DAILY UPDATE
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VIDEO: NWA Power episode 11 – ‘Not A Christmas Movie’
MLW notes: Atout signs multi-year deal, Smith vs. Gotch at Zero Hour
WWE Raw spoilers for tonight: United States title match
NWA Power airing on Monday this week
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WOR: Weekend news, Smackdown review, Pro Wrestling In 2020 12/22
Big Audio Nightmare: Road to Tokyo Dome, Warrior Wrestling, more 12/22
F4W NEWSLETTER: Recapping WWE TLC 2019 Joseph Currier gives his thoughts on WWE’s final PPV of the decade.
WWE’s final pay-per-view of the decade took place on Sunday night and exemplified some of the changes we’ve seen over the past 10 years.
TLC 2019 was very much a B-level PPV in the WWE Network era. Not only were the top men’s and women’s singles titles from each brand not defended, there were no singles titles on the line at all. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens and AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton seemed like they were being built up as non-title matches that would help anchor the card, but they didn’t end up getting added. The show even ended with an angle instead of a match. After Asuka & Kairi Sane’s tables, ladders, and chairs match against Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair, a locker room brawl that featured Roman Reigns and Baron Corbin continued. The image that closed the show was Reigns spearing Corbin from an elevated area onto a pile of bodies. It felt like the ending of an episode of Raw or SmackDown instead of a major event.
Current subscribers click here to continue reading.
WON NEWSLETTER: December 23, 2019 Observer Newsletter: TLC and Final Battle reviews, more
We’ve got complete coverage of the last series of major shows held around the world in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer, as well as bios on a number of wrestlers who have passed away in recent weeks.The new issue also covers:
TLC, focusing on the behind-the-scenes of the Kairi Sane situation, who knew,when did they know, the channels where the ball was dropped and what can and needs to be learned from it. We note the business of the event, the U.S. popularity levels, plus have match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.
Exactly how AEW was formed, including what match made Tony Khan feel opposition was viable and what conversation with what major person in television made it happen, as well as who was contacted first to be part of it. We also have the story from the market rep who got Bullet Club shirts into Hot Topic.
DVR numbers for pro wrestling shows right now as well as how meaningful they are and what it says about audiences. We also look at how and why the dynamic of how people watch wrestling on Wednesdays has changed over the past several weeks. We also look at wrestling viewership in Canada.
Big names who have signed new WWE deals and a major name who has not, a WWE overseas TV deal, how many people buy WWE video games, pro wrestling offers to Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez’s next WWE show, the story behind Chelsea Green and Deonna Purrazzo on Raw and what it means short and long-term, a reboot of a WWE tag team, new feuds being started in WWE, most-watched shows on the WWE Network, WWE stock value and a look at all the WWE & NXT shows held over the past week with business notes and highlights.
UFC 245, with business notes, notes about the fighters who elevated their games, the title picture, plus match-by-match coverage.
ROH as it goes into 2020, who is going, who is staying, what is unknown, what kind of deals are being offered plus Final Battle coverage, with business notes, poll results, match-by-match coverage and star ratings.
AAA Guerra de Titanes, the creation of the new top stable, the debut of Sin Cara, thoughts and problems with the new name he’s using and more.
A bio on Randy Colley, best known as Moondog Rex, including his legal issues with WWE, what happened with the fans that ruined what would have been his biggest career break, other gimmicks he had, the birth of the Moondog gimmick and his biggest matches.
NWA, its YouTube numbers, its television tapings direction for the next several weeks, its net PPV show, as well as coverage of its Into the Fire show with poll results.
2019 cable numbers for the stations that carry pro wrestling and MMA and what they mean.
Notes on the career of Alberto Munoz, who was supposed to become a legend, and what happened in 1973 that ended that dream.
Dragon Gate’s Final Gate show with coverage of the event.
A personal look at how a law that was poorly thought out will affect reporters and web sites that use people from California and how adhering to it will make it nearly impossible for anyone in the state to start out in the field, and for the vast majority who work for publications outside the state, to likely lose their jobs.
The life of Scottish Hall of Famer Andy Robin, and his protege, Hercules the Bear.
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.
Current subscribers click here to read.
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
In horrible news, Mr. Niebla, a CMLL major star, just passed away. He had been hospitalized with a blood infection. He was 46. Niebla has been with CMLL since 1995, and while he had numerous issues over the years, he was always taken back. He was a former CMLL world heavyweight champion, tag team champion and two-time world trios champion.
Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Raw and other notes, as well as taking your email questions to [email protected]. Garrett Gonzalez and I talked about pro wrestling in 2020 on last night’s Wrestling Observer Radio, taking questions on the subject.
