Daily Update: Vikingo injured, WWE Holiday Tour ticket sales, AEW Worlds End

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • Both of our weekend shows are on the site now.  The first is with Garrett talking in depth about the news of the past week, top news stories of 2024, AEW issues and my story on Rey Misterio Sr.We did the weekend show last night with Bryan talking Worlds End, the angles coming out of the show, Smackdown and WrestleMania as well.
  • We’re looking for your thoughts on Worlds End, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • We’re looking for reports on these shows:
    • WWE last night in Orlando
    • WWE tonight in Chicago
    • WWE tonight in Miami
    • Progress today In London

We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Sunday Update:

  • Chicago for Gunther vs. C.M. Punk in a cage for the world title was at 11,484 tickets as of this morning so it could sell out.  Miami is at about 5,800 tickets out.
  • The Worlds End press conference last night was very short with no major news past Adam Copeland & FTR were featured and talked heavily about Wednesday’s show in Asheville, NC.   It felt like Copeland vs. Jon Moxley will be the next major AEW title match, but Copeland talked about the trios title with Team Rated FTR.  Tony Khan was asked two questions that could have led to controversy.  When asked about the signing of the new media rights deal vs. perception he basically acted as if nothing was wrong and Jay Reddick from the local newspaper asked about WWE going head-to-head and he said it was great for business that both shows did well.
  • Jon Moxley was said to be ok after the show.
  • Tyler Breeze, AJ Francis and Baron Corbin were all backstage at Worlds End, according to Fightful.
  • WWE drew 7,854 in the Kia Center and AEW did 6,978 at the Addition Financial Arena.  So WWE drew more for a house show, but it was also barely half full for a pro wrestling full set up.  AEW was just shy of a sellout and usually when you come a few hundred shy you announce a sellout.  They at no point on the broadcast claimed a sellout.  Of course it’s a house show vs. PPV but it’s also a super hot company who is the market leader.  When WWF did this many times (usually in the past they’d run the day before rather than head-to-head with a WCW PPV show), the WWF house show always outdrew the WCW PPV show.   It also would run late to tire out the crowd for the next day.  So this was a different strategy.
  • The back issue of the Observer is the first issue after the Chris Benoit murder/suicide.  The next six back issues will be on the Benoit story, which from a mainstream standpoint was the biggest news story by far that we ever covered.
  • El Hijo del Vikingo was injured again today. According to Progress, the match with Kid Lykos II was stopped early due to an injury and their medical team is checking him out.  They said they hoped for a speedy recovery and a return to the promotion.
  • Orange Cassidy did a video coming out of the show last night that he’s looking for Adam Page.
  • Rey Misterio Sr.’s funeral was held at the Auditorio in Tijuana over the weekend.  We saw clips of Konnan speaking.  We should have more on this later.  The funeral was on the traditional Friday night.  Damian 666 put this together.  He had a private funeral for family in Rosarito yesterday.
  • Peter “Tally Ho” Kaye’s death was just reported over the weekend although it took place a few months back.  He was 86.  He started in 1964 and became Tally Ho Kaye in 1975 with a gimmick built on his showjumping background and blowing a hunting horn.  He was a regular opponent in the U.K. of Dynamite Kid, Satoru Sayama, Davey Boy  Smith, Big Daddy and others.   We’ll have a story on him in the next issue.(thanks to Tony Earnshaw and John Lister)
  • Stardom held a big show earlier today at Sumo Hall with Saya Kamitani winning the World of Stardom title from Tam Nakano.  The booking of their tag match seemed to indicate that would happen.  All reports we had said the semifinal was quite great:
    • Yuna Mizumori & Aya Sakura b Chi Chi & Mato Hamabe
    • Ranna Yaami drew Sayaka Kurara
    • Hanan & Saya Iida b Momo Watanabe & Thekla ot win the Goddesses tag title
    • Mina Shirakawa & Waka Tsukiyama & Hanako & Rian won a three-way over Saki Kashima & Hina & Lady C & Tomooki Inaba and Ruaka & Rina & Fukigen Death & Azusa Inaba
    • AZM & Mei Seria & Suzu Suzuki & Miyu Amasaki b Mayu Iwatani & Hazuki & Koguma & Momo Kohgo
    • Saori Anou b Mika Iwata
    • Syuri b Konami  via DQ in a no pins match (people did not like this ending)
    • Starlight Kid b Natuspoi to win the Wonder of Stardom title
    • Kamitani b Nakano with a Revolution style star crusher to win the World of Stardom title.  
  • They announced All Star Grand Queendom 2025 for 4/27 at the Yokohama Arena.  Also the Cinderella tournament will be 3/8 to 3/15, with the winner likely getting a World title match at the Yokohama show.
  • WWE named Jey Uso’s IC title win over Bron Brakker on 9/23 at the best Raw moment of 2023.
  • The new issue of the Observer will have the awards ballot for 2024. This ended up being a very 1941 baseball year where Ted Williams hit .406 while Joe DiMaggio led the Yankees to winning the World Series and set the consecutive hit record with 56 straight games.  In this case you’ve got Cody Rhodes winning the title and being the top full-time star in a year of  gate records and doing huge merch sales and having quality matches vs. the incredible big match year of Will Ospreay.  They were the two lead candidates last year but this year both are stronger candidates this year for the same reasons they were the top ones last year.  Cody was Joe.  Ospreay was Ted.  Joe won the MVP award.
  • It was very strongly teased that Kenny Omega will face Kazuchika Okada for All In in Arlington, TX.
  • Big E has joined the Fiesta Sports Foundation as the Chief Fiesta Officer.  He will work with fan-centric activities regarding the live Fiesta Bowl event  which takes place on New Year’s Eve with  Boise State vs. Penn State.
  • CMLL had a huge holiday week with a complete sellout last night at  Arena Coliseo, a sellout in Puebla and a huge house on Friday.  In a surprise, Templario & Legendario beat Ultimo Guerrero & Crixus to win the Gran Alternativa tournament.
  • Results from Baltimore last night:
    • LA Knight pinned Santos Escobar
    • Erick Rowan & Joe Gacy & Dexter Lumis & Nikki Cross b  Karrion Kross & Scarlett & AOP when Cross pinned Scarlett
    • Liv Morgan b Iyo Sky to keep the women’s title via oblivion
    • Bron Breakker b Sami Zayn s 2/3 falls by winning the second and third falls with a spear to keep the IC title
    • Rey Mysterio & CM Punk bn NewDay when Punk pinned Kingston with the GTS
    • Otis b Ludwig Kaiser with caterpillar and elbow
    • Seth Rollins b Dominik Mysterio via curb stomp
    • Gunther b Damian Priest to keep the world title in a cage match when Kaiser and Dominik interfered .  Punk helped out after and the show ended with Rey and Dominik in the cage and Rey whipping Dominik with a belt (thanks to Mike Rutter)
  • Queen of the Ring will be screening on 1/10 at the St. Augustine, FL Film Festival at Flagler College at 7 p.m.   The theatrical release for the movie is scheduled for 3/7.
  • Buff Bagwell appeared on Memphis Wrestling TV yesterday.