Daily Update: AEW notes, Virgil, Ole Anderson

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

One of the traditional biggest issues of the year, the 2023 awards issue, is out now. Between the awards and news, this is one of the largest issues in our history.

  • 2023 Awards, votes in all categories, placings, comments on the awards as well as a listing of every award winner since 1980.
  • More coverage of stories going back to WWE’s past, including the Paul Roma interview, what Jim Powers said about the claim, what Vince said when he fired Mel Phillips and Terry Garvin, the Pat Patterson situation, another former ring crew member comes forward, Ashley Massaro, John Cena and Randy Orton.
  • Both AEW & WWE establish ratings firsts this past week in a positive way. How WWE did so in a week that originally looked difficult, and how AEW’s record came out of the blue.
  • A look at Elimination Chamber and Revolution, lineups, ticket sales and more.
  • Full coverage of UFC 298, title change, what’s next for the winners and all the business notes including some telling numbers.
  • Wanderlei Silva in UFC Hall of Fame and a look back at pro wrestlers in MMA that faced him during the glory days of Pride, records Silva still owns, why Silva wasn’t the same fighter in UFC and more.
  • A study of people who buy pro wrestling PPVs from buyers from AEW, WWE and TNA including the best and worst state for each and what that does or doesn’t say about the fan base.
  • Michael Oku vs. Will Ospreay tops an incredible RevPro High Stakes card as well as Ospreay’s farewell to the promotion.
  • Notes on the major FantasticaMania shows.
  • The most detailed look at the ratings, including demos, competition, placing for the night and week and comparisons to one year ago.
  • Stardom PPV notes.
  • New Japan & Stardom financial info and how the business is doing.
  • Third generation of one of the biggest legends in history
  • More on NWA deal with CW
  • More on the attempted TNA purchase by Scott D’Amore
  • Notes on the hiring of Jennifer Pepperman by AEW
  • More on the proposed Ric Flair movie
  • Forbidden Door update
  • Notes on timing and taping changes for upcoming weeks and AEW
  • More on the AEW deal with CMLL
  • Update on Vikingo injury
  • Advance ticket sales for upcoming AEW & WWE major shows
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • Update on a major celebrity talked about for Mania
  • WWE injury updates
  • More on how the WrestleMania main event angle came into play

