Tag: walt harris

UFC on ESPN 8 live results: Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC on ESPN 8: Overeem vs. Harris, emanating from the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Octagon remains in Jacksonville as the UFC finishes up their stretch of three events in eight days inside the empty arena with a heavyweight main event and an overall strong card.

Former title challenger Alistair Overeem takes on Walt Harris in the five-round headline bout. Overeem is looking to get back into the win column after having his lip split by Jairzinho Rozenstruik in December. Harris returns to action for the first time since the tragic kidnapping and murder of his stepdaughter, fighting with a heavy heart as he looks to move his unbeaten streak to five straight.

In the co-main event, it is a battle in the women’s strawweight division as former title challenger Claudia Gadelha looks to end Angela Hill’s three-fight win streak as Hill fights for the third time this year already. Also on the main card is streaking Dan Ige, winner of five straight, welcoming Edson Barboza to the featherweight division, middleweights Eryk Anders and Krzysztof Jotko meet, and Song Yadong takes on Marlon Vera.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

ESPN PRELIMS | 6 PM ET/3 PM PT

> Rodrigo Nascimento (7-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Don’Tale Mayes (7-3, 0-1 UFC)
Heavyweights

They trade early and Nascimento landing some leg kicks. Mayes throwing kicks but missing a little. They clinch and Nascimento looking for a takedown along the fence. They break and Nascimento with some leg kicks. Mayes lands a punch. Mayes with a leg kick and follows it with a body kick. Nascimento comes in with a flurry and lands a nice punch before they clinch. Nascimento gets a takedown and is in the half-guard. Nascimento stands and lands some punches before he gets back into the guard of Mayes. Nascimento stands and lands a punch. Mayes scrambles to his feet and they trade. 10-9 Nascimento.

Nascimento lands some good punches and a head kick before they clinch against the fence. Mayes has Nascimento against the fence and Nascimento is able to get a takedown and has the back and gets a rear-naked choke locked in and Mayes taps. Nascimento scores a win in his UFC debut.

Official Result- Rodrigo Nascimento def. Don’Tale Mayes by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:05 of Round 2

> Cortney Casey (8-7, 4-6 UFC) vs. Mara Romero Borella (13-7 1 NC, 2-3 UFC)
Women’s Flyweights

They trade and clinch early and Borella gets a takedown and is in the guard of Casey. Borella working from the top and landing some short punches. Casey looking for a triangle choke and then an armbar but Borella escapes and scrambles back to the top. Casey still looking for an armbar and has the arm and is looking to extend it. She has it locked in and Borella taps! Slick submission by Casey as she gets the win.

Official Result- Cortney Casey def. Mara Romero Borella by submission (armbar) at 3:36 of Round 1

> Darren Elkins (24-8, 14-7 UFC) vs. Nate Landwehr (13-3, 0-1 UFC)
Featherweights

Elkins landing the jab early on. Elkins lands a straight right hand. They trade punches and Herb Dean warns Elkins about leaving his fingers out straight. Elkins tagging Landwehr and shoots for a takedown. Elkins completes the takedown against the fence and is working from the top. Elkins almost had the neck as they scramble to their feet. They break. Elkins lands a combo. Landwehr started to land some good punches and kicks and Elkins is cut open. Elkins shoots for a takedown and Landwehr with some dirty boxing. They exchange comes in the final moments of the first. 10-9 Elkins.

The cut on Elkins was from an accidental clash of heads. They trade early and Landwehr lands a nice uppercut followed by a straight left hand. Elkins is trying for a takedown but Landwehr is defending the attempts. Elkins lands two nice right hands. They exchange after Elkins misses a takedown. They trade right hands. Elkins with a right hand. They trade punches and Elkins is landing some good right hands but Landwehr is landing his combos good. Elkins with a body kick and follows it with a combo. Elkins goes for a takedown but Landwehr lands a knee right to the chin. Elkins trying to lock up the takedown but Landwehr gets the underhook and spins Elkins to the fence but they break. They are both constantly throwing shots. They clinch but break and Landwehr lands a right hand after they break. Elkins now lands a right hand. Elkins’ face is a bloody mess. Landwehr with an elbow and Herb Dean calls a timeout for the doctor to check on the cut on Elkins. He’s cleared to continue. Landwehr showboating and fighting with one hand behind his back. 10-9 Landwehr, 19-19.

Landwehr lands a knee to the jaw but Elkins fires back with a right hand. Elkins’ face is a mess. Elkins is looking for a takedown but Landwehr able to reverse to the top but they scramble up. They trade in close range. I don’t know how Elkins can see. He is landing combos and they are trading in close range. Elkins throwing punches as he comes in looking for a takedown. They trade position and Landwehr with some body punches. Elkins lands a straight right as they break. They trade and Elkins is just covered in blood. Elkins with a nice right hand. Elkins lands some good punches and then a right hand. Landwehr slowing down and Elkins coming on strong. Landwehr with a hard uppercut. They trade late and Landwehr rocks Elkins. This fight was so great. Close fight too. 10-9 Elkins, 29-28 Elkins.

