Daily Update: AEW Rampage, Cuatrero, Bret Hart

Daily Update

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBK76S0IXr4

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

*The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site. It’s got the most detailed coverage from a business standpoint and creative standpoint, covering AEW Revolution including reader feedback on that show, UFC 285 and the Stardom show this past weekend.

*Match and performer of the week

*The longest singles title matches since 1970 all over the world

*MJF vs Danielson and comparisons to other Iron Man matches

*Evaluating MJF as a performer and a drawing card

*Early PPV numbers along with gate numbers from San Francisco and other business metrics

*The return of FTR

*The potential of the AEW tag team division

*AEW repeat PPV business notes

*Movie theater business for Revolution

*San Francisco records

*Future AEW directions

*Full details on WWE’s attempt to get gambling legal on its outcomes and what steps and how its business will have to change to make this happen

*Full coverage of UFC 285 including Jon Jones legacy and future, Alexa Grasso’s win and business notes regarding the show including what unique note thee was about the prelims this week

*Full details on the amended lawsuit MLW has filed against WWE, McDevitt talks, what new things are added and what it says about the MLW relationship with REELZ, and lots of business notes from the lawsuit regarding the wrestling television rights fees

*Stardom puts on its best show of the year and a look at the very different excellent matches

*Notes on the first few days of the New Japan Cup and where things stand

*TV ratings over the past week as well as segment-by-segment notes, competition and the whys of how everything went down

*The unique team challenge tournament CMLL finished up this past week

*AAA star faces claims by girlfriend of domestic violence and both CMLL and AAA talk about the situation

*Notes on the joint NWA and AAA show put together as part of a Smashing Pumpkins concert

*Notes on retirement of Daisuke Harada

*New Japan anniversary show and New Japan Cup notes*Zero-1 runs 22nd anniversary show

*Notes from Creed III

*Big shows over Mania weekend not from WWE

*Major questions on AEW talent and their media talks

*What international star AEW tried to get for San Francisco and why it didn’t happen

*International TV ratings and streaming numbers for WWE & AEW and what NXT segment scored huge

*Upcoming ticket advances for WWE & AEW shows

*Dana White on the future of Power Slap

*48-year-old world champion wrestler has retirement MMA fight soon

*Notes on Vince McMahon’s return backstage at the Boston show

*Wells Fargo Securities predictions on Smackdown negotiations and the value of Raw & Smackdown right now

*WWE performer talks trying to go to the 2024 Olympics and is training for MMA as well

*WWE injury updates

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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Sunday Update

Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer radio doing our weekend show. My show with Garrett Gonzales this week was a long interview with Madusa talking about a ton of different subjects on her career as well as her new book. 

Rampage for this coming week will air at about 11:30 p.m., after the late night NCAA tournament game. There show the next Friday, 3/24, has been moved to Saturday night at 10 p.m. on 3/25 due to TNT airing U.S vs. Granada soccer.

Cuatrero of the New Generation Dinamitas was arrested for domestic violence involving CMLL wrestler Stephanie Vaquer, who he had a relationship with. He was arrested after the Friday night AAA show in Aguascalientes. Cuatrero is one-third of the trios champions in AAA. Luchablog said that people close to Cuatrero claim he’s got a witness and audio records that will refute her accusations. Cuatrero was charged with domestic violence and femicide.

Bret Hart was honored last night by the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL (who were named after Hart) for his outstanding contributions to the franchise and raised his banner to the rafters of the Saddledome where it will be on permanent display

-For the weekend, we are looking for reports on these shows:

*WWE tonight in Madison Square Garden

*NXT Friday night in Dade City, FL and last night in St. Petersburg, FL

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

There was nothing from pro wrestling, MMA or boxing that cracked the top trends in Google this past week. Nothing would be expected other than last night’s UFC show and possibly the Bad Bunny or Rey Mysterio news to begin with.

A&E tonight has a two-hour biography episode on Glenn “Kane” Jacobs. WWE Rivals at 10 pm. will be HHH vs. Batista.

There will be a Brock Lesnar and Omos face-to-face on Raw tomorrow night in Providence, RI. Other matches announced are Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows vs, Maximum Male Models and Dexter Lumis & Johnny Gargano vs Damien Priest & Dominik Mysterio.

Jacobs was also in the news with hints that he would run for Governor of Tennessee.

The New Japan Cup continues with a 3/13 show in Ehime at 6 a.m. on New Japan World. The tournament matches are Jeff Cobb vs Evil and Will Ospreay vs. Mark Davis, plus Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi & Yoh & Lio Rush vs Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi & Sanada & Hiromu Takahashi & Bushi. 

3/15 has Great O’Khan vs David Finlay and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Shota Umino

3/17 has Sanada vs. Naito and the Evil vs. Cobb winner faces the Ospreay vs. Davis winner.

3/18 has Hirooki Goto vs. Tama Tonga and the Finlay vs. O’Khan winner faces the Sabre vs Umino winner.

Shigehiro Irie beat Axel Tischer today to win the 16 Carat cold tournament and the vacant wXw title.

WWE results from last night in Youngstown, OH:

*Braun Strowman & Ricochet b Viking Raiders

*Liv Morgan b Shayna Baszler in a street fight after putting her through a table

*Santos Escobar b The Miz

*Drew McIntyre & Sheamus & Rey Mysterio b Usos & Solo Sikoa when Rey pinned Jey thanks to help from Sami Zayn

*Ludvig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci b Cruz Del Toro & Joaquin Wilde

*Bianca Belair & Asuka & Candice LeRae (notable because they did an injury angle announcement on television) b Bayley & Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai

*Austin Theory b Seth Rollins to keep the U.S. title in the same finish they’ve been doing for months

Expect a lot of similar matches in MSG tonight, which also includes Sikoa vs Cody Rhodes and a Battle Royal for a title match with Gunther later in the show.

