Daily Update: NXT Year-End Awards, Hulk Hogan, MJF

By Joseph Currier
Published: 20 Dec 2023, 14:33

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

December 11, 2023 Observer Newsletter: WWE & UFC synergy, future of house shows

Highlights of the current issue:

Match and performer of the week
TKO COO Mark Shapiro talks WWE and UFC business and changes they are thinking about
Future of the house show business and why breaking even should be okay
Injury rate in WWE and AEW and does the schedule make a difference
His thoughts on the PFL taking over Bellator
Upcoming media rights deals to be made
Ideas for UFC’s streaming service
How much UFC is making for certain overseas shows as well as WWE
When deals are up
Change in the look of the WWE ring
Running shows in the same city in the same weekend
What is the median income of the viewers of all the different promotions
What is the level of education of the viewers of all the different promotions
What is the ethnic makeup of the viewers of all the different promotions
A look at All In 2024 ticket sales
A look at NXT Deadline and the interest level
A look at the Tokyo Sports MVP and its top candidates and why the person who should win has little chance to win
Full coverage of Saturday’s UFC show
The most detailed look at the TV ratings, with competition, how each segment did, how the audience has changed over the past year and demo breakdowns
AEW and former WWE star headed to Arena Mexico
Plight of arrested wrestling star ends up in Mexico president press conference
Stardom PPV coverage and build to the Sumo Hall show
All Japan tag team tournament coverage
New Japan tag team tournament coverage
AEW star will headline major NOAH show
Updates on Okada
Notes on Iron Claw movie
Former WWE tag champ retires
Sukeban coverage
Former WWE announcer working with Trump
Great match on indie show
U.K. promotion running April show in U.S.
Major show with big names in U.K. next week
TNA return ticket sales
More on the firing of Kevin Sullivan by AEW
Update on Continental Classic
Von Erichs and AEW
Tony Khan talks Sting’s retirement and Ric Flair
Khan talks future of Bryan Danielson
Danielson talks CM Punk
Ticket sales to upcoming WWE & AEW shows
International TV ratings and streaming numbers
AEW star on show in Vietnam and why
Final Battle rundown
Why Montreal didn’t do well for AEW
Injury updates
Update on buys for last two PPVs
How much money did the UFC owners pay themselves as compared to the fighters
Dana White laughs at Bellator sale to PFL
Former UFC champion arrested for allegedly punching his brother
Average ticket sales for AEW & WWE
More on multiple WWE firings
Royal Rumble notes
Update on WWE and Giulia
Changes in WWE TV schedule
Notes on newcomers to NXT
Notes on the new WWE signings
Rundown of WWE arena events

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

September 20, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Mirko Cro Cop, Trish Stratus

Wednesday Update

WWE

Voting for the 2023 NXT Year-End Awards is now open. Here are all of the nominees:

NXT Match of the Year –

Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge (Deadline)
Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov (No Mercy)
Ilja Dragunov vs. Dijak (Battleground)
Becky Lynch vs. Tiffany Stratton (No Mercy)
Axiom vs. Tyler Bate (Global Heritage Invitational)
Johnny Gargano vs. Grayson Waller
Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker
Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport
JD McDonagh vs. Dragon Lee
Roxanne Perez vs. Kiana James (Halloween Havoc)
Eddy Thorpe vs. Damon Kemp (NXT Underground match)

NXT Moment of the Year –

Roxanne Perez collapses after defeating Meiko Satomura
Bron Breakker smashes Von Wagner with steel steps
Fallon Henley dresses up like Tiffany Stratton
The #FreeTonyD movement
Trick Williams gets attacked by a mystery assailant
Lash Legend slams Otis
Dominik Mysterio ends Wes Lee’s historic North American title reign
Jacy Jayne kicks Gigi Dolin through a door
Bron Breakker spears Carmelo Hayes through a wall
The Undertaker comes to NXT
Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin crash through Shawn Michaels’ office wall

NXT Male Superstar of the Year –

Ilja Dragunov
Carmelo Hayes
Trick Williams
Bron Breakker
Wes Lee
Dijak
Dragon Lee
Baron Corbin
Nathan Frazer
Axiom

NXT Female Superstar of the Year –

Roxanne Perez
Tiffany Stratton
Thea Hail
Kiana James
Lyra Valkyria
Gigi Dolin
Jacy Jayne
Fallon Henley
Ivy Nile
Kelani Jordan

NXT Tag Team of the Year –

The Creed Brothers
Tony D’Angelo & Stacks
Gallus
Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen
Hank Walker & Tank Ledger
Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn
Kayden Carter & Katana Chance

Mike Rotunda confirmed that his late son Windham (Bray Wyatt) has been placed on a Legends contract by WWE: “I have to give WWE credit. They’ve done awesome helping our family out with a lot of different stuff. They put Windham on a legends contract and all the proceeds go to…Windham has four children. Luckily, we have them.”
Rock star Dee Snider detailed how Mick Foley inspired him to be a charitable person:

