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Tag: headline

  • Daily Update: WCCW building honored, Ospreay vs. Richochet, Matt Hardy “Broken”

    The site of many major wrestling cards in Fort Worth recently received a historic designation. The Will Rogers Memorial Center was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The complex includes the coliseum which housed wrestling cards over the years including many for World Class Championship Wrestling. Built in 1936, the coliseum was the first performance hall in Fort Worth and is still in use today, mainly for equestrian events and the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. The recent designation allows for more available funding for the venue and a level of protection from it being torn down. A new arena facility is planned for construction near the old complex, though the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum will continue to remain in use.

    THE ROUND-UP

    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 5/30/2016: Big Vito’s deposition – If you thought Evan Singleton’s deposition went badly for the plaintiffs in the WWE concussion lawsuit, then that appears to be nothing compared to what happened a week later during Vito LoGrasso’s deposition on May 18th. Given the back and forth over LoGrasso claiming that head injuries caused partial deafness when, in the past, he had spoken of having a hearing impairment since birth, the deposition promised to be interesting. It over-delivered.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    READ IT HERE: May 30, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Return of Seth Rollins and the WWE brand split, plus tons of news

    With two of the biggest news stories of the year, the WWE brand split and the UFC sale both in play, we’ve got a new issue of the Observer packed with news.

    Our lead story looks at the brand split, with what we do know, what has and hasn’t been decided and the background of how it went down. There’s also more info on the UFC sale talks.  Plus there is coverage of the return of Seth Rollins, the build to Money in the Bank and have coverage of Extreme Rules, the negotiations for a Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz fight and look more at the Floyd Mayweather vs. McGregor rumors. Take an in-depth look at the departure of Cody Runnels (Rhodes) from WWE and his future prospects, plus look at his complaints regarding people in the company. All this plus a look at the New Japan Super Juniors tournament, the funding of the Hulk Hogan lawsuit, the World Cup trios tournament coming up and a feature on the last PWG show.

    The lead story looks at every aspect of the brand split.  It looks at the original goals and reasons for it and what did and didn’t work, plus how it’ll be different this time, how the touring will work, and an examination of what talent knows and tentative plans in place.  Vince McMahon’ reaction is a big part of this, and this issue explains how the deal went down, the story behind the story and other aspects to be considered. There’s also a look at Smackdown going live, the affect on the fan base, the affect on TNA and why it was important to get Smackdown away from Thursday.

    Another big story in this issues is Extreme Rules, the decision to make Seth Rollins a heel and current plans for Money in the Bank, and also match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

    Details about what’s going on with Conor McGregor, including Colin Cowherd’s claim that Mayweather vs. McGregor is happening, as well as a look at the Nate Diaz negotiations last week and what McGregor has said publicly.

    Finally, this issue looks at Cody Runnels leaving WWE, what he said was the reason why, and a look into those reasons, and a look at the realities of WWE business decisions and his background.

    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: April 26, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Davy Boy Smith recovering in the hospital, UFC to be sanctioned by Nevada State Athletic Commission, more. This past week has seen Davey Boy Smith, going stir crazy in a Calgary Hospital, attempt to start battling back after the worst year in his life.

    WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE

    In light of the Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay kerfluflle, Fighting Spirit Magazine posted an interview by our own David Bix titled, “Training Ground” an interview with Ricky Steamboat. It’s available for free on their site. It’s basically Steamboat giving amazingly detailed answers about pro wrestling psychology/storytelling in a very progressive, non-judgmental way, and while it’s fascinating reading anyway, it’s especially interesting to read with the Ricochet-Osprey stuff in mind.

    Speaking of, here’s a column our Kyle Johnson wrote today on the whole situation.

    For those Swerved fans, the show returns after RAW this Monday.Here’s a preview and an episode breakdown. This is the second season of the show, and will premiere all nine half hour long episodes on-demand on the WWE Network on June 6. This is the first time WWE Network will do a binge release for a show on-demand.

    UFC Sunday on FS 1 was way down from their prime time average with the main card doing 757,000 viewers and the prelims, also on FS 1, doing 469,000.

    University of Minnesota wrestling coach J Robinson has been placed on paid administrative leave,new athletic director Mark Coyle announced today, stemming from a controversy involving his athletes’ alleged abuse and selling of a prescription drug. 

