Daily Update: AEW Revolution, UFC, Gable Steveson

Daily Update

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Latest Free YouTube Video:

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Tony Khan buys Ring of Honor, Cain Velasquez charged with attempted murder

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 dave@wrestlingobserver.com or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

Rates 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, the rates 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, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.

If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

Sunday News Update

We have a fantastic show Garrett and I did with Bryan Danielson up, which is two hours talking about every topic from pro wrestling to social media to depression and all kinds of interesting discussions on different aspects of pro wrestling. 

Bryan and I also have a show up covering last night’s news with a lot of WrestleMania updates, UFC 272, Smackdown, Rampage and more. 

Bryan and I will be up tonight covering AEW Revolution as well.

Plus we had one of the most in-depth Observer issues with news on a ton of different subjects out this week. This is a great time to become a subscriber with all the content coming out.

We also have our annual convention in Las Vegas over Memorial Day weekend which includes only our second Q&A show and meet and greet with Bryan and I since the pandemic, a dinner, a suite party, as well as the ability to sit together with web site members and Observer readers for AEW shows in Las Vegas that week. For more details you can go here.

We’re looking for your thoughts on last night’s UFC 272 and tonight’s AEW Revolution show, 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 also looking for reports from tonight’s WWE show in Laval, Quebec, tonight’s WWE show in Allentown, PA and tonight’s Impact tapings in Louisville to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

AEW

  • AEW Revolution will be a nearly five hour show starting at 7 p.m. with a one-hour pre-show and three matches. It is a very loaded show as far as talent and probable great matches. It’s also looking to be the longest show in company history.

Pre-show at 7 p.m. Eastern —

  • Kris Statlander vs. Leyla Hirsch
  • Hook vs. QT Marshall
  • Penta Oscuro & Pac & Erick Redbeard vs. Malakai Black & Brody King & Buddy Matthews

Main card at 8 p.m. Eastern —

  • Andrade El Idolo & Matt Hardy & Isaiah Kassidy vs. Sting & Darby Allin & Sammy Guevara in a tornado match
  • Jade Cargill vs. Tay Conti for the TBS title
  • Keith Lee vs. Christian Cage vs Orange Cassidy vs. Ricky Starks vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs Wardlow in a ladder match to determine the top contender for the TNT title
  • Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Kingston
  • Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley
  • Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus vs. Young Bucks vs. Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish for the AEW Tag titles
  • Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa for the AEW Women’s title
  • C.M. Punk vs. MJF in a dog collar match
  • Adam Page vs. Adam Cole for the AEW title
  • No word on the match order past Page vs. Cole going on last. 
  • Danielson vs. Moxley matches the winner of this year’s Best Technical Wrestler vs. this year’s Best Brawler. 
  • There seems to be a lot of hardcore interest due to match quality and the show is sold out, but that’s because an 8,200 seat building is a small size for an AEW PPV show. Last year’s show did about 140,000 PPV Buys and that’s one of the highest in company history. AEW has never had a show on PPV that didn’t beat the number of the year before but this was the one that the comparison is tough because last year had the Moxley vs. Kenny Omega explosive death match and a lot of people bought the show for the main event gimmick. This is a better lineup but as far as gimmicks go, explosive death match beats dog collar match.

Kambi has star rating odds for both Revolution that you can bet over and under on —

  • Danielson vs. Moxley 4.75
  • Punk vs. MJF 4.5
  • Jericho vs Kingston 4.0
  • Hook vs. Marshall 3.0
  • House of Black vs. Penta & Pac & Redbeard 3.75
  • Statlander vs. Hirsch 3.25
  • Tornado match 3.75
  • Cargill vs. Conti 2.75
  • Tag title three-way 4.75
  • Baker vs. Rosa 4.5
  • Page vs. Cole 4.75
  • Regarding the tickets for Double or Nothing, as noted on Friday, the first day ticket sale made it the first AEW show to top $1 million in ticket sales. The show is not sold out as there are about 12,500 tickets out and a sellout would be about 14,000. With three months left and no card announced, it looks like they will sell T-Mobile out which is a good showing because the 2020 show before the pandemic that got canceled was not a lock to sell out the smaller MGM Grand Garden Arena. It would currently be the second largest non-WWE gate in U.S. pro wrestling history to the 2019 MSG show with New Japan and ROH. It is almost a certainty that this show will break that mark. If you adjust for inflation, there are a handful of shows in the territorial era and a few of the biggest WCW shows that would top that, and WWE has topped it many times with the record being $17.3 million. But it is still a great milestone for AEW.
  • Rampage on 3/18 will be airing at 11:30 p.m. Eastern due to the NCAA basketball tournament on TNT.

