Daily Update: Raw tonight, The Revival, FOX airing UFC special

THE ROUND-UP

The Latest from the F4W Staff

NEWS

AUDIO 

We’re looking for your thoughts on the WWE Clash of Champions PPV as well as the ROH Final Battle show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com” target=”_blank”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com

We’re looking for reports from Raw tonight with dark matches and anything not on the live show, as well as reports from the Smackdown house show in White Plains, NY to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com

Smackdown and 205 Live will be taped on Tuesday at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

LION’S GATE ON NEW JAPAN WORLD ON THURSDAY AT 5 A.M. EASTERN FROM SHINJUKU FACE IN TOKYO

  • Hirai Kawato (3-1) vs. Shota Umino (2-2) in Young Lions tournament
  • Tomoyuki Oka (3-1) vs. Katsuya Kitamura (4-0) in Young Lions tournament
  • Tetsuhiro Yagi (0-4) vs. Ren Narita (0-4) in Young Lions tournament
  • Dinosaur Takuma & Kotaro Yoshino vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Manabu Nakanishi
  • Satoshi Kojima vs. Daisuke Kanehira
  • Yuji Nagata vs. Yuma Aoyagi

​F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly 12/4/2017: Looking at WWE’s match of the year candidates

While there’s still some time for WWE to shape how the company’s 2017 will be remembered, the beginning of December marked the end of this year’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards calendar. The insane output of high-end matches New Japan Pro Wrestling had during the voting period will rightfully lead to a strong showing in the Match of the Year category, but WWE’s in-ring year shouldn’t be forgotten. Though a full year of brand-exclusive pay-per-views and not having the Cruiserweight Classic may have led to a decline from 2016, WWE produced their fair share of matches that deserve to be in contention for best of the year.

WON NEWSLETTER: December 18, 2017 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: The metamorphosis of Chris Jericho, GSP vacates title, more

The story behind this past week’s Chris Jericho/Kenny Omega angles in Japan is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Look at the selling of the angle, betting on the match, usage of blood, storyline implications and other business notes regarding the match.

Find out about Georges St-Pierre vacating the middleweight title, the story behind it, whether he’ll fight again, Dana White burying GSP, and the business of why the fight happened.

Check out WWE’s new Facebook experiment, why it happened, an update on the rise in WWE stock, what type of profits long-term will justify the current stock price, what is up with 205 Live, the roster of the show and more.

Get an in depth look at the 2017 Tokyo Sports Awards for Japanese wrestling and how the voting went.

This issue has a rundown on New Japan’s final major show of the year, the tag team tournament finals, including tournament standings, the final days, the business, match-by-match coverage, poll results and star ratings along with angle rundowns.

Coverage of this past week’s UFC show in Fresno with match-by-match coverage and business notes, and also look at the first Arolucha taping, the good and the bad, how it got started, goals, and what comes next for the company.

Read about the end of the Raven/Bagwell lawsuit for residuals for appearances on the WWE Network and how the argument regarding the actual issue never played into the end result, and what did kill it.

Plus, look at the Universal title match at Royal Rumble and how the plans changed, the Clash of Champions show, Raw after Mania, Paige talks her issues, TNA star coming to WWE, WWE injury notes, WWE 25th anniversary show notes, funny initials for a Mexican promotion being advertised while WWE was in town, a look at the HHH vs. Mahal match, New Day book, MMA fighter signs with WWE, as well as notes from all the weekend NXT and main roster house shows, business notes and highlights.

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 Meltzer, or by using PayPal directing funds to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com. 

Rates in the United States are $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52. In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to moonsault@mediaplusint.com. For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52. If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.)

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can choose one free classic issue, or two free classic issues with a 40-issue subscription.

WON BACK ISSUE: November 27, 2000 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Survivor Series review, Stan Hansen retires, more

The rapidly changing world of wrestling changed once again, as a Steve Austin vs. HHH main event at Survivor Series didn’t end with a pinfall in the ring, but with a forklift dropping a car, purported to be with HHH inside, theoretically to a Wile E. Coyote like catastrophe (where the victim should be dead, but will, of course live to see another day). The angle, largely to explain HHH taking some time off to rest his back and hip injuries, kept HHH’s unusual streak alive of having done no pinfall jobs in singles matches on PPV.

MONDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Raw and the latest news. You can send questions to tonight’s show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com.

Raw tonight from Providence will feature the return of Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman, and perhaps the return of The Revival. Scott Dawson has been cleared after surgery to repair his torn biceps and he is backstage. Unfortunately, they were supposed to do a program with the Hardys, and now Jeff is out with shoulder surgery. Matches for tonight’s show include Samoa Joe vs. Seth Rollins, Bayley & Mickie James & Sasha Banks vs. Paige & Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose and Cedric Alexander vs. Drew Gulak for the top contender for the cruiserweight title. The NFL competition is the Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Shane McMahon/Daniel Bryan angle at the end of the PPV will help the Raw number, which by logic it shouldn’t matter but you never know. It should help the Smackdown numbers.

Even though they said it could never happen two weeks ago, it’s now happening. FOX will be airing a 90 minute special on Christmas Eve from 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. after football with matches from UFC 218. We don’t know which matches will air. Our idea when suggesting it was to air the Max Holloway win over Jose Aldo, which is a lock, and the Eddie Alvarez vs. Justin Gaethje match, which I’d think is also a lock, and Francis Ngannou vs. Alistair Overeem, which I’d also think was as lock. Our other suggestion, Yancy Medeiros vs. 
Alex Oliveira may not make it given the 90 minute time constraint. 

Clash of Champions was the No. 11 most searched for topic on the Internet with 100,000 searches. That’s a low interest level as compared to usual.

With today being the final regular roster New Japan show of the year, the Tokyo Dome full card should be announced in the next 24 hours. 

New Japan finishes its Young Lions tournament on Thursday at Shinjuku Face. The records of everyone and final day matches are in the schedule. The basic gist is if Kitamura beats Oka, he wins the tournament going 5-0. If Oka wins and Kawato loses, then Oka will win it. If Oka and Kawato win, Oka, Kawato and Kitamura would all be 4-1, and all 1-1 against the other two, so they’d have to add some sort of a tie breaker.

