Daily Update: UFC 314 fallout, Linda McMahon, Tom Brady

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

  • Running down AEW Dynasty, controversy over the finish, where the angles look to be going, Young Bucks return, what the PPV number says and what to learn from it, long-term, Chris Jericho update, Why the show was long, Swerve vs. Booker and match-by-match rundowns.
  • Update on the Mania card, what matches are on what night, what is up in the air on the card, length, odds, Kevin Owens injury, Paul Heyman angle, Flair vs Stratton and Stand & Deliver, ticket demand and more.
  • New Japan Sakura Geneis report, angles at the show, Best of the Super Juniors and Windy City Riot.
  • Update on the legal strategy of WWE, Vince McMahon and Linda McMahon regarding the ringboys lawsuit.
  • El Hijo del Santo’s possible last match in Mexico City
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the pro wrestling shows, including comparisons with a year ago quarters, demos, placings and competition.
  • Fantastica Mania Mexico
  • Arena Mexico hosting tournament of champions
  • Mina Shirakawa leves Stardom
  • Dragon Gate in Las Vegas
  • Lots of Las Vegas lineups for this coming week
  • Champion Carnival in All Japan begins
  • Junior Sakura Geneis thoughts
  • Anniversary of a legendary match
  • Advance ticket sales to the major WWE & AEW & Las Vegas wrestling events
  • Injury updates
  • Ospreay on Owen Hart
  • Aaron Pico signs with UFC
  • Major 2010 feud rematch falls apart
  • Lex Luger Hall of Fame notes
  • Legacy Hall of Fame notes

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Sunday Update

dave@wrestlingobserver.com

  • We have two new weekend shows on the site today. We walked with Marc Mero on Friday as well as went over the news from the week. Last night we talked UFC, WWE WrestleMania, AEW, New Japan in Chicago, media rights for 2026, and a lot more.
  • Last night’s Collision had a push for a loaded Dynamite show on Wednesday. Collision will be live Thursday from Boston. The Wednesday show from Boston, which will break the Nitro record for most episodes of a prime time pro wrestling show on the Turner Networks, has Jon Moxley (replacing an injured Pac) & Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta defending the trios titles against Samoa Joe & Hook & Katsuyori Shibata, Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita in the Owen Hart tournament, Mercedes Mone vs. Athena in the Owen Hart tournament, Adam Page vs Wild Card in the Owen Hart tournament, and Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin defend the tag titles against the Gates of Agony.
  • Linda McMahon in the Los Angeles Times on ending DEI programs in education.
  • Bayley vs. Liv Morgan has been added to Raw tomorrow in Sacramento. Not exactly Bayley’s home city but 125 miles away. It’s the WrestleMania go-home show. The only other announced match was AJ Styles vs. Karrion Kross. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, CM Punk and Paul Heyman will be shooting their last Raw angle and Gunther and Logan Paul are there.
  • We’re looking for your thoughts on New Japan’s Windy City Riot. You can leave as thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobservercom
  • We’re looking for ROH spoilers from last night’s AEW show in Springfield, MA, results finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • WMC-TV, which carried pro wrestling for decades in Memphis and Kamala (or Kimala it was at first) debuted with the gimmick there drawing huge with Jerry Lawler, ran a story on Kamala in the WWE Hall of Fame.
  • Tom Brady teased that he may be attending WrestleMania in an interview with Fox News.
  • As far as Google searches, last night’s UFC PPV did 910,000 which is low for a PPV, but I’d expect interest to be down on the PPV. Aside from the main events, the most interest was Paddy Pimblett and Yair Rodriguez. WrestleMania had 30,000 searches over the weekend.
  • Regarding the main event, every media scorer had it for Alexander Volkanovski, most 49-46 and giving Diego Lopes only round four. Round two was close due to the Lopes knockdown at the end of the round. Derek Cleary was the only judge to give him round two.  87 percent of media scores were 49-46. There were 8 percent of fan scores at MMA Decisions for Lopes.  
  • The tease on Windy City Riot for the 5/9 New Japan show in Ontario, CA is Young Bucks & Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows vs. Bullet Club War Dogs. This hasn’t been announced yet but the Young Bucks did a video issuing the challenge and teasing Anderson & Gallows as their partners.
  • Based on international returns, the audience for SmackDown outside the U.S. on Friday was roughly the same as the prior week which would be a good thing.
  • LFG tonight at 8 p.m. features Devon Dudley in as the guest of Bubba Ray. Rivals at 9:30 p.m. is on Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins. Greatest Moments at 10:30 p.m. is about WrestleManias of the 80s.
  • Bloodsport announced that Tank Abbott, Don Frye and Mark Kerr would be making guest appearances at the 4/17 show. They are also doing meet and greets at Wrestlecon on Friday and Saturday.
  • Drew McIntyre cut his head open on the Friday Smackdown angle when Damien Priest rammed his head into the ring steps. You could see the blood on McIntyre’s hands but not on his forehead because the cut was on the top of his head and his hair covered it. He’s fine but that’s two straight weeks he’s gotten hurt in doing this angle with Priest.
  • Will Kaven defends the British cruiserweight title against Lio Rush on the 4/20 RevPro show at the Doncaster Dome.
  • All Japan Champion Carnival results from today in Hiroshima:
    • (B) Hokuto Omor (2 points)  b Ryuki Honda (2)
    • (A) Davey Boy Smith Jr. (4) b Kuma Arashi (0)
    • (B) Mike D Vecchio (6) b  Rei Saito (0)
    • (A) Kengo Mashimo (2) b Hideki Suzuki (4)
    • (A) Jun Saito (4) b Shotaro Ashino (0)
  • On Saturday, Bleeding Gums Wrestling, a Scotland-based hardcore group, had its Lust for Death 2 tournament with Jack Harrop beating Mickie Knuckles in the finals before a sellout at The Church in Dundee. Necro Butcher was on the show and had a bloodbath with Iceman (thanks to Bradley Craig)
  • Jonathan Gresham has been added to the Maple Leaf Wrestling show on 5/10 in Toronto.
  • Pure Pro Wrestling claimed 1,500 fans for its show last night in Flint, MI: Drake b James Alexander, Khaos b Tenshi to win the women’s title, Rohit Raju b Jack Price, Silas Young & Darling Roger b Sean Evans & Hannah Henderson, Danny Astrao b Dylan Night in a belt vs. career match, Midwest Misfits b Obsidian and 2 Fly & Upper Echelon in a ladder match Amazing Zondo & Ken Riddle b Gideon Malice & Tank, Father Tim b Rhino & Ray Adams to win the Michigan state title (thanks to Leonard Brand)