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  • Daily Update: NJPW Super J, WWE Extreme Rules

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament kicked off in style with Kushida vs. Kyle O’Reilly in the main event. We’ll have coverage of every show of the tournament, and our Zach Dominello did a big preview piece for the entire tournament that’s a must-read. There’s also a preview in audio form on the latest DKP show featuring Alan and guest Mark Robinson.

    NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS ON SUNDAY FROM SHIZUOKA (this won’t air live but should be up some time during Sunday on New Japan World)

    • Jay White & David Finlay vs. Yoshi-Hashi & Rocky Romero
    • Yuji Nagata & Satoshi Kojima & Kyle O’Reilly & Matt Sydal vs. Juice Robinson & Ryusuke Taguchi & Kushida & Katsuyori Shibata
    • Tiger Mask vs. Ricochet
    • Jushin Liger vs. Bobby Fish
    • Volador Jr. vs. Trent Baretta
    • Will Ospreay vs. Chase Owens
    • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi
    • Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii & Gedo vs. Tetsuya Naito & Seiya Sanada & Evil & Bushi

    WWE EXTREME RULES ON SUNDAY AT 7:30 P.M. EASTERN FROM THE PRUDENTIAL CENTER IN NEWARK, NJ ON THE WWE NETWORK AND PPV

    • Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin preshow match
    • Kalisto vs. Rusev for U.S. title
    • Usos vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson tornado match
    • Dean Ambrose vs. Chris Jericho asylum cage match
    • Charlotte vs. Natalya submissions match for women’s title
    • New Day vs Vaudevillains for tag team title
    • The Miz vs. Cesaro vs Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens for IC title
    • Roman Reigns vs. A.J. Styles in an extreme rules match for the WWE title

    NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS ON MONDAY FROM NIIGATA (this won’t air live but should be up sometimeMonday on New Japan World)

    • Satoshi Kojima & Jay White & Ricochet vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi & Will Ospreay
    • Yuji Nagata & Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask vs. Katsuyori Shibata & Juice Robinson & Volador Jr.
    • Matt Sydal vs. Bushi
    • Kyle O’Reilly vs. Gedo
    • Ryusuke Taguchi vs. David Finlay
    • Kushida vs. Rocky Romero
    • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan & Bobby Fish vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
    • Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Trent Baretta vs. Tetsuya Naito & Seiya Sanada & Evil

    Raw will be Monday night in Baltimore at the Royal Farms Arena.

    NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS ON TUESDAY FROM YAMAGATA (this won’t air live but should be up sometimeTuesday on New Japan World)

    • David Finlay & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Gedo & Yoshi-Hashi
    • Yuji Nagata & Satoshi Kojima & Kyle O’Reilly & Matt Sydal vs. Katsuyori Shibata & Kushida & Juice Robinson & Jay White
    • Tiger Mask vs. Volador jr.
    • Jushin Liger vs. Chase Owens
    • Bobby Fish vs. Ricochet
    • Will Ospreay vs. Trent Baretta
    • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi
    • Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii & Rocky Romero vs. Tetsuya Naito & Seiya Sanada & Evil & Bush

    Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday in Norfolk.  

      THE ROUND UP

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      Figure Four Weekly 5/16/2016: WWE concussion lawsuit deposition takes a strange turn – Details on the developments in WWE’s concussion lawsuit, and more. Find out all the details in this weeks issue of Figure Four Weekly.

      Wrestling Observer Newsletter

      READ IT HERE: May 23, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE Extreme Rules preview, Vince McMahon sells portion of WWE stock, tons more

      A look at what’s next for WWE after Extreme Rules, the UFC sale with lots of exclusive info, Vince & Linda McMahon selling their stock, Chris Weidman’s injury and how that changes plans, the staggering drop in kids viewing for WWE and exactly who watches the TV today, plus UFC 198 coverage and Best of The Super Juniors tournament news are among the stories covered in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

      More on the injury returns and summer ideas and why WWE could have its deepest talent roster in a long time in very short order. Plus, talk about the NXT/WWE balance and why talent is actually more important for arena business if in NXT.

      There is also an extenisve look at the Extreme Rules show.

      In addition, updates on the UFC sale, including news about who is in, who is not in, what it all means, what is being sold, where Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta fit in and UFC fixture who indicates he’s likely gone if the sale goes through, all in covered in this issue.

      A glimpse into Vince McMahon’s stock sale, what it means, how much money did he get, and how his stock sale only increased the difference in the value of UFC vs. WWE, and for how much Vince McMahon bought the company.

      More on the injury to Chris Weidman, how it happened, his future, Michael Bisping’s title shot and more on UFC 1999.

      Also in this issue, find out who watches WWE on television and how many in each different age group.

      Find out how WWE has changed the schedule of the Cruiserweight tournament and why, more on the arrest of Adam Rose, more on Stephanie McMahon’s book, how Stephanie will be pushed on television going forward, how Stephanie will be marketed as the face of the company, and another WWE firing.

      Finally, there’s full coverage of UFC 198, including business notes including early estimates on success, ramifications of the show, match-by-match coverage, looking at the judging of close fights and poll results.

      CLICK HERE FOR A FULL PREVIEW

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      All the news from WrestleMania 15, the All Japan Tokyo Done show, and more will be in the latest back issue. Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: April 12, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Wrestlemania 15 business numbers, details on All Japan’s Tokyo Dome show, plus tons more. Both Davey Boy Smith and Japanese rookie woman wrestler Emiko Kado were both remaining in bad condition after an illness and in-ring injury respectively. 

      SATURDAY NEWS

      Friday night’s Bellator 155 show on Spike wasn’t great and got even worse with the main event. The middleweight title fight between champ Rafael Carvalho and Melvin Manhoef was five rounds of a whole lot of nothing other than a lot of boos from the Boise, ID, faithful. Despite the lackluster fight, Carvalho did so little that it was assumed Manhoef would take the title. But that’s why judges exist and the champ retained via split decision. Ugh.

      Trailer here for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, which includes Sheamus in a featured role.  So I guess that means we have done more promotion for Sheamus’ appearance in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles than WWE has.

      Tickets for the final day of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic, the live finals, are already sold out.

      The Shane McMahon “tell-all” podcast with Mick Foley as host airs this Monday after Raw on the WWE Network.

      WWE & PRO WRESTLING

      • As yesterday was the 5th anniversary of Randy Savage’s death, SI’s Extra Mustard section devoted some space and several articles about him. Here’s where you find ‘em.
      • In case you missed it, our Gary Mehaffy talked with Hornswoggle about his WWE release and what’s next. An interview with the recently released Rich Brennan is also coming to the site this weekend.
      • TNA announced their team for the AAA Lucha Libre World Cup: EC3, Tyrus, and Eli Drake.
      • Smackdown was up this week to 2.295 million viewers, up from last week’s 2.62 million.  Will be interesting to see how the two-hour Raw replay that aired on Syfy in the old Smackdown time slot last night does.
      • CHIKARA’s ANIVERSARIO tour with Fight Club: Pro is running all over the United Kingdom, kicking off last night in Wales.More details and tickets is available here.
      • Big Japan announced a big tag title match to headline their next Korakuen Hall show on May 30th. It will be Ryota Hama & the returning Hideyoshi Kamitani defending their titles against “The Twin Towers” Kohei Sato & Shuji Ishikawa. Last year on the same date, in the same building, Sato & Ishikawa were a part of an incredible MOTY level tag against Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi.
      • Joey Ryan won DDT’s Iron Man Heavymetalweight championship today. He is the 1,073rd champion in the illustrious history of the hottest potato championship in wrestling. Former champs include a ladder, a curry, a camerman, a Yoshiaki Fujiwara and the belt itself.
      • The Stardom girls are touring Europe at the moment. Today in France, Io Shirai defended her World Of Stardom title and Mayu Iwatani defended her Wonder Of Stardom belt in France today.
      • The new issue of the Tabloid The Globe has a full page feature on Dwayne Johnson. Nice facts as the feature is called “10 things you don’t know about Dwayne Johnson”. (Thanks to Paul Kacprzak)

      Here’s the tour:

      Saturday 21st May at FIXXION WAREHOUSE, WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND

      Sunday 22nd May at BUSH HALL, LONDON, ENGLAND

      Friday 27th May at ASTON UNI STUDENT UNION, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND

      Saturday 28th May at THE UNION, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

      Sunday 29th May at LINSKILL CENTRE, NORTH SHIELDS, ENGLAND

      Monday 30th May at ST. LUKES, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND

      • Voices of Wrestling’s Brandon Howard did an interesting beginner’s guide to WWE business
      • ECWA returns to action tonight in New Castle, DE, at the United Methodist Church.
      • Here’s a story about Bill DeMott, after his daughter’s death, teaming up with the police department at her alma mater to fight drunk driving. (Thanks to Jay Reddick)
      • Our Kyle Johnson wrote a column wondering what happened to the WWE U.S. title in such a short amount of time.
      • Quebec indie NSPW has their Golden Opportunity VIII show tonight at Quebec’s Horizon Center where an old school hair vs. hair match will be on the show.
      • Here’s a story on WWE hopefuls rescuing a puppy in Orlando.
      • More news on the Jimmy Snuka trial. Snuka is now claiming that he can’t remember his own mother’s name.  