Official Result- Nate Landwehr def. Darren Elkins by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

> Giga Chikadze (9-2, 2-0 UFC) vs. Irwin Rivera (9-4, 0-0 UFC)
Featherweights

Rivera took this fight on 36 hours notice. Rivera with a quick Superman punch. Chikadze with a leg kick and then a body kick. Chikadze with a leg kick. Rivera comes forward with some punches but they miss. Rivera lands a left hand and Chikadze with a knee. They trade. Rivera lands a punch and Chikadze lands a knee. Chikadze with a body kick. Rivera with a leg kick and Chikadze lands a left hand followed by a leg kick. Chikadze with another leg kick and Rivera checks it. 10-9 Chikadze.

They trade early in the second and Chikadze is landing more. Rivera tries a takedown and Chikadze defends. Chikadze with a front kick right to the face. Chikadze with a high kick and then lands an uppercut. Chikadze with a high kick and follows it with a left cross. Chikadze with a left hand and Rivera has a cut under his eye. Rivera lands a left hand. Chikadze lands a nice combo. 10-9 Chikadze, 20-18 Chikadze.

Chikadze lands a big knee and Rivera falls to the ground and then gets right back up and starts throwing punches. They scramble to the ground and get up. Rivera lands a left hand. Chikadze lands another knee right to the jaw. Chikadze with another high kick. Chikadze lands some more body kicks. They trade late and scramble to the mat as the fight ends. 10-9 Chikadze, 30-27 Chikadze.

Official Result- Giga Chikadze def. Irwin Rivera by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

> Anthony Hernandez (7-1 1 NC, 1-1 UFC) vs. Kevin Holland (16-5, 3-2 UFC)
Middleweights

Holland lands a right hand. Holland lands an elbow and then a big knee to the body that hurts Hernandez. Holland lands another as Hernandez falls to the mat and Holland starts following up with punches and finishes it off. Impressive showing from Holland.

Official Result- Kevin Holland def. Anthony Hernandez by TKO (strikes) at :39 of Round 1

> Matt Brown (22-16, 15-10 UFC) vs. Miguel Baeza (8-0, 1-0 UFC)
Welterweights

Brown looking to land the jab right away. They trade kicks. Baeza lands a nice jab and the follows it with a leg kick. Baeza with a leg kick. Baeza with a left hand. Brown lands a combo. Brown lands a hard combo and a hard right hand that sends Baeza’s mouthpiece flying. Brown landing elbows and they break and Baeza is on wobbly legs. Brown with an elbow against the cage. They clinch and Brown lands a knee. Baeza lands some leg kicks. Brown lands a hard combo and then Baeza lands a hard punch that rocks Brown and Brown falls backwards and they scramble on the mat. Baeza on top and landing some punches and elbows to the body. They scramble to the feet. They break. Baeza with a right hand. Brown with an elbow. Brown with a left hook. Close round. 10-9 Brown.

Baeza lands a nice combo to start the second. Baeza then lands a counter left hook that drops Brown and he finishes it on the ground. Big stoppage by Baeza.

Official Result- Miguel Baeza def. Matt Brown by knockout (punches) at :18 of Round 2

ESPN MAIN CARD | 9 PM ET/6 PM PT

> Song Yadong (#14 BW, 14-4-1 1 NC, 4-0-1 UFC) vs. Marlon Vera (#15 BW, 15-5-1, 9-4 UFC)
Featherweights

These guys are fighting up a weight class for this one. Vera with some kicks to start. Yadong now with a leg kick. Vera tries a high kick but Yadong blocks it. They keep trading and both are landing some good punches and kicks. Yadong with a right hand and then a quick combo. Yadong with a left hook. They clinch against the fence and both land some body punches. They trade knees to the body. Vera with a nice inside elbow and then a couple of knees to the body. 10-9 Yadong.

Both throwing early but neither landing much. Yadong lands a couple of right hands and Vera with a leg kick. Yadong lands a nice combo to the body. Vera with a quick combo as he grabs the clinch but they quickly break. Yadong was landing some nice punches to the jaw of Vera and Vera was a little stunned but still pressing forward. Yadong with a hard left hook. Vera lands a high kick and Yadong grabs the leg but lets go. Vera lands a nice jab and then a well-timed knee as Yadong was coming in. They clinch against the fence and Vera with some knees. They break and they have a wild exchange against the fence. Yadong lands a nice combo and a hard right hand. Vera with a hard left to the body. Frantic pace to this close round. 10-9 Vera, 19-19.

They trade and Vera gets a takedown and almost got the mount but ended up in the guard of Yadong. Vera stands to try and transition and Yadong is able to get to the fence and they work to the feet. Vera rips the body and they break. They trade in close range. Yadong lands a nice combo. Yadong with a right hand and then lands another as Vera was coming in for an uppercut. Vera with a knee to the body. They both land some good shots. Vera with a knee to the body. Vera gets a trip takedown but they quickly gets up. Vera with a knee. Yadong with a hard elbow. Yadong tries a takedown and Vera gets his back and steps over to the top. Vera lands and then they stand. Close fight. 10-9 Vera, 29-28 Vera.

