Daily Update: WWE SmackDown, Julio Estrada, CMLL

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer:

  • Updating the John Cena/Cody Rhodes interview, what was and wasn’t said, update on the plans for WrestleMania as well as the current ticket demand and interest level.
  • WBD expresses interest in UFC and evaluating the value of the UFC PPV business, the methods of distribution, how many buyers or subscribers will it take to cover what UFC wants and that value, how a deal with WBD would affect AEW (it would , perhaps significantly).
  • Full coverage of the final week of the New Japan Cup, including a look at one of the best shows of the year and New Japan’s next major show.
  • 2024 Gaspard/Huber award winners, the most important award we give each year
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for the various shows, including competition, men vs. women and things to note from the different shows over the past week.
  • Build to CMLL’s second biggest event of the year
  • How the foreign talent is doing in Mexico
  • AAA champion suspended in key market and why
  • Difference between commission suspensions in U.S. and Mexico
  • What WWE superstar was suspended for a drug test failure by athletic commissions nationwide and a commission didn’t  honor it and why several years back
  • Angle for a non-wrestling booker to face a woman star in a match
  • Homicide retirement notes
  • A look back at the most famous NCAA wrestling tournament match of all-time
  • The state of  El Hijo del Santo’s retirement tour
  • Updates on Border City Wrestling
  • Queen of the Ring updates
  • More on the early days of women’s pro wrestling history
  • Mandy Rose talks business after wrestling
  • AEW Dynasty updates including business
  • AEW and the Ryan Nemeth lawsuit against the company, Tony Khan and CM Punk
  • International TV and streaming numbers
  • WWE countering AEW PPV shows
  • Lex Luger Hall of Fame questions
  • How much is Dwayne Johhnson’s ownership of TKO worth
  • How much is Vince McMahon’s current ownership worth
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Developmental updates

