Daily update
sports illustrated
Latest news:
Latest sound:
Latest Free YouTube Video:
This week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:
The new issue of the Observer is available on the website with these stories:
- The return of Vince McMahon, the sales pitch and the departure of Stephanie McMahon
- Who is now responsible for running the company?
- What Vince McMahon’s role is today
- How Vince McMahon came back to power
- A look at various companies that have expressed interest in WWE
- Can Tony Khan take control of WWE?
- What kind of numbers are we talking about for the deal?
- What is the current market value of WWE?
- The Saudi Arabia Rumors
- How far the rumors spread
- What the 2016 UFC Selling Experience Says About What’s Publicly Said
- Notes from the meeting Stephanie McMahon, Frank Riddick and Nick Khan had with all employees of the company
- If something happens to Saudi Arabia what would be the likely impact based on previous examples from the sporting world
- Which companies did Nick Khan approach employees with when discussing the sale?
- Changes in WWE morale
- Fiscal year 2022 recap of major pro wrestling, MMA and boxing events
- Biggest crowd of the year
- Main eventer at the top for most spectators
- PPV numbers for the year
- Who drew the most over 15,000 viewers?
- UFC Goal Numbers
- List of $2 million gates
- Largest pro wrestling drawing card each year since 1916
- Biggest draw cards in history
- The changing media landscape and how this is affecting AEW and WWE
- Analysis of FOX’s losses on Morgan Stanley’s Smackdown
- The career of wrestler and promoter Johnny Powers, one of the biggest stars of the ’60s and ’70s
- Attempting to advertise nationally and what happened
- How he got his first breakthrough with Bruno Sammartino
- Multiple world title fights around the world
- His runs with big promotions
- Being the star of the NWF
- How Powers played into the early days of New Japan Pro Wrestling and his biggest matches there
- How Powers was promoted in Japan
- Powers and the Greatest 18 Club
- Full coverage of PWG Battle of Los Angeles with thoughts on the shows, where PWG stands, background on Chris Jericho’s performance to keep an eye on, and match-by-match coverage
- A look back at Black Warrior’s career
- The most in-depth look at the ratings of every show over the past week, plus segment by segment
- Mexican iconic figure retreating
- Sting’s final match in Japan
- Significant change in New Japan’s US approach
- Update on Sasha Banks/Mercedes Mone in New Japan with more dates
- How Mercedes postponed tickets for their first game
- A look at the big matches of the next new Japan tour
- Health update from superstar Billy Graham
- The announcer begins promoting a new group
- The death of the real Bobby Heenan and how the pro wrestling legend found out about his brother and family
- Adam Cole’s return
- Kyle O’Reilly gives health update
- Streaming numbers for AEW and WWE
- International TV Numbers
- Participation in upcoming shows
- California lawmakers criticize Dana White
- Dana White discusses his situation at a press conference
- Bellator might sign his best fighter
- Phil Baroni faces manslaughter charges and faces life imprisonment
- PFL announces new tournaments
- WWE is trying to remove things from the discovery process in MLW lawsuits
- How slow the courts can be in such situations
- How much did Shane McMahon make in WWE in 2022?
- The former New Japan wrestler made a quiet start to WWE camp this week
This week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:
Ordering Information:
Order the printed Wrestling Observer now and have it mailed to you by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiry date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal. com and direct money to dave@. wrestlingobserver.com.
Prices 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, prices 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, prices are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40, and $201.50 for 52.
Receive a $1 discount in each price range when you order in the mail with a check, cash, or money order sent to PO Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228.
Sunday update
ufc
My weekend show with Garrett Gonzales is on the site now and I’ll be back with Bryan tonight for the weekend news. You can send questions about the show to [email protected]
Referring to a note from the Observer last week about how quickly things are changing, we were told Vince McMahon was only back to facilitate a sale and would not be in the office or making any changes, but that has already changed . Ringside News was first to report that McMahon was back in the office suggesting changes, and we’ve corroborated that story as well. Talent was told on Friday that Paul Levesque would remain in charge of Creative and Levesque threw out a scenario where Vince could make suggestions and he talks to several people about Creative and they can make suggestions but he’s the guy who makes the final decisions.
