Daily Update: Seth Rollins out with injury, Nick Diaz settlement rumors

SETH ROLLINS INJURY AND FALLOUT

We’ve got a lot of new audio up on the site, including today’s Observer Live talking the Seth Rollins injury and WWE tournament with Bryan and Mike Sempervive, plus Matt Farmer, Bryan and I talk the 2015 class of the Hall of Fame and thoughts on next year.

There is a story on the front page on the Seth Rollins injury, which is devastating because WWE now has to revamp all its championship creative for the next several months, as well as change WrestleMania plans.  For those who haven’t seen the injury, this is the spot it happened.  Rollins continued the match after, but after being diagnosed after the show, will need surgery.

Brock Lesnar is somewhere in Alberta on a big annual hunting trip.  I don’t know that they are blowing up his phone, but right about now you’d think they’d be wanting some new dates from him.  But the company desperately needs a top heel.  

No word yet on what form the title tournament will take.  I’m guessing they’ll try and keep everything under wraps until Raw on Monday, but if they keep the Undertaker & Kane match as is, that keeps Bray Wyatt out of the tournament.  They could do elimination matches on television as well to set up a final four or final eight on the PPV.

Another question is what happens on the show today in Cardiff, Wales, scheduled to be headlined by Seth Rollins vs. Kane.  The top heels on the tour are Sheamus and Tyler Breeze, and they could always turn Big Show heel again.  No word on whether they’ll move a heel from the Wyatt family or Kevin Owens from the other tour to fill the spot.

We’re looking for reports on today’s WWE shows in Cardiff, Wales, Glasgow, Scotland, the Dallas show tonight at the WrestleMania party (Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin, Apollo Crews vs. Tye Dillinger, Asuka vs. Peyton Royce, Blake & Murphy vs. Zack Ryder & Mojo Rawley, Carmella vs. Alexa Bliss) which is free and NXT in Lakeland, FL at dave@wrestlingobserver.com” target=”_blank”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com

We’re also be looking for reports tomorrow from WWE in London, which is the Rollins tour, although he’s not on the tour any longer; Barcelona, which is the Reigns tour, and the NXT show in Jacksonville, FL.

Saturday has the Rollins tour in Leeds, England, the Reigns tour in Madrid, Spain and the NXT show in Largo, FL.

DRAGON GATE GATE OF DESTINY iPPV AT 4:30 A.M. EASTERN AND 1:30 A.M. PACIFIC TIME at http://live.nicovidoe.jp/watch/lv238821844

Our only weekend poll will be for Power Struggle which takes place late tomorrow night U.S. time

New Japan’s Power Struggle PPV will be tomorrow night at 3 a.m. Eastern and midnight Pacific time, featuring Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Karl Anderson for their IC title and Rocky Romero & Trent Baretta vs. Ricochet & Matt Sydal in the finals of the Super Junior tag team tournament.

Figure Four Weekly:

Figure Four Weekly (10/2/15): WWE 2K16 Review
2K Sports and Yuke’s turn around WWE video game series with a reinvigorated title boasting huge roster.

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Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Here is the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer: November 9, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 2015 Hall of Fame Issue

Our most talked about issue of the year, the 2015 Hall of Fame issue is up on the site right now.  This is a double-issue featuring notes on the seven new inductees, the complete balloting results for the year along with last year, plus how the top candidates did with reporters, historians, and those who are currently and formerly in the business.  You’ll see how the different groups voted, as well as notes on everyone who went in, what kept those who came close from getting in, thoughts on next year’s ballot, and a look at the careers of the inductees.  There is also a super history of Montreal wrestling in the new issue, as well as a story on the modern Mexican scene.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW

You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to dave@wrestlingobserver.com” target=”_blank”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com

You can also order print issues at www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

Rates are:

For the United States, it is $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.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today. We’ve got coverage of every major PPV event and world wide spectacular, every major star switching promotions, histories of companies like FMW, Rings and New Japan, retirement and obit issues of every major star who fits into those descriptions over the past 11 years, as well as our biggest issue every year, the annual awards issue, and our most controversial issue of every year, the Hall of Fame issue.

Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE

  • WrestleMania tickets are still on sale today in the pre-sale before they go on sale to the public tomorrow. 
  • Glory announced a contract with ESPN, after losing their deal with Spike.  Glory 25 from Monza,Italy, will be airing on ESPN 3 (its streaming site) tomorrow at 4 p.m. Eastern time).  it will be replayed at 1:30 a.m. on ESPN 2 late tomorrow night.
  • Rumors have it that Nick Diaz’s settlement will be an 18 month suspension and a $100,000 fine, which would be finalized soon and he’d be able to fight over the summer.  That’s an a lot more fair sentence. 
  • Bobby Lashley said his goal for 2016 is to become the first person to hold the TNA & Bellator heavyweight title, with the idea that he figures nobody else will ever do that again.  The Lashley vs. James Thomson winner from tomorrow night is under consideration to face Kimbo Slice.  Lashley and Slice are friendly and Lashley has said that he won’t ask for the fight, but if offered, he won’t turn it down either.
  • AXS is pushing tomorrow night’s New Japan around the idea of seeing two matches of the year.  At 8 p.m. they’ll re-air the Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kota Ibushi match that aired last week.  At 9 p.m. will be the Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada IWGP title match from January’s Wrestle Kingdom show.  I’m told Tanahashi vs. Okada with the full show built around it with preview packages and interviews is a great one hour broadcast.
  • Roderick Strong, Pentagon Jr. and Flamita were all double-booked for tomorrow, for both the ZZ Inc. show in Veracruz, and for Strong, an NSPW show in Quebec City, Pentagon Jr. on a show in Toronto and Flamita on a CaraLucha show.  I know that one wrestler from the U.S. just got his tickets for the ZZ Inc. show last night and was worried about whether it would take place.  Strong had agreed to the date, then never heard back, figured it wasn’t going to happen, and took the Quebec City booking in mid-September.  Strong got his flight tickets for Quebec City last week and was being advertised there for the past month.  Strong then contacted the promotion late last night and said what happened, as he heard from AAA, said he was taking the Mexico booking since he agreed to that one first.  NSPW is a  group that runs in Quebec and sells out more often than not in a 500 seat arena and has used a lot of major U.S indie names like Tommy Dreamer, Rhino, Young Bucks, Bobby Roode, Brian Cage, Sylvain Grenier, Johnny Gargano and others.  Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and Mike Bailey were all regulars there in the past.  Don’t know anything about Pentagon Jr. and Flamita and which show they are working. 

WWE:

  • The WrestleMania on-sale party take place tonight at 6 p.m. at AT&T Stadium in Dallas featuring Steve Austin, Mark Henry, Lana, Lita, Booker T and others.  The event is free.  There will be Q&As and fans in attendance will get a code to purchase WrestleMania tickets tonight before the public on-sale tomorrow.  The matches listed at the top of the page will be taking place at the party.
  • The matches tonight in Dallas are being taped, whether for NXT television clips or something else, and the party footage is expected to air on Raw on Monday.
  • John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio has been announced as the new main event for the WWE’s next show in Madison Square Garden on 12/26.  Cena vs. Del Rio is now pegged for Cena’s return program.  I suspect Mr. Cena’s phone has been buzzing today. (thanks to Mike Omansky)  
  • The movie “Spectre” opens today throughout the U.S.  Dave Bautista is one of the stars and the movie did gigantic European box office last week and is expected to do the same here this week.
  • Ryan Pike from this site saw the movie last night in Calgary and said: Bautista’s role is a throwback to the old Bond henchmen, he’s good and one line got a hell of a laugh.   
  • Paul Levesque and Corey Graves represented WWE last night at the Concussion Legacy Foundation Impact Awards dinner in Boston.  HHH presented the group with a sponsorship check from WWE to support further research.
  • On Monday’s Observer Live we were asked about why WWE plugged Mick Foley’s “Countdown to Lockdown” book when he was in TNA at the time.  It came after Foley did media interviews defending Linda McMahon when she was running for the senate.
  • WWE stock dropped 10 cents per share today to close at $17.45 per share.  It had a strong day yesterday. 

