WED UPDATE: Jimmy Snuka murder case to go to trial, TNA UK tour, and more

Show notes for tonight:​
NXT TakeOver: Respect airs live on WWE Network at 8:00 p.m. ET (pre-show at 7:30 p.m. ET) with Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks in a 30 Minute Iron Man Match or the NXT Women’s Championship, Finn Bálor & Samoa Joe vs. Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder in a Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic semifinal, Jason Jordan & Chad Gable vs. Baron Corbin & Rhyno in the other Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic semifinal,  the tournament final, Asuka vs. Dana Brooke. and Apollo Crews vs. Tyler Breeze.

UFC Tonight airs at 8:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 

A rerun of last week’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter airs at 9:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 and it’s titld “A Faithless Foe.” It has Connor McGregor lecturing the fighter who lost last week, a Team Faber fighter skipping practice, and more

Impact Wrestling at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Destination America is the the first show where we don’t really know what will air because it will consist of the “non-storyline” matches shot at the last set of tapings. Officially, this is the start of the “World Title Series” to determine a new champion in light of Matt Hardy vacating the title to render Ethan Carter III’s injunction moot. Your mileage may vary as to whether or not this was planned all along, especially considering they announced that some of the Knockouts will be participating.

The Ultimate Fighter at 10:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 is titled “Just Do Something.” The fighters spend a night out relaxing with their coaches.

ROH at 11:00 p.m. ET on Destination America is loaded, withThe Time Splitters vs. The Briscoes and Kazuchika Okada vs. Roderick Strong.

Please send reports from major shows, recommended links, etc. to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com:

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Figure Four Weekly:

The newest issue of Figure Four Weekly is now up for subscribers (subscribe to the site here and get access to Figure Four, the Observer, tons of audio, and more) featuring details on all facets of Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker, including a better understanding of Gawker’s defense, what else the judge has sealed to protect Hogan, and more. On top of that, we have all the usual stuff like Vinny’s reviews and international news.

The recent FREEFigure Four Weekly is still up with a look at the crazy story of why Gawker thinks the FBI may have helped Hulk Hogan cover up his racist and homophobic comments. A judge has ordered the FBI to turn over the records of their investigation, and what Gawker is saying in court about what has and hasn’t been turned over paints a very interesting picture.

Also, now available for the first time on Kindle (meaning Kindle devices and anything with the Kindle app) is Fall Guys, the seminal 1937 book that has been described as being like the 1930s version of the Wrestling Observer. It was surprisingly not on Kindle already, so we put together a nice version with a full table of contents w/ chapter marks, proper formatting on everything, etc. Right now it’s available from the American, Canadian, and Australian Amazon/Kindle stores OR you can also buy it from anywhere in the world on PayHip, who will provide you with both Kindle and ePub (every other e-reader) format files, and you can either sideload them to your device or have them email it to your Kindle.

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Wrestling Observer Newsletter

If you saw the JBL interview with Eric Bischoff, or even if you didn’t, we have what is already one of the most talked about and praised issues of the Wrestling Observer this year up on the site right now.  The main theme is fact vs. fiction, covering both the WWE historical view of the Monday Night Wars and the Eric Bischoff version, going through every point and cutting through things like outright B.S., faulty memories and interesting truths.

The new double issue also covers SummerSlam in Brooklyn, the real story behind the UFC announcing a show in Madison Square Garden, Jon Jones’ legal punishment and future, coverage of both of the New Japan PPV shows this past week as well as a look at their direction as they build toward King of Pro Wrestling and later, the Tokyo Dome show, UFC in Japan and a look at that business, the retirement of Rich Franklin, a Hall of Famer running for Mayor, the retirement show of Genichiro Tenryu, more concerning drug testing questions, SummerSlam PPV numbers and what we can learn from them, as well as the death of German legend Axel Dieter Sr.

The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter:  October 6, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Analysis of Bischoff Network interview, Jones plea and tons more. 

You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer

You can also order print issues at www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

Rates are:

For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52.  In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to moonsault@mediaplusint.com  For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.

If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.

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.

