Daily Update: Big E, Inoki turns 79, weekend show notes

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 2021 Awards issue, Cody and Brandi Rhodes leave AEW

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Sunday News Update

  • Best wishes to Dustin Rhodes with his mother in the hospital and to John Arezzi, who is battling COVID.
  • Our weekend show covering Elimination Chamber and the rest of the weekend news is up on the site right now. We also have a great interview with Kenny Omega that Garrett and I did on the site. We’ve gotten tremendous feedback to it and it covered many different topics including his recovery from injuries, the vision of AEW, Cody Rhodes leaving and much more.
  • We are doing thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle polls, as well as best and worst matches from each show on WWE Elimination Chamber, Impact No Surrender, both nights of New Japan and AAA Rey de Reyes. You can send to dave@wretlingobserver.com
  • We’re looking for reports from the Impact tapings in New Orleans tonight as well as GCW last night and tonight in Atlantic City to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

WWE

  • Big E drove the pace car at the Daytona 500 today.
  • Elimination Chamber yesterday had 200,000 searches which is normal level for a non-big four show. It was the fifth most searched topic of the day. The UFC show didn’t crack the top 20 and No. 20 was 50,000, so that show had a genuine lack of interest compared to usual. Only two other things related to wrestling, boxing and MMA cracked the top 20 this past week. Amir Khan was No. 20 yesterday and Cody Rhodes was No. 2 with 200,000 searches on Tuesday. Steve Austin didn’t crack the top 20 nor did Undertaker.
  • Undertaker was on The Today Show talking about his Hall of Fame induction.

AAA

  • The American announce team of Joe Dombrowski and Larry Dallas got a lot of praise from last night’s AAA Rey de Reyes. The show itself got very little praise.
  • Carlos Cabrera debuted as a Spanish language announcer on the show and he got little praise as it was said he knew none of the characters and storylines. But some fans liked the idea of the reuniting of Cabrera and Hugo Savinovich, who were the Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler for WWE Spanish language fans of a generation.

NJPW

  • Lots of praise for the Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito match from today’s New Japan show in Sapporo. I saw the end and it was very good. It was the first match in the short history of the IWGP World title to finish in less than 30:00, going 29:34.
  • New Japan will have a press conference at 4 a.m. Eastern to announce the 3/1 Budokan Hall show as well as the New Japan Cup brackets. There will be a 48 man field this year.

Other Wrestling

  • Antonio Inoki turned 79 today. 
  • Impact champions Moose and Mickie James are scheduled to appear on Thursday’s taping for OVW Wrestling.
  • Today is the 33rd anniversary of Ricky Steamboat’s NWA world title in over Ric Flair in Chicago. I was at the match and it was a classic for its era.
  • Today also marks 101 years since the birth of Buddy Rogers, who was a gigantic star from the late 40s into the early 60s, and a very controversial NWA champion, who drew well but nearly killed the NWA due to power plays regarding booking him, which led to the creation of the WWWF name and title.
  • Bob Backlund won the WWWF title from Superstar Billy Graham in Madison Square Garden 44 years ago today.
  • Yesterday was the 68th anniversary of the birth of Japan Pro Wrestling, Rikidozan’s promotion, with the famous Rikidozan & Masahiko Kimura vs Sharpe Brothers match. Wrestling became an instant success from that week.
  • Wayne Baughman, a legendary wrestler from the 60s, and a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 81. Baughman was a wrestler, coach, historian, author, military officer and volunteer. Baughman competed in 25 national tournaments and never placed lower than third, winning 16 national championships and seven second place finishes. He was the first wrestler to win the national title in freestyle, folkstyle, Greco-Roman and sambo. He was 1962 NCAA champion, and also won five freestyle nationals and nine Greco-Roman national tiles and one sambo national title. He placed in the world championships in freestyle, Greco-Roman and sambo. He was twice Olympic team captain. He later coached 27 years at Air Force.
  • Joe Hendry is talking independent bookings through Bill Behrens at showbis@aol.com. He is currently based in Scotland but is planning on moving to Baltimore.
  • The Missouri Historical Society will be hosting a Wrestling at the Chase talk with author Ed Wheatley on Tuesday at 11 a.m.
  • Black Wrestlers Matter from last night in St. Louis: Ryu Kendrick b Denzel Rollins, Fred Yehi b JDX, Stephen Wolf b Carlie Bravo, AC Mack won four-way over Zay Washington, Doc Simmons and Darien Bengston, Suge D b ATM, Isaiah Broner b Joseline Navarro, Camaro Jackson b ACH, Barackus b Eli Rossi, Myron Reed b Kenny Alfonso, Moses the Deliverer & Rahim De La Suede b Zack Mason& Warren J, Jah-C b Mike Outlaw, Tootie Lynn b Big Swole (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
  • Northeast Wrestling from last night in Bethany, CT: Tina San Antonio b JC Storm, Hale Colins b Chris Monjo, KC Navarro b Brett Ryan Gosselin, Mike Verna b Chris Battle, Julio Cruz & Victor Chase b Dustin Waller & Kylon King, Wrecking Bell Legursky b AJZ, Flip Gordon b JT Dunn Dan Maff b Brad Hollister to keep the heavyweight title, Jaelyn Brandyn & Treavon Jordan b Antonio Zambrano & Cam Zagami to win tag titles.
  • Stardom from today in Chiba: Fukigen Death won four-way over Hanan, Mirai and Saya Kamitani, Maika & Himeka b Ruaka & Rina, Syuri & Natsupoi d Utami Hayashishita & AZM 15:00, Mayu Iwatani & Hazuki & Koguma & Momo Kohgo b Tam Nakano & Unagi Sayaka & Mina Shirakawa & Waka Tsukiyama, Giulia & Thekla & Mai Sakurai b Starlight Kid & Momo Watanabe & Saki Kashima
  • PWP from Thursday night in Omaha, NE: Willy Sweet b Purple, Omar Pachecco b Joey Daniels, Preston Maxwell b Duke Cornell, Seto Kobara & Tim Boston b Moonshine Russell & Jack Darling, Paul Daniels b Xander McIntosh, Paul Daniels b Sander McIntosh, Pat Powers b Branden Juarez-Next show is 3/10 at the Waiting Room Lounge.
  • Insane Wrestling Revolution from Thursday night in Monroe, MI: Kenny Urban b Zach Thomas, Jason Hotch b Jackson Stone, Trey Miguel b Jeremiah Goldmain, Trey Miguel b Hannah Henderson, Trey Miguel b Kyler Coleman, Chinstrap Jesus & Nate Bock b Chris Clontz & Tanner Nix, Dread King Logan b Sam Aljahi, Rhino & Heath b Aaron Orion & Jack Price to become first tag tea champions, Krimson & Rod Lee b Sam Beale & Benjamin Boone, Big Kon (Konnor of The Ascension) b Madman Fulton to become the first heavyweight champion (thanks to Leonard Brand)

MMA

  • PFL results from Thursday night:
  • John Silveira b Mohamed Juma via submission 1:52 of round three
  • Taylor Johnson b Alexander Poppeck via straight 29-28 scores
  • Bruce Souto b Travis Davis via knockout 4:43
  • Karl Williams b Miles Amos on scores of 30-27, 30-26, 30-27