Daily Update: WWE SmackDown, AEW Rampage, Korakuen Hall

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Observer up on the site is filled with tons of detailed news stories, between more on the Vince McMahon situation, WrestleMania 40 and the press conference, the new streaming services and changes in the sports media ecosystem, Rossy Ogawa and Scott D’Amore being fired as heads of Stardom and TNA, Steve McMichael makes the NFL Hall of Fame, and a study of AEW PPV buys.

  • How Vince McMahon was let go
  • The federal investigation of McMahon
  • What they were looking for and confiscated and how it ties in with other news
  • Who else has been talked with
  • Lots more on the Ashley Massaro situation
  • Why Ari Emanuel needs to answer a lot of questions
  • WrestleMania 40 blurring the lines
  • A look at the press conference and reaction to Rock
  • Update on Elimination Chamber
  • A look at the new sports streaming service that many networks are partnering in
  • The firing of Rossy Ogawa with a look into the background of what happened
  • Comments from both Taro Okada and Ogawa with both sides
  • Different booking decisions overruled
  • How AEW & WWE fit into the story
  • Firing of Scott D’Amore, the background of it, the talent meeting, how successful the last PPV show really was
  • Full coverage of NXT Stand & Deliver
  • A study of AEW PPV buyers and what it reveals
  • Steve McMichael makes NFL Hall of Fame as one of his last wishes and a look back at his run, plus other wrestlers in the NFL Hall of Fame
  • The most detailed look at the ratings of all the wrestling TV shows, demo breakdowns, comparisons with last year, segment numbers and what can be learned from it
  • Huge feud appears to be brewing with AEW internationally
  • Gran Alternativa final draws back at Arena Mexico
  • AAA Rey de Reyes notes
  • Stardom anniversary show notes
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Toby Keith and his connection with wrestling that you probably do know and may not know
  • 40th anniversary of the death of El Santo and David Von Erich
  • Bret Hart talks problems with today’s wrestling
  • One of the best promos of the year by Amira
  • Lots more on Revolution
  • Largest crowds ever in Greensboro
  • Wembley Stadium update
  • Attendance updates for upcoming WWE, AEW and UFC shows
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Gina Carano sues Disney
  • More WrestleMania updates
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • TV reviews and show notes
  • Two personalities in Super Bowl commercials Sunday

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

Friday Update

Our weekend schedule will be a show with Garrett Gonzales today and we obviously have an incredible amount to talk about. Bryan and I will be back Sunday night covering all the weekend notes.

Obviously coming off last night there is a lot to digest for Smackdown tonight in Charlotte, NC and I expect a big number. No Roman Reigns or Rock are expected, but Cody Rhodes is there and HHH is there as well. They were just shy of a sellout at last look with more than 12,000 out. Announced for the show is: Zelina Vega vs. Naomi in a Chamber qualifier, Bianca Belair vs. Michin in a Chamber qualifier, Logan Paul will find out who he is facing at Elimination Chamber, Tyler Bate & Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa with the winners facing Damian Priest & Finn Balor for the tag titles at Elimination Chamber

Rampage tonight at 10 p.m. on TNT: Orange Cassidy & Rocky Romero & Trent Baretta vs. Roderick Strong & Mike Bennett & Matt Taven, Young Bucks vs. Mondo Rox & Robbie Lit, Mistico vs. Matt Sydal, Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale vs. Saraya & Ruby Soho. Crazy we have this random Mistico appearance tonight.

NTV in Japan ran a special show today from Korakuen Hall as the 70th anniversary of pro wrestling on the network. The network ran pro wrestling from 1954 to 2009, the longest run of any television station in the world, starting with JWA, then All Japan Pro Wrestling and finally Pro Wrestling NOAH before they cut wrestling due to economic issues and cost cutting. They had live matches including a great Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Yuma Anzai main event won by Kiyomiya. There were a lot of great video packages on the greatest tag team to appear on the network like The Sharpe Brothers, Bruiser Brody & Stan Hansen, The Funks, Road Warriors, British Bulldogs, Misawa & Kobashi and more. They also had one on legendary moves, as well as a Terry Funk tribute with Atsshi Onita and Masa Fuchi talking about Funk. Funk was Onita’s mentor. Another package was on the most legendary feuds like Giant Baba vs. Abdullah the Butcher, Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Genichiro Tenryu, Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada, Misawa vs. Kobashi and KENTA vs. Naomichi Marufuji. They also showed some of the most famous title wins for Rikidozan, Baba (beating Jack Brisco for the NWA title), Tsuruta vs. Hansen, Tenryu vs. Tsuruta, Misawa vs. Hansen and more. (thanks to Gerard Di Trolio)

Dwayne Johsnon is in talks for both appearing in the animated Moana 2 as well as they look to be filming a live action version of the first Moana later this year. Johnson talked about both yesterday on the Pat McAfee show.

PWInsider reported that there was a bench warrant issued for Edward Annis (Teddy Hart) after failing to appear in court regarding his 7/15 arrest for possession of ecstasy and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. Because of the failure to appear, his $2,000 bond has been revoked.

TNA Rebellion will be 4/20 back in Las Vegas at the Palms. We do know that while this was not related to his firing, Scott D’Amore wanted this show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York rather than to go right back to Las Vegas so soon after a PPV and TV taping.

