Daily Update: More WrestleMania fallout, WWE notes, Japan

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Are you interested in attending our annual F4W/WON convention? We will hold it during AEW Double or Nothing weekend. For more information, check this post for activities and prices.

WON NEWSLETTER: April 6, 2020 Observer Newsletter: Florida lockdown, WrestleMania preview

A look at plans for AEW and WWE tapings, the guidelines set forth by Donald Trump, how both companies violated them, and why UFC simply can’t adhere to them is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

It’s a news-packed issue giving the full background of WrestleMania including the dollars lost by WWE in doing the show the way they did, why the reasons for doing it now make no sense, who was taken off the show and why, what key thing that relates to both fighting and pro wrestling that makes certain people higher risk that everyone is ignoring, where the WWE medical staff failed at their jobs with Roman Reigns and others, the WWE’s false advertising, Reigns speaks on why he didn’t do the show, Brie Bella talks on why she had mixed feelings on Daniel Bryan doing the show, plus a match-by-match rundown with thoughts on everything.

The new issue also covers:

The changes in WrestleMania business, why what seems to make no sense has a long-term thought process but where it may be flawed, why WWE flooded television with product this week and why it’s dangerous not to keep this up.

The falling apart of the Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov fight, what Nurmagomedov and Dana White said this week as well  Tony Ferguson’s demands ad who else was in contention for top spots on the show.  Joe Rogan also talks why he’s not doing the show no matter what, as well as the reaction of the other leading groups while UFC insists on going forward.

The hidden story that nobody has talked about regarding a pro wrestling event where the coronavirus has already spread.

New WWE television deals, a major WWE deal ends and why. What WWE stars head the most popular YouTube shows, Canadian TV ratings, U.K. TV ratings, Drew McIntyre talks WrestleMania, Seth Rollins talks operating a small business during these times, Edge talks about how he’s improved his promos, WWE market value plus the most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE network.

The Japanese scene, who is still running, who isn’t, what shows were canceled last minute as well as the state of sports in Japan and South Korea.

Six months from now or longer, when people are allowed to go to live entertainment events who things may change greatly and who is hurts the most. 

Live attendance, television numbers the future of television and streaming and how it also affects the smaller groups.

DAZN’s decision to withhold payments to sorts leagues and what that says about its future.

Update the arrest of Jon Jones, with details on his plea bargain, what happened when he was stopped, the government’s reaction to Jones, both officers and their report as well as Jones’ reaction to what happened.

A look back at the 2019 Wrestling Observer awards with comments on a number of categories, who was and wasn’t deserving, the closest categories, and more on winners and close placings.

A feature on the life and career of Dean Silverstone, a former promoter and historian who was one of the key people in keeping wrestlers from the past in touch with each other through the Cauliflower Alley Club.  We look at his role in wrestling, how he first got into wrestling, his promotion, his book, life after wrestling and how he got back into wrestling through his wife and ripper Collins.

Full coverage of all the WWE and AEW television shows from the past week.

In-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.

Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week. 

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.

MONDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Raw, more from WrestleMania and UFC 249. You can send questions to the show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com. We’re also looking for your thoughts on both nights of WrestleMania. We have polls for last night show and another for tonight’s show, thumbs up, down or in the middle, best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

For the weekend, the WrestleMania/combat sports Google search trends were:

Saturday:

  • 1. WrestleMania with 1 million
  • 3. Yaya Mayweather 1 million
  • 12. Joe Rogan 50,000
  • 13. Ric Flair 50,000

Sunday

  • 11. Charlotte Flair 100,000
  • 12 WrestleMania 50,000
  • 17. Drew McIntyre 50,000

Monday

  • 10. John Cena 50,000
  • 13. UFC 249 50,000
  • 18. Mandy Rose 20,000

The Sunday WrestleMania number is shockingly small. This would indicate mainstream interest on Sunday in particular wasn’t there at all as all of Mania got the same number as the announcement today of UFC 249. Rob Gronkowski not making even the top 20 is also a surprise just with the ESPN coverage.

WWE did not announce a network number today, as they had in the past the day after Mania. It was known they wouldn’t because they stopped when numbers started declining. They did announce that WrestleMania had 13.8 million social media interactions between Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, up 57 percent from last year and the most in history.  Eventually when PPV numbers and network numbers come out, we will likely see how worthless that stat actually is. 

