Daily Update: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Drew McIntyre, Will Ospreay

Daily Update

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Join us in Las Vegas for our annual F4W Convention

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

Highlights include:

*Where the C.M. Punk situation with AEW stands.

*Update with more details on the proposed new AEW television show and if it happens, probable time slot, potential issues, and how the roster will be handled.

*Update on AEW at Wembley Stadium, different standards of numbers to break, ticket pricing, AEW’s goals for the show, signups and how that compares to Clash at the Castle and what it means.

*Sanada wins the IWGP title after a character change and the questions that opens up, plus notes on the next several months of New Japan major events, including G-1, Dominion and Forbidden Door.

*Full coverage of the Sakura Genesis show

*Full coverage of UFC 287, what happens next for the headliners, business note and fight-by-fight coverage

*Major article on the life and career of The Sheepherders/Kiwis/Bushwhackers with the death of Butch Miller. We follow Miller’s life both in and out of wrestling, the territory days, fan attacks, crazy angles, their days of bloodbath matches and the 180 at the end of their careers that made them the most famous. We go through everywhere from New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Oregon, Southwest, Stampede, Mid South, Puerto Rico and of course WWE, the politics, the craziness and Miller’s later fights for his life.

*WWE attempts once again to get the MLW lawsuit thrown out. A look at their response and strategy in the case

*The most detailed look at the ratings for all the pro wrestling shows of the past week, what the ratings mean, placings, yearly trends, and how different segments did.

*Update on the Champion of Champions tournament.

*The celebrity angle that fell apart in so many ways and a look at why.

*Notes on the next season of Dark Side of the ring.

*NWA PPV coverage.

*The story behind Bob Backlund becoming WWF champion.

*How wrestling ratings will be affected the next two months and why

*Lots of injury updates.

*International TV ratings and streaming numbers.

*Ticket sales for all the upcoming WWE & AEW events.

*UFC Hall of Fame notes.

*Lots of new major UFC fights.

*Update on Vince McMahon and creative.

*Dana White talks WWE/UFC merger

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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Sunday Update

Bryan and I will be up tonight talking about the latest news and whatever shows we get a chance to see tonight and the other weekend television. You can also send questions to tonight’s show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com

Hiroshi Tanahashi suffered a broken rib in last night’s NJPW main event in Washington, DC. The Philadelphia show is going on as we speak and the main event has been changed to Aussie Open defending the Strong tag titles (that they won last night) against Lio Rush & Tomohiro Ishii. TJP also missed tonight’s show due to travel issues. Even with the injury, Tanahashi did a Meet & Greet to make up for his not wrestling today. They also did a worked suspension angle for Juice Robinson so Lance Archer faces Fred Rosser today. This is part of the tournament for the next shot at Kenny Omega’s U.S. title. The winner of Archer-Rosser faces the winner of Will Ospreay vs. Tanahashi (if he’s okay, the injury could change that) in Long Beach and the winner of that faces Omega.

Drew McIntyre won’t be returning to action for at least a few moer week, at least based on word over the weekend.

Will Ospreay’s return from a shoulder injury will be this coming Saturday for 1PW in England where he’ll face Bobby Fish.

TripleMania tonight in Monterrey:

*10 men in a cage: Laredo Kid, Antifaz del Norte, Octagon Jr., Villano III jr. Myzteziz Jr., Argenis, Aero Star, Parka Negra, Abismo Negro Jr . and Taurus. It’s cage escape rules and the last two left will then have a mask vs. mask singles match.

*Copa TripleMania

*DMT Azul & Blue Demon Jr. vs.; L.A. Park & Rush

*Pentagon Jr. & Alberto El Patron vs Sam Adonis & Psycho Clown

*Chessman vs. mystery partner

*El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Swerve Strickland vs. Rich Swan vs. Komander for the Mega heavyweight championship

As far as trending over the past week, the only thing MMA, boxing or pro wrestling related was Max Holloway was No. 4 for his win over Arnold Allen on yesterday’s UFC show on ESPN. It was listed at 100,000 searches but as we’ve noted the way that’s done is different from the past. As noted in this week’s issue, the comparisons are still accurate for different shows but the numbers now as compared to the past are tabulated differently.

The 4/28 Rampage show is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Eastern due to playoffs.

WWE from last night in Rio Rancho, NM for a legit sold out house show

*Cody Rhodes came out saying he wasn’t medically cleared (he is) and this led an Imperium coming out and attacking him. Kevin Owens & Matt Riddle made the save and Cody said he’s a rebel and he’s going to wrestle in the main event.

