Daily Update: WWE NXT, Dijak, Bellator

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

In this week’s issue
*Complete Royal Rumble coverage
*Match and performer of the week
*Highlights of the Rumble
*The story of the Reigns-Zayn angle
*Why Reigns vs. Zayn won’t be happening at WrestleMania
*Records set at Royal Rumble
*How many people watched Royal Rumble on Peacock
*The 15 largest gates in pro wrestling history
*PPV crossover with Full Gear and Survivor Series
*Elimination Chamber update
*Wrestlemania update
*Return of Pat McAfee
*WrestleMania sponsorship
*Nick Khan talks WWE sale
*Khan talks about the next rights deals
*More on the Vince McMahon investigation and how much it cost WWE so far
*WWE business numbers for 2022
*A look at the career of Fedor Emelianenko as he has his retirement fight
*What pro wrestler brought Fedor into prominence
*What former pro wrestling promotion did he first become a star in
*A look at hs glory days in Pride
*Who is the best heavyweight ever
*The life and times of Lanny Poffo
*His career high points
*Winning the world tag team title at the age of 20
*Feuding with his brother
*The big name historically Randy Savage was to feud with that never happened
*The funeral of Jay Briscoe
*Another new lawsuit filed trying to get Vince McMahon out of power
*Legendary enhancement wrestler Kenny Jay passes away and the night he had a match with Muhammad Ali
*Why he never became a bigger star
*The story behind his match with Ali
*2022 Wrestling Observer Awards allot
*The most detailed look at the television ratings over the past week
*International TV ratings for AEW and WWE
*Streaming ratings for AEW & WWE
*Ticket sales for upcoming shows
*One of the oldest titles in history defended on Jericho cruise
*Keiji Muto struggles through retirement matches
*New Japan changes with New Japan Strong
*Mercedes Mone talks her new Japan debut
*Hiroshi Hase in controversy over doing a wrestling match last month
*Why Kota Ibushi did Bloodsport
*Thought on AEW doing house shows
*Difference between AEW and WWE fans
*Thoughts on MJF vs. Takeshita
*New A&E wrestling schedule

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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Sunday Update

We’ve got two weekend shows up on the site. Our Friday show was with Adam Cole talking about all kinds of different things related to his career, his recovery from concussions, and growing up as a fan. Last night we did a show covering NXT Vengeance, the Friday shows, Fedor’s retirement and Lanny Poffo. Bryan and I will be back tomorrow night covering the latest news.

Regarding the story about WWE allowing NXT talent to work indies, this is basically what we’ve heard. Shawn Michaels on the post-show press conference said that it was just a one-time favor for Booker T, that Ivy Nile will be working a show for Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling show in Texas this coming Saturday night. We ere told by those in WWE that right now this only relates to Booker’s promotion. However, there are other independent promoters who have been told that if it goes well, they could open the door to working with them. Given Nick Khan has talked about a WWE sale within three months, any decision today could be completely different with new ownership anyway.

Even though it looked broken X-rays showed Dijak’s finger wasn’t broken last night.

The fast nationals for last night’s Bellator show on CBS were 928,000 viewers and an 0.15 in 18-49. This would not include the West Coast (except the Las Vegas market) which aired the show out of prime time. But the number was a major disappointment. The final number will be up a little from that number. Bu it won’t be a good number for CBS prime time. Last Saturday in the same time slot the network did 2,492,000 viewers and 0.22 in 18-49. They didn’t announce a return date which wasn’t a good sign. The show aired at different times. The actual rating won’t come out until Tuesday morning. In Providence, RI it didn’t run due to a local telethon. Las Vegas ran it on a three-hour tape delay. (thanks to Arya Witner)

We’re looking for your thoughts on these shows:
*NXT Vengeance Day from last night
*New Japan New Beginning in Sapporo from Saturday
*New Japan New Beginning in Sapporo from Sunday
*Stardom anniversary show in Osaka
You can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

We’re also looking for reports from tonight’s WWE house show in Pensacola, FL, and last night’s MLW TV tapings from Philadelphia. We’re looking for results, finishes, angles, etc. to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

There was just under 5,000 tickets out for the Pensacola show tonight.

WWE results from last night in Columbus, GA:
Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa b Butch & Ridge Holland
Candice LeRae b Piper Niven with a small package
Braun Strowman & Ricochet b Ludvig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci
Gunther b Sheamus to keep the IC title
Bray Wyatt b LA Knight in a black light street fight
Charlotte Flair won over Liv Morgan and Sonya Deville to keep the Smackdown women’s title. Flair beat Deville with the figure 8
Bianca Belair b Bayley via DQ to keep the Raw women’s title when Iyo Sky interfered. Becky Lynch made the save
Belair & Lynch b Bayley & Sky when Belair pinned Bayley after the KOD
Cody Rhodes b Seth Rollins with crossroads (thanks to Jordan Ferguson)

As of earlier today, last night’s UFC show headlined by Derrick Lewis’ loss to Serghei Spivac had 200,000 searches making it the single most searched for item on the Internet. Bellator was No. 11 at 100,000. The NXT Vengeance show failed too crack the top 20, and that would be 20,000. During the week, no other item relating to wrestling, boxing or MMA hit the top 20 any other day.

