Daily Update: SmackDown ratings, Paul Heyman, Countdown to Revolution

Daily Update

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Latest Free YouTube Video:

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

  • A look back at the history of the Iron Man match
  • The set up of the first Iron Man match that we know of
  • All the WWE true 60:00 Iron Man matches as well as the worked marathon matches that happened earlier
  • Bryan Danielson talks about the challenge of doing such a match today
  • Thoughts on what the PPV numbers will tell
  • Key aspect of the number
  • Ticket sales for the show, city record, current demand
  • Notes on the full card
  • Update on WrestleMania and changes
  • Ticket demand and sales or WrestleMania
  • Shad Gaspard/Jonathan Huber Award winner for 2022 and previous winners
  • Update on the MLW television deal with REELZ
  • Update on MLW potential lawsuit with WWE
  • Thoughts on the 2022 awards
  • CMLL and New Japan combine for FantasticaMania and a look at the last two events
  • UFC coverage of the weekend show
  • The most detailed look at the television ratings for the past week, how segments did, and how shows are hitting each key demo
  • Woman wrestling vet announces retirement
  • Report that a network reached out to rival promotion from who they carry to get them
  • Notes on a unique match in Mexico
  • Match of the week and performer of the week
  • A look at the first TripleMania card
  • One of the iconic legends of the sport announces about the next wrestler with the gimmick
  • New Japan Cup notes
  • All-Star Junior Festival notes
  • Governor who wrestled on Jan. 1 gets heat for it and why
  • Jerry Jarrett’s farewell words to his family
  • Von Erich movie notes
  • Former WWE wrestler pleads guilty in nationally covered fraud investigation
  • Pentagon & Fenix promote super indie show in April
  • Super indie matches
  • A card that features matches from nine different promotions in nine different countries
  • 16 Carat Gold tournament update
  • Brett Lauderdale talks how they got Kota Ibushi
  • Updates on next several weeks of Impact television
  • Updates on next several weeks of ROH television
  • AEW injury updates
  • Kenny Omega, Dax Harwood Bryan Danielson, Matt Hardy , Chris Jericho, Britt Baker and others talk the current scene
  • AEW star owning a sports franchise
  • Upcoming ticket sales for AEW & WWE events
  • Streaming and international TV numbers
  • WWE & UFC financials and comparisons, how badly and why UFC talent is underpaid, what Dana White earns and why Endeavor passed on making an offer to WWE
  • Dana White talks Makhachev vs. Volkanovski rematch
  • Jon Jones and Bo Nickal talk about their wrestling skirmish
  • Bellator signs two-tie NCAA champion
  • Jake Paul PPV numbers
  • Former UFC champions sign for Bare Knuckle Boxing
  • Ticket sales for big shows and how adding John Cena, Logan Paul and Roman Reigns to shows moves tickets
  • Update on WWE Hall of Fame ceremony
  • Notes on new projects from Dwayne Johnson and John Cena
  • WWE unloads a Senior Vice President
  • Bayley talks about formation of Damage Ctrl
  • Notes on new WWE signings getting ready for television
  • Notes from the weekend WWE & NXT events