Official Result- Song Yadong def. Marlon Vera by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Eryk Anders (13-4, 5-4 UFC) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (21-4, 8-4 UFC)
Middleweights

Both throwing shots but not much landing. They clinch and Jotko with some short punches. Jotko lands a nice combo. They trade and Anders goes for a takedown but Jotko tries to grab the fence to block. They go to the mat for a moment but scramble up and separate. Jotko lands as Anders initiates a clinch. They break and Anders lands a couple of heavy shots. Jotko with two leg kicks. Jotko goes for a takedown and has the back of Anders. Jotko tries a takedown but Anders reverses and then Jotko reverses as they scramble up. Anders just misses a head kick. They clinch and both land some good shots. Anders with some body punches and has the neck as the round ends. 10-9 Jotko

Anders comes rushing right in looking for a takedown but Jotko defends. Jotko with a leg kick as Anders applies pressure but they separate. Jotko lands a left hand. Jotko with an elbow and Anders tries for a takedown but Jotko defends. They break from the fence. Anders goes for a takedown again but Jotko still defends. Anders with a spinning elbow on the break. They trade in close range and Anders again going for a takedown. Anders with some knees against the fence. Jotko getting warned again for trying to grab the fence. 10-9 Anders, 19-19.

Anders trying right away for a takedown as Anders has the body lock. Anders with a short knee and lands an elbow as he is trying to finish a takedown. Jotko escapes and lands some good punches and lands one right on the jaw. Anders still chasing the takedown as he pushes Jotko against the fence. They break and both trade punches and Anders again pushes Jotko against the fence. Jotko talking trash. Jotko landing some knees to the body. They break and exchange. This fight was ugly. 10-9 Jotko, 29-28 Jotko.

Official Result- Krzysztof Jotko def. Eryk Anders by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

> Dan Ige (#15, 13-2, 5-1 UFC) vs. Edson Barboza (#11 LW, 20-8, 14-8 UFC)
Featherweights

They are trading early and Barboza lands a right hand that sends Ige down to the ground. Barboza gets into his guard and lands from the top. Ige with some hammerfists from the bottom. They get to their feet and Barboza lands a body kick. Ige with a big swing that just misses but lands a body punch. Barboza with a leg kick. Ige with some body punches. Barboza with a leg kick. Ige has a cut under his right eye. Ige with a right hand and they clinch for a second. They break and Barboza with a body kick. Barboza with a late leg kick. 10-9 Barboza.

Ige lands a nice combo and a flying knee. Barboza with a body kick. They trade and Ige initiates a clinch against the fence. Barboza has the plumb clinch and lands some knees to the body while Ige is landing some body punches. Ige with a right hand as they break and Barboza with a body kick and left hook. Ige with a hard combo. Barboza with a body kick and a leg kick. Ige with a combo and Barboza lands a leg kick. Barboza with another hard body kick and follows it with a leg kick. They clinch and Ige with an inside elbow. Ige tries a takedown but Barboza defends it. Barboza with a knee to the liver that hurts Ige and they scramble to the mat and Barboza on top. Ige with hammerfists from the bottom but Barboza lands on top to end the round. 10-9 Barboza, 20-18 Barboza.

Barboza lands a nice combo to start the third. They trade and Barboza lands a leg kick. Ige with an overhand right. They trade in close range. They clinch and Barboza with a nice body combo against the fence. Ige goes for a takedown but Barboza defends. Ige lands a nice right hand and follows it with another nice punch. Barboza with a hard leg kick. They trade and Ige gets a takedown and is landing from the top. Ige working in the half-guard and landing body punches from the top. He finishes the round with some good shots from the top. Close fight. 10-9 Ige, 29-28 Barboza.

Official Result- Dan Ige def. Edson Barboza by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

> Claudia Gadelha (#6, 17-4, 6-4 UFC) vs. Angela Hill (12-7, 7-7 UFC)
Women’s Strawweights

Both missing their punches so far in the first thirty seconds. Gadelha lands a right hand. Hill lands a left hand. Hill lands some right hands after Gadelha lands a good combo. They trade in close range and then clinch against the fence. Gadelha working hard for a takedown against the fence. Hill digging the underhook. Gadelha gets the takedown and is in side control and lands a left hand. They push against the fence but Gadelha retains side control. Gadelha lands a left hand from the top and then a hammerfist. 10-9 Gadelha.

They trade to start the second. Hill lands a good right hand. They trade in close and Hill lands a right hand that drops Gadelha. Hill lets her up. Hill lands another right hand. Gadelha is cut around her eye. Hill with a combo. Gadelha lands a good combo and then shoots for a takedown. Hill with a knee to the body as Gadelha pushes her against the fence. They break and Hill just misses an elbow. Gadelha with a combo. Hill lands a right hand. Gadelha with a right hand. They trade hard punches. Hill with a combo to the body. They trade punches. Hill working to the body more. Hill with a body kick and lands a late flurry. 10-9 Hill, 19-19.

