Category: Daily Updates

With the WWE brand split imminent, there has been talk of doing individual Raw and Smackdown Pay Per Views/WWE Network Special Events similar to what they did during the last time they split brands. Until now, that was purely speculation. The PPV schedule that has been going around is legit. So there are apparently nine more PPV/WWE Network Special Events remaining in 2016. Battleground, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series will remain dual branded. These are the dates and names of the remaining events:

• 7/24 Battleground from Washington, DC
• 8/21 SummerSlam from Brooklyn
• 9/11 Backlash form Richmond, VA (Smackdown brand show)
• 9/25 Clash of Champions from Indianapolis (Raw)
• 10/9 No Mercy from Sacramento (Smackdown)
• 10/30 Hell in a Cell from Boston (Raw)
• 11/20 Survivor Series from Toronto
• 12/4 TLC from Dallas (Smackdown)
• 12/18 Roadblock from Pittsburgh (Raw)

We’re doing one poll this weekend for tonight’s ROH show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com.

BELLATOR DYNAMITE DOUBLEHEADER TONIGHT STARTING AT 8 P.M. FROM THE SCOTTRADE ARENA IN ST. LOUIS LIVE ON SPIKE TV

        This will be a combined MMA and kickboxing show. MMA will start at 8 p.m. and kickboxing matches will follow, although there will be kickboxing matches during the MMA portion of the show as well:

Main show

• Ilima MacFalane (3-0, 126) vs. Rebecca Ruth (6-1, 124.9)
• Kickboxing:  Denise Kielholtz (44-2, 124.1) vs. Gloria Peritore (10-1-1, 122.6)
• Kickboxing:  Kevin Ross (31-9, 145) vs. Justin Houghton (7-2, 145.6)
• Carl Seumanutafa (10-6, 254.7) vs. Matt Mitrione (9-5, 255.9)
• Michael Chandler (14-3, 154.7) vs. Patricky Pitbull Freire (16-7, 155) for vacant lightweight title
• Rampage Jackson (36-11, 225) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1, 222.8)

Kickboxing that follows

• Joe Schilling (27-8, 185) vs. Hisaki Kato (0-0, 184.9) but Kato beat Schilling in MMA
• Raymond Daniels (11-3, 170.5) vs. Stefano  Bruno (23-2-1, 171)
• Kerri Taylor-Melendez (3-1, 120) vs. Sarah Howell (0-0, 120)

ROH BEST IN THE WORLD PPV AT 9 P.M. FROM CONCORD, NC AT THE CABARRUS ARENA

• Kamaitachi vs. Kyle O’Reilly
• ACH vs. Silas Young
• Mark Briscoe vs. Roderick Strong
• Moose & Ray Rowe & Hanson vs. Young Bucks & Adam Cole in a tornado match
• Steve Corino vs. B.J. Whitmer street fight
• Bobby Fish vs. Dalton Castle for TV title
• Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe for ROH title

        Kevin Sullivan will be there in attendance.

NEW JAPAN WORLD PRO WRESTLING RETURNS AT 8 P.M. ON AXS TV

• Tomohiro Ishii vs. Michael Elgin
• Satoshi Kojima vs. Karl Anderson
• Yuji Nagata vs. Hirooki Goto
• Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada

        The Ishii-Elgin and Nakamura-Okada matches are tremendous. 

AXS FIGHTS TONIGHT FROM DALLAS AT THE BOMB FACTOR PROMOTED BY LEGACY FIGHTING AT 10 P.M. EASTERN

• Miles Johns (3-0, 145.6) vs. Eliazar Rodriguez (7-5, 146.0)
• Bilal Williams (5-2, 170.1) vs. Sean Holden (4-1, 169.2)
• J.C Cottrell (16-3, 146.6) vs. Cody Walker (7-3, 146.2)
• Levi Mowles (3-1, 135.5) vs. Edwin Figueroa (6-4, 137.5)
• Ryan Holis (11-9, 133.6) vs. Jason Sampson (13-1, 135.1)
• Steven Peterson (13-4, 134.8) vs. Manny Vazquez (8-1, 134.1) for the bantamweight title

We’re looking for reports on WWE’s house show on Saturday night in Boston (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Rusev, Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Alberto Del Rio, Usos, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson) and Saturday’s ROH TV tapings in Concord, NC (Kyle O’Reilly challenges for the ROH title, Silas Young & Beer City Bruiser challenge for the tag titles, Briscoes vs. Young Bucks in a battle of the IWGP tag team champions vs. IWGP jr. tag team champions, Jay White vs. Kamaitachi and Roderick Strong vs. Dalton Castle) to NewsTIps@WrestlingObserver.com.

Sunday has two WWE shows, with one crew in Orlando (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Usos, Shinsuke Nakamura, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Austin Aries) and the other in Jacksonville (Big Show, Kane, Rusev, Charlotte, Natalya, Enzo, Cass, Kalisto, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, New Day). Ultima Lucha 3 is a being taped in Los Angeles on Sunday with Johnny Mundo vs. Prince Puma title vs. career as the main event, Fenix vs. Marty the Moth mask vs. hair and a ladder match for the Gift of the Gods title with Son of Havoc vs. Pentagon Jr.

NEW JAPAN FROM KORAKUEN HALL LIVE ON NEW JAPAN WORLD AT 5:30 A.M. EASTERN TIME MONDAY MORNING

• Ryusuke Taguchi vs. David Finlay
• Manabu Nakanishi & Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Kazushi Sakuraba & Rocky Romero & Baretta
• Satoshi Kojima & Matt Sydal & Yoshitatsu vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Hangman Page & Chase Owens
• Katsuyori Shibata & Yuji Nagata & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma & Juice Robinson
• Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Seiya Sanada & Evil
• Kazuchika Okada & Will Ospreay vs. Tetsuya Naito & Bushi

        This is a big show because the G-1 Climax members and main event matches will be announced during intermission.

Raw is Monday night in Tampa and is the only show of the week with John Cena scheduled.

Smackdown will be taped on Tuesday night in Tampa, with a skeleton crew because a number of wrestlers are laving after Raw for Honolulu.

There will be a tour of Japan and Hawaii that starts Wednesday night in Honolulu (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Usos, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka, A.J. Styles, Chris Jericho).

THE ROUNDUP

• Silas Young on #BITW, WWE developmental deal, Beer City Bruiser friendship
• UFC’s Paige VanZant passing on WWE SummerSlam?
• Daily Update: WWE Cruiserweight Classic, Rock talks UFC, Kimbo special 
• It’s damn true: Kurt Angle not coming back to WWE
• Conor McGregor, Robbie Lawler, and Holly Holm up for 2016 ESPYs

​The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas takes place during UFC’s International Fight Week from July 7 – 11.Ed in San Antonio has information on Facebook, or you can email him at F4Wfan@hotmail.com. It’s always a fun time, so hurry up and make your plans to join Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alvarez, Vinny, Granny, Ed, Peach, Dez, Dr. Lucha, Rodney, Sr. Jaialai, “Filthy” Tom, and the rest of the group in beautiful Las Vegas this July. Plus… some extra secret surprises.

​If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!

Figure Four Weekly

READ IT HERE: Figure Four Weekly 6/20/2016: Never trust Nigerian investors– Growing up as a way-too-hardcore-for-my-age wrestling fan, I looked forward to watching whatever flavor of wrestling from the Dallas Sportatorium was on ESPN and in syndication at the time. The ESPN show was perfect for kids who loved pro wrestling: It aired at 4 p.m. eastern time, so it was perfect for after-school viewing… Subscribers click here to continue reading.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

READ IT HERE: June 27, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Roman Reigns suspended, Money in the Bank review, more – Details on the suspension of Roman Reigns after a wellness policy violation, Money in the Bank reviewed, more…

A look at the prospective UFC sale is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The issue looks at the main bidders, what kind of money is being bid, how much the Fertittas have made from the endeavor, the situation with Dana White, what is and isn’t expected to change, why the sale is coming now and who exactly owns what percentage of the company, plus a look at just how deep the UFC 200 show is.

Pluse there is a major story on the gamble of Brock Lesnar in UFC 200, the most in-depth look at the Ariel Helwani situation that you’ll find anywhere, full coverage of NXT Takeover, UFC 199, WWE Money in the Bank, and the details of TNA’s struggle to stay alive, its PPV and its future. There is also a breakdown on the WWE cruiserweight classic, and monthly WWE and TNA business figures.

This issue looks at Michael Bisping’s unlikely title win, all the ramifications of the Lesnar deal, what it shows about WWE, a look back at the last time WWE risked one of their stars against an outsider without scripting, how Ariel Helwani got to be a star reporter and how that played into what happened last week, and what aspects of the story that are really more important that haven’t been covered or have been overlooked.

Inisde this week, there is also a look at the death of a key WWE musician, more on what Ali learned from pro wrestling, Bryan Danielson attends WWE event, Bobby Roode’s debut, notes on SummerSlam, new WWE executive hire, new WWE announcer, WWE looking for new members of creative, who is expected to return shortly, another animated WWE movie, update on Paul Heyman plus a full rundown on all the WWE & NXT live events this past week and business notes on the shows.

Subscribers click here to continue reading.

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.

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40-issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues. 

Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: May 10, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Fans celebrate life of Giant Baba at Tokyo Dome, PRIDE 5 recap, more. The final chapter in the career and life of Shohei Baba took place on the biggest show he ever main evented and the biggest show he ever promoted–some three months after his death.

FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE

These are the first round results from last night’s Elite tournament at Arena Mexico. The winners advance to a second show on Saturday:

• Bram b Zumbi (who decided against doing the WWE tournament to do this tournament)
• Lio Rush b David Tita
• DJZ b Hio Hop Man
• Tama Tonga b Chicano
• Sabu b Veneno
• Michael Elgin b Jinder Mahal
• Kushida b Heddi Karaoui
• Volador Jr. b PJ Black

The next round will take place on Saturday night with Bram vs. Sabu, Elgin vs. Rush, DJZ vs. Kushida and Tonga vs. Volador Jr. 

Shinsuke Nakamura & Finn Balor team up against Samoa Joe & Austin Aries on Sunday’s WWE house show in Orlando. This will be Nakamura, Joe & Aries’ main roster debuts. Balor has done main roster shows in the past. Nakamura will also be working main roster shows in Honolulu and Tokyo this next week. Asuka’s main roster debut will be on Wednesday night in Honolulu.

This is the updated list of fighters and UFC celebrities coming to the UFC Fan Expo 7/8 to 7/10 in Las Vegas at the Convention Center: Jhenny Andrade, Luciana Andrade, Carly Baker, Dennis Bermudez, Michael Bisping, Chrissy Blair, Kahli Bundell, C.M. Punk, Bryan Caraway, Johnny Case, Arianny Celeste, Henry Cejudo, Donald Cerrone, Mark Coleman, Carlos Condit, Dominck Cruz, Red Dela Cruz, John Dodson, Rashad Evans, Urijah Faber, Cody Garbrandt, Jamillette Gaxiola, Forrest Griffin, Uriah Hall, Vanessa Hanson, Dan Hardy, Max Holloway, Kyoji Horiguchi, Matt Hughes, Cris Cyborg Justino, Dong Hyun Kim, Ricardo Lamas, Chuck Liddell, Neil Magny, Guy Mezger, Stipe Miocic, Rose Namajunas, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Camilia Oliveria, Alistair Overeem, Brittney Palmer, Raquel Pennington, Kedra Perez, Anthony Pettis, Sergio Pettis, Dustin Poirier, Ovince Saint Preux, Luke Rockhold, Yair Rodriguez, Ben Rothwell, Junior Dos Santos, Dan Severn, Ronaldo Jacare Souza, Jeremy Stephens, Aljamain Sterling, Stephen Thompson, Tecia Torres, Chris Weidman, Don Frye, Brian Ortega, Pete Williams and Paige VanZant.

The most-read stories on the Los Angeles Times sports site were LeBron James wearing an Ultimate Warrior T-shirt, Roman Reigns being suspended and C.M. Punk’s fight with Mickey Gall being announced.

Spike TV’s one-hour documentary on the life of Kimbo Slice airs at 7 p.m. tonight.

WWE

• WWE is taping NXT tonight at Full Sail University which includes Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Finn Balor. Lots of last minute changes based on who is and isn’t getting called up. If key people lose unexpectedly, that may be a hint. 
• The introduction ceremony from last night’s WWE Cruiserweight Classic tournament with Daniel Bryan and Mauro Ranallo can be seen here. 
• Dwayne Johnson will be producing a Sony Pictures film Son of Shalin through his Seven Bucks Entertainment company. He will also be launching his own YouTube channel on 7/18. 

UFC

• Glover Teixeira has pulled out of the 7/23 FOX show in Chicago. He was to face Anthony Rumble Johnson, but Johnson had already pulled out of that fight. This moves Edson Barboza vs. Gilbert Melendez to the semifinal.
• Mark Hunt will be the guest on Inside MMA tonight at 12:30 a.m.

MISCELLANEOUS

• World Series of Fighting announced a new partnership with www.TicketGalaxy.com for buying and selling tickets to its events starting with its next show on 7/30 in Everett, WA, headlined by Marlon Moraes vs. Josh Hill for the bantamweight title.
• Resurrection Fighting Alliance on 7/29 in San Antonio at Cowboys Dance Hall will be headlined by middleweights Joe Gigliotti vs. Trevin Giles, both undefeated and having never gone the distance. The show will air live on AXS.
• There is a Shimmer taping this weekend and Pat Laprade talks to Nicole Savoy about it here.
• Battlewar 36 is on 7/31 in Montreal at Les Foufounes Electrqiues.
• Ricochet will be debuting for House of Hardcore on 9/16 in New York and 9/17 in Philadelphia at the Arena.
• CMLL from Tuesday night in Guadalajara: Oro Jr. & Pegasso & Stigma b Escandalo & Metalico & Sangre Azteca Jr., Furia Roja & Hechicero & Sagrado b Angel de Oro & Esfinge & Triton, Diamante Azul & Rush & Titan b La Mascara & Rey Bucanero & Vangellys-DQ, Atlantis & Maximo Sexy & Mistico b Ephesto & Luciferno & Mr. Niebla (thanks to Kris Zellner)
• There is a legends show on 7/10 in Ciudad Juarez at Gimnasio Josue Neri Santos with Dandy & Negro Casas & Octagon vs. Fuerza Guerrera & Pirata Morgan & El Satanico, plus Apolo Dantes, Mascara Ano 2000, Universo 2000, Blue Panther, Fantasma, Mano Negra, Jaque Mate and Rambo appear.
• Promociones Cholo on 7/15 in Tijuana at the Auditorio has Caristico & Mascara Aerea & Mascara Dorada vs. Mr. Elektro (Electroshock) & Rey Escorpion & Rush. The next Tijuana show is Promociones del Valle on 7/1 with Psycho Circus vs. Averno & Chessman & Villano IV and Damian 666 & Nicho vs. Joe Lider & Pentagon Jr. 
• A preview of the TV show Gladiators Unleashed. Luke Caudillo, former UFC & Strikeforce Lightweight and now coach at Grudge Training Center in Denver, is the host of a new show where he takes fighters into the outdoors. The show is scheduled to air on Sportsman Channel the first quarter of 2017 but show in New Zealand with Chad Mendes & TJ Dillashaw to shoot for the 1st couple episodes. 

TODAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY:Daily Pro Wrestling History (06/24): Parade of Champions; Edge wins KOR; Harlem Heat win WCW Tag Team Titles

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Two major tournaments in wrestling take place starting tonight as the first round of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic will be taped at Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL, and Elite Lucha Libre’s World Grand Prix (details in the current Observer) with stars from all over including several from New Japan starts tonight at Arena Mexico. 

