Daily Update: Afa the Wild Samoan, SmackDown ratings, CJ Perry

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • The biggest crowds of the year for pro wrestling, boxing, MMA and even college wrestling
  • What pro wrestlers were drawing the biggest crowds most often
  • How each promotion did as far as drawing in 2023
  • The biggest gates of the year
  • Pro wrestling history–the biggest drawing card every year dating back to 1916
  • Most years for any wrestler in history as the leading draw
  • 50 Biggest drawing cards of all-time based on annual dominance and longevity
  • Royal Rumble update
  • Early notes on AEW Revolution and how the main event was set up
  • The life and times of Killer Khan, the top drawing actual Japanese native when it comes to major crowds in U.S. history and the feud with Andre the Giant, Choshu’s Army and a look at pro wrestling in the 70s and 80s in the U.S., Japan and Mexico.
  • New Year Dash, New Japan’s next major shows, and future of several of New Japan’s top guys
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for the past week, weekly standings, nightly competition, ups and downs compared to last year, segment-by-segment.
  • Former world champion open to moving to Mexico and working full-time
  • Unique tournament in Mexico starts next week
  • Promotion talks about its unique 2024 theme
  • Movie on life of a current pro wrestling star release date
  • Key intermediary in WWE/All Japan deal
  • New Japan major shows for 2024
  • New international promotional alliance
  • Business of the Iron Claw movie
  • Are WWE & AEW stars employees or independent contractors, what the new law says and why wrestling may fall through the cracks
  • Notes on next season of Dark Side of the Ring
  • Nic Nemeth in Puerto Rico
  • Mustafa Ali independent return
  • Return of TNA
  • New major AEW & WWE hires
  • Update on Worlds End PPV numbers
  • Kota Ibushi injury update
  • International TV ratings
  • Lots of new major UFC fights
  • Joshua vs. Ngannou business thoughts
  • More on Raw TV deal
  • Looking at how Raw would be expected to do on Amazon Prime*
  • Where Rock vs. Roman isn’t happening
  • CM Punk’s UFC pay notes
  • Pat McAfee controversy

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

Saturday Update

WWE

  • Afa the Wild Samoan posted a video on Facebook thanking everyone who is praying for him and has sent him love. Afa, who is recovering from pneumonia and two heart attacks, assured fans that he’s ok.
  • SmackDown averaged 2.27 million viewers in the overnight ratings last night, down slightly from last week’s overnight average of 2.33 million viewers. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.6.
  • For the second straight week, Gable Steveson defeated Cedric Alexander in a dark match before SmackDown.
  • Cageside Seats asked Bayley about her reputation for being a selfless performer. Bayley responded:
          • I just think if it’s right for the division, if it’s right for a story, if this person deserves praise or deserves this spotlight… I’m gonna do it. I’m not a selfish person in that sense, because I’ve had many moments. I’ve had my time and I know I’ll get many more because this business is just a freaking rollercoaster. It all comes back around. And I’ve had people help me when I was nothing, and I’ll never forget that.
  • During an interview with TMZ Sports, Natalya discussed training with Jade Cargill:
          • With Jade, she said, ‘Hey, I would love to come and work with you.’ I was like, Oh my God, I would love that.’ When she came to the Dungeon, I absolutely love working with new women that come into WWE, it makes me so excited. I love her enthusiasm. I love how excited she is about jumping into this. I know she’s gone through a lot, her mom just passed away recently, so it’s a very hard time for her in her life. To give somebody that diversion and say, hey, in the near two decades of being in WWE for [TJ and myself], ‘Let’s all work together.’ I do believe we get stronger together and I’m excited about working with her in WWE. When I think about the people I’ve worked with at the beginning of their careers, I was one of Charlotte’s first big rivalries. I had the match with Charlotte at TakeOver 2014 and it’s one of my proudest moments in my career. Sometimes, you need somebody to believe in you. I believe in Jade, I think she’s going to be awesome. 2024, the way the women are being used right now, and the track we’re about to be on for 2024, starting with the Royal Rumble, we’re going to see a whole new era of women’s wrestling that is going to blow everybody away.
  • Becky Lynch is recording the audiobook for her memoir “Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl.” The book will be released on March 26.
  • WWE referee Jason Ayers revealed that he suffered a broken leg and will be sidelined for the next couple of months: “When they say ‘break a leg’ I don’t think this is what they meant. Looks like I’ll be on the sidelines for the next couple months!”
  • WWE remembered Shad Gaspard on what would have been his 43rd birthday.
  • Santos Escobar, Angel & Humberto, Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn, and Grayson Waller appeared on The SmackDown LowDown.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • CJ Perry shared the following update on her infected finger: “Today the surgeon told me she needs to see more blood or I’ll need second surgery. Thank you for your [love]”
  • Perry will find out next week if she needs to have the second surgery.
  • Ahead of tonight’s Hard to Kill PPV, TNA Wrestling uploaded a behind-the-scenes documentary on Final Resolution 2023, which was the final show of the Impact Wrestling era.
  • PWInsider reported that Ace Steel is in Las Vegas to work as a producer at Hard to Kill.
  • Alex Shelley, who is defending the TNA World Championship against Moose tonight, told Sports Illustrated that this is the most important show in company history:
          • It’s a familiar feeling. I was [an] integral component in the original TNA. And this is the most important show in the company’s history. I know you hear that a lot, but in this case, it’s entirely true. And the world title is our ultimate prize. We’re going to beat the sh– out of each other for it.
  • Ring the Belle interviewed Gail Kim.
  • ECW legend Sabu told Stories with Brisco & Bradshaw that he’s preparing to have his final match:
          • I’m hopefully setting up for my final match. I want to do a final match maybe in July or later… It’s probably going to be against Van Dam. I heard Van Dam say something that he wanted to have a barbed wire match for my last match. I said I would rather have a regular match. I want to have one of my better matches. The barbed wire match is a gimmick. The gimmick is my final match. That’s the gimmick.
  • Scott Garland (Scotty 2 Hotty) appeared on AEW Unrestricted this week.
  • NBA legend Dominique Wilkins will be the next guest on the Swerve City Podcast.