Daily Update: Kazuchika Okada, Danielson vs. Sabre, Tony Khan

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Observer up on the site is filled with tons of detailed news stories, between more on the Vince McMahon situation, WrestleMania 40 and the press conference, the new streaming services and changes in the sports media ecosystem, Rossy Ogawa and Scott D’Amore being fired as heads of Stardom and TNA, Steve McMichael makes the NFL Hall of Fame, and a study of AEW PPV buys.

  • How Vince McMahon was let go
  • The federal investigation of McMahon
  • What they were looking for and confiscated and how it ties in with other news
  • Who else has been talked with
  • Lots more on the Ashley Massaro situation
  • Why Ari Emanuel needs to answer a lot of questions
  • WrestleMania 40 blurring the lines
  • A look at the press conference and reaction to Rock
  • Update on Elimination Chamber
  • A look at the new sports streaming service that many networks are partnering in
  • The firing of Rossy Ogawa with a look into the background of what happened
  • Comments from both Taro Okada and Ogawa with both sides
  • Different booking decisions overruled
  • How AEW & WWE fit into the story
  • Firing of Scott D’Amore, the background of it, the talent meeting, how successful the last PPV show really was
  • Full coverage of NXT Stand & Deliver
  • A study of AEW PPV buyers and what it reveals
  • Steve McMichael makes NFL Hall of Fame as one of his last wishes and a look back at his run, plus other wrestlers in the NFL Hall of Fame
  • The most detailed look at the ratings of all the wrestling TV shows, demo breakdowns, comparisons with last year, segment numbers and what can be learned from it
  • Huge feud appears to be brewing with AEW internationally
  • Gran Alternativa final draws back at Arena Mexico
  • AAA Rey de Reyes notes
  • Stardom anniversary show notes
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Toby Keith and his connection with wrestling that you probably do know and may not know
  • 40th anniversary of the death of El Santo and David Von Erich
  • Bret Hart talks problems with today’s wrestling
  • One of the best promos of the year by Amira
  • Lots more on Revolution
  • Largest crowds ever in Greensboro
  • Wembley Stadium update
  • Attendance updates for upcoming WWE, AEW and UFC shows
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Gina Carano sues Disney
  • More WrestleMania updates
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • TV reviews and show notes
  • Two personalities in Super Bowl commercials Sunday

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

Sunday Update

Bryan and I will be up tonight covering the weekend news, WrestleMania, Smackdown, New Japan and AEW with Wrestling Observer Radio. We have a major week in review with so much major news this past week with Garrett Gonzales on the site that we recorded on Friday. I also listened to Jim Valley’s show and he was very adamant about the Vince McMahon situation that is worth a listen.

We’re looking for your thoughts on the New Beginning in Osaka show from today, thumbs up, down or middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

Regarding the show, I haven’t had a chance to see it, but people are calling Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. the match of the year and far better than their WrestleDream match. The Bullet Club War Dogs vs. United Empire cage match went 64:50, making it one of the longest matches in Japanese wrestling history. Many have said it was amazing and violent and a match of the year candidate but others thought it went too long and missed its peak. The show was the very emotional farewell of Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay. Okada was listed as finishing up on the 24th in Sapporo last I heard but they seemed to do a farewell tonight. It was his final match in Osaka.

Danielson after the match said that Sabre Jr. was the best technical wrestler in the world. Danielson also asked for a 2/3 fall rematch with Sabre outside the U.S. or Japan. That immediately made people speculate that match for All In at Wembley Stadium.

Sean Ross Sapp reported Okada is going to AEW. Everything we’ve been led to believe for weeks is that it would be Okada’s decision. We haven’t gotten that confirmed past as of Wednesday they were talking like he was coming but the belief was that he had not signed yet but was going to do so. One person with knowledge of the situation said that he hadn’t heard an official signing just yet, but that they had heard it was a done deal.

Tony Khan did a lot of media yesterday and today since all the reporters were in Las Vegas for the Super Bowl. When a reporter asked about Double or Nothing in Las Vegas this year he certainly indicated that was the case. He also said they would like to establish a tradition where Collision is in the city of the Super Bowl every year going forward. He said 100 percent that CMLL would be part of Forbidden Door this year and heavily put over working with CMLL. He noted MJF was very injured and didn’t put a time frame on his return and also talked about Britt Baker being injured as well as how serious Kenny Omega’s situation with diverticulitis was. As we’ve mentioned a few times, if he had waited any longer to get it checked it very much would have been life threatening. His high threshold for pain was actually almost his undoing.

Regarding Google searches for the week, nothing from WWE or UFC made the list. UFC had a show yesterday that obviously didn’t have super interest and there’s so much related to the Super Bowl. None of the Dwayne Johnson wrestling stuff has made the list since he appeared in Birmingham last Friday. Steve McMichael was No. 11 on Thursday with 50,000 for the announcement of him going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Moana 2 was No. 1 on Wednesday, which is a movie Dwayne Johnson will be in as a voice character. The death of Toby Keith was No. 1 on Tuesday with 10 million searches and Gina Carano was No. 5 with her lawsuit against Disney with 100,000.