      UFC & MMA

      • Victory FC 50 runs tonight on UFC Fight Pass at 9 pm eastern with a headliner of heavyweights Abe Wagner and Daniel Gallemore. Former UFC fighters Yuri Villefort and Jake Lindsey are in separate fights on the undercard
      • UFC Fight Pass has another show Sunday afternoon with Shooto Brasil 63. Main Event is for the featherweight title with Champion Felipe Froes defending against Marcos Vinicius. The rest of the card is all Brazilian fighters with no name value in North America
      • Ian McCall will return to a UFC ring for the first time since January 2015 as he faces Justin Scoggins at UFC 201 in a fight just announced today.
      • The cast of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia hung with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Here’s the video.

      Miscellaneous

      • This week on 6:05 Superpodcast with Brian Last and David Bixenspan, Jim Cornette returns to the show to talk about riots, watch notable squash matches, and much more. Plus Kenny Bolin joins the show for the Dennis Of the Week to discuss his friendship with the late, great, Dennis Coralluzzo.
      • Bartolo Colon has trademarked the name “Big Sexy” for a potential athletic apparel line. Move over Big Sexy Kevin Nash.
      • 5/26 – IWA Mid South presents RETRIBUTION, Jammerz Rollerdome, 1515 Lynch Ln, Clarksville, IN

      EVENTS

      • We want to wish a happy birthday to friend of the site Leva Bates who turns 33 today.
      • 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 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 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 18 – UFC in Ottawa: Rory McDonald vs. Stephen Thompson
      • 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.

    • Cody Runnels requests his release from WWE

      Cody Runnels on Twitter today said that he requested his release from WWE earlier today.

      “The past ten years have been quite the trek, but as of earlier today, I have asked for my release from WWE.  I’ll speak further on the matter shortly.  Thank you to all the pro wrestling/sports entertainment fans worldwide. Thank you.”

      Runnels, 30, the son of Dusty Rhodes, was a two-time state champion high school wrestler in Georgia and at first studied to be an actor before going into pro wrestling.

      He started with the company in 2006 and was on the main roster in 2007 with a push.  His biggest run was early on as part of The Legacy with Randy Orton and Ted DiBiase Jr. Once the group broke up, Runnels was used as more of a lower and mid-card wrestler in a number of changing roles. He was Dashing Cody Rhodes talking about grooming, Team Rhodes Scholars and he and his brother Goldust formed a strong babyface tag team.

      Ever since the team split up and he became Stardust, a parody of his brother, his career had gone nowhere and he hadn’t been used well.  For whatever reason, the company decided against changing him after the death of his father, or since even though he constantly would tease going back to Cody Rhodes.

      It is also possible this is an angle.

    • AJ Styles ready for PPV, works Utica house show

      A.J. Styles did work the WWE house show last night in Utica so the original reports he was going to rest up until the PPV ended up being inaccurate.

      He worked against Roman Reigns in a preview for Sunday’s show.  The house show match ended with Reigns winning via DQ due to outside interference of The Club, leading to the Usos making the save.

      Styles is advertised for Reading, PA tonight before the PPV in Newark, NJ on Sunday.

      Reigns is advertised to headline in Albany tonight so they’ll be facing different opponents.

      Styles hadn’t done a match since injuring his ankle on May 9 but he was physically active on Raw and Smackdown, in shooting angles for tomorrow Extreme rules PPV main event.

      Results:  

      Dolph Ziggler beat Bo Dallas with a super kick, Dallas was with Heath Slater and got the crowd heated early cause he kept rolling out of the ring and running around with Slater. 

      The Shining Stars came out and cut a promo on Utica, they beat the bizarre pairing of Titus O’Neil and Sin Cara. Titus took the pin. Shining stars used Kronus and Ssaturn’s total elimination as the finisher. 

      Big Cass beat Devon with Bubba Ray ringside. Bubba tried to get involved but Cass got the clean pin 

      Usos beat Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in a snoozer.

      Charlotte over Becky Lynch in a women’s title match. Charlotte won with feet on the ropes. Match of the night. 

      Sami Zayn beat Kevin Owens.  Owens worked the crowd to perfection. Even getting out of the ring and cutting a promo mid match and then starting down a guy in the front row for the entire match, yelling at him. 

      Roman Reigns and A.J. styles ended in a DQ when The Club interfered. The Usos out for the save. Again. Making the club look week but whatever. 

      Overall good show, Shining Stars match was the worst. They did not get over and the team of Titus and Sin Cara made no sense. The match was sloppy too

      Cass is a budding star. Crowd loves him. He has the look and size 

      Reigns was booed massively.

      Owens was the star, the women stole the show.   Sounds like a routine house show cause it was. 

    • Dave Meltzer’s live PWG report for May 20: Roderick Strong vs. Sami Callihan

      Usual very good show.  Every match was good in its own way.  Easy show to watch.  A lot of long matches and for the first time for me at PWG, the crowd did get tired and while there were big pops, you could see the difference once it past 11 p.m.  So many of the regulars were in Japan for the Super Juniors or, in the case of the Young Bucks, were supposed to be there but were injured.

      Adam Cole beat Dalton Castle. Different “Boys” than in ROH.

      Michael Elgin beat Kamaitachi when Kamaitachi came off the top rope and Elgin caught him in mid air and gave him a brainbuster.  Kamaitachi takes flat back bumps off the concrete too often.  Because of no ramp and seats so close to the ring Kamaitachi didn’t do the stuff he does at Arena Mexico, but his fundamentals are great and he’s going to be one of the big stars on the U.S. indie scene this year.

      Marty Scrull beat Mark Andrews.  Long match.  Scurll is a master performer live, a complete package and one of the most underrated workers in the business.  These two worked together great.  Andrews mostly sold. He’s so much better here than in TNA because he works longer matches and everyone that works here the fans see as stars because the idea is this is an exclusive members only club, both fans and wrestlers (Drew Galloway actually said that later in the show) so everyone is treated as a star.

      Trevor Lee beat Andrew Everett.  Fans got on both for being from TNA and they acted like they were making big money there which led to more catcalls about late pay.  Real good, but it was two guys where it came off like they were friends putting on a great match.  I don’t know if they could change that dynamic with this crowd.

      Chris Hero beat Jeff Cobb with all the hard elbows.  Everyone knows Cobb is Matanza.  Because of the role, he’s a lot heavier than in the past, which he has to be since it’s in season but for this style he’d be better a little lighter.  Still, he did the missed moonsaults, all the deadlift German and gut wrenches and other suplex series.  Hero mostly used the hard strikes.  Even though Hero win, the match was to get Cobb over and he won the people over big about three minutes in with an awesome dropkick and the gut wrenches.  There was the loud “Please come back” chants when it was over.

      Drew Galloway beat Michael Elgin with the Future shock DDT.  Galloway was to work with Brian Cage, but Cage canceled to an emergency related to his son.  Galloway challenged anyone to do double duty.  It was late, although not late by PWG standards, but I think since people had seen Elgin, it was tough.  The match was very good.  Galloway has just about everything.  So weird that he’s TNA champion, didn’t have the belt and this is the second time I’ve seen him live in the last two months and nobody in the crowd talks about him as champion or anything, and he’s doing a good job in that role.  Also he’s a heel here or worked that way while a major face on TV.

