Daily Update: SmackDown ratings, Gable Steveson, new Collision match

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • What people thought of Worlds End and Stardom Queendom
  • Roman Reigns vs. The Rock
  • All the AEW news and controversies from the past week
  • Worlds End rundown
  • MJF future
  • AEW departures
  • Business numbers
  • Full coverage of New Japan at the Tokyo Dome
  • Kevin Dunn’s WWE departure
  • Breakdown of WWE and AEW attendance in 2023 and how it compares to other companies historically
  • 2023 WWE Iron Man award winner
  • Pro Wrestling NOAH’s big show
  • Stardom show at Sumo Hall rundown
  • Giulia future
  • Nakajima vs. Miyahara II
  • The most detailed look at the TV ratings of all the shows, rankings, demos, competition and comparisons with one year ago
  • What AEW may have done this past week for the first time in its history
  • What Japanese wrestler drew more major crowds in the U.S. than anyone in history
  • Andrade’s last match at Arena Mexico draws a sellout
  • The unique show this week at Arena Mexico
  • Lots of international groups coming to Philadelphia for WrestleMania
  • Story behind the departures and changes in All Japan
  • Annual New Year’s Eve trio tournament coverage
  • Takeshita comes to All Japan
  • Surprise as far as popularity of Iron Claw in week two
  • The story of World Class in Israel
  • Mil Mascaras and Hulk Hogan speak
  • Thoughts on Mad Kurt
  • Grandfather of NJPW star will be honored by the King Charles
  • Danielson talks his future
  • International TV deals for WWE and AEW
  • International TV ratings
  • Streaming numbers for the past week
  • UFC PPV experiment
  • Lots of newcomers to WWE
  • Advanced tickets for upcoming WWE & AEW & NJPW shows

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

Saturday Update

WWE

  • Last night’s New Year’s Revolution episode of SmackDown averaged 2.33 million viewers in the overnight ratings, up from the 2.01 million viewers the show drew in the overnights two weeks ago (last week was a best-of episode). The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.6.
  • Gable Steveson worked a dark match before SmackDown, defeating Cedric Alexander.
  • Paul “Triple H” Levesque posted a photo with Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger from backstage at SmackDown in Vancouver.
  • Paul Heyman cut a promo on SmackDown mentioning The Rock, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, and more potential challengers for Roman Reigns.
          • After The Rock teased that he wants to take Reigns’ spot at the Head of the Table, Heyman said The Rock hasn’t been invited to the table – nor will he be.
          • Heyman said Punk may have been the original Paul Heyman Guy, but Heyman has upgraded since then.
  • The Rock reacted to the pop he received at the end of his promo on Raw: “25+ years of sacred connection with the people that I’ll forever honor. This eruption at the end just hit different. I’ve experienced some very loud crowd pops, but this was different. Layers. Chills. ~ people’s champ”
  • Charlotte Flair shared a video of her moving her knee for the first time after surgery.
  • While appearing on the Casual Podcast, Becky Lynch teased that she wants to compete in an Elimination Chamber match at next month’s premium live event in Perth, Australia:
          • There is a big ol’ premium live event coming up in Perth, there is Elimination Chamber. Did you know that I have never been in an Elimination Chamber match? I’ve been in many matches, I would say nearly all of the types of matches that one could do in a wrestling ring. But I’ve not been in Elimination Chamber. So I’m looking at that and going, ‘Maybe it’s time Becky Lynch makes her debut in an Elimination Chamber match and maybe she wins – and maybe she goes on to main event WrestleMania once again.’
  • In an interview with Bill Apter, Scott Steiner was asked why Bron Breakker isn’t on the WWE main roster yet:
          • They are still waiting to bring him up when the time is right. I mean, it’s better to go up there with them having a plan in mind than just show up. It’s best for him to keep on learning. They’ll know when he’s ready. I mean, I think he’s ready now.
  • People interviewed Cody Rhodes about his good deed paying for members of KIPP AMP Middle School’s Wrestling Club to attend WrestleMania 40.
  • Cody teased that he might surprise The Wrestling Club with a visit to their school: “My wife Brandi wants to find a way to set up a meeting for me with the kids that weekend. I wonder if I should just show up at the school though and surprise them?”
  • WWE uploaded a video documenting Shotzi getting married in Las Vegas last week and then wrestling at a house show the same night.
  • Bianca Belair, Kevin Owens, and Butch & Tyler Bate appeared on The SmackDown LowDown.
  • Virgin Media’s Sports Stories podcast has an interview with Sheamus.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • Skye Blue vs. Kiera Hogan has been added to the card for tonight’s episode of AEW Collision
  • Anthony Henry of The Workhorsemen tweeted ahead of his tag match against Sting & Darby Allin on Collision: “Sting was a big reason for me getting into wrestling as a kid. He was my first favorite. Now, I get to stand in the same ring as the man. Life is wild. Still gonna #punchinandnockout”
  • Mariah May tweeted yesterday that the building she lives in had a fire but everyone is ok: “sad news… the building I live in had a fire. good news… everyone is ok and the firefighters are sexy. and I made friends with some animals I carried out. a win is a win.”
  • AEW filed trademarks for “AEW: Get the Feeling” and “Get the Feeling” on January 4.
  • Kenny Omega & WWE’s Xavier Woods ranked their top 10 video games of 2023 for Giant Bomb.
  • Maki Itoh announced that she has to take a break from wrestling for a little while. The break is because Itoh has been experiencing numbness in her arm. She underwent an MRI and the doctor determined that she needs to rest and receive treatment. A return date for Itoh hasn’t been announced yet.
  • While appearing on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, former WWE wrestler Rick Boogs discussed how his place in WWE was hurt by the company’s regime change when Vince McMahon retired in 2022:
          • If you just look at it objectively, look at my NXT run and then look at when I was seen by Vince, and look at that run. And then, when management and the whole regime changed again, look at that run.
          • So, a lot of people say, ‘Oh, but he was injured,’ but…I was supposed to be brought back early when I wasn’t even cleared yet, like a month or two after rehab. And I was really…pumped. Like, man I can’t really bend my knee yet, but yeah let’s get back out there. And then it was just kiboshed.
  • Boogs said he doesn’t think he’ll wrestle in 2024: “Not for now, no. I mean, we’ll see what happens. I’ll never say never, but I’m busier now than I was in WWE.”
  • Jacob & Zilla Fatu vs. Mane Event has been announced for GCW’s Look At Me show in Tampa, Florida on Friday, January 26.
  • A Tokyo Joshi Pro vs. GCW event will take place as part of The Collective in Philadelphia on Saturday, April 6.