Daily Update: UFC 294 fallout, Dana White, WWE Survivor Series

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up:

  • Match and performer of the week for both of the past two weeks
  • The changes in WWE, Vince out of creative, how UFC and WWE are being treated differently
  • Showtime drops all sports programming and their entire sports department, both how in and of itself its a major story in boxing, MMA and could be in pro wrestling, but even more the trend that it shows
  • Stations still in the market for sports today
  • The ominous aspects of NBA current TV negotiations
  • Why boxing was dropped after such a great PPV year
  • A look back at the career of Sting after his retirement announcement
  • A look at his AEW run
  • His rise to the top in WCW
  • How his career got started
  • What person saw the potential in Sting the earliest
  • The famous 1988 Sting vs. Ric Flair match and how it changed his career trajectory
  • The multiple times Sting stepped away from wrestling
  • The TNA run
  • The WWE run
  • Power Team USA and Flash Borden
  • NWA on WB, the keys to this deal
  • Update on Crown Jewel and who isn’t scheduled right now on the show
  • The classic matches of 2023 Will Ospreay
  • New Japan Royal Quest and Power Struggle
  • Notes on last week’s UFC show
  • A look back at one of the most traveled enhancement star of the late 60s into the early 80s, Bill Howard
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the pro wrestling shows this past week, including segment-by-segment, competition and comparisons with a year ago
  • CMLL wrestlers traveling around the world
  • Two spectacular matches at Friday’s Arena Mexico show
  • Stardom opens tag tournament
  • One of AAA’s biggest stars likely not returning
  • Biggest woman promotion in the world at one time has a nostalgia reunion show coming in January
  • Chris Hero returns
  • What pro wrestling star of the 70s never lost a singles match in his entire career
  • AEW and CMLL relationship notes
  • Tony Khan’s tweets
  • Updates on ticket sales to WWE & AEW shows
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • UFC signs huge money international deal
  • UFC top star taking time off
  • Main event result in UFC overturned
  • Pat Miletich returns to fight at 55
  • Ari Emanuel criticized for working with Dana White, Vince McMahon and Conor McGregor
  • More on the Vince McMahon documentary
  • Completely exaggerated PPV claims
  • What percentage of Logan Paul buyers also buy AEW or WWE shows
  • WWE sells network rights internationally
  • Dynamite TV streak ends after two weeks
  • Notes on all the WWE & NXT arena events this past week

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

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Sunday Update

Bryan and I did our weekend show last night covering UFC, the three-hours of AEW, Bound for Glory, TNA Hall of Fame and Smackdown. Garrett Gonzales and I did our week news in review show also on the site. My next show with Bryan will be Monday night after Raw.

Regarding last night’s UFC show, the main card was all first round finishes except the Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight which Chimaev won on scores of 29-27, 29-27 and 28-28. All three scores were viable. All three judges gave Chimaev a 10-8 first round. Most reporters did as well. I’ve seen far more dominant rounds scored 10-9 but Chimaev controlled the round on top and did damage. Cleary and David Lethaby gave Usman round two while Vito Paolillo gave that round to Chimaed. In round three, Lethaby and Paolillo gave that round to Usman while Cleary gave it to Chimaev. Among media scores, 75 percent went to Chimaev, most 29-27 and some 29-28. 12.5 percent had it 28-28 as a draw and 12.5 percent had 29-28 for Usman. Chimaev won round one big and rounds two and three were both close enough that you could go either way. Usman had an 11-9 edge in significant strikes and in the third round his edge was 22-13. Chimaev took him down in both rounds. Chimaev scored four takedowns on Usman, which is significant since in eight plus years in UFC and 18 fights, Usman was only taken down once. Usman said after that he wished the fight had gone five rounds.

 Chimaev talked like he may have broken his hand.

Dana White disagreed with the stoppage of the Johnny Walker-Magomed Ankalaev fight, blaming it on an inexperienced doctor. It came across like the doctor asked Walker where they were and what round it was and he couldn’t answer either question. If that’s the case, you have to presume concussion and stop it. When it was stopped, Walker didn’t register it was over either. White claimed that when Walker was asked where he was, he said “in the desert.” He also thought that even though Walker does speak English, it’s not his first language and something may have been lost in translation.

Victoria Dudakova, who fought in the prelims of the UFC show, said that she had a staph infection on her butt but since it was covered up nobody saw it.

On last night’s show based on an angle, we talked about the possibility of a Raw vs. Smackdown War Games match at Survivor Series. We are told that right now the War Games match is not planned as a Raw vs. Smackdown match.

WWE from last night in Edinburg, TX:

  • Santos Escobar b Bobby Lashley via DQ when the Street Profits interfered. Carlito and Joaquin Wilde made the save. You know the drill. 
  • Escobar & Carlito & Wilde b Lashley & Street Profits when Calirto pinned Ford after a backstabber.
  • Shotzi b Isla Dawn. Alba Fyre was in the corner and interfered freely.
  • Karrion Kross b Butch clean. Scarlett interfered a lot.
  • Iyo Sky retained the WWE title in a three-way over Charlotte Flair and Asuka when Sky reversed an Asuka lock into a pin on Asuka. This, and the six-man tag were the only matches without a lot of outside interference, and the six-man was set up by a lot of interference 
  • Austin Theory b Cameron Grimes when Grayson Waller interfered 
  • Raquel Rodriguez b Bayley with the Tejana bomb. Rodriguez, who is from that part of Texas, got a giant reaction coming out. Sky interfered and was booted out. Rodriguez cut a hometown babyface promo after the match. 
  • LA Knight b Solo Sikoa in a street fight with the BFT. Jimmy Uso interfered many times in this match.

