Daily Update: Fallon Henley, WWE Speed, AEW notes

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Observer is loaded with news:

  • The most detailed look at the news of the week regarding the Janel Grant lawsuit against Vince McMahon, WWE and John Laurinaitis
  • Vince’s lawyers strategies in the case
  • What Vince is hoping to have happen and is it even possible
  • Lawyers for both sides go back-and-forth on things that really aren’t related to the key aspect of the case
  • Answers to some questions on the case
  • Vince’s under oath recent pleading
  • AEW Dynasty news
  • Early business reports
  • Comparing Ospreay vs. Danielson to the best matches ever including someone who saw that match, Omega vs. Okada IV and Omega vs. Ospreay II live
  • What the PPV number teaches us
  • Ospreay vs. Danielson or Ospreay vs. Oku, strengths of each
  • Strickland wins AEW title
  • Danielson & Ospreay booking for long-term thoughts
  • WWE draft preview
  • Details on all the WWE cuts
  • Which wrestler cut was just assured he wouldn’t be cut
  • A note about how the Netflix deal by WWE may open things up for international deals for other companies
  • TNA Rebellion PPV notes and numbers
  • The most detailed look at the TV ratings over the past week
  • Looking at last week’s Arena Mexico show
  • Stardom PPV preview
  • New Japan surprise debut
  • Dos Caras responds to accuser
  • Why MLW tag titles were vacated
  • TNA taping news
  • Tony Khan recent pub
  • Notes on Bill Goldberg and his comments on AEW
  • Ticket advances for upcoming shows
  • Cain Velasquez trial update
  • Non-compete ruling by FTC and WWE
  • Lots of WWE injury updates
  • How much top TKO execs made in 2023
  • Backlash preview
  • London mayor talks WrestleMania
  • New WWE title
  • Ronda Rousey talks MMA media
  • WWE arena and TV reports

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • Fallon Henley turned heel on NXT last night, attacking Thea Hail after Hail’s victory over Jacy Jayne.
  • WWE’s YouTube channel uploaded the full Lola Vice vs. Natalya NXT Underground match.
  • Natalya thanked Fit Finlay for helping put together the match:
        • Thank you so much Fit Finlay @ringfox1 for helping us make magic in our Underground match at @WWENXT. Thank you for all you’ve done for wrestlers around the world, trying to reach their dreams. Thank you for always being there for me and so many others. You’ve taught me so much about wrestling and how the most important tools to succeed come from heart and hard work. It’s always such a pleasure to sit under your learning tree and to continue to grow. It’s what I love and crave about this business. And then we pay it forward. Always. Love you, Fit.
  • Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Cody Rhodes took part in a Spaces session on X/Twitter today.
  • Levesque said WWE Speed will eventually include women’s matches:
        • It makes for an exciting challenge for the guys. It makes for an exciting challenge for eventually what will be the women as well. So far, it’s been spectacular. The talent have really embraced this and gotten into the challenge of it. It’s been exciting for them and our fans as well.
  • The Undertaker explained one way he thinks the WWE Draft could be more compelling:
        • You know what it missed for me? I want to see some deals made, right? You know what I’m saying? Like a lot of teams, they want a quarterback. They trade up or they trade down.
        • You know, that would to me be more compelling to watch. You’re expecting your fan base to watch two nights of TV content. And I mean, to be completely honest, there wasn’t a whole lot of change really.
  • Tiffany Stratton turns 25 years old today.
  • During her appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Stratton discussed dating Ludwig Kaiser:
        • We’ve actually been dating for, it’s gonna be two years in May. We kind of always knew of each other because we both were at the Performance Center. One day he was out and it was my birthday weekend, and I was out. We actually played rock, paper, scissors and the loser had to ask the person on the date. So he lost and he had to ask me on the date.
  • Stratton also spoke about how Becky Lynch helped her during their feud:
        • Overall Becky is such a great leader for everybody, and especially for someone who’s kind of just getting their name out there and stuff because she was there. She knows what it’s like to be the rookie and be the one like, nobody knows who you are. I just think she was so helpful in kind of guiding me through those big matches.
  • Shawn Michaels and Carmelo Hayes were guests on WWE’s The Bump this afternoon.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • AEW uploaded its Control Center video for tonight’s Dynamite and Rampage.
  • In an interview with TV Insider, Tony Khan said he can’t wait to have the AEW roster back at full strength:
        • We can’t wait to have the roster at full strength. Kenny Omega coming back to TV, even if he isn’t 100 percent. Just seeing him will be so great. There are a number of stars we’d love to have back. MJF, I’d love to get MJF back soon whenever possible. Britt Baker is another wrestler I’d love to have back. We’ve got some other great stars hopefully returning soon. It was a blessing for AEW that the doctors this past week cleared Rey Fenix. I was not expecting that. It happened earlier than anticipated. It was a nice surprise for the fans. I wanted to make sure his return match got a lot of time and showcased why he is one of the greatest wrestlers in the world and one of the greatest high-flyers in the history of pro wrestling.
  • TV Insider asked Khan if his father Shad has a favorite AEW wrestler:
        • My dad is a big AEW fan. He watches all the time. A few weeks ago I got a text from him during Will Ospreay and Claudio [Castagnoli]. He knew them both. He hadn’t seen much of Will Ospreay. He said Ospreay was amazing. I introduced him to Will, and he is now a huge fan of him. He is a huge fan of Kenny Omega, MJF, Jon Moxley, Orange Cassidy, Dr. Britt Baker, and recently ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm and Mariah May. Also, he had some nice interactions with Swerve [Strickland].
  • Renee Paquette interviewed Swerve Strickland.
  • Strickland spoke to Uproxx about his next steps in AEW after winning the World Championship:
        • It’s a Rubik’s cube that never stops moving around. Once you figure out one side, you got to try to figure out the other side. And so it’s honestly just keeping a hand on the pulse of not just the wrestling world, but the world itself. Being on top of those things and trying to be just more cutting edge as much as we can be, but also stick to a lot of traditional things in wrestling, staying true to that as well.
        • And then there’s integration that comes into play with that kind of stuff. Activations taking our wrestling world outside of our wrestling bubble into other different worlds. I feel like I’m one of the people that can really bridge that together to go into the new era of AEW wrestling.
  • Will Ospreay will be the guest on Monday’s episode of Strickland’s Swerve City Podcast.
  • Shop AEW has released a new Nyla Rose T-shirt with all royalties going to Freedom Oklahoma, a group that advocates for Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ rights.
  • Richard Holliday celebrated being one year in remission from cancer.
  • The FBI are set for action on the pre-show for TNA Wrestling’s Under Siege special this Friday.
  • Sami Callihan will be an entrant in MLW Battle Riot VI in Atlanta on Saturday, June 1.
  • Janai Kai is defending her Women’s Featherweight title against Miyu Yamashita, Zayda, and Delmi Exo in a four-way match at MLW’s show in Cicero, Illinois on Saturday, May 11. It will be part of the TV taping portion of the event.
  • Bobby Fish vs. AKIRA has also been announced for the May 11 MLW TV taping.