Mick Foley, the wrestler — Mankind, Cactus Jack, Dude Love, and all those characters — he and I became very good friends. We lived near each other on Long Island, and we met and connected. Mick does [an] insane amount of charity, and without making a big deal about it. Amazing. Put it this way — the man’s married and he’s got three or four kids. Mick would just in his spare time, go and knock on doors and show up at kids houses that he knew were dying of cancer and were fans of his, and hang out and watch TV with them. And he called me one day and says, ‘Listen, I’m visiting a kid in the hospital. He’s got leukemia, he’s a big fan of yours. Would you come with me?’
So I went to the hospital and met this kid and saw what the kid got out of it, out of just that moment. When Mick drove me home, I said, ‘Mick, you made me a better man today.’ I’m getting a little choked up because I was so shaken. I said [to myself], ‘Look at what Mick does, and look at what you don’t do.’ At the point, it was in the early 2000s, where I said, ‘I need to do more. I need to give back. I need to say yes.’ And not just send a guitar. By the way, all celebrities get these invitations, these opportunities to do more, and most of us just blow it off or send them an autographed picture or something. Thank you, Mick Foley, for waking me up and showing me that we can help. And there’s something more that we need to do.

While speaking with Sports Illustrated, Hulk Hogan praised Randy Orton:

If I wasn’t all beat to hell, I’d love to get in the ring with Randy. We could still tear it down in the main event. Randy could call it in the ring, and he could adjust to my style to make sure it worked perfectly. He’s just so good. He can work with veterans and the newer guys, too. He knows how to pivot both ways in the ring.
He understands wrestling in a way very few do. That’s why he is making masterpieces in the ring.

South Park parodied Logan Paul and his Prime sports drink.
ROAR Around the Ring interviewed Bianca Belair.
Alpha Academy, Drew Gulak, and Katana Chance & Kayden Carter were today’s guests on WWE’s The Bump.

AEW/Other Wrestling

Josh Nason interviewed actor Holt McCallany about playing Fritz Von Erich in “The Iron Claw.” The interview is available for free on our YouTube channel.
Swerve Strickland told Going Ringside that his primary focus for 2024 is winning the AEW World Championship: “That is the only thing on my mind right now.”
The Orlando Sentinel has an interview with Samoa Joe. Joe explained where he finds inspiration for his promos: “Most of my inspiration comes from outside the (wrestling) industry. I watch a lot of drama, a lot of big action films, with great speakers plying their trade. I’ll see something that inspires me, recycle it, change it and make it my own.”
MJF was a guest on the SI Media podcast with Jimmy Traina.
In an interview with SEScoops, MJF detailed his meeting with John Cena from “The Iron Claw” red carpet:

I don’t think it’s unprofessional for me to discuss what we talked about. He didn’t have to do this, and it meant the world to me. He walked over to me, and he said he’s a fan of my work, and he respected my professionalism.
Once we were on the red carpet, we talked some more and I told him straight up, I said, ‘You’re an inspiration’ because he is, you know?
There are a lot of people in my industry who phone it in. I cannot recall one time in the over a decade of John Cena’s career where he phoned it in even once. He’s incapable, just like I’m incapable.
He is a tremendous role model. Not just for me as a professional wrestler, but for everybody around the world, because he teaches you how important hard work is.
We also discussed transitioning from pro wrestling to acting. He’s just an incredible person and I don’t have one negative thing to say about him.

Solomonster Sounds Off also has an interview with MJF.
AEW has abandoned its trademark application for “East West Express,” which was the name of Nick Wayne & Jordan Oliver’s tag team on the indies.
EC3 is officially set to defend his NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship against Matt Cardona in The Ultimate Match of Death at NWA Paranoia on Saturday, January 13. The show is taking place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and is an NWA television taping.
In a poster for MLW’s Kings of Colosseum event, it’s advertised that Matt Riddle will return to the promotion for a match against Jacob Fatu. Kings of Colosseum is being held at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday, January 6. It will air live on TrillerTV+.
Sami Callihan is returning to MLW on the TV tapings portion of the January 6 show. Callihan will face Satoshi Kojima.
David Penzer commented on Jade Chung being named TNA Wrestling’s new ring announcer: “It was an absolute honor to ‘pass the mic’ to @JadeChung11! Incredibly talented and super sweet I know she will kick ass at #TNAWrestling”
D-Von Dudley announced that his wife Taylor has given birth to their new son: “Just want to let everyone know that DJ was born Tuesday Dec.19 2023 12:54pm 6lbs 11oz 20in . Mom and baby are doing great thank you.”
NJPW shared interviews with Tetsuya Naito and SANADA building up their Wrestle Kingdom 18 main event match.
Chris Hero is the guest on today’s edition of Talk is Jericho.