Daily Update: Frank Deford passes away, Raw ratings, Impact in India

THE ROUND-UP

The Latest from the F4W Staff

NEWS/REPORTS

AUDIO

We’re looking for reports on Sunday’s WWE shows in Augusta, GA and Chattanooga, TN, the Strong Style tournament weekend from Progress in London as well as Friday night’s Raw show in Pikeville, KY to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com.

Raw is tonight from Greenville, SC with Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns and Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Samoa Joe. Smackdown has a house show tonight in Macon, GA.

Smackdown and 205 Live will take place in Atlanta on Monday including a women’s match with Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Carmella vs. Tamina vs. Natalya with the winner getting a shot at Naomi’s title at the Money in the Bank PPV show. 

We’re also looking for reports from the Impact tapings in Mumbai, India on Tuesday and Wednesday to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com.

NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS ON WEDNESDAY FROM OSAKA AT 5:30 A.M. ON NEW JAPAN WORLD FOR A BLOCK FINALS

  • ACH & Volador Jr. vs. Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • War Machine & David Finlay vs. Tama Tonga & Tanga Roa & Yujiro Takahashi
  • Jushin Liger vs. Taichi
  • Dragon Lee vs. Taka Michinoku
  • Ricochet vs. Marty Scurll
  • Hiromu Takahashi vs. Will Ospreay
  • Kazuchika Okada & Gedo vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale

NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS ON THURSDAY FROM NAGOYA AT 5 A.M.EASTERN TIME ON NEW JAPAN WORLD FOR THE B BLOCK FINALS

  • Jushin Liger & Hirai Kawato vs. Taka Michinoku & Taichi
  • Juice Robinson & Ricochet & Dragon Lee vs. Seiya Sanada & Evil & Hiromu Takahashi
  • Ray Rowe & Hanson & David Finlay vs. Tama Tonga & Tanga Roa & Yujiro Takahashi
  • Tiger Mask vs. Bushi
  • Ryusuke Taguchi vs. ACH
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Desperado
  • Kushida vs. Volador Jr.
  • Kazuchika Okada & Will Ospreay & Jado vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Marty Scurll

FIGURE FOUR WEEKLY: 5/22/2017: Jinder Mahal is actually WWE Champion

Even after having over a month to prepare for the possibility, it’s hard to believe that Jinder Mahal is actually WWE Champion. Title wins like Mahal beating Randy Orton at Backlash aren’t really supposed to happen in pro wrestling. When you have the ability to control wins and losses, challengers are theoretically built up over time and have enough credibility when they win a championship that the result is either obvious or hardly surprising.

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WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER: May 29, 2017 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE weekend show reviews, CMLL drama, plus tons of news

A detailed look at why Jinder Mahal got the WWE title, the strange situation of NXT Takeover blowing away the main roster PPV, and what the audience for all the U.S. shows that aren’t Raw and Smackdown say about what fans want from extra hours of wrestling are all part of the current issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

A look at the business and interest levels of WWE Backlash and NXT Takeover, plus what happened with ticket sales when the Backlash card was announced, the Jinder Mahal push, and how to judge it, and how something like this has never been done and look at other tries to make lower card guys into champions quickly and the result.

Upcoming big shows, plans for a major match coming up soon that hasn’t been hinted at, as well as full coverage of Backlash & NXT Takeover with match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

Updates on SummerSlam ticket sales, Dwayne Johnson’s week and how Saturday Night live did with him as host, updates on a lawsuit regarding WWE Network royalties, a storyline change, plans for a special Smackdown, updates on WWE injuries, more on the WWE women’s tournament, update on different wrestlers talking to WWE, rugby star may be signing with WWE, the three most-watched wrestling matches in the history of cable television, plus business notes and show highlights from all the WWE events this past week.

One of the craziest stories ever, with the Alvarado family’s destruction of Ultimo Guerrero’s car, how it happened, why it happened, the story behind CMLL firing two of its champions, who didn’t get fired, how the athletic commission is handling this and politics behind what happens next.

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WON BACK ISSUE: May 1, 2000: Justin Credible wins ECW Heavyweight Championship, safety concerns in Japan, tons more

When the smoke cleared after nine months of title changes largely forced upon him and designed to surprise, Paul Heyman finally went back to the original Plan A–as the latest surprise. Justin Credible (Peter Polaco), who Heyman had planned to be ECW heavyweight champion dating back more than 18 months, with the idea of not putting the title on him until he had a national television outlet, and being the wrestler that Rob Van Dam would chase in the company’s top program, wound up with the title after two more switches at ECW’s “Cyberslam” show on 4/22 in Philadelphia at the ECW Arena.

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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer radio tonight covering Raw, Frank Deford and the rest of the pro wrestling and MMA news. You can send questions to the show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com.

Thanks everyone regarding all the e-mails and messages regarding the death of Frank Deford. Frank Deford was very much a mentor to me after being a childhood idol. He was one of the greatest magazine writers who ever lived, sports or otherwise and we’ve heard today from so many people who first discovered the Observer from my writing in The National. The Hollywood Reporter story on Deford is here. The Sports Illustrated piece is here.

I hope everyone also remembers all the people who made such great sacrifices and their families on this Memorial Day. 

With only the Stanley Cup and no NBA, WWE should see an uptick in ratings numbers tonight. Because of the holiday, it’ll be slightly below what things will probably be until football season. 

