Daily Update: Countdown to Revolution, Sting, Cody Rhodes

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

With the death of Ole Anderson this week, we have a giant issue of the Observer with a huge bio of Anderson, talking about his entire career in the business, as a wrestler, promoter, booker and later executive with WCW. We talk about the beginnings of Georgia wrestling on national television, the expansion, Dusty Rhodes vs. Ole Anderson, The Black Scorpion, The Four Horsemen, Minnesota Wrecking Crew, Black Saturday and so much more. This issue includes:

  • The life and times of Ole Anderson
  • A story on the death of Mike “Virgil” Jones
  • Update on WrestleMania
  • Coverage of Elimination Chamber
  • Rock on Smackdown
  • Updated Mania lineup
  • Business notes on Elimination Chamber
  • Update on WWE & UFC 2023 business, along with 2024 projections and why the stock price dropped
  • Sting’s last match and AEW Revolution preview
  • Secondary market notes
  • History of Greensboro sellouts
  • Darby Allin and Young Bucks talk Sting
  • New Japan after Okada looked at
  • What New Japan needs to do
  • How Matt Riddle and Nic Nemeth started in New Japan
  • New Japan Cup news
  • Rundowns of New Beginning in Sapporo
  • UFC from Mexico City rundown
  • 2023 Shad Gaspard/Jon Huber Award winners
  • Triple Crown winners of Wrestler of the Year, Most Outstanding and Match of the Year in the same year
  • The most detailed look at the ratings of all the shows, segment-by-segment, demos, competition and weekly placings as well as comparisons to one year ago
  • First ever all women’s Friday night show at Arena Mexico
  • Notes on the next CMLL tournament
  • Wrestlers leaving AAA
  • Stardom Cinderella tournament
  • Two major Stardom stars confirmed as staying with the promotion
  • Movie coming out on 70s star
  • More on MLW lawsuit settlement with WWE
  • More plans and changes at TNA
  • Shocking PPV number and trying to explain it
  • Tony Khan talks business and how many PPV shows per year is optimum
  • More on the visa situation with Mexican talent
  • More on Darby Allin climbing Mount Everest
  • Lots of injury updates
  • International TV ratings
  • Advance ticket sales for WWE & AEW shows
  • Biggest event in PFL history
  • More on the Nick Kiniski story
  • Dwayne Johnson gets ownership of all his IPs
  • WWE writer talks about Vince McMahon
  • WWE star in BJJ tournament

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

Saturday Update

WWE

  • With the show featuring an appearance by The Rock, SmackDown averaged 2.23 million viewers in the fast national ratings last night. The rating in the 18-49 demo was approximately a 0.58. Those numbers are up from what SmackDown drew in the fast nationals last week (2.16 million viewers and a 0.56 demo rating).
  • Though he didn’t appear on television, Cody Rhodes worked a dark match against Drew McIntyre after SmackDown. Rhodes was about to win the match until Grayson Waller interfered and attacked him. Rhodes fought off McIntyre and Waller after the match and laid them out.
  • Rhodes then spoke to the crowd and asked them about what The Rock said earlier in the night. Rhodes & Seth Rollins will be on SmackDown next week to respond to The Rock & Roman Reigns’ challenge for a tag match at WrestleMania 40 night one.
  • PWInsider reports that Fox censoring a “Die Rocky Die” sign is the reason that the feed blacked out at points during The Rock and Roman Reigns’ segment on SmackDown.
  • WWE shared an eight-minute video of wrestlers’ reactions from inside of the Elimination Chamber pods.
  • Chelsea Green appeared as a guest on the Lightweights Podcast.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • The full Countdown to Revolution special that aired last night is available to watch on AEW’s YouTube channel.
  • The Players’ Tribune collected voicemails from Sting’s family and members of the AEW locker room sharing their memories of Sting. Video of Sting listening to the voicemails can be watched here.
  • Sting spoke to ESPN about the run he’s had in AEW:
          • I signed a multiyear deal originally just thinking, ‘We’ll see what happens and see how it is and what the atmosphere is like,’ and every step of the way the guys just had just so much love and respect and a willingness to want to play [ball]. And I am just blown away and just grateful as all get out for that, because otherwise none of this would’ve happened. I mean, it’s just impossible.
  • Sting said this final stretch of his career has brought him and his children even closer together:
          • All three of my kids are texting me constantly. All the things that they’re writing to me about what I’m doing and how cool they think it is, and it’s almost like strengthening our relationship even more. This whole thing, it’s very cool. So, I love having them involved. It’s just been a great experience and what a way to end it, you know?
  • Sting’s son Garrett discussed the last months of his father’s career:
          • It’s almost like a moment in time that I wish would just kind of stay still, because it’s been so exhilarating. Everything that he’s done has just been so cool to watch. And every time you think he’s done all the cool things, he just pulls out something else and just blows everything else out of the water.
          • The rappelling [Wednesday] night? I mean, just shivers. It was crazy.
  • After defeating Matt Sydal on Rampage to qualify for the All-Star scramble at Revolution, CMLL wrestler Magnus tweeted: “A biggest moment on my career, definitely the match that put me on the map !!! THANK YOU SO MUCH @CMLL_OFICIAL for believing in me !!! And @TonyKhan @AEW THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!!”
  • On his Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, Matt Hardy gave an update on Jeff Hardy’s recovery from a broken nose:
          • Obviously, Jeff’s nose, as I said, it was broken — had a couple little breaks in it. And he’s getting some tests done on his sinuses to see how his sinuses are doing. You know, it’s not a fast project. These things move slow. We’re just trying to make sure his health is first and foremost and putting that above everything else.
  • AEW uploaded a behind-the-scenes video documenting Will Ospreay’s first official day with the company.
  • QT Marshall spoke to Sportskeeda WrestleBinge about working with CM Punk when Punk was in AEW:
          • I always liked him, you know, backstage. I know there were reports that he kept me off of TV. And we actually talked about it, and like, we agreed. Neither of us wanted me to be Will Hobbs’ manager [laughs]. You know what I mean? Then I also had to work Saturdays and Wednesdays. So when him and I spoke about the idea that he didn’t want me with Will Hobbs, I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s sign me up for that one because I’d rather only work on Wednesdays.’
  • SHAK Wrestling interviewed Darby Allin.
  • Roderick Strong was the guest on the latest episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet.
  • Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe, and Daniel Garcia appeared on the Revolution preview edition of AEW Unrestricted.
  • WWE’s Big E responded to Powerhouse Hobbs after Hobbs wished him a happy birthday yesterday: “Love you, young legend. You’ve only scratched the surface.”
  • Mercedes Mone visited with Kyoko Kimura (mother of the late Hana Kimura) while in Japan to present at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
  • Mick Foley posted a video explaining why he wants to do one more deathmatch.
  • Dark Side of the Ring shared a clip of Haku reacting to seeing The Shockmaster’s botched debut for the first time.
  • Mistico, Stephanie Vaquer, and Hechicero have been announced for CMLL’s Fantasticamania UK shows in London on Sunday, May 19. The event is being presented by Revolution Pro Wrestling.