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE extended its condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Virgil (Mike Jones) following his passing:
          • WWE is saddened to learn that Michael Jones, known to WWE fans as Virgil, has passed away.
          • A beloved Superstar throughout his time in sports-entertainment, Virgil broke through alongside ‘The Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase and would go on to capture the Million Dollar Title, claim WrestleMania victories, and be featured as the original bodyguard of The nWo during a legendary career.
          • Jones’ journey began after a conversation with Tony Atlas, and he then began training with WWE Hall of Famer Afa of The Wild Samoans. After initial success on the regional scene as Soul Train Jones, including scoring tag team gold alongside The Rock’s Father, Rocky Johnson, Jones found his home in WWE as Virgil.
          • Jones served as the bodyguard for ‘The Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase and played a role in helping DiBiase and Andre the Giant end Hulk Hogan’s legendary near four-year WWE Title reign. After their relationship turned into a rivalry, Virgil and DiBiase would battle at WrestleMania VII and then at SummerSlam 1991 where Virgil would claim the Million Dollar Championship.
          • At WrestleMania VIII, Virgil teamed with Big Boss Man, Sgt. Slaughter and Jim Duggan to defeat The Nasty Boys, Repo Man and The Mountie. In the following years, Virgil interacted with and faced off against some of the biggest Superstars in WWE, including ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper, Randy Savage, Yokozuna, Bret Hart and many more.
          • WWE extends its condolences to Jones’ family, friends and fans.
  • After video surfaced of Maxxine Dupri being booed at a house show, Rhea Ripley, Zelina Vega, Becky Lynch, and Jade Cargill were among those who posted messages supporting Dupri.
  • Ripley: “I really wish that some of you got booed and ridiculed in the public eye while being new at your job. Learning and getting better is all apart of being human. Be better as humans.”
  • Vega: “This is absolutely horrible. She doesn’t deserve that. She’s such a kind soul and works really hard. I would love if the bad parts of the biz don’t harden her heart. They probably just mad cuz they can’t drink your bath water Maxine.”
  • A video that aired on NXT last night appeared to tease the return of Sol Ruca. At a house show earlier this month, Ruca wrestled her first match since suffering a torn ACL in April 2023.
  • Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins appeared on Hot Ones Versus for First We Feast.
  • Lynch and Drew McIntyre were today’s guests on WWE’s The Bump.
  • WWE shared a behind-the-scenes video from Elimination Chamber.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • TNA Wrestling wrote about the passing of Virgil: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mike ‘Virgil’ Jones. TNA Wrestling offers its heartfelt condolences to his friends and family.”
  • Tony Schiavone commented on the passing of Ole Anderson:
          • I am broken hearted about the death of Ole Anderson. To many, he was a grouchy, cantankerous, non-apologetic, battle-worn, son of a bitch. BUT to me, he was a friend, a mentor and a man I held in high regard. He taught me a lot in pro wrestling, a lot of which still applies today. I grew up a fan of the Anderson Brothers but became a bigger fan of Ole the man after I started in the business. Rest in peace, Rock. And make sure to tell someone in the afterlife to ‘go f*ck yourself’ daily
  • The New York Times published an Ole Anderson obituary.
  • Lex Luger was asked if he’ll be in attendance at AEW Revolution for Sting’s last match:
          • Let me put it this way…I will go back to 35 years of friendship. We talked about the guys [The Kliq] getting together at the Garden. Friendships sometimes transcend the kayfabe or work up the other, and there may be ramifications or may not.
          • Sting was there for me at 3 in the morning when I had my motorcycle wreck and they wanted to cut my arm off. He kind of stopped the doctors from cutting my arm off. So people can read into that what they want, on whether I might be at the building or not. I won’t confirm anything, but I’m just saying. I’ll leave it in that context. How’s that?
  • On his 1 Of A Kind podcast, Rob Van Dam discussed the trios tag match he took part in on last week’s Dynamite. RVD said he’s been made to feel appreciated and welcomed in AEW:
          • It was good. All those guys are good. It was a little bit chaotic. Yeah, I was in the ring with Joe, but it might have been a couple moves here and there where it could have been a save or whatever. There was just so much going on. It’s not the same as actually being in there and wrestling around with somebody in the ring a little bit, although that does happen and it’s part of the match. People pair off and do that stuff. I don’t know. I guess I feel like I was in there for a long time actually in that match. I was in there and people were taking turns whipping on me and stuff for a while. I know that, but it was cool. Everyone’s good.
          • A lot of the guys really went out of their way to make me feel appreciated and welcomed. They were like, ‘Hey, some of us might be a little apprehensive about coming up and telling you this, but we’re all so excited that you’re here and so stoked. Man, it’s so cool.’ There were a few particular guys who said that and I’ll always remember that because that stands out. It definitely puts me in a different perspective than in WWE where I felt replaceable and expendable. I might be there next week, I might not. I never knew. I never knew if I was really being appreciated there or not because there was so much balance of different energies conflicting.
  • Bryan Danielson stated that, if he had to add anyone to Blackpool Combat Club, it would be Daniel Garcia: “I really like the BCC as it is right now. But if I had to pick one person to add, I think it would be Daniel Garcia… I like his style.”
  • AEW uploaded a Control Center video ahead of tonight’s Dynamite.
  • Episode three of Johnny Loves Taya is available to watch on AEW’s YouTube channel.
  • The Battleground Podcast interviewed Darby Allin.
  • NJPW wrestler Kosei Fujita will make his MLW debut at War Chamber 2024 in St. Petersburg, Florida on Friday, March 29.
  • Wrestling Revolver announced that actor Paul Walter Hauser will put his Emmy Award on the line when he faces Matt Cardona at their Saturday, March 16 event in Clive, Iowa. It’s billed as a winner-take-all match with Cardona’s Slammy and Hauser’s Emmy both up for grabs.