Daily Update: WWE Barcelona, Batista, Hirooki Goto
Daily Update
Latest News
- Leyla Hirsch not expected to re-sign with AEW as contract expires Friday
- Report: Stephanie McMahon to launch official WWE podcast
- Eddie Kingston gives update on physical and mental health
- Lex Luger ‘always hopeful’ for WWE Hall of Fame induction
- Bandido & Powerhouse Hobbs teaming up on AEW Collision
- NJPW reveals show schedule for Best of the Super Juniors 2025
- Roman Reigns announced for two international WWE SmackDown episodes
- For subscribers: Bryan Alvarez’s AEW Dynamite report
Latest Audio
- WOL: AEW Dynamite, Elimination Chamber, Eddie Kingston
- WOR: Vince McMahon, TKO finances, AEW and NXT
Latest Free YouTube Video
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Some highlights:
- A full look at AEW Grand Slam in Brisbane, Australia. The mentality behind the show, a look at the card, ratings, booking, business and more
- NXT Vengeance Day coverage
- The life and times of Gran Hamada, great wrestler, influential in history, including the glory days of LLI at El Toreo and his biggest matches and feuds, booking to make a star, biggest feuds, multiple world titles and far more huge crowds than people would ever realize. Plus the Tiger Mask heyday, matches of the year candidates in his late 40s, and the start of multiple different companies
- A look at the next WWE & AEW PPV shows
- The most detailed look at TV ratings and streaming for RAW, including how every show has compared with a year ago, the weekly standings, demos, quarters, every wrestling show on Netflix and more.
- CMLL announces its second biggest show of the year
- Valentine’s Day at Arena Mexico
- Big head-to-head battle in Mexico City on Saturday
- Fantastica Mania starts’
- More on the awards issue including multiple category placers
- Lots of AEW business notes
- WWE & AEW ticket sales for upcoming show including multiple PPVs
- Lots of new UFC main events announced
- Topuria vacates featherweight title
- Aaron Pico on leaving PFL
- Notes on Mania plans
- Notes on Dwayne Johnson being back
- Michelle McCool Hall of Fame story
- Notes on Hall of Fame update
- Trauma of leaving WWE
- Ricky Starks
- Sonya Deville talks being let go
- Michael Cole on the Corey Graves story
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue
- August 13, 2007 Observer Newsletter: Vince McMahon lashes out amid congressional investigations, Pacman Jones & TNA
Thursday Update
WWE
- A dark match between Gunther and AJ Styles has been announced for WWE’s SmackDown event in Barcelona on Friday, March 14.
- TNA star Moose thanked everyone in WWE and TNA who contributed to making his NXT debut possible: “Special Thanks to everyone who made this happen from @WWE @WWENXT and @ThisIsTNA the last 2 weeks has been incredible. Tons of Gratitude”
- Actor and WWE legend Dave Bautista will be one of the presenters at this year’s Oscars, which are being broadcast live on ABC and Hulu this Sunday (March 2).
- Roxanne Perez tweeted ahead of competing in her first-ever Elimination Chamber match this Saturday: “10 years ago I began my wrestling journey and made a promise to my 13 year old self that I’d make it to Wrestlemania one day. I won’t let it slip through my fingers, this one’s for her.”
- Sean “X-Pac” Waltman was the guest on No-Contest Wrestling this week.
- In their countdown of the 50 best matches in WrestleMania history, WWE ranked Triple H vs. Sting from WrestleMania 31 in the 49th spot.
- WWE Shop released a new “I Want Your Soul” T-shirt featuring The Rock following his return on SmackDown last Friday.
- Logan Paul uploaded a new episode of his vlog.
- Counted Out interviewed WWE producer TJ Wilson (Tyson Kidd).
AEW/Other Wrestling
- Buddy Matthews, who suffered an ankle injury at AEW Grand Slam Australia this month, posted a photo to his Instagram stories of himself wearing a walking boot.
- Christopher Daniels appeared on this week’s edition of AEW Unrestricted.
- In an interview with NJPW’s website, Hirooki Goto said he was surprised by how many foreign fans were happy for him after his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship win. Goto responded when asked if he’s heard from his friend Katsuyori Shibata:
- Just ‘I’m waiting in America!’ [laughs]. I got a few messages from other wrestlers, foreign wrestlers over there I wrestled before. I was surprised how happy so many foreign fans were for me.
- Ronda Rousey will be at WrestleCon’s convention in Las Vegas during WrestleMania week, with her appearance happening on Friday, April 18.
- Jonathan Gresham is accepting bookings at the email jonathangresham@rocketmail.com.
- A new Chris Bey “Greatest Story Ever Told” shirt is now available on Pro Wrestling Tees.
- MMA fighter and pro wrestler Shinya Aoki will make his Bloodsport debut at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XIII in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 17.
- GCW has booked Megan Bayne vs. Zayda Steel for their No Compadre show in Chicago on Saturday, March 29. It’s a matchup pitting an AEW wrestler against a WWE ID prospect.
- GCW is coming to Kansas City, Missouri for the first time with a show taking place on Sunday, June 22.
- Satoshi Kojima will be an entrant in MLW Battle Riot VII in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 5.
- Daria Berenato (the former Sonya Deville) and her wife Toni debuted the first episode of their Unwrapped podcast.