Daily Update: SmackDown ratings, WWE notes, Mark Briscoe

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Observer is an in-depth story on the fall of Vince McMahon. We go through all aspects of the story and have reactions from many people on subjects not talked about including feelings of different wrestlers, how this departure was different from the first McMahon departure, John Laurinaitis, Brock Lesnar, Stephanie McMahon, Ari Emanuel, Paul Levesque, Ann Callis and why she may end up a major figure in wrestling and this story going forward and much more. It’s a timeline in detail and what the timeline opens up.

  • The John Laurinaitis story
  • More questions on Ari Emanuel’s decision
  • Paul Levesque’s performance
  • Shawn Michaels reaction
  • Reaction from several in the business
  • Why Vince McMahon apparently stopped payments
  • Who is Ann Callis and why is she so important to this story
  • The insurance angle
  • The original investigation
  • The timeline of Stephanie McMahon
  • The various allegations and settlements
  • Members of the board leaving
  • Vince’s power play to return
  • Dwayne Johnson and Pat McAfee
  • Vince’s background
  • Full Royal Rumble coverage
  • Rumble surprises and debuts
  • WrestleMania original lineup and what is changing
  • Rumble records
  • Business numbers
  • Rock vs. Roman update
  • The most detailed look at the ratings over the past week
  • New streaming channel for a promotion that is getting criticized due to price
  • Okada and Mercedes updates
  • Anniversary show for one of the most important cultural matches in history
  • Top matches of 2023
  • TNA PPV update
  • AEW valuation
  • Upcoming ticket sales for the major WWE & AEW shows
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • Update on MJF
  • Which company has the highest current injury rate, AEW or WWE?
  • Jericho Cruise notes
  • Conor McGregor update
  • TV announcer talks his frustrations with social media
  • Documentary on MAX about a UFC fighter about to be released
  • Lots more on the Netflix deal
  • Best merchandise sellers
  • Notes from all the TV shows

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

Saturday Update

WWE

  • SmackDown averaged 2.32 million viewers in the overnight ratings last night, which is about the same as last week’s 2.33 million overnight average. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.67 (up from last week’s 0.64 overnight rating).
  • WWE uploaded a clip of what happened after SmackDown went off the air. The Rock and Roman Reigns continued their staredown until Reigns left the ring. The Rock then briefly spoke to the crowd, thanking them and putting over the city of Birmingham.
  • After a post-show dark match, Sami Zayn gave a speech praising the WWE roster:
          • It’s been a pretty crazy evening for everybody here, I would say. I mean, for crying out loud, we just saw the Head of the Table go face-to-face with The Rock!
          • But I gotta let you in on a little secret, Birmingham. That’s not why tonight was special. Because as crazy as what I’m about to say might sound, it’s the truth. We are super, super lucky that the biggest star — maybe in the history of the business — The Rock, [came] back to WWE. But trust me when I tell you, The Rock is just as lucky to have WWE.
          • When I say that, I mean every single one of us in the back — whether it’s Sami Zayn or Drew McIntyre, or it’s Cody Rhodes or it’s Seth Rollins, or it’s Becky Lynch, or it’s The Bloodline. Right now, you have the best crop of wrestlers in decades.
          • And this isn’t just special for you. It’s special for all of us. Because for years and years and years, our generation, the guys that have been busting their ass night in, night out — we have to constantly listen to people talk about the good old days. The good old days. The good old days.
          • Well, I’ve got news for you. Tonight, 10,000 people sold out this building in Birmingham. To see the best crop of performers in the world. So I have news for you and for everybody. The good old days are right here, right now.
          • And I want to thank you for letting me be a part of it. And I thank you all from the bottom of my heart, each and every one of you for being a part of it with us. Thank you so much. We are all doing something special right now. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you, thank you very much.
  • CM Punk was backstage at SmackDown after undergoing triceps surgery on Thursday.
  • In an interview with Uproxx that was published before SmackDown, Cody Rhodes said he would like there to be a part two of his American Nightmare Peacock documentary:
          • I’d like to see a Part 2 to the documentary. I have expressed that to Nick Khan. I know he’s got big documentaries and other stuff on the table that are happening, especially with the Netflix deal and all that. I’d like to see a Part 2 only because of how sour the finish of Part 1 is. It’s real life. It is what it is. But I’d like people to know that if they believed, hopefully it was for a good reason.
  • Xavier Woods paid tribute to the late actor Carl Weathers: “When I started wrestling in 2004 I had no idea what or who I wanted to be. It wasnt long before my favorite character, Apollo Creed, became my inspiration. For the past 20 years I’ve drawn on Carl Weathers for that inspiration and I just wanted to say thank you. Rest well #Rip”
  • Rhea Ripley announced that “We Become The Night” by Motionless in White is an official theme song of WWE Elimination Chamber.
  • Seth Rollins interviewed Becky Lynch about her “Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl” memoir. The book is set to be released on March 26.
  • Lynch discussed being told to “move like a girl” during her early stages in NXT:
          • Even in my early stages in NXT, it was weird and it was confusing because you were told that women can’t punch and we can’t use things like steps or we can’t use the posts and it was like, are we supposed to hair pull and slap each other? And it was very confusing and I even remember being told, ‘Move like a girl’ and I was like, ‘What? I’m a girl. I’m moving. What do you mean move like a girl?’ And it was all so very confusing… and also, where I wanted to get to, there had been no women that had gone there so, it is very male-dominated but I was trying to get to the space where the men were at the top of the card and so I had to rely on them for help and for guidance and was lucky that I had people like you (Seth Rollins) to turn to and John Cena, being able to ask him advice because he was on all the live events and so you very much had to go to the people who had been in the spots that you wanted to be and luckily, everybody is so willing to help the younger, eager talent out in that regard… Nobody’s hoarding the secrets for themselves.
  • Montez Ford’s new album “God is Good” is now available on streaming platforms.
  • WWE remembered Kerry Von Erich on what would have been his 64th birthday.
  • Tiffany Stratton, Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate, and Bobby Lashley, The Street Profits & B-Fab appeared on The SmackDown LowDown.
  • WWE uploaded a behind-the-scenes video from the Royal Rumble.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • AEW announced that we’ll hear from Mark Briscoe on Collision tonight.
  • Maria Kanellis-Bennett tweeted yesterday: “All the news coming out is horrible. Many of us experienced or heard rumors of different levels of evil for years. Some tried to speak up to build momentum to change the culture in WWE. Many times we’ve been called bitter or crazy. Others have been paralyzed by fear. I just hope justice is served and I hope this brings some people peace. I pray for all of the victims, the ones that have spoke up, the ones no longer with us, and the ones that suffer in silence.”
  • Deonna Purrazzo was the guest on AEW Unrestricted this week.
  • Top Flight & Action Andretti were interviewed on Talk is Jericho.
  • YOSHI-HASHI has renewed his contract with NJPW.
  • Alex Hammerstone commented on Jacob Fatu becoming a free agent: “I’ve wrestled some of the best wrestlers in the world… and Jacob is near the very top of that list. My greatest rival. Always brought the best out of me, and I can’t wait to see where he turns up…. Because there is no roster in the world where he won’t standout. Love you, Uce”