Sanada vs. Zack Sabre Jr. is still on the lineup for the 1/5 show at the Tokyo Dome. Nothing has been said more about Sanada’s injury and those we were in contact with had the impression it was not serious.
Fandango is back out of action for several months to a year after Tommy John surgery from an elbow injury suffered in the tag match on the 12/11 NXT show. You could see him favor his arm in the match with the Singh Brothers.
Jumanji: The Next Level was a distant number two behind Star Wars at the box office this past weekend doing $26.5 million in week two.
WWE
Glenn Jacobs talked to Sports Illustrated about how Bryan Danielson, whose political beliefs are the opposite of his, has helped shape his own political viewpoints. I remember hearing about how Mick Foley, whose beliefs were similar to Danielson, always admired Jacobs because of how smart he was in debating opposite opinions. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny did a music video featuring Steve Austin. You can watch it on Youtube or the link attached here. The song “Quien tu eres? (Who are you?) is from last year’s “X Siempre” (for ever) album that was released on Christmas eve 2018. So in the one year anniversary he released the video clip. It’s kind of funny especially at the end. It’s the second time that Bad Bunny features a pro-wrestler in a video as he did one with Ric Flair a few years ago. He grew up in the 90’s watching RAW and is a big fan of WWE and had made various references to pro-wrestlers in his songs. (thanks to Leonardo Mendez Toledo)
Maria Menounos will be on WWE Backstage tomorrow night.
Evolve runs 1/17 in Ybor City, FL and 1/18 in Orlando. There will be meet and greets on those shows with Rhea Ripley and Cameron Grimes in Orlando and Dominik Dijakovic both nights. The shows will feature some NXT vs. Evolve matches.
UFC
With Frankie Edgar finished by Chan Sung Jung on Saturday, Edgar’s attempt to fight twice in a short period of time, a second fight with Cory Sandhagen on 1/25 in Raleigh, NC, is out. Sandhagen is now off the show and looking for a name opponent and asked for either Marlon Moraes or Dominick Cruz.
AEW
Matt Jackson on Instagram wrote that he and his brother have decided to leave Twitter permanently, saying it took away time from their family and felt it seemed to stifle their creativity. He said they will continue to post stuff online.
Cody has said he will announce some surprises on Christmas day.
MISCELLANEOUS
The WWN produced WrestleExpo in association with WrestleMania week has two shows on 4/2 called Accelerate: Initiate, with stars from NXT, NXT UK, Evolve, Progress and wXw. The shows will take place at Noon and 4 p.m. that day, the Thursday before WrestleMania at the Bryan Glazer JCC, which is the site of the old Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa.
AAW’s 15th annual Windy City Classic on 12/28 at 115 Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park, IL, which will air as an iPPV on FITE TV, has Josh Alexander vs. Jacob Fatu with the AAW champion defending against the MLW champion, whose title is not at stake. Also Jessicka Havok defends the women’s title against Kris Statlander, Paco defends the Heritage title against Hakim Zane, tag champs Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett defend against Sami Callihan & Jake Crist, Jimmy Jacobs vs. Good Brother #3 in a dog collar chain match,Eddie Kingston & David Starr vs. Curt Stallion & Jake Something in a Bourbon street fight, Killer Kross vs. Matt Justice and Kimber Lee vs. Hyan.
Julian Ward vs. Mikey Nicholls for the EPW title was announced for 2/8.
Defy Wrestling on 1/3 in Seattle at Washington Hall with Matt Cross vs. Matt Sydal, Schaff & The Amerikan Gunz vs. Artemis Spencer & Jacob Fatu & Josef Samael, and Psicosis & Guillermo Rosas vs. Judas Icarus & Eli Surge.
The Rock & Roll Express and Private Party will be appearing 12/27 in Baltimore for a show at Perry High School. Renee Michelle (Drake Maverick’s wife) vs. Aria Palmer vs. Gia Scott for the women’s title is also on the how. Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson face King McBride & Rayo.
Pro Wrestling Revolver on 12/27 in West Des Moines, IA at the Val Air Ballroom has a battle for control of the promotion with Killer Kross & Ace Romero & JT Dunn & Jessicka Havok vs. Sami Callihan & Mad Man Fulton & Dave & Jake Crist, plus Jake Manning vs. Tent, Ace Austin defends the Impact X title against Trey Miguel and Blake Christian, Josh Alexander & Ethan Page defend the Revolver tag titles against Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz, Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett, Rich Swann & Jason Cade ad James Logan & Tyler Matrix.
Bill Apter talks to Alicia Atout.
Daily Pro Wrestling History: Homicide wins ROH title at Final Battle 2006
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