Daily Update: SmackDown, Royal Rumble, Japan lifts cheering restrictions

Daily Update

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Latest Free YouTube Video:

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

January 30, 2023 Observer Newsletter: WWE Royal Rumble preview, Raw is XXX scores big ratings

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.

Friday Update

– Garrett Gonzales and I will be doing a show today covering the news of the week leading to the Royal Rumble. Bryan and I have a post-Rumble show tomorrow night.

– The new issue of the Observer is up on the site now. Highlights include:

  • Match of the week and performer of the week
  • What records has the Royal Rumble 2023 already set and what records have a good chance to be set
  • Amazing advance for the show
  • The debate about the men’s winner and prior year comparisons
  • The Steve Austin question
  • The business of Peacock
  • Original Austin approach
  • Cody Rhodes return
  • Full rundown of Raw 30 and the giant ratings and how each segment did
  • Complaints by the Bellas about the show
  • Why certain segments of the show changed
  • The story behind WBD clearing Mark Briscoe and the reason that hasn’t come out why there were previous issues
  • Different ways AEW paid tribute to Briscoe
  • Update on family and fundraisers
  • A look at the Okada-Kiyomiya angle and the keys to it
  • The Muto retirement at the Tokyo Dome show
  • What the New Japan vs. NOAH show and other New Japan shows have shown about recovery of the business
  • UFC 283 coverage with the retirements of Shogun Rua and Glover Teixeira
  • What is next for Jamahal Hill and Brandon Moreno
  • Business notes on the show
  • A look at the life and career of Jose Aldo and his biggest fights including how one of his fights changed the entire direction of MMA for lighter weight fighters and was so successful the company closed up, as weird as that is to say
  • A look at more Japanese awards voting
  • The life of Benny Galant, a 60s star who passed away this week who was a major rival of the biggest names in the history of Mexican wrestling, including El Santo and Mil Mascaras, and twice set EMLL’s company gate records. This is a major history piece covering one of the biggest eras of wrestling in any country.
  • The most detailed look at the ratings from the past week
  • Streaming numbers, international numbers
  • Ticket advances for all AEW & WWE shows through WrestleMania
  • What could be CMLL’s best match of this year
  • The story behind Negro Casas jumping to AAA, how long has this been in the works, how long has Konnan wanted this and his duties outside the ring
  • A look at upcoming AAA major shows
  • Update on a number of upcoming major New Japan shows
  • What former WWE star is mad at Dwayne Johnson over his portrayal in Young Rock
  • 80s star arrested for a number of things
  • WBD head talks AEW and Slap Fighting
  • Behind the AEW new deal with DAZN
  • Lawsuit filed against AEW
  • Update on Kenny Omega
  • San Francisco records for wrestling
  • Conor McGregor investigation reported
  • Lots of big UFC fights announced
  • More on Luke Rockhold coming out of retirement
  • Famous MMA trainer will no longer corner fighters
  • Former pro wrestler talks about Slap Fighting and what he was offered
  • Update on Vince McMahon in the office
  • Another lawsuit filed against WWE regarding McMahon’s return and how two other suits were basically nullified
  • Notes on new NIL signings by WWE
  • WWE getting major mainstream pub
  • WWE injury updates
  • Weekend NXT & WWE house show notes

– The Japanese government has ended the cheering restrictions at live events. Starting this week, all shows can be sold to capacity crowds and full cheering, booing and chanting is no longer prohibited.

– Ariel Helwani interviewed Sami Zayn. He was asked directly about winning the title and being the face of the company. Zayn said it was a misconception that the champion is the top star of the company. He said he believes it’s possible he could beat Roman Reigns and win the title at WrestleMania, and hold it for a few months, but said even if he does, he doesn’t believe he would ever be considered as the top star of the company. He said that they look for something physically for the top star of the company and realistically he said he is not what they are looking for. That’s the thing fans get fooled by. The champion is often the big fish in the pond, but giving someone the title, whether to appease the fans or just shuffle the deck, is not the same as making someone the top star.

