Daily Update: Rumble vs DC 2, TNA & UFC cancel shows

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRUNO!

Bruno Sammartino, one of the biggest stars in pro wrestling history, turned 81 today.

THE ROUND-UP

The Latest From the F4W Staff

Rumble vs. D.C. 2 is set for UFC 206

NEWS / REPORTS

AUDIO 

We’re looking for reports on tonight’s WWE show in Santiago, Chile and NXT show in Norfolk, VA to dave@wrestlingobserver.com”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com and submissions@wrestlingobserver.com.

TNA IMPACT AT 8 P.M. TONIGHT ON POP TV

  • DJZ & Mandrews & Braxton Sutter vs. Marshe Rockett & Trevor Lee & Andrew Everett
  • Gail Kim vs. Sienna for TNA title
  • Aron Rex vs. Baron Dax for the Grand Championship
  • Bobby Lashley vs. Eddie Edwards for the TNA championship

Figure Four Weekly 10/4/2016:Comparing ECW to TNA – With its constant scrambling for money, TNA is starting to resemble a much more beloved promotion: ECW. While ECW was not entirely solvent going back to at least 1999, when stories of bounced checks were hitting the wrestling newsletters, the situation got especially dire in the last year or so of the company’s existence. After shutting down in January 2001, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 4th… Subscribers click here to continue reading.

F4W YouTube Page: Tons of clips and full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!

Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Oct 10, 2016:The saga of TNA continues, Goldberg rumors, more – Exactly who funded the Bound for Glory PPV and tapings this week? TNA President Billy Corgan did media interviews during the week and couldn’t give a direct answer as to whether the tapings would take place… Bill Goldberg will be appearing on 10/5 on ESPN SportsCenter and clips were shown during Raw of Goldberg battling Brock Lesnar in ads for the WWE 2K 17 game. This is not coincidental because as things stand right now, Goldberg will face Brock Lesnar in a singles match as the big match at the 2016 Survivor Series on 11/20 in Toronto… Sasha Banks’ WWE Raw women’s title win over Charlotte, positioned as the main event and focal point of the 10/3 Raw in Los Angeles, was done to set the two up in the WWE’s first-ever women’s Hell in a Cell match. The show will take place on 10/30 at the TD Garden in Boston, on a show that will have two Cell matches… Subscribers click hereto continue reading.

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. 

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WON Back Issue, September 13, 1999: Best wrestlers of each decade, plus tons of news – The television season of wrestling overexposure began this past week with both good and bad news. But when the numbers came in, virtually all the good news was limited to the World Wrestling Federation. Subscribers click here to continue reading.

THURSDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be doing weekend shows on Saturday night after the UFC show and Sunday after the WWE PPV, as well as Monday night after Raw this week.

Nate Diaz vapes CBD after his match with Conor McGregor.

USADA announced today that Nate Diaz will not face any disciplinary action regarding his usage of a vape pen at the press conference after his match with Conor McGregor on 8/20. USADA sent out a release saying that since Diaz’s test was negative for Cannabinoids, they are not taking action against him, but they have given him a public warning not to do it again. Diaz may still be disciplined by the Nevada commission since it was within their jurisdiction as well.

There was a bad scene at a Seth Rollins autograph signing today in Santiago, Chile, at the Costanero Center.  A huge crowd showed up and fans started skipping in line and it led to shoving and fights.  One fan tried to steal Rollins’ hat.  It got so bad the entire session was canceled, which led to more fights and fans looting at the center.

Alberto Del Rio worked his scheduled What Culture Pro Wrestling show in Newcastle today. He flew in last night. He wrestled in a T-shirt and the arm that was stabbed was all taped up, but he was out there taking bumps. I watched some of it but not enough to tell what kind of a match it was. Jim Ross & Jim Cornette, at least early on, were fun to listen to and had their old chemistry back immediately even if neither knew who Desperado was when he kept interfering in the Minoru Suzuki vs. Joe Coffey match. They very much knew Suzuki. Suzuki blew off a Jim Ross handshake in playing heel after his match after Ross had been putting him over like crazy on the commentary. Bret Hart made a surprise appearance and really put over Ross as an announcer, as well as put over Cody Rhodes and Kurt Angle. 

The San Antonio police have yet to confirm any records of a Del Rio stabbing. They have asked for an address and those close to Del Rio have not been able to provide an address. Plus, there are some different stories that are out there. Paige was there when the incident took place but has not said anything publicly about it.