For Google searches this week, UFC 294 was No. 2 yesterday behind Penn State with 1 million, which these days usually means a good PPV number. Nothing in pro wrestling or boxing made the top 20 on any day this past week. The death of futbol/soccer legend Sir Bobby Charlton of the U.K. was No. 11. Charlton, who was 86, was one of Britain’s all-time greats in the sport and has a statue at Old Trafford in Manchester.

Dana White also said they are in talks regarding signing Michael Venom Page, who is 21-2 and has been one of Bellator’s main pushed stars for a decade.

We’re looking for your thoughts on Impact Bound for Glory, thumbs up, down or middle, best and worst matches to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

We’re also looking for reports on tonight’s WWE house show in Laredo, TX and today’s Impact tapings in Chicago, results, finishes, angles and other highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

The two weekend matches I’ve heard are the best are the Will Ospreay vs. Mike Bailey match from Bound for Glory yesterday, and the Yuma Aoyagi vs. Kento Miyahara match from All Japan for the Triple Crown.

With the highest ticket prices in history for a show, the 11/11 UFC 30th anniversary card at Madison Square Garden, headlined by Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, still has 3,700 tickets left. Very few tickets have moved in recent weeks due to the high prices.

This is what is announced for Dynamite on Wednesday after last night’s show in Memphis: MJF vs Juice Robinson for the diamond ring, Hikaru Shida vs. Ruby Soho for the AEW womens’ title, Young Bucks & Adam Page defend the ROH trios titles against The Hardys & Brother Zay, RVD & Hook as a tag team plus Kazuchika Okada & Orange Cassidy vs. Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli. In addition, Renee Paquette interviews Chris Jericho and Tony Khan will present Sting with a special gift.

C.M. Punk introduced the Chicago Black Hawks at their home opener last night at the United Center. He also narrated the video that opened the game.

Will Ospreay wrestles Josh Alexander at today’s Impact tapings in Chicago along with Alex Shelley vs. Jonathan Greasham, Tommy Dreamer vs. Crazzy Steve for the Digital Media title, Trey Miguel & Myron Reed & Zacharty Wentz vs. Juventud Guerrera & Black Taurus & Laredo Kid and Samuray del Sol vs. Alan Angels.

Trinity Fatu vs. Deonna Purrazzo for the Knockouts title has been announced for the 10/27 show in Newcastle, England, which is the Turning Point show. If Purrazzo doesn’t win, she can not challenge again for the title as long as Trinity is champion

Dillon Danis, who was under contract to Bellator, has been released.

RevPro British J Cup results from yesterday: Leon Slater b Will Kaven, Wild Boar b Alex Zayne, Harrison Bennett b Senza Volto, Mascara Dorada b Robbie X, Alex Windsor b Kanji to retain the British women’s title, Luke Jacobs b Ricky Knight Jr., Michael Oku b Gabe Kidd to keep the British title, Slater won the British J Cup in a four-way over Bennett, Boar and Dorada. (thanks to Shannon Walsh)

Zak Zodiac (Zak Knight, the brother of Saraya who was a character in the “Fighting with my Family” movie announced yesterday that his did his farewell match for the WAW (Knight family) promotion and that he was headed to the U.S. His parents congratulated him. Ricky talked about how hard it is when the kids move noting they’ve only seen Saraya ten times in the last decade. I know Zak was hoping to work for AEW but don’t know that is for sure where he’s going.

Sami Callihan, who is a free agent, was backstage at the AEW tapings last night.

Mike Tenay, during his Hall of Fame speech (we covered this on last night’s show) mentioned that Konnan was backstage. Tenay gave a great speech, talking heavily about Don West, Bobby Heenan and Dick Beyer. Scott D’Amore gave a speech introducing Tenay and talking heavily about West. Gail Kim also did the introduction for Traci Brooks. Frankie Kazarian in taped footage heavily put over what a nice person and great wife she was.

Jim Ross, in Memphis for Collision, visited yesterday morning with Jerry Lawler.

KENTA vs. Joey Janela for the Defy title was announced for 11/18 at Washington Hall in Seattle.

Mission Pro Wrestling from last night in San Antonio: Shay Kaarmichael DCOR Queen Uju, Gypsy Mac b Morgan Mercy, Mia Friday b Angel Blue, Lady Bird Monroe b Amira (not the Amira from the U.K., but the one from the Northwest), Jazmin Allure b Britnie Brooks, Zoe DuBois b JP Harlow in a casket match, Maya World b Izzy Moreno, MPW campion Tiffany Nieves b Christina Marie in a no DQ match. In the casket match, Harlow came out dressed like Vince McMahon while Joey Hyder came out of the casket dressed like Shane McMahon (thanks to Shannon Walsh)

At the show, Walker Stewart, who starts soon with New Japan, was announcing with Veda Scott and called her “The lovely Miss Veda Scott” and she came back and said, “Veda Scott will do just fine thank you!”