Daily Update: WWE Hall of Fame, WWE SmackDown, AEW Rampage

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

*The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site. It’s got the most detailed coverage from a business standpoint and creative standpoint, covering AEW Revolution including reader feedback on that show, UFC 285 and the Stardom show this past weekend.

*Match and performer of the week

*The longest singles title matches since 1970 all over the world

*MJF vs Danielson and comparisons to other Iron Man matches

*Evaluating MJF as a performer and a drawing card

*Early PPV numbers along with gate numbers from San Francisco and other business metrics

*The return of FTR

*The potential of the AEW tag team division

*AEW repeat PPV business notes

*Movie theater business for Revolution

*San Francisco records

*Future AEW directions

*Full details on WWE’s attempt to get gambling legal on its outcomes and what steps and how its business will have to change to make this happen

*Full coverage of UFC 285 including Jon Jones legacy and future, Alexa Grasso’s win and business notes regarding the show including what unique note thee was about the prelims this week

*Full details on the amended lawsuit MLW has filed against WWE, McDevitt talks, what new things are added and what it says about the MLW relationship with REELZ, and lots of business notes from the lawsuit regarding the wrestling television rights fees

*Stardom puts on its best show of the year and a look at the very different excellent matches

*Notes on the first few days of the New Japan Cup and where things stand

*TV ratings over the past week as well as segment-by-segment notes, competition and the whys of how everything went down

*The unique team challenge tournament CMLL finished up this past week

*AAA star faces claims by girlfriend of domestic violence and both CMLL and AAA talk about the situation

*Notes on the joint NWA and AAA show put together as part of a Smashing Pumpkins concert 

*Notes on retirement of Daisuke Harada

*New Japan anniversary show and New Japan Cup notes*Zero-1 runs 22nd anniversary show

*Notes from Creed III

*Big shows over Mania weekend not from WWE

*Major questions on AEW talent and their media talks

*What international star AEW tried to get for San Francisco and why it didn’t happen

*International TV ratings and streaming numbers for WWE & AEW and what NXT segment scored huge

*Upcoming ticket advances for WWE & AEW shows

*Dana White on the future of Power Slap

*48-year-old world champion wrestler has retirement MMA fight soon

*Notes on Vince McMahon’s return backstage at the Boston show

*Wells Fargo Securities predictions on Smackdown negotiations and the value of Raw & Smackdown right now

*WWE performer talks trying to go to the 2024 Olympics and is training for MMA as well

*WWE injury updates

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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Friday Update

Garrett Gonzales and I did our week in review show plus have an interview with Madusa that I promise you do not want to miss as the bulk of the show. Bryan and I will do our weekend show on Sunday night.

Sportico had a listing of the 50 highest paid athletes of all-time. No. 8 was Floyd Mayweather at $1.41 billion. Mike Tyson was No. 16 at $875 million. No. 21 was Manny Pacquiao at $725 million. No. 24 was George Foreman at $680 million. No. 27 was Oscar De La Hoya at $665 million. No. 33 was Conor McGregor at $615 million. No. 38 was Evander Holyfield at $600 million.

The 3/31 WWE show at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles which will be Smackdown and the Hall of Fame is almost sold out. Over 14,000 tickets have been distributed for the show.

The first Hall of Fame announcement is scheduled for tonight. PWInsider listed one confirmed person, as rumored, will be Keiji Muto. 

Announced for Smackdown tonight in Pittsburgh is Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus vs. Karrion Kross vs. LA Knight vs. Xavier Woods with the winner getting an IC title match with Gunther at WrestleMania, plus Ricochet & Braun Strowman vs. Viking Raiders. Jey Uso is on the show.

AEW Rampage tonight at 10 p.m. on TNT has The Acclaimed vs. Starboy Charlie & Jack Cartwheel, Riho vs. Nyla Rose, Konosuke Takeshita vs.; Preston Vance and Action Andretti vs. Sammy Guevara. We were told that the Riho match and Guevara match were very good. Mark Briscoe and Jack Perry will also be on the show.

The 3/26 A&E Biography two hour slot will have two one-hour shows instead of a two-hour show, with Charlotte Flair and Yokozuna.

We are looking for reports on these weekend shows

*Smackdown tonight in Pittsburgh (dark matches and anything not on the live show)

*NXT house show tonight in Dade City, FL

*WWE house show Saturday night Youngstown, OH

*NXT house show Saturday night in St. Petersburg, FL

*WWE house show Sunday night in Madison Square Garden

Looking for results, finishes, highlights and anything else notable on the shows to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

Latest BetOnline odds for WrestleMania: 

*Cody Rhodes -550 Roman Reigns +325. Very interesting that they have Rhodes as a huge favorite to win.

*Rhea Ripley -800 Charlotte Flair +425. Similar here.

*Asuka -200 Bianca Belair +150

*Austin Theory -500 John Cena +300

*Logan Paul -200 Seth Rollins +150. Seth should not lose this match in my mind.

