Daily Update: McGregor on ESPN, HBK to NHL, Bellator, PWG, NJPW

Conor McGregor met with Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta on Wednesday night in Los Angeles. Nothing was announced but McGregor said things were worked out and there will be a lengthy ESPN interview on ESPN on Sunday at 10 a.m. McGregor vs. Diaz is still expected at some point this summer. Clips from the interview can be seen here.

We’ve got a pretty full weekend coming up headlined by Extreme Rules from Newark, NJ. That’s the only show we’ll be doing polls on as we’ll save the Japan stuff for the finals of the tournament on 6/7.

We’re looking for reports on the WWE house show in Utica, NY (Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Big Cass, Dudleys, Usos, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson,. Sami Zayn) and NXT in Venice, FL to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

There is no New Japan World on tonight or Inside MMA on AXS due to a music festival.  Both return next week with New Japan starting a long stretch of G-1 Climax 2015 matches starting next Friday.

BELLATOR TONIGHT FROM BOISE, ID ON SPIKE TV AT 9 P.M EASTERN

  • Joey Beltran (14-9, 236.8) vs. Chase Gormley (8-4, 264.5)
  • Augusto Sakai (3-0, 262.5) vs. Dan Charles (10-3, 242.2)
  • Marloes Coenen (23-6, 145.6) vs. Alexis Dufrense (5-2, 150.7) – Dufrense badly missed weight  
  • Pat Curran (20-7, 145.7) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (24-5-1, 145.1)
  • Rafael Carvalho (12-1, 184.3) vs. Melvin Manhoef (27-11-1, 185) for the middleweight title

They are also doing for the first time a major fight, Marcin Held vs. Dan Jansen, at www.spike.com at about 8:30 p.m. as they are trying to push digital with key matches like UFC does with Fight Pass.

CMLL LIVE FROM ARENA MEXICO AT 9:30 P.M. EASTERN at www.clarosports.com//en-vivo2/

  • Vaquerita & Lluvia vs. Comandante & Tiffany
  • Esfinge & Fuego & Triton vs. Hechichero & Puma & Tiger
  • Rey Cometa & Stuka Jr. & Titan vs. Cavernario & Misterioso Jr. & Polvora
  • Angelo de Oro vs. Dragon Rojo Jr.
  • Atlantis & Mistico & Valiente vs. Euforia & Ultimo Guerrero & Negro Casas
  • Rush & Rey Escorpion & Pierroth vs. La Mascara & Shocker & El Terrible

PWG TONIGHT IN RESEDA, CALIFORNIA

  • Trevor Lee vs. Andrew Everett
  • Dalton Castle vs. Adam Cole
  • Drew Galloway vs. Brian Cage
  • Jeff Cobb vs. Chris Hero
  • Mark Andrews vs. Marty Scurll
  • Roderick Strong vs. Sami Callihan
  • Michael Elgin vs. Kamaitachi

TNA VICTORY ROAD DEBUTS TONIGHT ON THE FITE APP AND PPV WITH A TAPED SHOW

  • Ethan Carter III vs. Eli Drake
  • James Storm vs. Bram
  • Velvet Sky vs. Marti Bell
  • DJ Zema Ion vs. Andrew Everett
  • Eddie Edwards vs. Trevor Lee
  • Bro Mans vs. Tom LaRuffa & Pierre Marceau (Sylvester Lefort & Marcus Louis in NXT)
  • Chris Melendez vs. Beauregarde
  • Bobby Roode vs. Pepper Parks
  • All winners in a Royal rumble match where the winner gets a future TNA title match

NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS TOURNAMENT OPENS AT 5:30 A.M. EASTERN TIME SATURDAY MORNING LIVE ON NEW JAPAN WORLD FROM KORAKUEN HALL IN TOKYO