    Pro Wrestling

    ​MMA & Combat Sports

    EVENTS

    • June 1 – PWP runs tonight, at the Waiting Room Lounge in Omaha, NE
    • June 4 – UFC 199 from the Forum in Los Angeles with Michael Bisping getting his first title opportunity of his career battling Luke Rockhold for the middleweight belt
    • June 4 – In celebration of Metro Pro’s Sixth Anniversary, Demolition (Ax & Smash) will be in action on Saturday, Turner Recreation Center in Kansas City, Kansas. The event address is: 831 S. 55th St., Kansas City, KS 66106 – Tickets can be bought in advance.
    • June 5 – AAA’s Victoria World Cup men and women’s trio tournament finals at Los Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City which will be a live iPPV show
    • June 7 – New Japan Best of the Super Juniors finals from Sendai live on New Japan World
    • June 8 – NXT Takeover from Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL featuring Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor in a cage match plus a loaded lineup that includes American Alpha vs. The Revival and probably Shinsuke Nakamura vs Austin Aries, which could be WWE’s match of the month.
    • June 11 – NECW presents the 2016 IRON 8 Championship, Saturday Night, June 11 in Wakefield, MA
    • June 12 – TNA Slammiversary headlined by Drew Galloway vs. Bobby Lashley for the TNA title from Orlando
    • June 12 – Revolution Pro Wrestling in London, England headlined by Kurt Angle vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
    • June 17 – AAW “Killers Among Us” features Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Johnny Gargano, Drago vs. Chris Hero, and more at 115 Bourbon Street (3359 w 115th Street Merrionette Park, IL) All Ages Event – Tickets available.
    • 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 – New Japan Dominion, one of the company’s biggest events of the year, featuring Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada in an IWGP title match and Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi in a ladder match for the IC title
    • 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 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 7-11 The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas, EdinSanAntonio has all the information up on Facebook, or email him at F4Wfan@hotmail.com.

    Today in Professional Wrestling History: Edge wins vacant World Title; Shield defeats Evolution in no holds barred Elimination match

  • NJPW Best of the Super Juniors results: Taguchi vs. Kyle O’Reilly

    We roll on to day nine of New Japan’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament, as the morning of 5/31 brought us more action, this time from the A Block. Matches held on this day were in Hiroshima:

    Bushi vs. David Finlay

    Nothing wrong with this, but felt like every young lion match you’ve seen. Makes sense as Finlay is a young lion. This was solid, but patterned in other words. Finlay made a comeback, Bushi cut him off and pinned him with the codebreaker off the top rope.

    Rocky Romero vs. Matt Sydal

    Good match. Solid work here as well. Romero got the heat at one point by dousing Sydal with what looked like a water bottle and gave him a sliced bread on the floor. They went back to the ring exchange some strikes .Sydal took Romero out with a powerbomb and went for the shooting star press but Romero blocked it, throwing him off. Sydal came back with a rana to the floor and pinned Romero with a shooting star press.

    Gedo vs. Kushida

    Really good match, best out of all four here. Kushida worked on Gedo’s arm throughout the entire match and came back to it whenever he had the chance. Gedo had a lot of offense and looked tremendous. I think he’s secretly the MVP of this tournament even though there has been a lot great matches without him. Kushida went for the armbar but Gedo countered with a roll up and did some great near falls. Crowd was really into this too. Gedo went for the Gedo Clutch but Kushida kicked out. Kushida sinked in the hoverboard lock again and after rolling around to the middle of the ring Gedo submitted.

    Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Kyle O’Reilly

    Another good match! There were some pre match shenanigans as Taguchi wanted the ref to pat his crotch area. When he refused, Taguchi took out a banana, because he’s wacky, you see. It’s kind of funny as Taguchi can be a pretty great worker at times, but the comedy stuff is total prelim level. There was a cool spot early where O’Reilly went for the leg sweep but Taguchi jumped, then dropkicked O’Reilly in one swift motion. They exchange leg submissions and went back and forth on another another. Taguchi grabbed the leg again and dropped in elbow, and that caused O’Reilly to eventually submit.

    Current tallies:

    Block A:

    • Ryusuke Taguchi – 8
    • Matt Sydal – 8
    • Kyle O’Reilly – 6
    • Kushida – 6
    • Rocky Romero – 4
    • Bushi – 4
    • Gedo – 2
    • David Finlay – 2

    Block B:

    • Ricochet – 6
    • Jushin Thunder Liger – 4
    • Baretta – 4
    • Volador Jr. – 4
    • Tiger Mask – 4
    • Bobby Fish – 4
    • Will Ospreay – 2
    • Chase Owens – 2

  • Daily Update: Goldberg to WWE, Enzo & Cass on ESPN, Ricochet vs. Ospreay

    While nothing is even close to happening with bringing in Bill Goldberg to WWE in a wrestling capacity, 2K officially announced his inclusion as a character in the WWE 2K17 video game, made public last night in an ad that aired on RAW. As discussed on Observer Radio, this opens up intriguing possibilities for a return match based on past history with Ultimate Warrior, Brock Lesnar, and Sting appearing in 2K ads. He did an interview with IGN you can see here. WWE definitely wants you to think that Goldberg returning is a possibility. 

    NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS FROM HIROSHIMA ON TUESDAY (taped for New Japan World available later in the day)

    • Bushi vs. David Finlay
    • Matt Sydal vs. Rocky Romero
    • Kushida vs. Gedo
    • Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Kyle O’Reilly

    Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on today in Rockford, IL  We’re also looking for reports on this show.

    NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS FROM NAGOYA ON THURSDAY (taped for New Japan World, available later in the day)

    • Volador Jr. vs. Chase Owens
    • Jushin Liger vs. Tiger Mask
    • Bobby Fish vs. Will Ospreay
    • Ricochet vs. Trent Baretta

    THE ROUND-UP

    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 5/30/2016: Big Vito’s deposition – If you thought Evan Singleton’s deposition went badly for the plaintiffs in the WWE concussion lawsuit, then that appears to be nothing compared to what happened a week later during Vito LoGrasso’s deposition on May 18th. Given the back and forth over LoGrasso claiming that head injuries caused partial deafness when, in the past, he had spoken of having a hearing impairment since birth, the deposition promised to be interesting. It over-delivered.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    READ IT HERE: May 30, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Return of Seth Rollins and the WWE brand split, plus tons of news

    With two of the biggest news stories of the year, the WWE brand split and the UFC sale both in play, we’ve got a new issue of the Observer packed with news.

    Our lead story looks at the brand split, with what we do know, what has and hasn’t been decided and the background of how it went down. There’s also more info on the UFC sale talks.  Plus there is coverage of the return of Seth Rollins, the build to Money in the Bank and have coverage of Extreme Rules, the negotiations for a Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz fight and look more at the Floyd Mayweather vs. McGregor rumors. Take an in-depth look at the departure of Cody Runnels (Rhodes) from WWE and his future prospects, plus look at his complaints regarding people in the company. All this plus a look at the New Japan Super Juniors tournament, the funding of the Hulk Hogan lawsuit, the World Cup trios tournament coming up and a feature on the last PWG show.

    The lead story looks at every aspect of the brand split.  It looks at the original goals and reasons for it and what did and didn’t work, plus how it’ll be different this time, how the touring will work, and an examination of what talent knows and tentative plans in place.  Vince McMahon’ reaction is a big part of this, and this issue explains how the deal went down, the story behind the story and other aspects to be considered. There’s also a look at Smackdown going live, the affect on the fan base, the affect on TNA and why it was important to get Smackdown away from Thursday.

    Another big story in this issues is Extreme Rules, the decision to make Seth Rollins a heel and current plans for Money in the Bank, and also match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

    Details about what’s going on with Conor McGregor, including Colin Cowherd’s claim that Mayweather vs. McGregor is happening, as well as a look at the Nate Diaz negotiations last week and what McGregor has said publicly.

    Finally, this issue looks at Cody Runnels leaving WWE, what he said was the reason why, and a look into those reasons, and a look at the realities of WWE business decisions and his background.

    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: April 26, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Davy Boy Smith recovering in the hospital, UFC to be sanctioned by Nevada State Athletic Commission, more. This past week has seen Davey Boy Smith, going stir crazy in a Calgary Hospital, attempt to start battling back after the worst year in his life.

    TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE

    Earlier today, John Ourand of Sports Business Journal tweeted that Monday’s Game 7 betwen Golden State & Oklahoma City did around an 11.2 rating — a record for any NBA game on cable. The first game of the Stanley Cup Finals between San Jose and Pittburgh did around a 2.8. We’re still awaiting RAW ratings, but expect them to be affected by the big competition.

    Enzo and Cass are guests on SportsCenter tonight. Will ESPN let them call Coachman SAWFT?

    Goldberg appeared on the latest Ringer Wrestling podcast with David Shoemaker Tuesday as well. He is asked about returning to action and while he didn’t say no, he didn’t say yes either. He had spoken about wanting to wrestle one last time so his child could see him, but he has yet to find the perfect scenario to do so. Can WWE create one he would approve?

    If you have not seen the Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet match from the Best of the Super Juniors tournament that everyone has been raving about of late, New Japan has put it up absolutely free on Youtube. You’ll have to rewind about a dozen times to catch all the incredible action. It’s far more entertaining than “just another indy spot fest.” It’s phenomenal storytelling AND incredible athletics. 

