Daily Update: Scott Hall, ratings, Hiroshi Hase

Daily Update

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Sunday News Update

  • Best wishes to the family and friends of Scott Hall in hoping he can pull out of this grave situation after suffering three heart attacks while undergoing hip surgery.
  • Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer Radio talking Scott Hall, Big E, Cody Rhodes, WrestleMania and more. You can also send questions to the show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com We have a weekend show with Garrett Gonzales up on the site right now.
  • Pro wrestling Hall of Famer Hiroshi Hase, 60, was elected today as Governor of the Ishikawa prefecture in Japan (thanks to Gerard Di Trolio).
  • We’ve talked about how misleading the ratings are because in the current era, unlike pre-2012 or so, the ratings were based on home getting the station as opposed to percentage of homes overall including being handicapped by millions of homes in the average that may not even have access to the station. With less people getting the key stations, there are drops in ratings that should be expected. So for the last week, in 18-49s, for example, this would be the real percentages based on homes that get the station this year and last year. 

For the past week the actual percentage of 18-49 viewers in the homes the station is available would be:

  • Dynamite 0.58
  • NXT 0.20
  • Raw 0.67
  • Smackdown 0.70

For one year ago it would be:

  • Dynamite 0.43
  • NXT 0.24
  • Raw 0.74
  • Smackdown 0.71
      Essentially Smackdown is unchanged, Raw is down 9.5 percent, NXT is down 16.7 percent and Dynamite is up 34.9 percent from the same week last year based on how 18-49 ratings should be measured and for decades were.
  • In the Google searches for the past week, Scott Hall was fourth this morning but at last look was no longer in the top 20. Yesterday’s UFC show was No. 15 with 50,000, which is very low,b but it wasn’t any kind of a marquee show. Big E was No. 10 on Friday with 100,000. I was expecting Jeff Hardy to crack the top 20 on Wednesday but it didn’t happen.

The International Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in Albany, NY listed these inductees for the 2022 Class:

  • Alex Aberg
  • Steve Austin
  • Fred Beell
  • Mildred Burke
  • Tom Cannon
  • Riki Choshu
  • Dory Funk Jr.
  • Karl Gotch
  • Tom Jenkins
  • Jim Londos
  • Billy Robinson
  • Joe Stecher
  • Genichiro Tenryu
  • WWE Smackdown results from last night in Jackson, MS: Viking Raiders b Los Lotharios, Shayna Baszler b Aliyah, Usos won over Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods and idge Holland & Sheamus to keep tag titles, Ricochet b Sami Zayn to keep IC title, Happy Corbin b Shinsuke Nakamura, Sasha Banks & Naomi b Charlotte Flair & Sonya Deville, Roman Reigns b Drew McIntyre to keep Universal title (thanks to Jay Gunn).
  • First day tickets out for NXT Stand & Deliver on 4/2 in Dallas at Noon local time is 3,286. They are setting up for 5,000. There will likely be a huge walk-up with so many fans in town so they will likely hit the goal of 5,000.

WWE

  • WWE and Walmart announced an event called WWE Ringside at Walmart in Fort Worth, TX 3/19 and 3/20 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. There will be WWE talent at the event, which will have a 2K22 gaming experience, memorabilia displays photo opportunities and WrestleMania tickets.

AEW

  • The first day tickets for the 6/3 Rampage tapings in Ontario,CA were 6,304 with a legit sellout being 7,700, so with more than two months to go this should sell out. 

UFC

  • David Onama vs. Nate Landwehr was pulled from the 3/26 show in Columbus, OH. Landwehr pulled out for undisclosed reasons.

