Daily Update: Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Strowman, Liddell vs. Ortiz

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No WWE house shows today.

For this week, no big show polls.

We’re looking for reports from Wrestlecade tonight in Winston-Salem, NC. 

Also, New Japan on AXS is preempted tonight and also no MMA shows.

MAJOR LEAGUE WRESTLING TWO-HOUR SPECIAL AT 8 P.M. TONIGHT ON BEINSPORTS

  • Tom Lawlor vs. Sami Callihan street fight
  • Swoggle & Joey Ryan vs. Dirty Blondes
  • Ricky Martinez vs. Dr. Rex Bacchus
  • Low Ki vs. Shane Strickland for the MLW title
  • Kotta Brazil vs. Trey Miguel
  • Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Tommy Dreamer

CMLL TONIGHT FROM ARENA MEXICO AT 9:30 P.M. EASTERN TIME

  • Oro Jr. & Super Astro Jr vs. Akuma & Espanto Jr.
  • Black Panther & Blue Panther Jr. & Fuego vs. Kawato San & Okumura & Universo 2000 Jr.
  • Soberano Jr. & Titan & Triton vs.; Dark Magic & Luciferno & Vangellys
  • Caristico & Mistico & Volador Jr. vs. Mephisto & Ephesto & Penta 0M
  • Mascara Ano 2000 & Cuatrero & Forastero & Sanson vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero & Euforia & Templario
  • Cavernario vs. King Phoenix for Leyenda de Plata title

We’re looking for reports tomorrow on the Starrcade show from Cincinnati (this show airs 8 p.m. Sunday night on WWE Network in edited form) and the WWE NXT UK tapings in Liverpool to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com

UFC FIGHT NIGHT FROM BEIJING, CHINA AT 3:15 A.M. EASTERN LATE TONIGHT 12:15 A.M. LATE TONIGHT PACIFIC ON UFC FIGHT PASS

  • Su Medaerji vs. Louis Smolka
  • John Phillips vs. Kevin Holland
  • Yan Xiaonan vs.Syuri Kondo
  • Liu Pingyuan vs. Martin Day
  • Weili Zhang vs. Jessica Aguilar
  • Hu Yaozong vs. Rashad Coulter
  • Wu Yanan vs. Lauren Mueller
  • Song Kenan vs. Alex Morono
  • David Zawada vs. Li Jingliang
  • Song Yadong vs. Vince Morales
  • Alistair Overeem vs. Sergei Pavlovich
  • Curtis Blaydes vs. Francis Ngannou

NEW JAPAN WORLD TAG LEAGUE TOMORROW IN KUKI SAME DAY TAPE DELAY ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

  • Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi
  • Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima
  • Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano

GOLDEN BOY MMA AT THE FORUM IN LOS ANGELES ON PPV AT 9 P.M.

  • Jay Silva vs. Oscar Cota
  • Albert Morales vs. James Barnes
  • Walel Watson vs. Ricky Palacios
  • Gleison Tibau vs. Efrain Escudero
  • Deron Winn vs. Tom Lawlor
  • Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz

NEW JAPAN WORLD TAG LEAGUE SUNDAY MORNING 3 AM. EASTERN TIME FROM NAGOYA DOLPHINS ARENA LIVE NO NEW JAPAN WORLD (MIDNIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT PACIFIC TIME)

  • Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi vs. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino
  • Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi
  • Michael Elgin & Jeff Cobb vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima
  • Togi Makabe & Toa Henare vs. Juice Robinson & David Finlay
  • Kazuchika Okada & Sho & Yoh vs. Tetsuya Naito & Bushi & Shingo Takagi
  • Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. Minoru Suzuki i& Takashi Iizuka
  • Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Baretta & Chuckie T
  • Evil & Sanada vs. Zack Sabre Jr & Taichi

ALL JAPAN REAL WORLD TAG LEAGUE SUNDAY AT THE HIRANUMA MEMORIAL GYM ON ALL JAPAN TV

  • Keiichi Sato vs.; Hokuto Omori
  • Atsushi Maruyama & Sushi vs. Back Menso-re & Black Tiger VII
  • Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori & Masa Fuchi vs. Mitsuya Nagai & Gianni Valletta & Leatherface
  • Zeus & The Bodyguard vs. Parrow & Odinson vs. Tajiri & Koji Iwamoto
  • Naoya Nomura & Yuma Aoyagi vs. Jake Lee & Ryoji Sai
  • Joe Doering & Dylan James & Kazma Sakamoto & Utamaro & Masayuki Motomi vs.; Suwama & Shuji Ishkawa & Atsushi Aoki & Hikaru Sato & Yusuke Okada
  • Kengo Mashimo & Kai vs. Kento Miyahara & Yoshitatsu

Sunday has Raw in Bloomington, IL, Smackdown in Madison, WI and WWE NXT UK tapings in Liverpool.

