Daily Update: John Cena, Brandi Rhodes, ‘Speedball’ vs. Vikingo
Daily Update
Latest News:
- Impact notes: Dirty Dango signs contract, Tasha Steelz gets time off
- Representative: ‘Everything is OK’ with Hulk Hogan’s health
- WWE Raw draws huge ratings for Royal Rumble fallout
- WWE NXT’s Nikkita Lyons undergoes successful knee surgery
- Kenny Omega’s visa issue resolved, cleared to return to AEW
- Logan Paul’s Prime announces marketing partnership with UFC
- Samoa Joe: WWE releases were due to ‘war’ between upper management
- AEW announces nine-match lineup for Dark
- Kota Ibushi to make GCW debut at Bloodsport, Spring Break
- WWE SmackDown draws best 18-49 demo rating in over two years
- AEW Rampage viewership down slightly, 18-49 demo rating up
- ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin not expected to wrestle at WWE WrestleMania 39
- WWE Raw video highlights: Cody Rhodes addresses challenging Roman Reigns
- Three qualify for WWE United States title Elimination Chamber match
- Becky Lynch vs. Bayley, Carmella return set for next week’s WWE Raw
- Elimination Chamber match to determine Bianca Belair’s WWE WrestleMania 39 challenger
- Rick Boogs returns from injury on WWE Raw
- AEW Dark Elevation 100 results: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Blake Christian
- Rhea Ripley challenges Charlotte Flair for WWE WrestleMania 39
Latest Audio:
- Wrestling Observer Live: WWE business surge, WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, RAW
- Wrestling Observer Radio: WrestleMania, Chamber, RAW report, Jay Briscoe funeral
Latest Free YouTube Video:
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:
- Match of the week and performer of the week
- What records has the Royal Rumble 2023 already set and what records have a good chance to be set
- Amazing advance for the show
- The debate about the men’s winner and prior year comparisons
- The Steve Austin question
- The business of Peacock
- Original Austin approach
- Cody Rhodes return
- Full rundown of Raw 30 and the giant ratings and how each segment did
- Complaints by the Bellas about the show
- Why certain segments of the show changed
- The story behind WBD clearing Mark Briscoe and the reason that hasn’t come out why there were previous issues
- Different ways AEW paid tribute to Briscoe
- Update on family and fundraisers
- A look at the Okada-Kiyomiya angle and the keys to it
- The Muto retirement at the Tokyo Dome show
- What the New Japan vs. NOAH show and other New Japan shows have shown about recovery of the business
- UFC 283 coverage with the retirements of Shogun Rua and Glover Teixeira
- What is next for Jamahal Hill and Brandon Moreno
- Business notes on the show
- A look at the life and career of Jose Aldo and his biggest fights including how one of his fights changed the entire direction of MMA for lighter weight fighters and was so successful the company closed up, as weird as that is to say
- A look at more Japanese awards voting
- The life of Benny Galant, a 60s star who passed away this week who was a major rival of the biggest names in the history of Mexican wrestling, including El Santo and Mil Mascaras, and twice set EMLL’s company gate records. This is a major history piece covering one of the biggest eras of wrestling in any country.
- The most detailed look at the ratings from the past week
- Streaming numbers, international numbers
- Ticket advances for all AEW & WWE shows through WrestleMania
- What could be CMLL’s best match of this year
- The story behind Negro Casas jumping to AAA, how long has this been in the works, how long has Konnan wanted this and his duties outside the ring
- A look at upcoming AAA major shows
- Update on a number of upcoming major New Japan shows
- What former WWE star is mad at Dwayne Johnson over his portrayal in Young Rock
- 80s star arrested for a number of things
- WBD head talks AEW and Slap Fighting
- Behind the AEW new deal with DAZN
- Lawsuit filed against AEW
- Update on Kenny Omega
- San Francisco records for wrestling
- Conor McGregor investigation reported
- Lots of big UFC fights announced
- More on Luke Rockhold coming out of retirement
- Famous MMA trainer will no longer corner fighters
- Former pro wrestler talks about Slap Fighting and what he was offered
- Update on Vince McMahon in the office
- Another lawsuit filed against WWE regarding McMahon’s return and how two other suits were basically nullified
- Notes on new NIL signings by WWE
- WWE getting major mainstream pub
- WWE injury updates
- Weekend NXT & WWE house show notes
This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:
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Tuesday Update
WWE
- Variety is reporting that John Cena is currently in Australia where he will be filming a movie with Zac Efron called “Ricky Stanicky.” Shooting will begin next month.
- Cody Rhodes was on Impaulsive with Logan Paul. Rhodes and Grayson Waller will be guests on this week’s episode of The Bump.
- On the Universal Wrestling podcast, The Godfather said he signed a new five-year Legends contract with WWE.
- NXT’s Damon Kemp and Tony D’Angelo worked this week’s WWE Main Event tapings.
- Kevin Patrick talked to Cathy Kelley following Monday’s Raw about joining MLS as a play-by-play announcer on Apple TV.
- The Rock commented on Travis Kelce using his catchphrase after the Kansas City Chiefs won the NFL’s AFC Championship.
- WWE Music has added JD McDonagh’s theme to their YouTube channel.
- Content added to WWE’s YouTube page today includes Edge vs. The Miz from the January 31, 2011, edition of Raw and Goldberg vs. Evolution from the November 17, 2003, edition of Raw.
AEW
- This week’s AEW Road to focused on Hangman Page vs. Jon Moxley, Jade Cargill’s match against Red Velvet, and Bryan Danielson vs. Timothy Thatcher.
- Here’s this week’s Danhausen vlog.
- Golden Globe winner Paul Walter Hauser spoke about his recent appearance on AEW television on The Late Late Show with James Corden and taking a guitar shot from Jeff Jarrett.
Other Wrestling
- El Hijo Del Vikingo vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey has been announced for Joey Janela’s Spring Break 7.
- The Ringer has a profile on Court Bauer and MLW.
- Sam Adonis vs. La Estrella is now set for MLW’s SuperFight this Saturday.
- Brandi Rhodes was interviewed by The Bare Magazine. She talked about her decision to leave wrestling, saying “I feel very good about the decision,” she said. “There was a lot about my position in the industry that took a lot of the joy out of it for me. Life is too short to be fighting so hard and still left feeling unfulfilled. Especially with everything that I have to offer still mentally and physically. I’d like to experience joy in my contributions at this point.”
- YOH was pulled from this morning’s NJPW Road to the New Beginning due to a fever.
- A new documentary on Chyna titled “Chyna: Wrestling with Demons” will premiere this Sunday on Reelz.
- Santino Marella will officiate the wedding between Aron Stevens and May Valentine on tonight’s live edition of NWA Power.
- Mims spoke to PWMania about working in the NWA, Tyrus, and more.
- Hiromu Takahashi is in a promo for an upcoming episode of the latest Kamen Rider series.