Daily Update: Royal Rumble, SmackDown ratings, EJ Nduka

Daily Update

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Latest Free YouTube Video:

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

January 30, 2023 Observer Newsletter: WWE Royal Rumble preview, Raw is XXX scores big ratings

  • Match of the week and performer of the week
  • What records has the Royal Rumble 2023 already set and what records have a good chance to be set
  • Amazing advance for the show
  • The debate about the men’s winner and prior year comparisons
  • The Steve Austin question
  • The business of Peacock
  • Original Austin approach
  • Cody Rhodes return
  • Full rundown of Raw 30 and the giant ratings and how each segment did
  • Complaints by the Bellas about the show
  • Why certain segments of the show changed
  • The story behind WBD clearing Mark Briscoe and the reason that hasn’t come out why there were previous issues
  • Different ways AEW paid tribute to Briscoe
  • Update on family and fundraisers
  • A look at the Okada-Kiyomiya angle and the keys to it
  • The Muto retirement at the Tokyo Dome show
  • What the New Japan vs. NOAH show and other New Japan shows have shown about recovery of the business
  • UFC 283 coverage with the retirements of Shogun Rua and Glover Teixeira
  • What is next for Jamahal Hill and Brandon Moreno
  • Business notes on the show
  • A look at the life and career of Jose Aldo and his biggest fights including how one of his fights changed the entire direction of MMA for lighter weight fighters and was so successful the company closed up, as weird as that is to say
  • A look at more Japanese awards voting
  • The life of Benny Galant, a 60s star who passed away this week who was a major rival of the biggest names in the history of Mexican wrestling, including El Santo and Mil Mascaras, and twice set EMLL’s company gate records. This is a major history piece covering one of the biggest eras of wrestling in any country.
  • The most detailed look at the ratings from the past week
  • Streaming numbers, international numbers
  • Ticket advances for all AEW & WWE shows through WrestleMania
  • What could be CMLL’s best match of this year
  • The story behind Negro Casas jumping to AAA, how long has this been in the works, how long has Konnan wanted this and his duties outside the ring
  • A look at upcoming AAA major shows
  • Update on a number of upcoming major New Japan shows
  • What former WWE star is mad at Dwayne Johnson over his portrayal in Young Rock
  • 80s star arrested for a number of things
  • WBD head talks AEW and Slap Fighting
  • Behind the AEW new deal with DAZN
  • Lawsuit filed against AEW
  • Update on Kenny Omega
  • San Francisco records for wrestling
  • Conor McGregor investigation reported
  • Lots of big UFC fights announced
  • More on Luke Rockhold coming out of retirement
  • Famous MMA trainer will no longer corner fighters
  • Former pro wrestler talks about Slap Fighting and what he was offered
  • Update on Vince McMahon in the office
  • Another lawsuit filed against WWE regarding McMahon’s return and how two other suits were basically nullified
  • Notes on new NIL signings by WWE
  • WWE getting major mainstream pub
  • WWE injury updates
  • Weekend NXT & WWE house show notes

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.

Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.

In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.

For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.

If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

Saturday Update

WWE

  • I previewed tonight’s Royal Rumble PPV for Sports Illustrated and predicted who’s going to win each match.
  • Kevin Owens wore a “Sami Zayn Forever” shirt as he arrived to the Royal Rumble today.
  • Dave Meltzer tweeted: “Multiple reports of Edge & Beth Phoenix in San Antonio (PW Insider had it originally). Edge was filming a Disney + show so hadn’t returned since his injury angle.”
  • CJ Perry (Lana) posted a social media video from San Antonio today.
  • WWE released the cold open for tonight’s PPV. It features country music star Hardy, who is performing at the show.
  • WWE is streaming a press conference on Peacock, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok after the Royal Rumble tonight. It will feature Paul “Triple H” Levesque and a collection of wrestlers breaking down the action from the Royal Rumble.
  • The WrestleMania 39 sign is now on display at the Alamodome.
  • Last night’s Royal Rumble go-home edition of SmackDown averaged 2.43 million viewers in the fast national ratings, a strong increase from last week’s fast national average of 2.113 million. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.7 in the first hour and a 0.6 in the second.
  • Bayley responded to the fan backlash over her steel cage match against Becky Lynch being cut from Raw this past Monday: “It’s cool that fans have our back, but I don’t want them to think women’s wrestling is moving backwards. We are very appreciated backstage, we are treated super well. I don’t want fans to get the wrong idea about what happened.”
  • In an interview with Sports Illustrated, LA Knight spoke about treating all of his feuds with importance: “This is a big moment to shine. But at the same time, it’s no different than any program I’m ever doing – just like when I was in Impact or NWA. The difference is that the smaller companies aren’t visible on the same level as WWE. That drove me insane. It drove me nuts. But it never changed what I was doing. I’ve always worked like people were watching. Every single program ever needs to be better than the last.”
  • Triple H told Variety that WWE expects to have more information to share about NXT Europe this summer. Levesque spoke about taking NXT in a larger global direction:
          • There’s been a lot of progress on it. We are very excited about the prospect of taking NXT in a larger global direction.
          • I would like to be able to find the best athletes and the largest personalities and the most entertaining people from every place in the world, and bring them into what we do. Because when you begin to create those characters and those stars from every region, those regions become more engaged in what we do. If you can begin to go to all these places, and begin to find athletes there that can resonate on a global stage, some will make it big, some will make it small, some won’t make it at all. But that Indian talent, let’s say, that you have that main events WrestleMania and is a native of that country, that wholesale changes how [that country] views the product.
  • Triple H also discussed recruiting athletes for NXT Europe:
          • NXT UK was based mostly on independent wrestling workers, guys that worked their way up and found their way to us. We’re starting the process there doing the same thing we’re doing here. There isn’t an NCAA collegiate level of athletics in Europe, but there’s a lot of athletes that are training in a lot of places like Loughborough or whatever, for specific sports. We’re beginning to engage with them now and finding the same interest level that we’re finding in NCAA athletes here.
  • Triple H responded to NBA star Joel Embiid being fined $25,000 for doing a DX crotch chop celebration: “Curious, @JoelEmbiid…If you wrote a bigger check now, could you get a volume discount to cover the rest of the season?? #IllChipIn #SuckIt”
  • Sheamus turns 45 years old today.
  • A message from Dragon Lee about signing with WWE aired on the latest edition of WWE’s Spanish-language La Previa YouTube show.
  • Denise Salcedo has interviews with Dominik Mysterio, Mia Yim, Austin Theory, Bianca Belair, Otis, Chad Gable, and Dana Brooke.
  • Raquel Rodriguez appeared on this week’s edition of WWE After the Bell.
  • WWE documented Rodriguez returning home to train with her father ahead of the Royal Rumble.
  • WWE has a behind-the-scenes video from Raw’s 30th anniversary episode.
  • Braun Strowman & Ricochet, Rey Mysterio, and Charlotte Flair were interviewed on The SmackDown LowDown.
  • WWE’s YouTube channel uploaded the following: Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins (WrestleMania Backlash 2022), Brock Lesnar vs. Hardcore Holly for the WWE Championship (Royal Rumble 2004), and Shorty G vs. Sheamus (Royal Rumble 2020).

AEW/Other Wrestling