Daily Update: UFC 270 fallout, Francis Ngannou, WWE house show results

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter: January 24, 2022 Observer Newsletter: WWE & AEW Q4 numbers, WWE Toronto Star article quote

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SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE

Our weekend show with Bryan was up last night and we did a show Friday night with Garrett looking at the business, where it is today, and where it looks to be going. Bryan and I will be back tomorrow night to talk Raw and the latest news.

We’re doing weekend polls for both last night’s UFC 270 and tonight’s GCW show from the Hammerstein Ballroom. You can leave a thumbs up, down or middle, along with a best and worst match for each show to dave@wrestlingobserver.com. We’re looking for reports from tonight’s WWE show in Huntington, WV to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

Lots of news coming out of last night’s UFC show. Dana White refused to get into the ring and put the belt on Francis Ngannou after his win. Mick Maynard had to do that. White also didn’t attend the press conference. Ngannou talked negatively about White at the press conference. Ngannou’s contract expired, but there was a champion’s clause in the contract that can be extended for three more dates. Ngannou was asked on the broadcast about boxing and said that he wanted to box. Tyson Fury wrote to him saying, “If you want to make some real money come see the GK (Gypsy King).” Ngannou made $600,000 as a base purse and he has previously said he won’t fight for that amount again. Fury earned about $30 million for his last fight. Top Rank President Todd duBoef called making the fight a no-brainer. But if Ngannou is still under any contract with UFC, which he would be, such a fight would need UFC approval.

There are people looking at Ngannou challenging the champion’s clause, or using his knee injury which is legit as a reason to stay one for one year and not fight. What Ngannou does next will be very interesting but he would get killed by Fury in a boxing match, but he’d also make the kind of money he wants to make, and at his age, that would be a move to make. It’s really sad when UFC runs with the idea of making so ridiculous profits that their top stars can make more fighting boxers than defending their world titles.

As far as the judging, in Ngannou’s win over Cyril Gane, judges Derek Clearly and Ron McCarthy gave rounds one and two to Gane and three to five to Ngannou, which is the same as most people. Sal D’Amato only gave Gane round two. Round one was close. 96 percent of media scores went to Ngannou.

In Deiveson Figueiredo’s win over Brandon Moreno to take the flyweight title, which was a very close fight, Moreno would have clearly won rounds three and five had not Figueiredo knocked him down in both rounds. But that happened. Most people I saw had it 38-38 going into the fifth, but the reality was that Moreno needed a finish in the fifth round since two judges at it 39-37 for Figueiredo. Michael Bell gave Figueiredo rounds one, three and four, giving Moreno five. Chris Crill had one, three and five for Figueiredo,which is what most seemed to have. Judge Wade Vierra had one, three and four for Figueiredo. Of the reporter scores we’ve seen, 67 percent had it for Figueiredo and 33 percent for Moreno. Because of how close the fight was, and how great it was, a fourth meeting between the two, unprecedented in UFC history for two guys to have four straight fights, seems to be the logical next step.

Game Changer Wrestling tonight:

  • Jon Moxley vs. Homicide for GCW title
  • Jonathan Gresham vs. Blake Christian for ROH title
  • Briscoes to defend GCW tag title
  • Ruby Soho vs. Allie Katch
  • Jeff Jarrett vs. Effy
  • Joey Janela vs. Matt Cardona
  • Bandido & Laredo Kid & ASF vs. Gringo Loco & Demonic Flamita & Arez
  • Ladder match, winner can get a title shot of their choosing at any time with Lio Rush, PCO, Tony Deppen, Jimmy Lloyd, Alex Colon and Jordan Oliver.
  • Jack Cartwheel vs. Nick Wayne vs. Dante Leon vs. Ninja Mack vs.Alex Zayne vs. Grim Reefer

For Google searches, UFC was No. 2 yesterday with 2 million, which indicates a solid PPV number, probably better than expected really. The only other combat sports related topic that made the top 20 all week was Mike Tyson at No. 11 on Monday with talk of a Jake Paul fight and him kind of denying it.

WWE last night in Corbin, KY: AJ Styles b Austin Theory (said to be best match), Omos b Reggie, Bobby Lashley b Kofi Kingston, Damien Priest b Dolph Ziggler to keep U.S title, Becky Lynch kept Raw tag title in four-way over Doudrop, Bianca Belair and Liv Morgan, Otis b Riddle, Charlotte Flair b Noami to keep Smackdown women’s title with help from Sonya Deville and Roman Reigns & Usos b Big E & Seth Rollins & Kevin Owens.

WWE

  • Toledo, where Raw is from tomorrow, is under a weather advisory and is supposed to get three to six inches more of snow tomorrow. (thanks to Paul Meade)

UFC

  • Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Pochazka for the light heavyweight title is being earmarked for a 5/7 show. Prochazka opens as a -180 favorite.