WWE

  • WWE’s Gable Steveson of the University of Minnesota faces Tony Cassioppi of the University of Iowa tonight in the Big 10 heavyweight championships match. Steveson beat Mason Parris, also signed with WWE, by a 14-6 major decision in the semifinals. Cassioppi reached the finals beating Greg Kerkvliet of Penn State 6-4 in overtime.
  • Jinder Mahal was in Montreal yesterday to promote today’s house show in Laval, Quebec. He was a special guest for Major League Soccer’s Montreal FC opening game at Olympic Stadium and was interviewed during the pregame show on TVA Sports. (thanks to Pat Laprade)

Kambi has star rating odds for WrestleMania that you can bet over and under on —

  • Styles vs. Edge 4.5
  • Lesnar vs Reigns 4.0
  • McIntyre vs. Corbin 3.5
  • Knoxville vs. Zayn 2.0
  • McAfee vs. Theory 3.5
  • Lynch vs. Belair 4.0
  • Mysterios vs. Miz & Paul 3.0
  • Flair vs. Rousey 4.0
  • Women’s tag title 2.5

Other Wrestling

  • wXw 16 Carat Gold from today in Oberhausen, Germany: Robert Dreissker b LuFisto in the semifinal, Jonathan Gresham b Shigehiro Irie in the semifinal, Baby Allison b women’s champion Ava Everett in a non-title match, Cara Noir b Dennis Dullnig, Maggot won four-way over Shotgun champion Ninja Mack, Edner Kara and The Rotation to win the title, Axel Tischer b Fuminori Abe, Ace Romero & Aigle Blanc & Senza Volto b Dover & Icarus & Peter Tihany, Jonathan Gresham b Robert Dreissker to win the 16 Carat Gold tournament.
  • St. Louis Anarchy results from Friday night in St. Louis: Christian Rose b Moonshine Mantel, Evan Gelistico & Adrian Surge & Nick King b Sean Orleans & Anakin Murphy & Deacon Cash, Jeremy Wyatt b Old Lane, Billie Starkz b Victor analog, ACH b Kenny Alfonso, Angelus Layne & Jake Dirden won three-way over SK Bishop & Campbell Meyers and Hoodie Howlett & Anaya Howlett, Chip Day b Thomas Shier, Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett b Davey Richards & Warhorse, Camaro Jackson b Big Beef, Gary Jay b Anthony Henry to keep Gateway Heritage title (thanks to Sophie King and Patrick Brandmeyer)
  • GOUGE from yesterday in Raleigh, NC: TIM won Redneck Rumble, Dirty Daddy b Olly Primo Victor Andrews b Garrett Sinclair, Danny Vegas & Hazakiah & Jebediah Hoskins b Gem Stone & Bobby Wohlfert to wi tag titles, Snooty Fox b Caribbean Tiger, Waylon Maze b Inut Joe, TIM b Seymour Snott to win the Gouge title. Next shows are 6/4 and 6/5 in Raleigh at the Jim Graham Building.
  • XICW from last night in Detroit: Jontae Keith b Mark Ross, Soultaker b Forever Young, Billy Ray Daniels & LJ Lawrence b Grey Wolves, Drew Jacobs b TJ Meyer, Mongo b Sheepy, Schwartzy b Jamiy Coxxx, Randi West b Thunder Kitty, DBA b Hoodfoot Mo Atlas, Malcolm Monroe III b Simon Gotch (thanks to Leonard Brand)
  • A correction on the Jeopardy note regarding the Monday show, in the category of Sports by Their Honors and one of the clues was Slammy Awards, the correct answer that the contestant got was What is WWE, not what is a pro wrestler (thanks to Grant Zwarych).

UFC

  • Last night’s UFC 272 was a solid show but the main card was largely one-sided fights. The first round of Alex Oliveira vs. Kevin Holland was good. Colby Covington’s win over Jorge Masvidal was one-sided as Masvidal couldn’t stop Covington’s wrestling early and then Masvidal tired quickly. Masvidal hurt Covington in the fourth round but by that point was too tired to follow up. 
  • Regarding the Masvidal vs. Covington feud ending with the one-sided bout, Masvidal said he wrestled like shit, and it sucks because Covington talked about his kids and that if he sees Covington in the the streets, “I’m going to give him everything I’ve got to break his f***ing jaw. It doesn’t matter if I lost wrestles scrambles tonight, I still think he’s a f***in’ pussy.”
  • Drake bet $275,000 on Masvidal. Masvidal said he owes him dinner when he comes to Miami.
  • Regarding the scorecards, in the main event, Sal D’Amato gave Covington all five rounds, Junichiro Kamijo gave Masvidal round two and Covington the other four. Derek Cleary gave Covington every round with a 10-8 fifth round 
  • In the Marina Rodriguez vs. Yan Xiaonan fight, it was close with Michael Bell giving Rodriguez two and three, Derek Cleary giving Rodriguez only round three and Ron McCarthy giving Rodriguez two and three. Media scores were 50% for each fighter which tells you how close it was.
  • In Nicolae Negumereanu vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (pronouncing those names was a nightmare), Doug Crosby gave Nicolae the first two rounds, Sal D’Amato gave Kenny rounds all three rounds but three would be 9-9 with the one point docked for his third eye poke. Tony Weeks gave Nicolae rounds one and two. So even without the foul point the judges were with Nicolae. I had it 28-28. Notable that only 7% of the media scored it for Nicolae with 53 % for Kennedy and 40% had it a draw.
  • Greg Hardy, in the last fight of his contract, lost in just 2:16 of round one to Serghei Spivac.
  • Bryce Mitchell on the air said he would donate half of his purse ($45,000 of $90,000) to care for children in Arkansas suffering from major health issues. Dana White after the show said that he would cover the $45,000 so Mitchell didn’t have to.
  • As far as Google searches for the week, last night’s UFC show did 2.3 million, which is a normal number for a good UFC PPV show. It was the single most searched topic on Google last night. Besides the main eventers, Masvidal and Covington, who are factored into the No. 1 spot, three other fights made the top 20 with 100,000 with Bryce Mitchell at No. 9, Greg Hardy at No. 11 and Rafael dos Anjos at No,. 13.