Daily Update: Gable Steveson loses, Ari Emanuel, CMLL

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer:

  • Updating the John Cena/Cody Rhodes interview, what was and wasn’t said, update on the plans for WrestleMania as well as the current ticket demand and interest level.
  • WBD expresses interest in UFC and evaluating the value of the UFC PPV business, the methods of distribution, how many buyers or subscribers will it take to cover what UFC wants and that value, how a deal with WBD would affect AEW (it would , perhaps significantly).
  • Full coverage of the final week of the New Japan Cup, including a look at one of the best shows of the year and New Japan’s next major show.
  • 2024 Gaspard/Huber award winners, the most important award we give each year
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for the various shows, including competition, men vs. women and things to note from the different shows over the past week.
  • Build to CMLL’s second biggest event of the year
  • How the foreign talent is doing in Mexico
  • AAA champion suspended in key market and why
  • Difference between commission suspensions in U.S. and Mexico
  • What WWE superstar was suspended for a drug test failure by athletic commissions nationwide and a commission didn’t  honor it and why several years back
  • Angle for a non-wrestling booker to face a woman star in a match
  • Homicide retirement notes
  • A look back at the most famous NCAA wrestling tournament match of all-time
  • The state of  El Hijo del Santo’s retirement tour
  • Updates on Border City Wrestling
  • Queen of the Ring updates
  • More on the early days of women’s pro wrestling history
  • Mandy Rose talks business after wrestling
  • AEW Dynasty updates including business
  • AEW and the Ryan Nemeth lawsuit against the company, Tony Khan and CM Punk
  • International TV and streaming numbers
  • WWE countering AEW PPV shows
  • Lex Luger Hall of Fame questions
  • How much is Dwayne Johhnson’s ownership of TKO worth
  • How much is Vince McMahon’s current ownership worth
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Developmental updates

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Sunday Update

Bryan and I will be back tonight talking about a giant news weekend with Wrestling Observer Radio. Friday’s show with Garrett Gonzales went in depth on these topics:

  •     The Shad Gaspard/Jonathan Huber award
  •     Heel John Cena
  •     New Japan Cup finale
  •     AEW Dynamite rating
  •     AEW & WWE rosters
  •     Lex Luger and Tony Khan’s dilemma
  •     TKO & Netflix

— In what may go down as the biggest match in college wrestling history, Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State scored a takedown with 15 seconds left to beat Gable Steveson in last night’s NCAA tournament final at 285 pounds. Steveson was up 4-2 but the takedown scored Hendrickson three points to win, 5-4. The most famous final was Larry Owings beating Dan Gable (who Steveson was named after) in 1970 and was considered the biggest upset in college wrestling history. Many were calling last night’s result the biggest upset in college wrestling history (I think so but it’s close) and even the biggest in college sports history (I wouldn’t go that far). There is a ton to digest from this one. Steveson had not been taken down all season. I’m not even sure the last time he was taken down was, but he had not lost a wrestling match of any kind since he was 19 years old in 2019.

— Carter Starocci became the first five-time Division I champion due to allowing him an extra season due to COVID beating Parker Keckeisen of  Northern Iowa by a 4-3 score. As Starocci was just starting his promo after the win, President Trump came out and just took all the attention away from an achievement that will likely never be duplicated. It was just sad timing.  The place went nuts when Trump came out.

— Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell are leaving Endeavor, buying WME while Mark Shapiro will stay with Endeavor according to this story as Endeavor goes private. 

— Very sad to report on the death of independent wrestler Graham Michael (Artist Artest) after a medical emergency in a match last night in Fairborn, OH for Xtreme Valley Wrestling. We don’t have more details past it was the second straight weekend someone died in a match. XVW wrote that he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital and that staff worked tirelessly to keep him alive until the medics arrived. I will say this, a lot of commissions mandate an ambulance at independent shows, both in the U.S. and Mexico but wrestling has gone unregulated in most parts of the U.S. for years. This is probably something that should be mandated everywhere.

— CMLL’s El Homenaje a Dos Leyndas show on Friday night ended with Zandokan Jr & Star Jr. beating Valiente & Esfinge, leading to Zandokan Jr. beating Star Jr. in a mask match. The show was very good, although this didn’t have the same emotion as some of the more famous mask matches in recent years. But they worked very hard. Mistico & Mascara Dorada beat Komander & Hologram in an excellent match with La Mistica on Komander. Komander really stole the show in that match. Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja retained the CMLL tag titles over Rocky Romero & Volador Jr, while AEW’s Lady Frost & Taya Valkyrie lost in a match for the vacant CMLL women’s tag titles to Lluvia & Jarochita. We’ll have more on this tonight.

— WWE results from yesterday in Belfast, Northern Ireland

  • Rey Mysterio b Finn Balo
  • Charlotte Flair b  Piper Niven
  • Bron Breakker b Sheamus to keep the IC title
  • Chelsea Green b Michin to keep the US title
  • Gunther DCOR CM Punk to keep the World title
  • War Raiders b New Day to keep the tag titles
  • Andrade b Carmelo Hayes
  • Braun Strowman & JImmy Uso b Jacob Fatu & Tama Tonga
  • Cody Rhodes b Solo Sikoa in a cage match to keep the WWE title

–We’re looking for reports from today’s WWE show in Nottingham, England with results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

— Future Stars of Wrestling on Triller tonight has the Chris Bey benefit show from Las Vegas:

  • Kenny King vs. Swerve Strickland
  • Alex Hammerstone vs. Karrion Kross
  • Johnny TV vs. Lio Rush vs. Ace Austin
  • Frankie Kazarian vs. Joe Wiliams vs. Gregory Sharpe vs. TJP vs Danny Limelight

— WWE tonight on A&E at LFG at 8 p.m., Rivals at 9:30 p.m. is about the Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat feud and WWE Greatest Moments at 10:30 p.m. is about celebrities in WWE of the 80s like Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper.

— Collision tonight after NCAA basketball at about 11 p.m. Eastern has Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta & Pac vs. Top Flight & AR Fox for the trios titles, Johnny TV vs. Bandido, Harley Cameron vs Aminah Belmnt and Komander & Hologram vs. Mortos & Dralistico. The trios title match opens directly following the game rather than the Lucha match.

— Former UFC star Yoel Romero knocked out former Bellator fighter Ras Hylton in the main event of last night’s Dirty Boxing show in Miami. This is the promotion that Jon Jones has an ownership stake in.

— Pro wrestler and former MMA star Shinya Aoki fought on today’s ONE show at the Saitama Super Arena, beating Eduard Folayang via submission with an armbar in 53 seconds.

— The WWE Valt YouTube has put up a WCW house show from March 13, 1993, in Manchester, England. The top matches were Sting vs. Paul Orndorff, Cactus Jack vs. Vader, Davey Boy Smith vs. Vinnie Vegas and Rick Rude vs. Van Hammer. (thanks to Stephen Lyon)