A correction from today’s Observer when talking about the March 2023 Giulia vs. Maya Yukihi match. It was about issues in that match taking place that involved Stardom’s Katsuhiko Harada, who wanted it, and Rossy Ogawa, who didn’t. We reported it was a double count out because Giulia was the World of Stardom champion and Yukihi was the Ice Robbin champion. However Yukihi was not the Ice Robbin champion. The double count out wasn’t because both were champions, but because whether it was Ice Ribbon or Yukihi, they couldn’t get a finish out of the match so did a double count out. It was a super match. But I do remember being told when it was over that you’d think there would be a rematch after that finish, but there wasn’t going to be, as the finish was the only way to get the match in the ring (thanks to Paul Cziuba)

For this weekend, we’ll be doing our poll on the New Japan New Beginning in Osaka which includes Will Ospreay’s last New Japan match an Kazuchika Okada’s last match in Osaka against Hiroshi Tanahashi in the final match of one of the all-time great in-ring rivalries in history and Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. The show starts at 3 a.m. Eastern and midnight Pacific late tomorrow night with a cage match with the United Empire led by Ospreay against the Bullet Club War Dogs led by David Finlay. You can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

Speaking of Ospreay, this is a tremendous build for the 2/18 Ospreay vs. Michael Oku British heavyweight title match in London. In particular, check out the work by Amira, the girlfriend of Oku. It’s among the best promos you’ll see:

We didn’t get this in time for the issue but Post Wrestling reported that Wednesday’s Dynamite show did the best ratings for the show in Canada in 11 months. It did 193,000 viewers with 95,600 in 25-54, which is the prime demo for advertisers in Canada. It beat both Raw & Smackdown this week in the key demo and was close to Smackdown in total viewers for the past week.

My last appearance on the Ashley Banfield show is here:

Defy and Progress have announced a merger. Part of the deal is that efy shows will be on the Demand Progress Plus streaming service.

Empire State Wrestling out of upstate New York announced they have acquired the Pro Wrestling Rampage promotion based in Erie, PA. ESW will now run regularly at the Saga Club in Erie with the first show under new ownership on 3/9.

For this weekend, we’re looking for reports from these shows:

  • Smackdown tonight in Charlotte (dark matches only)
  • NXT tonight in Crystal River, FL
  • AEW tomorrow night in Henderson, NV (ROH and dark matches only)
  • NXT tomorrow night in Venice, FL
  • We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

UFC runs 4-10 p.m. Eastern tomorrow on ESPN+

  • Daniel marcos (136) vs. Aoriqileng (156)
  • Hyder Amil (145.5) vs. Fernie Garcia (145)
  • Zac Pauga (206) vs. Bogdan Guskov (205.5)
  • Max Griffin (170.5) vs. Jeremiah Wells (171)
  • Devin Clark (204.5) vs. Marcin Prachnio (204.5)
  • Loma Lookboonmee (115.5) vs. Bruna Brasil (115.5)
  • Bolaji Oki (156) vs. Timothy Cuamba (155)
  • Trevin Giles (171) vs. Carlos Prates (171)
  • Rodolfo Vieira (185.5) vs. Armen Petrosyan (186)
  • Michael Johnson (156) vs. Darrius Flowers (156)
  • Brad Tavares (186) vs. Gregor Rodrigues (186)
  • Robert Bryczek (185.5) vs. Ihor Potieria (187.5) – Potieria missed weight by 1.5 pounds and was fined 20 percent of his purse
  • Dan Ige (146) vs. Andre Fili (146)
  • Jack Hermansson (185) vs. Joe Fyfer (185.5)

Innovate Wrestling on 3/23 in Kingsport,TN at the Beautiful Bobby Eaton Arena

Rick Bassman is doing a YouTube show called “Wrestling With Cancer” tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. Eastern with a number of cancer survivors including himself, Erica “Jungle Grrl” Porter, Darnell “BLK Jeez” Kitrell, Black Bart Rick Harris and Patricia Summerland.

Defy has its seventh anniversary show tonight at Washington Hall in Seattle. The show features the Defy debut of Mustafa Ali vs. Judas Icarus, plus Curry Man vs. Christoher Daniels Vert Vixen vs. Nicole Matthews for the women’s title, Bollywood Boyz vs. The Sovereign for the tag titles, Sami Callihan vs. Artemis Spencer in a street fight, Lince Dorado vs Gringo Loco and more.

Lucha Va Voom returns to the Mayan Theater in Los Angels on 2/14 and 2/15 with Taya Valkyrie, Megno, Lil Cholo, Jack Cartwheel and more.

On 5/11 in Evansville, IN there will be a Wrestling Legends Reunion and a Jerry Lawler Celebration Convention. Hooligan Championship Wrestling will hold its debut show called Ascending the Queendom with Kenzie Paige, Kylie Alexa, Tiffany Nieves and others for an all-women’s show.

AIW on 2/29 in Lakewood, OH at the Mercury Music Lounge. They also run 3/22 in Cleveland at Temple live with an appearance of the original Demolition.

Phillipe Lins vs. Ion Cutelaba has been added to the UFC 299 show on 3/9 in Miami.