Daily Update: Young Bucks, Fabricio Werdum, RJ Meyer

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WON NEWSLETTER: November 16, 2020 Observer Newsletter: 2020 Observer Hall of Fame issue

One of our two biggest issues of the year, the 2020 Hall of Fame issue is out this week.  It’s got complete results of the balloting among historians, active and retired performers, reporters and historians by category as well as final voting totals, plus who will and won’t be back on next year’s ballot.

The issue runs down the new members with extensive biographies on all of them.  It explains the voting process and criteria, as well as runs down who came close.  We also look at voting combinations that were popular, and notes on some of the key candidates. We list all of the first ballot Hall of Famers in history as well as the four highest vote getters in history. We look at people new to the ballot next year, who picked up Hall of Fame numbers in different categories along with bios of four of the five inductees.

Also in this issue: 

AEW Full Gear show, including future AEW direction, match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results on the show.

Changes in the fundamental manner WWE has run its business since the beginning of time and why health conditions and economics have completely changed the industry.

New Japan’s upcoming tournaments, the Tokyo Dome show plans, the story behind it, business notes, plus a complete rundown of Power Struggle with match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

Survivor Series and this week’s WWE television that leads to it.

Where WWE may be taping from after it leaves Orlando and the pros and cons of the place, Tribute to the Troops and why the rating number may surprise people, WrestleMania note, Paige talks Alberto Del Rio’s case, Stalker tries to invader Paige’s home, Bellas talk a return to the ring, WWE new trademarks, Dwayne Johnson after a movie franchise adn plan for new show, John Cena’s next big role, UK TV ratings, how Smackdown and AEW rank among sports shows, plus the market value of WWE and the most-watched shows from the past week from the WWE Network.

Saturday’s UFC show with match coverage and business notes.

Ratings breakdowns in every segment for Wednesdays and every category for other shows, looking at stats not available elsewhere to get the deepest read into how shows are doing, what categories are doing well and how shows compare with previous weeks and one year ago.  

Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week. 

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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Raw and the rest of the news tonight with Wrestling Observer Radio. You can send email questions for tonight’s show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com

Raw tonight should do a much larger than usual rating with the Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre WWE title match. If you watched Smackdown on Friday you would reach a logical conclusion that McIntyre is facing Roman Reigns at Survivor Series, and to do so, he needs to win the title tonight. Also on the show is Retribution vs. Braun Strowman & Riddle & Sheamus & Keith Lee and a tag team title match with Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods defending against Shelton Benjamin & Cedric Alexander. The show tonight goes against a Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings Monday Night Football game.

The Young Bucks autobiography, “Young Bucks: Killing the Business” will be officially released tomorrow.  For a time during pre-release it was the best-selling book in the country on Amazon.com.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum has signed with the PFL and will begin there during the company’s 2021 season.  In the PFL press release they called Werdum “arguably the greatest heavyweight fighter in the history of MMA.” PFL CEO Peter Murray called him the Tom Brandy of MMA. I wouldn’t go near that far, but he did have one of the biggest wins in MMA history in 2010 over Fedor Emelianenko, breaking Fedor’s ten year unbeaten streak.    

New Japan runs Korakuen Hall on Wednesday morning at 4:30 a.m. Eastern with a show with matches in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament:

  • Yuji Nagata & Gabriel Kidd vs Satoshi Kojima & Tomoaki Honma
  • Yuya Uemura vs. Bushi
  • Robbie Eagles vs. Master Wato
  • Sho vs. Douki
  • Taiji Ishimori vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
  • Hiromu Takahashi vs. Desperado

Bellator on Thursday night on CBS Sports network has Darrion Caldwell vs. A.J. McKee in the featherweight tournament which is a huge match with an NCAA champion wrestler vs. unbeaten fighter. Benson Henderson faces Jason Jackson in the semi.

WWE

  • The movie “The Buddy Games” where Sheamus has a major role will be released on 11/24 for streaming on Demand. Olivia Munn is the star of the movie which is a WWE Films production.
  • Ad Week named both Stephanie McMahon and Dany Garcia to their list of the 31 most powerful women in sports.
  • Jeff Katz, who has experience writing wrestling, working for Lion’s Gate, and dealing with SAG has some interesting words about why he feels wrestlers should join SAG.
  • Topps has come out with trading cards for Chapter 11 of The Mandalorian that feature Sasha Banks.

UFC

  • Jussier Formiga, who was one of the top flyweights in UFC, was cut today after three losses.  Formiga has a win over current champion Deiveson Figueiredo.
  • Belal Muhammad faces Dhiego Lima on 12/19.  Muhammad was to face Sean Brody , who pulled out due to undisclosed issues a few weeks. back.
  • Ketlen Vieira vs. Yana Kunitskaya has been set for a 2/20 show.  The two were first scheduled on 8/1 and  the fight never happened due to Vieira having visa issues.

AEW

  • An article on the new AEW video by Director X. The video will be released on Wednesday.
  • Today’s throwback interview segment for Wednesday’s AEW show featuring Ricky Starks, which will be for all of you into 80s Mid Atlantic nostalgia
  • AEW Dark tomorrow night:
    Joey Janela vs. Marko Stunt
    Christopher Daniels vs. Jack Evans
    Leyla Hirsch vs. Tesha Price
    Penelope Ford vs. Rahne Victoria
    Frankie Kazarian vs.  Griff Garrison
    Ivelisse vs. Alex Gracia
    Big Swole vs. KyLynn King
    Ricky Starks vs. Travis Titan
    Brandon Cutler vs. Ryzin
    Thunder Rosa vs. Lindsay Snow

OTHER NEWS NOTES

  • R.J. Meyer, who wrestled as The Bruiser and was the longtime top star of the MCW promotion based in Maryland, passed away earlier today at the age of 44 after a battle with leukemia.  We are very sorry to all his friends and family.
  • South Australia has 17 new COVID cases so travel from South Australia to the rest of Australia has a 14-day self-isolation quarantine imposed. Also gyms are closed and all sports are banned for the next two weeks. So Saturday’s Riot City Wrestling show is out and the 12/19 Adelaide Championship Wrestling show has frozen ticket sales for now until it’s clear they can run a show.
  • SHWA from Saturday night in Western Australia: Toro Blanco b Pegasus, Dizzy Videl & Ryan Allan b Great George & ?, Chris Target b Bruno Nitro, Jules Canan won three-way over Jared Slate and Axxton, Chadwick Jackson b Callum Collins, Taylor King b The Hoarde, Del Cano NC Michael Morleone to keep the Pride title (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
  • ACTION Wrestling ran two shows on Friday in Tyrone, GA
  • First show: Lutha X b Bobby Flaco, Graham Bell won scramble over Kevin Ryan, Brayden Lee and Shean Christopher, Brett Ison b Cole Radrick, Antony Henry b Kyle Matthews, Alex Kane b Damyan Tangra, Cabana Man Dan b Suge D-DQ, AC Mack b Tre Lamar
  • Second show: Fred Yehi b Adam Priest, Billie Starkz b Seishin, Logan Creed b Orion Bishop, Matt Sells b Jaden Newman, Arik Royal b Anthony Henry.  Next show is 12/11 with Henry vs. Suge D (Pineapple Pete in AEW) as the main event.
  • CWE will live stream a 12/4 show in Winnipeg on its Facebook page for free looking for donations. It will be produced on a closed set in Winnipeg with COVID guidelines in place.
  • MLW announced Alex Hammerstone will be on their restart show that drops at 7 p.m. Eastern on YouTube and headlined by Jacob Fatu vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. for the MLW title.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: WWE Survivor Series 2003

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