Daily Update: WWE house shows, wrestling in China, UFC 207

THE ROUND-UP

The Latest from the F4W Staff

NEWS

AUDIO

Raw will be live on Monday from Chicago while Smackdown will be in Madison Square Garden headlined by A.J. Styles vs. John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose in a three-way for the title.  We’re looking on reports from Chicago for Main Event matches, dark matches, and anything else not on the television show to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com.

Smackdown will be Tuesday in Chicago with three title matches announced, Styles vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin for the WWE title, Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch for the women’s title and a four-way tag title match with The Wyatt Family vs. Usos vs Heath Slater & Rhyno vs. American Alpha, plus the television return of Cena. There will also be a Raw house show on Tuesday night in St. Louis.

Wednesday has a Raw house show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and a Smackdown show in Nashville.

RIZIN ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT 1 A.M. EASTERN AND 10 P.M. PACIFIC FROM THE SAITAMA SUPER ARENA

  • Satoru Kitaoka vs Daron Cruickshank
  • Kanna Asakura vs Alyssa Garcia
  • Vadim Nemkov vs. Aliston Vicente in a tournament substitute bout
  • Yusuke Yachi vs. Mario Sismundo
  • Tatsumitsu Wada vs. Kai Kara-France
  • Yuki Motoya vs. Allan Nascimento
  • Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Andy Souwer
  • Tenshin Nakusawa vs. Nikita Sapun
  • Rin Nakai vs. Kanako Murata
  • Valentin Moldavsky vs. Szymon Bajor in the tournament quarterfinals
  • Amir Aliakbari vs. Heath Herring in the tournament quarterfinals
  • Baruto Kaido vs. Tsuyoshi Kosaka in the tournament quarterfinals
  • Mirko Cro Cop vs. King Mo Lawal in the tournament quarterfinals

FIGURE FOUR WEEKLY: 12/12/2016 The Paige/Alberto Del Rio relationship isn’t funny anymore

International Wrestling Revolution Group, or IWRG, has been one of Mexico’s top independent promotions for over two decades. Yet aside from the period where it was the Mexican home of Ultimo Dragon’s students when Toryumon was getting off the ground, the promotion rarely got much international attention… Subscribers click here to continue.

WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER: December 26, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE announces UK tournament, Urijah Faber retires, more

A look at WWE and New Japan gearing up for a changing pro wrestling landscape in 2017 with new moves and ideas planned by each side is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The story notes the WWE new moves in the U.K., the U.K. scene, the top talent there, notes on who WWE signed and why they didn’t sign the biggest names, long-term WWE plans for the market, HHH talks about WWE producing so much content and thoughts on how this changes the mentality of a lot of wrestlers in the U.K. 

New Japan is making moves to expand internationally and its owner, Takaaki Kidani, talks about what he feels are the weakness of the WWE business model and why he thinks they will be running into trouble in just a few years.

This issue examines Urijah Faber’s career and the rise of lighter weight fighters, the success of Paige VanZant as a drawing card and what that means going forward, as well as future thoughts on Michelle Waterson, Mickey Gall and the others from Saturdays’ UFC show.

WWE’s final PPV show of 2016, Roadblock End of the Line is covered. Also, there’s talk about public interest, business notes on the show, what happened in the key bouts, the booking and why things happened the way they did, along with match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

Finally, there is an update on Mick Foley, what the original plans were for him and why they changed, and why he’ll soon be taking time off.  Also, an update on Zack Ryder, a new WWE signee, a successful WWE franchise, advertised main events for this week’s television, WWE star competes in major fitness contest soon, as well as the most watched shows on the WWE Network, inside this issue.

Subscribers click here to continue.

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WON BACK ISSUE:December 5, 1999 WWF losing advertisers, Steve Austin gets good news regarding neck, more – If you’re looking for this week’s top story to be simplified into good vs. evil, you’re looking in the wrong place. After two years of the WWF’s new direction turning it into prime advertising for companies aiming products at in particular, teenage and young adult males, suddenly, this week advertisers were dropping like flies… Subscribers click here to continue.

MONDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be back tonight for Wrestling Observer Radio talking the latest news as well as covering Raw. You can also send questions to the show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com.

Sorry to report the death of retired Lt Col. Eduardo Garcia yesterday. Garcia is the father of Lilian Garcia. Eduardo Garcia had been battling cancer for some time and the key reason Garcia left WWE was to be with her father as he was battling the disease that they were told was terminal.

The New York Times today has a story on WWE trying to make it in China.

The San Francisco Chronicle has a Cow Palace history story. Both Roller Derby and wrestling get mentioned, although not the best mention for either. The Roller Derby mention on Ann Calvello’s debut was seven years off, and while history has remembered her after her death as the biggest star, and she was the most popular Bombers women skater in the late 50s, the most popular and biggest stars were Charlie O’Connell and Joan Weston and the heyday were the championship games from 1960 to probably 1973. The Battle Royal reference was after the peak as the heyday of Cow Palace wrestling would have been 1961 to 1963, the biggest Battle Royals probably 1971-74, and the biggest event ever really when it comes to history would be the Thesz vs. Nomellini matches in the 50s because those were major sports events in the city.

WWE

  • The Raw brand house shows are scheduled right now as Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins vs. Chris Jeircho, Cesaro & Sheamus vs. New Day vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson, Cass vs. Rusev, Sami Zayn vs. Braun Strowman, R-Truth & Goldust & Sin Cara & Curtis Axel & Rich Swann & Darren Young vs. Shining Stars & Titus O’Neil & Jinder Mahal & Neville & Bo Dallas, Sasha Banks & Bayley & Alicia Fox & Liv Morgan vs. Charlotte & Dana Brooke & Emmalina & Nia Jax.
  • The Smackdown brand house shows are scheduled as A.J. Styles vs. John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose for the WWE title, Wyatt Family vs. American Alpha vs. Usos vs. Breeze & Fandango vs. Rhyno & Heath Slater vs. Ascension for tag titles, Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler for IC title, Alexa Bliss vs Becky Lynch for women’s title, Baron Corbin vs. Kalisto, Apollo Crews & Jack Swagger & Mojo Rawley vs. Vaudevillains & Curt Hawkins, Nikki Bella vs. Carmella.

UFC

  • With Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum off, the new five-fight PPV show for Friday’s UFC 207 has Ray Borg vs. Louis Smolka, Tarec Saffiedine vs. Dong Hyun Kim, TJ Dillashaw vs. John Lineker, Dominick Cruz vs. Cody Garbrandt for the bantamweight title and Amanda Nunes vs. Ronda Rousey for the women’s bantamweght title.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • The show “Tainted Dreams” starring TNA’s Jessie Godderz debuts toady on Amazon, Amazon Prime and Amazon Video. Godderz plays Dylan Buckwald a lead character. The show is about a crew that works on the cast of a fictitious soap opera loosely based on real life experiences from working on a soap opera. Lisa Marie Varon also has a regular role in the show.
  • Best in the West Wrestling was scheduled to debut on the local NBC affiliate this past weekend after Saturday Night Live at 1 a.m., but the company announced the television debut on KSEE will be moved back two weeks, after the holidays. They also announced a 1/1 show at the training center at 5494 E. Lamona Ave #150 at 6 p.m. They are taping on 1/8 in Visalia, CA at the Veterans Memorial Building with Joey Ryan vs. Virgil Flynn.
  • Cross Body Pro Wrestling on 1/7 in Kitchener, ONT at 69 Agnes St.

Today in Professional Wrestling History (12/26): Starrcade 1988

CONTACT INFORMATION

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