Daily Update: MLW & Reelz, AEW Revolution, UFC 285

Daily Update

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Latest Free YouTube Video:

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

Ordering Info:

Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to dave@wrestlingobserver.com or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.

In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.

For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.

If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

Friday Update

– We have a busy weekend schedule of radio shows. With Bryan in the area for Revolution, we will be doing a special show tonight covering the latest news plus a Saturday night show with UFC coverage and previewing the AEW PPV, and the Sunday night show after the AEW PPV. Garrett and I did our weekly show yesterday which is up on the site interviewing Jeff Jarrett.

– The new issue of the Wrestling Observer is up on the site right now. Among the highlights are

  • A look back at the history of the Iron Man match
  • The set up of the first Iron Man match that we know of
  • All the WWE true 60:00 Iron Man matches as well as the worked marathon matches that happened earlier
  • Bryan Danielson talks about the challenge of doing such a match today
  • Thoughts on what the PPV numbers will tell
  • Key aspect of the number
  • Ticket sales for the show, city record, current demand
  • Notes on the full card
  • Update on WrestleMania and changes
  • Ticket demand and sales or WrestleMania
  • Shad Gaspard/Jonathan Huber Award winner for 2022 and previous winners
  • Update on the MLW television deal with REELZ
  • Update on MLW potential lawsuit with WWE
  • Thoughts on the 2022 awards
  • CMLL and New Japan combine for FantasticaMania and a look at the last two events
  • UFC coverage of the weekend show
  • The most detailed look at the television ratings for the past week, how segments did, and how shows are hitting each key demo
  • Woman wrestling vet announces retirement
  • Report that a network reached out to rival promotion from who they carry to get them
  • Notes on a unique match in Mexico
  • Match of the week and performer of the week
  • A look at the first TripleMania card
  • One of the iconic legends of the sport announces about the next wrestler with the gimmick
  • New Japan Cup notes
  • All-Star Junior Festival notes
  • Governor who wrestled on Jan. 1 gets heat for it and why
  • Jerry Jarrett’s farewell words to his family
  • Von Erich movie notes
  • Former WWE wrestler pleads guilty in nationally covered fraud investigation
  • Pentagon & Fenix promote super indie show in April
  • Super indie matches
  • A card that features matches from nine different promotions in nine different countries
  • 16 Carat Gold tournament update
  • Brett Lauderdale talks how they got Kota Ibushi
  • Updates on next several weeks of Impact television
  • Updates on next several weeks of ROH television
  • AEW injury updates
  • Kenny Omega, Dax Harwood Bryan Danielson, Matt Hardy , Chris Jericho, Britt Baker and others talk the current scene
  • AEW star owning a sports franchise
  • Upcoming ticket sales for AEW & WWE events
  • Streaming and international TV numbers
  • WWE & UFC financials and comparisons, how badly and why UFC talent is underpaid, what Dana White earns and why Endeavor passed on making an offer to WWE
  • Dana White talks Makhachev vs. Volkanovski rematch
  • Jon Jones and Bo Nickal talk about their wrestling skirmish
  • Bellator signs two-tie NCAA champion
  • Jake Paul PPV numbers
  • Former UFC champions sign for Bare Knuckle Boxing
  • Ticket sales for big shows and how adding John Cena, Logan Paul and Roman Reigns to shows moves tickets
  • Update on WWE Hall of Fame ceremony
  • Notes on new projects from Dwayne Johnson and John Cena
  • WWE unloads a Senior Vice President
  • Bayley talks about formation of Damage Ctrl
  • Notes on new WWE signings getting ready for television
  • Notes from the weekend WWE & NXT events

– That REELZ statement regarding MLW hardly makes things look good for the long-term future of the promotion on the channel. It’s notable that Variety reported they would be off in early April but REELZ never told MLW, who first heard the word when that story was released. They are said to have not been told anything with their situation has changed.

REELZ’s statement was: “No decisions have been made by MLW or REELZ and we are both committed to a good outcome for MLW, its fans and REELZ.”

– SmackDown is from the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. Scheduled include an angle with Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn vs. Solo Sikoa, Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan, Shayna Baszler & Ronda Rousey vs. Tegan Nox & Natalya, plus Bobby Lashley is to appear. They are just about sold out with 12,300 tickets out this morning. This one didn’t even get off to a big start so the product interest level has really picked up big in the last several weeks..

– Rampage tonight is from the Cow Palace in San Francisco and is live. Only two matches have been announced, which are Keith Lee & Dustin Rhodes vs. Parker Boudreaux & Swerve Strickland and a four-way with Top Flight, Alex Reynolds & John Silver, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta and Aussie Open.

– AEW did sell more than 4,200 tickets yesterday and today for the 5/10 return to Detroit which is a good first day by current AEW standards.

– AEW has been in talks with the First Ontario Centre in Hamilton, ONT for a late June Dynamite taping.

– There are the odds for AEW Revolution from BetOnline

MJF vs. Bryan Danielson Iron Man match for the AEW World Championship:

  • MJF – 5000
  • Danielson +900

So the question is if anyone believes Danielson is winning the title, it does appear by this that they don’t.

Jamie Hayter vs. Ruby Soho vs. Saraya for the AEW Women’s World Championship:

  • Hayter -1250
  • Soho +500
  • Saraya +500

Samoa Joe vs. Wardlow for the TNT Championship:

  • Wardlow -1000
  • Joe +500

The Gunns vs. The Acclaimed vs. Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal vs. Orange Cassidy & Danhausen for the AEW Tag Team titles:

  • Gunns -400
  • Acclaimed +200
  • Jarrett & Lethal +800
  • Cassidy & Danhausen +1600

The Elite vs. House of Black for the AEW Trios titles:

  • The Elite -200
  • House of Black +150

Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Page Texas Death match:

  • Page -650
  • Moxley +375

Ricky Starks vs. Chris Jericho:

  • Starks -250
  • Jericho +170

– Our Joseph Currier previewed Revolution for Sports Illustrated and gave his predictions for each match.