Mustafa Ali is replacing Zumbi in the WWE tournament, so the final 32 competitors are Kota Ibushi, Zack Sabre Jr., Gran Metalik (Mascara Dorada), Brian Kendrick, Drew Gulak, Tyson Dux, Tajiri, Noam Dar, Da Mack, Clement Petiot, Fabian Aichner, Harv Sirha, Gurv Sihra, Rich Swann, Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali, Akira Tozawa, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Jack Gallagher, Tony Nese, TJ Perkins, Ho Ho Lun, Anthony Bennett, Lince Dorado, Sean Maluta, Raul Mendoza, Kenneth Johnson, Alejandro Aaez, Damien Salter, Jason Lee and Arya Daiavari.

SMACKDOWN TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. ON USA NETWORK

• Cesaro vs. Alberto Del Rio
• Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus
• Jimmy Uso vs. A.J. Styles
• Big E & Kofi Kingston vs. Vaudevillains
• Becky Lynch vs.. Dana Brooke
• Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins

THE ROUNDUP

• Lucha Underground results: Rey Mysterio and Prince Puma confrontation
• Conor McGregor, Robbie Lawler, and Holly Holm up for 2016 ESPYs
• WWE NXT results: Nakamura; Bayley returns; Austin Aries & No Way Jose dance
• TNA Impact Wrestling results: Hardy vs. Hardy in a Six Sides of Steel cage match
• WWE Cruiserweight Classic gets debut date, announcing team

​The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas takes place during UFC’s International Fight Week from July 7 – 11.Ed in San Antonio has information up on Facebook, or you can email him at F4Wfan@hotmail.com. It’s always a fun time, so hurry up and make your plans to join Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alvarez, Vinny, Granny, Ed, Peach, Dez, Dr. Lucha, Rodney, Sr. Jaialai, “Filthy” Tom, and the rest of the group in beautiful Las Vegas this July. Plus… some extra secret surprises.

​If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!

Figure Four Weekly

READ IT HERE: Figure Four Weekly 6/20/2016: Never trust Nigerian investors– Growing up as a way-too-hardcore-for-my-age wrestling fan, I looked forward to watching whatever flavor of wrestling from the Dallas Sportatorium was on ESPN and in syndication at the time. The ESPN show was perfect for kids who loved pro wrestling: It aired at 4 p.m. eastern time, so it was perfect for after-school viewing… Subscribers click here to continue reading.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

READ IT HERE: June 27, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Roman Reigns suspended, Money in the Bank review, more – Details on the suspension of Roman Reigns after a wellness policy violation, Money in the Bank reviewed, more…

A look at the prospective UFC sale is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The issue looks at the main bidders, what kind of money is being bid, how much the Fertittas have made from the endeavor, the situation with Dana White, what is and isn’t expected to change, why the sale is coming now and who exactly owns what percentage of the company, plus a look at just how deep the UFC 200 show is.

Pluse there is a major story on the gamble of Brock Lesnar in UFC 200, the most in-depth look at the Ariel Helwani situation that you’ll find anywhere, full coverage of NXT Takeover, UFC 199, WWE Money in the Bank, and the details of TNA’s struggle to stay alive, its PPV and its future. There is also a breakdown on the WWE cruiserweight classic, and monthly WWE and TNA business figures.

This issue looks at Michael Bisping’s unlikely title win, all the ramifications of the Lesnar deal, what it shows about WWE, a look back at the last time WWE risked one of their stars against an outsider without scripting, how Ariel Helwani got to be a star reporter and how that played into what happened last week, and what aspects of the story that are really more important that haven’t been covered or have been overlooked.

Inisde this week, there is also a look at the death of a key WWE musician, more on what Ali learned from pro wrestling, Bryan Danielson attends WWE event, Bobby Roode’s debut, notes on SummerSlam, new WWE executive hire, new WWE announcer, WWE looking for new members of creative, who is expected to return shortly, another animated WWE movie, update on Paul Heyman plus a full rundown on all the WWE & NXT live events this past week and business notes on the shows.

Subscribers click here to continue reading.

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.

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40-issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues. 

Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: May 10, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Fans celebrate life of Giant Baba at Tokyo Dome, PRIDE 5 recap, more. The final chapter in the career and life of Shohei Baba took place on the biggest show he ever main evented and the biggest show he ever promoted–some three months after his death.

THURSDAY NEWS UPDATE

Tomorrow is going to be a big night with the usual Friday stuff plus an ROH PPV and Bellator: Dynamite 2. We’ll have a special show late tomorrow night recapping everything. There are also NXT tapings with some big matches as well as Arena Mexico in the final Friday show before their 7/1 iPPV Grand Prix tournament.

Dwayne Johnson was on the UFC Unfiltered podcast and said that in 2004, he was considering going to UFC to fight. “There was a time there where I thought, I achieved everything I wanted to achieve in WWE, my movie career is floundering a little bit, what should I do? I was still relatively young, I think I was 34. I thought, oh well, maybe UFC. Maybe I should do something like that.” He said he thought it would take two years to be ready, and he wasn’t sure how to approach it, so the idea fizzled out. He also said he thinks MMA is the toughest sport in the world. For the math, Johnson was 31 and turned 32 in 2004.

Spike TV is airing a special “Kimbo Slice: One of a Kind,” a tribute to Slice at 7 p.m. Friday prior to the Bellator show. Among the people appearing on the show will be Bill Goldberg, Kurt Angle, Scott Coker, Dana White, Renzo Gracie, Rashad Evans, Roy Nelson, Quinton Jackson, Liam McGeary, Antonio Tarver, King Mo, Daniel Strauss, John McCarthy, and Kimbo’s son.

ROH parent company Sinclair Broadcasting ranks as No. 913 in Fortune’s list of the 1,000 largest companies in the U.S. based on revenue generated. The company generated $2.2 billion last year.

The funeral for Gypsy Joe will be at the Heritage Funeral Home at 609 Bear Creek Pike in Columbia, TN on Sunday. Visitation is 2-4 P.M.and the funeral is 4 p.m. Anyone wanting to make a donation to help pay for the funeral can send it to Heritage Funeral Home, 609 Bear Creek Pike, Columbus, TN 38401 and please make note it is for Gilberto Melendez aka Gypsy Joe. Next week’s Observer will most likely have a major story on Gypsy Joe. 

WWE

• Dean Ambrose will officially be replacing Roman Reigns on the show in Honolulu and the two shows in Japan 6/29 to 7/2.
• There was a big memorial to Joanie Laurer last night. Sean Waltman spoke and was very emotional about saying that he never stopped loving her even though they had a very rocky relationship. “Until the day she died, I loved her very much. I really did.” He also vowed to make sure she got into the WWE Hall of fame. Taped promos from Hulk Hogan and Kurt Angle also played.
• On Smackdown tonight, there is no mention of Jerry Lawler’s absence. Roman Reigns not being there isn’t acknowledged and was still being pushed for Battleground like nothing had changed. Both Alberto Del Rio vs. Cesaro and Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins were good matches and it was a good overall show. (thanks to Steve Khan)
• The new card for 7/16 in Madison Square Garden is headlined by Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE title, John Cena vs. A.J. Styles, and Chris Jericho vs Neville in a street fight. That tells you Neville will be back any week now. Also advertised are New Day, Kevin Owens, Sheamus, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Usos, Mark Henry, Apollo Crews, Natalya and Becky Lynch.
• WWE runs on 8/7 in Fresno. There is a presale going on right now that ends on Friday at midnight. Advertised are Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, The New Day, Kevin Owens, A.J. Styles, Charlotte and Sasha Banks. That can and will all change.
• The presale code for Raw in Anaheim on 8/8 and Smackdown in Bakersfield on 8/9 is WWEFAN
• A story on Sasha Banks is here.
• Here is a story updating fans on Daniel Bryan and his new life beyond wrestling.
• Wrestling legends come to Pittsburgh. Video 3 is awesome… STEINERLINE.

​UFC

• Paige VanZant will be back in the Octagon sooner than many thought as she announced via Twitter today that she will face Bec Rawlings on the Vancouver show August 27th on FOX. VanZant is coming off a successful appearance on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars and in her last UFC fight, she was dismantled by Rose Namajunas in the main event of a Fight Pass card last December.
• As noted earlier today, C.M. Punk announced that his UFC debut would be at UFC 203 on 9/10 in Cleveland against Mickey Gall.
• Jeremy Botter talks more about the UFC sale story.
• UFC announced a return to the Philippines for the 2nd straight year. Fight Night Manila will take place Saturday October 15th at the Mall of Asia Arena. No fights are announced for the show yet but John Dodson, a Filipino-American, is rumoured to have a featured fight on the show. The UFC’s first show in the country last year sold out very quickly.
• Valerie Letourneau was mad about the announcing of her fight with Joanne Calderwood as she thought Jon Anik and Kenny Florian were saying she was complaining about being kicked in the chest. She said she wasn’t complaining about that, but that her sports bra slipped under her breast. She said she thought Anik and Florian were mocking her because she was complaining about being kicked. She made clear it was not an excuse for her loss, just that she was mad at them.
• Sultan Aliev (13-2) vs. Hyun Gyu Lim (13-5-1 was announced for 8/20’s UFC 202 show in Las Vegas.
• The weighi-ns for tomorrow’s Bellator Dynamite 2 begin and 6 pm eastern and can be viewed here. Rampage Jackson returns to Bellator against Satoshi Ishii in the main event of that show and Michael Chandler takes on Patrick Pitbull for the vacant lightweight title in the co-main.
• Former UFC star Brian Ebersole, who retired last year, returns to MMA on Friday. He will face former fellow UFC fighter Steven Kennedy in the main event of Hex Fight Series 6, which airs live on GFL.TV starting at 5 am eastern time Friday morning. Paul Fontaine has a preview of the show here, which also features Frank Trevino, one of Sage Northcutt’s UFC victims.

MISCELLANEOUS

• For those going to the inductions for the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame in Waterloo, IA which include Bob Backlund, myself, Lex Luger, Joe Blanchard, JJ Dillon and Chael Sonnen among others, there is a show in Waterloo on 7/22 which features Ricochet vs. Sami Callihan, plus Wes Brisco, Brian Blair, Tessa Blanchard and Jessicka Havok all wrestling, and Dillon will be managing.    
• What may be the only surviving Dusty Rhodes vs. Bruiser Brody singles match, the main event of the August 11, 1978 show at the Sam Houston Coliseum, was released today on NWAOnDemand.com. You can get one free week of the service just to check it out. I’ve seen that match. It was before Brody was fully polished, but he was gigantic here, around 320 pounds.
• An article on tomorow night’s Bellator show is here.
• An MMA fight with Jack Gallagher, who is in WWE’s cruiserweight tournament is here. (thanks to Ian Hamilton)
• Kenny Omega is in Orlando right now, but it’s for the Community Effort Orlando, one of the world’s largest fighting game tournaments and conventions.
• Lucha Underground purchased ad space in the latest DC Comics Warner Brothers issues, including the big superhero titles like Flash and Justice League. (thanks to Mike O’Brien)
• CHIKARA on 7/23 has a doubleheader at the Franklin Horner Community Centre in Toronto with shows at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Lucha Toronto on 7/17 in Toronto at the Harbourfront Center Theatre at 3 p.m. featuring Blue Demon Jr., Lince Dorado and Octagoncito.
• Capital City Championship Combat on Saturday in Ottawa at the Vanier Columbus Club.
• AAW on 7/23 in Merrionette Park, IL at 115 Bourbon Street features Sami Callihan vs. Pentagon Jr. for the AAW title and AR Fox vs. Mat Fitchett for the Heritage title plus Zack Sabre Jr., Marty Scurll, Tommaso Ciampa, Fenix, Johnny Gargano, Andrew Everett, Trevor Lee, Cedric Alexander, Eddie Kingston and Josh Alexander.
• Masters of the Ring Entertainment on 7/23 in Wilmington, NC at the Coastline Convention Center. There will also be a convention besides a live show, featuring Diamond Dallas Page, Kevin Nash, Jeff & Karen Jarrett, Terri runnels, Sabu, James Storm, Ethan Carter III, Eddie Edwards, Davey Richards, Matt Sydal, Angelina Love, Awesome Kong and Sonjay Dutt. 
• CMLL on Monday night in Puebla: Guerrero Especial & Inquisidor b Millenium & Vega, Robin & Starman & Zaeta Roja b Fuerza Chicana & King Jaguar & Policeman, Blue Panther Jr. & Rey Cometa & The Panther b Fujin & Raijin & Okumura, Maximo Sexy b Shocker to retain the CMLL heavyweight title, Sam Adonis & Cibernetico & Ultimo Guerrero b Diamante Azul & Johnny Idol & Rush (thanks to Kris Zellner)
• Premier Wrestling on 7/17 in Gilroy, CA at the IFDES Lodge Portuguese Hall. The Premier champion, Joe Graves, has had to undergo surgery for a torn biceps and will be out of action for six months. The new main event will be a match for the vacant title with Jeff Cobb (6-6-1) vs. JR Kratos (9-3-1) wrestling and the winner of that match facing Gabriel Gallo (5-0-1) in the main event for the title.  Raze (3-2) defends the Premier Woman Athletes title against Shayna Baszler (1-0). Also Nicole Savoy (3-3) vs. Desi de Rata (0-0), Alexander Hammerstone (2-0) vs. Douglas James (1-0),  Marcus Lewis (5-5) vs. Tyler Bateman (2-3) and Buddy Royal (3-5) vs. Levi Shapiro (1-0). Tickets are available at www.premierwrestle.com.
• UPW on 7/9 in Rochester, NY at the Eagles Club.
• Former WWE wrestler Gene Snitsky stars in “100 Acres of Hell,” a horror movie where Snisky portrays a pro wrestling world champion who after a major injury and a family tragedy goes out for a weekend of hunting and debauchery in a wildlife preserve and a ferocious lunatic goes after he and his friends. Samu Anoa’i is also in the movie.
• The Tuff N Uff promotion is running a show Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center. Admission is free. The show will air live on Youtube with Frank Mir and Forrest Griffin as announcers.  
• Dynamo Pro Wrestling is on 7/16 in Glen Carbon, IL at the Sports Academy. 
• A story on women’s wrestling in Ireland is here.
• “Finding Zach Gowen” One-Legged Wrestler’s Life Story.

• Please send feedback to FeedBack@WrestlingObserver.com
• Please send show results and news tips to NewsTips@WrestlingObserver.com
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WWE Cruiserweight Classic Debut

Starting Wednesday July 13, the WWE will debut its newest creation, the WWE Cruiserweight Classic. It will be only availalble on the WWE Network and will air every Wednesday at 9 P.M. Eastern. The show will last for 10 weeks, and will basically be a 32 man tournament, culminating on September 14. Daniel Bryan and Mauro Ranallo will be the announcers, so that’s already a plus. Add to it some of the world’s best high flyers in the business, and it’s sure to be excellent. Whether or not it will end up being a “classic” is yet to be determined, especially following one of the most amazing NJPW Super Junior tournaments of all time. However, I’m sure this will be must see programming on the WWE Network, especially compared to Season 2 of Swerved. 

[Dan Velten]

THE ROUNDUP

• TNA Impact Wrestling results: Hardy vs. Hardy in a Six Sides of Steel cage match
• WWE Cruiserweight Classic gets debut date, announcing team
• WWE Smackdown/Main Event spoilers: Seth Rollins vs Sami Zayn; AJ Styles vs Jimmy Uso
• An argument for killing the Smackdown brand
• WWE RAW live results: Dean Ambrose rules all in a post-MITB world

​The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas takes place during UFC’s International Fight Week from July 7 – 11.Ed in San Antonio has information up on Facebook, or you can email him at F4Wfan@hotmail.com. It’s always a fun time, so hurry up and make your plans to join Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alvarez (yes he’ll be there), Vinny, Granny, and the rest of the group in beautiful Las Vegas this July.

