Daily Update: WWE layoffs, AEW All In ticket sales, SmackDown

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Observer is up on the site:

  • Match of the week and performer of the week
  • What readers thought of Survivor Series and best and worst matches
  • CM Punk’s return, whatever details are available, what history teaches, the WWE creative process and next programs
  • What was and wasn’t real after the show
  • Previous talks of Punk in WWE and how they went down
  • Punk’s return promo and why he didn’t say what many thought he would say
  • Tony Khan’s thoughts and statements
  • The most detailed look at the 2023 AEW business, revenue, PPV, Wembley, ticket sales, projections for 2024 and the biggest story relating to AEW of the next year
  • Value of AEW
  • What revenue streams will be expected to grow and others that probably won’t over the next year
  • Issues with the weekend shows
  • Thoughts on 2024 in the ring and beyond
  • Will Ospreay
  • Issues involving other suitors for TV other than WBD
  • Full coverage of Survivor Series
  • All the business notes, record
  • What WWE show did an amazing number of late buys
  • Full details of the two stockholder lawsuits regarding the Endeavor/WWE deal and the key points they are arguing
  • The sad story of Tammy Sytch, a one-time pre-med student whose life was a mess for so long and an innocent person died as a result. A look at her career, that of Chris Candido, a rise at a young age and fall
  • Being the Elite is no more, a look at a show that changed wrestling history when it comes to NJPW in the U.S., ROH’s best period ever and even the formation of AEW. A look at the first All In, early episodes, what stars took off because of the show and more
  • Absolute Andy, the stunning death of a German independent star who wrestled with and against many of the biggest in-ring stars of this generation
  • Update on how many homes the key stations that air pro wrestling and MMA reach
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for every show over the past week, how the segments did, demos did, comparison to a year ago, how CM Punk moved the Monday numbers and Randy Orton’s segments as well, competition and how badly Thanksgiving week hurt wrestling numbers
  • AAA and Impact join forces for a TV taping for both groups
  • First AAA show of 2024
  • Stardom PPV lineup and build to one of the biggest events of the year
  • All Japan tag team tournament and junior tournament notes
  • NOAH’s first show of the new year and coverage of this past week’s biggest shows
  • Okada pushes for Tokyo Dome main event
  • New Japan tag team tournament notes
  • Mercedes Mone update and thoughts
  • WrestleCade coverage
  • WWE group returns on indies
  • Promotions headed to Germany to piggy back off WWE’s big show
  • London pre-sale for All In
  • Nick Khan talks heavily about Wembley, WWE business and more
  • Sting’s retirement and the first televised Flair vs. Sting match in 1988
  • Lots of injury updates*More on QT Marshall leaving AEW
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • ROH PPV notes
  • Upcoming ticket sales for WWE & AEW events
  • Highest paid fighters for a single fight for UFC every year from 2011 to 2016
  • PFL’s new TV deal
  • PFL claims offering $15 million one fight offer for former UFC star
  • Coverage of PFL’s tournament finals
  • Raw contract renewal talks
  • WrestleMania ticket sale info
  • What WWE exec just got $12 million worth of new stock
  • Detailed notes on all WWE & AEW events

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

Ordering Info:

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@wrestlingobserver.com or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

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Friday Update

Our show covering the news in this week’s Observer, AEW business, CM Punk’s prospective matches, Christian Cage, Raw rights and more with Garrett Gonzales is up on the site now. Bryan and I will be back Sunday with our weekend show.

While people were told that the layoffs were done with, like with what happened with UFC, there was still more. Five major executives were let go, including Michael Weitz, the Senior Vice President of Financial Planning, who had been with the company 17 years and was on every quarterly investors call and was head of investor relations. Karen Mullane, the Controller and Chief Accounting Officer was let go. Other names mentioned by Wrestlenomics were Craig Stimmell, the Head of Global Sales and Partnerships, Stewart Frey, Senior Vice President of Streaming Technology and Matt Geyer, Senior Vice President of Gaming. The only name on camera we know of let go was McKenzie Mitchell from NXT, who posted about it earlier today.

Tony Khan did not give a ticket number but listed more than $4 million as the first day advance for Wembley Stadium. He noted it was five months earlier than the last first day of sales. That’s probably in the 30,000 ticket range. WrestleTix has the day one number as 33,923. Last year was closer to 60,000 but it was also much closer to the show and I didn’t see how this year was going to do what last year did because it was the first show ever in Europe and you can never duplicate that. It’s at the pace of Clash at the Castle as far as kicking off.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence after allegedly assaulting his brother from a TMZ report. He was booked into Kent County (Michigan) jail on Monday and released later that day and charged with one count for allegedly assaulting James Anthony Hill Jr., and inflicting “serious or aggravated injury upon him.”

Smackdown tonight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn featuring Randy Orton was expected to sell out completely as they had more than 11,700 tickets out as of this morning.

Rampage at 10 p.m. tonight on TNT has Hook & Orange Cassidy & Danhausen & Trent Baretta vs. Matt Menard & Angelo Parker & Evil Uno & Alex Reynolds, Powerhouse Hobbs & Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher vs. Renny D & Jah-C & Kit Sackett, Hikaru Shida & Skye Blue & Kris Statlander vs. Saraya & Ruby Soho & Anna Jay and Penta & Komander & El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Brian Cage & the Workhorsemen.