UFC is back to business as usual. They had the first show and Dana White chaired the press conference announcing that Francis Ngannou is no longer with the company and that Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane will be on the 3rd/4th. compete for the heavyweight title. White said Ngannou was offered more money than any heavyweight in history (he was mostly Brock Lesnar, who got $8 million for his last fight) to face Jones, and threw the punch that Ngannou was looking for easier competition . There was a lot of talk last year about Ngannou Tyson Fury wanting to box and that he can achieve much more as a boxer despite it being a fight in which he stands very few chances. Ngannou vs. Jon Jones would be a big fight, this would be the biggest PPV event UFC can currently host. UFC had to pay quite a bit to get Jones to sign for eight fights. Ngannou’s second move if the first is Fury would be interesting. It would feel like the best move economically would be a return to the UFC, but Bellator and PFL would certainly at least try to snap him up. But if the asking price is higher than Lesnar, I don’t see how it makes economic sense.
In last night’s UFC main event, Sean Strickland beat Nassourdine Imavov with his height difference. All three judges gave Strickland the first four rounds and Imavov the fifth.
The controversial decision was Raquel Pennington over Ketlen Vieira. Bell gave Pennington the first two rounds. Derek Cleary gave Pennington rounds two and three. Sal D’Amato gave Vieira one and three. But 87 percent of the media results were for Vieira.
As far as Google searches go this weekend, obviously football is dominating it. The UFC was No. 6 yesterday, but more for the news about Ngannou, Jones and Gane than the show itself.
We’re looking for your thoughts on Friday’s Impact Hard to Kill show, so please feel free to give a thumbs up, thumbs down, or a thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
We are also looking for coverage of tonight’s WWE show in Corbin, KY, results, standings and other notes to [email protected]
WWE from last night in Roanoke, VA:
Candice LeRae b Bayley-DQ for interference from Io Sky and Dakota Kai in a quick match. Liv Morgan and Tegan Nox parried, leading to:
Morgan & Nox & LeRae b Bayley & Sky & Kai
Omos by Mustafa Ali
Dolph Ziggler superkicks Baron Corbin
Dominik Mysterio b Butch
Drew McIntyre & Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows b Empire
Dexter Lumis b Chad Gable. Otis tried to interfere and was kicked out
Charlotte Flair b Shayna Baszler to retain Smackdown Women’s title
Austin Theory b Seth Rollins with the same low blow finish they’ve been doing for weeks. (thanks to Jason Gallo)
United Wrestling Network from last night in Mesa, AZ: Clark Connors b Jakob Austin Young, Midnight Heat b Reno Scum to win the tag titles, Zeda Zhang b Danielle Kamela, Kevin Martenson b Davey Richards, Bad Dude Tito won four times over Shawn Dean, Joey Janela and Willie Mack, Peter Avalon b. R3 Cassus, Alexander Hammerstone b. Ortiz, Danny Limelight NC Eddie Kingston in a UWN title match, Invictus Khash won a rumble
Not a wrestling story, but a big WBD story is that Season 4 of Snowpiercer was canceled by TNT. It is part of WBD cuts and was the last remaining scripted television series on TNT. The decision had already been announced that this would be the show’s final season. (Thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
A story about Apollo Crews and next month’s WWE Tryouts in Nigeria.
FOX used both Paul Heyman and Nate Diaz for its coverage of the San Francisco 49ers game yesterday. Diaz made some pre-game hype and Heyman clipped a promo for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who is the next big thing.
In the new Netflix movie The Fall, two girls are stuck on a 2,000ft tower while one is about to fall asleep, the other tries to keep her awake by asking her what she did to her dead a child. She replied that they used to watch wrestling together and mentioned their favorite wrestlers as Steve Austin, The Rock, Bautista and then asked what Cactus Jack was called with a mask and then she remembered and said Mankind. (thanks to Pat Laprade)
Jon Moxley performed for the Cavalcade of Customs in his hometown of Cincinnati today (thanks to Brian Henke)
Lance LeVine remarked to us that in Chicago last night Freelance had a really fun show at the Logan Square Auditorium which was packed with almost 600 fans to see Ricky Morton. The highlight as local tag champions were the Bang Bros, who because of the Banger Bros name mimicked some Sheamus moves.