Our “lunch with Granny” is good-to-go at Johnny Rockets (in Excalibur), just like last year, on Saturday July 9th, at 11:30 a.m. local time. We have the “patio area” reserved for us. We’ve also been granted 10% discounts. Just tell the cashier that you’re a part of “Granny’s Gang!” And of course… the star of this event, Ms. Gladys Gibson, just has to show up and be her charming self, and she eats for FREE! See ya soon!

​If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!

Figure Four Weekly 6/20/2016: Never trust Nigerian investors– Growing up as a way-too-hardcore-for-my-age wrestling fan, I looked forward to watching whatever flavor of wrestling from the Dallas Sportatorium was on ESPN and in syndication at the time. The ESPN show was perfect for kids who loved pro wrestling: It aired at 4 p.m. eastern time, so it was perfect for after-school viewing… Subscribers click here to continue reading.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

READ IT HERE: June 20, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: UFC 199/NXT Takeover reviews, UFC ownership bidding ending soon, more

This week’s Observer has a major story on the gamble of Brock Lesnar in UFC 200, the most in-depth look at the Ariel Helwani situation that you’ll find anywhere, full coverage of NXT Takeover, UFC 199, WWE Money in the Bank, and the details of TNA’s struggle to stay alive, its PPV and its future. There’s also a breakdown on the WWE cruiserweight classic, and monthly WWE and TNA business figures.

Take a look at Michael Bisping’s unlikely title win, all the ramifications of the Lesnar deal, what it shows about WWE, a look back at the last time WWE risked one of their stars against an outsider without scripting, how Ariel Helwani got to be a star reporter and how that played into what happened last week, and what aspects of the story that are really more important that haven’t been covered or have been overlooked, all covered in this week’s issue.

WWE looks at the possibility of adding PPV shows and the good and bad of that decision-making, and some economics of that decision. 

A key WWE musician passes away, more on what Ali learned from pro wrestling, Bryan Danielson attends WWE event, Bobby Roode’s debut, notes on SummerSlam, new WWE executive hire, new WWE announcer, WWE looking for new members of creative, who is expected to return shortly, another animated WWE movie, update on Paul Heyman plus a full rundown on all the WWE & NXT live events this past week and business notes on the shows, in this edition.

Take a look at the background of the NXT Takeover show, the debut of Andrade Cien Almas and what did and didn’t work, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.

For UFC 199, we look at the state of the middleweight title, how everything lines up, whom Michael Bisping wants next, as well as match-by-match coverage along with pay records for those on the show.

Finally, read how TNA saved its recent TV tapings and PPV, why they were close to not happening, where money came from, and what to look out for in the future. Plus, check out Slammiversary with match-by-match coverage and star ratings.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL PREVIEW.

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.

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40-issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues. 

Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: May 10, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Fans celebrate life of Giant Baba at Tokyo Dome, PRIDE 5 recap, more. The final chapter in the career and life of Shohei Baba took place on the biggest show he ever main evented and the biggest show he ever promoted–some three months after his death.

WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE

Yesterday, a Pennsylvania jury acquitted a 21-year-old man charged with aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter, and related counts stemming from a May 2015 incident where he performed Undertaker’s Last Ride on an 18-month old, inadvertently causing fatal head injuries.

Friend of the site Mookie Harrington wrote about president Gerrit Meier leaving WWE International.

Also a friend of the site, Brandon Thurston passed along that on Tuesday, WWE CFO George Barrios revealed the status of his TV contracts during a presentation:

“So first on the renewal cycle: We have the dollars there through ’18. Our three largest deals, which are the U.S., U.K. and India — actually go through ’19. So the U.S. deal is — all three of them are five-year deals. The U.S. deal will go through third quarter of 2019, and then U.K. and India through the fourth quarter.”

WWE & Professional Wrestling

• Here’s a Fox Sports story on Jake Roberts and the audio from the interview.
• Here’s a video of an angle between NWA Vendetta and Cen-Cal Pro Wrestling.
• Ken Anderson talks WWE politics and history with the company on this podcast.
• The Sydney Morning Herald compared AFL and WWE responses to violence against women.
• The Fight Network announced they will start airing Halifax, Canada, based WrestleCentre on Wednesdays at 2 AM EST starting July 19th. It joins TNA and ROH as part of a growing wrestling block on the station. We were also told the AXS TV version of NJPW will begin there on July 7th.
• Jake “the Snake” Roberts was on the latest episode of the Pancakes and Powerslams Show. Roberts discussed Dean Ambrose being compared to him, difficulty working with Sting, hating the overuse of finishers in today’s product, and much more.
• Evolve has announced a huge summer line up of shows:

Tickets are now on sale in the DGUSA.tv Store or by calling 267-638-6583 for EVOLVE on July 16th in Queens, NY, July 17th in Melrose, MA, August 19th in Joppa, MD and August 20th in Brooklyn, NY. Go to the DGUSA.tv Events section for more building and info. 

• The newest Creative Control podcast talks today’s wrestling scene, and although this was recorded before the big Roman Reigns suspension news dropped, they cover the Dean Ambrose title win, and what the future may hold for each of the former Shield members. 
• This podcast interviews an indy wrestler from Santa Cruz, and he tells a funny story about doing stand up comedy and being kicked out of the club. 

UFC/MMA

• Tickets for September’s UFC 203 in Cleveland featuring heavyweight champion and hometown boy Stipe Miocic vs. Alistair Overeem go on sale this Friday to the general public.
• As a reminder, Spike TV airs the Kimbo Slice documentary this Friday at 7 PM prior to the next Bellator show featuring Rampage Jackson.
• Bellator fighter Michael Chandler will fight for a title in his home town of St. Louis this Friday. 

SUMMER EVENTS CALENDAR

• June 24 – ROH Best in the World from Concord, NC with Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe for the ROH title
• June 24 – Isao Kobayashi vs. Justin Lawrence will appear on Spike.com at the Bellator Dynamite show in St. Louis. This is a combo MMA & kickboxing show.
• June 24 – Thrash Wrestling “Passion for Smashin” – Schubert Centre 3505 30th Avenue, Vernon, British Columbia V1T 2E6
• June 25 – MCW Power Struggle in Brantford, ONT, with Cody Deaner, Rip Impact, Tyler Tirva, and more.
• June 25 – PWA Night of Champions – Century Casino Showroom – 1010 42 Ave SE Calgary, Alberta
• June 25 – Pure Wrestling Association, Wakas Community Hall, 180 Tsulquate Rd, Port Hardy, BC
• June 25 – Great North Wrestling returns to the Pembroke Memorial Centre, featuring Nicolai Volkoff. Tickets available here.
• June 25 – The UWC returns to Kelly’s Bar/Banquet Hall, 14 Railroad Avenue, Wrightstown, NJ 08562. More information here.
• June 25 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple 
• June 25 – Capital City Championship Combat this Saturday in Ottawa with “Speedball” Mike Bailey, 2 Cold Scorpio, Space Monkey, “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams, and more.
• July 1 – Pure Wrestling Association is proud to announce our 7th year as part of the Canada Day Celebration. Riverside Park Cambridge, Cambridge, Ontario N3H.
• July 2 – Stars of Wrestling from Alameda, CA at the Alameda Point Gym has Bobby Lashley, Carlito and The Boogeyman appearing.
• July 2 – NWA Cajun Heat in Morgan City, LA at the Municipal Auditorium with Jax Dane vs. Mustang Mike for the NWA title, and an appearance by Kevin Nash
• July 7 – Rock Solid Wrestling runs in Sudbury, ON.
• July 7-11 The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas, EdinSanAntonio has information up on Facebook, or email him F4Wfan@hotmail.com
• July 9 – Upstate Pro Wrestling in Rochester, NY, features Ethan Pate, HC Loc, a triple threat match main event, and more.
• July 9 – Acclaim Pro Wrestling presents: Star-Mageddon 6!
• July 9 – Smash Wrestling in Fort Erie, ONT at the Native Friendship Center. Chris Hero will headline this fundraising event.
• July 17 – Lucha by the Water ft Blue Demon Jr! – Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2G8, 3-6 pm. Tickets here.
• July 17 – Premier Wrestling at the IFDES Lodge and Portuguese Hall in Gilroy, CA with Joe Graves vs. Gabriel Gallo for the Premier. Tickets at www.premierwrestle.com.
• July 22 – Ignite Wrestling in Fort Pierce, FL at the National Guard Armory on a show with Lince Dorado, Mr. 450 Hammet, Lio Rush, Martin Stone, Los Ben Dejos, and more
• July 22 – AIW runs on 7/22 in Cleveland, OH, with Ethan Page vs. Josh Prohibition vs. Josh Alexander, and Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae vs. Ethan Carter III & Karlee Perez
• July 22 – The Lou Thesz Hall of Fame weekend show in Waterloo, IA, featuring Ricochet vs. Sami Callihan, Wes Brisco, B. Brian Blair, Jessika Havok, Tessa Blanchard, a steel cage match and more – This is the weekend Dave Meltzer will be honored.
• July 23 – Chikara Pro announced a doubleheader event at Toronto’s Franklin Horner Community Center.
• July 23 – AAW  in Merrionnette Park, IL, with Sami Callihan vs. Pentagon Jr., Zack Sabre Jr., Marty Scurll; Tommaso Ciampa; Fenix; Johnny Gargano, and plenty more. Here’s what you missed on their last show.  
• July 23 – Masters of Ring Entertainment in Wilmington, NC, as part of Pro Wrestling Fan Expo 3 will feature Jeff Jarret vs. ECIII vs. James Storm, announced by Jarrett in this video.
• July 24 – Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. headlines for Lucha Libre New York at Club LaBoom in Queens, NY

• Please send feedback to FeedBack@WrestlingObserver.com
• Please send show results and news tips to NewsTips@WrestlingObserver.com
• Please send Wrestling Observer Radio questions to MailBag@WrestlingObserver.com

There should be a lot of interest in Raw today with the title change last night. The title change opens up a lot of new possibilities and also the question as to whether Roman Reigns run as the new face of the company is over. The title loss doesn’t mean that, as they were pushing Reigns as the top face during the entire Seth Rollins title run. It appears they will be doing a three-way deal with The Shield for now, but as far as face, heel, whatever, or shades of gray, and whether this is just a new method to push Reigns as top face with a new story, or a legit change in direction, tonight’s show could answer at least to a degree. With five weeks until the next PPV, I don’t expect a ton of direction as they usually go hard for three weeks. Plus, we’re still waiting on the Wyatt family return. Bray Wyatt has been around, but they want to reintroduce him and the family in a meaningful way.

We’re looking for your thoughts on yesterday’s New Japan Dominion and WWE Money in the Bank shows, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com.

Raw is live tonight in Phoenix with the fallout of Money in the Bank.

Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday night in Tucson, AZ

We’re also looking for reports on Saturday’s WWE house show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. 

THE ROUNDUP

• WWE announces draft for July 19th in Worcester, MA
• WWE claims 2017 Royal Rumble will not be in Los Angeles
• WWE Money In The Bank live results: Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins; AJ Styles vs. John Cena
• NJPW Dominion live results: Tetsuya Naito vs Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP HW Championship
• WWE moves Royal Rumble to Los Angeles for 2017

The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas takes place during UFC’s International Fight Week from July 7 – 11.Ed in San Antonio has information up on Facebook, or you can email him at F4Wfan@hotmail.com. It’s always a fun time, so hurry up and make your plans to join Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alvarez (yes he’ll be there), Vinny, Granny, and the rest of the group in beautiful Las Vegas this July.

Our “lunch with Granny” is good-to-go at Johnny Rockets (in Excalibur), just like last year, on Saturday July 9th, at 11:30 a.m. local time. We have the “patio area” reserved for us. We’ve also been granted 10% discounts. Just tell the cashier that you’re a part of “Granny’s Gang!” And of course… the star of this event, Ms. Gladys Gibson, just has to show up and be her charming self, and she eats for FREE! See ya soon!

​If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!

Figure Four Weekly 6/13/2016: Gawker files for bankruptcy – Depending on your point of view, Hulk Hogan went one step further towards either succeeding or failing in his lawsuit against Gawker Media last Friday when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the type that allows the company to continue operating. 

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

READ IT HERE: June 20, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: UFC 199/NXT Takeover reviews, UFC ownership bidding ending soon, more

This week’s Observer has a major story on the gamble of Brock Lesnar in UFC 200, the most in-depth look at the Ariel Helwani situation that you’ll find anywhere, full coverage of NXT Takeover, UFC 199, WWE Money in the Bank, and the details of TNA’s struggle to stay alive, its PPV and its future. There’s also a breakdown on the WWE cruiserweight classic, and monthly WWE and TNA business figures.

Take a look at Michael Bisping’s unlikely title win, all the ramifications of the Lesnar deal, what it shows about WWE, a look back at the last time WWE risked one of their stars against an outsider without scripting, how Ariel Helwani got to be a star reporter and how that played into what happened last week, and what aspects of the story that are really more important that haven’t been covered or have been overlooked, all covered in this week’s issue.

WWE looks at the possibility of adding PPV shows and the good and bad of that decision-making, and some economics of that decision. 

A key WWE musician passes away, more on what Ali learned from pro wrestling, Bryan Danielson attends WWE event, Bobby Roode’s debut, notes on SummerSlam, new WWE executive hire, new WWE announcer, WWE looking for new members of creative, who is expected to return shortly, another animated WWE movie, update on Paul Heyman plus a full rundown on all the WWE & NXT live events this past week and business notes on the shows, in this edition.

Take a look at the background of the NXT Takeover show, the debut of Andrade Cien Almas and what did and didn’t work, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.

For UFC 199, we look at the state of the middleweight title, how everything lines up, whom Michael Bisping wants next, as well as match-by-match coverage along with pay records for those on the show.

Finally, read how TNA saved its recent TV tapings and PPV, why they were close to not happening, where money came from, and what to look out for in the future. Plus, check out Slammiversary with match-by-match coverage and star ratings.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL PREVIEW.

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.

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40-issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues. 

Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: May 10, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Fans celebrate life of Giant Baba at Tokyo Dome, PRIDE 5 recap, more. The final chapter in the career and life of Shohei Baba took place on the biggest show he ever main evented and the biggest show he ever promoted–some three months after his death.

MONDAY NEWS UPDATE

Jeremy Botter just reported a UFC deal with WME/IMG for $4.2 billion was accepted. As noted, the bids were finalized on Thursday and the two leading bidders, WME/IMG and China Media Capital, were told UFC would get back to them within a few days. So from a timing standpoint, I was expecting this at any time. At this point we have not been able to independently confirm this story but WME/IMG was the favorite for the past week. The story lists Garry Cook as the probable new CEO in the spot formerly held by Lorenzo Fertitta. Cook in that spot had also been expected. The story states Dana White will stay and will also have some ownership interest. 

Kurt Angle was on Mark Madden’s radio show today and said that he has talked with HHH about coming back to WWE. The conversation took place six weeks ago and he said he didn’t know when he was coming in. That’s an about-face on Angle who the company had no talked with even though he’s been a free agent since the end of January and they wouldn’t even talk with him the year earlier when he was a free agent. As noted the WWE has been very aggressive of late when it comes to contacting talent, including people that in the past they had shown no interest in. They are looking to make as big a bang as possible over the next month leading to the brand launch. However, a few of the names who have been mentioned as being talked with have told us that their names on the list are incorrect, but they are people under contract to TNA or Lucha Underground. They were looking at introducing people ASAP, including before the draft takes place. The only names we can report that were called are MVP, Carlito and Stevie Richards, but that’s the tip of the iceberg. Not everyone called is looking at going, but enough are that the independent scene as far as companies that like to use ex-WWE stars to draw may get more difficult shortly.