They trade to start the third. Gadelha with a leg kick and Hill lands a left hand. Both land a good punch. Gadelha with a right hand and then another. Hill lands a jab and then another left hand. Gadelha with a leg kick. Hill with a right hand and Gadelha fires back with one. They trade punches. Hill with a knee to the body and then a high kick. Gadelha with a right hand and then a left hook. They both miss spinning attempts. They trade in close and Gadelha gets a clinch. Gadelha with a big elbow as they break and then a right hand. Gadelha with a late combo and they both land late. Close fight. 10-9 Gadelha, 29-28 Gadelha.

Official Result- Claudia Gadelha def. Angela Hill by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

> Alistair Overeem (#8, 45-18 1 NC, 10-7 UFC) vs. Walt Harris (#9, 13-7 1 NC, 6-6 1 NC UFC)
Heavyweights

Overeem with a spin kick to the body. Harris lands a left hand and then a high kick. Harris just misses some big punches. Harris lands a big combo that drops Overeem. Overeem still scrambling on the mat as Harris is landing big punches. Harris landing a lot of punches but Overeem is surviving. That could have been stopped a couple of times there but Overeem gets to his feet. Harris with a front kick and Overeem is still hurt. Overeem grabs Harris and has him on the mat and is in side control. Overeem has a big cut open over his left eye. Overeem landing from the top as he has Harris pinned on the bottom. Harris getting warned for fingers in the cage. Harris breathing heavy. Overeem landing left hands from the top. Overeem with some big knees to the body. Overeem with a nice comeback in the round. 10-9 Harris.

Harris with a high kick after Overeem misses some punches. Harris missing his punches. Overeem with a leg kick. Overeem with a head kick and then a right hand and Harris goes to the ground. Overeem grabs the back and is landing lots of punches and Harris not doing much to defend. Overeem gets full back control and is landing. Overeem all over Harris as he flattens him out and keeps landing. Overeem still landing punches and this is finally stopped. Overeem gets the win as Harris is emotional after the fight.

Official Result- Alistair Overeem def. Walt Harris by TKO (punches) at 3:00 of Round 2

Daily Update: Aniah Blanchard, Raw, Sports Business Journal

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

WON NEWSLETTER: Jim Cornette leaves NWA, weekend preview Following controversy, Jim Cornette leaves NWA, plus a weekend preview and tons more.

The story behind Jim Cornette’s greatest attribute, his mouth, leading to his latest fall, is covered in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.  We talk about the line he said, the background of the line, why Cornette was wide open for this reaction even though others have said worse of late to little or no outcry.

The new issue also covers: 

NWA’s decision to get rid of him and what that happened, what opened Cornette up to this, his reaction, Nick Aldis and Dave Marquez speak on the subject, why it is not in the NWA’s best interest to be critical of AEW, Cornette’s line about Justin Roberts which started all this, how Jerry Lawler, Randy Orton and Eric Bischoff fit into the same story and how social media has changed things.

Cornette’s background, how he got started in wrestling, his managerial heyday, his time as a promoter and the lesson of how times have changed.

Five shows in six days in Chicago this week, lineups, ticket sales and ticket demand.

The return of C.M. Punk to WWE television on Backstage, rating, what he said and thoughts on the show.

Paul Levesque press conference and his talking on different subjects, an ACH update, NXT U.K. Takeover card, Starrcade card, Canadian ratings, German ratings, next Mexico show, NXT injuries, main roster injuries, WWE current market value, most watched shows on WWE Network and a rundown of all the NXT and WWE house shows over the past week with business notes.

The career of Ben Askren, including how WWE’s leading scout viewed him coming out of college and why he didn’t get an offer, his amateur background, his strengths in promoting himself, his career and his being forced to retire.

New Japan tag team tournament, standings plus notes and every match in the first week and coverage of the bigger show.

UFC show from Sao Paulo, Brazil with Jan Blachowicz vs. Ronaldo Jacare Souza.

Japan saying goodbye to Dick “The Destroyer” Beyer, what he was best known for in the country as well as coverage of his memorial this past week.

Wednesday ratings, with every match,every segment, viewers, demos and high points, the major lessons of the AEW viewer and the WWE viewer and the NXT viewer.

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 talking Raw and the rest of the news on Wrestling Observer Radio. You can also send email questions to the show to [email protected]

Horrible news to lead things off as authorities believe that they have found the remains of 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard, the stepdaughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris, who has been missing since 10/23. This what had been feared for weeks as police believed she had been the victim of foul play. More information here and here.

A Sports Business Journal readership survey listed WWE as getting the most votes in the category of Entity Best at Producing Live Event Spectacles. WWE also was voted for that award last year.

