Daily Update: WWE notes, Harold Meij, UFC anniversary

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F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Recapping WWE Crown Jewel

WWE’s return to Saudi Arabia ended up being almost as much of a mess as most expected it to be. A tag team main event with the combined age of 206, two of the promotion’s biggest stars pulling out of the show, Hulk Hogan returning to WWE television without the company really promoting it in advance, Brock Lesnar once again becoming Universal Champion, and Shane McMahon winning the World Cup tournament were the most notable moments from a show that is on the list of the most controversial events in WWE history.

WON NEWSLETTER: November 12, 2018 Observer Newsletter: WWE Crown Jewel review, more

The fallout of Crown Jewel is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Look at the returns of Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels, Brock Lesnar’s new contract, Shane McMahon’s World Cup win, the stock price, network cancellations, and Renee Young on tour.

Look at Survivor Series and TLC plans, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

Read the run down of the UFC’s schedule for the first three months of 2019, including the ESPN strategy to get people to subscribe to ESPN+, and plans for matches on the early shows of the year.

Also look at WrestleKingdom 2019, with the lineup announced, other matches expected, the tag team tournament, plus full coverage of Power Struggle with match-by-match coverage, star ratings and poll results.

Read coverage of the end of the overrun and what it means, WWE buying tape library, WWE stars get married this past week, Hulk & Linda Hogan TV special, new NXT Takeover match, details on the WWE tryouts in Germany and notes on those who were there.

Look at the career of Jose Lothario, one of the biggest stars in the history of Texas wrestling.

Run down UFC 230, including PPV numbers, TV numbers, lessons of the show, plus match-by-match coverage with poll results.

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SATURDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

Pro Wrestling

  • NJPW president Harold Meij spoke to Uproxx and answered a question about whether NJPW is trying to westernize their product: “I mean, nobody’s — everybody says, ‘Oh, you’re trying to do this or trying to do that,’ but what is that? What is the Westernization of wrestling? I don’t know. It’s for the fans to decide what that is. But I can tell you, if it’s the definition that I have, which might be very much different from yours or anyone else’s out there — it’s their own definition, I think — but if it’s my definition of what I think Westernization of wrestling is, then we’re trying to do the exact opposite.
    I am trying to bring the — I believe that our difference, our uniqueness, is actually the Japanese part of wrestling, the Japanese way of wrestling. Now, it’s very difficult to define what that is too… and again, it’s up to the fans to decide, well, what is the Japanese-ness, then?… But I believe that it’s in our name. We are New Japan Pro Wrestling, so I’m trying to bring the Japanese way, the Japanese way of wrestling, to the global audience. And this has to do much more with the philosophy that we talked about earlier, but also our traditions. It has to do with the way we bring and educate, if you will, our wrestlers… We have great talent. We have great matches. But yes, if you’re saying, ‘Oh, you’re trying to Westernize it by bringing more English content,’ then yes, we are, because I believe that most of our interviews for example, or most of our videos that explain the match or explain the emotions of the wrestlers before a match, or even post-match comments, yes, most of that is in Japanese. So I am trying to bring more of that content in English, and together with the history, for example the history of the Bullet Club, for example, the history of Chaos, for example, the faction, is something that we will bring out in English, because I want to explain the richness of that history to an audience that may not have been exposed to it as much as Japanese fans. So yes, I’m trying to bring more English content, but I’m not trying to change anything within the ring. I’m actually trying to bring exactly that essence to the Western audience. And incidentally, you know, we do talk about American-type wrestling, Japanese-type wrestling we’ve been discussing, Mexican, maybe even British — those four might be the big four, but as talent gets exchanged, or as talent moves between promotions and as we, of course, start wrestling overseas and some other promotions are wrestling in Japan, I think the differences between those will start to merge a little bit more so it will be less pointed, in that sense. More like a global standardization, if you will. But no, I’m trying to do the exact opposite, so, I’m trying to bring Japan as is.”
  • Jeff Cobb had to miss today’s NJPW Lion’s Break show in Anaheim, California due to a flight delay. Cobb was supposed to face Hirooki Goto in the main event, but Goto wrestled ACH instead. Jushin Thunder Liger & David Finlay vs. ACH & Clark Connors was turned into Liger vs. Finlay.
  • PAC (Neville) has been announced for OTT’s Homecoming show on February 17.
  • PAC tweeted a picture of his physique today and wrote: “KISS MY MUSCULAR ARSE.”
  • Low Ki vs. Daga for the MLW World title, MJF vs. Jason Cade vs. Jimmy Yuta in an elimination match for the Middleweight title, and Marko Stunt vs. Myron Reed aired on this week’s MLW Fusion episode.
  • In his Charleston Post and Courier column this week, Mike Mooneyham paid tribute to Jose Lothario.
  • ESPN.com has an article on David Arquette’s return to professional wrestling.
  • BBC ran a story on the revival of British wrestling.

UFC/MMA

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Eddie Guerrero wins WCW Cruiserweight title

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