FRI UPDATE: Seibu Dome two hour special, Ratings, Goto vs. Elgin in ROH, WWE group changes name

By Dave Meltzer

We’re looking for reports on tomorrow’s WWE shows in Sydney, Australia (Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton vs. King Barrett) and in Victoria, BC (Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt), as well on last night’s NXT show in Starke, FL, tonight’s NXT show in Orlando and tomorrow’s NXT show in Largo, FL at Dave Meltzerdave@wrestlingobserver.com”>

For this weekend, our polls will be on the AAA PPV show and the Saturday & Sunday G-1 Climax shows.

New Japan Pro Wrestling on AXS TV tonight at 8 p.m. ET for a special two hour season finale from last year’s Seibu Dome show

Hirooki Goto vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. A.J. Styles

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada for the G-1 Climax finals

There is also a Resurrection Fighting Alliance show at 10 p.m. tonight on AXS

FIP Heatstroke 2015 iPPV tonight at 9 p.m. from the Orpheum in Ybor City, FL at www.wwnlive.com

Earl Cooter vs. Bolt Brady

Zane Riley vs. Gary Jay

Jason Cade & Aaron Solow vs. Chase Brown & Peter Kaasa

Deimos vs. Josh Hess

Blake Edwards Belakus vs. Martin Stone

Rhett Giddins vs. Monster Tarver

Maxwell Chicago vs. Johny Vandal

Eddie Graves & Teddy Stigma vs. Devin & Mason Cutter for tag titles

Caleb Konley vs. Trevor Lee for FIP title

New Japan G-1 Climax tournament on New Japan World at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow morning Eastern time from the Yokohama Bunka Gym

Satoshi Kojima & Tiger Mask & Ryusuke Taguchi & Yohei Komatsu vs. Yuji Nagata & Kushida & Mascara Dorada & David Finlay

Michael Elgin & Jay White vs. Karl Anderson & Cody Hall

Hirooki Goto & Tomoaki Honma & Captain New Japan vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi

Kazuchika Okada & Gedo vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Tama Tonga

Kota Ibushi vs. Bad Luck Fale

Tetsuya Naito vs. Toru Yano

Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. A.J. Styles

Togi Makabe vs. Doc Gallows

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata

UFC tomorrow from Nashville

Fight Pass at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time

Anthony Christodoulou vs. Scott Holtzman

Roman Salazar vs. Marlon Vera

Jonathan Wilson vs. Chris Dempsey

FS 2 at 8 p.m. Eastern time

Sirwan Kakai vs. Frankie Saenz

Willie Gates vs. Dustin Ortiz

Chris Camozzi vs. Tom Kong Watson

Oluwale Bamghose vs. Uriah Hall

FS 1 at 10 p.m.

Ray Borg vs. Geane Herrera

Sara McMann vs. Amanda Nunes

Timothy Johnson vs. Jared Rosholt

Sam Alvey vs. Derek Brunson

Beneil Dariush vs. Michael Johnson

Ovince Saint Preux vs. Glover Teixiera

New Japan G-1 Climax tournament on New Japan World at 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning Eastern time from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo

David Finlay & Jay White vs. Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga

Kota Ibushi & Mascara Dorada vs. Toru Yano & Yoshi-Hashi

Tetsuya Naito & Ryusuke Taguchi & Captain New Japan vs. A.J. Styles & Doc Gallows & Cody Hall

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Kushida vs. Togi Makabe & Katsuyori Shibata & Tiger Mask

Michael Elgin vs. Karl Anderson

Satoshi Kojima vs. Yuji Nagata

Kazuchika Okada vs. Yujiro Takahashi

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tomoaki Honma

Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii

WWE has a house show on Sunday in Vancouver, BC (Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt)

AAA TripleMania 25 from Arena Ciudad in Mexico City on regular PPV at 7 p.m. Eastern

Drago & Goya Kong & Dinastia & Pimpinela Escarlata vs. Daga & Sexy Star & Mini Psycho Clown & Mamba

Cibernetico & Chessman & Averno defend the trios titles against Jack Evans & Fenix & Angelico and El Hijo del Fantasma & El Texano Jr. & Pentagon Jr.