      Roderick Strong beat Sami Callihan with one of his unique backbreakers.  Long match.  Lots of stuff outside the ring.  Callihan is really intense, shoving fans around (people he knows) and Strong is one of the best in the business.  They were going along at a decent pace and then Roderick just exploded into fourth gear and turned the match around in the last several minutes.

      Alberto De Rio and Paige were at the show.  Del Rio and Galloway are tight.  A lot of women MMA fighters were there including Shayna Baszler, Colleen Schneider, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir and there were a couple of others who came with them.

    • Bellator 155 live results: Carvalho vs. Manhoef disaster

      Bellator returns to Spike TV with a show headlined by what should be a fun middleweight title fight between two striking specialists. Champion Rafael Carvalho defends his belt against Melvin Manhoef, who also fights for Bellator’s kickboxing division.

      The co-main features 2-time featherweight champion Pat Curran against former WSOF champ Georgi Karakhanyan, with the winner hoping to earn a title shot down the line. The show also features the return of Joey Beltran to the heavyweight division, the last person to go more than a round with Cris Cyborg – former Strikeforce bantamweight champ Marloes Coenen – and unbeaten heavyweight Augusto Sakai staking his claim to the vacant strap in that division.

      Live action kicks off on Spike TV at 8 pm eastern but the prelims feature a fight worthy of the main card  with lightweight contenders Marcin Held and Dave Jansen squaring off. We’ll have coverage of that fight as well as the main card kicking off around 8 pm.

      Bellator prelims results:

      Vince Morales (4-1) TKO (punches) over Hamilton Ash (3-2)

      Joe Hamilton (4-0) submisssion (RNC) over Tyler Freeland (4-1)

      Casey Johnson (5-0) submission (RNC) over Brendan Raftery (4-3)

      Jesse Brock (22-8) submission (RNC) over Olly Badstreet (39-13)

      Marcin Held (21-4) vs Dave Jansen (21-3) LIGHTWEIGHTS

      Held all over Jansen with punches early and they clinch on the cage. Quick separation but Held lands a hard punch combo at 1:00. Jansen with a takedown and working for a neck crank. Held is a wizard on the ground so this is risky. Held landing punches from his back and opens up a cut over Jansen’s left eye. Jansen lets the choke go and attempts to move into mount but Held grabs his feet, attemping a foot lock. Jansen escapes but Held sweeps into top position. Jansen takes his neck and tries to wall walk to his feet. He makes it up at 3:30 and Held follows. Held with a takedown at 3:45. Held landing punches from the top and scoring with elbows to the head as well. Jansen to his feet just before the bell. Very close round. 10-9 Held

      Jansen advancing early. Held nails a spinning back head kick and then gets a takedown at 1:00. Held landing punches and elbows to the head and Jansen bleeding all over the place from a cut behind his ear. Held continuing to land punches and elbows while looking for a sub. Ref stands them up to look at the cut on Jansen. Jansen gets a takedown on the restart but Held quickly sweeps into top position and into side control at 3:45. Held with an inverted heel hook at 4:00 and then transition to a straight foot look. Jansen escaps but Held right back into top position, dropping punches and elbows. Jansen’s face is a bloody mess and Jimmy Smith gets in references to Bruiser Brody and Abdullah the Butcher. 10-8 Held, 20-17

      Both guys trading punches to start. Jansen initiates a cage clinch at 45 seconds. Held takes control and gets the takedown at 1:00. Jansen manages to sweep into top postion at 1:15. Jansen briefly takes his back but Held rolls into a leglock position and then a kneebar. Jansen escapes but Held still working the leg and landing punches from his back. Jansen to his feet and Held follows and they end up back in a cage clinch. Jansen with a standing headlock and tries for a takedown but Held sweeps to his back and then captures an arm. Held also landing elbows to the body. Jansen escapes and ends up on top. Jansen landing punches and elbows from the top. Held to his feet and then takes Jansen down when he tries for a guillotine. Held landing elbows and punches from the top. Jansen trying to get to his feet but eating punches and Held holds him down. Jansen bleediing profusely again. Held continuing to land punches as the fight ends. 10-9 Held, 30-26 Held

      WINNER – MARCIN HELD (22-4) by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x 2)

      MAIN CARD (SPIKE TV – 9 PM EASTERN)

      JOEY BELTRAN (17-12) VS CHASE GORMLEY (12-5) HEAVYWEIGHTS  (Tom Supnet – ref)

      Beltran is back to heavyweight after fighting as low as middleweight. He’s giving up a lot of size here as Gormley cuts to make 265. Gormley opens up with leg kicks and quickly takes cage  control. Beltran landing leg kicks from distance. Gormley landing 3 kicks to every 1 for Beltran through the first half of the round and controlling the cage. Sean Grande promising some big news later on tonight, which seems like an every show occurence. Beltran with a nice punch combo at 4:00. Gormley retreating for the first time in the fight. Beltran again chasing him down with punches at 4:45. 10-9 Gormley

      Beltran opening up with punches. Gormley still throwing mainly kicks. Fight is mainly in the centre for the first half of the round with the activity about even. Beltran landing more punches this round. Neither guy able to mount any kind of sustained offence through 4 minutes. Beltran starting to control the pace in the last minute and starting to land some combos. Very close round, 10-9 Beltran, all tied up after 2.

      Beltran rocks Gormley with a punch early and Gormley responds with a takedown attempt that Beltran defends well at 45 seconds. Punch combo from Beltran at 1:15. Beltran pushing the pace pretty clearly now. Gormley barely even landing kicks any more, just trying to avoid Beltran’s strikes. Gormley starting to land leg kicks again at 4:00. Beltran still advancing, throwing single strikes. Another very close round, 10-9 Beltran but could go either way. 29-28 Beltran

      WINNER – CHASE GORMLEY (13-5) by split decision (28-29; 29-28 x 2)

      MARLOES COENEN (23-6) VS ALEXIS DUFRESNE (5-2) WOMEN’S FEATHERWEIGHTS (Jason Herzog – ref)

      Dufresne clinches up right away and scores a takedown. Coenen working for an armbar from her back. Dufresne escapes and landing punches from guard. Coenen working for a neck crank. Dufresne escapes again. Coenen with a guillotine attempts that she gives up on quickly. Coenen far more active from her back as Dufresne is just trying to hold her down. Coenen sweeps into top position at 2:45. Dufresne still has her arms tied up. Dufresne working for a triangle from her back and also landing kicks to the body and punches to the head. Dufresne gets the triangle at 4:00 and also landing punches to the head. It’s essentially Undertaker’s Hell’s gate and then she gets the armbar for the finish

      WINNER – ALEXIS DUFRESNE (6-2) by submission at 4:33

      That was one of the biggest upsets of the year and Dufresne claims that Coenen disrespected her at the weigh-ins and that’s what fueled her. She dedicated the win to her daughter who she gave birth to last Thanksgiving. She joins Meisha Tate as the only two women to ever submit Coenen. 

      DAN CHARLES (10-3) VS AUGUSTO SAKAI (9-0) HEAVYWEIGHTS  (John McCarthy – ref)

      Sakai is just a massive heavyweight at 6 ft 4 and is another who cuts to 265. He’s 4-0 with 3 KOs in Bellator. Charles is one of the guys whose lost to Lashley in Bellator. Charles initiates a cage clinch 30 seconds in. Sakai powers out of it. Charles pushing the pace early. Charles landing leg kicks from distance. Sakai throwing hard front kicks that are just missing. Sakai nails a head kick and then kicks Charles HARD in the groin and he goes down like he’s been shot, screaming in pain. Charles shakes it off after about 90 seconds, which is impressive cause that’s one of the worst nut shots you’ll ever see. Charles landing body kicks on the restart. Sakai hits him again with one of the first kicks he threw and Charles goes down instantly, almost as bad as the first one. Charles threw a kick at the same time that almost hit Sakai in the groin. Sakai basically pleading with McCarthy not to dock him a point but to no avail. That could be huge  because this round is close. Sakai continuing to throw kicks and almost no punches. Charles not doing much after the restart and Sakai just landing a couple of kicks. 10-8 Charles but it easily could be 9-9

      Big announcements coming for Dynamite 2 later tonight. Charles opening with kicks to the body and legs again. Sakai scoring the occasional single kick. Charles grazes Sakai with a low kick but Sakai shakes it off without stopping the fight. Sakai may not have landed a punch through the first half of the fight. Sakai starting to take over cage control at 3:00. Sakai starting to land with more frequency at 4:00, all with kicks. This is a boring fight. Charles lands a hard punch to the head at 4:30. Close round, maybe to Sakai 10-9, 19-18 Charles after 2

      Charles with a takedown to start the round that wakes the crowd up but Sakai up quickly and they’re back to sleep. Sakai landing his kicks a little more frequently, landing mostly to the body and head. Seems hesitant to throw the leg kick after the point deduction. Sakai is not getting a title shot after this, whether he wins or not. Charles doing almost nothing, Sakai very slightly more than nothing, which may be enough to take the round. Sakai actually landing a few hard leg kicks in the last minute and stalking Charles. Sakai even throws a couple of punches that looked like they missed. 10-9 Sakai so I’ve got it as a draw

      NO WINNER – MAJORITY DRAW (scores 30-26 Charles, 28-28 x 2)

      The two big announcements were Joe Schilling facing Kato in a kickboxing match immediately following Dynamite 2 on Spike and Ilemi-Lei Macfarlane facing Rebecca Ruth in what I’m assuming will be a Spike.com prelim fight. That was underwhelming. 

