Daily Update: Kurtis Chapman, MJF, WWE house shows

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • Match and performer of the week
  • Notes on the recent AEW departures
  • AEW financial notes for 2023
  • Some rights fees thoughts
  • Tony Khan talks the TV landscape
  • A look at Worlds End
  • The most detailed look at the New Japan decision to make Hiroshi Tanahashi president and comments from many in the industry about it
  • Full details on the WWE’s biggest grossing U.S. house show in history on Tuesday in Madison Square Garden plus past history from the event
  • The Iron Claw, history of the Von Erichs, in a long detailed article regarding the rise and fall and the making of the movie
  • Preview of the Tokyo Dome show, advance ticket sales and Stardom PPV
  • How many tickets are comped at the usual AEW and WWE shows
  • 2023 Awards ballot
  • Dragon Gate’s Final Gate show
  • The most detailed look at the ratings from the past week, placings for the night and week, competition, segment-by-segment, gains and losses from one year ago and more
  • Andrade heads to Mexico and a big business week
  • Another two Vikingo vs. Taurus matches
  • New Japan bodybuilding contest notes
  • Major shows for New Japan in the first three months of he year
  • One of the best trios matches in a long time
  • DDT tournament finals set
  • Notes on a book on wrestling history
  • New Scottish wrestling Hall of Famer
  • Chris Jericho and Stephen New
  • Tony Khan’s recent press call
  • Dynamite headed for tougher competition
  • Advance ticket sales for WWE & AEW shows
  • Streaming numbers for AEW & WWE
  • Amanda Huber talks anniversary of Jon Huber’s death
  • Dana White on UFC 300
  • More on the MLW lawsuit settlement
  • Changing an angle
  • Return of a WWE tag team
  • Injury return updates
  • Longest running pro wrestling TV show in history
  • Bill Goldberg speaks on Vince McMahon
  • Rundown of the recent WWE house shows

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

Friday Update

Garrett Gonzales and I were back doing our Friday show talking the AEW PPV show, business, Hiroshi Tanahashi, The Iron Claw and answering some questions. Bryan and I will be back tomorrow night after the AEW show with our weekend show.

Very sad to hear the news of Kurtis Chapman’s death today. I saw him before the Mad Kurt character and was told when he was a teenager that he was going to be a top wrestler that I should watch out for. He went a different way with Mad Kurt, a character you could see he really got into. We send our sympathies to those who knew him and worked with him.

There has been a lot of talk regarding this article written by MJF in the Players Tribune, both in and out of the company.

We’re looking for reports from these weekend shows

  • WWE from last night in Houston
  • WWE tonight in Las Vegas
  • WWE tonight in Toronto
  • WWE tomorrow night in Los Angeles with C.M. Punk
  • We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

We’re also doing our poll for Worlds End for tomorrow night. You can leave a thumbs up, down or middle plus a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

Smackdown tonight is a best of show. Jackie Redmond and Corey Graves host.

Rampage at 10 p.m. tonight on TNT:

  • Wheeler Yuta vs. Matt Sydal for the Pure title
  • Ruby Soho vs Marina Shafir
  • Orange Cassidy & Trent Baretta & Rocky Romero vs. Top Flight & Action Andretti

Countdown to Worlds End airs at 11 p.m. tonight on TNT

WWE from last night in Laval, Quebec

  • Becky Lynch b Zoey Stark with the man handle slam
  • Kofi Kingston b Ludvig Kaiser with trouble in paradise
  • Omos b R-Truth with a tree slam
  • Rhea Ripley won three-way over Ivy Nile and Shayna Baszler, beating Baszler to keep the women’s title
  • Sami Zayn b Finn Balor via DQ when Dominik Mysterio interfered and Kevin Owens made the surprise save
  • Zayn & Owens b Balor & Dominik
  • Cody Rhodes b Damian Priest in a last man standing match
  • Seth Rollins won over Drew McIntyre and Shinsuke Nakamura to retain the world title by pining Nakamura