– Mike Tyson is being sued by a woman who claims that he raped her in a limo in Albany, NY, in 1990.

– Sports rights historically always increase. However, there are bad warning signs and the financial plight of the once powerful regional sports networks greatly affect baseball and the NBA as well as other sports.

– SmackDown tonight has the semifinals of the number one contender’s tag team tournament with Drew McIntyre & Sheamus vs. Hit Row and Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Tel Doro vs. Giovanni Vinci & Ludvig Kaiser. Also announced is Rey Mysterio vs. Karrion Kross and Kevin Owens vs. Solo Sikoa. Brock Lesnar is expected to appear on the show as well.

– Rampage tonight at 10 p.m. Eastern has Wheeler Yuta vs. Adam Page in a non-title match, Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal & Satnam Singh vs. Chuck Taylor, Trent Baretta & Danhausen, Powerhouse Hobs vs. Tony Mudd, and Jamie Hayter vs. Emi Sakura also in a non-title match.

– VOX Media has gutted the Bloody Elbow website, giving 30 days notice to most if not all the key people working at the site. They stated that due to a decline in advertising and the current media climate, they were no longer going to support the site and said they were also cutting other sports sites. They also cited redundancy since VOX’s leading MMA website is MMAFighting. We send our best to all the hard working people associated with the site.

– We’ll be doing our weekend poll on the Royal Rumble, you can leave a thumbs up, down or middle, best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

– Here are the BetOnline odds on who will last the longest in the Rumble:

  • Cody Rhodes +100
  • Sami Zayn +150
  • Seth Rollins +300
  • Austin Theory +500
  • Kevin Owens +500
  • Montez Ford +500
  • Keep in mind that I don’t even expect Owens in the Rumble, although stranger things have happened.

For the women’s Royal Rumble:

  • Liv Morgan +150
  • Rhea Ripley +175
  • Charlotte Flair +200
  • Raquel Rodriguez +225
  • Becky Lynch +300
  • Flair was not scheduled for the match, at least as of yesterday.

For most eliminations:

  • Solo Sikoa +150
  • Brock Lesnar +200
  • Gunther +200
  • Sheamus +250
  • Braun Strowman +300
  • Cory Rhodes +300
  • Drew McIntyre +300
  • Rhea Ripley +100
  • Raquel Rodriguez +140
  • Becky Lynch +200
  • Charlotte Flair +300
  • Bianca Belair +500
  • I wouldn’t expect Flair or Belair to be in, not that it’s impossible, but usually the champs aren’t in the Rumble.

– This is the bell-to-bell audiences for the matches on Wednesday’s AEW show:

  • Jericho & Guevara vs.Andretti & Starks 1,104,000/463,000
  • Darby Allin vs. Buddy Matthews 1,013,000/434,000
  • Hook & Jack Perry vs. Matt Hardy & Ethan Page 1,053,000/443,000
  • Bryan Danielson vs. Brian Cage 1,017,000/;403,000
  • Toni Storm vs. Ruby Soho 970,000/403,000
  • Mark Briscoe vs. Jay Lethal 1,011,000/439,000

– We’re also looking for reports on SmackDown tonight from Laredo, TX, with any dark matches or anything not on the live show.

– All the original stock of Cody Rhodes merchandise as the Royal Rumble Superstore in San Antonio sold out yesterday. We’re told he is the top seller easily. I was told the merchandise will be restocked fully today.

– As of this morning, they don’t have a final list of the 30 women in the Rumble. We are told that more than 30 women have been brought in but they will decide on 30 of them. PWInsider has reported Indi Hartwell, Natalya (who has been out of action after having surgery on her nose), Zoey Stark and Roxanne Perez are in San Antonio.