Blue Demon Jr. & La Parka vs. Mesias & Electroshock

Los Villanos III & IV & V vs. The Psycho Circus

Alberto El Patron vs. Brian Cage hair vs.. hair

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Myzteziz

There will also be a Hall of Fame induction ceremony for both Perro Aguayo Jr. and Hector Garza.

Raw will be Monday night in Everett, WA. Stephen Amell of the TV show Arrow will be a guest doing an angle with Stardust.  No Brock Lesnar or Paul Heyman advertised this week, nor John Cena.

Smackdown will be Tuesday night in Portland, OR.

The life and times of Roddy Piper is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.  We also have coverage of WWE financials and why the stock is going through the roof, the rise of Ronda Rousey and UFC 190 numbers, the G-1 Climax tournament update and the full story behind the 2002 pitch made to WWE about a gay asskicking wrestler.  

The latest Wrestling Observer: August 10, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Roddy Piper passes away, WWE Q2 results & analysis

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The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.

Our lead story is an extensive look at the career of Roddy Piper.  We start by looking at the cause of death, and Piper’s role in the national expansion of WWF and the first WrestleMania.  We look at how Piper differed from almost every wrestler in WWF when he came in, why Piper didn’t work certain shows, Piper working outside WWF while under contract, how he flopped in his first WWF run, his runs in California, Oregon, Georgia and the Carolinas before WWF, the feud with Jimmy Snuka, the Hogan-Piper program, The War to Settle the Score, the original WrestleMania and how it changed the history of wrestling, his period in WCW, his relationship with Mad Dog Vachon, his issues with Kevin Nash, how he got started in pro wrestling, the story behind his babyface turns and the loss at WrestleMania to Bret Hart.

We also look at WWE business, why stock is up, what aspect of business looked deceptively good, a look in depth at the network numbers, how many people dropped and picked up subscriptions this past quarter as well as how all the other aspects of WWE business are doing.

We look at UFC 190 and the storyline that led to Ronda Rousey setting her highest PPV mark.  We look at how things have changed for Rousey since February, the interest level of her fight,  Rousey vs. Cyborg, ratings in Brazil and the U.S. and match-by-match coverage.

We also go in-depth on the G-1 Climax tournament with the updated schedule, standings and match-by-match coverage.

We also have an update on John Cena, more on the injury and surgery, Cena actually going to a show this weekend but fans didn’t see him, Shawn Michaels return, will fans respect Cena more, update on the SummerSlam card and matches being built, Cena vs. Rollins future, WrestleMania note, note on Daniel Bryan’s book, Update on Ryback, Update on a 2002 angle proposed for a gay wrestler and funny story behind it, Bryan’s plan for the IC title, more on womens’ division, Eva Marie note, Tough Enough notes, Ultimate Warrior book, Cesaro section notes, WWE lawsuit notes, Pat Patterson book, sister of current WWE star gets a tryout and Owen Hart DVD news.  We also have coverage of the NXT and WWE shows over the weekend and business notes on the shows. 