    Pro Wrestling

    • Paige beat Summer Rae and Jack Swagger beat Viktor of the Ascension at the Superstars tapings before Raw went on the air last night. Viktor of the Ascension is currently being rebranded as “The Demonic” Victor, with different face paint. His tag team partner, Konnor, is currently serving a wellness policy suspension. 
    • The 2 hour RAW replay Friday night on SyFy did 403,000 viewers and was the top rated show of the night for that network. This would be a replay of the May 23rd show. It was down from last week, which did 467,000 viewers.
    • Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch is advertised for Smackdown tonight, as is Styles & Gallows & Anderson vs. Roman Reigns & Usos, although the latter is a dark match and may very well not take place.
    • This post-Raw video with Mick Foley and Becky Lynch is notable mostly for how much weight Foley has lost of late.
    • The NWA is re-launching their NWA Classics service at NWA On Demand, complete with a new website and the first week free for subscribers.
    • SI’s Extra Mustard chatted with Velvet Sky on Bubba Dudley, WWE, and TNA.
    • Kamaitachi will be facing Chris Dickinson on 6/17 in NYC at the House of Glory / Beyond Wrestling joint show in Queens, NY.
    • The two-day JT Lightning 2016 Invitational Tournament is available to purchase and stream right now.
    • The creators of Netflix hit Orange is The New Black got another Netflix show greenlit: a comedy series based on the 80s female wrestling organization GLOW. No, seriously. It’s happening. It will be a half-hour comedy with 10 episodes.
    • ECWA returns to action this Saturday in Woodbury Heights, NJ.
    • For those with San Francisco Chronicle online access, there’s a story about Nick Reckas from 1975 and his association with the city’s mayor.
    • Not everyone is standing with Hulk Hogan and the anti-Gawker group. Here’s an NYT op-ed from someone that is with Gawker.

    MMA

    • In an interview with Submission Radio, Max Holloway talked about his fight with Ricardo Lamas, why he’s in his head, what he wants next and his prediction on how he wins at UFC 199.
    • Also in an interview with Submission Radio, Conor McGregor’s boxing sparring partner and former IBO welterweight champion Chris Van Heerden discussed boxing Conor, what would happen in a boxing match with Mayweather, how McGregor would do as a boxer and if he thinks Conor will outbox Nate Diaz in a MMA rematch.
    • For those into the bizarre, here’s a clip of BJJ match that ended via submission due to someone farting in their competitor’s face which caused vomiting. Yes, we just wrote that sentence.
    • UFC announced they are launching their first podcast UFC Unfiltered with comedian Jim Norton and fomer UFC welterweight champ Matt Serra that will air twice a week. The show kicks off on June 21st. Essentially, it’s another version of The Fighter & The Kid.
    • In case you missed it, our own Paul “Ace” Fontaine has an article here ranking the top UFC PPV draws of all time from McGregor to Mighty Mouse. It’s a really good read for those into the drawing aspect of stardom.

    EVENTS

    • June 1 – PWP runs tomorrow night, at the Waiting Room Lounge in Omaha, NE
    • June 4 – UFC 199 from the Forum in Los Angeles with Michael Bisping getting his first title opportunity of his career battling Luke Rockhold for the middleweight belt
    • June 4 – In celebration of Metro Pro’s Sixth Anniversary, Demolition (Ax & Smash) will be in action on Saturday, Turner Recreation Center in Kansas City, Kansas. The event address is: 831 S. 55th St., Kansas City, KS 66106 – Tickets can be bought in advance.
    • June 5 – AAA’s Victoria World Cup men and women’s trio tournament finals at Los Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City which will be a live iPPV show
    • June 7 – New Japan Best of the Super Juniors finals from Sendai live on New Japan World
    • June 8 – NXT Takeover from Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL featuring Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor in a cage match plus a loaded lineup that includes American Alpha vs. The Revival and probably Shinsuke Nakamura vs Austin Aries, which could be WWE’s match of the month.
    • June 11 – NECW presents the 2016 IRON 8 Championship, Saturday Night, June 11 in Wakefield, MA
    • June 12 – TNA Slammiversary headlined by Drew Galloway vs. Bobby Lashley for the TNA title from Orlando
    • June 12 – Revolution Pro Wrestling in London, England headlined by Kurt Angle vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
    • June 17 – AAW “Killers Among Us” features Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Johnny Gargano, Drago vs. Chris Hero, and more at 115 Bourbon Street (3359 w 115th Street Merrionette Park, IL) All Ages Event – Tickets available.
    • 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 – New Japan Dominion, one of the company’s biggest events of the year, featuring Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada in an IWGP title match and Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi in a ladder match for the IC title
    • 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 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 7-11 The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas, EdinSanAntonio has all the information up on Facebook, or email him at F4Wfan@hotmail.com.