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

  • Last night’s SmackDown averaged 2.299 million viewers in the fast national ratings, about even with last week’s fast national average of 2.303 million. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.5.
  • Dave Meltzer notes that tonight’s WWE house show in Toronto, with Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn as the main event, looks like it’s going to sell out: “Looks like the house show in Toronto will sell out with Reigns vs. Zayn. WWE super hot right now as far as moving late tickets.”
  • Paul Heyman joined Jimmy Traina on the latest episode of the SI Media podcast. During the appearance, Heyman said Sami Zayn has become the most endearing character WWE has presented in decades – if not ever:
          • I didn’t envision Sami Zayn becoming a massive part of this when Sami Zayn was becoming a massive part of this. It’s to his enormous credit — Sami Zayn seized the moment. We’d give him crumbs of a segment, and he would just turn it into a moment that he had to connect with the audience with what I think has ended up becoming the most endearing character that we’ve presented in decades, if not ever.
          • As great of a talker as Sami Zayn is — and he is a magnificent talker — I think Sami resonates with the audience just because Roman Reigns will turn to him and lean in on him about something, and Sami gets that hush puppy face, and that sad look on his face, and the camera zooms in on the sad look on Sami’s face, and everybody feels for him. He just endears himself to the audience.
          • They absolutely fall in love with him and his plight and his pursuit of acceptance, which I think is a big part of this is this. Everyone can relate to the pursuit of acceptance, and that was the tale of Sami Zayn. He just did it so well, and did it so brilliantly, and with such authenticity, and with genuine angst on his face and pain when spoken down to, that people just felt for him. And as you know, it’s not just constrained to WWE. In any form of television, movies, Broadway plays — if you get the audience to feel for you? Touchdown, victory. It’s everything that a writer, director, producer, and performer seeks.
  • Heyman discussed Zayn’s future going forward:
          • We think we have a really good formula here, and we think we have a really good path. And I don’t think you’ve seen the last of Sami Zayn. In fact, I guarantee you haven’t seen the last of Sami Zayn, nor Kevin Owens, nor any of the other players in this act that we’ve put together. There was a very compelling reason to put Roman Reigns & Sami Zayn on Elimination Chamber. The timing was perfect, and — oh my God — we just happened to be putting that show in Montreal, where the reception to Sami would be something that other audiences will aspire to top, just because they want to be the best audience ever…
          • We saw this Montreal opportunity, we also saw the timing could not be better. We’re heading into the Royal Rumble with Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns, and all the different opportunities that interweave themselves with Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn. And the timeline for the story just fit.
          • I understand that people have wanted Sami, more and more and more for Sami. That’s the object. We try to do that with every challenger. We did that with Drew McIntyre going to Cardiff in the UK, we did that with Brock Lesnar going into SummerSlam, when he drove a tractor out to the ring and demolished the ring. We did that with the group that we took on in WarGames at Survivor Series, Kevin Owens going into the Rumble. We try to do that with everyone that comes into the co-starring role with Roman Reigns, in terms of who his opponent’s gonna be for the match that we’re trying to sell.
          • Hopefully, on the flip side of being defeated by the Tribal Chief, the undisputed champion Roman Reigns, you are worth far more, have a far more passionate fanbase, sell far more merchandise, sell more tickets than you did before, you’re more famous, more accepted, more valued by the audience than you were before we got our hands on you. That’s the whole object of what we do.
          • I hope six months from now people are still clamoring more, more, more for Sami. That’s what we do. We try to make stars out of everyone that’s within our orbit.
  • Days after winning the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles with Becky Lynch, Lita made an appearance at last night’s Hoodslam show in Oakland.
  • Seth Rollins was the guest on WWE After the Bell this week. He discussed becoming someone who gives advice to other wrestlers:
          • I was having this conversation with William Regal at catering yesterday or a couple days ago, I’m sitting there and I was asking him. I’m just kind of like, ‘Hey, I don’t know when this happened for you. I don’t know if you remember but it just kind of like humor me a little bit,’ I don’t know, when really I became the guy who was sitting on the other side of the curtain, giving advice. I don’t know when that happened. I just remember being the guy coming back, being like, ‘Mr. Cena, excuse me. Do you have anything for me?’ I don’t know.
          • I feel like it’s happened very recently. I just started to notice, caught on these shows that there was nobody sitting in that spot. I was like, ‘Man, I can just hear the crowd so much better if I’m right behind the curtain instead of far away in the talent viewing room.’ So I just sat behind the curtain, and I’m just watching the monitor, watching the matches, listening to the live crowd. All of a sudden people start coming back and [asking] ‘What did you think? Any thoughts here and there? I’m kind of like ‘Oh, you’re talking to me? Oh, yeah okay. All right. I do have some thoughts. Bear with me.’
  • Tommaso Ciampa completed his final stem cell treatment this week.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • AEW has released an extended cut of their Countdown to Revolution special.
  • A special Saturday edition of AEW Dark premieres on YouTube at 7 p.m. Eastern time tonight. Here are the matches that will air on the show:
          • Hook vs. Peter Avalon
          • Daniel Garcia vs. Aaron Solo
          • The Acclaimed vs. The WorkHorsemen
          • Mark Briscoe & The Lucha Brothers vs. Lee Moriarty, Matt Hardy & Isiah Kassidy
  • Britt Baker and Adam Cole are celebrating their six-year anniversary today. Baker wrote: “6 years ago this handsome babe asked me to be his girlfriend. The most beautiful soul who truly has a way of making everyone around him smile. (He also flosses every night) I’ll always be in your corner and I’m so incredibly proud of you. Love you @AdamColePro”
  • Cole tweeted: “6 years with this beautiful woman. The past 9 months have been the most challenging time of my life & career. You’ve been there every step of the way, and I couldn’t have done it without you. I love you @RealBrittBaker”
  • Max Caster has filed trademarks for “ScissorFest” and “Scissor Me.”
  • Tony Khan previewed the Revolution card on AEW Unrestricted this week.
  • Aubrey Edwards appeared on The Sessions with Renee Paquette.
  • Taya Valkyrie will defend her Women’s Featherweight title against Delmi Exo at MLW’s War Chamber tapings in New York City on Thursday, April 6.
  • Mandy Leon is set to make her MLW debut at War Chamber.
  • “Filthy” Tom Lawlor’s match against Katsuyori Shibata from Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2022 is now available to watch for free on YouTube.