NEW JAPAN WORLD TAG LEAGUE MONDAY FROM YOSHITSUNE ARENA ON SAME DAY TAPE DELAY ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

  • Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi vs. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino
  • Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi
  • Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi vs. Togi Makabe & Toa Henare
  • Baretta & Chuckie T vs. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka
  • Evil & Sanada vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima
  • Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Juice Robinson & David Finlay
  • Tama Tonga & Tanga La vs. Michael Elgin & Jeff Cobb

ALL JAPAN REAL WORLD TAG LEAGUE MONDAY IN NIIGATA ON ALL JAPAN TV

  • Atsushi Maruyama vs. Hikaru Sato
  • Jake Lee & Koji Iwamoto vs. Atsushi Aoki & Yusuke Okada
  • Parrow & Odinson & Kotaro Suzuki vs. Jun Akiyama & Zeus & Black Menso-re
  • Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa vs. Tajiri & Gianni Valletta
  • Takao Omori & Manabu Soya vs. Naoya Nomura & Yuma Aoyagi
  • Joe Doering & Dylan James vs. Kento Miyahara & Yoshitatsu

Raw takes place Monday night in Milwaukee. AOP vs. Chad Gable & Bobby Roode for the tag titles is on the show. There is also a Smackdown house show on Monday in Cedar Rapids, IA.

ALL JAPAN REAL WORLD TAG LEAGUE TUESDAY IN SHIRAKAWA GENERAL GYM ON ALL JAPAN TV

  • Kotaro Suzuki vs. Yusuke Okada
  • Atsushi Aoki & Hikaru Sato vs. Koji Iwamoto & Hokuto Omori
  • Tajiri & Gianni Valletta vs. Parrow & Odinson
  • Kento Miyahara & Yoshitatsu & Naoya Nomura & Yuma Aoyagi vs. Jun Akiyama & Zeus & Atsushi Maruyama & Black Menro-re
  • Joe Doering & Dylan James vs. Takao Omori & Manabu Soya
  • Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa vs. Jake Lee & Ryoji Sai

Smackdown, Mixed Match Challenge and 205 Live take place on Tuesday in Minneapolis. Mixed match challenge starts single elimination playoffs with Jinder Mahal & Alicia Fox vs. ? & Ember Moon and Finn Balor & Bayley vs. Bobby Lashley & Mickie James.

NEW JAPAN WORLD TAG LEAGUE WEDNESDAY FROM MITO CITIZENS GYM ON SAME DAY TAPE DELAY ON NEW JAPAN WORLD 

  • Evil & Sanada vs. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino
  • Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi vs.; Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi
  • Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Baretta & Chuckie T
  • Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka
  • Michael Elgin & Jeff Cobb vs. Togi Makabe & Toa Henare
  • Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi
  • Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Standout performances highlight Survivor Series week

With standout performances from Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, Brock Lesnar, and Daniel Bryan, Survivor Series and the days leading into the pay-per-view were as strong of a stretch as the WWE main roster has had all year. An injury that took Lynch out of what was going to be the biggest moment of her career thus far ended up having plenty of silver linings.

WON NEWSLETTER: November 26, 2018 Observer Newsletter: Survivor Series review, tons more

Look at what came out of Survivor Series as the lead story in the new issue of the Observer. The issue runs down more plans for the Royal Rumble and another planned main event and angle for WrestleMania, and look at the strange booking and what makes sense and doesn’t.

Also look at the trademarks of All Elite Wrestling, who is behind the promotion, what they need, and the important questions on how this relates to pro wrestling in 2019.

Read an update on New Japan on AXS TV, with the announcing change and early year schedule including Tokyo Dome coverage.

Examine the plans by WWE to open up territories around the world, including places earmarked first, the announcement expected to be made imminently and the philosophy behind these expansions. 

Read why the XFL in 2020 is different from 2001 and how the media differences make this a new ball game, plus one of the leading television executives in the country talks about being willing to get into bed with the XFL

In addition, there are rundowns from all the WWE arena events from the past week with results, highlights and business.

There is a rundown of NXT Takeover War Games, with notes on the show, story behind the lineup, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.

Also look at the domestic violence case involving UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich and her husband, what each side is claiming and more.

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.

FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE

We are likely doing a special show tonight with myself and Garrett Gonzalez with a very different and unique look at the AEW start-up and if you’ve got any questions on it you’d like answered, send to me at dave@wrestlingobserver.com for tonight’s show.

We don’t have details, but Jim Duggan was hospitalized this week and was in ICU. Duggan’s Instagram account noted: “GREAT NEWS, getting out of the Intensive Care Unit !! Thanks for ALL the thoughts and prayers! I may get out of hospital this wkend! I hope !”

Daniel Bryan is not scheduled for the weekend house shows, nor is Rey Mysterio. Randy Orton is. A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe in a cage match is at the Starrcade show and Styles will be back on Smackdown Tuesday night.

Braun Strowman is scheduled for surgery on Monday so he’ll be off Raw this week. 

At the Golden Boy weigh-ins, Tom Lawlor, who weighed in at 199.5 for a 205 pound fight with Deron Winn tomorrow night, came out with a jug that read “Ostarine” on it and was about to drink it when somebody dressed up in a doctor’s outfit made him stop. I haven’t heard someone come in that much under the weight class limit in a long time. Winn is likely to be 220 or more and have a 20 pound weight advantage for the fight.