We look at Eric Bischoff and his role, both good and bad, in what the pro wrestling industry has turned into.  We look at the WCW boom, the creation of Nitro, the early war, the NWO era, the peak and the fall of WCW.

We look at the mistakes made, the fall of WCW, the emergence of Bill Goldberg, the real origination of the streak idea,   We look at the rapid decline of the company and why.  We look at how and when things went down, as well as why, how history shows the merger excuse doesn’t hold water, the complete b.s. of the WWE’s Monday Night War narrative.  We look at the dying days of WCW and Eric Bischoff’s plan he never got a chance to implement.

We look at Eric Bischoff’s background, how he got into wrestling, his first meeting with Verne Gagne, his WWF tryout as an announcer, his connection with Japan, the unique case of Sonny Onoo, and the death of the AWA.

We look at the sale of Georgia Championship Wrestling, Vince McMahon’s one-year run on TBS and problems with Ted Turner, where Bill Watts fit into the scene then, and the scene prior to the launch of Nitro.

We look at WCW before Bischoff got power, what really happened with Jim Ross and WCW, , moves by Bill Watts, .  We look at the first Nitro, the real story behind Lex Luger, what Lex Luger really got, what really happened in WCW with HHH and Mick Foley, Foley getting into WWF, the story behind Bischoff’s firing of Steve Austin, the cruiserweight division and its double-edge sword, what was the point of no return, the Montreal screw job and why so many, even in wrestling, missed key points in that story, Mike Tyson at WrestleMania, Kevin Nash as a booker, DX invades Nitro and the Bischoff vs. McMahon challenge to a fist fight and the story behind the PPV that went 30 minutes over.

In the UFC Madison Square Garden announcement, we look at the thought process behind the strategy.

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Wednesday Daily Update

  • Raw ratings
  • SmackDown spoilers
  • NXT TakeOver: Respect preview
  • Today in history
  • The defense and prosecution in the Jimmy Snuka case agreed to skip a preliminary hearing and go straight to trial today, with the defense getting all of the grand jury transcripts as part of the deal. Snuka’s lawyer described a potential preliminary hearing as a “sham” because the prosecution was going to have one investigator recount what was heard in front of the grand jury, arguing it would be hearsay. Anyway, with Snuka about to undergo chemotherapy, it’s in everyone’s best interests to move quickly. Snuka’s lawyer had one of the most unfortunate gaffe’s you’ll come across in something like this, saying that, with regards to his client, “he’d like to leave this world knowing that he’s an innocent man, not whatever you think he’s guilty.” So he doesn’t know now?
  • Irv Muchnick has gathered all of his blog’s Snuka coverage into a handy index.
  • James Storm has been spotted at Full Sail University, for whatever it’s actually worth.
  • 2K Sports announced all of the details for WWE 2K16’s optional downloadable content. A Hall of Fame Showcase mode includes, of all things, Ric Flair vs. Tatsumi Fujinami from the first annual WCW Superbrawl in 1991. The game is out on October 27th and available for pre-order now.
  • TNA officially announced the January UK tour.
  • Marcos Galvao’s Bellator Bantamweight Championship defense against Eduardo Dantas has been postponed due to Dantas suffering a rib injury.
  • World Series of Fighting has officially announced their one night lightweight tournament for WSOF 25 on November 20th in Phoenix, Arizona. The fighters in the tournament will be Luis “Baboon” Palomino, Brian Foster, Mike Ricci, Islam Mamedov, Brian “The Bandit” Cobb, Jorge “Macaco” Patino, Joao “The Brazilian Samurai” Zeferino and Rich Patishnock.
  • News from Kris Zellner’s Lucha Report (fullly illustrated version with results and lineups available here):

ALL ELITE has changed their name to LUCHA LIBRE ELITE and they also announced that they are running Arena Mexico on 10/25.

Former EMLL performer Héctor Picasso Martínez aka Guerrero Negro Jr. was shot twice early Monday morning from someone who was driving past him and he was hit twice out of the six shots fired. He was with his girlfriend at the time and she was able to drive him to the hospital where he was classified to be in stable condition but delicate. 

  • Dave has two nw articles at MMAFighting:

UFC 192 postmortem

UFC 192 prelim viewership notes