The NBA seventh game between the Warriors and Cavs last night averaged 30.8 million viewers and peaked at 44.5 million at 10:30 p.m. It was the most watched NBA game since 1998. WWE has gotten a good deal of pub out of this because Kevin Love wore a Steve Austin T-shirt in the post-show news conference and LeBron James wore an Ultimate Warrior T-shirt today.

The report we had yesterday of Royal Rumble in Los Angeles at Staples Center is incorrect. It’s weird just because there was on sale info and a code out, but WWE officials have said the show is not there and the location will be announced later.

For Google trends, while the NBA playoffs with more than 10 million searches blew everything away, WWE did have 500,000 searches for Money in the Bank. That’s the same as UFC has been doing for its PPVs and what WWE has been doing for its recent shows as well. UFC on Saturday had 200,000 searches which is well above what they usually do for FS 1 shows. However, a lot of the UFC searches related to the future of Dana White and sale of the company. To that point, Brandon Howard has a very interesting article regarding Google searches and WWE popularity and why ratings may not be meaningful to track popularity, although they are still meaningful since TV is the leading source of revenue.

WWE

• Jerry Lawler and fiance Lauryn McBride appeared earlier today in front of Judge William Turner who ordered no contact, no communication, no texts and no phone calls between the two. Both were charged with domestic assault because police officers couldn’t determine a primary aggressor. Both were released on Friday. They have another court date on 7/1. 
• Alberto Del Rio suffered a bruised bone in taking that ladder bump late in last night’s match and got precautionary X-rays taken today.
• The 32 competitors in the cruiserweight tournament as well as some alternates are in Orlando right now. They are shooting personality profiles and undergoing complete physicals. The first round will be shot on Thursday and air over a number of weeks in July, with it being a weekly one hour show on the WWE Network, airing on Wednesday nights after NXT.
• The Steve Austin podcast with A.J. Styles starts immediately after Raw tonight in Phoenix.
• WWE legal has approved the John Cena T-shirt with the Pabst Blue Ribbon design. 
• WWE looks to be pushing Seth Rollins two minutes as champion as the shortest WWE title reign in history.
• WWE will be doing TVs in Southern California with an 8/8 show in Anaheim at the Honda Center and 8/9 show in Bakersfield. Presales start on Friday.
• New NXT dates have been announced for 8/4 in Birmingham, 8/5 in Pensacola and 8/6 in New Orleans.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Former WCW & WWE star Marc Mero underwent heart surgery last week in Cleveland to have his aorta replaced and install a heart valve. Best of luck to him in his recovery.
• Bellator announced that Friday’s show will stream live in Japan at AbemaTV, which is a streaming company partially owned by TV Asahi. The Japanese interest is because of Satoshi Ishii, who won a gold medal in judo in the 2008 Olympics, in the main event against Rampage Jackson. The show goes head-to-head with the ROH PPV.
• Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Jeff Hardy, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Drew Galloway, Gunner, Chase Stevens and Terri Runnels appear this coming weekend at the Fanboy Expo Comic Con in Knoxville. For more info go to www.fanboyexpo.com. They will be appearing at different times between 6/24 and 6/26 and 10 a.m and 5 p.m.    
• ONE has announced a 7/2 show in Hefei China at the Olympic Sports Center with Narantungalag Jadambaa of Mongolia vs. Eric Kelly of The Philippines as the main event. ONE is the one major MMA and pro wrestling group that has made inroads into China with regular shows. 
• TCW on Saturday night in Rozzano, Italy: Claudio Campari & Martini b Death Mask & Paziente Zero, Violent Joe b Oxlade Black, Backslash b Sami Grayson, Carlo Birra b Rocco Gioiello, Scandalo b Turbo, II Marchese b Pain, Darkness II b Fenice Rossa (thanks to  Alessio Garbini)
• Friday night at the Auditorio in Tijuana: Dinastia Silver b Black Machine, Angel Vengador b Furia Salvaje, Enigma b Dinamico, Fantastik & Nino Hamburguesa & Fabi Apache NC Super Fly & Mari Apache & Polvo de Estrellas, Damian 666 & Bestia 666 & Rey Hours b Averno & Chessman & Pagano, Dr. Wagner Jr. & Chris Masters & La Parka b The Psycho Circus
• GMLW on 7/23 in Pacoma, CA at the San Fernando Valley Boys & Girls Club features Caristico, La Mascara, Misterioso and Misterioso Jr.
• Caristico (original Sin Cara) also appears on Sunday in Westminster, CO at the Imperium Events Center.
• Solar vs. Negro Navarro for the Maestros championships takes place Saturday in Andersen, MN at the Anderson School and Sunday in Chicago at Chi-Town Futbol.
• Laredo Kid vs. Brian Cage on 7/23 in Benbrook TX and the Camp Bowie Bingo Hall.
• Jim Ross and Jimmy Garvin along with Ingles Markets and Eblen Charities are promoting the Second Annual Headlock on Hunger Food drive in Asheville, NC, to benefit the Ingles/Eblen Food for Thought program.  Ross and Garvin will be collecting food and donations on 6/29 at the Ingles on Tunnel Rd. in Asheville, with ross from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. an Garvin from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Pro Wrestling Sheet reported that Sonjay Dutt will be featured on a track called Moguls by ripper Vice with plenty of wrestling lines listed. 
• James Gallagher (3-0) vs. Mike Cutting (6-5) has been added to the 7/16 Bellator show at the O2 Arena in London that is headlined by Paul Daley vs. Douglas Lima.
• CWE on 7/8 in Winnipeg at Rookie’s Sports Bar featuring a Lethal Lottery show.
• Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Buff Bagwell on Friday night in Elizabethton, TN at the Evolution Sports Gym.
• Three men, Scott Knight, 23, Adam Knight, 20 and Joshua Knight, 19, have been charged with murder of a Ramsgate, UK woman 54-year-old Delyth Andrews with it claimed they used WWE and UFC moves including rainbow flips, T-bones, FUs and cliff hangers on her.  In November, emergency services were called when Andrews was found lying on her bad saying they jumped all over her, and X-rays showed multiple rib fractures as well as a fractured sternum and pelvis.  She said the brothers had taken her TV and jewelry and performed body slams on her.  The woman died from the injuries in December.  Joshua is alleged to have told police they did WWE moves on her.
• Creative Control podcast interview with Matt Riddle here.

• Please send feedback to FeedBack@WrestlingObserver.com
• Please send show results and news tips to NewsTips@WrestlingObserver.com
• Please send Wrestling Observer Radio questions to MailBag@WrestlingObserver.com

WWE MONEY IN THE BANK PPV AT 7 P.M. EASTERN TIME FROM THE T MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS

*Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for WWE title – On paper, this looks like a great match given that for all the negativity on Reigns, he delivers most of the time on the big shows and Rollins is one of the best in the business and it’s his first major match back from knee surgery. Reports on him from the house shows have been strong.  Whatever they do here, most likely it’ll build for a rematch because I can’t see this program being one match. The odds have made a major shift this afternoon to where Reigns went from a 15-to-1 favorite to Rollins now being a 4-to-1 favorite. It’s the only match with a big shift today..

*John Cena vs. A.J. Styles – Another expected strong match and again it’s the first match of what is expected to be a multi-match series. For that reason, with no title at stake, Styles is expected to win, particularly since he’s lost on his last three PPV matches. This is Cena’s first singles match back since shoulder surgery (he did do one tag team match in New Orleans off TV last week. Styles is listed at -1500 and Cena at +700.

*Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Cesaro in the Money in the Bank ladder match – Given the talent and that these matches almost always deliver, this also looks strong. Given the way the angle went on Monday, the odds have moved to  Ambrose’s favor. WWE clearly wants you thinking Ambrose wins with the teased cash in tonight. A three-way Shield match was more than teased and should be happening in the next few months. The odds are Ambrose -1500, Kevin Owens +925, Chris Jericho +5000, Cesaro +10000 Sami Zayn +12500 and Alberto Del Rio +12500.

*New Day vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Vaudevillains vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass for tag team titles. This depends on what kind of time they are given, and with the main show going from six matches to eight, this probably won’t be going as long as it would have previously. New Day is listed as -1200, with Gallows & Anderson +750, Enzo & Cass +2500 and The Vaudevillains +15000.

*Rusev vs. Titus O’Neil for U.S. title – You could always do a one night title change and go back on Raw the next night as a surprise. But they’ve done short house show matches with Rusev over clean and nobody has said much about it. Rusev was -750 and O’Neil +650 in the odds.

*Natalya & Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte & Dana Brooke – When you have the champion in a tag match, the rule of thumb is to beat the champion and create a contender. But Natalya and Lynch have both gotten numerous title shots and lost. The Charlotte duo is favored at -620 and the Natalya duo is +410. Once again, this match is greatly dependent upon how much time they get, and with the additional matches, it’s probably less than it would have been.

*Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus – Crews should win since it’s his first big match, but right now it also doesn’t seem like they have much in the way of plans for either guy but Sheamus is a guy they bring back when they need a heel. And they could book to keep this one going. Crews is listed at -780 and Sheamus at +460. I expect this to be relatively short and solid work but not getting time to challenge for one of the best matches.

*Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin – Third show in a row for this. The first two matches were average and this probably will be in that range again. Corbin is a -510 favorite and Ziggler is at +340. Corbin has been winning their house show matches and usual house show protocol is for the face to go up.

*R-Truth & Goldust vs. Fandango & Tyler Breeze – This is a preshow match. The stuff thus far has been just there, with Fandango & Breeze getting wins and R-Truth & Goldust having a losing streak. The Goldust duo is listed at -490 and Breezango at +330. 

*Dudleys vs. Lucha Dragons – A late add preshow match with nothing building it at all. So they just needed something to fill time and be decent. Dudleys are listed at -420 and Dragons at +300. Really depends on what is next for both, as Dudleys haven’t been pushed at all, and there are five teams (with the Usos and the teams in the title match) ranked above both teams right now, six if you include the Shining Stars.

        The way it looks on paper, there’s no reason to tune into the preshow. This show will be carried by the top three matches. But on paper because of those matches it looks really strong. Live viewership will be lower than most due to the NBA championship seventh game, but with the network business model it’s not the negative it very much would have been a few years ago.

We’re looking for your thoughts on today’s New Japan Dominion and WWE Money in the Bank shows, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com.

Raw will be live on Monday night from Phoenix.

Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday night in Tucson, AZ

We’re also looking for reports on Saturday’s WWE house show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. 

THE ROUNDUP

• NJPW Dominion live results: Tetsuya Naito vs Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP HW Championship
• WWE moves Royal Rumble to Los Angeles for 2017
• UFC Ottawa Observer Panel picks McDonald vs Thompson; Cowboy vs Cote
• Fedor Emelianenko returns, wins controversial decision Friday
• Bellator 156 results & recap: Marcos Galvao vs Eduardo Dantos bantamweight title fight

The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas takes place during UFC’s International Fight Week from July 7 – 11.Ed in San Antonio has information up on Facebook, or you can email him at F4Wfan@hotmail.com. It’s always a fun time, so hurry up and make your plans to join Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alvarez (yes he’ll be there), Vinny, Granny, and the rest of the group in beautiful Las Vegas this July.

Our “lunch with Granny” is good-to-go at Johnny Rockets (in Excalibur), just like last year, on Saturday July 9th, at 11:30 a.m. local time. We have the “patio area” reserved for us. We’ve also been granted 10% discounts. Just tell the cashier that you’re a part of “Granny’s Gang!” And of course… the star of this event, Ms. Gladys Gibson, just has to show up and be her charming self, and she eats for FREE! See y’all in about three weeks!

​If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!

Figure Four Weekly 6/13/2016: Gawker files for bankruptcy – Depending on your point of view, Hulk Hogan went one step further towards either succeeding or failing in his lawsuit against Gawker Media last Friday when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the type that allows the company to continue operating. 

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

READ IT HERE: June 20, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: UFC 199/NXT Takeover reviews, UFC ownership bidding ending soon, more

This week’s Observer has a major story on the gamble of Brock Lesnar in UFC 200, the most in-depth look at the Ariel Helwani situation that you’ll find anywhere, full coverage of NXT Takeover, UFC 199, WWE Money in the Bank, and the details of TNA’s struggle to stay alive, its PPV and its future. There’s also a breakdown on the WWE cruiserweight classic, and monthly WWE and TNA business figures.

Take a look at Michael Bisping’s unlikely title win, all the ramifications of the Lesnar deal, what it shows about WWE, a look back at the last time WWE risked one of their stars against an outsider without scripting, how Ariel Helwani got to be a star reporter and how that played into what happened last week, and what aspects of the story that are really more important that haven’t been covered or have been overlooked, all covered in this week’s issue.

WWE looks at the possibility of adding PPV shows and the good and bad of that decision-making, and some economics of that decision. 

A key WWE musician passes away, more on what Ali learned from pro wrestling, Bryan Danielson attends WWE event, Bobby Roode’s debut, notes on SummerSlam, new WWE executive hire, new WWE announcer, WWE looking for new members of creative, who is expected to return shortly, another animated WWE movie, update on Paul Heyman plus a full rundown on all the WWE & NXT live events this past week and business notes on the shows, in this edition.

Take a look at the background of the NXT Takeover show, the debut of Andrade Cien Almas and what did and didn’t work, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.

For UFC 199, we look at the state of the middleweight title, how everything lines up, whom Michael Bisping wants next, as well as match-by-match coverage along with pay records for those on the show.

Finally, read how TNA saved its recent TV tapings and PPV, why they were close to not happening, where money came from, and what to look out for in the future. Plus, check out Slammiversary with match-by-match coverage and star ratings.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL PREVIEW.

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Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: May 10, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Fans celebrate life of Giant Baba at Tokyo Dome, PRIDE 5 recap, more. The final chapter in the career and life of Shohei Baba took place on the biggest show he ever main evented and the biggest show he ever promoted–some three months after his death.

SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE

I want to wish everyone a Happy Father’s Day today. This has been a literal nonstop weekend but thus far the two big shows are a major two-for-two.

It was a very strong Dominion show earlier today, with the ladder match with Michael Elgin vs. Kenny Omega and the IWGP title match with Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada worth going out of your way to see.

Bryan and I are up talking the UFC sale and WWE calls to talent about bringing back stars from the past. We’ll be up tonight talking Money in the Bank, Dominion and taking e-mail questions to MailBag@WrestlingObserver.com.

Central Intelligence, starring Dwayne Johnson, opened on Friday and is estimated at doing $34.5 million in its opening weekend which is considered good. It was a distant No. 2 to Finding Dory at $136.2 million, the biggest opening weekend for an animated movie in history. Central Intelligence got very strong audience reviews.

For tonight’s Money in the Bank, WWE send a notice that the “Watch from the Beginning” feature on Xbox is not working. They said you can watch Money in the Bank live on Xbox but if you want to watch on a delay, they ask you look for an alternative device.

There has been a Go Fund Me to help pay for funeral expenses for Gypsy Joe.

WWE

• Jerry Lawler appeared on Cerrito live, a sports talk show in Memphis, and said that because of who he was, he was actually never placed in a jail cell. He said he hung around with the jail staff during his mandatory cooling off period. He said he hung around with the police and it felt like he was watching a live 12 hour police movie. He said he considers what happened late Thursday night/Friday morning a private matter but his fiance called 911 and then hung up, so the police came. He said nobody had any physical marks and reiterated that she was trying to leave and he thought she had too much to drunk and shouldn’t be driving. She said it was a shouting match and a lot of what was claimed to have been said actually wasn’t said such as him telling her to shoot herself. He claimed she said things that were never said to the police. He hasn’t spoken with McBride and can’t until tomorrow and said everything will be resolvedt omorrow and he feels it’ll be like it never happened and he’ll be back at his job soon enough. He said he was sorry about the bad press this is generating for the company.
• A story on Cesaro using kiniseotape on his bad shoulder is here. 
• This has come out before, about how Donald Trump donates very little to his charity but the McMahons donate millions to it. Key wrestling-related portion: By comparison, the WWE donated $4,000,000 after Trump promoted WrestleMania. Over the years, the biggest donors to Trump’s foundation are in fact Vince and Linda McMahon, who’ve given millions.
• Bill Apter and Howard Finkel predict tonight’s show.
• Sheamus promotes in New Zealand.

