Daily Update: WWE notes, Frankie Kazarian, Yu Ishino

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Roman Reigns cutting back on WWE appearances, Kota Ibushi-NJPW issues

  • Roman Reigns schedule in detail, what he is working, next title defense, current plans on his biggest summer match.
  • Behind the issues with Kota Ibushi and New Japan, where they started, where it stands and who is trying to smooth things over
  • WrestleMania Backlash, business numbers, match-by-match with star ratings and poll results
  • Update on all the big AEW & WWE summer shows, how tickets are moving, secondary market interest and million dollar gates
  • The unique ending of the UFC strawweight title reign by Rose Namajunas and what it says about scoring, cornering and how open scoring plays a part in this
  • Complete UFC 274 coverage with PPV numbers, TV numbers, match-by-match, what next and more
  • The Hall of Fame career of Daniel Cormier, someone who made it to the top in two different sports and becoming a UFC champion having never trained in striking until nearly the age of 30
  • Major joint promotion show lineup
  • Ratings for the past week, where wrestling ranks on cable, where AEW ranks as far as youngest skewing sports shows, how each AEW segment did, and realistic comparisons with last year’s numbers
  • Wrestling at Arena Mexico
  • Juice Robinson and his NJPW contract
  • Best of the Super Juniors notes
  • Tammy Sytch updates including sad situation with Bill DeMott
  • Ted DiBiase sued by Mississippi Department of Human Services
  • The life of popular referee and office person Charlie Smith of GCW fame
  • Legend of the 90s coming out of retirement again
  • A look back at the British Bulldogs
  • Lowest rated cable station
  • Match of the week and performer of the week
  • AEW and Warner Media update
  • Upcoming AEW shows
  • Tony Khan talks Bret Hart in AEW
  • Blackpool Combat Club original idea
  • Amazing UFC business run
  • UFC revenue and how much goes to fighters
  • Upcoming UFC matches
  • Former WWE wrestler wins in Bare Knuckle fighting
  • Strange booking of Lacey Evans
  • Questions about the Money in the Bank in 2022
  • International TV ratings
  • Streaming numbers

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter: April 4, 2005 Observer Newsletter back issue: WrestleMania 21 preview, All Japan Women shuts down

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Saturday News Update

WWE

  • Going against game six of the Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks NBA playoff series, last night’s SmackDown averaged 1.80 million viewers in the fast national ratings. That’s down from the 1.92 million viewers the show drew in the fast nationals last week. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.4.
  • Bianca Belair and The Miz are set to appear at NBCUniversal’s upfronts on Monday morning, while Roman Reigns and Charlotte Flair will appear at Fox’s upfronts on Monday afternoon. Deadline notes that NBCU “has shifted the WWE to its sports division as far as sales, a move that gave it extra incentive to promote WrestleMania during last February’s Super Bowl.”
  • Stephanie McMahon spoke to Deadline about WWE being both sports and entertainment: “It really is both. It’s like athletic theater. It’s the story, that’s why you care …. You’re swept up in the storylines. We can script the buzzer-beater moments, we can script the Hail Marys. We have a leg up on sports. … You may object to what we do, but you’re never going to be bored.”
  • A Park Tower Stamford penthouse owned by Vince and Linda McMahon has been put on the market with an asking price of $4.1 million.
  • WWE revealed the official poster for September’s Clash at the Castle stadium show in Cardiff, Wales. Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, Bianca Belair, Edge, Cody Rhodes, and Becky Lynch are featured on the poster.
  • Rick Boogs posted an update on his recovery from the torn quadriceps to patella tendon that he suffered at WrestleMania 38. Boogs said he’s been ahead of schedule in hitting his goals in physical therapy.
  • On Talking Smack, WWE gave a storyline injury update on Madcap Moss after he was attacked by Happy Corbin on SmackDown last night. It was said that Moss suffered a cervical contusion.
  • The Usos appeared on this week’s edition of WWE After the Bell.
  • WWE’s YouTube channel uploaded Cody Rhodes’ Raw debut against Randy Orton from July 16, 2007, Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Mickie James from the May 14, 2018 episode of Raw, and a KO Show segment with Kofi Kingston from the May 14, 2019 episode of SmackDown.

Other Wrestling

  • In an announcement on his new YouTube channel, Yu Ishino (who formerly wrestled for Stardom using the name Kagetsu) came out as trans.
  • Virgil announced that he’s been diagnosed with stage two colon cancer.
  • After last night’s Rampage, AEW uploaded video of a post-show promo where Frankie Kazarian challenged Scorpio Sky to a TNT Championship rematch when AEW comes to Los Angeles next month. Sky retained against Kazarian on Rampage after Ethan Page hit Kazarian with the TNT title belt. Following the match, Sky betrayed his former tag team partner Kazarian by hitting him with another belt shot.
  • Dax Harwood thanked the fans for the appreciation they showed him after his loss to Adam Cole on Wednesday’s Dynamite: “After my match with Adam Cole on Wednesday night, Long Island decided to give me a standing ovation. I’ve never felt anything like that in my career. Y’all made all this happen. Not some kind of ‘push’. Not a ‘turn’. It was y’all. The appreciation you’ve shown isn’t unnoticed.”
  • Jeff Hardy was the guest on this week’s episode of AEW Unrestricted.