Daily Update: Punk-Rollins, NXT Year-End Awards, Dynamite Holiday Bash

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered:

  • The notes of just how much of the young audience AEW has lost
  • All In at Globe Life Field both realities and perception
  • History of famous promotional wars and how they turned out and why
  • Why the few incumbents that lost did
  • The rise and fall of WCW
  • The finances of AEW
  • The issue with all non-Raw and Smackdown shows in the U.S. market right now not involving AEW
  • History of Saturday Night’s Main Event
  • High water marks for the show in the 80s
  • The Hogan vs. Andre match
  • Why SNME went away and its return and why that didn’t work as well
  • Preview of tomorrow’s show and betting odds
  • AEW Worlds End notes and WWE’s head-to-head show in Orlando
  • Full coverage of NXT Deadline
  • Full coverage of UFC 310
  • Tokyo Sports Awards, including unique things Zack Sabre Jr. has done and the history of all 51 MVP winners since 1974
  • More on the new Global Fight League, which features tons of post-40 UFC champions and major stars, to be debuting soon
  • For those outside the U.S. where the WWE Network moves to Netflix, what non-live shows will Netflix be airing and how little it is as compared to the WWE Network
  • Preview of both Tokyo Dome shows in January
  • The death of Karloff Lagarde Jr.
  • The most detailed look at the ratings of all the U.S. TV shows, comparisons to one year ago, segment-by-segment and rankings for the night and week.
  • What CMLL star trained with the Olympic team only a few years ago
  • Pentagon Jr. update
  • Tag team tournament finals in Japan
  • Top star in Japanese group gets suspended
  • Another top star cutting down his schedule
  • International TV ratings
  • Ticket sales for upcoming WWE & AEW shows
  • Tag team getting a non-wrestling national television show
  • Wrestling legend getting a non-wrestling TV show
  • Notes on the new season of Dark Side of the Ring
  • Willie Mack situation in GCW
  • What wrestler was GCW hoping to get for the Hammerstein Ballroom
  • Tessa Blanchard update
  • Lots of notes about the AEW on sale in Texas
  • Update on Rey Fenix situation
  • Most viewed streaming segments of AEW & WWE this past month
  • Steroids in BJJ
  • MMA Awards
  • Mark Shapiro talks future in WWE, UFC and even boxing ideas*WWE injury updates
  • Lots of notes about WWE shows on A&E in 2025
  • Son of sports legend makes quiet WWE debut
  • Janel Grant case updates
  • Dwayne Johnson movie updates