  • Bobby Fish & Volador Jr. & Satoshi Kojima vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Trent Baretta & Will Ospreay – Some kind of ridiculous talent for an opening match
  • Yuji Nagata & Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask vs. Katsuyori Shibata & Juice Robinson & Jay White
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan & Ricochet vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
  • Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Tetsuya Naito & Seiya Sanada & Evil
  • David Finlay vs. Rocky Romero
  • Gedo vs. Bushi
  • Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Matt Sydal
  • Kushida vs. Kyle O’Reilly

We’re looking for reports on Saturday’s WWE shows in Albany, NY (Roman Reigns, Sheamus, Sami Zayn, Big Cass, Dudleys, Natalya, Dolph Ziggler, Charlotte, Usos, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson) and Reading, PA (Dean Ambrose, Kane, Big Show, Braun Strowman, Erick Rowan, Kevin Owens, New Day, Alberto Del Rio, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Cesaro) and NXT in Winter Haven, FL to Dave@wrestlingobserver.com.  

NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS ON SUNDAY FROM SHIZUOKA (this won’t air live but should be up some time during Sunday on New Japan World)

  • Jay White & David Finlay vs. Yoshi-Hashi & Rocky Romero
  • Yuji Nagata & Satoshi Kojima & Kyle O’Reilly & Matt Sydal vs. Juice Robinson & Ryusuke Taguchi & Kushida & Katsuyori Shibata
  • Tiger Mask vs. Ricochet
  • Jushin Liger vs. Bobby Fish
  • Volador Jr. vs. Trent Baretta
  • Will Ospreay vs. Chase Owens
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi
  • Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii & Gedo vs. Tetsuya Naito & Seiya Sanada & Evil & Bushi

WWE EXTREME RULES ON SUNDAY AT 7:30 P.M. EASTERN FROM THE PRUDENTIAL CENTER IN NEWARK, NJ ON THE WWE NETWORK AND PPV

  • Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin preshow match
  • Kalisto vs. Rusev for U.S. title
  • Usos vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson tornado match
  • Dean Ambrose vs. Chris Jericho asylum cage match
  • Charlotte vs. Natalya submissions match for women’s title
  • New Day vs Vaudevillains for tag team title
  • The Miz vs. Cesaro vs Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens for IC title
  • Roman Reigns vs. A.J. Styles in an extreme rules match for the WWE title

NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS ON MONDAY FROM NIIGATA (this won’t air live but should be up sometimeMonday on New Japan World)

  • Satoshi Kojima & Jay White & Ricochet vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi & Will Ospreay
  • Yuji Nagata & Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask vs. Katsuyori Shibata & Juice Robinson & Volador Jr.
  • Matt Sydal vs. Bushi
  • Kyle O’Reilly vs. Gedo
  • Ryusuke Taguchi vs. David Finlay
  • Kushida vs. Rocky Romero
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan & Bobby Fish vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
  • Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Trent Baretta vs. Tetsuya Naito & Seiya Sanada & Evil

Raw will be Monday night in Baltimore at the Royal Farms Arena.

NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS ON TUESDAY FROM YAMAGATA (this won’t air live but should be up sometimeTuesday on New Japan World)

  • David Finlay & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Gedo & Yoshi-Hashi
  • Yuji Nagata & Satoshi Kojima & Kyle O’Reilly & Matt Sydal vs. Katsuyori Shibata & Kushida & Juice Robinson & Jay White
  • Tiger Mask vs. Volador jr.
  • Jushin Liger vs. Chase Owens
  • Bobby Fish vs. Ricochet
  • Will Ospreay vs. Trent Baretta
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi
  • Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii & Rocky Romero vs. Tetsuya Naito & Seiya Sanada & Evil & Bush

Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday in Norfolk.  

