Daily Update: WWE invades China, UFC 203 sold out, Billy Corgan buying TNA?

THE ROUND-UP

The Latest from the F4W Staff

WWE sign seven recruits from China to developmental contracts – WWE sgins Wang as the ‘first-ever’ Chinese talent to sign a developmental deal. Unfortunately, it’s not the same purple wang from the F4W Empire.

SmackDown does lowest rating since brand split – Which is quite disappointing, especially since it’s the go home show for WWE Backlash this Sunday.

Kevin Owens on Sami Zayn: ‘In a lot of ways, we both achieved this’ – Long time pals Kevin Steen and El Generico have both “made it” in the WWE from ROH.

WOR: Cruiserweight Classic, Smackdown, CM Punk fighting Saturday, more! 9/8 –  Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez are back dicussing Noam Dar vs. Zach Sabre Jr. and the rest of the CWC, plus CM Punk’s preparation.

F4D: SPOILER-FREE preview of DELETE OR DECAY viewing, Smackdown, Impact, more! 9/7 – Bryan Alvarez and the Filthiest Tom Lawlor preview Broken Matt Hardy’s newest foray into the bizarre.

DR. KEITH PRESENTS: BANZAAAAIIIII!!! 9/7 – Alan4L and Kris Zellner breakdown the career of Yokozuna.

The Day In Punk: CM’s media day & 2-minute open workout, ‘hack journalists’ – This hack journalist still thinks he can win, despite seeing NOTHING in Punk’s two minute open workout other than some very basic grappling. Unimpressive, which may be the point.

Lucha Underground results: Pentagon Dark vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. – Like chocolate, darker versions are healthier. The same is true for Pentagon. 

WWE CWC results: Noam Dar vs. Zack Sabre Jr.; TJ Perkins vs. Rich Swann – If you thought NXT had some craziness, these quarter-final battles could have easily taken place at BOLA.

VIDEO: Watch CM Punk’s road to UFC 203 in ‘The Evolution of Punk’ – Evolution takes a really long time, so don’t expect to see Punk with a third eye or extra finger. 

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

NXT returns to action tonight with a show in Largo, FL. WWE will have the Raw crew plus John Cena on Friday in Pasay City, in the Philippines tomorrow before heading to Shanghai China on Saturday, and then to Baltimore on Monday. This is really one of the craziest travel weeks WWE has done, with a flight from Kansas City to London, London to Manila, Manila to Shanghai and then Shanghai to Baltimore.

TNA IMPACT TONIGHT

  • Hardys vs. Abyss & Crazzy Steve in the Delete or Decay match
  • Drew. Galloway vs. Braxton Sutter
  • Jade & Gail Kim vs. Sienna & Allie
  • Eli Drake vs. Jessie Godderz

        Billy Corgan will be announced on as the new President of the company, which is a shoot.

Figure Four Weekly: Figure Four Weekly 9/5/2016: WWE finally releases the “Last Battle of Atlanta” – WWE is getting ready to check another box off the wrestling video collectors’ holy grail list. WWE Network news reported over the weekend that Tommy Rich vs. Buzz Sawyer in “The Last Battle of Atlanta” will be added to the service on Tuesday, September 6th as part of a “Hidden Gems” playlist… Subscribers click here to continue reading.

F4W YouTube Page: Tons of clips and full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!

Wrestling Observer Newsletter: September 12, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: CM Punk making UFC debut, PWG Battle of Los Angeles review, more – A 19-month journey will come to an end, or to a new beginning on 9/10 when Phil Brooks, better known as C.M. Punk, steps into the cage in one of the biggest matches on the UFC 203 PPV card. While many people have tried to make analogies, using names like Brock Lesnar or James Toney, there is really nothing in UFC history really comparable to this. It was a weird experiment that many had written off as a failure six months into the story… Subscribers click here to continue reading.

Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer, or by using PayPal directing funds to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com. 

