Daily Update: CMLL, Spring Break card change, Ospreay vs. Hobbs

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Friday Update

– Garrett Gonzales and I did a big show today talking all the news of the week, from the AEW rating to WrestleMania week, what’s next for WWE and Cody Rhodes, long-term on Will Ospreay and Mercedes Mone, Bryan Danielson, Ronda Rousey and much more. Bryan and I will be back tomorrow night instead of Sunday night this week due to Easter.

– The new issue of the Observer is up on the site right now. Among the highlights:

  • The Rock & Cody Rhodes angle, blading in WWE, then now and forever.
  • What should be done in the night one main event
  • More WrestleMania notes including ticket sales and secondary market
  • A story on the career of Chigusa Nagayo, at one time the most popular women’s wrestler who ever lived
  • We look at her retirement match in San Francisco
  • We look at her breaking into wrestling at the age of 15, getting pushed at 17, and becoming part of the greatest tag team ever in women’s wrestling at the age of 18.
  • The first run of the Crush Gals
  • Being the top singles star in women’s wrestling, the decline of ratings and Nagayo’s first retirement
  • Her second run with Asuka as the Crush Gals in Gaea Japan
  • The end of Nagayo’s career including winning Japan’s tag team of the year award at the age of 51
  • Lots more Ronda Rousey talk on Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, Bruce Prichard, WWE, changing plans, Paul Levesque, the Holly Holm fight, concussion issues and Becky Lynch talking about McMahon
  • WWE policy on dating within the company put together after the Board first heard Vince McMahon allegations
  • Multiple Japanese companies join together for two charity shows
  • NCAA wrestling tournament notes
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling shows, including quarters, comparisons with one year ago, competition and more
  • Biggest show of the year at Arena Mexico
  • Former promotional hatred ends up with an angle
  • Giulia and Utami Hayashishita finish with Stardom with two PPV shows this week
  • Champion Carnival news
  • Unique gimmick match in New Japan
  • Dream match coming to DDT
  • Bret Hart raves about a new book
  • Tons of WrestleMania week big shows
  • Sabin & Shelley leaving TNA
  • Lots of contract news
  • Kenny Omega news
  • List of those unavailable this past week for AEW
  • ROH Supercard of Honor notes
  • Will Nigel McGuinness wrestle
  • Advance ticket sales for WWE & AEW shows
  • International ratings and streaming notes
  • AEW stars in foreign countries
  • UFC’s biggest match of the year may have a date
  • Conor McGregor claims he broke a Dwayne Johnson record
  • Dana White talks loyalty to Joe Rogan
  • First Bellator show since purchase
  • Contract status updates
  • New A&E TV plans with WWE
  • Barnett talks making deal to get Baszler on Bloodsport
  • Becky Lynch talks Mercdes Mone’s AEW deal
  • Heyman puts together Reigns special
  • Nick Aldis talks his situation
  • Bron Breakker’s college career, NFL combine numbers and what hampered him playing in the NFL even with his athletic ability

– Tonight is the sold out and loaded CMLL Arena Mexico show, El Homenaje a Dos Leyendas:

  • Magnus & Rugido vs. Brillante Jr. & Neon for the Mexican national tag titles
  • Esfinge vs. Zandokan Jr. for the Mexican light heavyweight title
  • Barbaro Cavernario vs. Averno for the CMLL light heavyweight title
  • Angelito vs. Pierrothito vs. Acero vs. Pequeno Olimpico in a cage mask with the last man in losing their mask
  • Stephanie Vaquer & Zeuxis & Lluvia vs. Tessa Blanchard & Willow Nightingale & Catalina
  • Mascara Dorada & Rocky Romero vs. Atlantis Jr. & Soberano Jr. in the Parejas Increibles tournament final
  • Bryan Danielson & Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli & Matt Sydal vs. Blue Panther & Mistico & Ultimo Guerrero & Volador Jr.

– Ordering info on the show:

1) Go to CMLL’s YouTube channel (VideosOficialesCMLL)

https://youtube.com/user/VideosOficialesCMLL

2) Click on the JOIN button

3) Select the “Fan Leyenda” (most expensive) tier and click join. It is 35 USD, and varies in other currency. You will get a prompt to pay. Once paid, you’re signed up.

You are purchasing a 30 day subscription. Make sure to unsubscribe if you don’t want to be charged in a month. (You will get four more Friday streams and four Tuesday streams for this price.)

You can not JOIN on an Apple iPhone/iPad (an Apple restriction). You sign up on another device and then use your Apple device to watch.

You can not watch the show live on the other cheaper tiers. Those levels will instead get the show as a VOD on or around 04/08.

(thanks to Cubs Fan)

– At the press conference yesterday, Danielson talked about this being a dream, and said he wanted a hair vs. hair match with Blue Panther or a mask vs. hair match with Mistico. He was supposed to be a heel but he was way too happy to be there. Moxley has shaved his head. Bryce Remsberg was there as a referee for the Parejas Increibles final match. He said he was there as a referee exchange like when Edgar Noriega did AEW.

– Willow Nightingale is staying for three shows, also working Arena Coliseo tomorrow night and Arena Mexico again on Sunday. CMLL has another El Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show Monday in Puebla with Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja vs. Akuma & Espanto Jr. for the CMLL tag titles and Volador Jr. vs. Romero. hey are doing a similar themed show Tuesday in Guadalajara but no title matches, with Mascara Dorada & Esfinge & Atlantis Jr. on top against Cavernario & Euforia & Soberano Jr. The big special match is Atlantis & Blue Panther against El Satanico & Re Bucanero.

