Daily Update: WWE NXT notes, Renee Paquette, GCW

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The highlights of the issue:

  • The WrestleMania direction
  • First WWE show on Netflix
  • John Cena, The Rock, Undertaker and more and what things on the show garnered the most interest
  • Businessnotes on the show
  • Positives, negatives and goals of the show
  • How the show did on Netflix and deciphering what the different numbers mean
  • How advertising works comparing television vs. streaming
  • Hulk Hogan reaction
  • Changes on the show
  • Run time change
  • TKO looking at getting into the boxing business with Saudi Arabia
  • Kenny Omega returns for the Tokyo Dome show
  • In depth on New Japan business concerns and Bushiroad CEO Takaaki Kidani speaks on a number of issues
  • The business of the two Dome shows
  • Takaaki Kidani talks about his thoughts about a future WrestleDynasty show
  • Zack Sabre Jr. does something unprecedented and a list of all  non-Japanese who have won an NJPW Tokyo Dome main event
  • The Chris Charlton story in depth
  • Did the injury to  Douki change the finish?
  • Where do Young Bucks rank among most world tag team title reigns in history
  • A look at the career of the late Rick  “Hangman” Harris/Black Bart
  • Who had the most four star matches of 2024 and the most in history
  • Who has the most of the top 250 matches of all-time on Cagematch
  • Explaining how ratings are changing and how to reevaulate numbers
  • How many homes have access to the different services
  • Quality of watching on MAX vs. TBS
  • Tourist board putting on a major international show
  • Another big business week for CMLL
  • New Year’s Dash notes
  • Notes on the next major New Japan shows
  • New Japan bodybuilding contest
  • The death of Gilbert Cesca, one of the best technical wrestlers that you never heard of
  • Germany has a prime time major celebrity wrestling show featuring Claudio Castagnoli
  • Malakai Black news
  • Ticket advances for WWE & AEw shows
  • Streaming numbers and International TV ratings
  • How did TNA debut on SportsNet in Canada
  • GFL announces lots of women stars’
  • Paul Levesque talks planning WrestleMania and The Rock
  • Update on Bill Goldberg
  • Nick Khan and Dwayne Johnson stock transactions this week
  • How much does WWE help the USA Network

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE uploaded full video of the segment where Bayley confronted Roxanne Perez on NXT last night.
  • Charlotte Flair was backstage at NXT and posted a photo with Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson.
  • Mickie James was also at the Performance Center last night. Karmen Petrovic shared pictures of her and James together.
  • After she was shown in the crowd during NXT, WWE posted a video of TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich interacting backstage with Shawn Michaels.
    • Slamovich said: “Thank you for having me. I said that I was going to bring this title around the world and find the best people to defend it [against], and so far I like what I see.”
    • Michaels responded: “Just know we’re only a phone call away, alright? Congratulations and good luck.”
  • Bayley Humphrey, a former acrobat/tumbler for Baylor University who joined WWE after being part of the NIL program, debuted last night in a match taped for the upcoming A&E series WWE LFG (Legends & Future Greats).
  • In response to Bad Bunny saying he wants to wrestle one more WWE match, Logan Paul commented: “Then get in the ring with me”
  • WWE filed a new trademark for the term “Cenation” for merchandising purposes on January 14.
  • WWE has a behind-the-scenes video from Raw’s Netflix premiere.
  • On Pod Meets World, Danielle Fishel and Will Friedle of Boy Meets World fame discussed attending the first Raw on Netflix.
  • Sonya Deville was a guest on the Trading Secrets podcast.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • During an interview with Cincy 360, Renee Paquette was asked if she’s interested in doing commentary again at some point:
    • You know, sometimes I think about it. There’s aspects of it that I miss. And obviously this is a far different circumstance with AEW versus what I had done previously. So I think about it sometimes. I mean, I love getting to do the interviews. I love getting to do some more of the longform interviews or some of those really exclusive sit-down things. I love getting to do those. But, yeah, every now and then when I’m listening I’m like – I kind of get a little bit of the itch. A little bit. So we’ll see.
  • MVP cut a promo ahead of his AEW debut match on Dynamite tonight. MVP, Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin are facing Private Party & Mark Briscoe in a six-man tag.
  • MVP tweeted today: “The story going around that a knee injury kept me out of the ring was never true. I injured my knee back during the pandemic. I exacerbated that injury by continuing to wrestle on it, injured, for NINE MONTHS. But I healed and transitioned to a new role. One I enjoy.”
  • With her first tour of Japan now over, Athena will give an “exclusive world tour update” on ROH TV this Thursday.
  • Rina Yamashita has been added to the DLC (Doors, Ladders & Chairs) match for the vacant Ultraviolent Championship at GCW’s Hammerstein Ballroom event this Sunday. It will now be a seven-way bout with Yamashita, Matt Tremont, Brandon Kirk, Matthew Justice, Drew Parker, John Wayne Murdoch, and Dr. Redacted.
  • Indie veteran Nate Webb will make a major announcement regarding his career and future at GCW’s show in Indianapolis on Friday, January 31.
  • Deadlock Pro announced that, due to a medical issue, Trish Adora will not be competing at their show in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey this Friday. Queen Aminata is replacing Adora against Kylie Rae.