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WON BACK ISSUE: August 16, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Jim Ross, Jushin Liger, Keiji Mutoh, Lioness Asuka enter Hall of Fame – Details on the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame voting results… Subscribers click here to continue reading.

THURSDAY NEWS UPDATE

Billy Corgan has publicly stated in a Facebook broadcast that he is in negotiations to buy TNA. The company is currently owned by Corgan, Aroluxe Productions and Dixie Carter also has stock in it. Carter has been selling off percentages to raise money to continue to be able to do television.   

Saturday night’s UFC show in Cleveland is sold out. This is the first time in the market. It is expected to be the largest gate for any event ever in the Quicken Loans Arena. 

Smith Hart reported that Frenchy Martin (Don Gagne) has been moved to hospice care in Montreal due to suffering from bladder cancer. That is certainly very sad news. 

Alberto Del Rio will be holding a press conference in Mexico City tomorrow to discuss his situation with WWE. Del Rio has been in talks with different companies but at this point WWE has yet to officially announce a parting of the ways.  

Matt Taven will make his return to pro wrestling after knee surgery on tomorrow night’s show at Arena Mexico in Mexico City. He will team with Shocker & Mr. Niebla to face Maximo Sexy & Mascara Dorada & Volador Jr. in the semifinal match. He will be in CMLL for two weeks before returning to ROH.

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT

  • Kevin Owens talks his Universal title win.
  • This is a very interesting article from ESPN itself on its covering WWE. I know they got a lot of feedback on it and I’m wondering how that will be addressed. 
  • Stephanie McMahon has said that the reason her book isn’t coming out as scheduled is because she has much more to share and that it would be released next year.
  • Scott Garland, the former Scotty 2 Hotty, has been hired as a coach at the Performance Center in Orlando.
  • The code for all the NXT shows in California for presale: NXTLIVE 
  • Here are some videos of La Sombra (Andrade Cien Almas) at Arena Mexico Friday night for the Los Ingobernables reunion. (thanks to Antonio Garza)

TJ Perkinstalks the cruiserweight classic…

  • On the freedom wrestlers have in the Cruiserweight Classic that he felt after his first CWC match with Da Mack:

“It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. In 18 years, I had never been put in the ring and basically told just be yourself. It was the first time in two decades that’s ever happened. It was cool to go in there and what people got to see was just very raw, like pure, organic me. It showed because you can tell I’m having fun and it just felt a lot different. It opened up a lot of people’s perception of me.”

  • On getting to work with WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels at the last CWC tapings:

“It was good to be able to spend some time with him in a working environment where I could work with him on stuff from a philosophical point of view. It was great to get advice from him, to see how he operates and it’s incredible. It’s also encouraging because there’s a lot of like-minded philosophy and when that comes about, you get to a point where there’s no advice to be given because you guys are thinking on the same rhythm, then it encourages you because your education is better than you think it was. It was awesome to be in that environment. I wanted to tell him the whole time that my Mount Rushmore is your face four times (laughs)…or maybe three times and then Eddie (Guerrero) on the end. There’s not a lot of people that I would hold in the same regard. It was so cool that he’s in that environment and doing that. If you were to put people in tiers, he’s above every tier.”

  • On his matchup with Kota Ibushi in the Cruiserweight Classic finals and how big of a night it will be:

“We’ve never wrestled before and he’s amazing. He’s world class – an elite guy. It is the biggest situation I’ve ever been in mostly because it just seems unwinnable for a guy like me because he is who he is. It’s the biggest match I’ve been able to be a part of because of the social significance among wrestling fans.”