Jade Cargill and Tiffany Stratton are right now slated to be in the Women’s Chamber

To kill a rumor, the Rock & Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins & Cody Rhodes match, if that is the match, is not happening at Elimination Chamber. Rock is booked for Mania.

Dwayne Johnson was furious at reporter Nick Sortor who claimed he was booed at the press conference on Thursday because they promised tens of millions to the victims of the Mau fires and many victims haven’t seen a dime. Obviously he was booed because of wrestling fans thinking he was going to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania and they wanted Cody Rhodes, and he was turning heel anyway. Johnson said that their People’s Fund of Maui has delivered more than $50 million to more than 8,000 survivors who were affected by the fires. He said the story was bullshit and that Sortor knew it was false. He also said he was turning heel and it’s what we do in wrestling and “we love every second of it.”

Bayley is currently in Las Vegas for the Super Bowl with Mercedes Mone. Bayley is a big 49ers fan.

Brock Lesnar was pulled out of the WWE show open.

Jon Jones said to Submission Radio in Australia that he has not made a decision on whether his fight with Stipe Miocic will be his last, saying it depends on how the fight goes. He said he could face Tom Aspinall, the interim champion, but didn’t say he would.

Shotzi made a surprise appearance at last night’s NXT house show in Venice, FL, and challenged Lyra Valkyria to a title match on Tuesday’s TV show.

Those appearing in Super Bowl commercials today will include Dana White, Jade Cargill and Steve Austin.

Based on the prelim numbers of 2.46 million and 0.69, Smackdown on Friday will beat the prior week’s show in total viewers and may beat it in 18-49 since Smackdown of late has been beating its prelim numbers.

John Cena appeared for the Savannah Bananas comedy baseball team in a promotion for the movie Ricky Stanicky that Cena stars in. The Bananas team members were at a recent AEW show.

Kylie Rae made a surprise return to pro wrestling last night in Chicago after having given birth. She wrestled her boyfriend Isaias Velazquez at the Freelance Wrestling show as the mystery opponent. Was told she looked excellent, no ring rust. The crowd went nuts for her and she was crying at the start of the match. Danhausen also made a surprise appearance at the show running after the returning Frank the Clown. (thanks to Lance Levine)

Kenny King returned to ROH at last night’s tapings in Henderson, NV, losing to Dalton Castle.

Fantasicamania is tomorrow on New Japan World in an early a.m. start:

Difunto & Douki vs. Gedo & Taiji Ishimori

  • Tiger Mask vs. Magnus
  • Brillante Jr. & Despearado & Ryusuke Taguchi & Stigma vs. Tetsuya Naito & Kamaitachi (Hiromu Takahashi) & Titan & Bushi
  • Dark Panther & Pegasso & Tomoaki Honma vs. Okumura & Strong Machine J & Yoh
  • Atlantis Jr. & Templario & Volador Jr. vs. Hechicero & Rocky Romero & Soberano Jr.
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Mascara Dorada & Mistico vs. Francesco Akira & Stuka Jr. & Ultimo Guerrero

Night one of the New Jersey J Cup in Jersey City. NJ: Nick Wayne b Marcus Mathers, Matt Makowski b Tony Deppen, Joey Janela b Kerry Morton, Masha Slamovich b Man Like DeReiss, Alec Price b Jonathan Gresham, Myron Reed won over Mr. Danger, Billie Starkz, Jack Cartwheel, Charles Mason and Cole Radrick, Kevin Ku & Dominic Garrini kept the GCW tag titles over Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura, Jordan Oliver b Griffin McCoy to keep the JCW title, Great Sasuke b Mike Bailey. Night two with the semifinals and finals will be on Triller TV + tonight.

Combat 1 Wrestling from Thursday night in Brighton, MI: Alex Shelley b Damian Fenrir, Miley b Vanna Black, Nate Bock b Mike Walker, Jackson Stone b Bhupinder Gujjar, The Eh Team b Kyle Barrett & Roy Williams, Matt Riddle b Atrocity Krule and Tommy Vendetta to win the 1 World title (thanks to Leonard Brand)

Defy Seventh anniversary show from Friday night in Seattle: Gringo Loco b Lince Dorado, Guillermo Rosas won a multi-man over Cody Chhun, Schaff, Big Damo, Matt Brannigan, Sebastian Wolfe, Eddie Pearl and Ricky Gibson, Curry Man b Christopher Daniels, Vert Vixen b Nicole Mathtews to keep the Defy women’s title, Eddie Kingston b Artemis Spencer, Bollywood Boyz b Travis Williams & Evan Rivers to keep the Defy tag titles, Mustafa Ali b Judas Icarus (thanks to Matt Farmer). Next show is 4/4 in Philadelphia and they were back in Seattle on 5/10.