UFC

• Donald Cerrone at the press conference last night said, “According to my pay, I don’t mean shit to the UFC. But we’ll see. Maybe I’ll talk to Dana after this and see if we can figure that out.”
• Gegard Mousasi vs Thiago Santos has been added to UFC 200 on 7/9. Mousasi was scheduled in a big fight with Derek Brunson, but Brunson pulled out earlier today.
• Michael Bisping says he wants to defend his title in Manchester, England.
• For yesterday’s show, here is how the picks went:

5-0 Ryan Frederick

4-1 Dave Meltzer

3-2 Mike Sempervive, John Pollock, David Bixenspan

2-3 Josh Nason, Mike Sawyer, Frontrow Brian, Paul Fontaine

0-5 Steve Juon   

MISCELLANEOUS

• AAW did a sellout standing room only show of 600 fans on Friday night in Merionnette Park, IL: Kongo Kong & Dezmond Xavier won four-way over Eddie Machete & Conor Braxton, Candice LeRae & Heidi Lovelace and Shane Hollister & Markus Crane, Tommaso Ciampa b Josh Alexander, Jessicka Havok b Kimber Lee, Silas Young b Drew Gulak, Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett retained the tag titles over The Hooligans (Devin & Mason Cutter), Chris Hero b Drago, AR Fox b Aerostar to keep the AAW Heritage title, Trevor Lee won four-way over Andrew Everett, Cedric Alexander and Moose, Zack Sabre Jr. b Johnny Gargano, Sami Callihan & Dave Crist b Eddie Kingston & Homicide. The next show is 7/23 with Callihan defending the AAW title against Pentagon Jr., Fox vs. Fitchett for the Heritage title plus Fenix, Marty Scurll, Ciampa, Everett, Lee, Sabre Jr. and Gargano.
• Candice LeRae was injured last night. We don’t have details past she wrote a Twitter post that said, “4 hrs in the ER watching drunk people take precedent to my concussion, possibly broken nose, and a huge hole in my lip. Left. No diagnosis.”
• This week’s Elite show from Thursday night at Arena Mexico is here. 
• Vince Russo has joined the coaching staff at the Mercury Pro Wrestling Academy in Arvada CO. For more info you can write toiray@nrwprowrestling.com.
• TMZ ran a piece today on Tammy Sytch who said she was booze free for 90 days and loves being clean so much she doesn’t want to leave rehab.   
• The Boston Globe on if Chris Nowinski cost Dr Bennett Omalu an award is here.
• A story on Kenny Omega talking about his goals for today’s ladder match with Michael Elgin is here.
• Reader Aaron Craig visited the New Japan Lion Cafe in Tokyo and wrote about it.
• Kevin Eck talks to Orioles outfielder and huge WWE fan Adam Jones before today’s game. Ron Simmons makes a cameo.
• NWA Cajun Heat on 7/2 in Morgan City, LA at the Municipal Auditorium with two cage matches, with Jeremy Moore vs. Matt Riviera for the Mid South title and Greg Anthony vs. Americos for the national title. Kevin Nash will be making a guest appearance.
• Supreme Pro Wrestling today at 5 PM. at the SPW Arena in Sacramento is headlined by Scoot Robertson vs. JR Kratos. In honor of Father’s Day, all fathers get a free hot dog and a soda.
• Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling from last night in East Carondelet, IL before 200 fans (a bad house for them): Britton Tucker b Sean Vincent-DQ, Jason Vaughn b Matt Kenway, Bobby D b Dave Vaughn, Freddy Fury DCOR Purple Passion, Brandon Espinosa b Daniel Gunner, Troll b Big Jim Hoffarth, Ken Kasa & Gary Jackson b Chris Harges when Harges failed to win a fall in the 15:00 time limit, Kahagas b Johnny Blade, Ron Powers b Atilla Kahn-DQ (thanks to Larry Matysik)
• Ring Wars Carolinas on 6/25 in Fayetteville, NC at 7707 S. Raeford Rd.
• Lucha Xtreme TV from last night in Fresno:  Big Dogg b Eli Everfly, Skitzo b Dark Usagi, Anthony Idol b Manny Fernandez. Next TV taping is 7/16 at the Tioga Sequoia Brewing Company Beer Gardens as a combined wrestling and stand-up comedy show called Pain & Laughter (thanks to Jon Southerland)
• Insane Championship Wrestling runs tonight in Glasgow, Scotland at The Garage with Big Damo vs. Grado for the ICW title, plus Joe Coffey vs. Joe Hendry. The tease is that the winner will face Kurt Angle on the big show in Glasgow on 11/20 at the SSE Hydro. 
• Kurt Angle has been announced as a special guest for Booker T’s Reality of wrestling show on 8/20 in Houston.

TODAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY: ​Styles wins TNA X Division Title; Jay Lethal wins ROH World Title

• Please send feedback to FeedBack@WrestlingObserver.com
• Please send show results and news tips to NewsTips@WrestlingObserver.com
• Please send Wrestling Observer Radio questions to MailBag@WrestlingObserver.com

Fedor Emelianenko “won” a crazy decision last night in his fight against Fabio Maldonado in St. Petersburg, Russia, for the EFN promotion. For those of you who have not seen the fight, head over to UFC Fight Pass and watch it immediately as it was an amazing spectacle. Our own Bryan Alvarez and “Filthy” Tom Lawlor did live commentary as the fight was happening.

It started with a crazy first round that could have been scored a 10-8 possibly for Maldonado, and possibly stopped. In rounds two and three, both men were extremely tired and it became quite the embarrassment, not quite the level of Dada 5000 vs. Kimbo Slice, but an embarrassment for Fedor who was once considered the greatest fighter of all time. Fedor won on score cards of 29-28, 29-28, and 28-28, earning him the majority decision. Our Dave Meltzer has much more on this story here.

[Dan Velten]

For this weekend, we have polls for WWE Money in the Bank and New Japan Dominion, so thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for each show to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com. 

UFC ON SATURDAY FROM OTTAWA

Fight Pass at 6:45 p.m. Eastern time

• Ali Bagautinov (13-4) vs. Geane Herrera (9-1)
• Colby Covington (8-1) vs. Jonathan Meunier (7-0)
• Randa Markos (5-3) vs. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger (6-2)
• Sam Alvey (26-7) vs. Elias Theodorou (11-1)

FS 2 at 8:30 p.m.

• Chris Beal (10-2) vs. Joe Soto (15-5)
• Krzysztof Jotko (17-1) vs. Tamdan McCrory (14-3)
• Mischa Cirkunov (11-2) vs. Ion Cutelebaba (11-1)
• Jason Saggo (11-2) vs. Leandro Silva (19-3-1)

FS 1 at 10:30 p.m.

• Joanne Calderwood (10-1) vs. Valerie Letourneau (8-4)
• Olivier Aubin Mercier (7-2) vs. Thibault Gouti (11-1)
• Steve Bosse (11-2) vs. Sean O’Connell (17-7)
• Donald Cerrone (29-7) vs. Patrick Cote (23-9)
• Stephen Thompson (12-1) vs. Rory MacDonald (18-3)

NEW JAPAN DOMINION AT 3 A.M. EASTERN TIME LATE SATURDAY/EARLY SUNDAY FROM OSAKA JO HALL ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

• Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Jay White & Juice Robinson & David Finlay
• Togi Makabe & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan vs. Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi & Adam Page
• Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Seiya Sanada & Bushi
• Hirooki Goto vs. Evil
• Ricochet & Matt Sydal vs. Young Bucks vs. Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Rocky Romero & Trent Baretta for IWGP jr. tag title in an elimination match
• Kushida vs. Will Ospreay for IWGP jr. title
• Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. Mark & Jay Briscoe for IWGP tag team titles
• Yuji Nagata vs. Katsuyori Shibata for Never Open weight title
• Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin in a ladder match for IWGP IC title
• Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada for IWGP heavyweight title

WWE MONEY IN THE BANK PPV AT 7 P.M. EASTERN TIME FROM THE T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS

• Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for WWE title
• John Cena vs. A.J. Styles
• Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Cesaro in the Money in the Bank ladder match
• New Day vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Vaudevillains vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass for tag team titles
• Rusev vs. Titus O’Neil for U.S. title
• Natalya & Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte & Dana Brooke
• Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus
• Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin
• Goldust & R-Truth vs. Breeze & Fandango (pre-show match)
• Dudleys vs. Lucha Dragons (pre-show match)

Raw will be live on Monday night from Phoenix.

Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday night in Tucson, AZ.

We’re also looking for reports on Saturday’s WWE house show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. 

THE ROUNDUP

• UFC Ottawa Observer Panel picks McDonald vs Thompson; Cowboy vs Cote
• Fedor Emelianenko returns, wins controversial decision Friday
• Bellator 156 results & recap: Marcos Galvao vs Eduardo Dantos bantamweight title fight
• Jerry Lawler & fiancee arrested for domestic assault, suspended by WWE
• Lucha Underground results: Pentagon Jr & Johnny Mundo thrive in Six to Survive

The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas takes place during UFC’s International Fight Week from July 7 – 11.Ed in San Antonio has information up on Facebook, or you can email him at F4Wfan@hotmail.com. It’s always a fun time, so hurry up and make your plans to join Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alvarez (yes he’ll be there), Vinny, Granny, and the rest of the group in beautiful Las Vegas this July.

Our “lunch with Granny” is good-to-go at Johnny Rockets (in Excalibur), just like last year, on Saturday July 9th, at 11:30 a.m. local time. We have the “patio area” reserved for us. We’ve also been granted 10% discounts. Just tell the cashier that you’re a part of “Granny’s Gang!” And of course… the star of this event, Ms. Gladys Gibson, just has to show up and be her charming self, and she eats for FREE! See y’all in about three weeks!

​If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!

Figure Four Weekly 6/13/2016: Gawker files for bankruptcy – Depending on your point of view, Hulk Hogan went one step further towards either succeeding or failing in his lawsuit against Gawker Media last Friday when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the type that allows the company to continue operating. 

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

READ IT HERE: June 20, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: UFC 199/NXT Takeover reviews, UFC ownership bidding ending soon, more

This week’s Observer has a major story on the gamble of Brock Lesnar in UFC 200, the most in-depth look at the Ariel Helwani situation that you’ll find anywhere, full coverage of NXT Takeover, UFC 199, WWE Money in the Bank, and the details of TNA’s struggle to stay alive, its PPV and its future. There’s also a breakdown on the WWE cruiserweight classic, and monthly WWE and TNA business figures.

Take a look at Michael Bisping’s unlikely title win, all the ramifications of the Lesnar deal, what it shows about WWE, a look back at the last time WWE risked one of their stars against an outsider without scripting, how Ariel Helwani got to be a star reporter and how that played into what happened last week, and what aspects of the story that are really more important that haven’t been covered or have been overlooked, all covered in this week’s issue.

WWE looks at the possibility of adding PPV shows and the good and bad of that decision-making, and some economics of that decision. 

A key WWE musician passes away, more on what Ali learned from pro wrestling, Bryan Danielson attends WWE event, Bobby Roode’s debut, notes on SummerSlam, new WWE executive hire, new WWE announcer, WWE looking for new members of creative, who is expected to return shortly, another animated WWE movie, update on Paul Heyman plus a full rundown on all the WWE & NXT live events this past week and business notes on the shows, in this edition.

Take a look at the background of the NXT Takeover show, the debut of Andrade Cien Almas and what did and didn’t work, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.

For UFC 199, we look at the state of the middleweight title, how everything lines up, whom Michael Bisping wants next, as well as match-by-match coverage along with pay records for those on the show.

Finally, read how TNA saved its recent TV tapings and PPV, why they were close to not happening, where money came from, and what to look out for in the future. Plus, check out Slammiversary with match-by-match coverage and star ratings.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL PREVIEW.

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.

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40-issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues. 

Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: May 10, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Fans celebrate life of Giant Baba at Tokyo Dome, PRIDE 5 recap, more. The final chapter in the career and life of Shohei Baba took place on the biggest show he ever main evented and the biggest show he ever promoted–some three months after his death.

SATURDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE & PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING

• Our Paul Fontaine passed on a clip of WWE’s John Cena Tuesday appearance on NBC’s Maya and Marty show. In the first skit, he played a firefighter with a group of other guys in the firehouse as they all talked about who might get selected for the firefighter calendar. The joke was that Cena is all jacked up and the rest are middle-aged, out of shape dudes. He got a good crowd reaction and showed great comedic timing as he always does.

• The second skit has to be seen to be believed. Cena played himself auditioning for the part of Hulk Hogan in “Hulk Hogan vs Gawker”, FX’s follow-up to “The People vs OJ Simpson”. His main competition for the role was David Schwimmer (played by Martin Short). The writers obviously knew all of the material in the case, as they had another actor playing James Van Der Beek, auditioning for the part of Bubba the Love Sponge. Cena’s Hogan impersonation was pretty funny and this is the type of thing you’d obviously never see on WWE.

• ROH’s Adam Cole talks battling pneumonia, joining Bullet Club, and plugs Best in the World.
• ROH is running a huge sale, now through Sunday, June 19th at 11:59 PM EST. 20% off ALL apparel and 35% off select DVDs – Ringside Members, tack on your 15% off discount, and save 35% off apparel and 50% DVDs.
• The Briscoes are ready for their match Dominion in Osaka Jo Hall.
• This article is about Drew Gulak and what he will bring to WWE.
• Sheamus does press to plug an upcoming WWE show in New Zealand.
• One writer admires the physique of Bray Wyatt ahead of his return to the ring.
• An editorial from the Huffington Post recommends it’s time to start watching WWE again.
• Titus O’Neil wrote an editorial for Newsweek focusing on fatherhood and Father’s Day.
• WWE congratulated the HBK Line and the Pittsburgh Penguins on winning the Stanley Cup by giving them replica title belts.
• CNN Money looks at WWE trying to “conquer” China.
• In a feature story from Southeast Asia, aspiring wrestlers chase their dreams in Malaysia.
• A reporter gets in the ring for a feature story on an upcoming indie show in Corpus Christi.
• Here is a gallery of photos from the first show for a wrestling promotion in Dubai.
• The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling explore the relationship between politics and professional wrestling with Terrance Gerin aka RHINO and Rare Politics editor Jack Hunter. The show will have Lex Luger on this upcoming week.
• WWE Hall of Famer Luke Williams of the Bushwhackers was the latest guest on the Pancakes and Powerslams Show. He shared a number of road stories from his over five decades of being in the wrestling business.
• This week on 6:05 Superpodcast, Brian Last and David Bixenspan talk with Kurt Brown about Los Angeles wrestling, Brian Tramel about Dennis Coralluzzo in the “Dennis of the Week,” and AWA producer “Polish” Joe Ciupik (who confirms one of Greg Gagnes more infamous stories) in part two of their chat. Plus: A “What if?” discussion about the ramifications of Hulk Hogan never leaving the AWA, follow-ups on Bull Curry, and much more!