Survivor Series was the 12th most searched topic on Google yesterday with 200,000. That indicates less mainstream interest for a major WWE show than anyone in a long time. Usually a big four WWE show will get 500,000 or up.

The football game on ESPN tonight is Baltimore Ravens vs. Los Angeles Rams. That could do well and hurt the number, but the three brands against each other has been good for ratings and there should be a good PPV bump. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka has been announced. Brock Lesnar is also scheduled for tonight’s show.

AEW on Wednesday will have a Batweek crossover as TNT will be doing Batweek movie marathon.

WWE

  • WWE sent out an email to some fans today regarding going to live shows as a VIP and meeting talent. Among the talent shown in the ad were Dean Ambrose and Ronda Rousey.
  • This may or may not end up being WWE related, but CFL star James Wilder Jr. asked for his release from the Toronto Argonauts football team. Wilder had gotten a tryout with the WWE and had talked about going there and starting a pro wrestling career after he finished up in football. We haven’t gotten any confirmation from WWE as to whether that is still his destination. (thanks to Joseph Del Busso)

MISCELLANEOUS

  • IPW from Saturday night in New Plymouth, New Zealand before a sellout of 450 fans: Falcon Kid b Link Barnett, Liger b Rufguts, Team Danny Jacobs b Team Vinny Dunn, Britenay b Grace Lightning, Alfred Valentine b James Shaw, Shane Sinclair b Marcus Kool, James Tagataese b Kingi, Jake Sheheen b Dal Knox. The show was live on iPPV on FITE.TV.  Next shows are 12/7 in Napier and 12/14 in Auckland (thanks to Steve Ogilvie)
  • Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling on Friday night in Belleville, IL:  Sean Vincent b Jake Prater, Ax Allwardt b Big Texan, Shawn Santel & Mauler McDarby b Frankie D & Chris Kade, Damian Blade b Gary Jackson, Ricky Cruz b Kowalski, Flash Flanagan & Billy McNeil b Ken Kasa & King Christopher Hargas-DQ, Bobby D b Curtis Wylder-DQ
  • Glory Pro Wrestling from Saturday night in Belleville, IL:  Mike Outlaw won three-way over Kenny Alfonso and Ricky Starks, Hakim Zane b Myron Reed in a cage match to became the first Midwest Territory champion, Paco Gonzalez b Ethan Price in a cage match, Air wolf & Angel Dorado won three-way cage match over Philly Collins & Marino Tenaglia and Joey O’Riley & Jordan Perry, Ethan Page & Josh Alexander b Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett in a cage match, Jake Something & Tommy Vendetta b Barackus & Jake Lander in a weapons cage match, Idris Abraham & Joe Coleman b Kevin Lee Davidson & Danny Adams in a cage match to win the United Glory tag titles, Kody Lane won escape the cage match over Allie Kat, Seishin, Danhausen, JJ Garrett and Pretty Boy Smooth, AJ Gray b Curt Stallion in a cage match (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
  • AXS TV announced the first Combate Americas TV show will be on 12/13 at 10 p.m. Eastern and 7 pm. Pacific from the Stockton Arena in Stockton, CA. The main event is Horacio Gutierrez (6-5) vs. Marlon Gonzales (15-4) in a featherweight bout.  Max Bretos and Julianna Pena will be the announcers. The debut on AXS will be the Alberto El Patron vs Tito Ortiz preview show that airs on 12/6 at 10 p.m. Eastern.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: WWF Survivor Series 1992

CONTACT INFORMATION

Daily Update: WWE travel issues, Walt Harris, ROH notes

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

CMLL FROM ARENA MEXICO ON THE CMLL YOUTUBE PAGE AT 10:30 P.M. EASTERN

  • Magnus & Principe Diamante vs. Espanto Jr. & Akuma
  • Marcela & Princesa Sugehit & Jarochita vs. Dalys & Metalica & Reyna Isis
  • Atlantis Jr. & Fugaz & Flyer vs. Hechicero & El Hijo del Villano III & Templario
  • Sanson vs. Star Jr. for the Rey del Infraumdo title
  • Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja & Stuka Jr. vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Cavernario & Mephisto
  • Gran Guerrero & Euforia vs. Mistico & Caristico for CMLL tag titles

UFC 244 FROM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN IN NEW YORK ON SATURDAY

ESPN 2 at 6:15 p.m. Eastern

  • Julio Arce (145.4) vs. Hakeem Dawodu (145.8)
  • Lyman Good (169.6) vs. Chance Rencountre (170.8)
  • Katlyn Chookagian (125.4) vs. Jennifer Maia (127.2) – Maia missed weight, second time she’s done so
  • Andrei Arlovski (244) vs. Jairznho Rozenstruik (246.2)
  • Brad Tavares (184.6) vs. Edmen Shahbazyan (185)
  • Shane Burgos (145.8) vs. Makwan Amirkhani (145.4)
  • Corey Anderson (204.6) vs. Johnny Walker (204.8)

