Daily Update: Cain Velasquez, WWE, Mistico

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer:

  • Updating the John Cena/Cody Rhodes interview, what was and wasn’t said, update on the plans for WrestleMania as well as the current ticket demand and interest level.
  • WBD expresses interest in UFC and evaluating the value of the UFC PPV business, the methods of distribution, how many buyers or subscribers will it take to cover what UFC wants and that value, how a deal with WBD would affect AEW (it would, perhaps significantly).
  • Full coverage of the final week of the New Japan Cup, including a look at one of the best shows of the year and New Japan’s next major show.
  • 2024 Gaspard/Huber award winners, the most important award we give each year
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for the various shows, including competition, men vs. women and things to note from the different shows over the past week.
  • Build to CMLL’s second biggest event of the year
  • How the foreign talent is doing in Mexico
  • AAA champion suspended in key market and why
  • Difference between commission suspensions in U.S. and Mexico
  • What WWE superstar was suspended for a drug test failure by athletic commissions nationwide and a commission didn’t  honor it and why several years back
  • Angle for a non-wrestling booker to face a woman star in a match
  • Homicide retirement notes
  • A look back at the most famous NCAA wrestling tournament match of all-time
  • The state of  El Hijo del Santo’s retirement tour
  • Updates on Border City Wrestling
  • Queen of the Ring updates
  • More on the early days of women’s pro wrestling history
  • Mandy Rose talks business after wrestling
  • AEW Dynasty updates including business
  • AEW and the Ryan Nemeth lawsuit against the company, Tony Khan and CM Punk
  • International TV and streaming numbers
  • WWE countering AEW PPV shows
  • Lex Luger Hall of Fame questions
  • How much is Dwayne Johhnson’s ownership of TKO worth
  • How much is Vince McMahon’s current ownership worth
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Developmental updates

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Monday Update

  • Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer Radio talking about a big news day, including Raw, as well as talk about Cain Velasquez’s sentencing, George Foreman, AEW news and more.
  • Cain Velasquez was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading no contest to a variety of charges. Prosecutors were seeking 30 years to life. Velasquez is being given credit for time served both in prison and while under house arrest.  So he will have 543 days left, which could be shortened with good behavior. This was a very complicated case because what he did was wrong, putting people in  danger, but he was viewed extremely sympathetically locally because of his four-year-old son allegedly being sexually molested which led to him going on his rampage where he followed a car with the alleged perpetrator and chased them down a highway firing shots at them and hitting the stepfather of the man he believed molested his son.
  • Just to clarify this one given Dana White’s closeness with the President, this was a state case so President Trump would have no power to parole Velasquez.
  • Smackdown did 1.46 million viewers and an 0.39 in 18-49.  It went against the NCAA men’s basketball tournament with games on CBS, TruTV, TNT and TBS as well as the women’s tournament on ESPN and the wrestling tournament semifinals on ESPN 2.  It was much lower than usual but also expected to be. The tournament isn’t going to help any of the wrestling shows the next few weeks.

Raw was from Glasgow, Scotland, earlier today. Pat McAfee went to Glasgow for the show and called it:

  • 1) John Cena and Cody Rhodes promo segment
  • 2) Usos vs. Austin Theory & Grayson Waller
  • 3) Lyra Valkyria vs. Raquel Rodriguez for the IC title
  • 4) Jimmy Uso and Gunther segment
  • 5) Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky and Bianca Belair segment
  • 6) New Day segment
  • 7) Dragon Lee vs. Grande Americo (Chad Gable)
  • 8) CM Punk interview
  • 9) Bron Breakker vs. Penta for IC title
  • Ernesto Ocampo of Super Luchas on today’s Chad Gable angle: “This is an insult on many levels, both to Mexican wrestling and to Mexico itself. They could have left out the ‘Gulf of America’ reference and at least tried to write the character’s name in proper Spanish.”
  • From William Beltran:  “While many fans found it entertaining—especially those in the United States—numerous fans from Mexico and Latin America have voiced their discontent on social media. Fans on both sides have also expressed frustration over the use of AI-generated images.”
  • A bipartisan bill was filed today in the North Carolina senate to earmark $500,000 in state funding to study the feasibility of a pro wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in the state  The bill was named the Ric Flair Act. The state will get a report to study the matter for review in the summer of 2026.  Lawmakers talked about the cultural importance in the past of pro wrestling in the state. (thanks to Chris Cruise)
  • Mistico is out of action for two weeks due to an injury believed to have been from Friday’s match against Komander & Hologram.
  • Dark Side of the Ring debuts Tuesday on Vice at 10 p.m. The first episode of the season is on the Undertaker vs. Mick Foley Hell in a Cell match.
  • The first episode of Stephanie’s Place, interviewing CM Punk, will debut on Wednesday on ESPN+.
  • For this coming Sunday, WWE Rivals will be about Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon and Greatest Moments will be about WCW.
  • Kushida has been added to the 4/5 MLW Battle Riot match.
  • Abdullah the Butcher, 84, said that he’s turning the corner on his health issues. He said he’s been working with DDP after Chris Jericho put the two in touch and he’s now able to dress himself and lift his arms above his head.
  • Seth Rollins is on Good Morning Football on CW this week. He was on the show this morning. (thanks to Paul Verlander)
  • Insane Wrestling Revolution from Thursday night in Monroe, MI:  KJ Reynolds & Ryan Mattihas b Riley Reinhart & Martian Web and Matt Diesel & Nikki Ratu, Kitty LaFleur b Pepper Pryde, Papa Dingo & Paxton Calloway b Kenny Urban & Rod Lee, Ace Austin b Myron Reed, Thom Latimer b Zeeko, Jason Hotch b Matt Cross, Silas Young b Mad Man Fulton, Aaron Orion & Jack Price & Isaiah Broner & Adam Wick b Bruss Hamilton & Buckeye Sam & Connor Knox & Coach Dutch, Trey Miguel  b Sam Beale, N8 Mattson & Aren Daniel Norman b Rhino & Santino Marella (thanks to Leonard Brand)
  • There will be a documentary on Andy Kaufman called “Thank You Very Much” which has a limited theatrical release this coming weekend.  This is not the documentary on Kaufman that Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Entertainment was looking at doing.
  • Combate Global on 4/10 has ABril Anguiano vs. Lucero Acosta live on YouTube in both English and Spanish.
  • On Saturday night, DonnyBrooke Fight Promotions, the local MMA group in Barre, VT,  put a pro wrestling match from Green Mountain Wrestling on its MMA card.  Electro Ant & Ultimo Ant faced CC Boost & Tom LaRosa inside the MMA cage before about 1,000 fans. I can’t recall this being done on a U.S. show in recent memory (thanks to Adam Lash)