    Today in Professional Wrestling History: Kowalski vs. Bruno Death Match; Andersons win Georgia Tag Titles; Ryback wins IC Title

  • Figure Four Weekly 5/30/2016: Big Vito’s deposition

    If you thought Evan Singleton’s deposition went badly for the plaintiffs in the WWE concussion lawsuit, then that appears to be nothing compared to what happened a week later during Vito LoGrasso’s deposition on May 18th. Given the back and forth over LoGrasso claiming that head injuries caused partial deafness when, in the past, he had spoken of having a hearing impairment since birth, the deposition promised to be interesting. It over-delivered.

    Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

  • Cody Rhodes return features a match against Kurt Angle

    One of Cody Rhodes’ first matches on the independent scene will be on what is traditionally the biggest independent show of the year in the U.S.

    Rhodes will be facing Kurt Angle, one of the names on his bucket list, on 8/27 in Wappingers Falls, NY, at Dutchess Stadium for Northeast Wrestling’s annual “Wrestling Under the Stars” event. The stadium show has featured over the years the biggest independent stars available, including names like Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan, and usually draws in excess of 3000 fans.

    Rhodes, by the terms of his WWE contract release, will be allowed to start working under his name on 8/19, and earlier this week, he posted a bucket list of what his goals were. Another of his bucket list items, the Battle of Los Angeles put on by PWG, is usually held at about that same time each year.

    Also announced for the show will be Jeff Hardy vs. Jushin Liger in what is believed to be the first time the two have faced off in a singles match. They join Matt Hardy, Jerry Lawler, Booker T, Pentagon Jr., Sami Callihan, Kamaitachi along with local wrestlers and the wrestler formerly known as Hornswoggle.

    Stemming from the success of its Wappingers Falls shows, Northeast Wrestling will be doing a series of Wrestling Under the Stars events this summer, including in Hickory, NC; Niles, OH; Pomona, NY; and Pittsfield, MA.

  • WWE SummerSlam NXT weekend show is still on

    According to WWE officials, there is nothing to read into the sudden disappearance of the NXT show over SummerSlam weekend from the WWE and Ticketmaster schedule.

    The show was scheduled for 8/20 at the Barclays Center, the first of three straight nights WWE was running the building with NXT, SummerSlam and Raw. All three nights sold out last year, and last year’s NXT show drew easily the biggest crowd in NXT history with more than 13,000 fans.

    On Tuesday, WWE officials said that Ticketmaster would be updating the page with new logos and information and that the show is still on.

    When it appeared that the next major show had disappeared, there were performers in NXT concerned yesterday because they haven’t been told anything, and the 6/8 TakeOver show is billed as “The End”.

    Obviously, it would make no sense to drop NXT as the training facility is the key to the future of the company and they need to run live events to give the upcoming wrestlers ring experience before they start in televised matches or move to the main roster. 

  • Daily Update: Raw ratings competition, NXT changes, NJPW Super J results

    While there is a lot of talk about Raw ratings, which, unless John Cena’s drawing power is really strong for his return, they would hit seasonal record lows going against both the Warriors vs. Thunder game seven and the Sharks vs. Penguins game one in the NHL finals, another story has started to surface: TicketMaster and the WWE’s web site have pulled the planned SummerSlam weekend NXT show off their schedule. 

    Decisions and schedule changes happen all the time though. If you remember, last year’s show in Brooklyn was NXT’s biggest success in history, drawing a legit sellout with the Bayley vs. Sasha Banks match that may have been the best women’s match in company history. Even internally, people have been asking questions and right now there are no answers other than the show is no longer on the schedule. At least some in NXT are very concerned about that and the billing of the 6/8 show as “The End.” 

    We’re looking for live reports from Raw tonight in Green Bay, featuring the return of John Cena to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com.

    NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS FROM HIROSHIMA ON TUESDAY (taped for New Japan World available later in the day)

    • Bushi vs. David Finlay
    • Matt Sydal vs. Rocky Romero
    • Kushida vs. Gedo
    • Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Kyle O’Reilly

    Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday in Rockford, IL  We’re also looking for reports on this show.

    NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS FROM NAGOYA ON THURSDAY (taped for New Japan World, available later in the day)

    • Volador Jr. vs. Chase Owens
    • Jushin Liger vs. Tiger Mask
    • Bobby Fish vs. Will Ospreay
    • Ricochet vs. Trent Baretta

    THE ROUND-UP

    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 5/23/2016: More strange developments in WWE’s concussion lawsuit deposition – Last week we talked a bit about both Evan Singleton’s deposition in the WWE concussion lawsuit as well as a video of a concussion presentation held in developmental during Singleton’s time under contact. Among other topics, there’s been a bit more movement on that front.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    READ IT HERE: May 30, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Return of Seth Rollins and the WWE brand split, plus tons of news

    With two of the biggest news stories of the year, the WWE brand split and the UFC sale both in play, we’ve got a new issue of the Observer packed with news.

    Our lead story looks at the brand split, with what we do know, what has and hasn’t been decided and the background of how it went down. There’s also more info on the UFC sale talks.  Plus there is coverage of the return of Seth Rollins, the build to Money in the Bank and have coverage of Extreme Rules, the negotiations for a Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz fight and look more at the Floyd Mayweather vs. McGregor rumors. Take an in-depth look at the departure of Cody Runnels (Rhodes) from WWE and his future prospects, plus look at his complaints regarding people in the company. All this plus a look at the New Japan Super Juniors tournament, the funding of the Hulk Hogan lawsuit, the World Cup trios tournament coming up and a feature on the last PWG show.

    The lead story looks at every aspect of the brand split.  It looks at the original goals and reasons for it and what did and didn’t work, plus how it’ll be different this time, how the touring will work, and an examination of what talent knows and tentative plans in place.  Vince McMahon’ reaction is a big part of this, and this issue explains how the deal went down, the story behind the story and other aspects to be considered. There’s also a look at Smackdown going live, the affect on the fan base, the affect on TNA and why it was important to get Smackdown away from Thursday.

    Another big story in this issues is Extreme Rules, the decision to make Seth Rollins a heel and current plans for Money in the Bank, and also match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

    Details about what’s going on with Conor McGregor, including Colin Cowherd’s claim that Mayweather vs. McGregor is happening, as well as a look at the Nate Diaz negotiations last week and what McGregor has said publicly.

    Finally, this issue looks at Cody Runnels leaving WWE, what he said was the reason why, and a look into those reasons, and a look at the realities of WWE business decisions and his background.

    CLICK HERE FOR A FULL PREVIEW.

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    Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: April 19, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Davey Boy Smith hospitalized with spinal infection, WCW Spring Stampede. The health situations involving both Davey Boy Smith and Japanese woman wrestler Emiko Kado took turns for the worst this past week.

    MONDAY’S NEWS UPDATE

    Before starting, I just want everyone to spend a moment thinking of & honoring those who Memorial Day was named for: people who lost their lives in service to this country. That is the supreme sacrifice, and hopefully we all recognize that because of their efforts, we are able to live the type of lives we are able to right now. 

    NXT is booking shows outside Florida going forward. In fact, they just announced a tour in July with shows on 7/14 in Indianapolis, 7/15 in Cincinnati and 7/16 in Louisville. 

    The record low Raw number for non-football season would be 3,116,000 viewers on April 25. Without Cena’s return, I don’t think there’s a chance they get that number. 

    Tonight’s Raw show should not only introduce the seventh person in the Money in the Bank match but also start some build for the key matches on the undercard. Enzo & Cass vs. The Dudleys and a technical match with Dolph Ziggler vs Baron Corbin were scheduled as of earlier today. Another tease is The Hatch happens tonight and lots more social media activity from Bray Wyatt, who should be back any week now if not tonight.

    Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer radio covering all the news on the brand split, Raw and take email questions that can be sent to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com.

    Today’s Super Juniors results from Yonago:

    • Chase Owens (2-2) beat Trent Baretta (2-2)
    • Tiger Mask (2-2) beat Will Ospreay (1-3)
    • Bobby Fish (2-2) beat Volador Jr. (2-2)
    • Ricochet (3-1) beat Jushin Liger (2-2) 

    WWE

    • John Cena said he would be wearing shorts that were given to him by Ellen Degeneres.
    • Seth Rollins will be headlining “the Reigns tour” this coming weekend with multiple person title matches, usually with A.J. Styles, on dates in Odessa, Lubbock and Amarillo.
    • The Marine 5 starts production tomorrow in Vancouver and will include The Miz, Maryse, Naomi, Heath Slater, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel. In theory, some or all of those names should be out for several weeks. If Miz loses the title tonight, that would be why. If he doesn’t, the title may be on ice for a little while.  
    • Dwayne Johnson officially announced he was going to star in the Sony Pictures adaption of “Doc Savage” as well as produce the movie through his Seven Bucks Entertainment company. Savage is a DC superhero comic book character with super strength and intelligence.   
    • The Seth Rollins documentary starts right after Raw on the WWE Network. 
    • The TakeOver go-home show featuring the contract signing for Asuka vs. Nia Jax will be on NXT on Wednesday night. The big show featuring Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe in a cage match and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Austin Aries will be a week from Wednesday from Full Sail University.
    • Summer Rae threw out the first pitch at the Chicago Cubs game on Friday.