      PAT CURRAN (21-7) VS GEORGI KARAKHANYAN (24-5-1) FEATHERWEIGHTS (Jason Herzog – ref)

      Both guys really tentative for the first 90 seconds. Curran starting land leg kicks at 1:45. Karakhanyan controllign the cage. Curran with a punch combo at 2:00. Curran knocks Karakhanyan down with a punch to the head and pounces on him. After an initial flurry, he lets up and Karakhanyan gets some time to recover. Curran slowly starting to advance while also looking for a choke at 3:30. Curran into mount at 4:15 but Karakhanyan escapes quickly and briefly to his feet but goes to his back and brings Curran into his guard. Nothing happened for the rest of the round. 10-9 Curran

      Karakhanyan shoots for a takedown to start round 2 and Curran stuffs it and ends up on top. Karakhanyan tying up the arms of Curran and then briefly tries a guillotine at 1:15. Curran takes his back at 1:30. Curran trying to secure a body lock and gets it at 2:00. Karakhanyan nailed him with punches as Curran lies on his back, still controlling the back. Karakhanyan escapes at 3:00 and works Curran back to guard. Karakhanyan with a guillotine attempt at 3:15 and uses it to get to his feet and then sweep to top position. Neither guy doing much on the ground with Karakhanyan in Curran’s guard. Ref stands them up at 4:30. Karakhanyan controlling things and lands a couple of kicks before the round ends. Very close, 10-9 Curran, 20-18

      Karakhanyan misses on a takedown attempt to start the round. Karakhanyan advancing and Curran landing leg kicks and punches while retreating. Curran takes his back standing at 1:45  but Karakhanyan works him to the front and takes him down at 2:15. Curran with a guillotine attempt from his back. Karakhanyan escapes but not doing anything from up top. Crowd starting to boo. Curran landing some elbows to the head from the bottom. Karakhanyan working for a triangle from half-guard but Curran works him back to full guard. Karakhanyan with some light punches to the body just before the round ends. 10-9 Karakhanyan, 29-28 Curran overall but it all depends how they score round 2. 

      WINNER – PAT CURRAN (22-7) by unanimous decision (scores 29-28 x 3)

      MAIN EVENT FOR THE BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE:

      CHAMPION RAFAEL CARVALHO (12-1) VS MELVIN MANHOEF (30-12-1) (John McCarthy – ref)

      Both guys keeping their distance early. Crowd starting to boo at 1:15 as neither guy has landed a strike. Carvalho controlling the pace and lands a kick from distance at 2:30 that may be the first strike landed. Jimmy Smith calls it a “regrettably cautious start from both fighters” . Boos are getting really loud at 3:15. McCarthy stops the fight and warns them to fight. What?  I mean, what’s he going to do? This is like the MR Wrestling 3 counter gimmick with the Young Bucks last weekend. 4:30 in and still nothing. Manhoef lands a kick at 4:45. Grande says it was the first strike landed. 10-10, no question. 

      Manhoef pushing the pace early. Manhoef throws a punch and follows up with a kick at 45 seconds, the most sustained “action” of the fight. Manhoef with a hard kick to the body at 1:30. Official stats for round 1 were Manhoef 1/6 in strikes landed, Carvalho 1/13 in strikes landed. Crowd booing again at 2:30 as they’ve slowed down. Carvalho starting to advance now. Crowd getting really loud again with the booing at 3:45. Manhoef lands two leg kicks and follows up with punches at 4:00. Carvalho still advancing. Carvalho with a knee to the body and they clinch up. Carvalho with a knee that looked low and McCarthy steps in but Carvalho wants to keep fighting. Carvalho with 2 elbows to the head after McCarthy stopped it. Replay looked like it might have hit the gut. 10-9 Manhoef

      Manhoef with a punch combo to open. Carvalho with an eye poke 15 seconds in. McCarthy had warned him earlier in the fight but didn’t dock a point. On the restart, he had his fingers out again and McCarthy stopped it again and warned Carvalho. Carvalho with a takedown attempt at 1:30 and they end up in a cage clinch. Manhoef gets control and then throws Carvalho off, landing a hard punch on the way out. Carvalho clinches right back up again and takes Manhoef down. Manhoef to his feet at 2:30. Carvalho with another low blow. I dont know if this is eligible for the Wrestling Observer awards but this is the worst show of the year, bar none. McCarthy calls the corner over and warns the corner to control their fighter. No pont deduction, though. Carvalho shoots for  a takedown again at 3:45 but Manhoef defends it. Crowd booing heavily again as they’re clinched on the cage with nothing happening. Manhoef punches his way out of it at 4:45. This could be Carvalho’s round. 10-9 Carvalho, 29-29 so far

      Carvalho shoots for a takedown 30 seconds in but stuffed by  Manhoef. Manhoef lands a hard kick on the way out. Carvalho lands a knee to the body and then gets a takedown at 1:15. Carvalho right into side control. Carvalho just holding him down, nothing even attempting anything from side control and the crowd  booing heavily. And then he just lets Manhoef up. This is awful. Terrible. No good. Just really, really bad. Announcers are talking like Manhoef’s up three rounds. He could be. I don’t care. Carvalho just waving his arms around at 3:30 and Manhoef just standing there. Crowd booing heavily. McCarthy warning them to fight again. Booing is getting ridiculously loud. Carvalho walking away from Manhoef with his hands on his hips and Manhoef just doing nothing. They walked back to their corners before the bell even rang. “Beyond my comprehension”, Jimmy Smith said as the round ended. Another 10-10

      Crowd starting to do random chants to entertain themselves now. Manhoef with a superman punch landing and the crowd like that. Manhoef with a nice punch combo at 1:00. Hard body kick from Manhoef at 1:15. Carvalho shoots for a takedown at 1:45. Manhoef defends it but Carvalho holds onto him in a cage clinch. Ref warning them to work. Manhoef landing light punches to the head. Manhoef ends up falling on top of him and into mount briefly but Carvalho just stands up. Manhoef takes him right back down. And nothing happening again. Ref warns them to work again. Manhoef up at 3:30 and Carvalho follows him. Carvalho back to walking around with his hands on his hips. Crowd booing louds and McCarthy steps in between them and tells them to fight. Manhoef lands a couple of single strikes from distance. Crowd booing heavily at the end. 10-9 Manhoef, 49-48 overall

      WINNER – RAFAEL CARVALHO (13-1) by split decision (47-48-29; 48-47 x 2)

      Sean Grande said that the only thing worse than that fight was the decision. Jimmy Smith that he is “DISGUSTED that this fight went this way for Rafael Carvalho” and that he’s disgusted for this sport right now. And followed up by saying that’s all he can say on TV. Wow.

      I mean, that was a bad decision but far from the worst you’ll ever see. It was just a really bad fight and I don’t know how you pick a winner in the 2 rounds I scored 10-10. It sounded like Jimmy dropped his headset while Grande was talking as the show went off the air. 

      This was easily the worst MMA card I’ve ever seen topped off by what may have been the worst fight in this century. 

    • Daily Update: McGregor on ESPN, HBK to NHL, Bellator, PWG, NJPW

      Conor McGregor met with Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta on Wednesday night in Los Angeles. Nothing was announced but McGregor said things were worked out and there will be a lengthy ESPN interview on ESPN on Sunday at 10 a.m. McGregor vs. Diaz is still expected at some point this summer. Clips from the interview can be seen here.

