Daily Update: Conor McGregor responds to Diaz, TNA special added, ROH

We’re looking for your thoughts on last night’s UFC show, Friday night’s ROH Final Battle and Wednesday night’s NXT Takeover, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave Meltzer

We’re also looking for reports on today’s WWE show in Winnipeg (Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus, Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens, yesterday’s ROH TV tapings in Philadelphia and today’s 2CW shot at Dave Meltzer

Monday will be the Slammy Award edition of Raw from the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Smackdown will air live on the USA Network at 8 p.m. on Tuesday from Des Moines.  The New Day vs. Lucha Dragons for the tag team titles has been announced.

The USA Network will air Tribute to the Troops on Wednesday night at 8 p.m., a taped show from Jacksonville.

Figure Four Weekly

Figure Four Weekly 12/7/2015: McDevitt comments on concussion lawsuits
Details on Jerry McDevitt’s comments on the ongoing concussion lawsuits against WWE, Alan discusses potential candidates for 2015’s best rookie.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Conor McGregor winning the UFC featherweight title, the story behind UFC 194 and the path of Roman Reigns to the WWE title are the lead stories in the new double issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter with coverage of so many major shows over the past week.

We look at McGregor’s financial  goals, the business of UFC 194 and the records set, early PPV projections, what is next for McGregor, TV viewership numbers in the U.S. and Brazil, , as well as the path of McGregor to being the No. 1 male star in the promotion.  We look at Frankie Edgar as a contender, potential of UFC 200 if Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor are booked on the same show, the last two PPV shows, Rousey vs. McGregor as draws, Luke Rockhold’s middleweight title win, looking at the Yoel Romero vs. Chris Weidman judging and the future of the middleweight division.

We also look at the path of Roman Reigns to the WWE title, the increased viewership on Raw, where the new viewers came from and how viewership differed from recent weeks.  We look at the reaction to Reigns, and the storylines that led to that reaction.

We’ve also got complete rundowns on WWE TLC, NXT Takeover, as well as all three UFC events, including match-by-match coverage, business notes, star ratings and more.

We also have a look at Mauro Ranallo’s signing with WWE, his background, how the deal came to fruition and the path from announcing pro wrestling on TV while a teenage on national television in  Canada to the WWE 30 years ago, with stops in kickboxing, MMA and boxing in between.

PLUS MUCH MORE! CLICK HERE FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW

The Latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter: December 21, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Conor McGregor wins UFC Featherweight title, Roman Reigns WWE Champion

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TODAY’S DAILY UPDATE

We have two weekend Wrestling Observer radio shows up, one covering the ROH show and one covering the UFC show.  We’ll be back with a new show after Raw tomorrow.

To clarify Nate Diaz saying that Joe Silva told him he was getting the next shot at Conor McGregor, which he said in an interview last night after the show with Ariel Helwani, we’re told that nobody knows where that came from but we’re told Silva never said that to him.  Conor McGregor, when talking about Diaz, Rafael dos Anjos and Charles Oliveira, all of whom challenged him last night, said, “Line them up on their knees with their hands out.  I want them to beg me.”  Diaz did the best interview, only nobody watching on television saw it since just about the entire interview was bleeped out.  At the press conference, Diaz said, and I’m not sure of this logic, that since McGregor already punked out dos Anjos at a press conference months ago, that nobody wants to see that fight and that he’d have a real fight with McGregor, not a fake fight.

Ronda Rousey’s first major interview since losing the title will be on Wednesday with Kelly and Michael Strahan on ABC at 9 a.m.

Michael Bennett and Maria Kanellis finished up with ROH last night.  It was pretty well acknowledged and everyone did a thank you for them at the end of the show.  They are expected to be headed to TNA, which is trying to debut new talent for its 1/5 show. A.J. Styles was at the ROH tapings last night and got involved in a finish but didn’t do a match as he was pretty banged up after his match with Jay Lethal on Friday. 