*Ricochet & Braun Strowman b Viking Raiders

*Dominik Mysterio b Santos Escobar with his feet on the ropes

*Piper Niven won three-way over Chelse Green and Shotzi to earn a title shot next

*Bianca Belair won three-way over Niven and Asuka

*Miz did an open challenge. Shinsuke Nakamura came out and beat him quickly

*Bobby Lashley b Austin Theory via DQ in a U.S title match for using a chair.

*Rhodes & Riddle & Owens b Imperium in the main event (thanks to Michael Aquino and Shannon Walsh)

We’re looking for reports from tonight’s WWE house show in El Paso, TX, results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com As of this morning they had more than 6,900 tickets out, which by the standards of the last few years would be a tremendous mid-market house show number, although it more normal in the last few months..

We are doing polls this weekend for both yesterday’s New Japan show in Washington, DC and today’s TripleMania show in Monterrey, Mexico, so you can leave a thumbs up, down or middle, along with a best and worst match from each show to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

While not outright confirming it, Dana White said that Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight title could take place in Madison Square Garden.

Dana White said he was pissed off that Clay Guida tricked the company into doing an interview last night. Guida had lost his fight to Rafa Garcia and took his gloves off to make people think he was retiring. So because of that, Daniel Cormier went to interview him and he said that he tricked everyone and he’s not retiring and put over Garcia and then wished his mother (who was in the crowd) a happy birthday. White said he was pissed off, saying he faked to everyone he was retiring just so he could tell his mother happy birthday at a show she was already at.

Impact Rebellion is tonight on Impact+ and FITE from the Rebel Complex in Toronto:

*Heath & Rhino vs. Champagne Singh & Mahabali Shera

*Eddie Edwards vs. PCO in a last rites match

*Design vs. Joe Hendry & Dirty Dango & Santino Marella

*Trey Miguel vs. Mike Bailey vs. Jonathan Gresham for the X title

*The Coven vs. Death Dollz for the knockouts tag titles

*Bully Ray & Kenny King & Moose & Brian Myers & Masha Slamovich vs. Tommy Dreamer & Bhudinder Gujjar & Yuya Uemura & Frankie Kazarian & Killer Kelly in a hardcore wars (War Games style with weapons)

*Ace Austin & Chris Bey vs Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley in an Ultimate X match

*Jordynne Grace vs. Deonna Purrazzo for the vacant Knockouts title

*Kushida vs. Steve Maclin for the vacant Impact title

WWE talent taped episodes of Celebrity Family Feud yesterday afternoon in Los Angeles. It was men vs. women with the women’s team being Bayley & Becky Lynch & Alexa Bliss & Natalya & Liv Morgan and the men’s team being New Day, Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler.

Bad Bunny’s new book has a page on him doing wrestling.

Hayata beat Amakusa to win the GHC jr. title earlier today in Sendai. Takashi Sugiura & Shuhei Taniguchi also beat Masa Kitamiya & Daiki Inaba to win the heavyweight tag team titles.

Other Notes

House of Glory from Friday night in New York City: Mighty Mante b Ichiban in a cruiserweight title match, Nolo Kitano & The Anunnakis b Smiley & Osito & Elijah Eden, Kiki Van Gogh b B3CCA, Amazing Red & BXL b The Jabronis to keep the tag titles, Midas Black & Jay Lyon b Trey Miguel & Zacharty Wentz, Charles Mason b Lio Rush to keep the Crown Jewel title, Ken Broadway b Detective James in a street fight, Jacob Fatu b Willie Mack to keep the4 heavyweight title. The next show is 5/19 at the NYC Arena with Fatu vs. Matt Cardona for the HOG title and Black & Lyon defending the tag titles against Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley (thanks to Samuel Rosenthal)

St. Lous Anarchy from Friday night in Alton, IL: Jeremy Wyatt b Rahim De La Sueda, Camaro Jackson & Warhorse b KC Karrington & Moonshine Mantell, Dave Vega b Christian Rose to win the Destination titel. Mad Dog Connelly b 1 called Manders, Gary Jay b AnakinMurph,k Sean Orleans b Nick King, Nikki Victory won over Dmitri Alexandrov, Evan Gelistico and Victor Analog, Thomas Shire b Adrian Surge, Billie Starkz b Aaron Williams, Derke Neal b Dingo to keep the Gateway title (thanks to Tommy Peterson)

Body Zoi Wrestling announced a 6/10 show called Joey Janela’s European vacation in Faches-Thumesnil, France. Announced as coming in for the show are Janela, NickWayne, Allie Katch, Gringo Loco, Jordan Oliver, The Invisible Man, Aiie Blanc Senza Bolto and MBM.