UFC & Mixed Martial Arts

• Yesterday’s NY Times had a full page devoted to Russian based MMA fighters who are making inroads into fighting. (thanks to Paul Kacprzak)
• Last night’s WSOF 31 show was one of the better shows in their history and worth checking out if you get a chance. The main event, which featured Blagoi Ivanov retaining his heavyweight title with a 5 round decision over Josh Copeland, is a legit fight of the year candidate and reminiscent of the Mark Hunt-Bigfoot Silva fight from a few years back.
• UFC Fight Pass will air a Vale Tudo Japan show at 3 am eastern early Sunday morning. The show features all Japanese fighters with little to no name value in North America.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Here’s an interesting article about the father of the toddler who was killed by the alligator in Florida. The father was a two time state wrestling champion in Nebraska.
• This is an interesting story on Dr. Omalu not getting a prestigious Boston University award, and how Chris Nowinski may be involved. (thanks to Matthew Dursin).
• Lebron James is using The Undertaker as inspiration as he attempts to bring his team back from a 3-1 deficit for the first time in NBA Finals history.
• The head football coach at the University of Michigan, Jim Harbaugh, apparently has a “brilliant” pro wrestling attention strategy.
• Borrowing a line from a Mick Foley book, one article titled “NBA Playoffs: the world is faker than pro wrestling” speculates about the potential of rigging games and unfair officiating in pro sports.
• Officials in Houston are still mulling over ideas for the Astrodome, which hosted WrestleMania in 2001 and a few Nitro broadcasts in the late 1990s. A county judge wants to put a parking garage underneath the stadium while an architect with a “bold new idea” wants to strip the structure down to basically its skeleton.
• Supreme Pro Wrestling returns to action this Sunday, June 19th at SPW Arena – bell time is 5pm! In honor of Father’s Day — all Fathers get a free Hot Dog and a Soda!

TODAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY:Brisco Brothers win NWA Tag Team Titles, CM Punk wins ROH Title

​SUMMER EVENTS CALENDAR

• TONIGHT – Ronin Pro Wrestling is in Pembroke Pines, FL at the Broward College South Campus Gym as Joey Ryan, Candice LaRae and Johnny Gargano.
• TONIGHT – MCW “Base Brawl” at the Regency Furniture Stadium, 11765 St. Linus DR in Waldorf, MD. Tickets here. Ron Simmons, Billy Gunn, and X-Pac will be there.
• TONIGHT – UFC in Ottawa: Rory McDonald vs. Stephen Thompson
• TONIGHT – New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine with “NEF 24: PROMISED LAND.” Tickets for “NEF 24” are on sale now.
• TOMORROW – Steel Pro Wrestling runs at the KoC in Hamilton, ON.
• TOMORROW – New Japan Dominion – Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada in an IWGP title match and Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin in a ladder match for the IC title
• TOMORROW – WWE Money in the Bank from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
• June 24 – ROH Best in the World from Concord, NC with Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe for the ROH title
• June 24 – Isao Kobayashi vs. Justin Lawrence will appear on Spike.com at the Bellator Dynamite show in St. Louis. This is a combo MMA & kickboxing show.
• June 24 – Thrash Wrestling “Passion for Smashin” – Schubert Centre 3505 30th Avenue, Vernon, British Columbia V1T 2E6
• June 25 – The United Wrestling Coalition returns to Kelly’s Bar/Banquet Hall in Wrightstown, New Jersey for UWC Fan Appreciation Night!
• June 25 – PWA Night of Champions – Century Casino Showroom – 1010 42 Ave SE Calgary, Alberta
• June 25 – Pure Wrestling Association, Wakas Community Hall, 180 Tsulquate Rd, Port Hardy, BC
• June 25 – Great North Wrestling returns to the Pembroke Memorial Centre, featuring Nicolai Volkoff. Tickets available here.
• June 25 – The UWC returns to Kelly’s Bar/Banquet Hall, 14 Railroad Avenue, Wrightstown, NJ 08562. More information here.
• June 25 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
• June 26 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
• July 1 – Pure Wrestling Association is proud to announce our 7th year as part of the Canada Day Celebration. Riverside Park Cambridge, Cambridge, Ontario N3H.
• July 2 – Stars of Wrestling from Alameda, CA at the Alameda Point Gym has Bobby Lashley, Carlito and The Boogeyman appearing.
• July 2 – NWA Cajun Heat in Morgan City, LA at the Municipal Auditorium with Jax Dane vs. Mustang Mike for the NWA title, and an appearance by Kevin Nash
• July 7 – Rock Solid Wrestling runs in Sudbury, ON.
• July 7-11 The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas, EdinSanAntonio has information up on Facebook, or email him F4Wfan@hotmail.com
• July 9 – Acclaim Pro Wrestling presents: Star-Mageddon 6!
• July 9 – Smash Wrestling in Fort Erie, ONT at the Native Friendship Center. Chris Hero will headline this fundraising event.
• July 17 – Lucha by the Water ft Blue Demon Jr! – Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2G8, 3-6 pm. Tickets here.
• July 17 – Premier Wrestling at the IFDES Lodge and Portuguese Hall in Gilroy, CA with Joe Graves vs. Gabriel Gallo for the Premier. Tickets at www.premierwrestle.com.
• July 22 – Ignite Wrestling in Fort Pierce, FL at the National Guard Armory on a show with Lince Dorado, Mr. 450 Hammet, Lio Rush, Martin Stone, Los Ben Dejos, and more
• July 23 – Chikara Pro announced a doubleheader event at Toronto’s Franklin Horner Community Center.
• July 24 – Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. headlines for Lucha Libre New York at Club LaBoom in Queens, NY

• Please send feedback to FeedBack@WrestlingObserver.com
• Please send show results and news tips to NewsTips@WrestlingObserver.com
• Please send Wrestling Observer Radio questions to MailBag@WrestlingObserver.com

Today’s biggest story is the arrest of Jerry Lawler and fiance Lauryn McBride in Memphis. There is a story on the front page on it. Lawler has been indefinitely suspended by WWE pending the completion of the case.

Final bids have been sent in to UFC for a 100 percent sale of the company. The companies have been told UFC is going to look over the bids and make its decision within a few days.

The Warriors-Cavs game last night going against Smackdown did 20,702,000 viewers, which is down from the 23,250,000 viers that the sixth game of the series did last year.  The seventh game goes head-to-head with Money in the Bank at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

We’re looking for reports on today’s NXT show in Plymouth, UK and the WWE house show in Salt Lake City (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, A.J. Styles, Dean Ambrose, Alberto Del Rio, Cesaro, Chris Jericho, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Usos) to NewsTips@WrestlingObserver.com.

For this weekend we have polls for WWE Money in the Bank and New Japan Dominion, so thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for each show to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com. 

NEW JAPAN WORLD PRO WRESTLING RETURNS TWO HOUR SHOW ON AXS TV STARTING AT 8 P.M. EASTERN

• Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Tetsuya Naito
• Kota Ibushi vs. Togi Makabe
• Katsuyori Shibata vs. Doc Gallows
• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. A.J. Styles  (this was one of the best matches of 2015)

BELLATOR LIVE ON SPIKE TV FROM THE SAVEMART CENTER IN FRESNO, CA AT 9 P.M. EASTERN TIME

• Chris Honeycutt vs. Mikkel Parlo
• Brandon Halsey vs. John Salter
• Thiago Jumbo Goncalves vs. Chidi Njokuani
• Marcos Galvao vs. Eduardo Dantas for bantamweight title

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING LIVE ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK AT 9 P.M. FROM MASHANTUCKET, CT FOXWOODS RESORTS CASINO

• Phil Hawes vs. Josh Key
• Sheymon Moraes vs. Luis Palomino
• John Howard vs. Mike arrant
• Jason High vs. Mike Ricci
• Blagoy Ivanov vs. Josh Copeland for heavyweight title

SHINE IPPV AT 9 P.M. AT www.WWNLive.com FROM YBOR CITY, FL

• Shine vs. Shimmer vs. TNA women’s title, loser of the fall loses title to winner of the fall:  Taylor made (Shine) vs. Madison Eagles (Shimmer) vs. Allysin Kay/Sienna (TNA)
• Marti Belle & Jayme Jameson vs. Evie & Shazza McKenzie
• Kellie Skater vs. Mia Yima (Jade) vs,. Santana Garrett vs. Nicole Matthews
• Su Yung vs. Kay Lee Ray
• Tessa Blanchard vs. Rachel Ellering
• Kellyanne vs. Chelsea Green
• Maria Maria & Luscious Latasha vs. Rhia O’Reilly & Viper

CMLL TONIGHT AT ARENA MEXICO AT 9:30 P.M. AT www.clarosports.com/en-vivo02/

• Oro Jr. & Soberano vs. Cancerbero & Raziel
• Estrellita & Princesa Sugei & Silueta vs. Reyna Isis & Seductora & Zeuxis
• Angel de Oro & Guerrero Maya Jr. & Stuka Jr. vs. Misterioso Jr. & Rey Bucanero & Shocker
• Marco Corleone & Maximo Sexy & Rey Cometa vs. Negro Casas & Cavernario & Mr. Niebla
• Ultimo Guerrero vs. Valiente for NWA Historic middleweight title
• Diamante Azul & Mistico & Volador Jr. vs. Euforia & La Mascara & Mephisto 

RESURRECTION FIGHTING ALLIANCE AT 10 P.M. FROM THE HAMMOND CIVIC CENTER IN HAMMOND, IN ON AXS TV

• Doug Deback vs Adam Ward
• Deray Davis vs. Bobby Nash
• Shaun Asher vs. Jordan Johnson
• Daniel Vizcaya vs. Joseph Gigliotti
• Mike Santiago vs. Luis Saldana

UFC ON SATURDAY FROM OTTAWA

Fight Pass at 6:45 p.m. Eastern time

• Ali Bagautinov (13-4) vs. Geane Herrera (9-1)
• Colby Covington (8-1) vs. Jonathan Meunier (7-0)
• Randa Markos (5-3) vs. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger (6-2)
• Sam Alvey (26-7) vs. Elias Theodorou (11-1)

FS 2 at 8:30 p.m.

• Chris Beal (10-2) vs. Joe Soto (15-5)
• Krzysztof Jotko (17-1) vs. Tamdan McCrory (14-3)
• Mischa Cirkunov (11-2) vs. Ion Cutelebaba (11-1)
• Jason Saggo (11-2) vs. Leandro Silva (19-3-1)

FS 1 at 10:30 p.m.

• Joanne Calderwood (10-1) vs. Valerie Letourneau (8-4)
• Olivier Aubin Mercier (7-2) vs. Thibault Gouti (11-1)
• Steve Bosse (11-2) vs. Sean O’Connell (17-7)
• Donald Cerrone (29-7) vs. Patrick Cote (23-9)
• Stephen Thompson (12-1) vs. Rory MacDonald (18-3)

NEW JAPAN DOMINION AT 3 A.M. EASTERN TIME LATE SATURDAY/EARLY SUNDAY FROM OSAKA JO HALL ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

• Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Jay White & Juice Robinson & David Finlay
• Togi Makabe & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan vs. Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi & Adam Page
• Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Seiya Sanada & Bushi
• Hirooki Goto vs. Evil
• Ricochet & Matt Sydal vs. Young Bucks vs. Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Rocky Romero & Trent Baretta for IWGP jr. tag title in an elimination match
• Kushida vs. Will Ospreay for IWGP jr. title
• Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. Mark & Jay Briscoe for IWGP tag team titles
• Yuji Nagata vs. Katsuyori Shibata for Never Open weight title
• Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin in a ladder match for IWGP IC title
• Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada for IWGP heavyweight title

WWE MONEY IN THE BANK PPV AT 7 P.M. EASTERN TIME FROM THE T MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS

• Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for WWE title
• John Cena vs. A.J. Styles
• Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Cesaro in the Money in the Bank ladder match
• New Day vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Vaudevillains vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass for tag team titles
• Rusev vs. Titus O’Neil for U.S. title
• Natalya & Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte & Dana Brooke
• Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus (pre-show match)
• Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin (pre-show match)

Raw will be live on Monday night from Phoenix.

Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday night in Tucson, AZ.

We’re also looking for reports on Saturday’s WWE house show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. 

THE ROUND-UP

• Jerry Lawler & fiancee arrested for domestic assault, suspended by WWE
• Lucha Underground results: Pentagon Jr & Johnny Mundo thrive in Six to Survive
• NXT Bournemouth, England, live results: Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe; Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode
• WWE inks deal with China’s PPTV, signs Bin Wang to developmental
• Gypsy Joe passes away at 82 years old

The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas takes place during UFC’s International Fight Week from July 7 – 11.EdinSanAntonio has information up on Facebook, or you can email him at F4Wfan@hotmail.com (Apparently Ed has blocked Bryan Alvarez from attendance in response to Bryan blocking Ed on Twitter… LOL) – It’s always a fun time, so hurry up and make your plans to join Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alvarez (yes he’ll be there), Vinny, Granny, and the rest of the group in beautiful Las Vegas this July.

Our “lunch with Granny” is good-to-go at Johnny Rockets (in Excalibur), just like last year, on Saturday July 9th, at 11:30 a.m. local time. We have the “patio area” reserved for us. We’ve also been granted 10% discounts. Just tell the cashier that you’re a part of “Granny’s Gang!” And of course… the star of this event, Ms. Gladys Gibson, just has to show up and be her charming self, and she eats for FREE! See y’all in about three weeks!

​If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!

Figure Four Weekly 6/13/2016: Gawker files for bankruptcy – Depending on your point of view, Hulk Hogan went one step further towards either succeeding or failing in his lawsuit against Gawker Media last Friday when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the type that allows the company to continue operating. 

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

READ IT HERE: June 20, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: UFC 199/NXT Takeover reviews, UFC ownership bidding ending soon, more

This week’s Observer has a major story on the gamble of Brock Lesnar in UFC 200, the most in-depth look at the Ariel Helwani situation that you’ll find anywhere, full coverage of NXT Takeover, UFC 199, WWE Money in the Bank, and the details of TNA’s struggle to stay alive, its PPV and its future. There’s also a breakdown on the WWE cruiserweight classic, and monthly WWE and TNA business figures.

Take a look at Michael Bisping’s unlikely title win, all the ramifications of the Lesnar deal, what it shows about WWE, a look back at the last time WWE risked one of their stars against an outsider without scripting, how Ariel Helwani got to be a star reporter and how that played into what happened last week, and what aspects of the story that are really more important that haven’t been covered or have been overlooked, all covered in this week’s issue.

WWE looks at the possibility of adding PPV shows and the good and bad of that decision-making, and some economics of that decision. 

A key WWE musician passes away, more on what Ali learned from pro wrestling, Bryan Danielson attends WWE event, Bobby Roode’s debut, notes on SummerSlam, new WWE executive hire, new WWE announcer, WWE looking for new members of creative, who is expected to return shortly, another animated WWE movie, update on Paul Heyman plus a full rundown on all the WWE & NXT live events this past week and business notes on the shows, in this edition.

Take a look at the background of the NXT Takeover show, the debut of Andrade Cien Almas and what did and didn’t work, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.

For UFC 199, we look at the state of the middleweight title, how everything lines up, whom Michael Bisping wants next, as well as match-by-match coverage along with pay records for those on the show.

Finally, read how TNA saved its recent TV tapings and PPV, why they were close to not happening, where money came from, and what to look out for in the future. Plus, check out Slammiversary with match-by-match coverage and star ratings.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL PREVIEW.

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.

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40-issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues. 

Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: May 10, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Fans celebrate life of Giant Baba at Tokyo Dome, PRIDE 5 recap, more. The final chapter in the career and life of Shohei Baba took place on the biggest show he ever main evented and the biggest show he ever promoted–some three months after his death.

FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE

For those attending our annual convention in Las Vegas from 7/7 to 7/10, the Las Vegas Fight Shop will be offering a 20 percent discount on anything if you are an Observer reader throughout the weekend. They also have Randy Couture signing from 6-8 p.m. on 7/8 and Nate Diaz from Noon to 2 p.m. on 7/9. Both signings require an Affliction T-shirt but you can get 20 percent off as well as a VIP line pass if you are coming in for the convention. For more information on the convention you can go here. 

