Daily Update: WWE Raw, Mercedes Mone, Tessa Blanchard and Daga

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

The new issue of the Observer is up on the site with these stories:

This is likely one of the biggest weeks of the year as far as major news stories involving business practices, Vince McMahon, Dana White, the Phil Baroni murder case, the possible change in legalities of non-compete clauses and more. We’ve got a huge issue out on the site now:

*Behind the story of Vince McMahon’s attempt to return, why he said he was returning, correspondence with McMahon and the board, details on the return of former co-Presidents and the timing of why this is happening now.

*Aspects of the story that haven’t been discussed anywhere else

*Notes on the voting shares of the major shareholders

*The Dana White/Anne White situation, White talks about what happened and more

*The reaction to this and the future of his Slap Fighting company

*New legislation being talked out regarding the banning of non-compete clauses and their effect on pro wrestling

*Full review of the Tokyo Dome show, including more on the dates Sasha Banks has agreed to, the business notes from the show, the Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega match, title changes and a major record set for streaming of the show

*A look at New Year’s Dash

*The life and times of Don West, how he got into wrestling, his life outside of wrestling, a look at a guy who didn’t grow up watching wrestling but became a very well liked member of the wrestling community with comments from many of his friends

*The Phil Baroni murder charges

*The Jake Paul/PFL business deal and why the odds of it working aren’t high

*John Cena draws the largest audience to see a pro wrestling match on U.S. television this year

*Great Muta vs. Shinsuke Nakamura headline at Budokan Hall

*2022 Wrestling Observer Awards ballot

*Popularity of the TV stations that air wrestling and MMA

*The most detailed look at the television ratings and how each segment did this past week

*Streaming numbers and international TV numbers

*Upcoming ticket sales for the AEW & WWE shows

*Annual last man in a cage loses their mask match at Arena Mexico

*More on FTR vs. Dragon Lee & Dralistico

*More on AEW talent holding belts in AAA

*Notes on New Japan shows in the U.S.

*Independent awards for Japan

*Annual New Year’s Eve trios tournament in Japan

*PWG Battle of Los angeles notes

*NWA changing aspects of its business

*Death of The Flying Greek, Mike Pappas

*Former WWE exec gets removed from a public appearance

*Champion bodybuilder who became a TV wrestler in the U.K. passes away

*Young Bucks contract situation

*Top sellers in merchandise

*Notes on upcoming AEW shows

*Notes on the Jericho Cruise

*Karen Jarrett not happy about Max Caster’s rap

*UFC star injured and returning after many years

*Another major company looks to be up for sale

*WWE injury updates

*WWE new TV shows

*What WWE has cut back on

*WWE house show notes

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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Monday Update

Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Raw and the latest wrestling and MMA news as well as more from BOLA with Wrestling Observer Radio tonight. We had a show last night covering BOLA and the Saturday show that Garrett Gonzales and I did talking to Mike Tenay about the death of his close friend and broadcast partner Don West is up on the site free right now.

Raw tonight is in Birmingham, AL. No matches have been announced, only that Alexa Bliss will explain her heel turn and attack on Bianca Belair. Odyssey Jones and Von Wagner are backstage at Raw tonight, as is Bo Dallas. Bo Dallas looked to be Uncle Howdy on Smackdown. So that character could be part of the Alexa Bliss segment tonight. Jones and Wagner are likely working the Main Event show. About 7,100 tickets were out as of this morning.

The 2/18 New Japan show in San Jose with Mercedes Mone’s debut match with New Japan challenging Kairi for the IWGP women’s title has sold out the Civic Auditorium with 2,150 tickets. There may be some seats added later. They were going to do well and may have sold out and would have come close, but she did move 600 tickets since Wednesday.

WWE stock continues to rise, closing at $87.82 per share today, up $3.42. The announcement of WrestleMania topping $17.3 million in ticket sales between the two nights plus talk of a sale led to the boost.

Daga and Tessa Blanchard have announced they are separated.  