UFC:

  • Here is the weekend TV schedule.
  • UFC weigh-ins are tomorrow on FS 2 (as well as this site) at 4 p.m. Eastern with Karyn Bryant, Kenny Florian, Yves Edwards and Heidi Androl working the show.
  • UFC Embedded:  Rousey vs. Holm will be Saturday at 2 pm. Eastern on FOX
  • UFC Pre-fight show on Saturday at 7 p.m. Eastern on FS 1
  • UFC live from Sao Paulo, Brazil has ten fights starting at 8 p.m. Saturday night. headlined by Vitor Belfort vs. Dan Henderson and Glover Teixeira vs. Patrick Cummins
  • UFC post-fight show at 1 a.m. late Saturday night on FS 1
  • Ultimate Insider hosted by Megan Olivi on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on FS 1 built around interviews with Ronda Rousey, Sage Northcutt and Joanna Jedrzejczyk

MISC:

  • Bellator’s Fan Fest is tomorrow night at 8 p.m. at Dave & Buster’s in Maryland Heights, MO at Ballpark Village.  Among those appearing are Ken Shamrock, Kurt Angle, Kimbo  Slice, Liam McGeary, Royce Gracie and Tito Ortiz.
  • On Monday night, the local promotion in Nuevo Laredo didn’t announce Alberto del Rio not being there until hours before the show, taping a note on the ticket window.
  • The Taz Show will now be video streamed at www.TazShow.com every Saturday morning from 7-9 a.m.
  • Deadline.com has reported FOX has purchased the broadcast rights to a soap opera television show called “The Work,” which would be set in the world of pro wrestling.
  • All Elite announced that the Caristico & Atlantis vs. Ultimo Guerrero & La Sombra main event scheduled for tomorrow night in Guadalajara is off.  They did announce a main event for Sunday at Arena Mexico is Caristico & Atlantis vs. Sombra & Guerrero and Volador Jr. & Valiente & Maximo Sexy vs. Damian 666 & Halloween & Bestia 666. (thanks to Robert Bihari)
  • Evolve has iPPVs tomorrow night and Saturday night from Ybor City and Orlando, FL.  Tomorrow night’s show has Timothy Thatcher vs. Johnny Gargano for the Evolve title, Drew Galloway vs. Caleb Konley, Drew Gulak vs. Matt Riddle, TJ Perkins vs. Anthony Nese and Ethan Page vs. Peter Kaasa.
  • Axl Rotten, the former ECW star, said yesterday that he’s signed a book deal for an autobiography.
  • Sinclair Broadcasting saw third quarter revenue increase 11 percent to $497.4 million.
  • Several other media stocks did badly yesterday, including Time Warner down 8.5 percent, Fox down 5.7 percent and Viacom down 5.6 percent.  Time Warner said profits would be below its previous target.  There is long-term trepidation about people moving away from cable TV, which is an issue for both WWE & UFC because it’s their main source of exposure and of making new fans.
  • We’re told Claro Sports will be airing CMLL this Friday after all, after earlier in the week that wasn’t the case.  It’s more likely than not to be geo-blocked in the U.S. 
  • All-Star Wrestling on 11/13 in Vancouver, BC has an Adam Firestorm Memorial Rumble.  Today is the sixth anniversary of Firestorm’s death due to suicide at the age of 32.  The Vancouver show is a benefit show with the funds going into a trust fund for Firestorm’s son Thomas. (thanks to Ian Hamilton)
  • A story on the retirement of Winnipeg veteran Robby Royce
  • AXS TV at 10 p.m. tomorrow night has the Resurrection Fighting Alliance from the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel.  They are building it around Marvin and Melvin Blumer, who the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has called The Bash Brothers identical twins from Lindsro, MN who both won amateur titles at the same card.
