Daily Update: The Rock, Colby Covington promo, Don Callis

THE ROUND-UP

The Latest from the F4W Staff

NEWS

AUDIO

NEW JAPAN FROM KORAKUEN HALL AT 5:30 EASTERN MONDAY ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

  • Sho & Yoh vs. Hiromu Takahashi & Bushi in Super Juniors tag tourney semifinal
  • Ryusuke Taguchi & ACH vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Desperado in Super Juniors tag tourney semifinal

Raw will be Monday night in Baltimore. The crew will leave Baltimore right after Raw so there is no chance this week for a Raw invasion of SmackDown. There is also a SmackDown house show in Raleigh on Monday night.

SmackDown and 205 Live take place on Tuesday from Norfolk. Matches announced for SmackDown are Dolph Ziggler vs. Bobby Roode 2/3 falls and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens both in matches to determine who gets on the SmackDown Survivor Series team.

FIGURE FOUR WEEKLY:Figure Four Weekly 10/23/2017: Recapping WWE’s unusual TLC PPV

Making the most of a bad situation, Sunday night’s TLC pay-per-view provided a fun ending for what must have been a rough week for WWE. Two wrestlers (Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt) being pulled from a PPV due to a viral infection just days before the show is always a bad situation. But TLC being built almost solely around the in-ring reunion of The Shield made the timing especially awful. Having a mediocre PPV is forgivable in the Network era, but WWE knew that they had to give ticket holders worthy replacements.

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WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER:October 30, 2017 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE TLC reviewed, Survivor Series lineup, plus tons of news

The story behind the illnesses to WWE stars and how the plans went down for Kurt Angle and A.J. Styles to be on TLC, as well as the current Survivor Series card, ideas on huge name additions to the show, and an update on the health status of the wrestlers is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer. 

Look at the TLC show, with match-by-match coverage, poll results and star ratings. Get the update on the health issues with the missing talent, the story behind HHH working a house show this week, the story behind Balor vs. Styles, previous Balor vs. Styles history, booking that makes no sense at all, and a look at Survivor Series plans.

This issue has an early word on what will be one of the biggest stories of the next year, which are the UFC television negotiations. Also, look at how this is also a huge story for WWE because of all the similarities but WWE talks come one year later.

Inside, there is an update with the WWE television situation as far as the proposed U.K. show, update on Ronda Rousey in WWE and where things stand, update on ideas for new WWE television shows, the WWE vs. ROH head-to-head in San Antonio heats up, Shawn Michaels challenges Johnny Gargano, Jimmy Jacobs talks his firing, lots of news about WrestleMania VIP packages, more on steroids in wrestling and health effects, an update on Nia Jax, the story behind why John Cena never went heel, WWE makes an investment, McGregor and WWE, Nikki Bella update, notes on a trainee that a lot of people are talking about, and most watched shows on the WWE Network.

Read the notes on all of the WWE and NXT events over the past week including business highlights and highlights from the shows.

There is also a feature on former Central States television announcer Bill Kersten, who passed away, as well as Stan “Big K” Kowalski, a Midwest star who passed away.

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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.)

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WON BACK ISSUE: October 1, 2000 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Disappointing WCW ratings, WWF Unforgiven reviewed, more

Whatever changes in the landscape temporarily that would result from the WWF going to a lower rated network appear to have been overstated. It was thought that this would be the week for WCW to capitalize, as viewers, used to WWF on Monday nights, would switch to WCW when finding other programming on the USA Network. Even though, due to the court decision coming in late and Viacom not getting nearly the amount of publicity they had planned to hype the debut of Raw,

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SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE

Our weekend Wrestling Observe Radio is up. It was recorded before the WWE’s releases.

Dwayne Johnson told People Magazine yesterday while at the Los Angeles Convention Center for Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con: “I think The People’s President has a really nice ring to that, I’ll just say that.”

Colby Covington issued a mock apology for his interview on the UFC show last night saying: “I went to work last week. I was screamed at, spit at, assaulted with water bottles and other objects by an angry mob and serenaded by 10,000 voices yelling `You are going to die.’ My employer had to place security at my hotel room to protect me. I would like to formally apologize to any filthy animals I offended by comparing them to my hosts in Sao Paulo.”