    UFC

    • Lots of surprises last night so this is how the picks went

    3-2 – Mike Sawyer, John Pollock, Paul Fontaine

    2-3 – Josh Nason, David Bixenspan, Front Row Brian

    1-4 – Steve Juon, me, Ryan Frederick

    0-5 – Mike Sempervive

    • UFC Bad Blood TV special at 9 p.m. Eastern tomorrow night on FS 1 runs down the nine year long feud between Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz which comes to a head on Saturday night.

    MISCELLANEOUS

    • Lineup for tomorrow night’s Impact is:

    Mike Bennett vs. James Storm

    Gail Kim & Jade vs. Sienna & Allie

    Robbie E & Jessie Godderz vs. Rockstar Spud & Tyrus with Mike Bennett as referee

    Bram vs. Bobby Lashley for the King of the Mountain title

    Drew Galloway vs. Abyss & Crazzy Steve in a handicap match.

            This is also the next to last episode of Impact before the 6/12 Slammiversary PPV show.

    • TNA announced a VIP experience for Slammiversary for $129 with priority seating at the show and the tapings over the next few days, as well as a post-show party with the wrestlers a poster, and nighty meet and greets and autograph sessions.
    • A.J. Brooks, the former A.J. Lee, on Twitter wrote, “Just finished my book.  No co-writer.  No ghost writer.  Just me, lots of carbs and an adorably evil mind.”
    • Progress Wrestling from yesterday in London, England at the Electric Ballroom for the Strong Style 16 tournament:  Mark Haskins b Pete Dunne, Mikey Whiplash b Damon Moser, Zack Gibson b Kenny Williams, Jack Gallagher b TK Cooper, Big Daddy Walter b Dave Mastiff, Chris Hero b Mark Andrews, Sami Callihan b Matt Cross (Son of Havoc in Lucha Underground), Tommy End b Rampage Brown, James Davis & Rob Lynch b Nathan Cruz & El Ligero  
    • Smash Wrestling vs. Progress Wrestling takes place in Toronto on 9/17 and 9/18 at the  Franklin Horner Community Centre.  Nothing has been announced but the push is the stars of Progress like Zack Sabre Jr., Will Ospreay, Mark Andrews, Jimmy Havoc and Marty Scurll and the stars of Smash like Courtney Rush (Rosemary in TNA), Pepper Parks (TNA), Cherry Bomb (TNA), Matt Cross and Johnny Gargano.
    • A story on Cowboy Frankie Laine, who passed way last week, can be read here, from his hometown newspaper.
    • A story on a book about Manitoba pro wrestling history is here.
    • World Series of Fighting on NBC Sports has this show scheduled for 7/30 in Everett, WA at the Xfinity Arena:

    Marlon Morales vs. Josh Hill for the bantamweight title

    Alexandre Almeida vs. Lance Palmer for the featherweight title

    Phoenix Jones vs. Caros Fodor in the battle of adopted brothers from Seattle

    • In Your Face Wrestling on 6/11 in Delanson, NY at the Duanesburg YMCA features Brutal Bob Evans and HC Loc.
    • I Believe in Wrestling from Saturday night in Orlando for the Florida J Cup:  Jonny Vandal b Jay Rios, Kota Sekifuda b CT Brown, Aaron Epic b Slade Porter, Jon Cruz b Xander Vargas, JD Amazing & Brandon Scherer & Chico Adams b Braydon Knight & Tyranus & Josh Parker, Jonny Vandal b Kota Sekifuda, Aaron Epic b Jon Cruz, Santana Garrett & MJ Knight & Nova Girl b Queen Raquel (TNA) & Dominique Fabiano & Jenson Fratelli, Jonny Vandal b Aaron Epic to win tournament.  Next show is 6/18 with Rhett Giddins vs. JD Amazing and Santana Garrett vs. Thea Trinidad (Rosita in TNA). 
    • CWF presents a free wrestling show at Tim Horton’s on 145 Hazel Rd. in St. Catherines, ONT on Wednesday at 6 p.m. to support Tim Horton’s Camp Day 2016. 
    • Another free event takes place tonight in the parking lot of Tim Horton’s at 1495 Regent Ave. in Winnipeg with donations accepted for Tim Horton’s Children Foundation to send underprivileged children to camp put on by Canadian Wrestling Elite..
    • Conflict Wrestling on 6/12 in Kitchener, ONT features a tribute show for Edith Marie Marsh, headlined by Will White vs. John Atlas and Kaitlin Diemond vs. Jennifer Blake.
    • CZW Tournament of Death on 6/11 in Townsend, DE at 2 p.m. at 179 Ebenzer Church Rd. features these tournament matches

    Alex Colon vs. Danny Havoc in a light tube death match

    Masada vs. Conor Claxton in a barbed wire madness match

    Tim Donst vs. Rickey Shane Page in a stipulation of Donst’s choice match

    Jeff Cannonball vs. Matt Tremont in a Home Run Derby match.