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Friday Update

  • We have a show today with Garrett Gonzales talking about the new issue of the Observer, and the news of the week.  We will be back with Bryan on Sunday night.
  • Today’s Smackdown show that airs at 8 p.m. tonight was taped earlier in Bologna, Italy. What  happened is on the front page.
    Damien Priest & Jimmy Uso  vs.  Drew McIntyre & Shinsuke Nakamura
    Braun Strowman vs. Jacob Fatu – winner gets a US title match’
    Zelina Vega vs. Piper Niven
    Jade Cargill vs. Liv Morgan
    Street Profits vs.   Los Garzas non-title
    Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Seth Rollins segment ends the show.
  • Julio Estrada, better known as Rico Suave, a longtime star in Puerto Rico, passed away yesterday at the age of 54.  He had been battling cancer and was set to undergo a heart transplant in about a week.   He was the son of former WWF undercard performer Jose Estrada and the brother of Jose Estrada Jr., who was one of Los Boricuas in WWF in the late 90s.  He held nearly 20 championships during his career in WWC.  (thanks to Roy Lucier and Leonardo Mendez Toledo)
  • CMLL’s second biggest show of the year is tonight at Arena Mexico
    Akuma  & Los Gemelo Diablos vs. Fugaz & Star Black & Explosivo
    Lady Frost &  Taya Valkyrie vs. Jarochita & Lluvia for vacant CMLL women’s tag team titles
    Titan vs. Templario
    Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja defend the CMLL tag titles against Rocky Romero & Volador Jr.
    Mistico & Mascara Dorada vs. Hologram & Komander
    Star Jr. & Zandokan Jr. vs. Esfinge & Valiente
    Winners of the tag match wrestle each other in a mask vs  mask match Matches three through five should be outstanding and six and seven have been built through angle after angle for months.
  • Dana White, when asked about Jon Jones vs.  Tom Aspinall, said it’s done but it’s not done.  Not done enough to sit right here and announce it and give you a date.
  • MLW moved its 4/5 show to the Thunder Studios Arena in Long Beach.  They sold out  already and were looking at moving it.  The new building is listed as a 1,000-seat capacity.  They also added Virus to the show.
  • They also have a El Homenaje shows on Monday in Puebla with a multi-person match and the loser loses his mask or hair, plus Mistico & Esfinge & Star Jr. vs. Hechicero & Valiente & Zandokan Jr.  There is another on Tuesday in Guadalajara with Atlantis Jr. & Mascara Dorada & Mistico vs.  Averno & Euforia & Furia Roja.
  • WWE is  listing for hiring both new writers and new producers.
  • Zozaya was added to the Progress Super Strong Style 16 tournament.
  • The NCAA wrestling tournament is ongoing in Philadelphia.  Yesterday morning’s session drew 18,085 and the evening session drew 18,088.  The semifinals start at 8 p.m. tonight on ESPN 2 and the finals are tomorrow night starting at 7 p.m.
    This is tonight’s matches
    125
    Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh) vs. Vincent Robinson (North Carolina State)
    Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) vs. Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State)
    133
    Lucas Byrd (Illinois) vs. Zeth Romney (Cal Poly-SLO)
    Zan Fugitt (Wisconsin) vs. Drake Ayala (Iowa)
    141
    Brock Hardy (Nebraska) vs. Carl Happel (Northern Iowa)
    Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. Beau Barlett (Penn State)
    149
    Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) vs. Dylan D’Emilio (Ohio State)
    Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) s. Ridge Lovell (Nebraska)
    157
    Joey Blaze (Purdue) vs. Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern)
    Antrell Taylor (Nebraska)  vs. Meyer Shapiro (Cornel)
    165
    Michael Mesenbrink (Penn State) vs. Christopher Minto (Nebraska)
    Mike Caliendo (Iowa) vs. Peyton Hall (West Virginia)
    174
    Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) vs. CadeDeVos (South Dakota State)
    Dean Hamiti (Oklahoma State) vs. Levi Haines (Penn State)
    184
    Carter Staroci (Penn State) vs. Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State)
    Max McEnelly (Minnesota) vs Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa)
    197
    Jacob Cardenas (Michigan) vs. Josh Barr (Penn State)
    AJ Ferrari (Cal State Bakersfield) vs. Stephen Buchanan (Iowa)
    285
    Gable Steveson (Minnesota) vs. Owen Trephan (Lehigh)
    Greg Kirkvliet (Penn State) vs. Wyatt Hendrickson (Oklahoma State)
    The biggest story is at 184 with Starocci going for a record setting fifth NCAA title
  • Today is ten years to the day of the death of Perro Aguayo Jr. in Tijuana during a match.  I can’t even imagine how big a star he’d be today in Mexico.
  • Shota Umino won’t be appearing on any New Japan shows until 4/5 at Sumo Hall where he faces Hiroshi Tanahashi.
  • Jon Jones is now co-owner of the Dirty Boxing Championships.  They debut with a show tomorrow night in Miami.
  • UFC runs 1-7 p.m. Eastern tomorrow from the O2 Arena in London all on ESPN+
    Nathan Fletcher (135) vs. Caolan Loughran (136)
    Shauna Bannon (116) vs Puja Tomar (116)
    Christian Leroy Duncan (186) vs. Andrew Pulyaeev (185)
    Mick Parkin (260) vs,. Marcin  Tybura (250)
    Felipe dos Santos (125 ) vs. Lone’er Kavanagh (126)
    Jai Herbert (156) vs. Chris Padilla (155)
    Morgan Charriere (145) vs. Nathaniel Wood (145)
    Chris Duncan (155) vs. Jordan Vucenic (155)
    Molly McCann (116) vs. Alexia Thainara (116)
    Kevin Holland (171) vs. Gunnar Nelson (170)
    Jan Blachowicz (205) vs. Carlos Ulberg (205)
    Leon Edwards (171) vs. Sean Brady (170)
  • Emi Sakura was added to the 4/4 Pro Wrestling Eve show at The Big Penny Social in Walthamstow, London, England