Daily Update: UFC 217, WWE European tour, ROH

THE ROUND-UP

The Latest from the F4W Staff

NEWS

AUDIO

We’re looking for WWE European tour reports from yesterday in Glasgow, Scotland, today’s shows in Brighton, UK and Dublin, Ireland, as well as NXT in Gainesville, FL, and tomorrow’s shows in London, Aberdeen, Scotland and Jacksonville, FL to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com.

We’ll be doing three polls over the weekend, for the UFC show in Madison Square Garden, the New Japan Power Struggle show in Osaka and the Impact Bound for Glory show in Ottawa.

IMPACT ON POP TV AT 8 P.M. EASTERN TIME

  • This is the go-home show for Bound for Glory.

FIGURE FOUR WEEKLY:Figure Four Weekly 10/30/2017: Looking at WWE’s recent releases

At a time when WWE releases aren’t as common as they used to be, it was surprising to see three wrestlers let go this week. That WWE broke the news on a Sunday morning only made things more odd. The names who were released weren’t exactly shocking, with Emma, Darren Young, and Summer Rae no longer with the company. Of those, Emma was the only one currently on television. 

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WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER:November 6, 2017 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE quarter financials, Manami Toyota retiring, more

The most complete look anywhere at WWE business over the summer and fall is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, plus a look at three major documentaries out next week, two Hall of Famer retirements and Survivor Series and WWE booking updates.

Look at WWE’s positive financial reports at a time when some of the usual base categories are disappointing and what led to them. Read actual numbers in detail, how the stock is doing, how this quarter compared historically, as well as financial projections for the rest of the year and into next year.

Check out the TV rights situation, how the UFC negotiations look to tell the story for WWE and what the UFC negotiations say, what happens when WWE’s biggest TV deals expire as well as when the company expects to finalize deals in all of those markets going forward.

Read why the network is more profitable even with slower growth than projected, including different projections, exactly how many people signed up and canceled the WWE network in recent months and how it compares to last year. There are notes on WWE plans going forward for different changes with WWE network, the arena business, the changes in the pro wrestling business as well as looking at the Jinder Mahal question, has he helped, has he hurt and what the numbers say.

Plus, read about U.K. revenue, why YouTube views seem to mean nothing as far as driving revenue, the China experiment, as well as where WWE money comes from as far as what country over he past four years.

Find out if stronger marquee PPVs effects the network, as well as the remnants of the PPV business, how much WWE spends on tapings, the home video business, the digital media business, as well as the live event business and merchandise figures. Also, look at NXT numbers, Performance Center costs and other businesses the company has stake in.

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WON BACK ISSUE: October 16, 2000 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Potential WCW sale, New Japan vs. All Japan, plus more

With its wrestlers in Australia and its front office personnel in a total state of uncertainty, media reports continued hot and heavy regarding a potential imminent sale of World Championship Wrestling. While virtually all reports listed Mandalay Sports as the prime suitor, with a group headed by Eric Bischoff, most of the talk over the weekend involved a longshot in the deal which has been rumored for some time, the potential of the World Wrestling Federation buying out its long-time competitor, particularly after a story on 10/9 in Multi Channel News.

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THURSDAY NEWS UPDATE

Things got heated at the press conference for Saturday’s UFC show in Madison Square Garden as Cody Garbrandt claimed that T.J. Dillashaw told everyone in the gym how to get by using PEDs and said Dillashaw was on everything. Urijah Faber had made remarks after Dillashaw’s last fight about his physique change (as in implying the new testing forced him off). Dillashaw of course denied everything and said he’s tested every day. Dillashaw also said there was no truth to the story Chris Holdsworth said that he threw a sucker knee at him when they were rolling. Dillashaw said all of this coming out was timed to be the week of the fight.

ROH has announced new shows for 1/27 in Nashville at the Municipal Auditorium, a 2/9 TV taping in Concord, NC at the Cabarrus Arena and a 2/10 show at Center Stage in Atlanta.

WWE once again did The Shield, being Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & HHH, beating Sheamus, Cesaro & Bray Wyatt as the main event of their European tour show in Brighton today. They did the same main event yesterday in Glasgow.

A quick apology, on today’s audio show I talked about a proposed idea for a WWE PPV in the U.K. in 2018. The original report was meant as a joke that we later found out wasn’t true. Why WWE hasn’t done a U.K. PPV in years is still a weird question considering UFC has done shows in Australia, Japan, Abu Dhabi and the U.K. in the past. There is a time zone issue but with the network, that’s not a big deal anymore as they could do an afternoon show in the North American market and it would work.

WWE

  • The presale for the 25th anniversary of Raw at the Manhattan Center sold out immediately. There will be a General Public sale for tomorrow. With only a few hundred seats, they’ll go instantly.
  • Emma, Darren Young and Summer Rae are all currently being paid through the end of February on a non-compete deal so they won’t be signing anywhere until March at the earliest.

