Daily Update: Beth Phoenix, The Shield, Team White Wolf

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F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Ronda Rousey confirms hiatus from WWE

Part one of Ronda Rousey’s professional wrestling career officially came to an end at WrestleMania.

Nearly three months after Dave Meltzer first reported that Rousey was likely finishing up with WWE at WrestleMania 35, Rousey made things official this week. She wrote on Instagram that she was going on an “impregnation vacation” with her husband Travis Browne. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, who Rousey is friendly with, then reported that Rousey is taking a hiatus from WWE to start a family.

WON NEWSLETTER: April 22, 2019 Observer Newsletter: WWE Superstar shake up results, more

A rundown of the fallout of the Superstar Shakeup leads off this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 

Go through the moves, the names, the direction, what it says about 205 Live, those coming and going, key people not brought up, couples and read a depth chart of the new rosters.

Look at the situation with Undertaker, the U.K. talk show situation and what happened, how did it happen, update on Sasha Banks situation, update on Money in the Bank PPV, update on Luke Harper, Alexander Wolfe, WWE’s relationship with Stardom, and WWE injury updates.

Also look at UFC 236, with match-by-match coverage, poll result and business notes.

Examine the Viceland documentary and the situation that led to the Montreal screwjob, including claims by Jim Cornette and Vince Russo about being the architects, from the background, and why it happened.

Also look at the career of Rich Franklin as he goes into the UFC Hall of Fame.

Read a feature on the legacy wing inductees in the WWE Hall of Fame, including major write-ups on Jim Barnett and Primo Carnera, as well as Hisashi Shinma’s role in Japanese wrestling booking history.

Run down the ratings of all the major TV shows, along with detailed demo info for the WWE shows.

As always, read the results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week. 

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SATURDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

  • Beth Phoenix will be wrestling in tag matches with Natalya on WWE European tour shows in Belfast, Brussels, Marseille, Newcastle, Liverpool, and London next month.
  • WWE has uploaded two Final Chapter Diary videos ahead of The Shield’s final match as a team on Sunday’s WWE Network live special. Roman Reigns said he isn’t trying to convince Dean Ambrose to stay in WWE, that Ambrose seems like he’s in a good place, and that he wants Ambrose to be happy. Seth Rollins also filmed The Shield’s entrance at last night’s house show. The Shield’s Final Chapter will stream on the WWE Network at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow. Reigns, Rollins & Ambrose vs. Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley & Baron Corbin is advertised.
  • This week’s WWE video top 10 list looks at The Shield’s biggest victories.
  • Team White Wolf (A-Kid & Carlos Romo) made an appearance at today’s NXT UK TV tapings in Glasgow, Scotland, losing a tag match to Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang).
  • WWE stock closed the week at $96.71 yesterday, which was up 0.62 percent on the day.
  • Dana Warrior spoke to CBS Local Sports about being added to the WWE creative team:
    “Well, I was invited to be a part of the creative team. I was absolutely thunderstruck and excited, and it’s an honor. I’ve been a writer since the time I was small. That was what I identified as. Since third grade, when I won my first award at a book fair. I’ve always called myself a writer, and then I put my own addition on the shelf when I got married to raise my children. I still wrote children’s books. I still taught them both to read by the time that they were four. Because I think literacy is such an incredibly important civil right, quite frankly. And I love literature. I love words. And it was a complete surprise to be invited to take part. But now that I am, I champion women’s voices and authentic women’s voices. And that opportunity given to me by our chairman is just an example of how he champions women in this industry too. And talk about evolution. We have really grown, and it was an honor to be able to break a glass ceiling.”
  • Warrior was asked if she’s seen any of her ideas or writing on TV yet:
    “You have, but it’s also so collaborative that I would never point out and take credit for things that are collaborative teamwork… Which is the greatest part of writing in that setting. And when people identify that’s mine, no it’s not. It’s an idea, and it’s fluid, and everybody adds a little something to it. One person can have this idea and by the end of it, it’s something completely different, but better. And that is what our chairman really does. He’s the figurehead of making better ideas, searching for great solutions, and enlisting people to help him get there.”
  • John Cena hosted yesterday’s episode of the Ellen show.
  • Mike Quackenbush tweeted about guest coaching at the WWE Performance Center again this week: “Thank you once again, NXT & @WWEPC. Even after 19 yrs coaching & 25 yrs performing, I’ll never stop looking for new ways to challenge myself or our artform. And I’ll never bring anything less than all of my passion. The future we are shaping? It deserves nothing less. #NXTtampa”
  • WWE’s Diamond Dallas Page DVD from 2017 will premiere on the WWE Network at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, April 26 and will be added to the Beyond the Ring on-demand section.
  • Chris Van Vliet has a 45-minute interview with Dolph Ziggler.
  • Mike Mooneyham’s latest column for the Charleston Post & Courier is on Lacey Evans and her entering the Women’s title picture on the main roster.

Pro Wrestling

  • After Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes was confirmed for Double or Nothing, Dustin was announced for Starrcast II. Pro Wrestling Tees also released a new T-shirt for Dustin.
  • CBS Sports interviewed Ric Flair about the roast of him that’s taking place at Starrcast.
  • The announcement of Lance Storm refereeing Johnny Impact and Brian Cage’s World title match at Rebellion aired on this week’s episode of Impact. The PPV is taking place at the Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on April 28.
  • There will be a Guerrilla Warfare/hardcore match at PWG’s Mystery Vortex VI show on May 10. Like with all of the Mystery Vortex matches, the participants for it won’t be announced until the match takes place.
  • Wednesday’s Montreal Screwjob episode of Dark Side of the Ring averaged 181,000 viewers on Viceland on Wednesday night. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.07. That was up from 154,000 viewers and a 0.06 rating for the premiere.
  • Jim Cornette discussed the Montreal Screwjob on this week’s episode of his podcast.
  • WrestlePro posted a look at the setup for their show in Anchorage, Alaska tonight.

UFC/MMA

  • Conor McGregor took part in an exhibition boxing match at the Crumlin Boxing Club yesterday, going to a draw with Michael McGrane.
  • Khabib Nurmagomedov spoke about facing Dustin Poirier: “Long time, I follow him. He have very good background. He have good ground game, not bad. He have good striking game. I follow him a long time. And, versus me? I think I have to maul him, like I do with everybody. This is what I have to do. I respect him like fighter, like human, but when we go to the cage, I have to maul this guy. This is what I want. And right now I’m focused on September, five months before fight, and I think it’s going to be very good fight with him.”
  • Angela Magana released a video statement after waking up from her coma.
  • After defeating Aleksei Oleinik at today’s UFC on ESPN+ show in Russia, Alistair Overeem said he still wants to face Alexander Volkov (who he was originally scheduled to fight on today’s show) and wants to return to the Octagon in September.
  • Ray Borg wrote that he’ll leave MMA forever if he ever misses weight again or misses a fight due to anything other than a serious injury.
  • Ralph Gracie has been charged with felony assault after attacking a jiu-jitsu coach at an event.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: AWA WrestleRock 1986

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