An obit of Johnny “Powerlock” Powers, a major 70s star in the U.S. and Japan, from the Hamilton newspaper. He was originally from Hamilton. (thanks to Eric Poon)

A quick mention is that after BOLA, Don Callis was there. He didn’t come to ringside during the show. He did come out but most fans didn’t see him during the Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mike Bailey final. There were AEW cameras with him with them acting like a group of reporters asking him questions after the show ended. The idea was he was there for Takeshita and talked about that. Later, he cut an interview with Takeshita. It appeared the idea is Takeshita is confused with Callis’ interest in him, or at least that’s what I garnered form his facial expressions during part of the interview.

Jericho said he had so much fun at last night’s PWG show and was glad the secret didn’t get out. It was known by a few fans, not a lot, that there would be an AEW surprise and a bunch of names were being talked about but Jericho was not one of them. People were telling me about a surprise but now what it was. It was really well done and the atmosphere was off the charts, even by PWG standards, for that entire match.

AEW and WWE stars Adam Cole, Claudio Castagnoli, Xavier Woods and Tyler Breeze were together releasing a song about their gaming experiences on Spotify.

The Greek Reporter with a story on Mike Pappas, who passed away last week (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)

NXT and AEW have major TV’s the next two days. New Year’s Evil has Bron Breakker vs. Grayson Waller for the NXT title, a 20 woman Battle Royal for a title shot at Roxanne Perez, Indus Sher vs. Creeds, Dijak vs. Tony D’Angelo, a gauntlet match with Pretty Deadly for a tag title shot and Charlie Dempsey vs. Hank Walker. 

AEW has one of the biggest Dynamite lineups ever from the Kia Forum in Los angeles with Death Triangle vs. Elie in a ladder match for the trios title as the final of the best of seven series plus Bryan Danielson vs. Konosuke Takeshita, the first Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley match after the scary ending that has put Page of out action for a few months with a concussion and Toni Storm & Saraya vs. Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter. They are at about 8,200 tickets out for the show. It’s far from sold out, but I had thought 8,000 would be a good second show attendance and it was not a lock they would it that mark.

The 1/22 Great Muta & Sting & Darby Allin vs. AKIRA & Hakushi & Naomichi Marufuji NOAH show at the Yokohama Arena, the final Great Muta match (he has one more left after as Keiji Muto) will air on FITE at 1 a.m. Eastern the night of 1/21.

Other Notes

Northeast Wrestling sold out their show on Saturday night Bethany CT and they are adding a 2 p.m. show Saturday in the building. They are running monthly at the NEW Arena on 40 Peck Rd.

Pro Wrestling Revolution has vacated its tag team titles. Dragon Lee & Dralistico were champions but Lee is now with WWE. They will crown new champions on a 3/11 show in San Jose.

Bandido is in San Jose this week doing a seminar for the students at the school Surprisingly since the show is in Los Angeles, Bandido is not booked for Wednesday’s show. He has did work this past Wednesday in a streaming match in Seattle.

The return of CrusherFest, an all-day celebration of The Crusher with polish food and polka bands as well as wrestling and appearances by legendary past wrestles will be on 6/3 and 6/4 in South Milwaukee where the statue of the Crusher is.

Eddie Edwards & Moose & Steve Maclin face Jonathan Gresham & Joe Hendry & Rich Swann in the main event of Thursday’s Impact show.

Bret Hart was announced for a wrestling convention in Morristown, NJ on 5/6 at the Mennen Sports Arena. Also appearing are Dory Funk Jr., Nikita Koloff, Magnum T.A., Mike Enos, Wayne Bloom, Demotion, Warlord, Barbarian, David Schultz, Wendi Richter, Brian Blair, Jim Brunzell, Leilani Kai, Steve Keirn, Dennis Condrey, Godfather, Tony Atlas, Tommy Rich, Mr. Hughes, Virgil and Manny Fernandez There will also be a show in the building that night featuring Carlito, Val Venis, Dirty Dango, Eugene, Warlord, Barbarian Davey Boy Smith Jr, Snitsky, Matt Striker, danny Morrison and Brian Kendrick. They will also be honoring Randy Savage and Chris Candido.