UFC

  • Ray Borg has been pulled from UFC 203 due to an illness, meaning for the second time in a row, Ian McCall has trained to fight and isn’t getting to.  McCall was supposed to fight Justin Scoggins on 7/30 in Atlanta, but Scoggins had problems cutting weight and the fight was canceled.
  • Gian Villante vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima has been added to the 11/12 show in Madison Square Garden. 
  • While the first week of Ultimate Fighter didn’t do good numbers in the ratings, the DVR viewership was 264,000 viewers, which is a very good number. On a percentage basis, it was a 71 percent increase in viewers. 
  • For those in Canada, The Fight Network will be airing the UFC 203 weigh-ins live at 6 p.m. tomorrow, the press conference live after the show, and will also be airing all four episodes of the C.M. Punk documentary before the show.

Here are the UFC 203 odds from www.Bovada.lv

  • Stipe Miocic -150
  • Alistair Overeem +120
  • Fabricio Werdum -225
  • Travis Browne +175
  • Mickey Gall -400
  • C.M. Punk +300
  • Drew Dober -180
  • Jason Gonzalez +150
  • C.B Dollaway -200
  • Francimar Barroso +160
  • Yancy Medeiros -135
  • Sean Spencer +105
  • Jessica Eye -150
  • Bethe Correia +120
  • Jessica Andrade -150
  • Joanne Calderwood +120
  • Jimmie Rivera -130
  • Urijah Faber +100
  • Some other notable odds
  • Miocic via decision -750
  • Overeem via decision -600
  • A draw +6600
  • Punk-Gall goes the distance +350
  • Punk wins in the first round +1000
  • Punk wins in the second round +1200
  • Punk wins in the third round +700