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FRIDAY’S NEWS UPDATE

  • For Wednesday night, here were the ratings:
    UFC Tonight at  8 p.m. 111,000 viewers
    TNA at 9 p.m. 327,000 viewers
    ROH at 11 p.m. 151,000 viewers
    TNA replay at midnight 42,000 viewers
    UFC is higher than usual, TNA first show was normal and second was lowest yet.  ROH was down from the prior week.
  • WWE changes the Submission Sorority name due to it being the same name as a porn series produced by BangBros.  The new name for the group is PCB for Paige, Charlotte and Banks.  Unfortunately, there is also a porn site that has PCB videos.  Maybe PCL, because if you Google that, the worst you’re getting is knee ligament tears.
  • Hirooki Goto vs. Michael Elgin has be added to the 8/22 ROH show at MCU Park in Brooklyn.
  • The Godfather Charles Wright headlines an 8/14 show for River City Wrestling on 8/14 in San Antonio at Retama Park.  Hernandez also appears on the show. 
  • WWE stock closed up five cents per share at $21.97 to end the week at its highest end of the week in more than one year.
  • Kevin Dunn sold 40,000 shares of his stock at $22.74 to come up with $909,600.
  • CMLL on Tuesday night in Guadalajara:  Evola & Furia Roja b Metatron & Neutron, Flyer & Magnus & Magnus b Artillero & Super Comando & Jocker, Canelo Casas & Metalico & Virus b Omar Bruentti & Esfinge & Stigma, Atlantis & Delta & Guerrero Maya Jr. b Kraneo & Olimpico & Ripper-DQ, Negro Casas & Niebla Roja & Ultimo Guerrero b Brazo de Plata & Marco Corleone & Maximo (thanks to Kris Zellner)
  • Antonio Tarver vs. Steve Cunningham will headline the 8/14 PBC show on Spike.
  • Dark Water Productions announced that a film with Roddy Piper called “The Reconciler” will be out in November.  Piper plays a detective in the movie.  There was also a movie he filmed called “the Masked Saint,” that is set for a January release from the  Ridgerock Entertainment Group.
  • Spike is filming a documentary for the 9/19 Bellator show that will be built around the history of MMA in San Jose at the SAP Center and all the different famous fights in that building.  Some of the greatest fights, including Dan Henderson vs. Shogun Rua, Frank Shamrock vs. Cung Le, Clay Guida vs. Gilbert Melendez, Melendez vs. Josh Thomson and historical matches like Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum and Gina Carano vs  Cris Cyborg were in that building.
  • The Fight Network in Canada will be airing the UFC prelims from 8-10 p.m. tomorrow night, as well as a pregame show at 7 p.m.  The main card in Canada airs on TSN 2.  They also air tonights’ RFA show headlined by Andrew Sanchez vs. John Poppie.  
  • ECWA announced a free show on 8/27 in Woodbury Heights, NJ at the Community Center.
  • Smash Wrestling on 10/4 in North Bay, ONT at the Best Western North Bay Hotel & Conference  Center with all proceeds going to the Special Olympics.
  • Dan Spivey returns to the ring shortly for BANG Wrestling in Ocala, FL: and will team with Dory Funk Jr.
  • The Floyd Mayweather Jr/Ronda Rousey storyline going nowhere continued with Mayweather saying:  “You know, a while back I never knew who Ronda Rousey was.  So I’m pretty sure she got upset.  I want to say congratulations to Ronda Rousey and the UFC.  You guys have done a tremendous job and I’ve probably won six or seven ESPY’s for fighter of the year.  I truly believe she deserves it.  Congratulations.  She deserves it. “I just say that I’ve yet to see any MMA fighter or other boxer make over $300 million in 36 minutes.  When she can do that, call me.”
  • The 16 team lineup for the King of Trios tournament on 9/4 to 9/6 in Easton, PA for CHIKARA Pro
    A.J. Styles & Young Bucks
    Drago & Fenix & Aero Star
    MK McKinnna & Trent & Tyler Bate
    A team from the U.K.
    Stevie Richards & Nova (Mike Bucci) & Blue Meanie bringing back the BWO
    Blaster McMassive & Flex Rumblecrunch & Max Smashmaster
    Dasher Hatfield & Icarus & Mr. Touchdown
    Eddie Kingston & Ophidian & Shynron
    Juan Francisco & Mr. Azerbaijan & Boar of Moldova
    Chuck Taylor & Drew Gulak & Swamp Monster
    Jakob Hammermeier & Soldier Ant & Nokken
    Amasis & Fire Ant & Worker Ant
    Frightmare & Silver Ant & Hallowicked
    Oleg the Usurper & The Batri
    Kimber Lee & Los Ice Creams
    Kevin Kondron& Missile Assault & Lucas Calhoun
  • For UFC’s next PPV show on 9/5 from Las Vegas, the four matches pushed are Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson for the flyweight title, Andrei Arlovski vs. Frank Mir, Anthony Johnson vs. Jimi Manuwa and Paige VanZant vs. Alex Chambers.
  • ROH has announced shows on 10/23 in Kalamazoo, MI at the wings Event Center Annex, which will be a TV taping, and 10/24 in Dayton at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds.
  • Last night in Houston, thieves smashed the window of Lane Huffman’s (Stevie Ray, the older brother of Booker T) Cadillac Escalade and stole both his gym bag and his Wildkat Wrestling championship belt.  He had just cut interviews and was at a  local restaurant on his way home and the window was smashed while he was inside.  If anyone has leads they are asked to contact WildkatSports@gmail.com
  • A story on Babe Ruth in pro wrestling
  • A story on Ken Shamrock returning to where he used to live and reconnecting with the mother who adopted him
  • A story on Road Warrior Animal
  • A story on Ashley Fliehr (Charlotte) in Playboy