Daily Update: Anderson Silva, Fantastica Mania UK, Khalil Rountree Jr.

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

Among the topics covered in this gigantic issue:

  • The legal games involving the Janel Grant lawsuit against Vince McMahon. The arguments for  arbitration, McMahon’s side goes after Janel Grant’s character, why Vince can’t produce the text messages, and WWE and McMahon file new arguments.
  • AEW going to tape Collisions & ROH leading up to All In, all in Arlington, TX.  We look at the good and the bad as well as the significance to this move
  • The crazy competition the first AEW show in the building wll face
  • Update on King and Queen of the Ring as well as AEW Double or Nothing. What to look for on both shows.
  • Full detailed rundown of New Japan Resurgence
  • The death of inDemand, a company that was a huge part of the wrestling and boxing business for decades
  • Huge historical feature on the life of Bob Bruggers, as well as the 1972 Verne Gagne training camp that produced five Hall of Fame candidates of its six trainees and background of Ken Patera, Ric Flair, Greg Gagne, Jim Brunzell and Iron Sheik
  • The most detailed look at the ratings of all the pro wrestling and MMA TV shows this past week
  • The biggest trouble spot AEW faces
  • The weekly rankings for wrestling, quarter hours, competition for the shows and more
  • Arena Mexico big show update
  • AAA doing a feuding authority figure angle
  • NWA deal with All Japan
  • Behind the new executive who will be in charge of three different pro wrestling companies at the same time
  • New Japan Super Juniors coverage
  • One of the biggest drawing cards of the last 40 years to announce his retirement details this week
  • Another of the biggest stars of the last 40 years enters sports Hall of Fame
  • Billy Corgan talks TV deal for NWA
  • Homicide talks injuries
  • Death of wrestler and horror stories about warring with Eddie Graham
  • MLW breaks records and gets its most mainstream media ever
  • New AEW licensing deals
  • Konosuke Takeshita talks frustrations in AEW
  • Advance ticket sales for AEW & WWE shows
  • More on Dwayne Johnson’s next movie
  • Details of the most expensive sports ticket I’ve ever heard of
  • Dana White talks WWE PPVs on Sundays and update
  • What Las Vegas is expecting as far as tourism for WrestleMania
  • More behind the departures of two more WWE executives
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Streaming numbers and international TV numbers
  • Sami Zayn’s first comedy show looked at
  • WWE arena notes and weekend business

This week’s back issue:

Sunday Update

– Our weekend show with Garrett Gonzalez included an interview with Lucas Charpiot about wrestling media, and then I talked about a different way to approach AEW television, the key to the recent decline and very unique nature of it, and also talked about the Observer article this week about the greatest training camp class in history, the 1972 Verne Gagne camp, the death of Bob Bruggers and how the 1975 plane crash could have changed the entire history of the business. Bryan and I will be back tonight talking about the news.

– Aside from the Oleksander Usyk vs. Tyson Fury heavyweight title match which Usyk won via split decision, handing Fury his first career loss, this was a pretty uneventful week for wrestling, boxing and MMA mainstream. That fight did 1 million Google searches and was the top item for the weekend. Nothing else this week cracked the top 20.

– There was a story going around that Anderson Silva would fight actor Terry Crews, but Silva denied that one and said he would reveal his final opponent later today.

– This is what has been announced for Wednesday’s Dynamite in Bakersfield, CA:

  • Swerve Strickland vs. Nick Wayne
  • Jay White & Gunns to appear
  • Will Ospreay & Orange Cassidy vs. Trent Baretta & Roderick Strong
  • Matt Sydal vs. Konosuke Takeshita
  • Toni Storm & Mariah May vs. Saraya & Harley Cameron
  • Kyle O’Reilly vs. Malakai Black
  • Katsuyori Shibata vs. Hook vs. Bryan Keith for a shot at Chris Jericho’s FTW title
  • Jon Moxley appearing
  • Satnam Singh vs. Bryan Danielson in a bounty match.

– Ariane Carnelossi, who beat Piera Rodriguez via DQ at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night event after Rodriguez delivered what were determined to be two intentional head-butts, was hospitalized. She said she suffered a broken nose, a cheekbone injury, and the formation of a blood clot in the nose area.

– We’re looking for reports from today’s Fantasticamania shows at York Hall in London as well as the TNA TV tapings last night and tonight in Newport, KY, results, finishes, and highlights, to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

– Results from the Fantastica Mania shows:

  • Afternoon results: Stephanie Vaquer b Kanji, Barbaro Cavernario b Robbie X, Atlantis & Atlantis Jr. & Dulce Gardenia b Kid Lykos I & II & Okumura, Grizzled Young Veterans & Luke Jacobs b Mascara Dorada & Neon & Futuro, Hechicero b Connor Mills, Angel de Oro & Ultim Guerrero b Michael Oku & Zazoya, Gabe Kidd & Magnus & Templario b Mistico & JJ Gale & Ricky Knight Jr.
  • Evening results: Angel de Oro b Zozaya, Cavenario & Hechicero & Okumura b Gardenia & Robbie X & Futuro, Dorada won three-way over Gabe Kidd and Magnus, Vaquer b Rhio to retain the New Japan Strong women’s title, Neon b Jodon Breaks to win the British cruiserweight title, Grizzled Young Veterans b Atlantis & Atlantis Jr. to retain the British tag title, Mistico b Templario, Michael Oku b Ultimo Guerrero to retain the British heavyweight title

It was also announced Vaquer would return on 8/24 at the Copper Box Arena in London for the RevPro anniversary show the day before All In.

– Khalil Rountree Jr. announced he had tested positive for DHEA, which he said was found in a contaminated supplement, and thus suspended, so he’s out of his 6/29 UFC 303 fight with Jamahal Hill. He said he did not use DHEA intentionally.

– Mike Santana defends the House of Glory title against JT Dunn, plus Mustafa Al vs. Alec Price and Sami Callihan vs.  Chales Mason headlined for HOG on 5/25 in Lowell, MA.

– Lucha Va Voom returns to the Mayan Theater in Downtown Los Angeles on 5/29 and 5/30, with  Rey Horus and Extreme Tiger.  Drew Carey will be hosting the show.  You have to be 21 or older to attend.

– Josh Prohibition announced his retirement match against former rival Matt Cross on Friday’s AIW show in  Cleveland at Tempe Live.