The names who are in India for the Impact tapings for the next month are Bobby Lashley, Alberto El Patron, Low Ki, Mahabali Shera, Chris Adonis, Trevor Lee, Braxton Sutter, Allie, Moose, Rosemary, Laurel Van Ness, Swoggle, James Storm, Ethan Carter III, Eli Drake, Sienna, Eddie Edwards (back from his knee injury), Davey Richards, Rockstar Spud, Caleb Konley (who is Suicide) and KM, plus non-wrestlers Josh Matthews, Jeremy Borash and Bruce Prichard. The tapings are Tuesday and Wednesday with four shows taped, the first of which will air on Thursday.

Super Juniors results from today in the B block:

  • Tiger Mask (3-3) b Desperado (3-3)
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru (3-3) b Bushi (3-3)
  • Volador Jr. (3-3) b. ACH (3-3)
  • Kushida (3-3) b Ryusuke Taguchi (3-3)

        So with one day left, which will be Thursday in Nagoya, all eight guys are eligible. For all the talk of 50/50 booking, the B block here is the most 50/50 ever. So it’s a lock that there will be a four-way tie for first at 4-3, and everyone else will finish 3-4, and who advances will depend on the win-loss records broken down of the four at 4-3
against each other.

WWE

  • For those who asked, the reason Randy Orton wasn’t at the weekend shows is that he has a deal where he gets certain weekends off. I believe he has next weekend off as well. Last night in Chattanooga, they went with a Jinder Mahal vs. A.J. Styles title match. On Saturday night’s show in Knoxville they went with Kevin Owens vs. Styles for the U.S. title as the main event.
  • Nikki and Brie Bella will be on “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” on CW a week from tonight.
  • William Regal talks about the WWE recruiting process and for those interested in wrestling there, there is some good advice.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • DSport, a new TV channel in India, has acquired broadcast rights to ROH, making the first TV deal they’ve ever had in that country. (thanks to Himanshu D)
  • Results from the second day of the Progress Strong Style tournament yesterday in London at the Electric Ballroom: Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews b James Davis & Rob Lynch, Tyler Bate b Mark Haskins, Zack Sabre Jr. b Jack Sexmith, Matt Riddle b Jeff Cobb, Travis Banks b Flamita, Pete Dunne & Trent Seven b David Starr & Pastor William Eaver, Toni Storm won over Jinny and Laura DiMatteo to win the Progress Women’s’ title. Today’s show had Banks vs. Sabre and Riddle vs. Bate as the tournament semifinals plus Dunne vs. Cobb for the Progress title and Haskins vs. Seven in a submission match. As noted, we’re looking for reports on today’s show.
  • Mark Dallas announced that the commissioner for this year’s Fear and Loathing show on 11/19 in Glasgow at the SSE Hydro, which may be the biggest indie show of the year as far as attendance goes, will be Kevin Nash. 
  • Lucha Xtreme TV on Saturday in Fresno: Jesse James b Bud Lyons, Anthony Idol b Hunter Freeman, Feel Lyons b Jesse James & Hoss Hogg. Next taping is 6/3 in Hanford, CA at the Civic Auditorium.
  • NWA Mid South Wrestling from Saturday night in Dyresburg, TN: Sharknado b Justin D’Air, Morgan Williams b WonderBoy, Dale Wylde b K-Swss, Matt Riviera b Johnny Morton-DQ, Greg Anthony & Matt Taylor b Simon Reed & Jakob Edwinn. 
  • For the NEW show in Newburgh, NY on Friday night, in more from yesterday’s report: Vik Dalishus & Hale Collins beat Chris & Anthony Battle to win the tag titles. Also the guys who Wrecking Ball Legursky beat down were The Graysons and Bull Hightower before the save by Booker T. (thanks to Phil Strum) 
  • Wildkat Sports runs the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on 6/10 with Stevie Richards vs. Luke Hawx for their title as the main event, plus Devon Storm, Scott Hall, Homicide, Joel Gertner, Blue Meanie and Rene Michelle appear.
  • United Wrestling Coalition on 6/10 in Wrightstown, NJ at Kelly’s Banquet Hall for the Wrightstown Rumble.
  • Pro Wrestling Eclipse on 6/4 in Oshawa, ONT at the Legion 43 with Cody Deaner vs. Tyson Dux.
  • NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling on 6/17 in Kingsport, TN at the Civic Auditorium for Summer Bash 2017 with TV champion Chris Richards vs. Axton Ray in a cage match and Chase Owens vs. Shawn Shultz in a Southeastern title match.
  • Smash Wrestling and Lucha Toronto’s Vampiro Underground Invasion from yesterday in Toronto: John Atlas b Beck Cadash, Greed b Freddie Mercurio, Fraternity b Halal Beefcake, Tyson Dux b Carter Mason to keep Smash title, Sebastian Suave over Scotty O’Shea and Space Monkey, Matt Cross b The Mack (Willie Mack), Aerostar b Drago. 
  • NWL Kansas City from Saturday night before 500 fans: Cam Jackson b Gil Rogers, Niles Plonk & Chad Barstow b Lakota Warrior Red Cloud & Hans Ruger, Cornell Douglas b Ray Briggs, Jeremy Wyatt b Jay Lutz, Blaine Meeks & Maverick b Todd Letterman & Dak Draper, Marti Belle DDQ Amber Lynn, Howletts b Royal Blood in a ladder match. (thanks to Brian Hoops)
  • More clips from the recent All Pro Wrestling show at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.
  • WBZ Radio played some old clips of Wrestle Radio USA including Gordon Solie, Bruno Sammartino and Lou Albano. I think you’d get a kick out of Gordon Solie going off on announcer Dennis James because James would chew on celery sticks to make sound effects for his matches.
  • Scott Bowden has a video on Eddie Gilbert’s last match in Memphis over Memorial Day weekend in 1994. This was Bowden’s debut as a manager.

Today in Professional Wrestling History (5/29): NXT TakeOver

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