PPV at 10 p.m. Eastern

  • Kevin Lee (155.6) vs. Gregor Gillespie (155.4)
  • Derrick Lewis (265) vs. Blagoy Ivanov (257.4)
  • Stephen Thompson (170.4) vs, Vicente Luque (170.2)
  • Kelvin Gastelum (184) vs. Darren Till (186)
  • Nate Diaz (170.4) vs. Jorge Masvidal (169.6) for BMF title

ROH EXPERIENCE SATURDAY NIGHT AT 6 P.M. FROM STAGE AE IN PITTSBURGH  OF HONOR CLUB

MLW PPV FROM CICERO STADIUM ON SATURDAY ON REGULAR PPV AND FITE TV AT 7 P.M. EASTERN

  • Simon Gotch & Ikuro Kwon vs. Dominic Garrni & Douglas James vs. Kenny Doane & Mikey Mondo
  • El Hijo de L.A. Park vs. Zenshi
  • Savio Vega vs. Leo Brien
  • Gino Medina vs. Air Wolf
  • Septimo Dragon & Gringo Loco & Puma King vs. Injustice
  • Jimmy Havoc vs. Mance Warner vs. Bestia 666 in a stairway to hell match
  • Low Ki vs. Brian Pillman Jr.
  • Alex Hammerstone vs,. Davey Boy Smith Jr. for the National open weight title
  • Tom Lawlor vs. Timothy Thatcher
  • MJF & Richard Holliday vs. Ross & Marshall Von Erich for the tag titles in a tornado match
  • Teddy Hart vs. Austin Aries for the middleweight title
  • Jacob Fatu vs. L.A. Park no DQ for the MLW title

NEW JAPAN POWER STRUGGLE AT 4 A.M. EASTERN EARLY SUNDAY MORNING FROM EDION ARENA IN OSAKA ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

  • Sho & Yoh vs. Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru in the Super Junior tag tournament finals
  • Will Ospreay vs,. Bushi for IWGP jr.;title
  • Kazuchika Okada & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi
  • Tetsuya Naito vs,. Taichi
  • KENTA vs. Tomohiro Ishii for Never Open weight title
  • Jay White vs. Hirooki Goto for IC title

ROH UNAUTHORIZED SUNDAY IN COLUMBUS, OHIO AT 8 P.M. EASTERN ON HONOR CLUB

  • Ultimo Guerrero vs. Jonathan Gresham
  • Mark Briscoe vs. Josh Woods
  • Cheeseburger & Beer City Bruiser & Brawler Milonas vs. Dalton Castle & Flip Gordon & Kenny King
  • Delirious & Mini Delirious vs. Jeff Cobb & Marty Scurll (all will wear masks and work as Luchadors, loser loses his mask)
  • PCO vs. Dan Maff
  • Shane Taylor & ? vs. Villain Enterprises
  • Rush & Dragon Lee vs. Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: AEW’s non-wrestling segment balancing act Joseph Currier looks at AEW’s balance of matches and talking segments over its first four weeks on TNT.

Four weeks into the promotion’s existence on weekly television, one of AEW’s biggest strengths has also been a bit of a balancing act for them.

Alternatives to WWE have long tried to present themselves as having “less talk, more action.” While WWE is still too reliant on a TV format that was carried by Steve Austin and The Rock and struggles without stars of that caliber, there was a time when that was a more valid criticism than it currently is. The days of WWE programming always opening up with a monotonous 20-minute promo segment from a heel authority figure are gone for now. This decade has seen WWE totally overhaul its hiring practices, bringing the level of the company’s in-ring action higher than it’s ever been.

Finding the right balance between non-wrestling segments and matches is vital. But while WWE has had problems with finding the right mix, the biggest issue is that their talking segments too often just haven’t been very good. They’re overly scripted and rarely accomplish their goal of getting fans more interested in the match they’re supposed to be building. Tons of the most iconic moments in pro wrestling history happened outside of matches. People don’t dislike promos — they dislike bad ones.

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WON NEWSLETTER: November 4, 2019 Observer Newsletter: WWE financials, Crown Jewel, more

In a crazy week, we’ve got the most detailed look at the business of pro wrestling in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Our lead story updates the WWE business with the key notes from the quarter.  We look at why the stock took a big plunge even though profits were above expectations.  We look at the key things the market is worried about with the company, and the very different key things regarding brand popularity that I see as major warning signs.  We look mainly at the consumer business, tickets, WWE Network, merchandise and more, as well as good news on television ratings, and why we know house shows are down but it’s hard to fairly gauge how much.  We also look at the decline of NXT live and how every other consumer spending category is doing.

We go through Crown Jewel, with a look at the women’s match and its ramifications and why it went the way it did, why Lesnar vs. Velasquez went the way it did, look at the key stories coming out of the show, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.

We also look at the build for Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal and on UFC 244 and the ramifications of the key fights.  We also look at the ticket demand for the show and more on Dwayne Johnson at the show.