We’re now at the point where WWE & UFC are following the AEW lead of secret location shows going forward.  UFC announced a secret location show, believed to be on the West Coast, for 4/18 with Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title as the main event.  In fairness, this has a great chance of being a fight of the year candidate.

There is belief in Japan that a state of emergency will be declared in the next 48-72 hours. The Governor of Tokyo has already said she wants to cancel all entertainment events, which would ban even empty arena shows from Tokyo. From what we’re told, if that order is carried through, it would apply to venues, such as Korakuen Hall, Ota Ward Gym, Shinkiba and other places, but there is a loophole and that companies could still do dojo shows from their home gyms.

If you’ve never seen Do FIXER vs. Blood Generation from ROH Supercard of Honor 2006, a forerunner of the style that has come to the U.S., and the match that won the 2006 match of the year award is being put up for free by ROH on its YouTube page tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern.

WWE

  • Michael Cole was promoted to Vice President of Announcing according to PWInsider. Cole has pretty much been in that position overseeing the announcing crew for some time.
  • I guess this must be a legal obligation, but WWE sent a release about the lawsuit against WWE for people claiming insider trading fraud against the company regarding the stock price drop telling people they need to file by 5/5 to join the class action suit against them. I doubt the suit will be going anywhere but we shall see.
  • The movie “The Main Event” debuts on Friday on Netflix. It’s about a ten-year-old boy who gets super powers when he puts on a Lucha Libre mask. A lot of WWE talent is in the movie and Keith Lee has a major role.

AEW

  • The lineup for Wednesday is Kenny Omega & Michael Nakazawa vs Best Friends, Cody vs. Shawn Spears and Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara in the TNT tournament, Hikaru Shida vs. Britt Baker and a Lance Archer squash.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • ROH is selling an ROH Strong T-shirt with the proceeds being donated to The Salvation Army in conjunction with the Sinclair Cares campaign. The shirt can be ordered at the rohwrestling.com pro shop.
  • ECW Press announced that the Andre the Giant biography, “The Eighth Wonder of the World,” will be released on 4/14.  Bertrand Hebert and Pat Laprade wrote this book. I can’t recommend this book highly enough because it is by far the most in-depth feature ever done on Andre, far more than any television special and also far more factual, basically it’s the best source on what is and isn’t real about Andre. It’s great as well for fans of 70s and 80s wrestling because it goes heavy into the politics and power players, since Andre worked almost everywhere.
  • Dark Side of the Ring tomorrow will be doing a feature on Brawl for All. That should be interesting because that’s a subject that has never had any kind of investigative piece on. 
  • Defy Wrestling, Progress and PCW Ultra have scheduled a tour with shows on 7/30 in Los Angeles at the ILWU Memorial Hall, 7/31 and 8/1 in Seattle at Washington Hall and 8/2 in Portland, OR at the Crystal Ballroom.  Any dates like this are subject to change.
  • CWE, which was attempting to put together a Canadian tour, given the circumstances and rules in places in different provinces, sent out this update.  Right now the Manitoba shows are still on. The 4/29 Yorkton, 4/30 Prince Albert and 5/1 shows in Saskatoon are postponed. They note it’s also possible other dates in Alberta and British Columbia will be postponed.  The 5/15 show in Calgary is canceled and they believe that’s likely to happen to all the Alberta shows. The 5/9 show in Prince George, BC is off. The 5/29 show in Toronto is off but the rest of the Ontario shows are still on.  The only show in Quebec is 5/31 and that show is still on.
  • A Heavy Hitters 2 tournament using Brawl for All and UWFI rules that was scheduled for 3/27 is being moved to 7/24 in Sellersburg, IN.  Names listed for the tournament are Stephan Bonnar, Erick Stevens, Matt Justice, Chris Dickinson and A.J. Gray. Matches announced are Bonnar vs. Justice under hardcore street fight rules, John Wayne Murdoch vs. Flash Thompson under Brawl for All rules and Erick Stevens vs. Reed Bentley under UWFI rules.
  • ROH debuted a new feature on ROHWrestling.com today called Word of Honor. They are long-form articles written by ROH talent. To kick off the occasional series, Matt Taven takes readers behind the scenes as he reflects on the one-year anniversary of his world title-winning victory at G1 Supercard before a sold-out crowd at MSG.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: WWE WrestleMania 30

CONTACT INFORMATION