The biggest week in UFC history with four live events takes place with UFC 200, Brock Lesnar, five championship fights, the Hall of Fame and even a potential sale of the company all in the news.
Category: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
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May 31, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Death of Owen Hart
It’s almost ironic in the sickest of ways. From Owen Hart’s first few matches as a full-time pro wrestler in the spring of 1986, it seemed apparent he would achieve great fame and become a pivotal figure in the history of this industry. And he did, in a way nobody could have ever been morbid enough to guess.
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July 4, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: NJPW G1 tournament preview, Ali vs. Inoki anniversary, more
The 26th annual G-1 Climax tournament which, in the last few years, has gained more international interest as the period with a large percentage of what will be the year’s best matches, was officially announced this past week.
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May 24, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: ECW Hardcore Heaven/WWF No Mercy
Amidst rumors flying everywhere of the possible demise of the company and others who are talking that the company is a short period away from growing bigger than ever, the ECW Hardcore Heaven PPV came off like a show that was a bridge for the company to something new, but when it was over, there were still no answers over whether what is new is good news or bad news.
It is hardly a secret that ECW is plagued with financial problems. There are wrestlers owed large sums of money. Those close to Shane Douglas, whose departure from the company, while expected, came out day earlier than expected resulting in him no-showing the PPV, is rumored to be owed in excess of $80,000 (some reports have that figure at $100,000). The stories about the bounced checks are legion. There are some really strange stories about finances, including the often asked question of how the company met payroll and…
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June 27, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Roman Reigns suspended, Money in the Bank review, more
A Wellness policy violation by Roman Reigns (31-year-old Joe Anoa’i), who WWE has been pushing for years as the heir apparent for John Cena’s role as top star, has changed short-term plans for the company.
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May 17, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WCW Slamboree/UFC XX reviews, WWF breaks ratings records, more
It’s hardly a surprise that the 5/10 edition of Raw, with Nitro pre-empted due to an NBA playoff double-header, would break all existing Monday night ratings marks. Still, when the numbers came out, nearly everyone had to be floored.
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June 20, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: UFC 199/NXT Takeover reviews, UFC ownership bidding ending soon, more
The bidding period is expected to end this week, on or around 6/16, regarding a sale that is expected to be in the $4 billion price range for 100 percent ownership of the UFC.
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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.
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May 3, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Death of Rick Rude, WWF Backlash review, more
The death of Rick Rude on 4/20 becomes the latest addition to a strange and macabre body count that is very close to becoming synonymous with the pro wrestling industry.
Rude passed away that evening of a heart attack after being rushed to the North Fulton Medical Center near his home in Alpharetta, GA, an Atlanta suburb, at the age of 40. Rude, who was working with WCW as an announcer for the Backstage Blast PPV airings of Nitro on DirecTV once per month after being removed from his role as childhood friend Curt Hennig’s on-camera manager, had been training for an in-ring comeback after his career presumably had ended after suffering a broken back in a May 1, 1994 match against Sting at the Fukuoka Dome.
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June 13, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: The passing of Muhammad Ali and Kimbo Slice
There are literally no words that can do justice to the significance of Muhammad Ali.
It’s funny because a significant description, although perhaps overblown, came from WCW wrestlers in the late ’90s. There was an article interviewing many of the top stars of the promotion which asked who the most influential person in the history of the world was. While names like Jesus Christ and Adolf Hitler received a significant number of votes, the person who received the most was Ali.