Daily Update: WWE SmackDown, AEW Rampage, UFC 295

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Clip

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

We’ve got a very heavy business issue of the Observer focusing on a lot of different breaking stories involving both WWE and AEW:

  • Match of the week and performer of the week
  • The changes in WWE business under TKO
  • UFC & WWE quarterly business updates
  • Behind Vince McMahon selling 8.4 million shares of TKO stock, what he got, what he still owns, what it did to the stock price and what other large sum of money he just received that fell under the radar
  • Why WWE numbers were unexpectedly down, and why TKO actually losing money this quarter is nothing to be concerned over
  • A look at WWE and AEW attendance and how it’s changed over the past year
  • Ari Emanuel talks about competition for WWE and UFC
  • More departments where jobs will be lost
  • Company goals for 2024
  • Changes in the live arena experience
  • Key that makes WWE and UFC attractive for television stations
  • Issues with Vince McMahon
  • The CW deal for NXT
  • Changes for a WWE show next year and other changes talked about
  • Who are the leaders for the Raw rights
  • What are the rankings of the stations with pro wrestling and MMA product
  • Billy Corgan gives comments about the cocaine angle
  • A look at the TV deals that Tony Khan, Dwayne Johnson and Vince McMahon have been part of for wrestling and football
  • Full coverage of Crown Jewel and the booking
  • A look at the Ricochet injury and how it changed the IC title path slightly going into the Survivor Series
  • Early notes on the Survivor Series
  • PPV numbers and what did Crown Jewel buyers watch and not watch when it came to major PPV events this past month
  • The future for Will Ospreay and Giulia
  • Notes on the Tokyo Dome show
  • Great matches and angles at Power Struggle
  • Full Power Struggle coverage
  • UFC from Brazil coverage
  • The most detailed look at the TV ratings from the past week from all shows, including comparison to last year, competition, and how each segment did as well as Dynamite vs. NXT
  • Major rudo turn on sold out Arena Mexico show
  • AAA doing a talent search
  • More injuries and health issues with Stardom
  • Update on Stardom tag team tournament
  • Controversy at Stardom event after changed start time of show
  • All Japan has an incredible match this week and sets up another for New Year’ Eve
  • A look at All Japan’s year end tag team and junior tournaments
  • Lots of injury updates
  • New Japan big events in early 2024
  • DDT has major show this week
  • More on the Von Erich movie
  • Indie star says his indie career is over
  • Indie promotion draws 5,000 fans
  • Contract issues in MLW
  • WBD stock falls
  • Update on Full Gear
  • Notes on Mariah May debut
  • Stardom star under contract to AEW and details
  • Ticket sales for upcoming WWE & AEW shows
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • UFC signs deal with new TV outlet to return from nearly a decade
  • How Vince McMahon kept UFC off NBC
  • Lots of new UFC title matches
  • Unique facts about this weekend’s UFC show
  • More on Fury vs. Nganou PPV numbers
  • WrestleMania week news
  • CM Punk news
  • YouTube numbers and WWE and TKO value at this point
  • Reports from the WWE house shows

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

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.

Friday Update

Garrett and I aren’t doing a show today since he’s going to the AEW Collision show in Oakland. Bryan and I will be back tomorrow night covering the UFC show and the rest of the weekend activity.

Smackdown is live tonight from Columbus, OH, with Bobby Lashley vs. Carlito. Corey Graves has the night off since his wife Carmella just gave birth so Kevin Owens will be announcing the show. They also announced Bayley will update on Damage Ctrl. There were 7,400 tickets out as of last night. Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso are there, possibly for a dark match.

Rampage is live tonight from Oakland and they are taping Collision. The key stuff tonight is FTR vs El Hijo del Vikingo & Komander on Rampage, and for Collision, it’s Sting & Darby Allin & Adam Copeland vs. Lance Archer & Dutch & Vincent and Rush & Dralistico vs. JD Drake & Anthony Henry.

The UFC 30th anniversary show is tomorrow night from Madison Square Garden.

6 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+

  • Dennis Buzukja (145.5) vs. Jamall Emmers (147) – Emmers missed weight and will forfeit 20 percent of his purse
  • Kevin Borjas (125.8) vs. Joshua Van (125.8)
  • John Castaneda (137.6) vs. Kyung Ho Kang (138) – both agreed to fight at 138
  • Jared Gordon (155.6) vs. Mark O. Madsen (154.6)

8 p.m. on ESPN+ and ESPN News

  • Natim Sadykhov (155.6) vs. Vlacheslav Borshchev (154.8)
  • Meteusz Rebeicki (155.8) vs. Roosevelt Roberts (158) – Roberts missed weight and will forfeit 20 percent of his purse
  • Tabatha Ricci (115.4) vs. Loopy Godinez (115)
  • Stephen Erceg (125.6) vs. Alessandro Costa (125.4)

PPV at 10 p.m. Eastern

  • Pat Sabatini (145.8) vs. Diego Lopes (145.4)
  • Matt Frevola (155.6) vs. Benoit Saint Denis (156)
  • Mackenzie Dern (115.6) vs. Jessica Andrade (116)
  • Sergei Pavlovich (259.8) vs. Tom Aspinall (261.6) for the interim heavyweight title
  • Jiri Prochazka (204.2) vs. Alex Pereira (204) for the vacant light heavyweight title

Khabib Nurmagomedov said that since retiring he’s turned down offers to return that have ranged from $20 million to $40 million. There had been talks around here of foreign governments offering him gigantic money to come out of retirement and him turning down the offers as he has no interest in coming back.