Other Wrestling

  • Pro Wrestling Phoenix from Thursday night in Omaha, NE: Willy Sweet b Purple & Xander McIntosh in a handicap match, Angus Keyser b Paul Daniels, Lars Metzger b Luka Luna, Branden Juarez & Seto Kobara & Tim Boston DCOR Pat Powers & Moonshine Russell & Jack Darling, Joey Daniels b Austin Fouts, Omar Pachecco b El Bigote, Duke Cornell b Preston Maxwell. Next show is 4/27 at the Waiting Room Lounge in Omaha.
  • House of Glory Wrestling from Friday night in Jamaica, Queens, NY: Mantequlla b KC Navarro, Midas Black & Jay Lyon b JP & Tommy Grayson, Ken Broadway b Michael Fain, Evander Jams b Carlos Ramirez, Low Ki b Biff Busick to keep the HOG Crown Jewel title, Natalia Markova b Taya Valkyrie to keep the HOG women’s title, Mark & Jay Briscoe b Penta & Arez (subbing for injured Fenix) to keep the ROH tag titles and win the HOG tag titles.
  • Clash Wrestling in Allen Park, MI on Friday night: Brutus Atwell b Jessi V, Ren Jones b Shane Sabre, James Alexander b Jason Hotch, Elk b Solo and Forever Young, Gavin Quinn & Juntai b Cameron Sky & Tommy Treznik, Jody Threat b Taylor Rising, Jake Crist b Karam to keep heavyweight title (thanks to Leonard Brand).
  • Matt Makowski suffered a knee injury at the CFU tapings yesterday afternoon in a match with Viktor Benjamin (thanks to John Kalitz).
  • IWS from last night in Montreal before 509 fans: Alex Silva b Kobe Durst, Zak Patterson & Beast King FTM b Sexy Beasts, Melanie Havok b Kristara, Green Phantom b Holden Albright to keep Canadian title, Benjamin Tull b Ben Ortmanns, 2.0 b Casanova Productions, Matt Falco b Matt Angel, Marko Estrada & Kevin Blackwood won four-way ,Black Quebecois b TDT to win tag titles (thanks to Pat Laprade). 2.0 big big heat coming to the ring to Jericho’s Judas song.
  • There was what was billed as the first pro wrestling drag show last night in Austin, TX.
  • SHWA from last night in Western Australia: Felix Young b Dizzy Videl, Lucas Fantasia won six-way over Lucas Fantasia, Sella Nyx, Del Cano b Chris Target, Ryan Rivers & Harry Dux b Tommy Dix & Johnny Dux, Jarred Slate b Bruno Nitro to keep Pride title, Metal 64 b House of Fire Spirits to keep tag titles, Axxton d Chadwick Johnson via double pin, Jay Taylor & Taylor King b James Draker & Blake Walker.
  • Warrior Wrestling from last night in Indianapolis, IN: Brian Pillman Jr. b Silas Young, Jake Crist b Storm Grayson, Sam Adonis b Psycho Clown to keep Lucha title, Mike Bailey b KC Navarro, Killer Kross b Jake Something, Thunder Rosa won three-way to keep women’s title over Sky Blue and Athena, Lance Archer b Mike Bennett, Trey Miguel & Myron Reed won over Arez & Dante Leon and Dante & Darius Martin.
  • Prestige Wrestling from last night in Santa Cruz, CA: D-Rouge & Midas Kreed won over Adiel Noctis, Jody & Lazarus, Shazza McKenzie b Sandra Moone, Vinnie Massaro b Juicy Finau, Alan Angels b Robert Martyr, Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs b Peter Avalon & Ray Rosas, Kevin Blackwood b Sonico, Cocy Chhun & Guillermo Rosas b Dark Sheik & MV Young, “Rocky Romero b Charlie Haas, Alex Shelley won three-way to keep title over Titus Alexander and Rey Horus.
  • Prestige Wrestling tonight in Sacramento, CA has Chris Bey vs. Jacob Fatu, Taya Valkyrie vs. Nicole Savoy, Alex Shelley vs. Charlie Haas, Shazza McKenzie vs. Dark Sheik, Tom Lawlor vs. Kevin Blackwood.
  • Big Time Wrestling from last night in Webster, MA: Tina San Antonio b Ashley D’Amboise, Jay Letha d Danny Mills (20:00), Flex Armstrong b Mr. TA in a dog collar match, Alec Price b Dan Maff to win the AJ Mitrione Cup, Richard Holiday b Teddy Goods to keep the BTW tag titles, Matt & Jeff Hardy b The SATs.
  • Joey O’Farrell is putting on a show at the Grandel Theater at the Grand Center in St. Louis. Announced includes a ladder match, Samuray de Sol (Kalisto in WWE), Moose,Deonna Purrazzo, Tootie Lynn and Davey Richards.
  • Destiny Wrestling on 3/26 at the Don Kolov Arena in Mississauga, ONT with John Morrison vs. Josh Alexander and Taya Valkyrie vs. Alexia Nicole.
  • Junction City Wrestling on 3/27 at 3 p.m. in Toronto at Space Odyssey.
  • Pro Wrestling Ontario on 4/30 at Green Door Studios in Hamilton, ONT.
  • Epic Pro Wrestling on 8/13 in Cudahy, CA featuring Peter Avalon, Eli Everfly and more at Clara Street Park.
  • On this week’s episode of “Billions” on Showtime, the character of Mike Prince was quoting Dusty Rhodes and talked about the bionic elbow (thanks to Joe Puccio).

Other MMA

PFL results from Friday night in Orlando, FL:

  • Reinaldo Ekson b Mike Barnett via 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 scores
  • Edwin Cooper Jr. b Troy Lamson via 29-28, 29-28 and 29-27 scores
  • Boston Salmon b Do Gyeom Lee via second round stoppage
  • Brahyan Zurcher b Scott Stockman via decision on straight 29-28 scores
  • It was announced that Salmon earned a PFL contract and will be the 2022 featherweight tournament.