The MMAFA has called for adding weight classs in MMA due to too large a gap meaning athletes are cutting too much weight. They are advocating men’s weight divisions at 105, 115, 125, 135, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185, 195, 205, 225 and heavyweight. They are advocating women’s divisions at 95, 105, 115, 125, 135, 145, 155, 165, 185 and heavyweight.

WWE

Total Bellas on E! debuted to a dissapointingly low number of viewers.

  • Total Bellas last night debuted with 632,000 viewers, which given the level of the promotion of the show, has to be considered a major disappointment.
  • WWE has a pre-sale through 10 p.m. tonight for the 12/27 house show in St. Louis at the Scottrade Center with the Raw brand, with the password WWELIVE 
  • Pre-sale code for the NXT show at the Theater in Madison Square Garden on 11/16 is NXTLIVE. You can also use the code TICKETS for that show. The pre-sale for both New York and Boston ends tomorrow at 11 a.m. 
  • You can also use the NXTLIVE code for presale tickets today for the show on 11/17 at Boston’s Agannis Arena.
  • WWE sent out an e-mail today to some former WWE Network subscribers offering them a free month and pushing you can get No Mercy free.
  • The Australian promoters of the NXT tour are offering tickets in different price ranges being upgraded to the next session called the Glorious Offer. (thanks to James Stanios)
  • Marina Shafir, the fiance of Roderick Strong, talks her pregnancy.
  • Colt & Ariel Toombs promoting the Roddy Piper book that they wrote about their father is here.

UFC / MMA

  • A three-hour special called “Michael Bisping: Road to Redemption” airs atnoon on Saturday as a lead in for the Saturday night PPV on The Fight Network.
  • Mickey Gall vs. Sage Northcutt is official for 12/17 in Sacramento. Gall has challenged Northcutt to a hair vs. hair match, which would be quite the attraction, but Northcutt has not responded to that challenge.
  • Kyle Noke vs. Dominique Steele has been added to the 11/27 UFC show in Melbourne, Australia at the Rod Laver Arena.
  • Tatiana Suarez (a name to watch) vs. Julianna Lima and Tiago Trator vs. Zubaira Tukhugov has been added to the 12/9 UFC show in Albany, NY.
  • Three-time NCAA champion Ed Ruth will make his MMA debut on the 11/4 Bellator show in Uncasville, CT, facing Mark Mangiaridi. Mangiardi is also making his pro debut after four amateur fights. Also debuting on that show is Tyrell Fortune, another amateur star, who debuts against Cody Miskell, also making his pro debut after seven amateur fights.  Both fights will be on the streaming prelims and not on Spike.

Six fights have been announced for the 12/10 UFC 206 show at the Air Canada Centre:

*Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony  Rumble Johnson for the light heavyweight title

*Lando Vannata vs. John Makdessi

*Valerie Letourneau vs. Poliana Botelho

*Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Drew Dober

*Rustam Khabilov vs. Jason Saggo

*Zach Makovsky vs. John Moraga

MISCELLANEOUS

ROH Trios Tournament 2016 set to begin.

  • ROH announced a trios tournament match for the 10/29 TV tapings in Baltimore will have Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian & Kamaitachi vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Okumura & Hechicero.

ROH also announced this card for 11/20 in Leicester, England:

*Young Bucks vs. Will Ospreay & Marty Scurll

*Adam Cole vs. Chris Sabin

*Jay Lethal vs. Alex Shelley

*Mark & Jay Briscoe vs. Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish

ACH vs. Joe Hendry

*Daniels & Kazarian vs. Dalton Castle & Delirious

*Donovan Dijak vs. Lio Rush

  • ESPN has a story on the Young Bucks.
  • A preview for Evolve is here.
  • One of those stories on the greatest tag teams of all-time which doesn’t include Stevens & Patterson, Bockwinkel & Stevens, Misawa & Kobashi, Brody & Hansen, The Kangaroos, Von Brauners but does include Earthquake & Typhoon here.
  • Irv Muchnick has a story on his experience getting an unidentified source envelope regarding a settled income tax dispute regarding the McMahons, and how that relates to the current Donald Trump story here.
  • Journeyman pro wrestler Tom Hankins has written an autobiography called “The Mat, The Mob & Music” with Scott Teal.  For info you can go here.
  • New Jack returns to pro wrestling and an interview with him is here.
  • New England Championship Wrestling on 10/15 in Wakefield, MA at the Americal Civic Center
  • I’ve been asked a question about the identity of the late 60s Texas wrestler Spoiler #3.  Spoiler #1 was Don Jardine and #2 was Smasher Sloan. 
  • Cross Bones Pro Wrestling on 11/12 at the Cross Bones Wrestling Academy in Kitchener, ONT headlined by Alessando Del Bruno vs. Jake O’Reilly.
  • CWF on 10/30 at 2:30 p.m. at the CWF Studios in St Catharines, ONT featuring Rene Dupree.
  • NWX on 10/23 in St Catharines, ONT at the CWF Studios.
  • Rockstar Pro Wrestling tomorrow night has an iPPV on Facebook from Dayton, OH at the Rockstar Pro Arena headlined by Dave Crist vs. Eric Rayn, plus a ladder match, a eight room brawl, a Zombie lumberjack match, a guitar match, a women’s Halloween costume match and a dog collar match.
  • MCW on 10/14 in Boonsboro, MD and 10/15 in Galena, MD headlined by Billy Gunn.  The 101/4 show will be at the Boonsboro Events Center and the 10/15 show will be at the Galena Volunteer Fire Department.
  • Big Time Wrestling’s 20th anniversary show is 10/28 in Newark, CA at the Newark Pavilion featuring Honky Tonk Man, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Paul London and Shane Kody.
  • The IWF is offering two wrestling training scholarships to Veterans at its school in Nutley, NJ. The winners will also get a meet and greet with Darren Young.
  • Premier Championship Wrestling from Saturday night in Winnipeg: Trent Nash & Shao Ming b James Beaver & Jay Walker and Jeremy Joseph & Dragneel, Zack Mercury b Antonio Scorpio, Jay Walker b A.J. Sanchez, Chad Tatum b Jay  Walker, Michael Clark & Gisele Shaw b Brett Morgan & Ace Riviera, Moses Luke b Bull Bodnar, London Dynasty NC Billy Blayze & Dick Blood, Jackie Lee won three-way over Scott Justice and Alix Vanna. Jimmy Hart was the special guest commissioner. The next show is 11/5 at Doubles Bar in Winnipeg.
  • NWL STL announced the signing of Kevin Lee Davidson to a multi-year deal. Davidson, who is from South St. Louis County, will use the name Todd Letterman as a former high school sports star (which he was).
  • The Fight Network airs ONE Championship: State of Warriors live tomorrowmorning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time from Yangon, Myanmar. After that they will air the UFC 204 weigh-ins at 1 p.m. Eastern from Manchester and then air WSOF live at 11 p.m. from Kansas City. 
  • IWA East Coast on Saturday night in Nitro, WV at the Kingsway Outreach Center with all proceeds going to the Elkview Middle School Athletic Department.
  • CZW on 10/8 in Voorhees, NJ at Flyers Skate Zone with a free TV taping at 2 p.m. and then the main show at 8 p.m. The main show has Tim Donst vs. Alex Colon vs Danny Havoc vs. Rickey Shane Page plus Jonathan Gresham vs. Homicide for the CZW world title.  .
  • Smoky Mountain Wrestling on 10/8 in Kingsport, TN at the Civic Auditorium is headlined by Jason Kincaid vs. Chase Owens.
  • Evolve announced Drew Galloway vs. Matt Riddle for 11/12 in Queens, NY. 
  • Evolve on 10/15 in Orlando, FL at the Dr. Smith Neighborhood Center has Timothy Thatcher vs. Ethan Page for the Evolve title, Chris Hero vs. Drew Gulak, Matt Riddle vs. ?, Dustin vs. Fred Yehi and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tracy Williams.  Drew Galloway will be at the show but he won’t be able to wrestle.
  • Evolve on 10/16 in Ybor City, FL at The Orpheum has Thatcher vs. Gulak for the Evolve title, Hero vs. Riddle, Sabre vs. Yehi, Page vs. Sami Callihan, Dustin vs. Darby Allin and Williams vs. Jason Kincaid.  William Regal and Galloway will both be on that show.
  • Glory on 10/21 in Broomfield, CO at the 1st Bank Center has Nieky Holzken vs. Murthel Groenhart and Robin van Roosmalen vs. Gabriel Varga.

Today in Wrestling History (10/6): WWE Battleground 2013

CONTACT INFORMATION

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