UFC

  • Gleison Tibeau vs. Islam Makhachev has been added to the 1/20 PPV show in Boston. Tibau is currently finishing up a two-year suspension after testing positive for EPO.
  • Markus Perez, the LFA middleweight champion, debuts in UFC on 12/9 for a fight with Eryk Anders in Fresno.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Johnny Impact talks this weekend’s ROH show.
  • Add Marshe Rockett to the list of those no longer under an Impact deal. Referee Robert Moore has also left the company. He noted that he had paid his way to the tapings and now realized he was never getting signed and it’s time to move on.
  • Devon “Hannibal” Nicholson will be wrestling on the 11/7 Impact taping show in Ottawa.
  • Innovate Wrestling on 11/11 in Kingsport, TN at the Civic Auditorium with Chase Owens vs. Shawn Schultz in the main event.
  • PWP tonight in Omaha at the Waiting Room Lounge with Michael Elgin vs. Preston Maxwell for the PWP title in the main event.
  • Defy Wrestling on 11/10 in Seattle at Washington Hall with Tom Lawlor, managed by Bryan Alvarez, facing Ethan Page.
  • Tickets for WaleMania IV go on sale at 10 a.m. Central time on Thursday. The show will be 4/5, a Thursday night, at Republic NOLA in New Orleans. There will be a meet and greet, an MLW live podcast and an after party with Wale performing live. Tickets range from $15 to $150.
  • MLW’s next show on 12/7 in Orlando has added Jimmy Havoc from the U.K. & Darby Allin vs. Shane Strickland & ?, plus MVP, with Tony Schiavone and Rich Bocchini doing live announcing.
  • Upstate Pro Wrestling on 11/11 in Rochester, NY at the Eagles Club.
  • Santana Garrett is now training women wrestlers at the Team Vision Dojo in Orlando.
  • Tony Atlas will be appearing 11/24 in Winnipeg at Rookie’s Sports Bar for the CWE promotion doing a meet and greet.
  • PWA on 12/1 in Guelph, ONT at Red Chevron features Eric Cairnie vs. Kaito Kiyomiya in the main event.
  • Gary Cappetta’s Beyond Bodyslams talk show was listed in the Louisville Courier-Journal as one of the top five shows coming to the city this week. He will be doing talk shows on 11/4 in Louisville at the Alley Theater and 11/11 in Queens, NY at the Queens Theater, both shows starting at 7:35 p.m.
  • AAW tomorrow night in Berwyn, IL at the Eagles Club has David Starr & Jeff Cobb vs. Dave & Jake Crist, Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz vs. Mat Fitchett & Davey Vega for the AAW tag titles, Delilah Doom vs. Veda Scott, Su Yung vs. Kylie Rae, Trevor Lee vs. Eddie Kingston, Michael Elgin vs. Shane Strickland, Chuck Taylor & Colt Cabana vs. The Hooliganns, Myron Reed vs. Austin Theory vs. Zema Ion vs. AR Fox vs. Curt Stallion vs. Stephen Wolf with the winner getting an AAW title shot, plus Rey Fenix will defend the AAW title against a mystery opponent.
  • AAW on Saturday night in LaSalle, IL at the Knights of Columbus has Ultimo Dragon & Sami Callihan vs. Rey Fenix & Michael Elgin, a ladder match for the AAW tag titles with Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz vs Trey Miguel & Stephen Wolf vs. whoever the champion is coming out of the night before, AR Fox vs. Austin Theory, Curt Stallion & Brubaker & Jake Something vs. Chuck Taylor & Zero Gravity, Ivelisse vs.?, Rachael Ellering vs. ?, Zema Ion vs. Myron Reed and Jeff Cobb, Colt Cabana, Eddie Kingston, David Starr, Ethan Page and more. 
  • Lucha Libre Toronto on 11/11 at the Alliance Banquet Hall with Laredo Kid vs. Josh Alexander plus Fishman Jr. and Canek Jr.
  • PWA Farewell to a King on 12/2 in Kitchener, ONT at the Alpine Club for the farewell of Jimmy King.
  • Smash Wrestling on 12/3 in Toronto at the Franklin Horner Community Centre with a women’s tournament with Cheerleader Melissa vs. Xandra Bale, Mercedes Martinez vs. Rosemary, Gail Kim vs. Allie, Veda Scott vs. Danyah and more.
  • Absolute Intense Wrestling on 11/24 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Cleveland has Jody Fleisch vs. Matt Cross vs. Laredo Kid vs DJZ, Tom Lawlor vs. Tracy Williams, and Ethan Page vs. Dominic Garrini.
  • Matt Morgan, running for political office in Longview, FL, has been the target of some mud slinging.
  • Ted DiBiase, promoting his movie that comes out Tuesday, talks Terry Funk still wrestling and Bobby Heenan memories. 

Today in Professional Wrestling History: Mankind & Al Snow win WWF tag titles

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