Volador Jr. vs. Andrade headlines Arena Mexico tonight along with Mascara Dorada & Titan & Mistico vs. Averno & Mephisto & Euforia and Stephanie Vaquer defending the CMLL women’s title against Jarochita. Based on the advance, it was expected to draw the biggest crowd since the anniversary show. And they are doing another show on 1/1 putting Ultimo Dragoncito, Pierrothito, Fantasy, Mercurio, Minors, Aereo, Pequeno Polvora, Pequeno Magia, Pequeno Olimpico, Shockercito, Pequeno Violencia, Acero, Angelito, Full Metal, Kaligua and Galaxy in a cage and the last man left loses his mask or hair. Tessa Blanchad returns on the show plus Mascara Dorada vs. Angel de Oro and Atlantis Jr & Mistico & Flip Gordon vs. El Terrible & Dragon Rojo Jr. & Cavernario Barbaro.

Next Friday at Arena Mexico will be the first of three weeks of rematches of best matches in the building from 2023. They have Astral vs. Capital Suicida, Pegasso & Rey Samuray & Stigma vs. Futuro & Vegas & Max Star, Rey Cometa & Espiritu Negro vs. Akuma & Dark Maic, Esfinge vs. Cavernario and Soberano Jr. vs. Templario.

Stardom from earlier today from Sumo Hall: Miyu Amasaki & Azusa Inaba & Yazuki b Hanako & Sayaka Kurara & Ranna Yagami, Saki Kashima & AmiSohrei won a four-way over Mai Sakurai & Thekla, Lady C & Hina and Saki & Yuna Mizumori, Mayu Iwatani & Hazuki & Hanan & Saya Iida b Starlight Kid & Ruaka & Rina & Fukigen Death, Nanae Takahashi & Yuu & AZM b Syuri & Mina Shirakawa & Mei Seira, Utami Hayashishita & Saya Kamitani b Natsuoke Tora & Momo Watanabe to retain the tag titles, Giulia b Megan Bayne to retain the Strong women’s title, Saori Anou b Mirai to win the Wonder of Stardom title and Maika b Suzu Suzuki to win the vacant World of Stardom title. They officially announced Giulia’s next defense against Trish Adora on 1/13 in San Jose. 

There was a problem with the PPV feed live and they ended up putting the last two matches on YouTube so you can watch them for free. The show was tremendous. I was told the Maika and Giulia matches in particular were the standouts, particularly the end of the Giulia match. Bayne, who is headed to AEW soon, got over really big in the loss. 

Wednesday’s AEW TV show doing an 0.31 made it the highest rated entertainment show on cable television since 12/18. With Raw doing a repeat show it has a very good chance of ending up No. 1 for this week. The show also did 144,000 viewers in Canada, the best an AEW show has done there since March. It finished just below Smackdown in the key demo and doubled the Best of Raw in the key demo in Canada.

A correction from the current issue. AEW couldn’t run the UBS Arena for the PPV tomorrow night not because of an Islanders game, but because of the St. John’s vs. Hofstra basketball game. (thanks to Phil Strum)

John Cena will be honored by the NCAA with a silver anniversary award, which honors student-athletes that graduated in 1999. It noted that Cena was a Division III first team All-American at Springfield College in 1998 and a three-time Academic All-Conference athlete and was inducted into the Springfield College sports Hall of Fame in 2015. Cena and multi-time Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor were the most famous of the class. 

Regarding the talk yesterday by Tony Khan about ratings of Raw & Dynamite, Dynamite, not including Wednesday’s show, was down 10 percent for the quarter from Q4 last year while Raw, not including Monday which shouldn’t count anyway, was down seven percent. In 18-49, Dynamite is down nine percent and Raw is up 12 percent. Given the drop in 18-49 viewers, Dynamite is doing better than cable television as a whole Rampage (down 17 percent) is doing worse but Collision being added should hurt Rampage and even Dynamite a bit.

Defy tomorrow night in Seattle at Washington Hall has Cody Chhun defending the PrimoLucha International title against Jet Knight, The Bollywood Boyz defend the tag titles against Los Suavecitos, Artemis Spencer vs. Sami Callihan in a street fight and more.