Word I was given was the main event of today’s New Japan show in Wakayama with Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Shota Umino & Ren Narita was the match of the tournament thus far.

Stephanie Vaquer vs. Tessa Blanchard for the CMLL women’s title takes place tonight at Arena Mexico underneath Mistico & Volador Jr. & Mascara Dorada vs. Barbaro Cavernario & Dragon Rojo Jr. & El Terrible.

 We’re looking for reports on these weekend shows:

  • Smackdown at the Barclays Center (dark matches only)
  • AEW Saturday night in Erie, PA (ROH and dark matches only)
  • WWE house show Saturday night in Allentown, PA
  • WWE house show Saturday night in Bangor, ME
  • WWE house show Sunday night in Portland, ME
  • WWE house show Sunday night in Newark, DE
  • We’re looking fo results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

Announced for 12/26 in Madison Square Garden is Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the World title, Cody Rhodes vs. Dominik Mysterio last man standing plus Judgment Day and New Day. (thanks to Mike Omansky)

New Japan’s tag tournament is tomorrow morning our time in Osaka with B block. Hikuleo & El Phantasmo face Bad Luck Fale & Jack Bonza, Taichi & Yuya Uemura vs. Atlantis Jr. & Soberano Jr., Alex Zayne & Lance Archer vs. Yuji Nagata & Minoru Suzuki and Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Yota Tsuji & Zandokan Jr.

All Japan tag tourney tomorrow in Ehime has Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi vs. Cyrus & Ryan Davidson, Ryuki Honda & Yuma Anzai vs Hayato Tamura & Galento del Mal, Japan Tokyo Kuroshio & Seigo Tachibana vs Shuji Ishkawa & Ren Ayabe and Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani vs,. Katsuhiko Nakajima & Hokuto Omori.

UFC runs from 4-10 p.m. tomorrow on ESPN+ from Austin, TX. From 7-10 p.m. it’ll air on ESPN:

  • Veronica Hardy (125.5) vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth (125.5)
  • Wellington Turman (171 vs. Jared Gooden (171)
  • Rodolfo Bellato (205.5) vs. Ihor Potieria (204)
  • Drakkar Klose (155.5) vs. Joe Solecki (155)
  • Cody Brundage (185) vs. Zachary Reese (185)
  • Miesha Tate (135.5) vs. Julia Avila (135.5)
  • Punahele Soriano (185.5) vs. Dustin Stoltzfus (185.5)
  • Clay Guida (154) vs. Joaquim Silva (156)
  • Kevin Gastelu (170) vs. Sean Brady (170)
  • Deiveson Figuiredo (135) v. Rob Font (135)
  • Jalin Turner (156) vs. Bobby Green (155)
  • Beneil Dariush (156) vs. Arman Tsarukyan (155.5)

AAW is doing the Jim Lyman Memorial tournament starting tonight in Berwyn, IL at the Eagles Club. Matches announced for the first round are Masha Slamovich vs. Manders, Jake Something vs. Calvin Tankman vs. Joe Alonzo vs. Gnaris Garvin, Conan Lycan vs. Robert Anthony vs. Hartenbower vs Isaiah Moore, and Xavier Walker vs. Silas Young vs. Mance Warner vs. Solomon Tupu. Also Davey Vega vs. Ren Jones for the AAW title, Russ Jones & Schaff vs. The Outrunners for the tag titles and Sierra defends the women’s title.

Kevin Iole, who I worked with for years at Yahoo!, gave word that the company let him go after 16 years today. Iole covered MMA and boxing since 2007 for Yahoo and worked with me for just over four years. He was the sports editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal prior to that, and was in the Nevada boxing Hall of Fame, and had multiple sportswriter of the year awards in Nevada and was named in 1999 the Outstanding Journalist in the state of Nevada, the first time a sportswriter had ever won such an award.

With Raw in Albany, NY, on Monday, the International Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum, housed in the MVP Arena, where Raw comes from, will be open from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. before the show.

Claudio Castagnoli was in the U.K doing Premier League predictions on the BBC before millions promoting the AEW show  (thanks to Stephen Maginnis)

MCW runs tomorrow night in Joppa, MD at the RJ Meyer ARena and 12/9 in Frederick, M at the Elks Lodge

Combate Global on Univision and Paramount + tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m. headlined by Cristian Perez (12-1) vs. Sebastian Piedrahita as the main event.

PWP from Wednesday night in Omaha, NE: Con Artiest & Tank Bryson b Vic Douglas & Luke Luna, Clay Evans b Willy Sweet-DQ, Brian Blade b Xander McIntosh, Alan Lyric b Ryan Romantic, JC Slater b Purple, Chaac de Oro b Tanner Renken, Con Artiest & Tank Bryson b Pat Powers & Vic Douglas-DQ, Moonshine Russell b Joey Daniels. Next show is 12/20 in Omaha at the Waiting Room Lounge.

Kirk White’s Big Time Wrestling on 12/8 in Newark, CA at the Pavilion has Aaron Solo & Harley Cameron vs. Alan Angels & Brooke Havok, Marcus Lewis vs. Jacob Fatu for the BTW title, QT Marshall v.s Jheri Giggalow, Jinx vs. Jeckles hair vs career plus Frankie Kazarian vs. Titus Alexander. They are also collecting unwrapped toys for the annual toy drive.