Daily Update: Joe Rogan, Raw, Dynamite debut candidates

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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE

– Bryan and I will be back talking Raw, Awards, AEW’s Wednesday mystery and much more with Wrestling Observer Radio tonight. You can also send questions for the show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com.

– UFC has not said anything regarding if Joe Rogan will be announcing Saturday’s show. UFC, unlike Spotify, has had no bad media publicity regarding Rogan working with them. Normally Rogan would be doing the show but he’s been a lightning rod over the last week, particularly over the weekend and remained one of the leading news stories all day today.

– Raw is tonight from Denver on Syfy at 8 p.m. The Olympics will be on USA. The first hour of Raw will be commercial free in an attempt to avert doing a record low number. The number should be expected to do a near record low and it’s not significant news if it does given the station and time slot change, not even factoring in the Olympics, which did which did more than 12 million viewers Friday night and hurt both Smackdown and Rampage numbers. Nothing has been announced for the show other than The Quiz Bowl with Randy Orton & Riddle vs. Chad Gable & Otis and a match with Seth Rollins vs. Riddle. Lita will be a special guest on the show.

– We’re looking for reports on tonight’s show with anything not on television such as Main Event matches or Dark matches to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

– Regarding the mystery person who will wrestle Isiah Kassidy on Wednesday’s Dynamite show, unless something has changed, Jeff Hardy has quite a bit of time on his non-compete while John Hennigan (Morrison) still has a few weeks left. One would think they would be out of contention. The former Ember Moon and Mia Yim are available but they wouldn’t be who Tony Khan is talking about because it is a male wrestler against Kassidy. Keith Lee, Shane Strickland (Swerve Scott) and Samoa Joe along with Windham (formerly Bray Wyatt) would all be legally okay by Wednesday.

– Thanks to Kevin Ely, Tanner Allen and Justin Madigral for reports on the weekend WWE shows.

– WWE from last night in Boise, ID: Kevin Owens b Miz, Riddle b Chad Gable, Omos b Montez Ford, Charlotte Flair b Naomi to keep the Smackdown women’s title with Sonya Deville as referee, Ricochet b Austin Theory, Becky Lynch retained the Raw women’s title in a four-way over Bianca Belair, Doudrop and Liv Morgan, Big E & Kofi Kingston & Seth Rollins b Roman Reigns & Usos.

– The ten best selling wrestling tickets yesterday were (thanks to Wrestle Tix):

  1. AEW Revolution PPV (they opened up more sections and those went quickly, many by ticket brokers)
  2. 4/4 Raw in Dallas day after Mania
  3. 2/25 Smackdown in Hershey, PA
  4. Tonight’s Raw in Denver
  5. Yesterday’s house show walk-up in Boise, ID
  6. 2/11 double Smackdown taping in New Orleans
  7. Wednesday’s Dynamite in Atlantic City
  8. 2/21 Raw on Columbia, SC
  9. 2/14 Raw in Indianapolis
  10. 2/28 Raw in Columbus, OH

– Hirooki Goto, Taiji Ishimori, Jado and Yoshi-Hashi were off the New Japan shows the last two days due to COVID protocol.

– Tama Tonga on Twitter said he was a free agent as of the end of his contract last Sunday.

WWE

  • The company is presenting an “Enter the Universe” exhibit in London. The event takes place on 2/11 with BT Sports and WWE having a pop-up event on Wembley Way in Northwest London. Fans will be able to do their own ring entrance with live commentary, music and a lighting grid. Bianca Belair, The Street Profits, Tyler Bate and Trent Seven will be there. The exhibit runs until 7 p.m.
  • WWE is advertising for 3/27 in Toronto Bobby Lashley vs AJ Styles vs. Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch vs Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley. That doesn’t mean either of these matches will happen as odds are good one or both won’t. But that is what is advertised for the last Smackdown taping before the company heads to Dallas. (thanks to Post Wrestling)

AEW

  • Dark Elevation tonight:
    • Emi Sakura & The Bunny & Diamante vs Skye Blue & Queen Aminata & Heather Reckless
    • Scorpio Sky vs. Stephen Wolf
    • Bobby Fish vs. Robert Ego Anthony
    • Julia Hart vs Arie Alexander
    • Lee Johnson & Brock Anderson & Matt Sydal & Lee Moriarty vs. Austin & Colten Gunn & The Acclaimed
    • Chuck Taylor & Trent Baretta vs. Luther & Serpentico
    • Dante Martin vs. Aaron Solo

UFC

  • Jessica Penne vs. Luana Pinheiro is slated for the 4/30 show.

Other Notes

  • Gabriel Kidd came out on the weekend RevPro show to challenge Will Ospreay for the British heavyweight title. Kidd is one of the most underrated guys in the world and had a killer match with Francesco Akira last week.
  • Glory Pro Wrestling from last night in St. Louis at the famed South Broadway Athletic Club: Eli Rossi & ATM b Campbell Myers & SK Bishop, Moses the Deliverer & Rahim De Le Suede b Davey Bang & August Matthews, Laynie Luck won three-way over Allie Katch and Kylie Rae, Davey Richards b Davey Vega, Rohit Raju & Karam & Xavier Walker b Camaro Jackson & Kenny Alfonso & Dan the Dad, Ethan Price b Paco Gonzalez in a no DQ match, Jake Something b Thomas Shire, Warhorse b Mat Fitchett in a no DQ match, Mike OUtlaw b AJ Gray to keep the Crown of Glory title, Tootie Lynn b Trish Adora to keep the Midwest Territory title (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
  • Defy’s fifth anniversary show is Saturday night at Washington Hall in Seattle with Christopher Daniels vs. Nick Wayne for the Interim Defy title, Jonathan Gresham vs. Cody Chhun for the ROH title, Midnight Heat vs. Bollywood Boyz (Singh Brothers in WWE) for the tag titles, Trey Miguel vs. Titus Alexander vs. Guillermo Rosas for Impact X division title and Joey Janela & Schaff vs. Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs.
  • Ric Flair and Brooke Hogan will both be hosting karaoke this week at Hogan’s Hangout in Clearwater, FL since Jimmy Hart, the usual host, is under the weather. (thanks to Bob Zeiders)