VARIETY

  • Josh Gross will be appearing on 9/14 at The Last Bookstore in Downtown Los Angeles at 7 p.m. to discuss the Ali vs. Inoki fight and sign copies of his book on the subject. The store is at 453 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013.
  • For fans of Memphis nostalgia, there’s a big show tomorrow night in Jonesboro, AR, at the old regular arena, the Earl Bell Community Center, headlined by Jerry Lawler vs. Jeff Jarrett. Also appearing include Karen Jarrett, Doug Gilbert, Bill Dundee and Dave Brown will be there as well.
  • MCW has announced for 9/23 a Ringside with Jim Ross and Jim Cornette at Jimmy’s Famous Seafood restaurant in Baltimore. The show starts at 8 p.m. Both will also be at a convention the next day with Bill Apter, Bret Hart, Jimmy Hart, Howard Finkel, Honky Tonk Man, Hillbilly Jim, Greg Valentine, Paul Orndorff, Koko Ware, Brutus Beefcake, Tito Santana, Jim Neidhart, Bob Orton Jr., Nikolai Vokoff, Dennis Stamp, Hornswoggle, Tammy Sytch, Typhoon, Magnum T.A., Terri Runnels, Angelina Love and more at the Joppa Market Place in Joppa, MD.
  • Evolve has a mini-documentary on DUSTIN (Chuck Taylor) here.
  • An interview with Gabe Sapolsky about not signing Will Ospreay and the WWE/NXT/Evolve relationship is here.
  • AAW on 9/16 in Merrionette Park, IL at 115 Bourbon  Street has Mat Fitchett & Davey Vega vs. Jake & Dave Crist for the AAW tag titles, Abyss vs. Sami Callihan, Chris Hero vs. Fenix, Jeff Cobb vs. Matt Riddle, Heidi Lovelace & Kimber Lee vs Devin & Mason Cutter, Josh Alexander vs. Drew Gulak plus AR Fox, Jack Evans, Andrew Everett, Trevor Lee, Moose, Jessicka Havok and Homicide.
  • Wrestle Pro on Saturday night in Rahway, NJ at the Rec Center with Pat Buck vs. Cody Rhodes as the main event. Buck beat Rhodes in his first pro match when both were at OVW. Also appearing include Ric Flair, Brian Myers, Grad, Dan Maff, Hornswoggle and more.
  • Absolute Intense Wrestling tomorrow night in Cleveland at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel with Dan Severn vs. Eddie Kingston, Josh Prohibition vs. Ethan Page, Grado vs. Colt Cabana, Heidi Lovelace vs. Shayna Baszler for the women’s title, Matt Riddle vs. Louis Lyndon, Michael Elgin vs. Alex Daniels, Candice LaRae vs. Britt Baker and B.J. Whitmer vs. Dominic Garrini. For those in town for UFC, this may be the place to be the night before. 
  • Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore on 12/3 in Waukesha, WI at the County Center.
  • Best in the West on 9/24 in Fresno at the City College Gym will be a show for Fite TV headlined by Wiseguy vs. Sheik Khan Abadi vs. Chupacabra, plus Brian Cage, Joey Ryan, Mustafa Saed and Christina Von Eeerie appear. They’ve also opened up a wrestling school at 5494 E. Lamona Ave Suite #150 in Fresno with Mike Rayne and Nick Ruiz as the head trainers. (thanks to Jon Southerland)
  • ECWA on 9/24 in Woodbury Heights, NJ at the Community Center.
  • CMLL on Monday night in Puebla:  Espiritu Maligno & Mini Jocker b Arkalis & Astro, Ares & Policeman b Asturiano & Rey Samuray, Angel de Oro & Stigma & Stuka Jr. b Dragon Rojo Jr. & Puma King & Tiger, Mephisto & Ephesto & Luciferno b Kraneo & Olimpico & Ripper to retain the Mexican national trios titles, Caristico & Mascara Dorada & Mistico b Negro Casas & Mr. Niebla & Cavernario, Dragon Lee b La Mascara
  • FMLL on 9/25 in El Monte, CA at Florentine Gardens with Fuerza Guerrera vs. Pirata Morgan for the FMLL title
  • Pentagon Jr. faces his brother, Fenix, in a singles match on Saturday night at Club La Boom in Woodside, Queens, NY.
  • Santo Jr. and Silver King headline in Houston on 9/25 for Lucha Libre VIP at Los Rieles.
  • Pentagon Jr. headlines on 9/24 in Dallas at the Estacionamiento de Jarro Cafe for Martinez Entertainment.
  • Combate Americas will run in New York on 10/14 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY.  John Castaneda (11-2) vs. Gustavo Lopez (6-1) face off for Combate Americas’ first championship, the bantamweight title. The show will air live on beIN SPORTS and UFC Fight Pass. 
  • The Fight Network will be broadcasting RFA 43 from Broomfield, CO starting at 10 p.m. tomorrow night. In the U.S., the show will air live on AXS TV. Brian Camozzi (6-2) faces Nick Barnes (11-1) for the vacant welterweight title in the main event.
  • Upstate Pro Wrestling on Saturday night in Rochester, NY at the Eagles Club headlined by Cody Deaner vs. Dick Justice.
  • Telus Optik VOD will be debuting a documentary called “Hart Still Beating,” which is about the relationship between Smith Hart and son Matt, who is now doing pro wrestling.