Pop TV has added another TNA special, which will be on New Year’s Day at 1 a.m. called “This is Impact,” which will be a preview show to hype the final four in the world title series on 1/5.  TNA also announced that the 1/30 show in London will feature multiple cage matches as one of the two shows taped will be Lockdown, an all cage match television show.  They also announced a Monster’s Ball match on 1/29 in Manchester and a King of the Mountain match on 1/31 in Birmingham.  Names announced for the tour are Kurt Angle, Bobby Lashley, Matt Hardy, EC 3, Drew Galloway, Eric Young, Bobby Roode, Rockstar Spud, Grado, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards, Ken Anderson, Tigre Uno, Robbie E, Mandrews, Mahabili Shera, Gail Kim, Taryn Terrell, Velvet Sky, Madison Rayne, Abyss, Awesome Kong, Jessie Godderz, DJ Zema Ion, Eli Drake, Trevor Lee, Andrew Everett, Rebel, Tyrus, Marti Bell and Jade.

WWE

  • WWE week begins tonight on the USA Network with the movie Santa’s Little Helper with Miz and Paige at 8 p.m.  Plus during the week from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. there will be WWE interviews with Big Show, Miz, Brie Bella and Stephanie McMahon, plus they will during the week be airing Dwayne Johnson movies such as The Rundown, Fast Five and GI Joe Retaliation.
  • Big E promotes the 12/26 house show in Detroit.  He said he’d like a singles match with Brock Lesnar.  When asked what would happen in a powerlifting competition between he and Mark Henry, he said, “In his heyday, I’d give him his due.  He would have beaten me handily.  He’s one of the strongest men to have ever walked the Earth. Right now, though, I’d smoke him.”

UFC/MMA

  • The Final F4Wonline.com 2015 prediction standings for UFC

Jack Encarnacao of Sherdog/Boston Herald 113-49 (69%)

Steve Juon 105-57 (64%)

David Bixenspan 104-58 (64%)

Mike Sempervive 103-59 (63%)

John Pollock 101-61 (62%)

Dave Meltzer 101-61 (62%)

Frontrow Brian 99-63 (61%) 

Mike Sawyer 96-66 (59%)

Josh Nason 91-71 (56%)

  • Weekend trending, UFC was No. 4 for Saturday behind the Dallas Cowboys, BYU Football and Alcorn State, with 100,000 searches.  Nate Diaz was No. 9 with 50,000 searches.  Nothing from the NXT show got 20,000 searches which was No. 2 for either Wednesday or Thursday.   

MISCELLANEOUS

  • A story on Matt Riddle helping an area family whose house went on fire with fund raising
  • Amber Gallows, the wife of Doc Gallows, captured the NWA women’s title from Santana Garrett on Friday night in Sherman, TX.  Gallows formerly worked as Amber O’Neal, and made some New Japan appearances this year as the Bullet Club Babe. 
  • A high school wrestler died yesterday during a tournament in Iowa
  • Rock Solid Wrestling on 2/15 in Wasaga Beach, ONT at the Rec Plex with Cody Deaner vs. Anthony Darko as the main event.
  • Lucha Xtreme TV from last night in Fresno:  Manny Fernandez b Brandon Pinion loser leaves town, Mortal DCOR Brandon Groom, Mortal b Jesse Poole.
  • I Believe in Wrestling from last night in Orlando:  Brandon Scherer b Slade Porter, Tyranus b Rex Bacchus, Ace Andrews b CT Brown Josh Parker b Chico Adams, Mike Reed b Siniestro, Santana Garrett b Shaniah Ariyana to keep the Wonder of Stardom title, Jonny Vandal & Aaron Epic b Michael Patrick & Leo Brien-DQ.  Next show is 1/2 with a tag team title match with the titles being able to change hands via DQ plus Garrett and Rhett Giddins. (thanks to Al Haft)
  • Great North Wrestling on 2/27 in Hawkesbury, ONT at the Robert Hartley Arena with Jeremy Prophet vs. Hannibal and Carlito vs. Paul Rosenberg.
  • Johnny Mundo spoke with Alfred Konuwa of the PodNasty Wrestling Podcastduring last week’s Lucha Underground tapings. He talked about his current run in Lucha Underground and continued his war of words with former WWE champion Seth Rollins.  Mundo also talked about how Lucha Underground compares to other promotions, long-term goals and the Boone: the Bounty Hunter film which he wrote, directed and starred in. 

Here is today’s FULL Daily Pro Wrestling History including International history: Daily pro wrestling history (12/20): Bret Hart defeats Goldberg to win WCW World Title