Daily Update: Kazuchika Okada, Seth Rollins, Austin Theory

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • Match of the week and performer of the week
  • Kazuchika Okada leaving New Japan
  • What is next and where his decision stands
  • Coverage in Japan
  • Future prospects in AEW or WWE
  • How this not only affects New Japan but the change in the marketplace
  • Okada’s career legacy
  • Preview of Royal Rumble and Revolution
  • Full coverage of Battle in the Valley, the return to Chicago, and the next major events
  • Debut of Matt Riddle and Jack Perry with New Japan
  • Impact turns into TNA, business notes, full coverage
  • The PFL vs. Bellator dream card, lineup, how this relates to pro wrestling in the past, and how this show exemplifies the complete economic changes in the fight business
  • Full coverage of the ratings over the past week, including weekly ratings, competition, comparisons with a year ago and segment-by-segment
  • Dream rematch shows continue at Arena Mexico
  • Lots of new tournaments
  • Takagi vs. Mochizuki
  • Masa Fuchi main events at the age of 70
  • Anniversary of the first pro wrestling show in Japanese television
  • FantasticaMania notes
  • Wrestling references by Paul Walter Hausen at the Emmys
  • Demolition of famous arena
  • Kevin Von Erich is Israel
  • Update on Iron Claw movie business
  • Mark Hitchcock show update
  • New wrestling history book out
  • Examining WBD press release on AEW
  • New AEW international deal
  • Samoa Joe talks current scene
  • Advance ticket sales to WWE, AEW and UFC events
  • New AEW signee who will have a new gimmick and details as to why
  • Overseas programmer talks about AEW setting ratings record 
  • Sean Strickland and sponsors and this isn’t going to be fun for Dana White when Bud Light hears about it
  • A college working with fighters for courses in fight disciplines
  • New Cena movie
  • Drug testing realities
  • WWE injury updates
  • WWE, AEW & TNA PPV updates
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • What Canadian ratings mean in comparison to U.S. numbers
  • Coverage of all the WWE house shows of the past week

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

Friday Update

Garrett and I did a long show today talking Seth Rollins, WrestleMania, Okada, the San Jose show, and much more. We will also be back tomorrow night with a show after UFC, covering Collision and Smackdown and the rest of the news.

Regarding Kazuchika Okada, there is really nothing new to report not in the current issue past New Japan has made two changes. The trios title match with Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi &Tomohiro Ishii vs. Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls & Kosei Fujita scheduled for 2/11 has been moved to this Wednesday at Korakuen Hall. On 2/11 in Osaka they will be doing the final Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi match, 12 years after the match where Okada became a superstar in one night in beating Tanahashi for the IWGP title on February 12, 2012, in the same building in Osaka. We had a major discussion on today’s show about Okada, prospects in different groups and how he’s playing this.

Seth Rollins suffered a torn MCL and partially torn meniscus in Monday’s match with Jinder Mahal. As of this afternoon, Rollins vs. Punk was still scheduled for WrestleMania. I was told that is “the current plan” but obviously it depends on different factors as to if it could change. This was first reported by Figthful. Rollins has been pulled off all the house shows for the next month and will be replaced by Randy Orton.

While he was shaken up last Friday, Austin Theory did not suffer a concussion in the match with Carmelo Hayes. We had talked about concussion protocol midweek on the show but those in WWE say that was not correct and he is considered okay.

Smackdown tonight from Atlanta, which had more than 11,500 tickets out as of yesterday so should be sold out tonight:

  • Randy Orton vs. Solo Sikoa
  • Contract signing for the Orton, Roman Reigns, LA Knight and AJ Styles match at the Royal Rumble
  • The Kevin Owens show with Logan Paul
  • Butch & Tyler Bate vs. Pretty Deadly
  • Carlito & Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro vs. Santos Escobar & Humberto & Angel

Rampage tonight at 10 p.m. on TNT:

  • Chris Jericho vs. Matt Sydal
  • Penta vs. Anthony Henry
  • Kris Statlander vs. Queen Aminata
  • Jeff Hardy vs. Darby Allin – Match was said to have been wild

Regarding the next season of Dark Side of the Ring, someone affiliated with the show noted that besides the episodes we listed in the current issue for the season there will be episodes on Chris Colt, Terry Gordy and Earthquake John Tenta, but there will not be an episode this season on Kurt Angle.