EVENTS CALENDAR

Saturday, September 10 – UFC 203: Miocic vs. Overeem; Cleveland, Ohio

  • 9 – Chaotic Wrestling & The Lowell Spinners present “A Night of Grand Slams,” Edward A. LeLacheur Park, 450 Aiken St. – Lowell, MA
  • 10 – CZW in Voorhees, NJ at Flyers Skate Zone with a doubleheader with a WSU Women’s show at 4 p.m. that day and the men’s show at 8 p.m.
  • 10 – Pure Wrestling Association: COWEX – Duncan, British Columbia
  • 10 – New England Fights 25: HEROES & VILLAINS; Lewiston, MA. Tickets.
  • 10 – Barrie Wrestling: Back to School 3; 49 Ferris Lane, Barrie, Ontario, Canada
  • 10 – Evolve in Deer Park, NY has Gargano vs. Sabre Jr., Galloway vs. Gulak, Dustin vs. Tracy Williams, Jigsaw vs. Fred Yehi, Riddle vs. Tony Nese, Perkins vs. Allin and Page vs. Dan Barry.    
  • 11 – Evolve in Woodside, NY at La Boom has Johnny Gargano & Cody Rhodes vs. Drew Galloway & Chris Hero in Gargano’s last Evolve match, Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ricochet, Matt Riddle vs. TJ Perkins, Dustin vs. Drew Gulak, Tony Nese vs. Darby Allin and Ethan Page vs David Starr. Joey Styles will also be appearing.
  • 15 – CCW Parkhill Fall Fair Pro Wrestling, 5:30pm doors, 6:30pm bell time. Cody Deaner vs. Jake O’Reilly for the CCW title.
  • 16 – All Star Wrestling; Squamish, BC, Totem Hall, Stawamus Rd, Garibaldi Highlands, BC V0N 1T0, Canada, tickets.
  • 16 – ROH: Reloaded Tour; Pittsburgh, PA, Stage AE, 7:30 pm. Tickets.
  • 16 – AAW: 115 Bourbon Street (3359 w 115th Street Merrionette Park, IL). Tickets.
  • 16 – Pure Wrestling Association: Lake Cowichan, British Columbia
  • 16 – Smash vs Progress: Uncensored; Oshawa Music Hall, Oshawa, Ontario. Must be 19+ to attend.
  • 16 – Pure Wrestling Association: Private Event in Ontario
  • 16 – SuperKickd’d Pro Wrestling at 7:30 PM – 10 PM, The Great Hall Toronto, 1087 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario M6J 1H3
  • 16 – All Pro Wrestling on 9/16 in Daly City, CA at the Bayshore Community Center features Sabu vs. The Almighty Sheik, Willie Mack & B-Boy vs Reno Scrum, plus Jody Kristofferson, JR Kratos, Marcus Lewis and Dylan Drake in a four way for the Universal title.
  • 17 – ROH: Reloaded Tour; Lockport (Buffalo), NY, 7:00 pm. Tickets.
  • 17 – NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling on in Kingsport, TN at the Civic Auditorium
  • 17 – Pure Wrestling Association: Alpine Club, Kitchener, Ontario
  • 17 – Pure Wrestling Association: Courtenay, British Columbia
  • 17 – UFC Fight Night, Poirier vs. Johnson: Hidalgo, Texas, State Farm Arena
  • 17 & 18 – SMASH VS PROGRESS: Smash Wrestling welcomes our friends from Progress Wrestling. Mark Haskins and Jack Gallagher (Cruiserweight Classic), Zack Sabre Jr. Mark Andrews and more will be part of the Progress Wrestling team in a Smash vs. Progress Canada vs. UK show in Toronto at the Franklin Horner Community Center.
  • 18 – Pure Wrestling Association: Gold River, British Columbia
  • 18 – NWX presents School’s Back In Session at the CWF Wrestling School on 20 Hartzel Rd in St Catharines, ON. Holden Albright vs. Joey Paradice (c) for the NWX Heavyweight Championship. Get your tickets by calling 289-687-5610.
  • 22 – NXT; Toronto, Ontario at the Mattamy Athletic Center (the former Maple Leaf Gardens)
  • 22 – All-Star Wrestling: 7:30 PM, Abbotsford Arts Center, 2329 Crescent Way, Abbotsford, BC V2S 3M2, Canada, tickets.
  • 22- Big Time Wrestling in Morganton, NC at the Collette Rec Center features a meet & greet at 6 p.m. before the live show. Appearing are Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Cody Rhodes, Magnum T.A. and Trevor Lee.