For last night’s UFC, there was a controversy in the Doo Ho Choi vs. Kyle Nelson judging. Dana White said he thought Choi won. Judge Adelaide Byrd gave Choi all three rounds but with he point docked that would make it 29-27. Eric Colon had it 28-28 with Choi winning the first and Nelson the second and third even with the point docked. Chris Lee gave Choi the first, Nelson the second and had the third even with the point docked. 82 percent of the reporters cards were 29-27 for Choi.

REELZ TV has a documentary on Chyna from 9-10 p.m. I was interviewed for the piece over the summer. At 10 p.m. they have a documentary on Owen Hart and at 11 p.m. they have a documentary on Roddy Piper. This all leads up to Tuesday’s debut of MLW at 10 p.m. on the station.

Rampage right now is scheduled to air at 7 p.m. Eastern on 2/17 due to NBA programming (thanks to David Wolf)

Reader Brian Mazza wrote this to us after last night’s show on Lanny Poffo:
“After listening to your podcast today with Mary Fries on Lanny Poffo, it reminded me of a very touching story from a meeting I had with him.
I was helping out a friend who managed the Pro Wrestling HOF in Amsterdam, NY. Lanny came for a signing one weekend, and I was there to help manage things with my then 4 year old twins, Sam and Sophia (they may have been 3, this was either in 2014 or 2015). Anyway, I was wearing a Boston Red Sox cap or shirt when I met Lanny, and he wanted to know my twins’ names, and all about them. He took the time to ask if we’d like to hear a poem he wrote about Boston and the Red Sox.. He started and stopped, searched for his words, acting almost a bit embarrassed he had to stop to remember something. Then it clicked for him, and he rattled off the most amazing poem about Boston, the Sox, Ted Williams, Yaz, Fenway Park, and all that goes with it’s long history. It was absolutely amazing. I didn’t know what to say other than thank him and tell him how incredible that was. He finished off with asking if he could give my daughter Sophia a kiss on the cheek, and he did. She and Sam were very shy but mesmerized by his voice and rhyme. It was something that I will always remember, mainly for how he took something so random as a Red Sox hat and he went through his mental rolodex to pull out an amazing poem he had created. Truly one of a kind, and so great to my young kids.”

Bill Goldberg and the Young Bucks have been announced for autograph signigs at WrestleCon in Los Angeles over WrestleMania weekend.

Other Notes

American X Wrestling, which is Kevin Kelly’s promotion in Allentown, PA, has announced American Dreams on 2/18 at the Hamburg Field House. One of the events will be a tug of war with the Stars of Special Olympics in Pennsylvania vs. AXW wrestlers

Amanda Leve was awarded a PFL contract in the featherweight division after beat beat Mongolia’s Naranjargal Stend-Ayush on the Friday night show. The judging panel of Randy Couture, Paige VanZant and Tyron Woodley awarded Leve a contract.

Combat FC announced hat Michelle Waterson will make her debut with the group as an announcer on this Friday’s show in Boston. The show will air on UFC Fight Pass at 9 p.m. Eastern with Waterson working with Sean Wheelock.

House of Glory dedicated a show on Friday night in Queens, NY to Jay Briscoe with these results: Mane Event b Amazing Red & Brian XL to keep the tag titles, Mighty Mante b Nolo Kitano to keep the cruiserweight title, Violette b Viva Van to keep the women’s title , Encore won six-way over Lio Rush, Smiley, Daron Richardson, Ichiban and Raheem Royal, Low Ki b Detective James, Charles Mason b Bryan Keith to keep the Crown Jewel title, Jacob Fatu b JTG t keep the HOG title. Next show is 3/10. Kushida debuts on that show along with Fatu and The Mane Event.

Sami Callihan’s Wrestling Revolver from Friday night in Dayton, OH: Evil Uno b Jake Crist, Marina Shafir b Blair Onyx, Mike Bailey won over Madman Fulton, Gringo Loco, Jessica, Jarrett Diaz and Tyler Matrix, Wheeler Yuta b JT Dunn under Pure rules, Steve Maclin b Crash Jaxson in a no DQ match to keep the Revolver title, Ace Austin & Chis Bey b Jake Manning & Dan the Dad to win the Revolver tag titles, Billie Starkz b Allie Katch, Alex Shelley b Rich Swann to keep the Remix title, Myron Reed & Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz b Mance Warner & Manders & Matthew Justice. Next show is 3/4 n Clive, IA.

West Coast Pro from last night in San Francisco: Alan Angels & Kevin Blackwood b Chupacabra & Lazarus, Abigail Warren b Allie Katch, Super Best b Jordan Cruz, Vinnie Massaro & Bret the Threat b ?, Masha Slamovich b Brooke Havoc, Lee Moriarty & G-Rogue & Alpha Zo b Jack Cartwheel & Starboy Charlie & Kevin Knight, Mike Bailey b Vie To, Nick Wayne d Titus Alexander 30:00. There was a guy in a megaphone at the show who made a lot of noise and the promotion announced today that megaphones are banned from future shows. They announced 3/4 at the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco with Slamovich vs. Sandra Moone plus Lita as a special guest. They announced a 4/7 show featuring Aja Kong. (thanks to Joe McClelland)

Warrior Wrestling on 2/18 in Chicago at Thalia Hall has El Hijo del Vikingo defending the Lucha title against Black Taurus and Aramis in a three-way match.