We also look at John Cena’s philanthropy, changes in Survivor Series plans, original plan for Tyson Fury and why it was changed, Xavier Woods update, HHH looks at how the way they do call-ups from NXT has changed and how it works now, Seth Rollins complains about the fans and what i and isn’t legit, WWE reaction to Smackdown ratings, notes on ticket sales for the five shows in Chicago at the end of the month including AEW television and the demand, DVR viewership for Raw, Hulu viewership for WWE shows, WrestleMania tickets, notes on the next Takeover show, WWE Backstage notes, WWE international TV notes, notes on Carolina on Raw and her long-term role, coach quits PC and new coach hired, all-women’s house show, DVD changes, new name for giant, value of WWE stock and the most-watched shows on the WWE Network.  We also look at all the WWE arena events over the past week with results, highlights and business notes.

We also explain the Kenny Omega entrance video and the Sans connection that appeared on AEW television this week.  It’s a look at what it is and what it isn’t.

We also have an in-depth look at the Albert Hardie Jr., situation with WWE, the T-shirt, and far more about the situation including his comments, WWE’s comments and much more about it.

We also look at the television business and 18-49 demos and look at the expense and future value of the different wrestling television shows.  We look at the platform, the night, the rights fees and more for UFC, WWE and AEW.

We also have a rundown on the UFC show from Singapore.

We also have full coverage of all the WWE and AEW television shows from the past week.

We’ve also got 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.

We also have the results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week. 

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FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE

So there is a ton of stuff stemming from the issues with talent getting out of Saudi Arabia. There were a ton of issues that have been on this tour (and on previous tours), and uncertainty. For obvious reasons, WWE wants to keep the deal live. A lot of talent is saying they won’t go back, but who knows who will and won’t. The last word was that talent was scheduled to fly out at 8 p.m. Eastern tonight and they would be landing in New York, and not Buffalo which was the original destination. Vince McMahon got out before there were any issues, with his staff, as did Brock Lesnar. Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair were able to leave early on a chartered flight Hogan took. All are in the U.S. now. 

WWE had Atlas Air release this statement regarding the flight last night: “A chartered WWE passenger flight operated by Atlas Air is currently delayed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia due to a mechanical issue. The flight was scheduled to depart at 0300 local time on November 1. Our top priority is always to ensure our passengers arrive safely and on time at their destination. The aircraft is being repaired and will be inspected and certified before returning to service to transport our passengers to their final destination. We regret that operational disruptions delayed the flight and apologize to our passengers who were inconvenienced.”

Walt Harris has pulled out of his 12/7 fight with Alistair Overeem in Washington,DC since his stepdaughter, Aniah Blanchard, has gone missing for one week. He felt he needed to focus on his family at this time. Blanchard, a college student, had her car found on 10/25 after she had been missing since 10/23, at an apartment complex in Montgomery, AL and police believe she was likely the victim of foul play.  A number of people, including Dana White and Jon Jones, have offered significant reward money for information that will help authorities find her.  

Dragon Lee and Alex Shelley have been added to the ROH Final Battle show. 

WWE

  • WWE has announced a WrestleMania on sale party on 11/13 in Tampa at the Ford Thunder Alley at 5:30 p.m. with WWE & NXT stars including Nia Jax, Ruby Riott, Alicia Fox, Boogeyman, Kurt Angle,Mark Henry, Ricky Steamboat and Jimmy Hart.
  • New Hidden Gems listed as Halloween matches on the WWE Network were actually from the night after, November 1, 1989 in Wichita, which were dark matches from a TV taping that had never aired with Roddy Piper vs. Rick Rude and Randy Savage vs. Jim Duggan.
  • A story on Bayley going heel. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
  • Newsweek story on the Saudi Arabia show.

UFC

  • DAZN has stated they will delay the start of tomorrow’s Canelo Alvarez vs. Sergey Kovalev fight until after the completion of the Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal fight, so about 1 a.m. Eastern.  The Alvarez fight is taking place in Las Vegas.
  • UFC will be launching the first Asia series of Dana White’s Contenders in 2020 from the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai. The new 93,000-square foot building is nearly three times the size of the U.S. version in Las Vegas.
  • Manny Bermudez announced on social media that he’s been released by UFC. He’s missed weight in two fights and lost his last two fights. 

