DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

• WWE announces Matt Hardy’s contract has expired
• VIDEO: Being The Elite – ‘Revolution’
• Season 2 of Viceland’s ‘Dark Side of the Ring’ debuting in late-March
• WWE Money in the Bank 2020 set for Baltimore
• Jun Akiyama to guest coach at WWE Performance Center in May

Latest Audio:

• F4D: Smackdown, Male Bag, Geek of the Week return, more! 3/2
• WOL: AEW Revolution, Frozen Musical, WWE, more! 3/2
• B&V: Bryan and Vinny review AEW Revolution, plus Granny and more! 3/1
• WOL: AEW Revolution starring pro wrestling, your thoughts, more 3/1

We’re looking for reports from last night’s WWE Raw show in Salisbury, MD, as well as from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn tonight with Main Event results, dark match results and anything else not on the live show to [email protected].

We’re also looking for your thoughts on Saturday’s AEW Revolution PPV, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]

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.

WON NEWSLETTER: March 2, 2020 Observer Newsletter: NJPW cancels show due to coronavirus, WM 36 card update

An update on the WrestleMania card after Super Showdown with 11 currently decided upon matches and five or six others in discussion is covered in the current issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

The lead story updates how the coronavirus has affected Japanese pro wrestling as well as Japanese culture.  We talk about sports and entertainment cancellations, the shows new Japan Pro Wrestling has canceled, the prospects for this year’s New Japan Cup, an update on Stardom,DDT,Dragon Gate, All Japan, NOAH and other Japanese companies on what shows are on and off. We look at if New Japan can still save the New Japan Cup, history of New Japan Cup winners vs. G-1 winners taking the IWGP title, an a breakdown of the original tournament plans.

The new issue also covers: 

Plans and background of the coming WrestleMania, as well as Super Showdown coverage with match-by-match coverage with star ratings.

A feature on Manabu Nakanishi’s career and coverage of his retirement show this past week. We look at the difference between Nakanishi and Jushin Liger, Nakanishi’s amateur wrestling days, Nakanishi’s shoot fighting days, Nakanishi in WCW, the Nakanishi heyday and the past decade.  We note the major surgery that nearly ended his career ad slowed him down, and some of the all-time greats comment on Nakanishi.

The major matches in the New Japan ring over the past week.

WWE television deals, WWE Network price change, XFL ratings, Samoa Joe suspension, New WWE international signing, WWE injury updates, Canadian TV ratings, Ric Flair’s 71st birthday, how much Raw has fallen in four yeas, Edge’s return,NXT Takeover notes, Evolve news for WrestleMania week with WWE talent, Australia tour, stock value, most-watched shows on the WWE Network as well as a look at every WWE arena event over the past week with business notes and highlights.

A preview of the AEW PPV and full coverage of the UFC show in Auckland, New Zealand.

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].

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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Raw, UFC, AEW and the latest pro wrestling news with Wrestling Observer Radio tonight. You can send questions to the show to [email protected]

The 2019 Wrestling Observer Awards issue will be out Thursday. That makes this a good week to start a subscription. You can also subscribe to the print edition with details above.

Regarding reports on Matt Riddle and Bianca Belair being on the show. PWInsider reported that both are at the Barclays Center. That’s true, they are both there, but neither are scheduled for the show.  Riddle is there for unrelated business while Belair is there to see her husband, Montez Ford, go for the tag team titles.

YouTube TV announced that Google has agreed to a temporary extension with Sinclair to keep the 21 Fox Sports Net RSN’s on the service while they negotiate a new deal. ROH airs on those stations. 

In the current Observer we noted that Wednesday’s Dynamite in Denver could be the least attended AEW show to date, but tickets moved over the weekend and they have surpassed the attendance for the Huntsville show which is the lowest to date. It’s also possible they will set their all-time record in Newark, NJ in three weeks. That show is not sold out, but they just announced a version of War Games called Blood & Guts as the main event on that show.

Matt Hardy’s first appearance after his WWE contract has expired will be at The Big Event convention in Queens, NY on Saturday.