      We’ve got a pretty full weekend coming up headlined by Extreme Rules from Newark, NJ. That’s the only show we’ll be doing polls on as we’ll save the Japan stuff for the finals of the tournament on 6/7.

      We’re looking for reports on the WWE house show in Utica, NY (Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Big Cass, Dudleys, Usos, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson,. Sami Zayn) and NXT in Venice, FL to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

      There is no New Japan World on tonight or Inside MMA on AXS due to a music festival.  Both return next week with New Japan starting a long stretch of G-1 Climax 2015 matches starting next Friday.

      BELLATOR TONIGHT FROM BOISE, ID ON SPIKE TV AT 9 P.M EASTERN

      • Joey Beltran (14-9, 236.8) vs. Chase Gormley (8-4, 264.5)
      • Augusto Sakai (3-0, 262.5) vs. Dan Charles (10-3, 242.2)
      • Marloes Coenen (23-6, 145.6) vs. Alexis Dufrense (5-2, 150.7) – Dufrense badly missed weight  
      • Pat Curran (20-7, 145.7) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (24-5-1, 145.1)
      • Rafael Carvalho (12-1, 184.3) vs. Melvin Manhoef (27-11-1, 185) for the middleweight title

      They are also doing for the first time a major fight, Marcin Held vs. Dan Jansen, at www.spike.com at about 8:30 p.m. as they are trying to push digital with key matches like UFC does with Fight Pass.

      CMLL LIVE FROM ARENA MEXICO AT 9:30 P.M. EASTERN at www.clarosports.com//en-vivo2/

      • Vaquerita & Lluvia vs. Comandante & Tiffany
      • Esfinge & Fuego & Triton vs. Hechichero & Puma & Tiger
      • Rey Cometa & Stuka Jr. & Titan vs. Cavernario & Misterioso Jr. & Polvora
      • Angelo de Oro vs. Dragon Rojo Jr.
      • Atlantis & Mistico & Valiente vs. Euforia & Ultimo Guerrero & Negro Casas
      • Rush & Rey Escorpion & Pierroth vs. La Mascara & Shocker & El Terrible

      PWG TONIGHT IN RESEDA, CALIFORNIA

      • Trevor Lee vs. Andrew Everett
      • Dalton Castle vs. Adam Cole
      • Drew Galloway vs. Brian Cage
      • Jeff Cobb vs. Chris Hero
      • Mark Andrews vs. Marty Scurll
      • Roderick Strong vs. Sami Callihan
      • Michael Elgin vs. Kamaitachi

      TNA VICTORY ROAD DEBUTS TONIGHT ON THE FITE APP AND PPV WITH A TAPED SHOW

      • Ethan Carter III vs. Eli Drake
      • James Storm vs. Bram
      • Velvet Sky vs. Marti Bell
      • DJ Zema Ion vs. Andrew Everett
      • Eddie Edwards vs. Trevor Lee
      • Bro Mans vs. Tom LaRuffa & Pierre Marceau (Sylvester Lefort & Marcus Louis in NXT)
      • Chris Melendez vs. Beauregarde
      • Bobby Roode vs. Pepper Parks
      • All winners in a Royal rumble match where the winner gets a future TNA title match

      NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS TOURNAMENT OPENS AT 5:30 A.M. EASTERN TIME SATURDAY MORNING LIVE ON NEW JAPAN WORLD FROM KORAKUEN HALL IN TOKYO

      • Bobby Fish & Volador Jr. & Satoshi Kojima vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Trent Baretta & Will Ospreay – Some kind of ridiculous talent for an opening match
      • Yuji Nagata & Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask vs. Katsuyori Shibata & Juice Robinson & Jay White
      • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan & Ricochet vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
      • Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Tetsuya Naito & Seiya Sanada & Evil
      • David Finlay vs. Rocky Romero
      • Gedo vs. Bushi
      • Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Matt Sydal
      • Kushida vs. Kyle O’Reilly

      We’re looking for reports on Saturday’s WWE shows in Albany, NY (Roman Reigns, Sheamus, Sami Zayn, Big Cass, Dudleys, Natalya, Dolph Ziggler, Charlotte, Usos, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson) and Reading, PA (Dean Ambrose, Kane, Big Show, Braun Strowman, Erick Rowan, Kevin Owens, New Day, Alberto Del Rio, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Cesaro) and NXT in Winter Haven, FL to Dave@wrestlingobserver.com.  

      NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS ON SUNDAY FROM SHIZUOKA (this won’t air live but should be up some time during Sunday on New Japan World)

      • Jay White & David Finlay vs. Yoshi-Hashi & Rocky Romero
      • Yuji Nagata & Satoshi Kojima & Kyle O’Reilly & Matt Sydal vs. Juice Robinson & Ryusuke Taguchi & Kushida & Katsuyori Shibata
      • Tiger Mask vs. Ricochet
      • Jushin Liger vs. Bobby Fish
      • Volador Jr. vs. Trent Baretta
      • Will Ospreay vs. Chase Owens
      • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi
      • Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii & Gedo vs. Tetsuya Naito & Seiya Sanada & Evil & Bushi

      WWE EXTREME RULES ON SUNDAY AT 7:30 P.M. EASTERN FROM THE PRUDENTIAL CENTER IN NEWARK, NJ ON THE WWE NETWORK AND PPV

      • Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin preshow match
      • Kalisto vs. Rusev for U.S. title
      • Usos vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson tornado match
      • Dean Ambrose vs. Chris Jericho asylum cage match
      • Charlotte vs. Natalya submissions match for women’s title
      • New Day vs Vaudevillains for tag team title
      • The Miz vs. Cesaro vs Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens for IC title
      • Roman Reigns vs. A.J. Styles in an extreme rules match for the WWE title

      NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS ON MONDAY FROM NIIGATA (this won’t air live but should be up sometimeMonday on New Japan World)

      • Satoshi Kojima & Jay White & Ricochet vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi & Will Ospreay
      • Yuji Nagata & Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask vs. Katsuyori Shibata & Juice Robinson & Volador Jr.
      • Matt Sydal vs. Bushi
      • Kyle O’Reilly vs. Gedo
      • Ryusuke Taguchi vs. David Finlay
      • Kushida vs. Rocky Romero
      • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan & Bobby Fish vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
      • Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Trent Baretta vs. Tetsuya Naito & Seiya Sanada & Evil

      Raw will be Monday night in Baltimore at the Royal Farms Arena.

      NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS ON TUESDAY FROM YAMAGATA (this won’t air live but should be up sometimeTuesday on New Japan World)

      • David Finlay & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Gedo & Yoshi-Hashi
      • Yuji Nagata & Satoshi Kojima & Kyle O’Reilly & Matt Sydal vs. Katsuyori Shibata & Kushida & Juice Robinson & Jay White
      • Tiger Mask vs. Volador jr.
      • Jushin Liger vs. Chase Owens
      • Bobby Fish vs. Ricochet
      • Will Ospreay vs. Trent Baretta
      • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi
      • Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii & Rocky Romero vs. Tetsuya Naito & Seiya Sanada & Evil & Bush

      Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday in Norfolk.  

        THE ROUND UP

        If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our new 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 5/16/2016: WWE concussion lawsuit deposition takes a strange turn – Details on the developments in WWE’s concussion lawsuit, and more. Find out all the details in this weeks issue of Figure Four Weekly.

        Wrestling Observer Newsletter

        READ IT HERE: May 23, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE Extreme Rules preview, Vince McMahon sells portion of WWE stock, tons more

        A look at what’s next for WWE after Extreme Rules, the UFC sale with lots of exclusive info, Vince & Linda McMahon selling their stock, Chris Weidman’s injury and how that changes plans, the staggering drop in kids viewing for WWE and exactly who watches the TV today, plus UFC 198 coverage and Best of The Super Juniors tournament news are among the stories covered in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

        More on the injury returns and summer ideas and why WWE could have its deepest talent roster in a long time in very short order. Plus, talk about the NXT/WWE balance and why talent is actually more important for arena business if in NXT.

        There is also an extenisve look at the Extreme Rules show.

        In addition, updates on the UFC sale, including news about who is in, who is not in, what it all means, what is being sold, where Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta fit in and UFC fixture who indicates he’s likely gone if the sale goes through, all in covered in this issue.