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Shane Taylor will replace Jay Lethal at tomorrow night’s ROH show in Pittsburgh.
  • Brody King, due to a knee injury, will be out of action until Final Battle on 12/13.  However, other members of Villain Enterprises will defend the six-man titles in Pittsburgh. 
  • Lena Kross vs. Avary has been added to the 11/9 Melbourne City Wrestling show.
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi’s movie “My Dad is a Heel Wrestler” is playing at the Japanese Film Festivals in Perth, Australia on 11/2; 11/17 to 11/23 in Sydney and 11/24 to 11/30 in Melbourne. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)  
  • MCW on Saturday in Culpeper, VA at Easter View High School has a meet and greet at 5:30 p.m. and live show at 7 p.m.  Billy Gunn vs. Dante Caballero and Melina vs.; Aria Palmer with Swoggle as referee are on the show. 
  • MCW also has a show as part of the AEW weekend on 11/7 in Joppa, MD at the MCW Arena with Rhett Titus, Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, Trent Baretta, Colt Cabana, George South, Killer Kross, Barry Horowitz and Maria Manic.  They also run 11/9 in Hollywood, MD at the Volunteer Fire Department with a meet and greet with Ricky Steamboat.
  • Pro Wrestling Revolver on 11/15 in Dayton, OH at The Brightside with Killer Kross vs.; Jessicka Havok for the Revolver title, Sami Callihan vs. Clayton Gainz in a death match, Rickey Shane Page vs. Alex Colon, plus Nick Gage, Trey Miguel, Manscout Jake Manning and Zachary Wentz.
  • United Wrestling Coalition on 11/9 in Wrightstown, NJ at Kelly’s Banquet Hall.
  • Combate Americas announced a strawweight title match with Melissa Martinez (6-0) vs.  Desiree Yanez (5-1) as part of the 12/7 show in McAllen, TX headlined by Tito Ortiz vs. Alberto El Patron.
  • Michigan promoter Dave Martin announced a joint Impact and Border City Wrestling show on 12/8 in Belleville, MI at the Diamond Back Saloon.  Announced for the show are Michael Elgin, Jordynne Grace, Taya Valkyrie, Brian Cage, Eddie Edwards, Moose, OVE, Willie Mack,, Rich Swann and The Rascalz.
  • Defy has shows on 11/30 and 12/1 at Washington Hall in Seattle.   The 12/1 show is open to all ages for the first time. Announced for the shows are Schaff, Meiko Satomura, Jimmy Havoc, El Phantasmo, Jake Atlas, Artemis Spencer, Alexander Hammerstone, Douglas James, Josef Samael and Jacob Fatu.
  • Adam Cole will be a special guest at the Evolve seminar and tryout on 11/10 in Brooklyn and all wrestlers will be scouted by Gabe Sapolsky. Applications can be sent to WWNLive.com
  • Devon Dudley appears on 11/23 in Lockport, NY for Empire State Wrestling at the Kenan Center.  The show also features the Ilio DiPaolo Memorial Cup with AR Fox, Bill Collier, l Brandon Thurston and others, as well as a War Games match, Homicide, Eddie Kingston, Pepper Parks and more.  
  • CWE on 11/8 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan at the Yorkdale Central School with Juventud Guerrera and Mentallo.
  • 559 Fights on 11/9 in Visalia, CA at the Convention  Center headlined by Josue Gonzalez (3-1) defending his flyweight title against Johnny Maldonado (3-0) of Bakersfield.  They also have a fight for the vacant welterweight title with Jonathan Moskowitz (4-1) of Tulare against Diego Zura (3-1) of Salinas.
  • A story on a firefighter who passed away of cancer who Dwayne Johnson knew (thanks to Barry Werner)
  • Since being let go, Joey Mercury is going at it with ROH.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: ECW November to Remember 1998

CONTACT INFORMATION

Northern California pro wrestling voice Walt Harris passes away

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Walt Harris, the voice of the most popular period of pro wrestling in Northern California and best known nationally as the host of the syndicated Roller Derby shows, passed away last night at the age of 97.

Harris had stopped eating a few days ago and we were told that it was imminent.

Harris was a sports producer for every major sport and team in the Bay Area, who received many awards including being in the Golden and Silver Circle of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, a member of the Roller Derby Hall of Fame, and a member of the Northern California Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. .

Harris was the sole announcer for National All Star Wrestling and Big Time Wrestling in the 1960s that aired on KTVU, Ch. 2 in San Francisco, and KCRA, Ch. 3, in Sacramento, and were syndicated at times in cities like Honolulu, Phoenix, and other West Coast markets. He had already been the Roller Derby announcer on that station for a few years and Roller Derby was all the rage in the Bay Area before Roy Shire started his career as a promoter, drawing sellouts of the biggest matches at the Cow Palace and making Charlie O’Connell perhaps the most popular athlete in the area. Roller Derby became a national powerhouse, selling out almost every major arena in that era.

He was a natural choice for wrestling, since he already worked for KTVU-TV, and in fact was the first person hired to work at the station. When the station started, Harris, with his golden voice, was the anchor for the morning news and announcer of a live musical show, and then was tabbed for Roller Derby, which in the early days, was the show that put the station on the map.

As noted many times, his work as a host of the show was similar to Lance Russell, as was his talent. He had credibility as a newsman, and announced that way, which gave credibility to Roller Derby, also a worked sport, and somehow managed to portray the wacky antics on wrestling as legit. His work in particular at handling there interviews I’d rate equal to Russell, and along with Gene Okerlund and Vince McMahon as the best ever in that role, although he was completely different from the latter two and much closer to Russell in approach.

During his early years, Shire’s territory was considered the hottest in the United States, and the Cow Palace, the home base, was second to only Madison Square Garden as the largest grossing arena in the U.S.