Daily Update: WWE Raw, AEW Rampage, Fox upfronts

Daily Update

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Latest Free YouTube Video:

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

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.

Monday News Update

  • Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Raw, Ric Flair, Cain Velasquez, the upfronts and the rest of the wrestling news of the day. You can send questions to the show to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • Zachary Green (Zachary Wentz/Nash Carter) released a statement earlier today regarding the photo of him with the Hitler mustache. He said the photo was taken in 2015 and said he was very naive about the subject, and that somebody (not his wife) and gotten the photo and tried to blackmail him with it, and he was married at the time and sent the photo to his wife so she knew the situation he was dealing with. He said she kept the photo and released it the day he filed for a divorce. He was fired for the photo, although she had publicly claimed abuse in the relationship after the marriage had fallen apart, and he had denied it. He encouraged people to rad up on the holocaust and said how much he learned in studying about it and how horrible it was.
  • Raw is lucky with the Warriors beating Memphis and not having a seventh game tonight. There are no NBA nor NHL playoff games tonight so tomorrow’s Raw rating will actually be a fair representation of where things stand. The same isn’t true for NXT, Dynamite, Smackdown and Rampage which will all be hurt by a significant degree.
  • For Tuesday, NXT goes against the Celtics-Heat in the NBA, Blues-Avalanche and Lighting-Panthers in the NHL playoffs. The NHL and NBA are way up this year but the NBA is much larger and stronger competition.
  • For Wednesday, Dynamite goes against Warriors-Mavericks, which is expected to do huge numbers, plus Rangers-Hurricanes which should be big and Oilers-Flames, which will be huge in Canada.
  • For Friday, Smackdown goes against Warriors-Mavericks and Rangers-Hurricanes.
  • Next Monday’s Raw goes against Celtics-Heat, Panthers vs. Lighting and Avalanche vs. Blues.
  • Rampage on Friday was just confirmed for 7 p.m. Eastern and 4 pm. Pacific. It’s an unfamiliar time slot again, but all of the playoff games start after so it won’t get hurt in that regard. 7 p.m. Friday isn’t bad for the East Coast but it is still a bad time slot for the rest of the country.
  • Raw tonight will be from a sold out Scope Arena in Norfolk. This is only the second WWE television taping event this year that has sold out legitimately, the other being a Smackdown in Hershey, PA. They had 7,200 tickets out this morning, but after production moved in they put a few more on sale and the scalpers got almost all of them immediately given the sold out nature of the show. The only thing announced was a cage match with Bobby Lashley vs. Omos for TV, but they were advertising dark matches, which may or may not happen.
  • We’re looking for reports on these shows
  • Saturday night WWE in Florence SC
  • Sunday night WWE in Roanoke, VA
  • Tonight’s Raw (Main Event/dark matches, anything not on the live show) in Norfolk,VA.
  • Reports to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • Our only poll this week is for NJPW Capital Collision from Saturday night, you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
  • FOX had its advertising up fronts today. The first thing WWE did in its presentation to advertisers to say they are No. 1 in 18-34 on Friday nights. Well, they are on network television, but have not been No. 1 of late against the NBA. AEW Dynamite will have a significant display on Wednesday at the WarnerMedia up fronts. We’ll have more about this on the show tonight.
  • The Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix opens with PPV shows on 7/30 and 7/31 at Ota Ward Gym in Tokyo, and will end on 10/1. There will be 26 women in the tournament. 22 have been named, Mayu Iwatani, Koguma,Hazuki, Hanan, AZM, Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani, Saki Kashima,Starlight Kid, Momo Watanabe, Giulia, Maika, Himeka, Natsupoi, Thekla, Tam Nakano, Mina Shirakawa, Unagi Sayaka, Syuri, Mirai, Risa Sera and Suzu Suzuki There will be one surprise addition and the other three will be the top three finishers in a tournament that starts shortly with the undercard wrestlers.
  • NXT tomorrow has Tony D’Angelo vs. Santos Escobar, Roxanne Perez vs. Kiana James and Lash Legend vs. Tatum Paxley in the Breakout tournament, plus Viking Raiders vs. Creed Brothers and Xyon Quinn vs. Wes Lee.
  • A new documentary on Bruno Sammartino is being released here.

AEW

  • A new batch of tickets were released for Forbidden Door in Chicago and they went immediately. They are about 230 shy of what they had for the C.M. Punk debut, which would be the second biggest crowd in company history. After production moves in they will likely beat that mark. Gate ways, they are going to be around $400,000 ahead.
  • An interview on Spin.com with Chris Jericho where he talks about Judas as his entrance music as well as why he still uses it as a heel.

Other Notes

  • Video from Saturday night of FTR being managed by Mick Foley against Griff Garrison & Marcus Cool from PWF in York, SC.
  • Results from the show before 625 fans: Jimmy Valiant & Sweet Dreams & Deon Johnson b AJ Frost & Tony Benge & Chris Anderson, Stuart Snodgrass b Chrisifix to become first champion, Don Furio b Chase Emery, George South & Golden Gladiator #2 b Jerry Lawler & Big Nasty, Dean Boyd & Zach Snyder (the head football coach and principal at the school) b AJ Frost & Tony Benge & JP Lehman, John Skyler b Jake Jacobs, Joey Ford & Brady Collins b Myric Moore & Derrick Driver to keep tag titles, Mike Maughan b Suicide to keep PWF title, FTR b Griff Garrison & Marcus Cool
  • I have not seem this match, but Will Ospreay vs. Titus Alexander from West Coast Pro on Friday night has been raved to me by a number of people. I’d also recommend the NJPW Capital Collision as one of the better PPV shows of the year in the U.S.
  • The AAA YouTube channel is now available in the U.S. (thanks to Rene Ochoa)
  • Boca Raton Championship Wrestling from yesterday in Boca Raton before a sellout 200 fans: Steve Maclin b Josh Woods, Jack Talos b Cezar Bononi, Cha Cha Charlie b Noah Kekoa, Ear & Nova b Gangrel & Bull James-DQ, Jessie Elaban won three-way over MJ Jenkins and Santana Garrett, Lakey won a ladder match over Jack Talos, Ariel Levy, Alan Martinez, TC Read and Kerry Morton to win the CRCW title. Next show is November. This group works with CCW and Gangrel.
  • Superkicked on Friday at The Great Hall in Toronto.
  • Pro Wrestling Phoenix on Wednesday in Omaha, NE at the Waiting Room Lounge.
  • XICW from last night in Detroit: Kyler Coleman b Solo, Billy Ray Daniels b Forever Young, Sheepy b Soultaker, Dread King Logan & Zach Tomas b Iron Eagle Roadhouse, Rhino b charlie Haas to win Midwest title, Jamey Coxxx b Mark Ross, TJ Meyer b Dre Jacobs in an I Quit match, LJ Lawrence b Sam Beale, DBA & Malcolm Monroe III & Caden Monroe b Aaron Orton & Jack Price & Adam Wick (thanks to Leonard Brand)
  • The Motor City Machine Guns, Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley, will be appearing on 7/8 for West Coast Pro at the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco, a new location.
  • Monster Factory Pro Wrestling on 6/30 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. Names announced are Homicide, Josh Woods, Beer City Bruiser, Headbangers, Steve Maclin and D-Lo Brown.