Daily Update: Jazz, HBO Max, Swerve Strickland

Daily Update

Latest News

• Shawn Spears vs. Josh Briggs announced for WWE NXT
• TNA president: No blood ban, talent encouraged to use extreme violence more sparingly
• Zach Gowen on AEW match vs. Ricochet: ‘This is just wild to me, but I’m so grateful’
• TNA reveals Matt Hardy’s partner for Under Siege Tag Team title match
• Ivy Nile advances in WWE Speed tournament
• Jamie Hayter: ‘I finally feel like myself again’ eight months after AEW return
• Kyle Fletcher: AEW running unique venues ‘makes the experience better for everybody’
• Will Ospreay on AEW vs. WWE: ‘We smoke them in every field of wrestling’
• NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 32 night three results, updated standings
• John Cena confirmed for new WWE Raw date

Latest Audio

• WOL: AEW Beach Break preview, a blah NXT, new John Cena date
• Pacific Rim: Fumi Saito remembers his friend Sabu
• B&V: Mid-South S6:E24, plus Granny!
• Big Vinny V: A bloody spectacle Sabu would have been proud of

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

• May 12, 2025 Observer Newsletter: WWE Q1 financials & talent release analysis, Naito wraps up with NJPW

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

• October 8, 2007 Observer Newsletter: John Cena tears pec, WWE opens international offices

Wednesday Update

WWE

• In Netflix’s weekly top 10 rankings, the May 5 episode of Raw drew 2.8 million views globally and 5.7 million hours viewed in total. It ranked fourth in the English-language TV category for the week. Those numbers are down from the prior episode, which had 3.0 million viewers and 5.8 million hours viewed.
• WWE uploaded the full Stephanie Vaquer & Jordynne Grace vs. Fallon Henley & Jacy Jayne main event from NXT last night, as well as the complete Joe Hendry-Trick Williams contract signing.
• The Undertaker and Bubba Ray Dudley appeared in a backstage segment on NXT to promote the season finale of WWE LFG that airs on A&E this Sunday. Tyra Mae Steele and Zena Sterling are the final two competitors remaining.
• Jordynne Grace was a guest on Busted Open Radio After Dark.
• WWE has filed a trademark for “The High Ryze,” the faction name Wes Lee, Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe are using in NXT.
• Former WWE Women’s Champion Jazz is guest coaching at the WWE Performance Center this week. NXT’s Karmen Petrovic shared a photo with her on social media: “post training with this absolute trailblazer. the phenom still & always will have it @Phenom_Jazz”
• SHAK Wrestling interviewed Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin.
• Casual Conversations with The Classic spoke with Dominik Mysterio.
• Pretty Deadly, Axiom, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, and Mike Rome appeared at Orlando City’s MLS game against the New England Revolution last weekend.
• WWE uploaded a vlog from Rhea Ripley and Grayson Waller’s trip to Australia to promote October’s Crown Jewel: Perth PLE.

Other Wrestling

• Max, the streaming service that AEW is simulcast on, announced that it will be changing its name back to HBO Max starting this summer.
• AEW, Reebok, and Champs Sports are collaborating together for a Swerve Strickland sneaker that will be released on May 28. Reebok’s Allen Iverson’s Answer 3 sneaker is the base of the shoe with customization based on Strickland’s Killmonger gear from when he won the AEW World Championship at Dynasty 2024.
• Will Ospreay would like to see more tournaments in AEW: “Tournaments are the heart of pro wrestling. It gives people opportunities to tell their own stories and potentially have someone to climb up the card with shocking wins. Love to see in AEW do a king of trios, Tag League, Women’s Continental Classic or cruiserweight/Jr cup”
• Ricochet appeared on The Battleground Podcast.
• Thunder Rosa and Hologram took part in Mexican Heritage Night at Tuesday’s Chicago Cubs vs. Miami Marlins game.
• ECW founder Tod Gordon was the guest on a new episode of Talk is Jericho.
• NJPW’s English-language website posted part two of its interview with Best of the Super Juniors competitor MAO.
• Ninja Mack reacted to The Pat McAfee Show playing his viral back handspring spot from BOSJ: “Yo, @PatMcAfeeShow Thank you. I’m just casually watching the Pat McAfee show like I do every day. The next thing I see is a [ninja] flipping down your screen and you talking about New Japan Pro Wrestling. Yall are amazing, @PatMcAfeeShow every day for life. Let’s go”
• As part of a new “experiences” feature being offered by Airbnb, fans can pay to meet CMLL wrestler Retro and get tips from him in the ring at Arena Mexico.
• Nikki & Brie Garcia also have an Airbnb experience where people can sample their wine and watch a live taping of their podcast.
• Women’s Wrestling Talk uploaded an interview with Saraya.
• Irish wrestler LJ Cleary, a free agent, is now fully based out of Orlando, Florida and is taking bookings with his U.S. work visa approved.
• Matt Cardona turns 40 years old today.