UFC, in honor of its 30th anniversary, made this list of the 30 greatest fighters in UFC history. Aside from the obvious Frank Shamrock omission (go back and watch his fights), the list is Royce Gracie, Matt Hughes, BJ Penn, GSP, Robbie Lawler, Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, Anderson Silva, Michael Bisping, Frankie Edgar, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Charlies Oliveira, Dominick Cruz, Demetrious Johnson, Jose Aldo, Cain Velasquez, Stipe Miocic, Jon Jones, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Valentina Shevchenko, Ronda Rousey, Amanda Nunes, Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Kamaru Usman, Israel Adesanya, Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski.

New Japan has a PPV show from Garland, TX starting at 7:30 pm. Eastern and 6:30 p.m. local time. It’ll be on FITE:

  • Matt Vandergriff vs. Barrett Brown
  • Tom Lawlor vs. Fred Rosser
  • Atlantis & Tiger Mask & Mascara Dorada vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Hechicero & Rocky Romero
  • Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa & Kushida & Kevin Knight vs. Chase Owens & Clark Connors & Gabe Kidd & Alex Coughlin
  • Mistico vs. TJP
  • Toru Yano vs Joey Janela
  • El Phantasmo & Hikuleo vs. Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs for the New Japan Strong tag title
  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Mike Bailey for the New Japan World TV title
  • Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta vs. KENTA & David Finlay
  • Shingo Takagi vs. Trent Baretta for the Never open weight title
  • Mayu Iwatani vs. Stephanie Vaquer for the IWGP women’s title
  • Eddie Kingston vs. Satoshi Kojima for the New Japan Strong title
  • There are a lot of interesting matches here. Mascara Dorada is CMLL’s hottest new star so that trios match should be a showcase for him. TJP is a great worker so he and Mistico could deliver a good match. Janela is making his New Japan debut. Sabre vs. Bailey is one of those on paper matches that could be classic. Vaquer really impressed everyone against Mercede Mone, and Iwatani is making a rare U.S. appearance. Kingston has annfinity with working with top Japanese stars from the prior generation and Kojima is that, and can still go. It’s also the first meeting of Moxley and Finlay since last Saturday’s big angle between the two of them and Will Osperay in Osaka.

Chris Jericho vs. Konoske Takeshita takes place Sunday at Sumo Hall in Tokyo for DDT. The show takes place late Saturday in the U.S. The show, which will be long, starts at midnight Eastern and 9 p.m. Pacific on the Wrestle Universe streaming service.

Impact last night did 97,000 viewers and an 0.02 in 18-49.

Robert Seidman of @SportsTVRatings announced he was retiring from posting daly ratings. While we will get all the wrestling ratings this will delay us getting the competition numbers right away although we will get them for the Observer newsletter every week.

 Arena Mexico tonight as new rudo Soberano Jr. facing Volador Jr. in the main event

The Undertaker is doing a one-man show tonight in Cleveland, OH at the Agora Theater.

WAR on 12/2 in Lima, OH at the Bradford Community Center.

WOW will be taping on 12/11 through 12/14 at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles.

Kevin Von Erich will be at The Gathering Final Chapter next August in Charlotte to be honored.

Combate Global has a show on 11/17 in Bogota, Columbia on Univision and Paramount +. The show airs at 10 p.m. Eastern. Stiven Valencia (7-3) faces Javier Reyes (16-3) for their featherweight championship. They also crown a welterweight champion with Jesus Alberto Rangel (3-0) vs. Alexis Campos (3-0). The bantamweight title will be fought for with Andres Leal (15-11) vs. Jefry Gil (4-6), who are both from Bogota. MMA world titles are something else.

J.T. Thorne of West Coast Pro underwent surgery and will be out of action for the foreseeable future.

Great Lakes Championship Wrestling Blizzard Brawl is 12/2 in Waukesha,WI, with Matt Cardona vs. EC 3 as the main event, Backwoods Brown vs. Shawn Spears, and Leila Grey vs. Rene Michelle vs. Harley Jane with Alicia Fox as referee, plus Doug Basham vs. Kal Herro with Basham saying he will retire if he loses, and Drew Hernandez vs Heath Slater. Local news anchor Mike Crukov will be on he show. Also on the show will be Konnan, Angelina Love and there will be a meet and greet that will include Devon Dudley, Barry Darsow, Bill Eadie, Nord the Barbarian, Damian Sandow, Christy Hemme, Jillian Hall, Boogeyman, Shane Dogulas,Francine, Al Snow and Bill Alfonso.

AIW on 11/24 at Force Sports in Eastlake, OH, with Tom Lawlor.

MCW runs tomorrow night in Joppa, MD at the J Meyer Arena with Action Andretti.