Daily Update: Tony Khan, The Rock, Rocky Romero

DAILY UPDATE

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WON NEWSLETTER: November 9, 2020 Observer Newsletter: The life & times of Tracy Smothers

We take a look at the life and wrestling career of Tracy Smothers with a major feature as the lead story in this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer.

We look at those he helped teach, his last two decades on the independent scene, his battle with cancer, with comments from his friends and many of today’s major stars.  We look at the unique first time he was in the ring, wrestling bears, playing sports growing up, the famous first TV taping he worked against five Hall of Famers in one night.  We look at his runs in different territories, his first major title, the birth of the Southern Boys tag team, the best match of 1990 in U.S. wrestling, why the Southern Boys name was dropped, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, ECW, Freddie Joe Floyd, The Thugs and much more.

Also in this issue:

Kylie Rae stepping away from pro wrestling and some of the lessons this should teach us.

Preview AEW’s Full Gear show as well as WWE’s Survivor Series, looking at the matches, the booking, selling tickets and what can be expected.

The WWE Twitch situation, a WWE meeting with employees, what is banned at the Thunderdome, A&E specials, where wrestling stands in sports ratings, WWE ratings outside the U.S., college star talks WWE, next week’s TV, most-watched shows on the WWE Network and current WWE market value.

Preview both New Japan tournaments coming up. We look at how much the junior talent in New Japan has dropped over the last year and why.

The last fight of Anderson Silva in UFC and his career, as well as full coverage of Saturday’s UFC show.

Gate of Destiny, one of Dragon Gate’s signature events of the year, the angles, who is getting promoted, the future of the company as well as match-by-match coverage.

DDT’s Ultimate Party.

Ratings breakdowns in every segment for Wednesdays and every category for other shows, looking at stats not available elsewhere to get the deepest read into how shows are doing, what categories are doing well and how shows compare with previous weeks and one year ago.  

Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week. 

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WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

  • This week’s episode of The Bump features Lacey Evans, Pete Dunne, and The Godfather.
  • The Undertaker will be a guest on next week’s The Bump prior to Survivor Series.
  • Adam Pearce will be the guest on tomorrow’s episode of After the Bell with Corey Graves.
  • WWE PC’s YouTube account has a profile on Damian Priest and having his childhood friend play him out to the ring at NXT Halloween Havoc.
  • The company is currently looking for a Talent Brand Manager.
  • Big E will have a role in the upcoming second season of Adult Swim’s Lazor Wulf, which premieres on December 6.
  • Peyton Royce on Twitter said she and Lacey Evans were not a team: “We are not a team. I will only be in a tag team if it’s with Billie Kay. That’s it. The end. I’m dead serious.”
  • Jeff Hardy spoke to Sports Illustrated on admiring the work of Cameron Grimes.
  • WWE’s YouTube page added Undertaker & Shawn Michaels vs. JBL and Vladimir Kozlov from the March 16, 2009 episode of Raw.

Other Wrestling

  • Tony Khan spoke to TSN regarding AEW and continuing to run shows during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also talked about a potential relationship with NJPW, saying: With New Japan, it’s been a little more one-sided where we’ve sent people there and I haven’t really had people from New Japan show up on my TV [programming] yet. I’d like to see more of a two-sided relationship there because I’m honestly one of the easiest people to work with in wrestling. We’ve worked with NWA, we’ve worked with AAA and we’ve sent people to New Japan. I think with Harold [Meij] being gone, I don’t know if it’s going to be easier, but I have a feeling it might be.”
  • Khan also said the third hour of programming on TNT is coming in 2021. “We’ve worked it out with TNT. It’s 100 percent going to launch in 2021. I don’t have the exact date yet, but I would look out for it soon and it’s right around the corner.”
  • Talking to Inside the Ropes, Rocky Romero expressed optimism on the current relationship between NJPW and Impact Wrestling. “I think there’s definitely room in the world – and especially for professional wrestling fans – to see something like IMPACT and New Japan working together. But I think, step by step. Obviously the Good Brothers being a part of IMPACT and being great ambassadors with New Japan and their relationship with New Japan is very important to this kind of whole process – and obviously, me being tied to these guys as well as important to that. I think things are on a very, very friendly, friendly terms and better than they’ve ever been in years – let’s just say that – and I’m excited to see what the future holds because you never know, man. You never know.”
  • The Young Bucks talked to Sports Illustrated about their AEW World Tag Team title win at Full Gear.
  • Black Label Pro announced that their Slamilton event will be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Brandi Rhodes spoke to Bleacher Report on entering the business, training, and her prior career in journalism.
  • Deadline is reporting that The Rock, along with his and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions, will be looking to relaunch The Scorpion King franchise. The article notes that a new actor will be tapped to play the titular character.
  • Here is the latest episode of The Multiverse of Matt Hardy.
  • BayToday has a profile on Lance Storm.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: The Revival win NXT Tag Team titles

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