        A glimpse into Vince McMahon’s stock sale, what it means, how much money did he get, and how his stock sale only increased the difference in the value of UFC vs. WWE, and for how much Vince McMahon bought the company.

        More on the injury to Chris Weidman, how it happened, his future, Michael Bisping’s title shot and more on UFC 1999.

        Also in this issue, find out who watches WWE on television and how many in each different age group.

        Find out how WWE has changed the schedule of the Cruiserweight tournament and why, more on the arrest of Adam Rose, more on Stephanie McMahon’s book, how Stephanie will be pushed on television going forward, how Stephanie will be marketed as the face of the company, and another WWE firing.

        Finally, there’s full coverage of UFC 198, including business notes including early estimates on success, ramifications of the show, match-by-match coverage, looking at the judging of close fights and poll results.

        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.

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        All the news from WrestleMania 15, the All Japan Tokyo Done show, and more will be in the latest back issue. Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: April 12, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Wrestlemania 15 business numbers, details on All Japan’s Tokyo Dome show, plus tons more. Both Davey Boy Smith and Japanese rookie woman wrestler Emiko Kado were both remaining in bad condition after an illness and in-ring injury respectively. 

        FRIDAY NEWS

        Shawn Michaels will be featured at Game 5 of the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup game on Sunday night on NBC Sports Network.This has become a pretty big story in hockey. One of the Penguins lines named themselves HBK and Michaels found out and started watching the Penguins games and they made arrangements for him to be a special guest of the game at the Consol Energey Center in Pittsburgh. 

        Today is the fifth anniversary of the death of Randy Savage. There may be some media surrounding that coming out.

        Dixie Carter, Eric Sherman and John Gaburick are doing a business meeting in India this week. Topics will include the tour of India that their contract with Sony Six stipulates plus TNA’s attempt to sell a percentage of the company.     

        Starting tonight, Syfy will be airing a two-hour edited version of the Raw from Monday, airing from 8-10 p.m. The idea would be to boost the Syfy ratings. It’s interesting because for years USA has had the belief of not airing a Raw replay for fear it would hurt the original numbers. Syfy was out of the top 25 cable stations in prime time ratings last week. USA was No. 6, although without wrestling they would fall to No. 11.

        One of the craziest stories is that on the Venator Fighting Championships show tomorrow in Milan, Italy, Jason “Mayhem” Miller showed up and missed weight by 24 pounds (209 pounds for a middleweight title match with Luke Barnatt). Barnatt will instead will fight to establish a new champion against Stefan Croitoru while Miller was able to cut to 205 and will be fighting Mattia Schiavolin at light heavyweight.

        WWE

        • A.J. Styles is off the weekend house shows to rest for Extreme Rules. He has a bad ankle. Styles hasn’t wrestled since 5/9. He was to work in Utica and Reading.
        • Tickets for the Cruiserweight Classic for dates of 6/23, 7/14, 8/26 and 9/14 went on sale this morning. Only about 400 tickets were available for each show and priced at $15 and $20, so they sold very quickly. They may have all sold out at this point as the last I checked, the finals were sold out and the other dates only had a handful of seats remaining. The finals will air live on the WWE Network.
        • Kevin Owens and Tyler Breeze have raised more than $61,000 for the victims of the Fort McMurray, Alberta fires. A story on their fund raising can be read here.
        • Although this was reported a long time ago, Dwayne Johnson officially signed on for “The Janson Directive,” in what is hoped to be turned into a spy thriller franchise. Johnson will also be an Executive Producer. Baywatch, that Johnson stars in with Zac Efron, will be released in theaters on May 17, 2017.
        • The Bellas are at Wizard World in Philadelphia on 6/5 from Noon to 4 p.m. 
        • Dolph Ziggler was on the Fox Business Channel. I’m not exactly sure what the point was, but he was there talking about T-shirts that flatten your belly.
        • Paul London on his time in WWE from the Pancakes and Powerslams show: When you work there, you eat so much crap. It’s like middle school all over again when you work there, on any level that you’re at. I don’t care if you’re the megastar or the opening guy, corporate office guy, whatever. At some point in your tenure there, you’re gonna be treated like garbage, absolute garbage. And like less of a human being, like the stuff you wipe off of your shoe that you stepped in by accident. And you’re gonna be treated like that constantly. It’s a constant mental hazing. It’s disgusting. It’s a horrible, horrible place to work, absolutely awful place to work. So, it’s not good for human beings of any nature. It was just things that would numb you to life working there. 

        UFC

        • The UFC will be working with the California State Athletic Commission for the 6/4 show in Los Angeles as they will be allowing weigh-ins as early as 10 a.m. on Friday to give the fighters six extra hours to rehydrate. It’s already been experimented with in Kansas and Connecticut. Of course the fighters like it because it gives them hours of more recuperation time.     
        • Stipe Miocic returned to a hero’s welcome in Cleveland and has been guests of the Cavs and Indians games already this week. Miocic, who was a good enough baseball player to get major league interest, took batting practice with the Indians and hit one into the stands.
        • Added activities to UFC Fight week in July are the U.S. Nationals and U.S Open Jiu Jitsu tournaments from 7/8 to 7/10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center at the site of the UFC Fan Expo.

        MISCELLANEOUS

        • Johnny Kidd wants Simon Cowell to back at new U.K. wrestling show that he feels could revitalize the game.
        • Eli Drake & Tyrus & Ethan Carter III will be Team TNA in the upcoming Victoria World Cup tournament on 6/3 and 6/5 in Puebla and Mexico City.
        • The biggest independent show in Quebec in years is Saturday night in Quebec City at the Horizon Center as Marko Estrada goes for the all-time record for longest title reign.  If he beats Travis Toxic, he would be champion through September where he’d beat a record set by Edouard Carpentier in the glory days of Quebec wrestling with 974 days consecutively holding a major title.  Cedric Alexander faces jr. chap Mat Angel and Shayne Hawke vs. Alex Price in a hair match plus there is a Team Montreal vs. Team Quebec City cage match.
        • A video building up Ethan Carter III’s matches in Evolve on 6/10 in Ybor City and 6/11 in Orlando can be seen here. 
        • Evolve announced a house show at 4 p.m. on 7/16 in Queens, NY with the idea the show would end and give people enough time to attend Madison Square Garden that night.  Timothy Thatcher vs. Marty Scurll for the Evolve title headlines.
        • Canek, the king of Mexican wrestling in the late 70s, now almost 64, captured the IWL heavyweight title beating Mr. Jack (a former rival) for the vacant title on Tuesday night in Pachuca.
        • A story on 50s shooter Joe Pazandak who will be inducted tomorrow into the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in Wichita Falls, TX is here. A second story can be read here.
        • Here is a story on Lio Rush.
        • Sami Callihan talks his Lucha Underground deal. 
        • Irv Muchnick talks the Jimmy Snuka case at 1310 News in Ottawa.
        • Quinton Jackson and Sal Guerrero Jr. (Chavo Guerrero Jr.) are in a movie called “Vigilante Diaries” that Anchor Bay Entertainment is releasing for a theatrical run on 6/24 and on DVD on 7/5. 
        • CWE tonight in Sherwood Park, Alberta at the Millennium Place with Frankie Kazarian & Danny Duggan vs. A.J. Sanchez & Joey Keys plus Silas Young vs Nite and Lio Rush vs. Travis Cole, plus Johnny Devine. The promotion said that if 500 tickets are sold, they will donate $1,500 to the Alberta Cancer Society and they are also raising money for the Edmonton Women’s Shelter.
        • Undefeated Phil Hawes, who was most recently beaten on Ultimate Fighter, signed with World Series of Fighting and will debut on 6/17 in Mashantucket, CT against Joshua Key (6-11, 2 on contests) on the NBC Sports show. Mike Ricci vs. Jason High is also on that show.
        • NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling on 6/4 in Sneedville, TN at the Old Hancock County High School.
        • Pure Wrestling Association on 5/21 in Kitchener, ONT at the Alpine Club.
        • Lucha Libre Mexicana on 5/28 in San Antonio at Randy’s Ballroom with Super Parka, El Hijo de L.a. Park, Damian 666 and more.  On 6/3 in Benbrook, TX at the Camp Bowie Bingo Hall is Aerostar vs. Flamita vs. Laredo Kid vs. Septimo Dragon.  On 6/4 in Houston at Atlantico Hall is Aerostar & Laredo Kid vs. Flamita & Ultimo Ninja.
        • Silver Star Promotions on 6/5 in Fort Worth at the 4 Ever Arena has Caristico & El Hijo del Fishman vs. Psicosis Jr. & Silver Star.
        • UIPW on 5/29 in Montebello, CA at the Grace Baptist Academy has Mr Aguila, Stuka Jr., Teddy Hart, Steve Pain, Thunder Rosa (Kobra Moon) and more.
        • There is a 5/27 show in Tijuana at the Auditorio with Atlantis & Caristico & Valiente vs. Cibernetico & Sharly Rockstar & Ultimo Guerrero.
        • There is a 6/3 show in Tijuana at the Auditorio with L.A. Park vs. Rush vs. Cibernetico plus Mistico & Extreme Tiger & Rey Hours (Dragon Azteca Jr. in Lucha Underground) vs. Mr Aguila & El Hijo de L.A. Park & Mephisto. (thanks to Kris Zellner) 
        • RF Video announced DVD releases of a David Crockett three-hour interview talking about his entire career in wrestling including the Crockett vs Vince wars, plus Tommy Dreamer hosts an interview with Rob Van Dam, a three-hour conversation about the old days of ECW. 

