Daily Update: WWE & AEW tapings, Hulk Hogan, Brock Lesnar

DAILY UPDATE

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WON NEWSLETTER: April 6, 2020 Observer Newsletter: Florida lockdown, WrestleMania preview

With UFC, WWE and AEW as being among the last events still trying to run in the U.S., the last vestiges of doing empty arena matches may have been shut down.

On 4/1, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered a 30-day stay-at-home order except for essential businesses. That would in theory eliminate the planned 4/18 UFC 249 show that was targeted for the state, and also eliminate both WWE and AEW from taping at least in April in the state.

AEW had just moved out of Jacksonville and into Norcross, GA, just outside of Atlanta, a decision made on 3/27. WWE was planning on doing Smackdown live at the Performance Center on 4/10, and now they would have to find either a new location or do studio wrap-arounds of old matches.

However that isn’t so simple either because Connecticut, where the WWE studios are, also has a stay-at-home order for non-essential businesses.

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FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE

AEW finished taping last night and could possibly get as much as two months worth of shows out of what has been taped the past few weeks. WWE is scheduled to tape again somewhere sometime over the next week. 

Smackdown tonight has John Cena appearing to accept the challenge of Bray Wyatt for WrestleMania plus Miz TV with The New Day, Miz & Morrison and Usos. It will be interesting to see how Miz not being in the tag team match and it turning into a new match does or doesn’t get explained tonight, as well as how the change from Roman Reigns to Braun Strowman as Bill Goldberg’s opponent either does or doesn’t get explained.

Regarding rumors Hulk Hogan appears at WrestleMania this year, he was not at anything taped on location. I believe he’s not but things can be edited in late and nobody would know, but stories he was there taping a segment were not the case. There is one match described as rather cinematic.

For Canadian independent wrestlers, there are government programs to help you during these times where you have no work. This also goes for MMA fighters. Check here for more information. There are similar programs for U.S. independent wrestlers and fighters.  

 WWE

  • Even though most places have pulled odds since the bouts are taped, www.BetOnline.ag is listing these odds:
    Shayna Baszler -180 vs. Becky Lynch +140
    Drew McIntyre -350 vs. Brock Lesnar +225
    Rhea Ripley -180 vs. Charlotte Flair +140
    Sasha Banks  +100 vs. Bayley +125 vs. Lacey Evans +400 vs. Naomi +650 vs. Tamina +3300
    Sami Zayn -200 vs. Daniel Bryan +150
    Miz & Morrison +100 vs. Usos +125 vs. New Day +30. Keep in mind this match didn’t happen so I guess betting on it would be a waste of time
    Edge -500 vs. Randy Orton +300
    Kevin Owens -220 vs. Seth Rollins +150
    Bray Wyatt -500 vs. John Cena +300
    Undertaker -400 vs. A.J. Styles +250
    Aleister Black -700 vs. Bobby Lashley +400
    Elias -120 vs. King Corbin -120
    Otis -170 vs. Dolph Ziggler +130
  • The 5/1 Smackdown taping in Albany, NY was moved to 9/25.
  • Marc Raimondi has a great story of different people giving their experiences with Brock Lesnar in both pro wrestling and MMA.
  • Drew McIntyre did a quick interview with the Asbury Park Press’ entertainment writer this morning, noting that he’s liked the simple build to his match with Brock Lesnar. “We don’t need a complex story. Sometimes I think we do overcomplicate things. If you tune in for the first time, you’ve the missed maybe three weeks prior, you know what’s going on: we see Drew McIntyre, Brock Lesnar, two big guys, two guys that like to fight, two guys fighting for the title, very simple.”
  • The Sporting News & DAZN interviewed McIntyre.
  • The DC all news station ranks the best WrestleMania matches. (thanks to Chris Cruise)

UFC

MISCELLANEOUS

  • The movie “My Father is a Heel Wrestler” starring Hiroshi Tanahashi will be put up this weekend on New Japan World.
  • Great North Wrestling’s 13th anniversary show scheduled for 8/8 in Ottawa has been postponed indefinitely.
  • USA Wrestling has announced all sanctioned events are shut down through 5/10, extending the delay which had originally been through 4/20.
  • Irv Muchnick’s new book, an updated edition of “Chris & Nancy: The True Story of the Benoit Murder-suicide and Pro Wrestling’s Cocktail of Death” is available now from ECW Press.
  • CWE on 5/8 in Terrace, BC at the Elks Lodge with Shane Douglas vs. Vance Neavda and The Sons of Savagery from ROH appearing.  Of course I’d say odds are good this doesn’t happen. They also announced 5/7 in Prince Rupert, BC with Douglas vs Robin Lekime and the Sons of  Savagery, 5/9 in Prince George, BC at the Connaught Youth Centre and 5/11 in Squamish BC at the Howe Sound Secondary School.
  • Hoosier Pro Wrestling in Indiana announced they are canceling all dates through the end of June. 
  • Evolve is broadcasting taped shows from its library for free each day. Evolve 141 will debut at 10 p.m. tonight Eastern and Evolve 142 will air on Saturday at Noon.
  • Mance Warner vs. MJF in a loser leaves town match will air tomorrow night at 10 p.m. on Bein Sports and at 6:05 p.m. on YouTube.
  • PWInsider reported Teddy Hart being released from the Richmond, VA City Jail today.
  • Podcast interview by On The Turnbuckle with Royce Chambers talking about his DDT experience. 
  • Nor ‘Phoenix’ Diana who is a Malaysian wrestler (and the first wrestler to perform wearing a hijab) was profiled on Forbes Asia’s 30 under 30 list. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
  • The New York Times covered the art & wrestling anthology – Orange Crush: The Journal of Art & Wrestling in their recommendations for the week.
  • A masters project on Rikidozan. 
  • Tommy Dreamer recently did a live stream on his House of Hardcore Twitch channel and talked about his offer to sell his title belt to Zack Ryder. (thanks to Himanshu D)  
  • Wrestling Travel and ManiaCrawl will this Saturday present the first-ever ‘Virtual ManiaCrawl’ LIVE on Twitch, raising money for those affected by Covid-19. 
  • ManiaCrawl and WT were set to partner up to host the 7th-Annual ManiaCrawl in Tampa, FL this Sunday, but due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, those plans were shelved. Mick Foley, has already sent a video to the ManiaCrawl team to show his support for the event.
  • A story on the Bruno Sammartino Foundation donating $10,000 to area food banks. (thanks to Chris Cruise)
  • A Quarantine-Fest Wrestling Playlist to keep people entertained.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Wrestlemania XXI

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