            There will also be non-tournament matches including:

    Devon Moore vs. Dale Patricks in a scaffold match

    DJ Hyde vs. Josh Crane in a panes of glass match

    • Maryland Championship Wrestling on 6/10 in Joppa, MD at the MCW Arena feature Jimmy’s Seafood Slamboree with Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Damien Sandow appearing at 6 p.m. for a meet and greet.  Sandow will also wrestle on the show.
    • CWE from last night in Fort William, ONT:  Jason Kincaid b Joe Keys, Silas Young b Robby Royce, Anderson Tyson Moore b Travis Cole to keep the CWE title, Lio Rush b Tyler Colton-DQ so Colton keeps the TV title, Danny Duggan b Wildman Firpo, Lio Rush & Jason Kincaid & Anderson Tyson Moore b Silas Young & Tyler Colton & Travis Cole.  Next tour is 9/22 to 10/2 featuring Ethan Carter III.

    Today in Professional Wrestling History: Joe Stecher wins World Title; Inoki vs. Andre; Gordy wins UWF Title

  • Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett signed for UFC Germany return

    A battle of former UFC heavyweight champions was announced as the main event for UFC’s return to Germany.

    Andrei Arlovski (25-12) will face Josh Barnett (34-8) in the main event on 9/3 in Hamburg, Germany at the Barclaycard Arena. The event will be broadcast on UFC Fight Pass with a 2 pm eastern main card start time.

    While both are long-term veterans of the sport, they have never faced each other in the past.  Arlovski was back in title contention with a six-fight winning streak until losing his last two fights via knockout, a quick loss to new champion Stipe Miocic, and a knockout loss to next title contender Alistair Overeem.

    Barnett suffered a shocking loss to Ben Rothwell on the January FOX show.  While losing to Rothwell isn’t shocking, Barnett lost via submission, and Barnett was considered one of the best submission heavyweights in the world, having never lost via submission in MMA competition (he submitted once due to shoulder injury against Mirko Cro Cop, but never to an actually submission move), and, when facing some of the best grapplers in the world in grappling matches, he hadn’t lost via submission in more than 15 year, since a 2000 match with Ricardo Almeida, and from a skill standpoint, that wasn’t even the same guy.

    Barnett is also a pro wrestler in Japan, although has not done pro wrestling in 17 months.

  • John Cena dances, discusses if a hot dog is a sandwich on ‘Today’

    WWE is not taking its somewhat perilous competition situation lying down.

    John Cena was on NBC’s The Today Show Monday in New York, a mainstream promo stop before he was to head to Green Bay, WI, to return on Raw later Monday night. The appearance was to promote his return as a special thing.

    But is a hot dog a sandwich?

    Given the second and third hours are going head-to-head with the seventh game of the Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder NBA playoff semifinal, and the game one of the Stanley Cup finals, this will be the toughest competition Raw will face from other programming in 2016 until the Olympics later this year.

    The question becomes where to place Cena on the show. The first hour is the only one not against the game, but the first hour on Memorial Day weekend is often low. But if Cena is on early and he’s not in the main event segment as well, it could lead to a big falloff late in the show due to the competition.

    The NBA finals, which will affect ratings far more than the Stanley Cup, open on Thursday against Smackdown. Games five and six will be on June 13 and June 16, so if needed, they would go against Raw and Smackdown that week. The expectation is a Golden State vs. Cleveland finals rematch will do monstrous numbers because of the stars involved (LeBron James, Steph Curry, etc).

    If there is a game seven needed, it would go head-to-head with Money in the Bank, but that’s not as big a deal with the network economy as it would be with the PPV economy.

    And now, John Cena dancing:

  • April 26, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Davy Boy Smith recovering in the hospital, UFC to be sanctioned by Nevada State Athletic Commission, more

    This past week has seen Davey Boy Smith, going stir crazy in a Calgary Hospital, attempt to start battling back after the worst year in his life.

    Current subscribers click here to continue reading.