WWE

• Brock Lesnar, Beth Phoenix and Paul Heyman are all scheduled for tonight’s show which also includes Seth Rollins & Murphy vs. The Street Profits for the tag team titles, Aleister Black vs. A.J. Styles, Rey Mysterio & Humberto Carrillo vs. Andrade & Angel Garza, and Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane.
• Baszler was to face Asuka tonight, but Asuka suffered a wrist injury over the weekend.  Asuka is expected to be able to work Sunday’s Elimination Chamber show.
• A story on Big E. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)

UFC

• Ion Cutelaba is filing an appeal with the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulations to get his stoppage loss on Saturday to Magomed Ankalaev overturned.  It was one of the worst stoppages in recent memory.

AEW

• The response to our poll on Revolution which still has two days left, will end up being among the largest in the history of the web site.

MISCELLANEOUS

• One of the biggest amateur wrestling events of the year, the annual Beat the Streets show in New York takes place 5/28 at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden. 
• Real Canadian Wrestling on 3/13 in Vegreville, Alberta at the Royal Canadian Legion.  They also run 3/27 in Ponoka, Alberta at the Legion 66. Plus 3/7 in Edmonton at the Norwood Legion with a Gold Rush Rumble.  They also run 3/21 in Edmonton .at the Norwood Legion. with Rosemary from Impact.
• MPW on 3/7 in Edmonton at the Alberta Avenue Community Centre. 
• RevPro from yesterday in London at the Cockpit:  Kenneth Halfpenny & Shaun Jackson d Brandan White & JJ Gale 15:00, Dan Moloney b Clark Connors, Hikuleo & El Phantasmo b Carlos Romo & Chief Deputy Dunne, LJ Cleary & Darren Kearny & Nathan Martin b Michael Oku & Ricky Knight Jr. & Robbie X, Rampage Brown & Great O’Kharn b Shota Umino & Kyle Fletcher, David Starr b Sean Kustom, Gisele Shaw & Aleah James b Zoe Lucas & Zan Phoenix, Eddie Kingston b Mad Kurt.
• A story on the life of former Iowa wrestler Alphonse “Babe Carnera” Bisignano.
• Defy on 3/29 has an all age Sunday show at Washington Hall in Seattle at 5 p.m. headlined by MVP, Brian Pillman Jr.,Schaff, Josef Samael and Jacob Fatu. Great Sasuke will appear on the 4/17 show at Washington Hall.
• Invicta runs Friday night from Memorial Hall in Kansas City with Phoenix Series with a one-night eight woman bantamweight tournament.  The participants are:
  Julia Ottolino (1-0)
  Kerry Kenneson (3-2)
  Claire Guthrie (1-0)
  Serena DeJesus (1-1)
  Brittney Victoria (3-1)
  Taylor Guardado (0-0)
  Taneisha Tennant (2-0)
  Hope Chase (2-1)
  There will also be a bantamweight championship fight with Lisa Verzosa (5-0) vs. Julija Stoliarenko (8-3-1) fighting for the vacant title. The show airs on UFC Fight Pass at 8 p.m. Eastern.
• Stephan Bonnar and Tom Lawlor will headline for Paradigm Pro Wrestling on 3/27 in Sellersburg, IN at American Legion Post 204. They will be part of an eight-man pro wrestling tournament.
• Glory Pro Wrestling from yesterday in Collinsville, IL: Storm Grayson b Davey Bang, Kylie Rae b Blair Onyx, Dan Adams & Allie Kat b Danhausen & Eleyna Black, Jake Lander b Ethan Price, Idris Abraham & Joe Coleman won four-way over Logan & Sterling Riegel, Camaro Jackson & Kenny Alfonso and Matt Knicks & Chris Castro to keep the tag titles, Hyan b Seishin, Kevin Lee Davidson b Nick Gage in a falls count anywhere match, Mike Outlaw won three-way over Paco Gonzalez and Suge D, Jake Something won four-way over Barackus, Clayton Gainz and Steve Manders, Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett b Timmy Lou Retton & White Mike, Kody Lane b Hakim Zane DQ, A.J. Gray b Chris Dickinson to keep the Glory championship (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
• Revolution Wrestling Federation on 3/22 at the Harrisburg, PA Midtown Arts Center in the Capitol Room.
• An article on Chris Nowinski and sports concussions. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk) 

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Austin & Pillman win WCW Tag Team titles

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