  • ICW, which is about to draw the biggest crowd for a U.K. based promotion in 33 years next weekend, will be doing a spring tour with a debut in Wales, Northern Ireland as well as Dublin, Ireland. (thanks to Allan Blackstock)
  • Update on Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore shows
  • A story on Michael Chandler vs. Dave Rickels
  •  (thanks to Matt Borrows)
  • Rob Van Dam will be headlining a comedy show tomorrow night in Fresno at the Club One Casino.  Tickets are available HERE
  • Paradox Wrestling in LaPorte, IN on Saturday at Johnny’s Roadhouse.  Fans must be 21 or older to attend.  The main event will be a Legos, Ornaments and Light tubes death match.
  • Absolute Intense Wrestling on 11/17 in Cleveland at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and 12/5 in Cleveland at the Dr. Martin Luther King Church. 
  • Big West Wrestling on 11/13 and 12/11 in Kelowna, BC at the Lake City Bowling & Billiards.
  • Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling results from Friday night in Cloverdale, BC including Shayna Baszler:  Scotty Mac b Ravenous Randy, Bishop b Air Adonis, Andy Bird & Jack & Karl Cunningham b Hellion & J-Sin Sullivan & Lak Siddartha, Phantasmo won three-way over Alex Plexis and Pete Powers, Tony Baroni b Phantasmo, Shayna Baszler b Nicole Matthews, Bollywood Boyz (GFW team) b Ethan HD & Mike Santiago in a cage match to keep the tag titles.  UFC’s Jessamyn Duke was in Baszler’s corner. (thanks to Steven Ashe)
  • River City Wrestling on 11/13 in San Antonio at Retama Park with a fans lumberjack match with Hernandez vs. Brandon Groom.
  • 40 years ago today in Miami Beach before 3,861 fans saw Harley Race & King Curtis Iaukea beat Dusty Rhodes & Rocky Johnson, Jack Brisco beat Larry Hennig to retain the NWA title, Hiro Matsuda beat Omar Negro (Omar Atlas) to retain the NWA jr. title, Eddie & Mike Graham beat Masked Superstars, Ciclon Negro beat Bob Roop via DQ in a taped fist match, Joyce Grable beat Toni Rose and Roger Kirby beat Randy Poffo (Randy Savage very early in his career). (thanks to Barry Rose)
  • Mecca Pro Wrestling on 11/21 in Cornwall, ONT at the Agora Centre with Al Snow and Tommy Dreamer.
  • A story on the most shocking angles in wrestling history

ON THIS DAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY INTERNATIONAL (by Graeme Cameron)

1966 – Giant Baba & Michiaki Yoshimura beat Mike Paidousis & Fritz Von Goering in Tokyo to win the Int. tag title

1985 – Jim Breaks beat Johnny Saint in Croydon to win the world lightweight title

1990 – Jimmy Backlund (Jimmy Del Rey) beat Katsuji Ueda in Tokyo to win the AWA light heavyweight title

1991 – Hiroshi Hase & Keiji Muto beat Rick Steiner & Scott Norton (subbing for Scott Steiner) to win the IWGP tag title and Norio Honaga beat Akira Nogami to win the IWGP jr. title

1993 – El Hijo del Santo & Octagon beat Love Machine & Eddie Guerrero in Tonala to win the AAA tag team titles.  Machine & Guerrero were one of the best tag teams of the past 25 years. 

1995 – Cannonball Grizzly & John Hawk (John Layfield) beat Ulf Hermann & August Smisl in Vienna to win the CWA tag title

2005 – Akira Taue beat Takeshi Rikio in Tokyo to win the GHC heavyweight title

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