  • 23 – MCW Pro Wrestling presents “Ringside with Jim Ross & Jim Cornette at Jimmy’s Famous Seafood in Baltimore. Showtime 8:00PM, 6526 Holabird Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224. Tickets.
  • 23 – Big Time Wrestling in Raleigh, NC at Dorton Arena features Flair and Steamboat together at Dorton Arena for the first time in 28 years, plus Jeff & Matt Hardy, Cody Rhodes, Nasty Boys, Sabu, Magnum T.A., Ivan Koloff, Jimmy Valiant, Gangrel and Shane Helms with the meet & greet at 6 and show at 8.
  • 23 – Invicta FC: Live from Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo. Interim Flyweight Champion Jennifer Maia Defends Against Roxanne Modafferi
  • 23 – NXT; St. Catherines, Ontario at The Meridian Centre
  • 23 – Absolute Intense Wrestling: A Farewell to Johnny Gargano – 1355 West 70th St. Cleveland, OH – Tickets.
  • 23 – Pure Wrestling Association: Parksville, British Columbia
  • 23 – Pro Wrestling Eclipse takes a short trip to downtown Oshawa and visits the Oshawa Mason Temple. All tickets purchased on July 24 that list the venue as the Oshawa Legion will be honoured.
  • 24 – ROH: Reloaded Tour; Duluth (Atlanta), GA 7:00 pm, tickets.
  • 24 – East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA), 49 ANNIVERSARY SHOW, Woodbury Heights Community Center, 741 Helen Ave, Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097. Tickets.
  • 24 – EWA Evolution: World War Z at Tall Cedars Hall (2501 Putty Hill Ave.) in Parkville, MD. See the double ring, 5 vs. 5 Ladder War! Bell time is 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15 front row and $12 general.
  • 24 – IWA Midsouth Wrestling presents the Hybrid Cup, at PRIDE Bar in New Albany, IN.
  • 24 – Ignite Wrestling in Vero Beach, FL at the IG Center features Dave Crist.
  • 24 – UCW, September 24th 7:30 PMBay City,MI UCW Champion Hakim Zane vs MVP, plus appearances by Ron Simmons and Fred Ottman
  • 24 – Big Time Wrestling in Spartanburg, SC at the Memorial Auditorium with the meet and greet at 5:30 and show at 7:30 with Flair, Steamboat, Hardys, Rhodes, Nasty Boys, Sabu, Magnum T.A., Ricky Morton, Robert Gibson, Gangrel and Trevor Lee.
  • 24 – MCW Legends Convention at the MCW Arena in Joppa, MD at 10 a.m. featuring Bret Hart, Jimmy Hart, Howard Finkel, Honky Tonk Man, Hillbilly Jim, Paul Orndorff, Greg Valentine, Jim Ross, Bill Apter, Brutus Beefcake, Bob Orton, Tito Santana, Jim Neidhart, Tammy Sytch, Magnum T.A. and even Dennis Stamp.
  • 24 – Rock Solid: Anarchy in Angus 14: A Nightmare on Mill Street, 7pm – 10pm, Angus Recreation Centre, 8527 County Rd. 10, Angus, Ontario. Tickets.
  • 24 – Pure Wrestling Association: Campbell River, British Columbia
  • 24 – NXT in Kitchener, Ontario at The Air
  • 24 – Elite Canada Championship Wrestling: New Westminster, Sapperton Pensioners Hall
  • 24 – Main Event Pro Wrestling in Longview, TX at Pine Tree High School, 5pm, Big Daddy Yum Yum and others. Tickets $10
  • 318 Keary St, New Westminster, BC, 7:30pm Bell Time, doors at 7pm. Tickets.
  • 25 – Canadian Wrestling’s Elite: Nick “Magnus” Aldis defends the GFW title against Matt Hart of the Hart Family in Calgary.
  • 25 – Rizin: Former K-1 kickboxer Minoru Kimura will make his MMA debut against former Pride fighter Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett (29-30-2)
  • 25 – Pure Wrestling Association – TBA – British Columbia
  • 30 – ROH: All-Star Extravaganza Weekend Day 1; Lowell (Boston), MA, Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 9:00 pm (PPV)
  • 30 – CWF presents Live Pro Wrestling at CWF Studios on 20 Hartzel Rd in St Catharines, ON. 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Daily Pro Wrestling History (09/08): WWF Intercontinental vs. WWF World Title

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