Daily Update: WWE notes, Shane Strickland, Spring Break

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News
- UFC on ESPN+ 4 live results: Derrick Lewis vs. Junior Dos Santos
- WWE Toronto live results: Ronda Rousey in action
- wXw 16 Carat Gold night one results: WALTER vs. David Starr
- WWE Main Event results: EC3 gets his win back
- New Japan Cup night two results: Kazuchika Okada vs. Michael Elgin
- Impact Wrestling results: The Dark War
- Trevor Lee makes WWE debut at NXT house show
Latest Audio
- Left My Wallet: D’Lo Brown 3/9
- JNPO: The one question UFC mailbag show 3/9
- WOR: Ronda Rousey, New Japan Cup, McGregor/Cerrone 3/8
F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Roman Reigns announces his leukemia is in remission
“When I made my announcement, I said that I was going to swing for the fences. We did better than that, y’all. We didn’t just swing for the fences, we hit a home run.”
The entire professional wrestling world breathed the sigh of relief they’ve been waiting four months for as Roman Reigns announced last Monday that his leukemia is in remission.
Reigns shared the positive update while appearing on WWE television for the first time since revealing his battle with leukemia, which had returned 11 years after he was first diagnosed with the disease.
WON NEWSLETTER: March 11, 2019 Observer Newsletter: Death of King Kong Bundy
Read the update on the situation with Roman Reigns as the lead story in the new issue of the Observer, talking about his leukemia diagnosis with more details as to the strain, his health situation and what he did in his four months away as well as other athletes with similar strains.
This issue has a major story on the career of Chris “King Kong Bundy” Pallies. Look at how he broke into wrestling, the irony of his very first match, his first role, his first push, where the King Kong Bundy name came from, where the five count came from, what pop culture characters he inspired, the story behind his famous WrestleMania matches including one that has rarely been talked about.
Also look at Jushin Liger’s retirement announcement. Read about his background, how he got started in pro wrestling, his New Japan Dojo legendary class, who he idolized and copied, his first match with the gimmick and what the plans are for his retirement.
This issue has an update on Tommaso Ciampa regarding the nature of his surgery, and what decisions NXT has to make.
Look at the career of Harley Race, how he broke into wrestling, the run that made him a national star and how he got the NWA world title, and how close he came to being champion a second time before it happened more than a year later.
Read full coverage of UFC 235, with all the highlights, business notes, and match-by-match coverage and poll results. Also look at contracted base pay for the show.
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.
Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.
In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.
For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell,CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.
SATURDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE
- WWE released their tribute video for King Kong Bundy.
- The Tampa Bay Times has a list of “WWE Dos and Don’ts” that were given to local officials prior to the WrestleMania 36 announcement press conference:
When referring to our talent, we ask that you refer to them as WWE Superstars both for the men and women and NOT as “professional wrestlers.”
As of March 2016, our female Superstars are NO longer referred to as WWE Divas, so please call them WWE Superstars.
Please refer to our company as WWE and NOT World Wrestling Entertainment.
Please do not refer to our company as “the WWE,” but rather just “WWE.”
Please do NOT use the term “professional wrestling,” instead using WWE or Sports Entertainment to describe our brand (E.G. “We have many WWE fans in the Tampa area” or “I have always been a fan of sports entertainment.”)
The WWE Championship or WWE Title are appropriate names for the title. It is not called a “belt” or a “strap.” - Hulk Hogan spoke to the Tampa Bay Times about his role with WWE: “I’m not really sure. I can’t wrestle anymore because nine back surgeries, two fake knees, two fake hips. … I’ve had 17 surgeries in the last 10 years. I kinda missed the memo on the ‘fake’ part (of wrestling). … Vince (McMahon, longtime WWE CEO) has this master plan. And I don’t mind being the hood ornament, and I don’t mind being the Babe Ruth of the promotion, but Vince is putting together a whole new thing. … I still feel like I’m 20 in my head, but my body’s telling me, ‘Easy, brother.’ I’m not sure what the title is, but hopefully really soon I’ll be back and really, really active.”