This stemmed from Covington, who was all over recent Impact tapings in the Bobby Lashley angle, cutting a heel promo calling the fans filthy animals last night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, after he defeated Demian Maia. Let’s just say that with the exception of The Diaz Brothers vs. KJ Noons Sr. & Jr. in Hawaii years ago on the Strikeforce show, you’d probably have to go back 20 years to find dangerous heat like Covington had when he left the arena. It reminded me of a kid seeing the Von Brauners very literally fighting their ways to the back with police taking out fans left and right.

UFC was not happy with this, as Senior Vice President David Shaw said,“In terms of the fan reaction with Covington fighting, there’s no way for us to support any fans throwing items at any staff or any fighters. However, having said that, we are taking the situation with Covington very seriously. It’s already being reviewed by our code of conduct committee and it’s something that we are not very happy about.”

Champion Tyron Woodley buried Covington, saying he was embarrassed he was in his division and when fans pushed for him to defend against Covington he responded, “Are you guys really going to edge this idiot on? This is why our sport is becoming a joke. He just got outstruck by a BJJ guy.”

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, who has been a teammate of Covington for years, but is also Brazilian, blasted him and called him a son of a bitch. Others are noting that Covington is getting heat for cutting that style promo without being a star, noting Chael Sonnen and Conor McGregor did the same thing.

Regarding yesterday’s changes to the first week of the Raw brand U.K. tour, it would appear Roman Reigns is off at least the early dates, because the main events were scheduled as The Shield vs. The Miz, Cesaro & Sheamus, and it’s been changed to Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose defending the tag titles against Sheamus & Cesaro, and HHH has been added to the Raw brand tour. Reigns is still advertised as the main star for all of those shows. Kurt Angle will appear on the 11/7 show, which is the night after Raw, in Birmingham, UK.

The Raw tour begins on Wednesday and the SmackDown tour begins on Thursday. Because the Raw crew flies out of Baltimore to the U.K. right after the show, there will be no Raw invasion of SmackDown at least this week, and the way the schedule works, it’ll be difficult to do it next week in the U.K. with the shows going on at the same time. It is possible they could do it as a pre-tape next week.

Regarding two notes on Don Callis yesterday, PWInsider reported yesterday that Callis was leaving New Japan and would be coming to Impact. Callis denied it, saying he was going to Osaka this coming weekend and wouldn’t be at Bound for Glory or the Impact TV tapings. There is smoke in the sense this isn’t a made up story or one where there’s no substance to it, but Callis said that he will be with New Japan as long as they want him.They also reported Tessa Blanchard to Impact which those at Impact have denied to us. They reported Sami Callihan to Impact, which last we heard was scheduled for the next tapings, and talks with Ricochet. As noted by us many times, everyone has made an offer for Ricochet, who becomes a free agent in mid-January. But we’re told he turned down the Impact offer.

WWE

  • The AP ran a big story on Ric Flair yesterday to promote the ESPN 30 for 30 show on 11/7. (thanks to Dennis Gorman and Chris Cruise)  
  • WWE’s Mauro Ranallo was in Cardiff, Wales yesterday to broadcast the Anthony Joshua heavyweight boxing title defense over Carlos Takam at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales for Showtime.
  • Last night Darren Young, who was released today, was at the ClipperMania WWE Night for the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Detroit Pistons game last night at the Staples Center. Also there were The Miz, Enzo Amore (whose voice is back) and Becky Lynch. It was noted to us by someone with WWE at the event the number of Bullet Club shirts in the crowd.
  • With a rare weekend off, Zack Ryder took girlfriend Chelsea Green (Laurel Van Ness in Impact) on a vacation to Jamaica.   