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • Kendra Barkoff-Lamy, spokesperson for Janel Grant, issued the following statement responding to The Athletic’s story that alleges WWE production head Lee Fitting was fired by his former employer ESPN in 2023 due to allegations of misconduct and objectifying women:
    • How can WWE claim they are committed to improving the company’s culture, and at the same time, hire a man earlier this year who was accused of sexual misconduct and workplace harassment in his previous role? The allegations against Lee Fitting during his time at ESPN are extremely concerning. Revelations like this are why Janel Grant’s lawyers sent a letter to WWE and Endeavor, urging them to release all current and former employees from their NDAs. The same old boys club who enabled Janel Grant’s abuse are continuing to put alleged predators in leadership roles, and this pattern must change once and for all.
  • WWE’s full Kickoff event promoting Raw’s upcoming move to Netflix can be watched here. It took place at WWE Headquarters this afternoon and featured wrestlers who will be involved in Raw’s Netflix premiere on January 6, including CM Punk and Seth Rollins. There was an angle where they got into a shoving match and had to be separated after Rollins called Punk a bootlicker.
  • During the Kickoff event, Michael Cole referred to Punk vs. Rollins as the main event for Raw’s Netflix premiere episode. Cole called it one of the most anticipated matches in the history of the industry
  • WWE has opened up voting for the 2024 NXT Year-End Awards. The nominees are:
  • Male Superstar of the Year –
    • Trick Williams
    • Oba Femi
    • Tony D’Angelo
    • Ethan Page
  • Female Superstar of the Year –
    • Roxanne Perez
    • Lola Vice
    • Jaida Parker
    • Kelani Jordan
  • Tag Team of the Year –
    • Nathan Frazer & Axiom
    • Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson
    • Chase U
    • Hank Walker & Tank Ledger
  • Moment of the Year –
    • Tyrese Haliburton cuts down the Orlando crowd (September 17 episode of NXT)
    • Jaida Parker smashing a brick on Lola Vice at the ECW Arena (November 6 episode of NXT)
    • Carmelo Hayes turns on Trick Williams (Vengeance Day)
    • Trick Williams wins his first NXT Championship (Spring Breakin’ week one)
    • Joe Hendry in NXT
    • Ethan Page falls into winning the NXT Championship (Heatwave)
    • Wes Lee turns on Zachary Wentz and Trey Miguel (August 7 episode of NXT)
    • Giulia debuts (No Mercy)
    • NXT launches on The CW Network in Chicago (October 1 episode of NXT)
    • Ten-woman tag team match main events ECW Arena (November 6 episode of NXT)
    • Chase U calendar sales save Chase U from going bankrupt
  • Match of the Year:
    • Ilja Dragunov vs. Trick Williams for the NXT Championship (Vengeance Day)
    • Oba Femi vs. Josh Briggs vs. Dijak for the North American Championship (Stand & Deliver)
    • Nathan Frazer & Axiom vs. Andre Chase & Duke Hudson for the NXT Tag Team titles (Heatwave)
    • Roxanne Perez vs. Thea Hail for the NXT Women’s Championship (Great American Bash week one)
    • Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge (Deadline)
    • Kelani Jordan vs. Sol Ruca for the Women’s North American Championship (Heatwave)
  • Best PLE/Show of the Year:
    • New Year’s Evil
    • Vengeance Day
    • Roadblock
    • Stand and Deliver
    • Spring Breakin’
    • Battleground
    • Great American Bash
    • Heatwave
    • No Mercy
    • Halloween Havoc
    • NXT 2300 from the ECW Arena (November 6 NXT episode)
    • Deadline
  • WWE uploaded the full Trick Williams vs. Eddy Thorpe NXT Championship match from last night, which ended in a double pin. There was a post-show angle where a furious Thorpe shoved Shawn Michaels and then got laid out by Williams after it was declared that Williams is still champion.
  • Bron Breakker attended last night’s Pittsburgh Penguins game as part of WWE Night at PPG Paints Arena.
  • WWE Hall of Famers Steve Austin (60), Trish Stratus (49), and Rob Van Dam (54) are all celebrating birthdays today.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • The TBS Championship match between Mercedes Mone and Anna Jay will kick off AEW Dynamite Holiday Bash tonight.
  • On ROH TV this Thursday, there will be an update on Chris Jericho’s attack on Matt Cardona that happened at a Game Changer Wrestling show last weekend. The episode is airing one night before Cardona challenges Jericho for the ROH World Championship at Final Battle.
  • Here’s everything that has been announced for Thursday’s ROH TV:
    • Athena & Billie Starkz in tag team action
    • Zack Gibson, James Drake, Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty vs. Dark Order & Undisputed Kingdom
    • An update on Chris Jericho’s attack on Matt Cardona
    • Lee Johnson vs. Bishop Kaun
    • Brian Cage & Lance Archer vs. Beefcake Boulder & Bulk Bronson
    • Queen Aminata vs. Lady Frost
    • Sidney Akeem vs. Serpentico
  • Denise Salcedo interviewed Athena.
  • Niko Knows Best spoke with Mariah May.
  • Matt Camp recapped week three of the AEW Continental Classic.
  • Will Ospreay sent out a tweet today thanking the fans for how much they’ve helped him grow as a wrestler and as a man.
  • Anthony Bowens turns 34 years old today.
  • Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku are set to defend their GCW Tag Team titles against Colin Delaney & Cheech Hernandez at the promotion’s show in Rochester, New York on Friday, January 11.
  • Mistico vs. Barbaro Cavernario in a two-out-of-three falls match for the MLW Middleweight title has been announced for MLW’s Kings of Colosseum event in North Richland Hills, Texas on Saturday, January 11. The match is taking place on the TV taping portion of the show.
  • Xia Brookside noted that, due to injury, she’s had to cancel some upcoming shows but will be back stronger than ever in 2025: “Cancelling shows around Christmas because of an injury, sucks for a number of reasons. I’ll be back stronger than ever in 2025. If you wish to support me during this time, I have new merch available”
  • Developmentally Speaking has an interview with Matt Riddle.