The Cincinnati Gardens, a regular stop for pro wrestling for decades, is scheduled to be demolished this year. The building had been for sale for three years and was finally sold to the Port Authority. The Gardens opened in 1949. It was still the home of a flat track women’s Roller Derby team. It was best known as the home of the Cincinnati Royals of the NBA which featured Oscar Robertson, one of the all-time greats. The plan is to use the area for industrial redevelopment.

TNA has put Tuesday’s show on-line because of the problems with the show airing in its time slot.

TNA’s Ring Transportation manager Bob Rosen suffered a heart attack earlier this week while at the tapings. He wrote on his Facebook after being examined that he had 99 percent blockage. Best wishes to him on a complete recovery.

Spike TV will be appearing a one-hour documentary on Rampage Jackson tonight at 11 p.m. as a preview for his fight with Satoshi Ishii on 6/24 in St. Louis as the main event of Bellator Dynamite 2016.

WWE

• 2K Sports has added John Cena, Sasha Banks and Ultimate Warrior to the list of characters in WWE 2K17.
• Sasha Banks is on the cover of the new Muscle & Fitness Hers magazine.

UFC

• In Canada, the UFC prelims tomorrow from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Eastern time will air on The Fight Network. They will also air weigh-ins at 5 p.m. today. The main card will air on TSN5. 
• Alexander Gustafsson will face Jan Blachowicz on the 9/3 UFC show in Hamburg, Germany in the No. 2 bout on that card underneath the Josh Barnett vs. Andrei Arlovski main event.
• Miesha Tate will be appearing on Conan O’Brien on TBS on Monday night at 11 p.m. Eastern time. This will be Tate’s first major late night television show appearance.
• Michael Bisping was on FS 1 yesterday talking about a fight with Georges St-Pierre. Still no word from St-Pierre if he’s going to come back this year.

​SUMMER EVENTS CALENDAR

• TONIGHT – Wrestlepalooza in Des Moines at 504 East Lucust St. features Colt Cabana vs. Joey Ryan vs. Chuck Taylor in the main event. Scott Hall will also be there.
• TONIGHT – Absolute Intense Wrestling at Mentor-on-the-Lake, OH at Tequila Jaxx with Joey Janela vs. Facade, Shayna Baszler vs. Veda Scott, Laredo Kid, & B.J. Whitmer
• TONIGHT – AAW “Killers Among Us,” Drago vs. Chris Hero, at 115 Bourbon Street (3359 w 115th Street Merrionette Park, IL) Tickets available.
• TOMORROW – Ronin Pro Wrestling is in Pembroke Pines, FL at the Broward College South Campus Gym as Joey Ryan, Candice LaRae and Johnny Gargano.
• TOMORROW – MCW “Base Brawl” at the Regency Furniture Stadium, 11765 St. Linus DR in Waldorf, MD. Tickets here. Ron Simmons, Billy Gunn, and X-Pac will be there.
• TOMORROW – UFC in Ottawa: Rory McDonald vs. Stephen Thompson
• TOMORROW – New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine with “NEF 24: PROMISED LAND.” Tickets for “NEF 24” are on sale now.
• SUNDAY – Steel Pro Wrestling runs at the KoC in Hamilton, ON.
• SUNDAY – New Japan Dominion – Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada in an IWGP title match and Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin in a ladder match for the IC title
• SUNDAY – WWE Money in the Bank from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
• June 24 – ROH Best in the World from Concord, NC with Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe for the ROH title
• June 24 – Isao Kobayashi vs. Justin Lawrence will appear on Spike.com at the Bellator Dynamite show in St. Louis. This is a combo MMA & kickboxing show.
• June 24 – Thrash Wrestling “Passion for Smashin” – Schubert Centre 3505 30th Avenue, Vernon, British Columbia V1T 2E6
• June 25 – The United Wrestling Coalition returns to Kelly’s Bar/Banquet Hall in Wrightstown, New Jersey for UWC Fan Appreciation Night!
• June 25 – PWA Night of Champions – Century Casino Showroom – 1010 42 Ave SE Calgary, Alberta
• June 25 – Pure Wrestling Association, Wakas Community Hall, 180 Tsulquate Rd, Port Hardy, BC
• June 25 – Great North Wrestling returns to the Pembroke Memorial Centre, featuring Nicolai Volkoff. Tickets available here.
• June 25 – The UWC returns to Kelly’s Bar/Banquet Hall, 14 Railroad Avenue, Wrightstown, NJ 08562. More information here.
• June 25 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
• June 26 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
• July 1 – Pure Wrestling Association is proud to announce our 7th year as part of the Canada Day Celebration. Riverside Park Cambridge, Cambridge, Ontario N3H.
• July 2 – Stars of Wrestling from Alameda, CA at the Alameda Point Gym has Bobby Lashley, Carlito and The Boogeyman appearing.
• July 2 – NWA Cajun Heat in Morgan City, LA at the Municipal Auditorium with Jax Dane vs. Mustang Mike for the NWA title, and an appearance by Kevin Nash
• July 7 – Rock Solid Wrestling runs in Sudbury, ON.
• July 7-11 The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas, EdinSanAntonio has information up on Facebook, or email him F4Wfan@hotmail.com
• July 9 – Acclaim Pro Wrestling presents: Star-Mageddon 6!
• July 9 – Smash Wrestling in Fort Erie, ONT at the Native Friendship Center. Chris Hero will headline this fundraising event.
• July 17 – Lucha by the Water ft Blue Demon Jr! – Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2G8, 3-6 pm. Tickets here.
• July 17 – Premier Wrestling at the IFDES Lodge and Portuguese Hall in Gilroy, CA with Joe Graves vs. Gabriel Gallo for the Premier. Tickets at www.premierwrestle.com.
• July 22 – Ignite Wrestling in Fort Pierce, FL at the National Guard Armory on a show with Lince Dorado, Mr. 450 Hammet, Lio Rush, Martin Stone, Los Ben Dejos, and more
• July 23 – Chikara Pro announced a doubleheader event at Toronto’s Franklin Horner Community Center.
• July 24 – Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. headlines for Lucha Libre New York at Club LaBoom in Queens, NY

• Please send feedback to FeedBack@WrestlingObserver.com
• Please send show results and news tips to NewsTips@WrestlingObserver.com
• Please send Wrestling Observer Radio questions to MailBag@WrestlingObserver.com

UFC for Sale

The big news of the day revolves around talk of a UFC sale. We have an updated story on it in the current issue of the Observer. At this point, there is no indication a sale has gone through but the bidding period is coming to a close with two new lead bidders, a joint bid of WME/IMG and the Dalian Wanda Media Group of China which reportedly includes the Kraft Family that owns the New England Patriots, and a group bid of a number of investors from China and Hong Kong. The bids are in the $4 billion range, give or take a little in either direction. More is available here. Bryan and I also talked about this extensively on last night’s Observer radio show.

We’re looking for reports on tonight’s NXT show in Bournemouth, UK at the International Centre as well as tomorrow’s show in Plymouth, UK at the Pavilion which ends the current week’s tour at NewsTips@WrestlingObserver.com.

SMACKDOWN TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. ON SYFY

• Kofi Kingston vs. Big Cass vs. Aiden English vs. Luke Gallows
• Zack Ryder vs. Baron Corbin
• Rusev vs. Kalisto
• Xavier Woods vs. A.J. Styles
• Charlotte vs. Natalya
• Sami Zayn & Cesaro & Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens & Alberto De Rio & Chris Jericho

Going against the Warriors vs. Cavaliers game, which starts at 9 p.m., or against the second hour of Smackdown, tonight’s rating is likely to be very low.

THE ROUND-UP

• WWE inks deal with China’s PPTV, signs Bin Wang to developmental
• Gypsy Joe passes away at 82 years old
• Lucha Underground results: Pentagon Jr & Johnny Mundo thrive in Six to Survive
• ROH to bring Final Battle, future NYC events back to the Hammerstein Ballroom
• TNA Impact re-airing Wednesday due to Tuesday technical issues

The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas takes place during UFC’s International Fight Week from July 7 – 11.EdinSanAntonio has information up on Facebook, or you can email him at F4Wfan@hotmail.com (Apparently Ed has blocked Bryan Alvarez from attendance in response to Bryan blocking Ed on Twitter… LOL) – It’s always a fun time, so hurry up and make your plans to join Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alvarez (yes he’ll be there), Vinny, Granny, and the rest of the group in beautiful Las Vegas this July.

Our “lunch with Granny” is good-to-go at Johnny Rockets (in Excalibur), just like last year, on Saturday July 9th, at 11:30 a.m. local time. We have the “patio area” reserved for us. We’ve also been granted 10% discounts. Just tell the cashier that you’re a part of “Granny’s Gang!” And of course… the star of this event, Ms. Gladys Gibson, just has to show up and be her charming self, and she eats for FREE! See y’all in about three weeks!

​If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!

Figure Four Weekly 6/13/2016: Gawker files for bankruptcy – Depending on your point of view, Hulk Hogan went one step further towards either succeeding or failing in his lawsuit against Gawker Media last Friday when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the type that allows the company to continue operating. 

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

READ IT HERE: June 20, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: UFC 199/NXT Takeover reviews, UFC ownership bidding ending soon, more

This week’s Observer has a major story on the gamble of Brock Lesnar in UFC 200, the most in-depth look at the Ariel Helwani situation that you’ll find anywhere, full coverage of NXT Takeover, UFC 199, WWE Money in the Bank, and the details of TNA’s struggle to stay alive, its PPV and its future. There’s also a breakdown on the WWE cruiserweight classic, and monthly WWE and TNA business figures.

Take a look at Michael Bisping’s unlikely title win, all the ramifications of the Lesnar deal, what it shows about WWE, a look back at the last time WWE risked one of their stars against an outsider without scripting, how Ariel Helwani got to be a star reporter and how that played into what happened last week, and what aspects of the story that are really more important that haven’t been covered or have been overlooked, all covered in this week’s issue.

WWE looks at the possibility of adding PPV shows and the good and bad of that decision-making, and some economics of that decision. 

A key WWE musician passes away, more on what Ali learned from pro wrestling, Bryan Danielson attends WWE event, Bobby Roode’s debut, notes on SummerSlam, new WWE executive hire, new WWE announcer, WWE looking for new members of creative, who is expected to return shortly, another animated WWE movie, update on Paul Heyman plus a full rundown on all the WWE & NXT live events this past week and business notes on the shows, in this edition.

Take a look at the background of the NXT Takeover show, the debut of Andrade Cien Almas and what did and didn’t work, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.

For UFC 199, we look at the state of the middleweight title, how everything lines up, whom Michael Bisping wants next, as well as match-by-match coverage along with pay records for those on the show.

Finally, read how TNA saved its recent TV tapings and PPV, why they were close to not happening, where money came from, and what to look out for in the future. Plus, check out Slammiversary with match-by-match coverage and star ratings.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL PREVIEW.

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.

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40-issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues. 

Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: May 10, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Fans celebrate life of Giant Baba at Tokyo Dome, PRIDE 5 recap, more. The final chapter in the career and life of Shohei Baba took place on the biggest show he ever main evented and the biggest show he ever promoted–some three months after his death.

THURSDAY NEWS UPDATE

We’ll be doing shows both Saturday and Sunday nights, Saturday right after UFC ends and Sunday for Money in the Bank and Dominion.  

There are three major events this weekend, with a UFC show on Saturday which will be split between Fight Pass, FS 2 and FS 1, WWE’s Money in the bank on Sunday, and New Japan’s Dominion, probably its third biggest event of the year, taking place starting at2:30 a.m. Eastern time late Saturday night/early Sunday morning.

WWE stock went up 74 cents per share today to close at $18.55, due to the announcement about getting streaming into China.

Michael Bisping heavily was pushing the idea of a fight with Dan Henderson on UFC Tonight last night, saying it would be his last chance to face him and get revenge before Henderson is likely to retire. Henderson hasn’t wanted to face Bisping again, saying there is no upside to it, but now with the middleweight title in the picture, there is a big upside.

WWE

• Keep in mind that this early this means nothing, but here are the odds for Sunday’s Money in the Bank courtesy of Bovada.lv.

Roman Reigns -375

Seth Rollins +240

A.J. Styles -200

John Cena +150

Kevin Owens -140

Dean Ambrose +250

Chris Jericho +600

Cesaro +900

Sami Zayn +1800

Alberto Del Rio +2500

New Day -160

Gallows & Anderson +200

Enzo & Cass +550

Vaudevillains +1800

Rusev -650

Titus O’Neil +375

UFC

• Cortney Casey vs. Cristina Stanciu in a strawweight fight has been added to the 7/13 show in Sioux Falls, SD.
• Nik Lentz vs. Mairbek Taisumov in a lightweight fight has been added to UFC 203 on 9/10 in Cleveland.
• Several new matches were announced last night for the UFC show on 8/6 in Salt Lake City including:

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Cub Swanson

Court McGee vs. Dominque Steele

Zak Cummings vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio

Viktor Pesta vs. Marcin Tybura

Chris Camozzi vs. Thales Leites

MISCELLANEOUS

• Evolve has announced an 8/20 show in Brooklyn at Saint Finbar’s Roman Catholic Church, which will be hours before the NXT show that night at the Barclays Center.   
• Kevin Sullivan appeared in an ROH video with Steve Corino regarding his match with B.J. Whitmer.
• Supreme Lee Great, real name Jon Trosky, a student of Afa and owner of Sanctuary Wrestling out of Hazelton, PA came out as gay in a Facebook post after the shootings in Orlando. He also admitted that he was the person who used the name “Angry Wrestling Vet” on Facebook and Twitter.
• There will be a Shine iPPV tomorrow night from Ybor City, FL at The Orpheum at www.wwn.com and The Fite App with Taylor Made defending the Shine title against Shimmer champion Madison Eagles and TNA champion Allysin Kay (Sienna). The loser of the fall loses their title to the winner of the fall. Also Marti Belle & Jayme Jameson vs. Evie & Shazza McKenzie, Kellie Skater vs. Mia Yim (Jade in TNA) vs. Santana Garrett vs. Nicole Matthews, Su Yung vs. Kay Lee Ray, Rachel Ellering vs. Tessa Blanchard and Kellyanne vs. Chelsea Green.
• World Series of Fighting tomorrow night at 9 p.m. Eastern on NBC Sports Network, meaning it goes head-to-head with Bellator on Spike, with John Howard (23-12) vs. Mike Arrant (15-10), just added. The other main card fights have Blagoy Ivanov defending the heavyweight title against Josh Copeland, Jason High vs. Mike Ricci, Luis Palomino vs. Sheymon Moraes and Phil Hawkes vs. Josh Key.
• Bellator is in Fresno tomorrow at the SaveMart Arena with Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) defending the bantamweight title against Eduardo Dantas (17-4), Thiago Jambo (18-4) vs. Chidi Njokuani (14-4), Brandon Halsey (9-1) vs. John Salter (11-3) and Chris Honeycutt (7-1) vs. Mikkel Parlo (13-2).
• CHIKARA from Saturday night in Philadelphia: Amasis & Ophidian won four-way over Princess Kimber Lee & Heidi Lovelace, Proletariat Boar of Moldova & Parakash Sabar and Arctic Rescue Ant & Pinkie Sanchez, Jigsaw b Oleg the Usurper, Icarus b Missile Assault Man, Jaka b Eddie Kingston-DQ, Hallowicked & Obaryion & Kodama b Fire Ant & Race Jaxon & Hype Rockwell, Mark Angelosetti b Juan Francisco de Coronado in a no DQ match with Dasher Hatfield as referee (thanks to Michael Langan)
• In Your Face Wrestling from Saturday night in Delanson, NY: Eric Emanon & Thomas  Brewington b Spectacular JC & Five Star Jase, Sgt. Fury b Steve Kruz, Bob Evans b Garrett Holiday, Ryan Rogan b Foxx Vinyer, Bob Evans & Chip Stetson b Trip & Lenn Oddity, Marco & Tequila Rose and Alex Cross & Mystify, Elite b Sgt Fury-DQ, Cassius Cutcher & Drake Evans b Ricky Williams & High Voltage Omar, Roman Dominguez & Salvator Morocco and Liam McFeerrin & Lucain Caiker Kongo Kong over Rob Coleman and Nick Westgate, Bobby Ocean b HC Loc
• Thrash Wrestling on 6/24 in Vernon, BC at the Schubert Centre.
• Prairie Wrestling Alliance Night of Champions on 6/25 in Calgary at the Century Casino.
• Acclaim Pro Wrestling on 7/9 in Ottawa at the SPK Dom Polski Polish Combatants Centre.
• Battlear 36 on 7/31 in Montreal at Les Foufounes Electriques.
• Capital City Championship Combat on 6/25 in Ottawa at the Vanier Columbus Club. 
• Old Time Wrestling on Saturday night in Williamstown, NJ at the Monroe Business Park.
• IWF on 6/25, 7/2, 7/26 and 7/23 at the IWF Center in Nutley, NJ.
• AIW on 7/22 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Cleveland.
• Saturday night in Mexicali, Mexico at the Ginmasio Municipal has Dr. Wagner Jr. & Pagano & La Parka vs. The Psycho Circus plus Damian 666 & Bestia 666 & Iron Boy vs. Averno & Chessman & Dinamico.
• Damien Sandow, Johnny Mundo and Ryan Nemeth (the younger brother of Dolph Ziggler) are working together on a comedy show no 7/12 at the Second City Theater in Hollywood, CA.
• Don “The Dragon” Wilson, the actor and former UFC announcer will join King Mo, Benson Henderson, Stitch Duran, Randy Couture and Wanderlei Silva at the Bellator Fan Fest on 6/23 at Dave & Buster’s in Maryland Heights, MO at 8 p.m., the night before the Bellator Dynamite combined MMA and kickboxing show at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. 
• Bellator has also announced a show on 8/26 in Southaven, MS at the Landers Center.
• Hoosier Pro Wrestling on 7/2 in Columbus, IN at the parking lot of Aaron’s at 2675 N. National Road. It’s a benefit for the local food bank. Admission is free with six cans of food per person. Bring your own lawn chairs. 
• Maryland Championship Wrestling’s Base Brawl on Saturday night in Waldorf, MD at the Regency Furniture Stadium with Billy Gunn & X-Pac vs. Joe Keys & Rob Locke, plus King McBride vs. The Bruiser with Ron Simmons as the guest enforcer.
• National Fighting Championships no 7/22 at Electric Cowboy in Kennesaw, GA and 8/27 in Atlanta at Center Stage.