        EVENTS

        • 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 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 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 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.

      • Daily Update: Big June Calendar, Cena hosts ESPY’s

        There are a number of major dates in pro wrestling for the month of June, one of the biggest for significant shows of the year:

        • 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 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 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 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       

        SMACKDOWN TONIGHT ON USA AT 8 P.M.

        • Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens
        • Paige vs. Dana Brooke
        • Dolph  Ziggler vs. Sheamus
        • New Day & Big Cass vs. Dudleys & Vaudevillains
        • Roman Reigns vs. Luke Gallows non-title

                This is the final TV before Sunday’s Extreme Rules show.

        NXT will be taped tonight at Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL. 

        THE ROUND UP

        If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our new 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 5/16/2016: WWE concussion lawsuit deposition takes a strange turn – Details on the developments in WWE’s concussion lawsuit, and more. Find out all the details in this weeks issue of Figure Four Weekly.

        Wrestling Observer Newsletter

        READ IT HERE: May 23, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE Extreme Rules preview, Vince McMahon sells portion of WWE stock, tons more

        A look at what’s next for WWE after Extreme Rules, the UFC sale with lots of exclusive info, Vince & Linda McMahon selling their stock, Chris Weidman’s injury and how that changes plans, the staggering drop in kids viewing for WWE and exactly who watches the TV today, plus UFC 198 coverage and Best of The Super Juniors tournament news are among the stories covered in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

        More on the injury returns and summer ideas and why WWE could have its deepest talent roster in a long time in very short order. Plus, talk about the NXT/WWE balance and why talent is actually more important for arena business if in NXT.

        There is also an extenisve look at the Extreme Rules show.

        In addition, updates on the UFC sale, including news about who is in, who is not in, what it all means, what is being sold, where Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta fit in and UFC fixture who indicates he’s likely gone if the sale goes through, all in covered in this issue.

        A glimpse into Vince McMahon’s stock sale, what it means, how much money did he get, and how his stock sale only increased the difference in the value of UFC vs. WWE, and for how much Vince McMahon bought the company.

        More on the injury to Chris Weidman, how it happened, his future, Michael Bisping’s title shot and more on UFC 1999.

        Also in this issue, find out who watches WWE on television and how many in each different age group.

        Find out how WWE has changed the schedule of the Cruiserweight tournament and why, more on the arrest of Adam Rose, more on Stephanie McMahon’s book, how Stephanie will be pushed on television going forward, how Stephanie will be marketed as the face of the company, and another WWE firing.

        Finally, there’s full coverage of UFC 198, including business notes including early estimates on success, ramifications of the show, match-by-match coverage, looking at the judging of close fights and poll results.

        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. 

        All the news from WrestleMania 15, the All Japan Tokyo Done show, and more will be in the latest back issue. Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: April 12, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Wrestlemania 15 business numbers, details on All Japan’s Tokyo Dome show, plus tons more. Both Davey Boy Smith and Japanese rookie woman wrestler Emiko Kado were both remaining in bad condition after an illness and in-ring injury respectively. 

        THURSDAY NEWS

        Today would have been the 70th birthday of Andre The Giant. That has led to a lot of Andre talk today. There is a story in the New York Daily News. There is a photo in that story of Andre with Chuck Wepner, who is 6-foot-5, which pretty much gives away he wasn’t 7-feet tall. When that match took place in 1976, it was reported that Andre was 6-foot-9 and 370 pounds.

        In a TV ratings note, on Saturday night during the King Mo vs. Phil Davis fight, over an eight minute period the audience grew from 887,000 to 1.3 million live.

        It is official that Chase Owens and David Finlay will be the replacements for Nick & Matt Jackson in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament which starts on Saturday morning live on New Japan World from Korakuen Hall. Finlay is in the A block with Kushida, Ryusuke Taguchi, Kyle O’Reilly, Matt Sydal, Rocky Romero, Gedo and Bushi. Owens is in the B block with Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask, Bobby Fish, Trent Baretta, Ricochet, Volador Jr. and Will Ospreay.

        Zack Sabre Jr., who was scheduled to defend the PWG title tomorrow night against Michael Elgin, but is out of action, suffered a lesion to his right forearm in a 5/13 match in Magdeburg, Germany in a match with Big Daddy Walter. The match was immediately stopped and he was rushed to the hospital. The rupture to the forearm was caused by a collision into the post that left a 4 centimeter cut that needed five stitches. He’ll be out of action for a few weeks, returning on 6/12 for a match with Revolution Pro Wrestling, where he faces Kurt Angle. 

        For those into history, and don’t know the name Jack Taylor, this story is why you should.

        WWE

        • Coverage of George Barrios at the Needham Emerging Markets Conference today is here. 
        • Shawn Michaels has been in the news in Pittsburgh because the line of Nick Bonino, Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin of the Penguins is called the HBK Line. Michaels found out about it and has become a Penguins fan. There is a campaign to bring Michaels to game five of the current series in Pittsburgh. There are two articles, the first can be read here, and the second can be read here.
        • Tenille Dashwood’s (Emma) spinal surgery went well yesterday.
        • CNN, Dwayne Johnson and former WWE writer Brian Gewirtz have put together a new TV show called “Soundtracks: Songs that Made History, “an eight-episode series combining the music of the times with major historical moments.
        • Lilian Garcia on Facebook wrote that the FDA had approved of the drug Atezolizumab to battle her father’s cancer. Originally he was going to try it as an experimental drug.  Her father has been battling cancer, but due to a bad reaction which led to two kidney surgeries, he had to stop his chemotherapy treatments.  
        • The company has announced these men and women at the current three-day tryout camp at the Performance Center:
          Bliaze Cabell – Three-time NCAA wrestling tournament qualifier as a heavyweight from Northern Iowa University
          Junior Aumavae – a 311 pound former nose tackle who had time with the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys
          Paul Cheng – Former CFL player who did some MMA fighting
          Nathan Redwing – A 290 pound indie wrestler who played football at Peru State College
          Arkady Unterleidner – A former bikini contest competitor who trained with Brian Kendrick
          Brian Waymire – A 6-foot-9 former swimmer
          Yaseen Mudassar – A two-time All-American wrestler who is 300 pounds and wrestled as Yaseen the Persian Machine on indies
          Ashley Urbanski – A finalist who didn’t make the cut for the last season of Tough Enough.
        • Dustin Runnels wrote that today he is eight years sober. Congrats to him for turning his life around.
        • Here is a Sporting News interview with Natalya.
        • WWE stock was down 21 cents per share to $16.96 today.

        UFC

        • A story on the Ali Act that is likely to be introduced shortly into legislation regarding MMA is here. 
        • The odds for Luke Rockhold vs. Michael Bisping are considerably longer than what originally came out and were talked about on last night’s show. Nick Kalikas came out with odds that have Rockhold a -1050 favorite and Bisping at +600. Rockhold was a -500 favorite in their first fight, which he won via second round submission.
        • Ali Bagautinov vs. Geane Herrera has been added to the 6/18 UFC show in Ottawa as a flyweight fight. That’s the show headlined by Stephen Thompson vs. Rory MacDonald.

