Daily Update: WWE notes, AEW Dynamite, Jeff Hardy

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the highlights in this issue:

  • The Rock & Cody Rhodes angle, blading in WWE, then now and forever.
  • What should be done in the night one main event
  • More WrestleMania notes including ticket sales and secondary market
  • A story on the career of Chigusa Nagayo, at one time the most popular women’s wrestler who ever lived
  • We look at her retirement match in San Francisco
  • We look at her breaking into wrestling at the age of 15, getting pushed at 17, and becoming part of the greatest tag team ever in women’s wrestling at the age of 18.
  • The first run of the Crush Gals
  • Being the top singles star in women’s wrestling, the decline of ratings and Nagayo’s first retirement
  • Her second run with Asuka as the Crush Gals in Gaea Japan
  • The end of Nagayo’s career including winning Japan’s tag team of the year award at the age of 51
  • Lots more Ronda Rousey talk on Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, Bruce Prichard, WWE, changing plans, Paul Levesque, the Holly Holm fight, concussion issues and Becky Lynch talking about McMahon
  • WWE policy on dating within the company put together after the Board first heard Vince McMahon allegations
  • Multiple Japanese companies join together for two charity shows
  • NCAA wrestling tournament notes
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling shows, including quarters, comparisons with one year ago, competition and more
  • Biggest show of the year at Arena Mexico
  • Former promotional hatred ends up with an angle
  • Giulia and Utami Hayashishita finish with Stardom with two PPV shows this week
  • Champion Carnival news
  • Unique gimmick match in New Japan
  • Dream match coming to DDT
  • Bret Hart raves about a new book
  • Tons of WrestleMania week big shows
  • Sabin & Shelley leaving TNA
  • Lots of contract news
  • Kenny Omega news
  • List of those unavailable this past week for AEW
  • ROH Supercard of Honor notes
  • Will Nigel McGuinness wrestle
  • Advance ticket sales for WWE & AEW shows
  • International ratings and streaming notes
  • AEW stars in foreign countries
  • UFC’s biggest match of the year may have a date
  • Conor McGregor claims he broke a Dwayne Johnson record
  • Dana White talks loyalty to Joe Rogan
  • First Bellator show since purchase
  • Contract status updates
  • New A&E TV plans with WWE
  • Barnett talks making deal to get Baszler on Bloodsport
  • Becky Lynch talks Mercdes Mone’s AEW deal
  • Heyman puts together Reigns special
  • Nick Aldis talks his situation
  • Bron Breakker’s college career, NFL combine numbers and what hampered him playing in the NFL even with his athletic ability

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • While appearing on ESPN’s First Take this morning, Cody Rhodes was asked if we can expect him to finish his story at WrestleMania 40:
        • Well, if I don’t finish the story, I might as well move over to commentary at that point. I might as well hit the booth. There’s a thing in our world, the good guy – you’ll hear him referred to as the babyface – it’s hard enough to be a good guy in 2024. And they’ve rode with me, these fans. They’ve been supportive. They created the ‘We Want Cody’ movement. The whole thing. So if I lost again, I feel like you lose their faith.
        • And more than anything, even if I didn’t believe – WrestleMania 40 – that I was leaving [as] Undisputed WWE Champion. If I didn’t believe, they believe. So I gotta do it for them. And I believe.
  • The Rock is paying for a fan named Ruben and his daughter to attend WrestleMania after Ruben got a tattoo of The Rock’s autograph. Last month, they ran into each other at Target and Ruben told The Rock that he would get the tattoo if Rock signed his arm. The Rock tweeted last night:
        • Dude holy sh*t you did it!! That’s the authentic real deal signature & bull right there! Looks amazing! You’re a man of your word, and so is the Final Boss…Pack your bags – because you and your daughter are coming to @wwe #WrestleMania Your tickets, flight, hotel, transportation and food – are all on me! My team will be reaching out. See you in Philly brother. – Final Boss
  • “Stone Cold” Steve Austin told Sports Illustrated that his WrestleMania 13 match against Bret Hart will always be his favorite WrestleMania memory:
        • To come back at WrestleMania 38, against Kevin Owens at the age of 57, I never figured in a million years that was ever going to happen. There’s been so many good ones. I have a lot of fond memories of WrestleMania. But whenever I have to pick one, it’s always going to WrestleMania 13 with Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart.
  • During an appearance on Going Ringside, Naomi said there was never a doubt that she’d be returning to WWE:
        • WWE is home, you know? It was never a doubt about returning. It was just a matter of when and me wanting to prove some things and do some things that I needed to do for myself. And I did that. I accomplished that. And it was just time. I missed it so much. And WWE is always family.
  • The Ringer and The Athletic published stories on Paul Heyman ahead of his WWE Hall of Fame induction.
  • In The Athletic’s piece, Jey Uso spoke about learning from Heyman:
        • I was under his learning tree every week in 2020, 2021 due to the pandemic. Hearing him say, ‘Instead of this word, use this word. Instead of saying it like that, what about like this?’ He’s the one that brought emotion, and (you) learn it’s not just wrestling.
        • I don’t think I would have ever tapped into the promos and how important the emotion is without him.
  • Heyman was interviewed by NBC Sports Philadelphia.
  • Chelsea Green tweeted today: “Man… one night you’re wrestling at Barclays Center, having the time of your life and the next you’re being kicked out of @FairmontHotels and accused of being an escort because of your outfit. Life is funny! Maybe next year I won’t celebrate Wrestlemania weekend at The Plaza Hotel LOL…”
  • PWInsider reports that Drew Barrymore will be among the celebrities in attendance at WrestleMania 40 this weekend.
  • WWE shared a vlog from Becky Lynch’s book tour and a vlog on The Usos ahead of WrestleMania.
  • WWE uploaded a Playback video with CM Punk and Randy Orton getting together to rewatch their WrestleMania 27 match.

AEW/Other Wrestling