Daily Update: Paul Heyman, STARDOM, Conor McGregor

Daily Update

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

The new issue of the Observer is up on the site right now. Among the items covered are:

*Match of the week and performer of the week

*Jerry Lawler’s recovery and a look at the history of Lawler from his days as the King of Memphis wrestling, his run in the 80s, the high and low points of that company and his role as a WWE announcer

*Nick Khan and Tony Khan talk with WWE sale as well a how much money key people will make on the sale*Update on WrestleMania plans

*The 1977 Superstar Billy Graham vs. Dusty Rhodes feud and how that impacts the 2023 WrestleMania

*Behind the Paul Heyman/Cody Rhodes segment

*Key parts of the interview

*Paul Heyman’s history with Dusty Rhodes

*Elimination Chamber update

*Fedor Emelianenko’s farewell to MMA and where Bellator stands

*Keiji Muto with days left in his career talks about his final match and his condition

*Full coverage of NXT Vengeance

*MLW debuts on REELZ

*New Japan New Beginning in Sapporo

*UFC’s weekend show coverage*Stardom Supreme Fights coverage

*A look at the best matches of 2022

*How many homes are the cable stations that carry wrestling in

*The most detailed look at the ratings over the past week

*Four plus year title reign ends

*AAA planning for Triplemania

*How the Acapulco show led to issues with AAA and AEW

*Notes from Fantastica Mania

*Lots of Kota Ibushi news

*A look at the career of Charlie Norris

*The most watched television wrestling match of the 1970s

*Lots of WrestleMania week news

*Court Bauer talks WWE lawsuit

*AEW new deal in place

*International TV ratings and streaming numbers

*AEW & WWE upcoming show ticket sales

*Jericho Cruise notes

*Behind the MJF promo

*Interesting notes from Mark Hunt’s lawsuit against Brock Lesnar

*Previewing this week’s UFC show

*Cody Rhodes talks about learning pro wrestling

*WWE working with other groups

*Brett Favre sues Pat McAfee

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.

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Friday Update

Garrett Gonzales and I did a show today talking a ton about AEW as well as this weekend’s shows, the Cody Rhodes/Paul Heyman promo and much more. Bryan and I will be back tomorrow night talking the weekend news after the UFC show.

Paul Heyman spoke with Variety and pushed for Roman Reigns to win an Emmy Award for his acting chops in the WWE

Stardom wrestler Himeka announced she will be retiring on the 4/23 show at the Yokohama Arena. This, with subtitles, is her announcement:

Himeka said she would like to face Maika in her farewell match. After that, they will have a retirement ceremony for her on 5/14 at Korakuen Hall. She also asked for a hardcore match with Risa Sea on 2/26 and wants matches with Chihiro Hashimoto and Kakeru Seikiguchi. She said she was no retiring because of an injury but said that she only wanted to do five years in wrestling and then experience new things.

Ronda Rousey returns to Smackdown tonight in Uncasville, CT. The Usos defend the Smackdown tag titles against Braun Strowman & Ricochet plus Rey Mysterio vs. Karrion Kross vs. Santos Escobar vs. Madcap Moss with the winner facing Gunther for the IC title. They were at 4,800 tickets out last time I saw a number.

Jake Skudder broke the Rousey being back tonight story on fightfans.co.uk which we did confirm.

Rampage tonight at 10 p.m. has Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta vs. Butcher & Blade & Kip Sabian, Jungle Boy vs. Ryan Nemeth, Ruby Soho vs. Marina Shafir and Orange Cassidy vs. Lee Moriarty for the All Atlantic title. Mark Briscoe will also appear on the show.

Dana White was asked about the location for the fall Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight. He said that AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX is a possibility, as it the T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Madison Square Garden or possibly a stadium in the U.K.

Today is the 39th anniversary of the death of David Von Erich.