UFC

  • The only thing from combat sports or entertainment to even crack any weekend buzz was Anthony Joshua for his win in Cardiff, Wales to keep his boxing heavyweight title. And he was only 14th with 50,000 searches on Google, which is very low, although still beat anything from UFC’s show. That would indicate Colby Covington and Derek Brunson got some talk last night, but it was more insiders than the public.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • In the New Japan Best of the Super Juniors tag tournament, results from earlier today at Korakuen Hall: Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Desperado b Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi & ACH b Taichi & Taka Michinoku. The semifinals are tomorow morning at Korakuen Hall with Sho & Yoh vs. Bushi & Hiromu Takahashi and Taguchi & ACH vs. Kanemaru & Desperado. The finals will be on Sunday of next week at Power Struggle in Osaka. Bushi & Hiromu challenged Sho & Yoh to put the tag titles up on tomorrow’s show. 
  • It looks like Kenny Omega vs. Baretta for the U.S. title will be added to next Sunday’s Power Struggle show.
  • Friday night’s Arena Mexico show.
  • A story on Houston Astros favorite pro wrestlers. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
  • A story on Penn State former national champions Ed Ruth and Phil Davis fighting Friday night at the Bellator show at Penn State University.
  • A documentary on the World Championship Wrestling era in Australia.
  • Former UFC fighter Gabriel Gonzaga, who weighed in at 280 pounds, defeated Alejandro Esquillin Santiago of Tampa in both men’s pro boxing debut last night at the DCU Center Exhibition Hall in Worcester, MA. Gonzaga won by a majority decision.
  • Action Packed Wrestling on 11/12 in Huntington, WV at the Roll-a-Rama with Jock Samson vs. Progressive Liberal Daniel Richards.
  • Big West Wrestling on 11/10 at Lake City Bowling and Billiards.
  • Dynamo Pro Wrestling on 11/11 in St Charles, MO at the Lamborghini Gold Coast Athletic Center is doing a show to benefit autism research.
  • NWL Kansas City from last night in Kansas City: Anthony Gutierrez b Ken Dharma, Mike Outlaw b Buddy Shephard, Dak Draper b Lakota Warrior Red Cloud to keep the NWL title, The Howlettes b Leach Talent Agency, Michael Strider & Ace Steel b The Union, Jet Royal b Niles Plonk-DQ, Thor Theriot b Maverick to get five minutes with Drew Gold, Thor Theriot b Drew Gold, Jack Foster b Jeremy Wyatt in a dog collar match. (thanks to Brian Hoops)
  • Mid States Wrestling on 11/12 in Harrison, AR at the Fairgrounds headlined by Matt Riviera vs. Michael Barry.
  • Kenny Omega will be wrestling on 11/25 in Winnipeg at Doubles Bar for the PCW promotion. Results of their Friday night show in Winnipeg: Antonio Scorpio b DRAGNEEL, Jack Lydon b Kevin O’Doyle, Alix Vanna b Bobby Schink, London Dynasty b Blaze N’ Dick & Moses Luke & JL Spiker, Bobby Schink b London’s, Jackie Lee & Jack Lydon b Robby Royce & Darren Dalton.
  • Scott Steiner worked Friday night in Melbourne, Australia for Battle Championship Wrestling against Alex Payne. He also worked last night for All Action wrestling against Maniac in a match called a beautiful disaster and worst match of the year level. Sabu works for Battle Championship Wrestling on 12/1 against Mad Dog. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
  • Best of the West TV tapings on 11/18 in Merced, CA with Buddy Royal & Levi Shapiro vs. Sledge & Marcus Ericks for the tag titles at the American Legion Post. They also tape TV on 12/16 in Fresno at Fresno City College. The show was originally booked for 12/9 but moved because UFC is in Fresno on 12/9. (thanks to Jon Southerland)
  • California Wrestling Association on 11/15 in Hilmar, CA at the Hilmar Grange Hall. There will also be a seminar conducted by Funnybone at noon that day for wrestlers or those interested in wrestling on ring psychology, marketing, booking and selling of a match for $20.
  • Lucha Xtreme TV from yesterday in Fresno: Gary Galaxy b Daquets, Spirito won three-way over SoCal Crazy and Dark Usage, Calder McCall b Koto Hiro.
  • Journalist/historian Fumi Saito rates this year’s Japan candidates for the Observer Hall of Fame. It also talks about the return of Debbie Malenko to Japan, the Inoki funeral show, Joe Doering’s Triple Crown win, Yoshi Tatsu, and answer listener questions.

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