– For this weekend, we are looking for reports from these shows:

  • SmackDown tonight in Washington, DC (dark matches and stuff not on television only)
  • WWE house show Saturday night in Toronto
  • WWE house show Saturday night in Syracuse
  • WWE house show Sunday night in Kitchener, ONT
  • WWE house show Sunday night in Trenton, NJ

We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

– We are also doing polls for both UFC 285 and AEW Revolution, so you can leave a thumbs up, down or middle, best and worst match for each show to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

–UFC 285 card for tomorrow:

ESPN+ at 5:30 p.m. Eastern

  • Esteban Ribovics (156) vs. Loik Radzhabov (155.5)
  • Da’Mon Blackshear (136) vs. Farid Basharat (136)
  • Jessica Penna (116) vs. Tabitha Ricci (115.5)
  • Cameron Saaiman (135) vs. Leomans Martinez (137) – Martinez missed weight by one pound and was fined 30 percent of his purse
  • Ian Machado Garry (171) vs. Song Kenan (171)

ESPN News at 8 p.m. Eastern

  • Julian Marquez (186) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (185)
  • Viviane Araujo (126) vs. Amanda Ribas (126)
  • Derek Brunson (185.5) vs. Dricus De Plessis (185)
  • Cody Garbrandt (136) vs. Trevin Jones (135)

PPV at 10 p.m. Eastern

  • Bo Nickal (185.5) vs. Jamie Pickett (186)
  • Mateusz Gamrot (156) vs. Jalin Turner (155.5)
  • Geoff Neal (175) vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov (171)
  • Valentine Shevchenko (124.5) vs Alexa Grasso (124.5) for the women’s flyweight title
  • Jon Jones (248) vs. Ciryl Gane (247.5) for the heavyweight title

The big things is that the prelims as of now are scheduled for ESPN News and not ESPN or ABC, meaning a far smaller audience, even though these are strong prelim bouts, particularly Brunson vs. Du Plessis. Plus, more people will be home watching the PPV than any show in a long time, so one would think you’d want to translate that into TV ratings, both for the show, and also to help facilitate late buys.

– MJF and Adam Cole are in a Twitter battle. AEW badly needs a new fresh top babyface and there you go.

– WWE announced a number of new dates today. TV taping dates announced are:

  • 5/12 SmackDown in Knoxville, TN
  • 5/15 Raw in Greensboro, NC
  • 5/19 SmackDown in Columbia, SC
  • 5/29 Raw in Albany, NY
  • 6/2 SmackDown in Wilkes-Barre, PA
  • 6/5 Raw in Hartford CT
  • 6/19 Raw in Cleveland, OH

– Stardom has a PPV which starts at 3 a.m. Eastern tonight. It has the semifinals and finals of the Triangle Derby tournament, plus Giulia defends the World of Stardom title against Maya Yukihi and Saya Kamitani defends the Wonder of Stardom title against Hazuki. They will likely start the build for the biggest show in their history on 4/23 at the Yokohama Arena.

– I haven’t seen this yet, but this Will Ospreay vs. Tristan Archer match from France over the weekend is up on YouTube.

People who were there live were talking about it as a match of the year candidate.

– Add Bo Dallas as Uncle Howdy to the list of people scheduled for Boston at this point for Monday’s Raw. Logically that would involve Bobby Lashley. Lucky him.

Other Notes

– Anna Keefer, who was cutting promos this past week during the commercial break on NXT, is out with an Achilles injury. Frankie Streling and Breanna Ruggierio have also been out during breaks cutting promos at tapings. (thanks to Bruce Anderson)

– The PFL Challenger Series week six airs tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern on Fubo Sports:

  • Vikas Singh Ruhil (12-6) vs. James Gonzalez (9-5)
  • Ago Huskic (8-5) vs. Gabriel Braga (8-0)
  • Nathan Kelly (6-2) vs Zack Hicks (8-4)
  • Brahyan Zurher (4-0) vs. David Evans (5-1)

– The 2012 documentary on the original GLOW from the 80s airs on 3/14 and 3/15 at 8 p.m. at The Alamo Drafthouse in Los Angles.

– Mike Bailey comes to Empire State Wrestling on 3/18 at the Buffalo RiverWorks. Others on the show include the Grayson Brothers, Jimmy Lloyd, Chase Oliver Mance Warner, Matthew Justice, Colin Delaney Big Bill Collier and Veda Scott.

– Cage Fury Fighting Championships return on 4/20 in Tampa at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. CM Punk will be announcing the show that airs on UFC Fight Pass.

– Sha Samuels coached this past week at the WWE Performance Center.

– TNT Extreme Wrestling will air on the Progress streaming service Demand Progress starting with the Merseyside Massacre show.

– AIW on 3/24 in Cleveland at the Temple Live Asylum Room with a Sean Waltman meet and greet. and 4/22 in Akron OH at 3000 Krebs Dr. with a Ron Simmons meet and greet.

– Combate Global and RIZIN announced a Claire Lopez (7-4) vs Rena Kubota (13-4) for on the 4/29 RIZIN show in Tokyo at the Yoyogi Gym. Lopez is a Combate Global fighter and the fight will take place in a cage rather than a ring like a RIZIN show usually take place.