– Conor McGregor was hit by a car while riding his bicycle earlier today in Ireland. He was uninjured. “Got a bang of a car just now from behind,” he wrote. “A sun trap, the driver couldn’t see me. Full speed straight through me. Thank you God, It wasn’t my time. Thank you wrestling and judo also. Having an awareness on the landing saved my life.”

– There is no UFC show tomorrow. UFC will return a week from Saturday with a show from the APEX in Las Vegas.

– CMLL tonight at Arena Mexico features the Reyes del Aire elimination match with Mistico, Templario, Atlantis Jr., Gran Guerrero, Fugaz, Stuka Jr., Soberano Jr., Dragon Rojo Jr., Panterita del Ring Jr. and Cavernario.

– The Young Bucks on BTE noted that Tony Khan told everyone that the 1/18 show in Fresno, CA, was voluntary attendance. He said that anyone grieving over the death of Jay Briscoe would not have to attend if they didn’t want to.

– The UFC announced today that they have signed Bella Mir, the daughter of Frank Mir, as their first NIL athlete. Mir, 20, has a 3-0 record, is currently attending the University of Iowa and is on the wrestling team. She was a state high school champion multiple times in Nevada at 144 pounds.

– Jake Paul will box Tommy Fury on 2/26 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The show will air on ESPN+ PPV. Fury is the half-brother of Tyson Fury. It is the third time this fight has been scheduled.

– Hiroshi Hase, the Governor of the Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan, is feuding with the local Fuji TV affiliate Ishikawa Television. Hase has gotten a lot of media heat for becoming the first sitting governor in Japan to participate in a pro wrestling match on the undercard of the Great Muta vs. Shinsuke Nakamura Budokan Hall show on 1/1. Ishikawa Television asked for footage from the match and Hase denied them, while allowing other TV stations in the market that footage. Hase claimed the station used unauthorized images of him in a documentary in the fall. (thanks to Gerard Di Trolio)

– Wrestling-World.com reported that the most viewed Royal Rumbles in history on YouTube are, in order, the men’s Rumbles from 2017. 2020, 2018, 2008 and 2016. The most viewed women’s Rumble is No. 7, which would be the 2019 version.

– Undertaker has a live sold out show in San Antonio at Tech Port Center and Arena.

– Becky Lynch is on the Kelly Clarkson show today.

Other Notes

– The PFL has a show at 9 p.m. Eastern tonight on Fubo Sports. It is first round matches in the welterweight tournament where the winner goes into the $1 million tournament later this year. There will be shows every Friday with various tournaments over the next few months.

  • Kendly St. Louis (174.4) vs. Nick Alley (173.2)
  • Zach Juusola (170.8) vs. Jozef Wittner (171)
  • Eric Alequin (169.4) vs. Thad Jean (170.6)
  • Lucas Barbosa (170.4) vs. Isto Babalaidze (170.6)

– Muscle and Fitness has a story on Karrion Kross. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)

– A story on the ups and down in the life of Tony Atlas. (thanks to Christopher Cruise)

– Jim Duggan thanks local authorities for working with him when a man broke into his home recently. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)

– Tickets for the 3/11 Defy Wrestling show in Seattle at Washington Hall were put on sale today. Top Flight and Kushida have been announced for the show.

– MCW has shows on 2/3 in Joppa, MD at the RJ Meyer ARena and 2/4 in Hollywood, MD at the Volunteer Fire Department.

– The movie “Argentina 1985,” which got an Academy Award nomination for Best International Feature had a line in the movie referencing Martin Karadagian, the Hall of Fame promoter and top star of Los Titanes del Ring, the most popular televised wrestling company ever in that country. (thanks to Brian Henke)

– WrestleCon has a convention tomorrow in San Antonio at the River Center with Sting, Trish Stratus, DDP,. Lita, Sean Waltman, Jim Duggan, Lex Luger, Arn Anderson, Ron Simmons, Jerry Lawler, The Steiner Brothers, JBL and Matt Hardy. Admission is free.

– MLW has announced Calvin Tankman vs. Akira for their 2/4 tapings in Philadelphia.