- Becky Lynch (second), Ronda Rousey (fourth), Charlotte Flair (fifth), Sasha Banks (sixth), Alexa Bliss (seventh), and Nia Jax (10th) ranked on Twitter’s list of the 10 most mentioned sportswomen.
- Rousey joked with fans and insulted Canada while leaving last night’s house show in Toronto.
- Yahoo Sports interviewed Roman Reigns about his return to WWE and his leukemia being in remission. Talk Sport also has an interview with Reigns.
- WWE ranked Reigns’ 10 greatest moments, with his return announcement coming in at number one.
- Bobby Fish appeared on this week’s episode of the Edge & Christian podcast.
Pro Wrestling
- Shane Strickland said farewell to Defy Wrestling last night, though his next destination wasn’t revealed.
- Taka Michinoku vs. Orange Cassidy and Nick Gage vs. Shinjiro Otani have been announced for Joey Janela’s Spring Break 3, part one in Jersey City, New Jersey on Friday, April 5. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) vs. LAX (Santana & Ortiz) is set for part two on Saturday, April 6.
- Low Ki has been added to MLW’s Battle Riot match in Queens, New York on April 5. The match will air on beIN Sports as part of a two-hour live special.
- Fenix vs. Amazing Red is set for House of Glory’s Culture Clash 19 in Queens on April 6.
- Dalton Castle & The Boys vs. NJPW US dojo young lions Clark Connors, Karl Fredericks & Alex Coughlin and Kenny King vs. Tracy Williams are set for ROH’s TV tapings in Las Vegas on March 16.
- TSN released a brief trailer for their Kenny Omega documentary that premieres on March 27.
- Big E praised AXS TV’s Women of Wrestling: “I have zero affiliation with @wowsuperheroes but it is a very enjoyable show. The backstages & vignettes are consistently entertaining. The male Ring Rats are a brilliant idea. Tessa is a star. I miss Eye Candy. And there’s a ton more to like.”
- Ken Shamrock will be wrestling at wXw’s Superstars of Wrestling show in Oberhausen, Germany on June 1.
- There was a backstage segment on last night’s Impact where, after being beaten up by Killer Kross, Glenn Gilbertti (Disco Inferno) thought he saw Vince Russo, Jeff Jarrett, and “Matt, Nick, and Cody” backstage.
UFC/MMA
- ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported that Alexander Gustafsson vs. Anthony Smith will be the main event of the UFC’s ESPN+ show in Stockholm, Sweden on June 1.
- Okamoto also reported that Valentina Shevchenko defending her flyweight title against Jessica Eye is being targeted for UFC 238 in Chicago on June 8.
- Paulie Malignaggi, who is a Conor McGregor rival from McGregor’s fight with Floyd Mayweather, has signed a two-year contract with Bare Knuckle FC. McGregor’s friend Artem Lobov is also signed to Bare Knuckle FC.
- ONE FC’s Eddie Alvarez and Sage Northcutt appeared on Inside the NBA on TNT last night.
Daily Pro Wrestling History: The Steiners win WCW Tag Team titles
Ed in San Antonio presents the WRESTLEMANIAWeekend Events (more to be added):
- Saturday, April 6th, at 12:00 pm: Lunch (all you can eat) at Churrascaria Plataforma ($90 per person), located at 316 W. 49th street in Manhattan. Purchase tickets here~!
- Luxury Bus to MetLife Stadium for Wrestlemania: We will depart from the Hilton Midtown (site of Wrestlecon) located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Departure time is 4:00 pm and will return from MetLife approximately 30 mins after the event. Times are subject to change, and cost $67.00 per person for the round trip. Purchase tickets here~!
CONTACT INFORMATION
- Poll opinions: dave@wrestlingobserver.com
- Feedback: feedback@wrestlingobserver.com
- Show results and news tips: newstips@wrestlingobserver.com
- Wrestling Observer Radio questions: mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com
- Support the Empire~! with F4W shirts. Grab yours today!