WWE

  • WWE announced a first-time ever in Mongolia with a two hour edited version of Raw airing on Saturday at 11 a.m. and Smackdown airing Sunday at 11 a.m. on SPS HD, Mongolia’s leading sports channel. It will be available in the country in both English and Mongolian. It will also be available for 14 days on video-on-demand. This will be the first time WWE has ever had television in Mongolia.
  • Just Seen It posted a review of Ferdinand, the John Cena movie, and said it was a “see it,” the main title character is a loveable giant that kids will love.
  • There will not be a new episode of Total Divas on Wednesday. E! will be doing a marathon on Wednesday morning.
  • Shinsuke Nakamura noted that he can’t remember how long it’s been since he was in the same ring with Daniel Bryan. Early in their careers, the two lived in the same Dojo in Los Angeles.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Arolucha’s next show will be 1/19 in Amarillo at the Azteca Music Hall.
  • NWL KC from Saturday night in Joplin, MO: Jeremy Wyatt b Jet Royal in an NWL KC title match, Thor Theriot b Cody Summers and Bolt Brady in a three-way, Anthony Gutierrez b Thomas Shire, Gary Jay b Ace Steel, Maverick DCOR Jack Foster, Mike Outlaw b Mike Striker-DQ, Dak Draper & Mike Outlaw b Michael Strider &Marco Howlett, Flex Zerba & Besties in the World b Rasheed Ali & Niles Plonk & Everett Connors.
  • Smash Wrestling from last night in Toronto: Frankie the Mobster b Evil Uno, Scotty O’Shea & Kevin Blackwood b Andy Williams & Brodie King, Sami Callihan b Kevin Bennett, Psycho Mike & Braxton Sutter DCOR Mathieu St. Jacques & Thomas Dubois, Tarik b Sebastian Suave, Brent Banks b Zack Sabre Jr., Matt Riddle b Mike Bailey in what was said to be a **** match, ? b Stu Grayson. Next show is 1/21 with Bennett vs. Mark Haskins, Well Oiled Machines vs. TDT in a ladder match for the first tag team title and Riddle vs. Banks (thanks to Dave Musgrave)
  • IPW from Saturday night in Auckland, New Zealand: James Shaw b Liam Fury, Matty Short b Oliver Griffin, Ashlee Spencer b Delilah, Kingi NC Marcus Kool, Vinny Dunn b Michael Richards, Candy Lee b Britenay to win the women’s title, Mr. Burns b Brook Duncan to win the IPW title FIST b Privileged in a fans bring the weapons match. (thanks to Steve Ogilvie) .
  • Jake Roberts will be in as a manager on 12/26 in Stonewall, MB at the Old Fellows Hall for the CWE promotion and 12/28 in Yorkton Saskatchewan at the Yorkdale Central School.
  • Lucha Xtreme TV from Saturday in Fresno, CA: Calder McCall b Koto Hiro, Guy Cool b Snipes, Sgt. Majors b Calder McCall to keep the Lucha Xtreme title. (thanks to Jon Southerland)
  • Tiffany Teo vs. Xiong Jing Nam will face to crown a One women’s strawweight champion on a show on 1/20 in Jakarta, Indonesia. It will be the company’s first global broadcast of the new year.
  • Jimmy Havoc vs. Shane Strickland in a death match has been added to the 1/11 MLW show in Orlando at Gilt Nightclub. That joins previously announced MVP vs. Low Ki and Tom Lawlor & Seth Petruzelli vs. Matt Riddle & Jeff Cobb matches.
  • Haku vs. Hannibal will headline a 5/12 show in Brockville, ONT at the Memorial Hall called Cage Wars 2 for Great North Wrestling. Quebecer Pierre and Laurel Van Ness are also announced for the show, where every match will take place inside an MMA cage.
  • 559 Fights announced a show on 12/22 in Fresno, CA at the Double Tree.
  • House of Hardcore has announced a July tour of Australia with Tommy Dreamer, Super Crazy, Joey Mercury, Billy Gunn, the former Spirit Squad, Willie Mack, Mohamed Ali Vaez, Luchasaurus and Andy Phoenix.
  • We don’t have results but a new promotion called Asian Wrestling entertainment in Malaysia debuted yesterday in a circus tent which may have been shot as a TV pilot with Shane Helms, British Strong Style, HoHo Lun and Shazza McKenzie among those announced. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
  • Cleveland Knights Championship Wrestling announced a free iPPV on FITE TV at 4 p.m. tomorrow. This looks to be a show from this past September with J-Rocc vs. Shane Taylor, Robbie E vs. Juventud Guerrera, Barbarian vs. Shawn Phoenix and Lei’D Tapa vs. Holidead. (thanks to Jake Koch)
  • Amy “Lita” Dumas will be doing a Q&A at 6 PM. tomorrow with I Heart Keenwah, a Chicago healthy food brand with focus on Quinoa as a superfood.
  • Pro Wrestling Eve’s Wrestling Queendom on 5/5 in York Hall in London featuring Aja Kong’s debut in Europe vs. Viper, plus Meiko Satomura vs. Kay Lee Ray and Charlie Morgan vs. Sammii Jayne for the PWE title. 
  • IHWE from yesterday in Fort Worth, TX: Nightmare Grim b Jacob Devine, Rex Andrews b Gary Jay, Angel Omega b Fuego Del Sol, Hudson Envy b Laynie Luck, Hudson Envy b Valentina Loca, Ricky Starks & Aaron Solow b Danny Adams & Kevin Lee Davidson, Andy Dalton b Kikutaro, Su Yung b Miranda Salinas, Chip Day b Martin Stone. (thanks to David Farmer)

Today in Professional Wrestling History: Daniel Bryan cashes in at WWE TLC 2011

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