Daily Update: Styles vs. Owens & Zayn, Jumanji, Christy Hemme

THE ROUND-UP

THE LATEST NEWS

THE LATEST AUDIO

Today is the last day for our polls on Wrestle Kingdom 12 and New Year’s Dash, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for each show to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

We’re also looking for reports on these weekend shows to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com.

  • NXT on Friday night in Spartanburg
  • WWE Raw on Saturday night in Cape Girardeau, MO
  • WWE Raw tonight in West Plains, MO
  • WWE Smackdown tonight in Mobile, AL.

Monday has Raw in Memphis, with Brock Lesnar on the show, plus the Enzo Amore vs. Cedric Alexander cruiserweight title match scheduled for last week is official for the show. There will be a Smackdown house show Monday night in Montgomery, AL.

Smackdown and 205 Live will take place on Tuesday night in Birmingham, AL.

​F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly 12/25/2017: Looking at WWE’s women’s Royal Rumble announcement

The road to WrestleMania took a not-entirely-unexpected turn last week when it was announced on Raw that the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match would be taking place next month. While there are still plenty of specifics to be worked out, the announcement itself made all of the sense in the world. The women’s division shouldn’t be an afterthought in the build to WWE’s biggest show of the year. 

WON NEWSLETTER: January 8, 2018 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: More Women’s Royal Rumble details, UFC 219 reviewed, more

An update on the Royal Rumble, as well as the women’s Royal Rumble and different possibilities of where it can go is the lead item in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Have a look at the UFC’s 2017 when it comes to business, why the increase in total revenue may be hiding a real problem, the value of the big stars, all the ratings and PPV numbers, as well as the competition from Bellator.

This issue runs down UFC 219 with some early business indicators of how it did, thoughts on Cyborg vs. Holm and the judging process, TV numbers and what they did and didn’t say, Khabib Nurmagomedov plus full match rundowns with how much everyone was paid and poll results.

Check out Japan’s Rizin New Year’s Eve two major shows with notes on Mirko Cro Cop, the Gabi Garcia fiasco and her explanation, the ratings of the show and more highlights.

Our good friend Larry Matysik, who is currently hospitalized, is talked about in a feature on who he is, his role in St. Louis, his books, his being the only person to work for both Sam Muchnick and Vince McMahon, and some notes on the doors he’s opened for me in my lifetime. For those who like history this is a cool feature.

Read about a woman wrestler who was offered a WWE contract but it’s not looking like she’ll be in soon, another who may be in soon, notes on Strowman and Enzo and their illnesses, one major WWE star who won’t be in the Royal Rumble, the best WWE matches of 2017, and another John Cena movie role as well as an update on Rock and Cena movies and business.

There is more on the Mixed Match Challenge Facebook series, just how crazy the end of the month will be for WWE, Dolph Ziggler, WWE stock and the most-watched shows of the week on WWE Network.

Check out a full rundown of the WWE’s holiday tour, with notes from every show, including business notes and booking notes.

Examine the 2017 win-loss records for WWE wrestlers as well as the Iron Man award winners dating back to 2004 and also compare the number of dates with WWE’s top stars with that of New Japan’s top stars.

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WON BACK ISSUE: December 18, 2000 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWF Armageddon reviewed plus tons of news

The WWF’s final PPV event of its biggest year was sold as a one match card, and even after buying the show, most of the first two hours of the show came across more like an ad to buy a show already purchased. After a flat undercard, where nothing was terribly bad but nothing was particularly good, that dragged at times because of too much hype that would have best been served being on Sunday Night Heat, the main event finally took place.

SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be doing Wrestling Observer Radio tonight, covering the latest news as well as taking questions sent tomailbag@wrestlingobserver.com.

They are trying out the A.J. Styles vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn handicap match for the WWE title on the Smackdown house show tour this weekend.

“Jumanji,” starring Dwayne Johnson, which I saw yesterday, is killing it at the box office still holding up at an estimated $36 million for the weekend, putting it in first place after its third week of release while Star Wars fell to third place. Ferdinand, with John Cena as the lead voice, was No. 6 with an $7.73 million.

Former WWE Diva Search winner and TNA personality Christy Hemme had surgery and gave birth to quadruplets, three boys and one girl, yesterday. The mother and the babies are all doing well.

Michael Elgin issued an apologyfor how he handled things on Twitter.

WWE

  • Naomi, Bayley, The Usos, Apollo Crews and Kalisto will all be appearing throughout the week on “Paradise Run,” the Nickelodeon game show. It’s WWE week on the show starting tomorrow and running through Friday airing at 7 p.m. Eastern each night. The wrestlers team with kids for various competitions, both physical and mental.
  • The 1/19 NXT show in Jacksonville has been canceled. I’m not sure why and it has nothing to do with ticket sales because they announced a 2/16 date and that if you have tickets, you have the choice to get a refund or get tickets for the next show at the armory.
  • Tomorrow night’s Enzo Amore vs. Cedric Alexander cruiserweight title match was being worked on at the Raw house shows this weekend. 

