Daily Update: McMahon arrest angle confuses NYC, UFC cuts

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TV Tonight:

No new UFC programming.

NXT at 8:00 p.m. ET on WWE Network is a best of 2015 edition.

ROH at midnight ET/PT on COMET is also a best of 2015 edition with ACH & Matt Sydal vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tetsuya Naito, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Roderick Strong, A.J. Styles & The Young Bucks vs. ACH, Matt Sydal, & Cedric Alexander, and Jay Briscoe vs. Jay Lethal.

Meanwhile, WWE’s last two house shows of 2015 are tonight: Toronto is headlined by Alberto del Rio vs. John Cena, while Baltimore has a main event of Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus.

RIZIN FROM THE SAITAMA SUPER ARENA (some matches air on U.S. TV on Spike Thursday morning at 10 a.m.)

Rena vs. Jlena Valentino – women’s match

Heavyweight tournament semifinals

Brennan Ward (Bellator) vs. Ken Hasegawa

Takeru vs. Yang Ming in K-1 rules

Soo Chul Kim vs. Maike Linhares

Gabrielle Garcia vs. Lei’d Tapa – women’s super heavyweight match

Akebono vs. Bob Sapp – Shoot boxing rules (boxing, kicking, takedowns, no ground work or submissions)

Andy Souwer vs. Yuichiro Nagashima

Peter Aerts vs. Baruto (sumo star)

Kron Gracie (Rickson’s son) vs. Asen Yamamoto (age group wrestling champion, son of former women’s world champion Miyu Yamamoto)

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Jaideep Singh

Heavyweight tournament finals

Figure Four Weekly

Figure Four Weekly (12/21/15): Hulk Hogan and Nelson Frazier Lawsuit Updates
Transcript gives new insight into the FBI/Gawker dispute, plus WWE gives us a peek at what their termination notices look like in the Nelson Frazier wrongful death lawsuit.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

A look at the Slammy Awards, business of the show, who watched the show, suggestions made for improving the awards show idea, some history of where it came from and what happened at the show including injury updates.

We also have a story about both the California commission, doctors, and reps from the Association of Boxing Commissions talking about the problem of weight cutting in MMA as well as all the medical issues involved, win/loss records of bigger vs. small fighters, belief of how many fighters go into fights dehydrated, the dangers of fighting dehydrated, new weight class suggestions, the good and the bad of adding weight classes, the discussion of splitting up the heavyweight division and the ONE organization becomes the first promotion to take drastic steps in this subject with a look at their new regulations.

We also look at the life, career and significance of Lizmark, one of the biggest stars in the history of Lucha Libre, who passed away this past week.  We have his background, how he got into wrestling, his life before wrestling, why he first wore a mask, how he got the name Lizmark, his long run as a constant singles champion or top contender, his induction into the Hall of Fame, his run in the glory days of AAA, Lizmark Jr. and why he fell out of favor in WCW due to loyalty to his father, his biggest rivals, the wrestlers who emulated him and his title history.

We look at what is next for NXT, the upcoming tour dates, reaction to Roman Reigns internally, Notes on the video game, Mauro Ranallo updates, WWE injury updates, John Cena and Dwayne Johnson news, lots of WWE U.K. date business notes, Japan TV update, Two new wrestlers making main roster debut for one tour in January and why.  We also have notes from all the weekend house shows.

PLUS MUCH MORE! CLICK HERE FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW

The Latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter: December 28, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE Slammy Awards, MMA Weight cutting

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Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

Check out the latest Online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: November 9, 1998 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Jesse Ventura wins Minnesota Governor election, WCW trailing WWF, more
Jesse Ventura becomes the Governor of Minnesota, WCW begins trailing WWF, ECW November to Remember recap, plus tons of news.

TODAY’S DAILY UPDATE

WWE

UFC/MMA

  • UFC cut Fabio Maldonado, Chico Camus, Ericka Almeida, Bubba Bush, Mickael Lebout, Vernon Ramos and Jumabieke Tuerxun.  At one point, that list was believed to include Kevin Souza, who then said in an interview with MMAFighting.com said that he was not informed by the company that had been cut.  Instead, USADA emailed him and told him that he no longer had to inform them of his whereabouts at all times because he was no longer listed as a UFC fighter.  What actually happened was that he was unaware that his contract was up and it was all a miscommunication.
  • Fedor Emeliananko on Jaideep Singh:  “I think he is quite a serious contender.”
  • Here are the weigh in results for Rizin Fighting which takes place on December 31st in Japan.

MISC

  • Our annual Prediction Show will span two days this year, tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday on Wrestling Observer Live.  If you can’t listen to the show during its live airing (12 PT/3 ET on Sports Byline USA, links are up on the front page), don’t worry.  Just call between 12:05/3:05 and 12:40/3:40).  Everyone will get MAX two predictions for 2016, and next year will will crown a winner.  Obviously, if you predict something like “WrestleMania will draw more than 18,000 fans” you will not win the grand prize.  Grand prize goes to the most out-on-a-limb yet still accurate prediction (“Roman Reigns will win the title at Survivor Series over Dean Ambrose but then Sheamus will cash in and steal the belt” would be an amazing prediction if it had been made at this time last year).  We will also be reading last year’s predictions over the next two days as well and crown the 2015 winner.  If we are deluged with calls, we may move last year’s predictions reading to Sunday’s Observer Live.  We’ll play it by ear.  The numbers are up on the front page of the website.  For now, no email or text message predictions, only phone calls.  Have fun!
  • Karl Stern’s first Dragon King Dark episode will be up on the After Dark Radio website later today.  Karl will be doing one new show a week, as announced on Sunday’s After Dark Radio.  If you are a regular listener and interested in providing columns for the brand new website, email bryan@afterdarkradioshow.com.
  • ROH Winter Warrior Tour: SATURDAY, JANUARY 9TH 2016 – 7:00PM BELL TIME – NATIONAL TV TAPING. Cabarrus Events Center – 4751 NC Hwy 49 North – Concord, NC 28025.  Tickets on Sale Now.  ROH Tag Team Champions War Machine vs. All Night Express has been signed.
  • Tonight on RDS (Quebec’s version of ESPN) there will be a one-hour documentary on the Rougeau family. From Eddy Auger to his nephew Johnny and Jacques Rougeau to Jacques’ children Raymond, Jacques Jr, Armand and Joanne (who promoted here from 95-2000 for the WWF) to Jacques Jr’s sons Emile and Cedric (6 foot 7, 315 pounds) the documentary talks about all 4 generations of Rougeaus, the only ones with the McMahons to have 4 generations in wrestling.  Patric Laprade says, “Other people like Gino Brito, Pierre-Carl Ouellet, announcer Marc Blondin and myself have also been interviewed for this. I have also worked in the behind-the-scenes of this documentary.”

Here is today’s FULL Daily Pro Wrestling History including International history: Daily pro wrestling history (12/29): Mankind wins the WWF World Title