situation with David Starr being pressured out of wXw and Progress, the attempt to unionize wrestlers in the U.K. and companies that have jumped on board.
Full coverage of the Elimination Chamber show with notes on the show, updated plans for WrestleMania, business notes and match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.
Update WWE PPV talks, Davey Boy Smith in Hall of Fame, salary of WWE’s top executives, the change in Paul Levesque’s backstage role, how talent contracts have changed, who owns the most WWE stock, XFL ratings and how this week changed the narrative, Cena movie delayed by a year of release due to Corona Virus, Rousey in WWE offices, change that was made in Friday tapings, Canadian ratings, UFC star talks about doing WWE, injury updates, more on a new athlete that just started, plus he most-watched shows on the WWE Network and details of all NXT & WWE arena events over the past week.
An extensive feature on Wayne Bridges, one of the biggest names in European pro wrestling during the 70s and 80s. We look at his sports background before pro wrestling, how he could into pro wrestling, his unique role in some major movies, his Japanese tours and his time in North America, the history of the world heavyweight title as recognized in the U.K., plus his biggest run as world heavyweight champion, appearing on the big Wembley and Royal Albert Hall shows, tragedies in his life and much more. This is a great history piece about an era of pro wrestling that a lot of U.S. fans aren’t aware of.
Complete coverage of UFC 248, including the show, what happens next, the judging, who the media thought won the key fights, and business notes.
Oregon wrestling in the 80s and its top heel, Rip “The Crippler” Oliver, who passed away last week. We look at the atmosphere when he first arrived, his life and career before Oregon, his attempts to leave and why he always ended up back, his records set, biggest feuds, extensive title history, the 1982 tag team tournament at the Omni in Atlanta,Billy Jack Haynes, Roddy Piper, Buddy Rose and the death of the Don Owen territory.
Update the situation with Scott Steiner.
End of an era, as after 41 years, Stu Sacks leaves Pro Wrestling Illustrated and a career in wrestling journalism that goes back 50 years to his childhood.
Regarding the Wednesday numbers, we’ve got full details, demos that each side won, how every segment did and what match ended up as the difference maker.
All the WWE and AEW television shows from the past week.
In-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
WWE issued a statement to Sports Illustrated when asked if talent and staff are being tested for the coronavirus: “In consultation with WWE Medical Director Dr. Maroon, WWE Associate Medical Director Dr. Dugas and ringside physician Dr. Westerfield, as a best practice and precautionary measure all WWE performers and staff are required to participate in medical screenings prior to entering WWE’s training center, which is now operating as a closed set.” Sports Illustrated also wrote: “Additional contacts close with WWE have informed Sports Illustrated that WWE has established a series of protocols, based on guidelines set by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to minimize risks and protect its performers and staff. Due to the lack of testing for people in need, contacts close to the situation told SI that WWE is not testing those that are asymptomatic.”
The Bump aired as scheduled this week, however Matt Camp was the only person in the studio as the show focused on previous interviews.
King Corbin will be this week’s guest on After The Bell with Corey Graves.
Brandi Rhodes will fill in as the ring announcer tonight on Dynamite as Justin Roberts was unable to make it to tonight’s broadcast. AEW’s preview for tonight’s show lists that Hikaru Shida vs. Riho vs. Kris Statlander vs. Penelope Ford has been added.
Cody tweeted ahead of tonight’s Dynamite: “This is perhaps the most unique day of my career – if I ever write a book, this show coming together for the people should be a chapter for sure.”
PROGRESS Wrestling’s Super Strong Style 16 tournament is being postponed from May to August. Their shows in London that were scheduled for March 29 and April 20 are canceled, while their events that were set for Manchester on May 9 and Leeds on May 10 are postponed.
Attack Pro Wrestling’s Road to Sacrifice show is now free on Vimeo.
MMA
The NYSAC said today that the UFC 249 event, which is set to feature the Khabib Nurmagomedov/Tony Ferguson title fight, can’t go on as scheduled in Brooklyn on April 18. The UFC is currently trying to find another location.