– SmackDown tonight in Uncasville, CT will have angles likely building or starting to build the last three to be announced matches at Mania as well as completing the tag title match. One match for Mania will be a tag with Rey Mysterio & ? vs. Santos Escobar & Dominik Mysterio. Could be Dragon Lee in that spot but the official WWE internal listings have the ?. For tonight, Bianca Belair vs. Dakota Kai, Randy Orton & Kevin Owens vs. Pretty Deadly, Berto & Angel vs. Tyler Bate & Pete Dunne with the winner going into Mania’s ladder match for the tag title, Austin Theory & Grayson Waller vs. Street Profits also with the winner going to the ladder match and Jade Cargill debuts and will likely be involved in at least the beginning of an angle.

– In Cincinnati, SmackDown airs on WXIX tonight at 11:30 p.m. due to the Cavaliers basketball game. (thanks to Brian Henke)

– Rampage tonight at 10 p.m. on TNT:

  • Dustin Rhodes vs. The Butcher
  • Deonna Purrazzo vs Rose
  • Mariah May vs. Nikita
  • Roderick Strong vs. Matt Menard

– Paul Heyman talks about the Roman Reigns documentary that he was the executive producer and director of which airs Sunday on A&E.

– 11 Alive in Atlanta talks to Cody Rhodes about his Make-A-Wish work and what his journey from 2016 to now has meant to him: “WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes is a metro Atlanta native, a former high school state wrestling champion at Lassiter High School and is getting ready to main event both nights of WrestleMania 40. He talks with 11Alive about his involvement with Make-A-Wish America and his emotional journey from leaving WWE in 2016 to his return.”

– We’re looking for reports from these shows:

  • SmackDown tonight in Uncasville, CT (dark matches only)
  • MLW tonight in Tampa, FL
  • NXT tonight in Fort Pierce, FL
  • WWE tomorrow night in Manchester, NH
  • NXT tomorrow night in Melbourne, FL
  • WWE Sunday in Syracuse, NY

We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

– MLW on Triller TV tonight live from Tampa, FL:

  • AJ Francis vs. Alex Kane
  • Matt Riddle vs. Kosei Fujita for the New Japan TV title
  • Janai Kai vs. Unagi Sayaka for the MLW women’s featherweight title
  • War Chamber match: Satoshi Kojima & Matthew Justice & 1 Called Manders & Okumura vs. Tom Lawlor & Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Richard Holliday & Josh Bishop

– Volador Jr. is off the Joey Janela Spring Break show next Friday. He was to face Gringo Loco. Dralistico has been announced as Gringo Loco’s new opponent.

– The Will Ospreay vs. Powerhouse Hobbs match on Wednesday’s AEW show in Worcester, MA is a real interesting style match. Hobbs is very different from the type of guy Ospreay usually faces so we’ll really get a look at his versatility. For Hobbs, this is a very important career match for him.

– UFC tomorrow in Atlantic City at Boardwalk Hall:

Prelims at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and ESPN+

  • Angel Pacheco (135) vs,. Caolan Loughran (135)
  • Andre Petroski (186) vs. Jacob Malkhoun (185)
  • Viktoriya Dudakova (125) vs. Melissa Gatto (125)
  • Ibu Asian (205) vs. Anton Turkalj (205)
  • Dennis Buzukja (145.25) vs. Connor Matthews (145)
  • Julio Arce (147.25) vs. Herbert Burns (145) – Arce missed weight by 1.25 pounds and had to forfeit 20 percent of his purse.
  • Virna Jandiroba (115) vs. Loopy Godinez (115)
  • Nate Landwehr (145.25) vs. Jamall Emmers (145)

Main card at 10 p.m. on ESPN

  • Chidi Njokuani (170) vs. Rhys McKee (170.25)
  • Bill Algeo (146) vs. Kyle Nelson (145)
  • Nursulton Ruziboev (185) vs. Sedriques Dumas (185)
  • Chris Weidman (186) vs. Bruno Silva (186)
  • Vicente Luque (170) vs. Joaquin Buckley (170)
  • Erin Blanchfield (125) vs, anon Fiorot (125.25)

– Daniel Makabe vs. Timothy Thatcher headlines for Action Wrestling on 4/4 at the H20 Wrestling Center in Williamstown, NJ. The show will honor Dean Rasmussen, who passed away last year.

– Northeast Wrestling on 4/26 in Danbury, CT at Henry Abbott Tech High School has Matt Riddle, KC Navarro, Mustafa Ali, La Resistance and Megan Bayne.

– Pro Wrestling Phoenix from last night in Omaha, NE: Chaac de Oro b Joey Daniels, Willy Sweet b The Siev, Tanner Renken b Alan Lyric, Pat Powers b Vic Douglas, Con Artiest & Tank Bryson b Clay Evans & Ryan Romantic, Xander McIntosh b Alan Lyric, Kyle King b JC Slater, Moonshine Russell DCOR Brent Bishop. Next show is 4/24 at the Waiting Room Lounge.

– Innovate Wrestling on 4/13 is in Kingsport, TN at the Net ProStudios with Alex Adkins & Travis Lee & Chris Richards vs. Toby Farley & Wayne Adkins & Tony Givens.