Chris Weidman did his return to competition after a terrible leg break last night. He competed in a Polaris submission grappling show, losing a decision to Owen Livesey. Livesey landed trips and judo throws to win the decision. Livesey was a British Commonwealth judo champion. Weidman is expected to return to UFC later this year.

The death of Bud Grant, the legendary coach of the Minnesota Vikings and Winnipeg Blue Bombers, at 95, is notable in wrestling as Grant and Verne Gagne were social friend. Grant also appeared at Gagne’s first retirement show in 1981 in Minneapolis. Grant, Gagne and Leo Nomellini were teammates on the University of Minnesota football team and were all stellar multi-sport stars. Gagne was a football star and two-time NCAA champion in wrestling and one of the biggest pro wrestling stars and most notable promoters in history. Nomellini starred in football, wrestling and track (shot, discus and 4×100 relay) and was a Hall of Famer in the NFL and a legit Hall of Fame candidate as a pro wrestler. Grant starred in football, baseball and basketball. Grant actually played two seasons in the NBA and was part of the 1950 championship Minnesota Lakers team with the legendary George Mikan. He was a star wide receiver with the Philadelphia Eagles after switching to football, and was later a star with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. After his career ended he coached the Bombers to four CFL titles and coached the Vikings to four Super Bowls, although they lost all four. He is in both the CFL and NFL Halls of Fame.

Steve Keirn’s autobiography working with Ian Douglass (every Ian Douglass pro wrestling book is good) was released this past weak by Darkstream Press. It basically covers his life through 1987, as he is looking at doing a second book on post-1987 including his yeas as Skinner in WWF, running indie promotions including the FCW developmental system before NXT. I’ve read it and some very interesting insights into the territory system during the 70s and 80s, and in particular Florida and the Grahams.

Carmelo Hayes is a -180 favorite over Bron Breakker and Johnny Gargano is a -160 favorite over Grayson Waller on BetOnline for the 4/1 Stand & Deliver show.

Cedric Alexander on Twitter teased taking the open challenge for Wes Lee’s North American title on the TV show on Tuesday night.

Other Notes

Defy from last night in Seattle: Action Andretti b Guillermo Rosas, Top Flight b Ricky Gibson & Eddie Pearl, Jody Threat b Danika Diehard, Artemis Spencer won three-way over Clark Connors and Cody Chhun, Bollywood Boyz b Kushida & Kevin Knight, Schaff b Homicide in a street fight. Nicole Matthews made her Defy return after five years of being banned from the U.S. over an immigration issue.

EVE from Thursday night in London: Lizzy Evo won three-way over Rayne Leverkusen and Millie McKenzie, Rhio b NightShade Skye Smitson b Safire Reed, Nina Samuels & Ava White b Natsu Sumire & Session Moth Martina, Miyu Yamashita b Myuki Takase. Next EVE show is 4/7

House of Glory Wrestling from Friday night in Queens, NY: Mighty Mante b Encore Moore to keep the cruiserweight title, Evander James b Joey Silver, Ultra Violette b Max the Impaler to keep the women’s title, Michael Fain b Roachie Roach, Ichica won six-way to become top contender for the cruiserweight title over Smiley, Elijah Eden, Osito, Nolo Kitano and Raheem Royal, Charles Mason b Alec Price to retain the Crown Jewel title, Jacob Fatu b Fred Rosser to keep the HOG title, Amazing Red & Brian XL b Jay Lyon & Midas Blade to win the tag titles, Kushida b Low Ki. Next show is 4/14. (Thanks to Samuel Rosenthal)

El Hijo del Vikingo headlined a show last night in San Jose which sold out two days ahead of time at the Mt. Pleasant High School Gym for Pro Wrestling Revolution.

IWS/GCW from last night in Montreal before 1,059 fans: Nick Wayne & Jordan Oliver b Junior Benito & Marcae Martin, LuFisto b Sawyer Wreck, TDT Los Macizos, Matt Falco b Manders, Mike Bailey b Gringo Loco, Melanie Havok b Allie Katch to keep the IWS women’s title, Benjamin Tull b Tony Deppen to keep the IWS title,Nick Gage & Mance Warner & Rina Yamashita b PCP Manny & Sexxx Eddy & Green Phantom in a fans bring the weapons match. IWS and GCW have another joint show on 3/19 in Toronto (Thanks to Patric Laprade)

UPW in Iron Mountain, MI last night: J-Sinn & Tommy Trainwreck b Forever Young & Top Gun, Corey Kerr b Gio Bronco, Great Tiger b Soultaker & Chivas Blanco, Melvin Hayes b Kato, Brett Powers & Peter B. Beautiful b Ace Evans & Brock Hall, Forever Young won Battle Royal, Hannah Henderson b Heather Blue to win the women’s tile, Kaz Karter Kash & Ruff Ryder Rashan b Chuck Stein & Sean Lawhorn, Romeo Valentino b The Dav with Earl Hebner as special referee, Silas Young b Forever Young to win the vacant heavyweight title. Next show is 4/22 in Marquette, MI with Rick Steiner, Tatanka, Eugene and Big Kon (thanks to Leonard Brand)