*Brock Lesnar -1800 Omos +600

*Lynch & Lita & Stratus -1000 Damage CTRL +500

WWE is sending HHH, Undertaker, Rhea Ripley and Kofi Kingston to SXSW in Austin, TX for a panel discussion on WrestleMania.

John Cena is filming the movie “Grand Death Lotto” currently.

Taya Valkyrie has become the betting favorite to be the surprise opponent of Jade Cargill in Winnipeg. This is not official, only that Cargill will defend her title against a mystery woman from Canada. It’s either The Bunny or somebody new to the company and we do know Valkyrie has an agreement to start with either WWE or AEW very shortly.

The WWE made deals with the St. Louis Cardinals for an 8/17 WWE Night and the Chicago Cubs will have a WWE Night on 8/28. That usually means a special guest from WWE will be appearing at the games. Charles “”Godfather” Wright will be a guest for a minor league game with Reading, PA’s R-Phils against Binghamton on 7/28.

Tonight’s Mistico vs. Atlantis Jr. main event at Arena Mexico will be the first time that building has had a main event with 10:00 time limit. It will also have the final angle leading to the Oraculo, Volador Jr., Angel de Oro and Rocky Romero four-way hair match that headlines next Friday’s show. The belief is next week’s show will draw in the vicinity of 16,000 fans.

UFC tomorrow from Las Vegas is a pure ESPN+ show with a big main event:

*Carlston Harris (169.5) vs. Jared Gooden (177) – Gooden will forfeit 30 percent of his purse for missing weight by six pounds

*Tyson Nam (125.5) vs. Bruno Silva (125.5)

*Victor Henry (136) vs. Tony Gravely (136)

*Ariane Lipski (125.5) vs. JJ Aldrich (125.5)

*Mario Bautista (136) vs. Guido Cannetti (136)

*Sedriques Dumas (184.5) vs. Josh Fremd (186)

*Raphael Assuncao (136) vs. Davey rant (136)

*Karl Williams (240.5) vs. Lukasz Brzeski (245)

*Vitor Petrino (204) vs. Anton Turkalj (205)

*Said Nurmagomedov (136) vs. Jonathan Martinez (135.5)

*Nikita Krylov (213) vs. Ryan Spann (213) – This was contracted at 215 pounds

*Alexander Volkov (258) vs. Alexandr Romanov (264.5)

*Petr Yan (136) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (134.5)

*The Ricardo Ramos vs. Austin Lingo fight was canceled when Ramos weighed in at 154 for a fight where the maximum weight was 146.

Gabriel Santos will replace Nathaniel Wood for next Saturday’s UFC show in London and face Lerone Murphy on a PPV show headlined by Leon Edwards defending the welterweight title against Kamaru Usman.

Other Notes

Stardom from earlier today at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo: Rina won three-way over Miyu Amasaki and Hina, Saki Kashima & Fukigen Death b Koguma & Momo Kohgo, Ami Sohrei b Lady C to keep the Future of Stardom title, Syuri & Mirai b Momo Watanabe & Starlight Kid, Giulia & Maika & Mai Sakurai & Thekla b Mayu Iwatani & Hazuki & Hanan & Saya Iida, Utami Hayashishita & Saya Kamitani & AZM d Tam Nakano & Mina Shirakawa & Mariah May 15:00, Natsupoi b Himeka, Nanae Takahashi & Yuu retained the Goddesses of Stardom tag titles over Natsuko Tora & Ruaka (thanks to Shannon Walsh)

Fuwa-Chan who is a comedian who is well known in Japan, will be wrestling on the 4/23 Stardom show at the Yokohama Arena.

Coastal Championship Wrestling announced they are going to start up under the name Championship Wrestling from Florida with Kevin Sullivan as Executive Producer and Creative Director. David Heath will also be producer and head of talent relations and Bill Alfonso will be producer and head of media Relations. They will begin filming a television show in May and plan to start running a regular schedule in July.

Shad Khan’s yacht is for sale (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)

PFL Challengers Series tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern on Fubo Sports:

*Impa Kasanganay (203.4) vs. Osama Eisaidy (205)

*Taylor Johnson (205.6) vs. Trey Williams (204.8)

*Tristan Overig (205.2) vs. Billy Elekana (205.8)

*Monte Morrison (202.4) vs. Roland Dunlap (205.8)

Lady Apache was announced for the 5/13 Queen of Indies show in San Francisco.

Pac vs. Big Damo was announced for the OTT ScrapperMania on 3/17 at The Hangar in Wolverhampton.

Kirk White’s Big Time Wrestling on 3/18 at the Newark Pavilion in Newark, CA has Colt Cabana, Aaron Solo, Levi Shapiro, Kal Jack and Willow Nightingale on the show.

Defy tomorrow night in Seattle at Washington Hall has Kushida & Jet Knight vs. Bollywood Boyz, Top Flight vs. Midnight Heat (Ricky Gibson & Eddie Pearl), Schaff vs. Homicide, Clark Connors vs. Artemis Spencer vs. Cody Chhun and Action Andretti vs. Guillermo Rosas.