UFC 297 is tomorrow from Toronto:

6:30 p.m. eastern on ESPN +

  • Malcolm Gordon (127.5) vs. Jimmy Flick (126) – Gordon missed weight and forfeited 20 percent of his purse
  • Jasmine Jasudavicius (133) vs. Priscilla Cachoeira (133.5) – both agreed to a fight at that weight
  • Yoah Lainesse (170.75) vs. Sam Patterson (169.5)

 ESPN News and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. Eastern

  • Gillian Robertson (115.75) vs. Polyana Viana (115.75)
  • Serhiy Sidey (135) vs. Ramon Taveras (139.75) – Taveras missed weight and had to forfeit 30 percent of his purse
  • Charles Jourdain (145.5) vs. Sean Woodson (145.5)

PPV at 10 p.m.

  • Arnold Allen (145.5) vs. Movsar Evloev (145.75)
  • Chris Curtis (185.25) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (184.5)
  • Neil Magny (170.75) vs. Mike Malott (170.5)
  • Raquel Pennington (134.8) vs. Mayra Bueno Silva (135) for the vacant women’s bantamweight title
  • Sean Strickland (184.75) vs. Dricus du Plessis (184) for the light heavyweight title

R Truth turns 52 today.

Vadim Nemkov has vacated the Bellator light heavyweight title. He is moving full-time to heavyweight.

KiLynn King said that she will be out for six to 12 months after suffering a torn ACL on an independent show on 12/17. She came off the ropes with a kick and landed badly and she needed help after the match. She will be undergoing surgery shortly.

The New Beginning in Nagoya starts at 2:30 a.m. late tonight Eastern time or 11:30 p.m. Pacific:

  • Shoma Kato vs. Katsuya Murashima
  • Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi
  • Jeff Cobb & Henare & TJP & Francesco Akira & Callum Newman vs. David Finlay & Alex Coughiln & Gabe Kidd & Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney
  • El Desperado & Master Wato vs. Sho & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • El Phantasmo & Hikuleo vs. KENTA & Chase Owens for the New Japan Strong tag titles
  • Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita
  • Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji & Hiromu Takahashi & Bushi vs. Sanada & Taichi & Yuya Uemura & Douki & Taka Michinoku
  • Taiji Ishimori vs. Great O’Khan for the KOPW title. The match goes 10:00 and whoever scores the last pin wins the match. At the 3, 6, and 9 minute marks there will be a 30 second break for intense cardio training
  • Tama Tonga vs Evil for the Never Open weight title

For this weekend, our only poll will be on the New Beginning in Nagoya, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

We’re looking for reports on these weekend shows:

  • Smackdown tonight in Atlanta (dark matches and off TV notes)
  • TNA TV tapings tonight in Kissimmee, FL
  • Collision Saturday in St. Charles, MO (ROH results and dark results of stuff not on TV)
  • WWE house show Saturday in Montgomery, AL
  • TNA TV tapings tomorrow night in Kissimmee, FL 
  • WWE house show Sunday in Jackson, MS
  • We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

WAR on 2/3 in Luma, OH at the Bradfield Community Center.

ECW Press will be releasing a book called “Macho Man: The life of Randy Savage,” written by Jon Finkel. The release date will be on 4/2

A new promotion called the Global Fight League (GFL) will be debuting with an in-depth docuseries looking at the combat sports industry, following 64 fighters as they compete in eight tournaments across three events for team contracts.

Darby Allin accepted the honor from the St. Louis City Government earlier today at City Hall for AEW’s contributions to pro wrestling before tomorrow night’s show in St Louis.

Randy Orton is in a new music video by Eladio Carrion music video on his song “RKO.”

An Adam Copeland open challenge has been added to Collision tomorrow night.

Jeopardy on Tuesday had a pro wrestling category with these questions (Thanks to Grant Zwarych):

  • $200 – In 1987, a reported 93,173 filled Michigan’s Silverdome to see the third holding of this crazed event.
  • $400 – Better get ready, Brother. This alliterative WWE legend who flexed his 24 inch pythons played Thunderlips in Rocky III
  • $600 – This hold done by Ric Flair made Ricky Steamboat sleep like a baby in their classic 1989 match
  • $800 – Randy Savage went by this nickname, which was also a Top 40 hit by the Village People in 1978.
  • $1,000 – They showed a photo of Roddy Piper and asked who this wrestler was

Wrestling Revolver and House of Glory announced a 4/5 show in Philadelphia at the Trinity Center for Urban Life, which will air live on Triller TV+.