Daily Update: WWE SmackDown ticket sales, Fanatics, weekend schedule

Daily Update

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Latest Free YouTube Video:

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Sasha Banks & Naomi walk out of Raw, Ric Flair returning to the ring

  • Performer and Match of the Week
  • Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out of the WWE taping on Monday. What were the plans, where were things going, how did it go down, what was the reaction, what is the not talked about story that was the key to all of this
  • Dwayne Johnson and the XFL get an ESPN deal, what it means, what is their competition and also a look at ratings
  • Ric Flair returning to wrestle, a look at the situation, the match, others of his age wrestling, why Ricky Steamboat turned down the match
  • Cain Velasquez denied bail again, the man he was accused of shooting speaks, his lawyer speaks
  • AEW Double or Nothing and WWE Hell in a Cell as well as business notes for the week
  • Ticket sales for the WWE Clash at the Castle in Cardiff
  • Full coverage of Capital Collision, the New Japan show from Washington, DC
  • Full coverage of Saturday’s UFC show
  • This past week’s ratings 
  • Main event plans for the next four WWE PPV shows
  • More details on why Stephanie McMahon took a leave of absence
  • Update on Money in the Bank
  • Update on Young Rock
  • Streaming numbers
  • Freak accident ends a main event just three minutes in
  • Matt Jackson does video challenging for major world title
  • Five Star Grand Prix tournament
  • Update on Kota Ibushi
  • New Japan Strong tapings for the next month run down
  • Best of the Super Juniors update
  • Update on Tammy Sytch
  • Wrestler shot to death
  • Zachary Wentz talks about his Hitler photo
  • Former WWE stars announce new promotion featuring the wrestling debut of Alistair Overeem
  • Huge match between two of the top stars in the business set for Sunday
  • More on the Warner Discovery upfronts and what is going on at Warner Discovery
  • Tony Khan talks the creative process
  • Hikaru Shida gets upset
  • Toni Storm talks the original plan for the Charlotte Flair angle
  • AEW vs. WWE in New York and Chicago business update
  • International TV ratings
  • Sports franchise of the year
  • How much UFC CEO Ari Emanuel earned this past year
  • Ari Emanuel defends his ESPN PPV deal
  • Baseball legend on MMA promotion board of directors and a new investor

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter: April 11, 2005 Observer Newsletter: Details on WWE’s return to NBC Universal, WrestleMania 21 review

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 News Update

  • We will be taping the new show with Garrett tomorrow, not today, going through all of the news of the week and there was a lot. Bryan and I will be back on Sunday.
  • Smackdown is tonight in Grand Rapids, MI. More than 7,000 tickets were out for the show headlined by Usos vs. Riddle & Randy Orton to unify the tag titles. Also on the show is Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Butch vs. Xavier Woods. The show goes against both the Warriors-Mavericks NBA game which has been doing huge numbers, and the New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes NHL playoff game. If the number isn’t well under usual, it means the tag title match helped a lot, because the Warriors have been doing a number on wrestling ratings.
  • We’re looking for reports this weekend on tonight’s Smackdown show in Grand Rapids, MI with dark match notes and anything else not on the live show. We’re also looking for reports for the weekend WWE events
  • Saturday in Canton, OH headlined by Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan and Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes
  • Saturday in Rockford, IL with Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Sunday in Fort Wayne, IN with the Raw crew
  • Sunday in Cedar Rapids, IA with Reigns vs. McIntyre
  • UFC is running in the 4-10 p.m. window on ESPN+ tomorrow from Las Vegas
  • Elise Reed (115) vs. Sam Hughes (115.5)
  • Chase Hooper (145) vs. Felipe Colares (145)
  • Jonathan Martinez (135.5) vs. Vince Morales (136)
  • Omar Morales (155.5) vs. Uros Medic (156)
  • Jailton Almeida (224) vs. Parker Porter (265)
  • Joseph Holmes (185) vs. Alen Amedovski (186)
  • Eryk Anders (186) vs. Jun Yong Park (185.5)
  • Polyana Viana (116) vs. Tabatha Ricci (115)
  • Chidi Njokuani (185) vs. Dusko Todorovic (185.5)
  • Santiago Ponzinibbio (170.5) vs. Michel Pereira (170)
  • Holly Holm (135.5) vs. Ketlen Vieira (136)
  • UFC announced its debut at the Accor Arena in Paris, France on 9/3. WWE and Bellator have both run that arena in recent weeks.
  • The Best of the Super Juniors tournament has shows tonight at 3 a.m. and tomorrow night at 3 a.m. Eastern, or midnight Pacific start for each show.
  • Tonight in Aomori is A block
  • Clark Connors vs. Sho
  • Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Francesco Akira
  • Yoh vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Hiromu Takahashi vs. Ace Austin
  • Taiji Ishimori vs. Alex Zayne
  • Tomorrow in Akira is B block
  • Robbie Eagles vs. Douki
  • Lindaman vs. TJP
  • Master Wato vs. Bushi
  • Titan vs. El Phantasmo
  • Desperado vs. Wheeler Yuta
  • Soberano Jr. after the injury scare earlier this week, is working tonight at Arena Mexico. They are doing the Copa Juniors, which has Mistico, Volador Jr., Soberano Jr., Stuka Jr., Atlantis Jr., Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja and Mephisto. The tournament will continue until two men are left and they will meet on the 5/27 show. Fuerza Guerrera, at the age of 68, will be returning to Arena Mexico tonight. He’s not the oldest CMLL headliner this week since they have El Satanico (71) against Atlantis in a singles main event on Tuesday night in Guadalajara.
  • WWE has a big advance for the return to Edmonton on 9/26 with more than 8,000 tickets already out. They are also returning to Winnipeg on 9/30 and have more than 6,000 tickets out (Thanks to Wrestle Tix)