    THE ROUND UP

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    Figure Four Weekly 5/16/2016: WWE concussion lawsuit deposition takes a strange turn – Details on the developments in WWE’s concussion lawsuit, and more. Find out all the details in this weeks issue of Figure Four Weekly.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    READ IT HERE: May 23, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE Extreme Rules preview, Vince McMahon sells portion of WWE stock, tons more

    A look at what’s next for WWE after Extreme Rules, the UFC sale with lots of exclusive info, Vince & Linda McMahon selling their stock, Chris Weidman’s injury and how that changes plans, the staggering drop in kids viewing for WWE and exactly who watches the TV today, plus UFC 198 coverage and Best of The Super Juniors tournament news are among the stories covered in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    More on the injury returns and summer ideas and why WWE could have its deepest talent roster in a long time in very short order. Plus, talk about the NXT/WWE balance and why talent is actually more important for arena business if in NXT.

    There is also an extenisve look at the Extreme Rules show.

    In addition, updates on the UFC sale, including news about who is in, who is not in, what it all means, what is being sold, where Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta fit in and UFC fixture who indicates he’s likely gone if the sale goes through, all in covered in this issue.

    A glimpse into Vince McMahon’s stock sale, what it means, how much money did he get, and how his stock sale only increased the difference in the value of UFC vs. WWE, and for how much Vince McMahon bought the company.

    More on the injury to Chris Weidman, how it happened, his future, Michael Bisping’s title shot and more on UFC 1999.

    Also in this issue, find out who watches WWE on television and how many in each different age group.

    Find out how WWE has changed the schedule of the Cruiserweight tournament and why, more on the arrest of Adam Rose, more on Stephanie McMahon’s book, how Stephanie will be pushed on television going forward, how Stephanie will be marketed as the face of the company, and another WWE firing.

    Finally, there’s full coverage of UFC 198, including business notes including early estimates on success, ramifications of the show, match-by-match coverage, looking at the judging of close fights and poll results.

    CLICK HERE FOR A FULL PREVIEW

    Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

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    All the news from WrestleMania 15, the All Japan Tokyo Done show, and more will be in the latest back issue. Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: April 12, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Wrestlemania 15 business numbers, details on All Japan’s Tokyo Dome show, plus tons more. Both Davey Boy Smith and Japanese rookie woman wrestler Emiko Kado were both remaining in bad condition after an illness and in-ring injury respectively. 

    FRIDAY NEWS

    Shawn Michaels will be featured at Game 5 of the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup game on Sunday night on NBC Sports Network.This has become a pretty big story in hockey. One of the Penguins lines named themselves HBK and Michaels found out and started watching the Penguins games and they made arrangements for him to be a special guest of the game at the Consol Energey Center in Pittsburgh. 

    Today is the fifth anniversary of the death of Randy Savage. There may be some media surrounding that coming out.

    Dixie Carter, Eric Sherman and John Gaburick are doing a business meeting in India this week. Topics will include the tour of India that their contract with Sony Six stipulates plus TNA’s attempt to sell a percentage of the company.     

    Starting tonight, Syfy will be airing a two-hour edited version of the Raw from Monday, airing from 8-10 p.m. The idea would be to boost the Syfy ratings. It’s interesting because for years USA has had the belief of not airing a Raw replay for fear it would hurt the original numbers. Syfy was out of the top 25 cable stations in prime time ratings last week. USA was No. 6, although without wrestling they would fall to No. 11.

    One of the craziest stories is that on the Venator Fighting Championships show tomorrow in Milan, Italy, Jason “Mayhem” Miller showed up and missed weight by 24 pounds (209 pounds for a middleweight title match with Luke Barnatt). Barnatt will instead will fight to establish a new champion against Stefan Croitoru while Miller was able to cut to 205 and will be fighting Mattia Schiavolin at light heavyweight.

