Daily Update: Toxic Attraction, Saraya, MJF

Daily Update

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Latest Free YouTube Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk6GC8tah2A

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

  • Notes on the backgrounds of everyone voted in
  • Huge historical stories on the two promoters voted in talking about wrestling history all over the world
  • Notes on a lot of the people who were not voted in and their candidacy
  • Performer and match of the week
  • Full coverage of Saturday’s UFC show
  • Cain Velasquez returns to pro wrestling as AAA comes to the U.S., background, future, attendance, audience drawn and more
  • The most detailed look at the TV ratings from the past week, looking at the whys, what can be learned, segment by segment of the main shows, competition and more
  • Major mask loss in a cage show coming on January 1 to Arena Mexico
  • A look at the finals of the Stardom tag team tournament as well as the big show at the end of the year
  • What Hall of Fame candidate returns to Dragon Gate on Christmas
  • Several stars leaving All Japan
  • First IWGP women’s title defense to be held in the U.S.
  • New Japan tag team tournaments notes
  • Battle of Los Angeles news
  • Another major movie being produced on a 90s star and his unique story
  • Impact has one of its best matches of the year
  • A detailed look at Tony Khan’s explanation of William Regal’s departure and why he allowed him to go
  • Khan talks about Rampage going forward
  • Dustin Rhodes talks retirement
  • Notes on ROH PPV show
  • Notes on WWE going to new markets and ticket advances
  • International TV ratings
  • AEW & WWE streaming numbers
  • More news on the Pro Slap league TV deal and time
  • Dana White talks Jiri Prochazka’s injury
  • Shawn Michaels talks NXT
  • Lots of WWE injury updates
  • Cena’s schedule for the next few months
  • Lots of WrestleMania news

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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Wednesday Update

WWE

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • MJF spoke to Sports Illustrated ahead of his AEW World Championship match against Ricky Starks on Dynamite tonight: “People have been waiting for fresh and new. They’ve been begging for it. Now, in the main event of AEW Dynamite, the MJF show, you get two homegrown guys wrestling for the most important world title in professional wrestling.”
  • MJF also discussed his feud with UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett: “There is a huge difference between when I’m wrestling and Paddy is fighting. When I’m on the marquee, it’s going to be fantastic. You put Paddy the Baddy in the cage, you might get a great fight, or it might be a lump of f—ing coal. I’m consistently perfect. All these MMA guys are prima donnas. They fight once every six months. And then sometimes s— the bed. Try wrestling multiple times in a week. They won’t be able to handle the miles.”
  • Starks told DAZN Wrestling that it would have been great to have a match against CM Punk: “I definitely think the Punk thing helped. Him saying those things about me really helped. What would’ve been great was to actually have a match with him. Things were kind of leading up to that, I thought. I think that’s one of the minor things that I’m actually annoyed about is that I never got to have a match. It’s not to stroke my own ego, but it’s about iron sharpening iron. I’m definitely a type of person that would be able to benefit from that in terms of just excelling in my talent.”
  • In an interview with Forbes, Saraya was asked about Mercedes Varnado (Sasha Banks) potentially being her mystery partner on the January 11 episode of Dynamite: “I feel like anytime there’s a mystery, everyone always goes straight for Mercedes (laughs). They’re like—straight away—it’s her! There’s plenty of women out there, I’m not going to say yes or no to anybody, but there’s a lot of exciting prospects for a potential tag partner.”
  • Saraya reacted to Vince McMahon wanting to make a comeback to WWE:
          • He’s only been out for a couple of months! (said with a laugh)
          • I feel like WWE’s doing a really great job with Hunter in charge. And I feel like everyone backstage is very happy from what people have been telling me. People across the board are just happy, not saying they won’t be if Vince comes back, but I felt this breather was needed to really shake things up over there and get people excited. But if he comes back, is he going to undo everything Hunter [Triple H] has done? That’s the question, you just don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t work there anymore, so I don’t have to worry about it.
          • I have Tony [Khan], and he’s fantastic as a boss to me, so if I have any issues I can tell him and he’ll always be very clear with stuff. Whereas I just get nervous if Vince comes back for them because you just don’t know what he’s thinking on a day-to-day basis.
  • AEW got the rights to “Roundball Rock” (the old NBA on NBC theme) for a video promoting tonight’s Dynamite. Tony Khan called “Roundball Rock” his favorite song.
  • At WrestleCade last month, Ethan Page told Fightful he couldn’t be happier with AEW: “Yeah, they’re going good. I couldn’t be happier with AEW. Especially on-screen recently. To have the run through that entire tournament, it was like a ‘We’re going to give this guy the ball’ moment for me. It was nice to actually to be able to, what I feel, do something with it.”
  • Kerry Morton announced that he’s “extended and signed on board” with the NWA: “Proud to announce, I have extended and signed on board with the National Wrestling Alliance. Looking forward to 2023 and the future for the @nwa – World Jr Heavyweight Champion”
  • Davey Boy Smith Jr. will face Alex Kane at MLW’s Blood & Thunder tapings in Philadelphia on Saturday, January 7.
  • Warrior Wrestling confirmed that it won’t be able to stream El Hijo del Vikingo’s match at their show on Saturday, January 21. Indie promotions aren’t able to stream Vikingo’s matches due to Lucha Libre AAA guidelines.