Other Notes

  • Combate Global runs tonight on Paramount+ from Miami with a main even of Javier Reyes (13-3) vs. Luis Gomez (9-5). the show begins at 11 p.m. Eastern. They also have a show on 5/29 headlined by Arturo Vergara (2-0) vs David Martinez (6-1).
  • Junior Dos Santos, who was in AEW recently, fights for Eagle FC tonight in Miami at the FLXcast Arena. The former UFC heavyweight champion faces Yorgan De Casto in the main event tonight. Hector Lombard vs. Thiago Silva and Maki Pitolo vs.Doug Usher are the next two bouts.
  • XPW runs 6/25 in Pomona, CA at the Derby Room with Taya Valkyrie vs. Steph De Lander (formerly Persia Pirotta)
  • PFL announced its next show on 6/17 in Atlanta at the Overtime Elite Arena airing on ESPN and ESPN+ with this main card
  • Clay Collard vs. Alexander Martinez
  • Antonio Carlos Jr. vs. Bruce Souto
  • Raush Manfio vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier
  • Jeremy Stephens vs. Myles Price
  • Paradigm Pro Wrestling on 10/22 debuting in Williamstown,NJ with a Iron Man match for the Bras Knux title with Bobby Beverly vs. Ron Mathis in an Ultraviolent match.
  • Innovate Wrestling Collision Course on 5/28 in Kingsport, TN at the Civic Auditorium with Chase Owens vs. Axton Ray as the main event. Ricky & Kerry Morton also appear.
  • Pro Wrestling Legacy runs a Lucha Libre show tonight at 6:30 p.m. in El Paso, TX.
  • Monster Factory Pro Wrestling on 6/30 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
  • Pro Wrestling Phoenix from Wednesday night in Omaha, NE: Paul & Joey Daniels b Purple & Xander McIntosh, Miranda Gordy b Kelsy Magnolia, Lars Metzger b Angus Keyser, Duke Cornell b Niles Plonk, Luke Luna b Purple, Omar Pachecco b Willy Sweet, Pat Powers & Moonshine Russell & Jack Darling b Branden Juarez & Tim Boston & Preston Maxwell. Next show is 6/15 in Omaha at the Waiting Room Lounge.
  • Lince Dorado has entered the MLW Battle riot.
  • The Wrestling Collector store in Stockholm, NJ tomorrow from Noon to 2 p.m. has Chavo Guerrero Jr., Tasha Steelz and Rich Swann signing autographs.
  • ISPW tomorrow in Totowa, NJ at the Totowa PAL has Danny Morrison vs. Justin Corino. Sal Sincere and Crowbar Devon Storm are also on the show.