    WWE

    • A.J. Styles is off the weekend house shows to rest for Extreme Rules. He has a bad ankle. Styles hasn’t wrestled since 5/9. He was to work in Utica and Reading.
    • Tickets for the Cruiserweight Classic for dates of 6/23, 7/14, 8/26 and 9/14 went on sale this morning. Only about 400 tickets were available for each show and priced at $15 and $20, so they sold very quickly. They may have all sold out at this point as the last I checked, the finals were sold out and the other dates only had a handful of seats remaining. The finals will air live on the WWE Network.
    • Kevin Owens and Tyler Breeze have raised more than $61,000 for the victims of the Fort McMurray, Alberta fires. A story on their fund raising can be read here.
    • Although this was reported a long time ago, Dwayne Johnson officially signed on for “The Janson Directive,” in what is hoped to be turned into a spy thriller franchise. Johnson will also be an Executive Producer. Baywatch, that Johnson stars in with Zac Efron, will be released in theaters on May 17, 2017.
    • The Bellas are at Wizard World in Philadelphia on 6/5 from Noon to 4 p.m. 
    • Dolph Ziggler was on the Fox Business Channel. I’m not exactly sure what the point was, but he was there talking about T-shirts that flatten your belly.
    • Paul London on his time in WWE from the Pancakes and Powerslams show: When you work there, you eat so much crap. It’s like middle school all over again when you work there, on any level that you’re at. I don’t care if you’re the megastar or the opening guy, corporate office guy, whatever. At some point in your tenure there, you’re gonna be treated like garbage, absolute garbage. And like less of a human being, like the stuff you wipe off of your shoe that you stepped in by accident. And you’re gonna be treated like that constantly. It’s a constant mental hazing. It’s disgusting. It’s a horrible, horrible place to work, absolutely awful place to work. So, it’s not good for human beings of any nature. It was just things that would numb you to life working there. 

    UFC

    • The UFC will be working with the California State Athletic Commission for the 6/4 show in Los Angeles as they will be allowing weigh-ins as early as 10 a.m. on Friday to give the fighters six extra hours to rehydrate. It’s already been experimented with in Kansas and Connecticut. Of course the fighters like it because it gives them hours of more recuperation time.     
    • Stipe Miocic returned to a hero’s welcome in Cleveland and has been guests of the Cavs and Indians games already this week. Miocic, who was a good enough baseball player to get major league interest, took batting practice with the Indians and hit one into the stands.
    • Added activities to UFC Fight week in July are the U.S. Nationals and U.S Open Jiu Jitsu tournaments from 7/8 to 7/10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center at the site of the UFC Fan Expo.