OTHER NOTES

  • Warrior Wrestling from last night in South Bend, IN: Silas Young b Danny Bang (who replaced an injured Brian Pillman Jr.), Sam Adonis won the Lucha title in a five-way over champion Aramis, Gringo Loco, ASF and Drago Kid, Mil Muertes b Beast Man, KC Navarro b Myron Reed, Warhorse b Rohit Raju, Tom Lawlor b Anthony Henry, Dante Martin & Skye Blue b Kylie Rae & Isaias Velazquez, Will Ospreay b Brian Cage to keep the Warrior title. All night last night I heard people raving about this main event including multiple people saying it was the best match they had ever seen live. Lawlor’s match and the Lucha title match also got high praise. Ospreay talked about bringing the United Empire with him when he returns to the promotion in April. Drago Kid did a dive off a high structure. (thanks to Cory Schimmoeller)
  • Congratulations to Bob & Jackie Caudle on today being their 73rd anniversary. That is amazing. Bob Caudle was the voice of Mid Atlantic Wrestling and later Smoky Mountain Wrestling
  • This is the link for Saturday’s Stardom PPV show. The show will be at 3 a.m. Eastern time late Friday night or midnight Pacific.
  • Northeast Wrestling from last night in Poughkeepsie, NY: Jon Moxley (unadvertised) b Channing Thomas, Jaylen Bradyn & Traveon Jordan & Giovanni Galvano & Wrecking Ball Legursky b Antonio Zambrano & Cam Zagami & RJ Rude & Zane Benardo, Penta won three-way over Bandido and Flip Gordon Thunder Rosa b Megan Bayne, Dan Maff b JT Dunn, Mark & Jay Briscoe b Bateman & Dutch (the mystery team), Hale Collins b Mike Verna to win NEW Live tile, Malakai Black b Christopher Daniels (subbing for Jay Lethal who missed the show due to a health issue), Adam Scherr & Erick Redbeard b Bully Ray & Nzo
  • St. Louis Anarchy from Friday night in Alton IL: Chase Holliday b Austin Connelly, Anakin Murphy b Adrian Surge, Thoma Shire b Manders, Evan Gelistico b Deacon Cash, Jeremy Wyatt b Christian Rose, Derek Neal b Camaro Jackson, Aaron Williams b Davey Vega, Kody Lane & Matt Kenway & SK Bishop b Victor Analog & Mysterious Q & Marcus Mathers, Mat Fitchett b Arik Cannon, Jake Dirden & Moonshine Mantell b Kevin Lee Davidson & Dak Draper, Gary Jay b Billie Starkz in an Anarchy rules match (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer, Sophia King and Lindsay Hester)
  • Biff Busick, the former Oney Lorcan, is taking independent dates starting in ten days. You can book him at BIFFBusick@gmail.com
  • Southern Territory Wrestling from last night in Western Australia: Del Cano b Julian Ward, Felix Young b Roga Kargus, NC Viper won local legends Battle Royal, Julio Garcia b Kaz Jordan Chris Target b Dizzy Videl, Stella Nyx b Great George & Chadwick Jackson in a handicap match Taylor King b Antonio Corradok Mikey Nicholls b Jarrad Slate. A lot of shows in Eastern Australia have been postponed or canceled due to widespread COVID. RWA in New South Wales canceled their iPPV show this weekend and aren’t going to run until 2/26. Deathmatch Downunder moved their show to 3/5. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
  • MCW on 2/5 at the Hollywood, MD Fire Department has a convention with Jimmy Hart, Lita, Lex Luger, Kevin Nash, Luke Williams, Adam Cole, Lio Rush, Thunder Rosa, Serena Deeb, Quinn McKay, Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, Taya Valkyrie, Sabu and the Headbangers. Cole will headline a live wrestling show.
  • MCW on 2/6 in Glen Burnie, MD at La Fontaine Bleue has a convention with Bob Backlund, Lia, Bully Ray, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Jerry Lawler, Lex Luger, Slick, Bushwhacker Luke, Adam Cole, MJF, Nyla Rose, Danie Garcia, Leila Gray, Eddie Edwards, Lady Frost, Mark & Jay Briscoe, Trevor Murdoch, Al Snow, Killer Kross, Scarlett, Ember Moon, Oney Lorcan, Shane Douglas, Jacques Rougeau Jr., Dan Severn, Marc Mero, Steve Keirn, Warlord and Barbarian. Cole and Rush wrestle on the show late that afternoon.
  • Big Time Wrestling from last night in Spartanburg,SC: Scotty 2 Hotty b Tedd Goodz, Brock Anderson b Lodi, Scott Steiner b Dirty Joe, Matt hard b Danny Miles, Jerry Lawler b George South in a crown vs. ring jacket match, FTR b Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson in a first-time ever match.