Chuck Liddell is getting $250,000 guaranteed and Tito Ortiz is getting $200,000, plus both men also get 30 percent of the live gate and PPV revenue. Lawlor is getting $25,000 flat for his first fight in nearly three years, while Winn is getting $5,000 to show and $5,000 to win. Both Efrain Escudero and Gleison Tibau are getting $10,000 to show and $10,000 to win. For a promotion that has made fun of how little UFC pays its fighters, with the except of the main eventers getting a far bigger cut from what will likely be a small PPV number and the live gate, fighters are making significantly less than in UFC for a major show.

Oscar De La Hoya said it’s a no-brainer this show will do more than 200,000 buys.

The second degree murder charges against Arnold Berdon, the husband of Rachael Ostovich, have been dropped to second degree assault. Berdon was released on $75,000 bond.

Tonight’s Arena Mexico show is expected to draw a major crowd beacuse they are honoring Mascara Ano 2000 for 40 years as a pro wrestler. The King Phoenix vs. Cavernario main event is a rematch from what many consider the best match of the year in that building.

WWE

  • The company will make an announcement this weekend at the tapings in Liverpool. 
  • The local ticket outlet announced that the 5/19 show in Basel, Switzerland has been canceled.
  • The Detroit TV show CriticLee Speaking have “A Private War,” the movie that Marissa McMahon helped produce, two thumbs up and one down. Lee Thomas said the movie had no heart and was too depressing so gave it a mild thumbs down. Adam Graham said it was a great performance by Rosamund Pike and a good movie about journalism. Tom Santili called it one of the best movies of the year and very timely. Timely it is. And filled with irony it is as well.

UFC

  • UFC has announced a 2/23 show in Prague, in the Zach Republic on 2/23. The show will air on ESPN+

MISCELLANEOUS

  • KSW owners Martin Lewandowski and Maciej Kawulski were both listed at No. 28 in the Forbes Magazing listing of the most powerful figures in sports in Poland. Both were No. 42 last year. 
  • Stardom from today in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall: Kaori Yoneyama & Ruaka b Hanan & Rina & Hina in a 2 on 3 match, Starlight Kid b Natsumi, Tam Nakano & Saki Kashima b Bea Priestley & Chardonnay, Kagetsu & Hazuki b Hana Kimura & Lady Apache, Mayu Iwatani & Arisa Hoshiki b AZM & Konami, Momo Watanabe & Utami Hayashishita b Jungle Kyona & Natsuko Tora to win the Twin Goddesses of Stardom titles. (thanks to Shannon Walsh)
  • World Series Wrestling from earlier today in Melbourne, Australia before a sellout 500 fans: Marty Scurll b Adam Brooks, Robbie Eagles won over Tome Filip, Stevie Filip and Bandido, Matt Grimm Basso & Big Brodie Marshall b Concrete Davidson & Chas Stone, Flip Gordon b Jonah Rock, Slex b Chris Basso with Austin Aries as referee, Brandi Rhodes on three-way over Indi Hartwell and Erika Reid, Brian Cage b Walter (said to be a great match). Cody and Joey Ryan are also on the tour doing meet and greets but not wrestling due to their injuries (thanks to Kevin Chiat and David Roughton)
  • Cody at the show apologized for not wrestling. He said that regardless of the stories out there, he will be coming back, paying his way back and the promotion won’t have to pay him because he couldn’t wrestle on this tour. He also noted being in trouble with New Japan for being in the ring with Bandido. Joey Ryan did a similar interview. Cody came out and accused Ryan of stealing his interview. Scurll later in the show also did an interview and apologized that all the interviews were turning this show into Monday Night Raw. Then Brody King (unadvertised) attacked Flip Gordon and he and Scurll beat down Gordon. Scurll said he and King are forming a tag team called Villain Enterprises. 
  • AWS on 1/26 in South Gate,CA with Tyler Bateman vs. Mercedes Martinez for the AWS title, Cheerleader Melissa vs. Shotzi Blackheart, Peter Avalon & Ray Rosas vs. SoCal Crazy & Mariaichi Loco vs. Ballard Brothers, plus Douglas James, Jake Atlas, Matt Cross, Keira Hogan, Eric Watts and more.
  • Smash Wrestling tonight in Brock, ONT.
  • Brutus Beefcake disappeared in the middle of the CWE tour. He never said a word to anyone and flew home. Jimmy Jacobs came in and took his place.
  • Bill Apter named Cody his 2018 Wrestler of the Year.
  • British wrestling commentator Dean Ayass and Yahoo sports columnist Liam Happe are joined by special guest, former Power Slam magazine editor Findlay Martin, for the latest episode of their podcast, Because WCW. This time, they look at Bash at the Beach 1997, featuring Dennis Rodman’s wrestling debut.
  • Here’s a look at the history of FMW.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Sting makes his WWE debut at Survivor Series 2014

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