UFC 284 tomorrow from Perth, Western Australia

Prelims at 6 p.m. Eastern

Elves Brenner vs. Zubaira Tukhugov

Blake Bilder vs. Shane Young

Loma Lookboonmee vs. Elise Reed

Jack Jenkins vs. Don Shainis

ESPN at 8 p.m.

Jamie Mullarkey vs. Francisco Prado

Kleydson Rodrigues vs. Shannon Ross

Josh Culibao vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan

Modestas Bukauskas vs. Tyson Pedro

PPV at 10 p.m.

Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield

Parker Porter vs. Justin Tafa

Randy Brown vs. Jack Della 

MaddalenaYair Rodriguez vs. Josh Emmett for the interim featherweight title

Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski for the lightweight title

Kazuchika Okada on his scheduled match Tuesday at the Tokyo Dome against Kaito Kiyomiya with the IWGP champion vs. GHC champion: “I’m not doing that match and I’ve said as much. If they’re still promoting that match and I’m not there then that isn’t my fault and it says more about the companies involved.” This is definitely a unique way to promote a top match at the Tokyo Dome.

New Japan New Beginning in Osaka tonight at 3 a.m. Eastern on New Japan World

Oskar Leube & Toru Yano vs. Great O’Khan & Aaron Henare

Ryusuke Taguchi & Tiger Mask & Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi & Sanada & Bushi

Master Wato vs. Taiji Ishimori

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. KENTA

Evil & Sho & Yujiro Takahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki & Ren Narita & El Desperado for the Never trios title

Jay White vs. Hikuleo loser leaves Japan

Tama Tonga vs. El Phantasmo for the Never title

Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi for the IWGP title

There is a four-way hair match on 3/17 at Arena Mexico with Rocky Romero, Oraculo, Volador Jr. and Angel de Oro.

A story on John Cena in the movie Ricky Stanicky which he is currently filming in Australia (thanks to Barry Werner)

We are looking for reports tonight from Smackdown in Uncasville, CT (dark match or stuff off the air notes only) to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

We are doing polls on tomorrow’s UFC 284 and tomorrow New Japan New Beginning in Osaka, thumbs up, down or middle, best and worst match for each show to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

Anthony Smith vs. Johnny Walker will headline a UFC show on 5/13 according to MMAFighting.com

Other Notes

MLW is doing a television taping in Tijuana tonight which includes Alexander Hammerstone defending the MLW title against Danny Rivera (Danny Limelight). The main event is El Hijo del Vikingo & Rey Horus & Psycho Clown vs. Gringo Loco & John Hennigan & Sam Adonis

Jose Aldo makes his debut as a pro boxer tonight against Emmanuel Zambrano (0-3) in a six round fight at 140 pounds.

Superkick’d runs tonight in Toronto at The Great Hall.

LFA announced its April schedule with a show on 4/14 in Sioux Falls, SD at the Sanford Pentagon and 4/21 in Prior Lake, MN at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel. Both shows air live on UFC Fight Pass.

ISPW tonight in Avenel, NJ at the First Presbyterian Church’s Westminster Hall has Bull James vs. Tommy Dreamer, Ricky Recon vs Crowbar and Tina San Antonio vs Vicious Vicki. Maven will manage Bull James. They also run 3/11 in Washington Township, NJ at the Westwood Regional High School.

PFL Challengers Series tonight on Fubo Sports Network wit a heavyweight qualifier show:

Louie Sutherland (254) vs. Alton Meeks (228.8)

Abraham Bably (245.6) vs. Hassan Graham (250.2)

Vitor Resenda (243.2) vs. Isaiah Pinson (235.2)

Danilo Marques (247) vs. Ras Hilton (255.2)

Invicta runs on 3/15 at Reelworks in Denver headlined by Strawweight champion Valesca Machado (12-3) vs. Danni McCormack (6-2). The show will air live on AXS TV

AIW on 2/11 in Youngstown, OH at West Side Bowl is headlined by The Sandman.

Zack Sabre Jr. was announced for the 2/26 Beyond Wrestling show.