TODAY IN PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HISTORY: Assassins win Georgia Tag Titles; Money Inc wins WWF Tag Team Titles

• Please send feedback to FeedBack@WrestlingObserver.com
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ROH made a big announcement today, that they will be returning to the famed Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City for their biggest PPV of the year, Final Battle. This will mark the first time ROH has run the building since 2014. The company has declined to use the Hammerstein due to increasing facility rental costs, but recently decided to head back to the building. The Hammerstein Ballroom will now be the site of all of ROH’s future NYC shows. This site has a lot of history, and should be good news for fans who remember the amazing ECW shows from the late 90’s and early 2000’s that took place in the iconic building, as well as ROH’s previous tenure in the location. 

TNA will be rebroadcasting last night’s Gold Rush show tonight on Pop TV. Apparently there were some technical difficulties due to weather that prevented the show to be seen in its entirety in certain markets. That show will at 9pm eastern tonight.

TNA tapes in Orlando tonight, while NXT will be in Liverpool, England.

THE ROUND-UP

• ROH to bring Final Battle, future NYC events back to the Hammerstein Ballroom
• TNA Impact re-airing Wednesday due to Tuesday technical issues
• NXT Dublin, Ireland, live results: Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode; Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor
• Gail Kim announced as newest member of the TNA Hall of Fame
• WWE RAW ratings dip below 3 million viewers

The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas takes place during UFC’s International Fight Week from July 7 – 11.EdinSanAntonio has information up on Facebook, or you can email him at F4Wfan@hotmail.com (Apparently Ed has blocked Bryan Alvarez from attendance in response to Bryan blocking Ed on Twitter… LOL) – It’s always a fun time, so hurry up and make your plans to join Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alvarez (yes he’ll be there), Vinny, Granny, and the rest of the group in beautiful Las Vegas this July

​If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!

Figure Four Weekly 6/13/2016: Gawker files for bankruptcy – Depending on your point of view, Hulk Hogan went one step further towards either succeeding or failing in his lawsuit against Gawker Media last Friday when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the type that allows the company to continue operating. 

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

READ IT HERE: June 13, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Deaths of Muhammad Ali and Kimbo Slice, Brock Lesnar returning to UFC, more

A look at the lives and careers of Muhammad Ali and Kimbo Slice, the return of Brock Lesnar to UFC and the story behind it and coverage of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament are the lead stories in this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Our Ali story talks about the changes in public opinion on him going through the years, his place in culture, the Ali-Frazier fight, the Ali-Liston fights, his being banned from boxing, the creation of different world titles, the Ali-Foreman fight, the Thrilla in Manila, the inspiration of the movie Rocky, what Ali took from pro wrestling, Gorgeous George and Fred Blassie, and what he gave back to pro wrestling, the Ali vs. Inoki story, Ali’s appearances in relation to pro wrestling, Ali’s pro wrestling matches that are often forgotten, Ali working the first WrestleMania and the Superdome in New Orleans for Bill Watts, the sad ending of his career and the fraud on the public that was the Larry Holmes fight.

The death of Kimbo Slice is also covered. Read about the circumstances leading to the death, how he became famous, his real background, what he did between football and MMA, the Sean Gannon fight, Elite XC, his television ratings records, the crazy night that was supposed to be the Ken Shamrock fight, the death of Elite XC and how media a misunderstanding ended the promotion, Kimbo’s days in UFC, the highest rated season of Ultimate Fighter, and sustaining the drawing power.  Plus, a look at Kimbo Slice and pro wrestling and why it was about to happen, and how it fell apart, is covered. There’s also look at Slice in boxing, and the Dada 5000 fight.

Finally, read about the Brock Lesnar to UFC deal, what Lesnar said about why he’s coming back should it be believed, the choice of Mark Hunt as the opponent, why the deal took so long to be announced, how this affects pro wrestling, Lesnar’s regrets about re-signing with WWE but why you can question that, the drug testing issue and the Ariel Helwani issue that reporting the story first turned into.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL PREVIEW.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

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.

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40-issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues. 

Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: May 10, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Fans celebrate life of Giant Baba at Tokyo Dome, PRIDE 5 recap, more. The final chapter in the career and life of Shohei Baba took place on the biggest show he ever main evented and the biggest show he ever promoted–some three months after his death.

WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE

Former Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks (18-1) has signed a deal with the UFC and will debut on July 8th against Ross Pearson on the TUF 23 finale show in Las Vegas. Brooks was released from Bellator recently after an impasse on where both wanted his career to go. After twice beating Michael Chandler in two title fights, he successfully defended his title twice before the release. He goes into the Pearson fight on a seven fight win streak, while Pearson is 4-4 in his last eight.

For the first time ever in women’s wrestling, the SHINE champion, the SHIMMER champion, and the TNA champion will face each other this Friday at the SHINE 35 iPPV in Ybor City, FL. SHINE’s titleholder is Taylor Made, Shimmer’s champ is Madison Eagle, and TNA’s is Allysin Kay, and the loser will drop their belt. The show will also feature a Money In The Bank match between Kellie Skater, Mia Yim, Santana, and Nicole Matthews.

Former UFC fighter John “Doomsday” Howard will debut for World Series of Fighting this Friday on NBC Sports Network. He received a late-notice injury replacement today as his original opponent Thiago Meller pulled out due to injury and he’ll now face Michael Arrant.

WWE & Pro Wrestling

• Here’s a feature on Australian talent Damian Slater being tabbed for the WWE Cruiserweight tournament.
• 2K announced they have made some updates for the WWE Supercard game with “Money in the Bank, a persistent new game mode where fans can pick battles, earn and collect contracts, as well as redeem rewards for defeating their opponents”. Here’s the download.
• The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling is joined by the true master of psychology, Raven. The full episode is here. Here is an excerpt where Raven Discusses the inspiration behind his look and backstory of his character.

UFC & MMA

• The Fight Network presents an MMA Tripleheader this Friday, June 17 with WSOF, Hard Knocks & RFA. The broadcast begins live at 9 p.m. ET with World Series of Fighting 31: Ivanov vs. Copeland from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., followed by Hard Knocks Fighting 50 live from Calgary, Alberta, Canada’s Century Casino at 11 p.m. ET. Finally, RFA 39: Barcelos vs. Moffett will air via short tape delay from Indiana’s Hammond Civic Center at 2 a.m. ET.
• Bellator 156 runs Friday night with a main event of Marcos Galvao vs Eduardo Dantas in a Bantamweight title fight that was originally scheduled for October of 2015 and later postponed to February of this year. Former middleweight champion Brandon Halsey also fights on the undercard for the first time since losing his title to Rafael Carvalho
• This Friday’s AXS TV show is RFA 39 from Hammond, IN. Featherweight champion Raoni Barcelos (9-1) puts up his title against Bobby Moffett (also 9-1) in the main event.
• Fedor Emilianenko will fight on UFC Fight Pass on Friday against Fabio Maldonado for Russian promotion Fight Nights. Earlier in the day, Fight Pass will also broadcast BRACE 41 from New Zealand. Greg Atzori takes on Kieran Joblin in a lightweight fight in the show’s main event. Faith Van Duin, fresh off a first round KO loss to Cris Cyborg in an Invicta title challenge last July, drops to Bantamweight to face Charlene Watt in the co-main.
• Hard Knocks 50 will air Friday night on streaming service GFL.TV as well as the Fight Network in Canada. The main event is a bantamweight title fight with Jesse Arnett defending against Mike Hernandez. Arnett has made no secret about wanting a shot in UFC

MISCELLANEOUS

• Here is an amazing video feature Joe Hendry and Wee Man! You need to watch this.
• The sequel to Jean-Claude Van Damme’s cult classic action film, HARD TARGET 2, arrives on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD September 6. This movie stars Scott Adkins, and NOT JCVD. Check out the new trailer here.
• Results: Pure Wrestling Association, from May 28th, 2016 in Campbell River, BC – Nolan James defeated Chris Dexton, BJ Laredo defeated Shreddz, Cremator Von Slasher w/Riea and Rigor Von Slasher defeated Zakk Green, Scott Steel defeated Bishop to remain Pure Violence Champion, E.O. Mike Becherer defeated Nolan James to remain VIPW Vancouver Island Champion, Krofton defeated Lak Siddartha w/ Riea and Rigor Von Slasher
• Results: High Impact Wrestling Evolution 6/10 Regina, Saskatchewan, Cannonball Kelly def Bucky McGraw, Alexander Prime def Amir Jordan, El Asesino (c) def Brett Morgan by DQ, The World Class Renegades (Ace Riviera & Shaun Moore) (c) def The Brotherhood (Dixie Dragon & Jacob Creed), Tony Cage def Brett Evans, Team Flex Appeal (Michael Allen Richard Clark & Mike McSugar) def Merle Graves & Shao Ming, HIW Central Canadian Heavyweight Title Match Tyler Colton (c) def Mentallo
• Results: Kat Von Heez def Slammer, Big Jess Youngblood def Barricade, Britton Baylis & Steven Styles def Mutato & Rex Roberts, RCW British Commonwealth Title Match Scott Justice (c) def Tiger Ali, Leon Grayson def Zarif Metovic, RCW Canadian Heavyweight Title Match Bobby Sharp (c) def Nite

SUMMER EVENTS CALENDAR

• June 17 – Absolute Intense Wrestling at Mentor-on-the-Lake, OH at Tequila Jaxx with Joey Janela vs. Facade, Shayna Baszler vs. Veda Scott, Laredo Kid, & B.J. Whitmer
• June 17 – AAW “Killers Among Us,” Drago vs. Chris Hero, at 115 Bourbon Street (3359 w 115th Street Merrionette Park, IL) Tickets available.
• June 18 – MCW “Base Brawl” returns to the Regency Furniture Stadium, 11765 St. Linus DR in Waldorf, MD. Tickets here. Ron Simmons, Billy Gunn, and X-Pac will be there.
• June 18 – UFC in Ottawa: Rory McDonald vs. Stephen Thompson
• June 18 – New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine with “NEF 24: PROMISED LAND.” Tickets for “NEF 24” are on sale now.
• June 19 – Steel Pro Wrestling runs at the KoC in Hamilton, ON.
• June 19 – New Japan Dominion – Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada in an IWGP title match
• June 19 – WWE Money in the Bank from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
• June 24 – ROH Best in the World from Concord, NC with Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe for the ROH title
• June 24 – Isao Kobayashi vs. Justin Lawrence will appear on Spike.com at the Bellator Dynamite show in St. Louis. This is a combo MMA & kickboxing show.
• June 24 – Thrash Wrestling “Passion for Smashin” – Schubert Centre 3505 30th Avenue, Vernon, British Columbia V1T 2E6
• June 25 – C*4: Capital City Championship Combat presents “Crossing the Line 9: DRIVE” –  Vanier Columbus Club, 260 McArthur Ave, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• June 25 – The United Wrestling Coalition returns to Kelly’s Bar/Banquet Hall in Wrightstown, New Jersey on June 25, 2016 for UWC Fan Appreciation Night!
• June 25 – PWA Night of Champions – Century Casino Showroom – 1010 42 Ave SE Calgary, Alberta
• June 25 – Pure Wrestling Association, Wakas Community Hall, 180 Tsulquate Rd, Port Hardy, BC
• June 25 – Great North Wrestling returns to the Pembroke Memorial Centre, featuring Nicolai Volkoff. Tickets available here.
• June 25 – The UWC returns to Kelly’s Bar/Banquet Hall, 14 Railroad Avenue, Wrightstown, NJ 08562. More information here.
• June 25 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
• June 26 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
• July 1 – Pure Wrestling Association is proud to announce our 7th year as part of the Canada Day Celebration. Riverside Park Cambridge, Cambridge, Ontario N3H.
• July 2 – Stars of Wrestling from Alameda, CA at the Alameda Point Gym has Bobby Lashley, Carlito and The Boogeyman appearing.
• July 2 – NWA Cajun Heat in Morgan City, LA at the Municipal Auditorium with Jax Dane vs. Mustang Mike for the NWA title, and an appearance by Kevin Nash
• July 7 – Rock Solid Wrestling runs in Sudbury, ON.
• July 7-11 The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas, EdinSanAntonio has information up on Facebook, or email him F4Wfan@hotmail.com
• July 9 – Acclaim Pro Wrestling presents: Star-Mageddon 6!
• July 9 – Smash Wrestling in Fort Erie, ONT at the Native Friendship Center. Chris Hero will headline this fundraising event.
• July 17 – Lucha by the Water ft Blue Demon Jr! – Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2G8, 3-6 pm. Tickets here.
• July 17 – Premier Wrestling at the IFDES Lodge and Portuguese Hall in Gilroy, CA with Joe Graves vs. Gabriel Gallo for the Premier. Tickets at www.premierwrestle.com.
• July 22 – Ignite Wrestling in Fort Pierce, FL at the National Guard Armory on a show with Lince Dorado, Mr. 450 Hammet, Lio Rush, Martin Stone, Los Ben Dejos, and more
• July 23 – Chikara Pro announced a doubleheader event at Toronto’s Franklin Horner Community Center.
• July 24 – Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. headlines for Lucha Libre New York at Club LaBoom in Queens, NY
• July 31 – BATTLEWAR 36, Les Foufounes Électriques, 87 Sainte-Catherine Street East Montreal, QC

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