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Russian brand “TVOE” (meaning “Yours”), which sells different clothes for youth, is now selling long-sleeved T-shirt with Bullet club logo. It’s slightly changed (different type of guns), but it even has “Bullet club” words there. The price is 599 rubles, which is 10 USD. They also have black and white version. People don’t know it’s a pro wrestling shirt and steailng designs and logos from the U.S. in a common theme in Russia. (thanks to Alexei Krasilnikov)
  • A story on Chase Owens from his local newspaper following his appearance at the Tokyo Dome show on Thursday.
  • Old Time Wrestling on 2/9 in Williamstown, NJ at 1041 Glassboro Rd Building C.
  • Stardom results from yesterday in Osaka: Konami won three-way over Mary Apache, Hiromi Mimura and Shiki Shibusawa, Momo Watanabe & HZK b Xia Brookside & Kay Lee Ray, Rachael Ellering & Nicole Savoy & Miranda Salinas b Jungle Kyona & Natsuko Tora & Kaori Yoneyama with Ellering getting the win since she’s headed for a singles title match, Kagetsu b AZM, Io Shirai b Sumire Natsu. From today’s show, Ellering & Savoy & Salinas beat Shriai & HZK & AZM when Ellering pinned AZM. (thanks to Jake Koch)
  • Azteca America, which airs CMLL on Saturdays is moving from LATV to KJLA in Los Angeles.
  • Slex, who had the noteworthy match in Melbourne with Kazuchika Okada recently, is now been booked for the next World Series Wrestling tour of Australia. He’s been pushed more than any of the there natives, so it’s the first case of a guy beating treated like a far bigger star in Australia for losing to a Japanese wrestler. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
  • Revolution Pro Wrestling from yesterday in London: Zoe Lucas b Zan Phoenix in the women’s tournament, Deonna Purrazzo b Sammii Jayne in the women’s tournament, Pete Dunne b Phantasmo, Jinny b Nina Samuels in the women’s tournament, Millie McKenzie b Charli Evans in the women’s tournament, Tyler Bate & Trent Seven NC Chris Brookes & Travis Banks when Zack Gibson and Josh Bodom interfered. The show was a sellout as was today’s show.
  • Today’s results: Deonna Purrazzo b Zoe Lucas in the women’s tournament semifinals, Jinny b Millie McKenzie in the women’s tournament semifinals, Pete Dunne b Chris Brookes (Brookes was bleeding), Nina Samuels & Charli Evans b Zan Phoenix & Sammii Jayne, Zack Sabre Jr. b Martin Stone (Danny Burch in NXT), Jinny b Deonna Purrazzo to become the first Revolution Pro women’s champion. Millie McKenzie attacked Jinny after the match. (thanks to Jake Koch)
  • C4 Wrestling on 1/20 in Ottawa at the Vanier Columbus Club.
  • Kansas City Xtreme Wrestling on 1/13 in Kansas City at the State Street Project has Ricky Morton as a headliner. He’ll also be doing a seminar from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Kansas City at the Xtreme Wrestling Center.
  • United Wrestling Coalition on 1/13 in Wrightstown, NJ at Kelly’s Banquet Hall with an elimination match main event.
  • Pro Wrestling Championship Series from last night in Alton, IL: Jake Parnell won three-way over AJ Gray and Stephen Wolf, Mike Outlaw b Matt Kenway, Chris Mac won six-way over Alexandre Rudolph, Jake Garvin, Josh Bishop, Thomas Shire and Marko Stunt, Davey Vega b Mat Fitchett, Edvin Kudic b Dr. Daniel Rockingham, Dominic Garrini b Paco Gonzalez, Ranne Victoria won three-way over Allie Kat and Savanna Stone, Gary Jay & Everett Connors & Evan Gelistico & Pierre Abernathy b Davey Vega & Danny Adams & Christian Rose & Adrian Surge in an elimination match. (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
  • CWE tonight in Moosomin, Saskatchewan with Jake Roberts appearing.
  • Hoosier Pro Wrestling from yesterday in Columbus, IN: Ace Jackson b Tim Lutz-DQ, Echo the Clown b Scarecrow, Duke the Nuke b Fireball, Lightning Bolt b Drax O’Brien, Axeman b Bambino Family-DQ, Flash Flanagan b Butcher Manson, Kenny Cage b Dillen Swango to keep the HPW title. Next show is 2/3.

Today in Professional Wrestling History: Triple H returns from quad tear

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