Daily Update: Faber’s farewell, Balor at OTT, Sydal returns

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THE ROUND-UP

The Latest from the F4W Staff

Faber’s final fight on Fox…

NEWS

AUDIO

For this weekend, our only poll will be the WWE Roadblock End of the Line show on Sunday.

We’re looking for reports on the following shows to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com:

  • Raw in Youngstown (Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens U.S. title)
  • Smackdown in Peterborough ONT (Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt street fight), NXT in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Events Center and NXT in Tampa. 

UFC SATURDAY FROM THE GOLDEN ONE CENTER IN SACRAMENTO ON FOX / FS1 AND FIGHT PASS

UFC on FOX 22 live results: Paige VanZant vs. Michelle Waterson

FIGHT PASS AT 3:30 P.M. EASTERN TIME (WITH SPOILERS)

  • Sultan Aliev vs. Bojan Velickovic: Velickovic wins by split decision.
  • Hector Sandoval vs. Fredy Serrano: Sandoval wins by unanimous decision.
  • Takeya Mizugaki vs. Eddie Wineland: Wineland wins by TKO.

FS 1 AT 5 P.M. EASTERN TIME

  • Irene Aladana vs. Leslie Smith: Smith wins by unanimous decision.
  • Josh Emmett vs. Scott Holtzman: Emmett wins by unanimous decision.
  • James Moontasri vs. Alex Morono: Morono wins by unanimous decision. 
  • Bryan Barbarena vs. Colby Covington
  • Mizuto Hirota vs. Cole Miller
  • Luis Henrique da Silva vs. Paul Craig

FOX AT 8 P.M. EASTERN TIME

  • Mike Perry vs. Alan Jouban
  • Urijah Faber vs. Brad Pickett (Faber’s retirement fight)
  • Sage Northcutt vs. Mickey Gall
  • Paige VanZant vs. Michelle Waterson

HOUSE OF HARDCORE SATURDAY NIGHT FROM JOPPA, MD ON FLO SLAM

  • Tommy Dreamer & ? vs Spirit Squad
  • John Hennigan vs. Rey Fenix
  • Brian Cage vs. Moose
  • Taya vs. Jessicka Havoc

WWE ROADBLOCK END OF THE LINE SUNDAY FROM PITTSBURGH AT 7:30 P.M. EASTERN

  • Big Cass vs Rusev (pre-show match)
  • Sami Zayn vs. Braun Strowman (10:00 time limit)
  • Rich Swann vs. Brian Kendrick vs. TJ Perkins for cruiserweight title
  • New Day vs. Cesaro & Sheamus for tag team titles
  • Seth Rollins vs. Chris Jericho
  • Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte for women’s title
  • Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns for Universal title

Sunday also has as WWE Smackdown house show in Barrie, ONT.

Raw will be Monday night in Columbus, OH. There is a Smackdown Monday night house show in Hamilton, ONT.

Smackdown & 205 Live will air on Tuesday night from Detroit.

FIGURE FOUR WEEKLY: 12/12/2016 The Paige/Alberto Del Rio relationship isn’t funny anymore

International Wrestling Revolution Group, or IWRG, has been one of Mexico’s top independent promotions for over two decades. Yet aside from the period where it was the Mexican home of Ultimo Dragon’s students when Toryumon was getting off the ground, the promotion rarely got much international attention… Subscribers click here to continue.

WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER: December 19, 2016 Vice article on WWE behind the scenes, Wrestlekingdom 11 card, more

A look at the inner workings of WWE and the latest change in creative is the lead story of a double-issue this week of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Also, a look at the greatest tag teams of all-time, New Japan’s Tokyo Dome show, WWE house show rules, Japanese awards, American awards and what exactly happened in incidents with Alberto Del Rio and Shad Gaspard over the past week.

The lead story covers the major Vice story on the WWE, including Shane McMahon’s attempt to get control of creative, the situation with Kevin Dunn, Paul Levesque and Stephanie McMahon, when Stephanie McMahon was in creative, insiders talk Vince McMahon’s philosophy, the firing of the No. 3 guy in creative and how it went down, and updated notes about the WWE Network, the current audience and the company’s future.

This issue has a look at the ratings John Cena drew for Saturday Night Live, an update on A.J. Styles’ ankle injury, Zack Ryder injury, Jerry Lawler talks being let go, Finn Balor’s return, WWE looking to get outside funding and why stockholders are concerned, more on the WWE Network, projections for WWE business in 20-16 and network numbers, Chris Hero and WWE update, legend to do a coaching gig with WWE, and notes on a lot of new talent signing and new talent trying out.  

Finally, this issue has coverage of UFC 206, including what’s next for the various stars of the show, business notes on the show, early PPV estimates, ratings news, plus match-by-match coverage and poll results from the show.

Subscribers click here to continue.

ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer, or by using PayPal directing funds to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com. 

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If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can choose one free classic issue, or two free classic issues with a 40-issue subscription.

WON BACK ISSUE:November 22, 1999 WWF Survivor Series review, Austin neck trouble, more – In an industry with no rules, regulations or morals, there is nothing that happened this week that was out of the ordinary. And that’s sad. The big story this week should have been that the biggest star in wrestling today, has his career in jeopardy due to finding out just how badly thrashed his neck is… Subscribers click here to continue.

SATURDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

  • Finn Balor made an appearance for OTT Wrestling in his home country of Ireland today. The show was headlined by Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay.
  • Dave Meltzer tweeted that Roadblock has the weakest advance for a Raw PPV since the brand split.
  • Mojo Rawley posted a message to Zack Ryder on Instagram after Ryder had to undergo knee surgery.
  • USA Today looked at The New Day’s success and interviewed Kofi Kingston.
  • Baron Corbin won the Most Metal Athlete of 2016 award.
  • WWE’s YouTube channel looked at five potential Undertaker matches that they’re dying to see.
  • Ahead of the Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair 30-minute Iron Man match at Roadblock tomorrow, WWE uploaded the full video of Banks’ previous Iron Man match in NXT against Bayley.

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING

  • Matt Sydal returned to the ring last night for the first time since September following his arrest in Japan for liquid cannabis possession earlier this year. Sydal faced Pete Dunne at PWG’s Mystery Vortex show.
  • Chris Hero also addressed his situation with WWE at PWG last night by saying that he really doesn’t know what’s going to happen and it may or may not have been his last time wrestling in PWG.
  • Pop TV posted the full Total Nonstop Deletion episode of TNA Impact.
  • Kota Ibushi will make his way to the UK to wrestle Goto Ihashi for XWA on March 11th.
  • Chris Charlton translated a series of tweets from New Japan Pro Wrestling president Takaaki Kidani commenting on WWE’s UK tournament and what it could mean for their global expansion. Of note, Kidani said that WWE was trying to create a global network of territories to tie up talent and that we’re entering an era where you’re either with WWE or against them.

VARIETY

Today in Professional Wrestling History (12/17): Frank Gotch wins American Title

CONTACT INFORMATION

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