    MISCELLANEOUS

    • Johnny Kidd wants Simon Cowell to back at new U.K. wrestling show that he feels could revitalize the game.
    • Eli Drake & Tyrus & Ethan Carter III will be Team TNA in the upcoming Victoria World Cup tournament on 6/3 and 6/5 in Puebla and Mexico City.
    • The biggest independent show in Quebec in years is Saturday night in Quebec City at the Horizon Center as Marko Estrada goes for the all-time record for longest title reign.  If he beats Travis Toxic, he would be champion through September where he’d beat a record set by Edouard Carpentier in the glory days of Quebec wrestling with 974 days consecutively holding a major title.  Cedric Alexander faces jr. chap Mat Angel and Shayne Hawke vs. Alex Price in a hair match plus there is a Team Montreal vs. Team Quebec City cage match.
    • A video building up Ethan Carter III’s matches in Evolve on 6/10 in Ybor City and 6/11 in Orlando can be seen here. 
    • Evolve announced a house show at 4 p.m. on 7/16 in Queens, NY with the idea the show would end and give people enough time to attend Madison Square Garden that night.  Timothy Thatcher vs. Marty Scurll for the Evolve title headlines.
    • Canek, the king of Mexican wrestling in the late 70s, now almost 64, captured the IWL heavyweight title beating Mr. Jack (a former rival) for the vacant title on Tuesday night in Pachuca.
    • A story on 50s shooter Joe Pazandak who will be inducted tomorrow into the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in Wichita Falls, TX is here. A second story can be read here.
    • Here is a story on Lio Rush.
    • Sami Callihan talks his Lucha Underground deal. 
    • Irv Muchnick talks the Jimmy Snuka case at 1310 News in Ottawa.
    • Quinton Jackson and Sal Guerrero Jr. (Chavo Guerrero Jr.) are in a movie called “Vigilante Diaries” that Anchor Bay Entertainment is releasing for a theatrical run on 6/24 and on DVD on 7/5. 
    • CWE tonight in Sherwood Park, Alberta at the Millennium Place with Frankie Kazarian & Danny Duggan vs. A.J. Sanchez & Joey Keys plus Silas Young vs Nite and Lio Rush vs. Travis Cole, plus Johnny Devine. The promotion said that if 500 tickets are sold, they will donate $1,500 to the Alberta Cancer Society and they are also raising money for the Edmonton Women’s Shelter.
    • Undefeated Phil Hawes, who was most recently beaten on Ultimate Fighter, signed with World Series of Fighting and will debut on 6/17 in Mashantucket, CT against Joshua Key (6-11, 2 on contests) on the NBC Sports show. Mike Ricci vs. Jason High is also on that show.
    • NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling on 6/4 in Sneedville, TN at the Old Hancock County High School.
    • Pure Wrestling Association on 5/21 in Kitchener, ONT at the Alpine Club.
    • Lucha Libre Mexicana on 5/28 in San Antonio at Randy’s Ballroom with Super Parka, El Hijo de L.a. Park, Damian 666 and more.  On 6/3 in Benbrook, TX at the Camp Bowie Bingo Hall is Aerostar vs. Flamita vs. Laredo Kid vs. Septimo Dragon.  On 6/4 in Houston at Atlantico Hall is Aerostar & Laredo Kid vs. Flamita & Ultimo Ninja.
    • Silver Star Promotions on 6/5 in Fort Worth at the 4 Ever Arena has Caristico & El Hijo del Fishman vs. Psicosis Jr. & Silver Star.
    • UIPW on 5/29 in Montebello, CA at the Grace Baptist Academy has Mr Aguila, Stuka Jr., Teddy Hart, Steve Pain, Thunder Rosa (Kobra Moon) and more.
    • There is a 5/27 show in Tijuana at the Auditorio with Atlantis & Caristico & Valiente vs. Cibernetico & Sharly Rockstar & Ultimo Guerrero.
    • There is a 6/3 show in Tijuana at the Auditorio with L.A. Park vs. Rush vs. Cibernetico plus Mistico & Extreme Tiger & Rey Hours (Dragon Azteca Jr. in Lucha Underground) vs. Mr Aguila & El Hijo de L.A. Park & Mephisto. (thanks to Kris Zellner) 
    • RF Video announced DVD releases of a David Crockett three-hour interview talking about his entire career in wrestling including the Crockett vs Vince wars, plus Tommy Dreamer hosts an interview with Rob Van Dam, a three-hour conversation about the old days of ECW. 

    EVENTS

    • June 4 – UFC 199 from the Forum in Los Angeles with Michael Bisping getting his first title opportunity of his career battling Luke Rockhold for the middleweight belt
    • June 5 – AAA’s Victoria World Cup men and women’s trio tournament finals at Los Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City which will be a live iPPV show
    • June 7 – New Japan Best of the Super Juniors finals from Sendai live on New Japan World
    • June 8 – NXT Takeover from Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL featuring Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor in a cage match plus a loaded lineup that includes American Alpha vs. The Revival and probably Shinsuke Nakamura vs Austin Aries, which could be WWE’s match of the month.
    • June 12 – TNA Slammiversary headlined by Drew Galloway vs. Bobby Lashley for the TNA title from Orlando
    • June 12 – Revolution Pro Wrestling in London, England headlined by Kurt Angle vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
    • June 19 – New Japan Dominion, one of the company’s biggest events of the year, featuring Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada in an IWGP title match and Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi in a ladder match for the IC title
    • June 19 – WWE Money in the Bank from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas 
    • June 24 – ROH Best in the World from Concord, NC with Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe for the ROH title 
    • June 25 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
    • June 26 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple   
    • July 7-11 The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas, EdinSanAntonio has all the information up on Facebook, or email him at F4Wfan@hotmail.com.