        MISCELLANEOUS

        • Curtis “Mr.” Hughes is now taking bookings for matches, appearances and seminars through Bill Behrens at www.sbibookings.com. He is based in Atlanta. For promoters outside the U.S. and Ontario, Behrens is also a booking agent for Jay Lethal, Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian and The Young Bucks. For Lethal, Daniels and Kazarian, promoters can book them to defend their ROH titles outside the U.S. ROH wrestlers Matt Sydal and Moose are available for indie bookings both in the U.S. and outside the U.S.  Also available is Drew Galloway and he can defend his TNA title on independent shows and wants to defend the title around the world. Other names available are Sean Waltman, Tommy Dreamer, Al Snow, Blue Meanie, Jimmy Rave, Stevie Richards, Scott Half, Rick Steiner, Little Guido, Tony Mamaluke and Shane Helms.
        • Venator Fighting Championships on Saturday in Milan, Italy features Matt Hamill, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and ultra controversial fighters Rousimar Palhares and Jason “Mayhem” Miller.  Palhares (18-6) faces Emil Weber Meek (7-2-1) for the welterweight title. Miller (23-9, 1 no contest) faces former UFC fighter Luke Barnatt (10-3) for the middleweight title. Hamill vs. Sokoudjou is also on the show, is are former UFC and Strikeforce fighters like Igor Araujo, Karl Amoussou, Che Mills and Cody McKenzie. The show will stream live at www.MMTTV.co.uk starting at 11 a.m. Eastern time. It also airs on Fox Sports Italy.
        • Evolve has announced a WWE Cruiserweight Classic flashpoint match on 6/11 in Orlando with Johnny Gargano vs Drew Gulak vs. Lince Dorado vs. TJP (and more may be added), all of which are in the WWE cruiserweight classic. Here are the current lineups.
        • 6/10 in Ybor City, FL:
          Timothy Thatcher vs. Chris Hero for Evolve title
          Drew Gulak & Tracy Williams vs. Bravado Brothers for Evolve tag title
          Johnny Gargano & TJP vs. Drew Galloway & Ethan Cater III
          Matt Riddle vs. Cedric Alexander
        • 6/11 in Orlando:    
          WWE Cruiserweight Classic flashpoint multiple person elimination match
          Drew Galloway vs. Ethan Page anything goes
          Ethan Carter III vs. ?
          Matt Riddle vs. Trevor Lee
        • TNA Victory Road PPV debuts on The Fite App as well as regular PPV tomorrow with a taped show:
          Ethan Carter III vs. Eli Drake
          James Storm vs. Bram
          Velvet Sky vs. Marti Bell
          DJ Zema Ion vs. Andrew Everett
          Eddie Edwards vs. Trevor Lee
          Bro Mans vs. Tom LaRuffa & Pierre Marceau (Sylvester Lefort & Marcus Louis in NXT)
          Chris Melendez vs. Beauregarde
          Bobby Roode vs. Pepper Parks
          All winners in a Royal rumble match where the winner gets a future TNA title match
        • A Sporting News interview with Adam Cole is here.
        • Here is a story on Marty Jones, a Billy Robinson protege who was one of the U.K. best wrestlers in his heyday
        • Fox Sports has a story that Netflix should buy WWE and UFC.
        • Les Thatcher is doing one day seminars as well as weekend training camps, as well as available to do announcing.  For more info you can contact him at lesthatcher@zoomtown.com
        • CZW’s Tournament of Death takes place on 6/11 at 179 Ebenezer Church Rd in Townsend, DE at 2 p.m.  Matt Tremont vs. Jeff Cannonball in a Home Run Derby match was announced, as well as Masada vs. Conor Claxton and Devon Moore vs. Dale Patricks in a scaffold death match.
        • As part of this weekend’s Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame induction ceremony (notes in the new Observer), there will be a show tomorrownight in Wichita Falls at the Downtown Falls Farmers Market with Greg Anthony vs. Matt Riviera plus Tim Storm, Americos, Moonshine Mantel and more at 7:30 p.m.
        • Alpha One Wrestling results from Sunday in Hamilton, ONT:  Alessandro del Bruno won over Kobe Durst and Alex Daniels to win the Zero Gravity title, Danny Orlando & Gregory Iron & Hellcat b Dick Justice & Young Myles & Holde Albright-DQ, Michael Elgin b Shane Sabre, Ricky Shane Page b Donovan Dijak, Jim Nye & Space Monkey b Justin Sane & Lionel Knight, Cheech won over Cloudy, John Greed and Brent Banks Ethan Page b Carlito Colon, Heidi Lovelace b Josh Alexander to win the Alpha Male trite (thanks to Steven Ashe)
        • Kevin Nash and Scott Hall appear 6/24 for NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling in Elizabethton, TN at the Evolution Sports Gym for a show headlined by Chase Owens & Buff Bagwell vs. Jordan Kage & Chris Richards.
        • Old Time Wrestling has the Sole Survivor tournament on Friday and Saturday night in Williamstown, NJ at the Monroe Business Center.
        • NWA presents Cajun Heat on 7/2 in Morgan City, LA at the Municipal Auditorium featuring an appearance by Kevin Nash.  Main event is Jax Dane defending the NWA title against Mustang Mike and Rob Conway vs. Rodney Mack.
        • PW Eclipse on 5/22 at the Oshawa Legion.
        • Hoosier Pro Wrestling on 6/4 in Columbus, IN at the 4-H Fairgrounds has Rob Conway vs. Shawn Cook as the main event.
        • Absolute Intense Wrestling on 6/17 in Mentor on the Lake, OH at Tequila Jaxx with Ethan Carter III, Facade, Veda Scott, B.J. Whitmer, Shayna Baszler, Sonjay Dutt, Brian Myers and Josh Prohibition.
        • New England Championship Wrestling on 5/21 in Abington, MA at the Abington High School with Slyck Wagner Brown vs. Brad Hollister in a lumberjack match.
        • Great North Wrestling on 6/4 in Smiths Falls, ONT at the Memorial Centre headlined by Al Snow vs. Hannibal and 6/25 in Pembroke, ONT at the Memorial Center headlined by Nikolai Volkoff vs. Paul Rosenberg.  
        • CWE tonight in Yorkton, Saskatchewan at the Yorkdale Center School with Frankie Kazarian vs. Travis Cole and Lio Rush vs. Silas Young.
        • World Series of Fighting on 6/17 in Mashantucket, CT on NBC Sports Network features former NFL player Lorenzo Hood vs. Tyler King. The main event has Blagoi Ivanov defending his WSOF title against Josh Copeland.
        • Here is a story on a Florida school teacher who moonlights running a wrestling school and doing wrestling.
        • A story on pro wrestling in Shanghai can be read here. 
        • A college wrestler at Old Dominion is suing his coaches for not reacting to a concussion which turned into long-term damage. 
        • If you are interested in attending 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.

      • WON Preview May 23, 2016: WWE Extreme Rules preview, Vince McMahon sells portion of WWE stock, tons more  

        READ IT HERE: May 23, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE Extreme Rules preview, Vince McMahon sells portion of WWE stock, tons more

        A look at what’s next for WWE after Extreme Rules, the UFC sale with lots of exclusive info, Vince & Linda McMahon selling their stock, Chris Weidman’s injury and how that changes plans, the staggering drop in kids viewing for WWE and exactly who watches the TV today, plus UFC 198 coverage and Best of The Super Juniors tournament news are among the stories covered in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

        More on the injury returns and summer ideas and why WWE could have its deepest talent roster in a long time in very short order. Plus, talk about the NXT/WWE balance and why talent is actually more important for arena business if in NXT.

        There is also an extenisve look at the Extreme Rules show.

        In addition, updates on the UFC sale, including news about who is in, who is not in, what it all means, what is being sold, where Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta fit in and UFC fixture who indicates he’s likely gone if the sale goes through, all in covered in this issue.

        A glimpse into Vince McMahon’s stock sale, what it means, how much money did he get, and how his stock sale only increased the difference in the value of UFC vs. WWE, and for how much Vince McMahon bought the company.

        More on the injury to Chris Weidman, how it happened, his future, Michael Bisping’s title shot and more on UFC 1999.

        Also in this issue, find out who watches WWE on television and how many in each different age group.

        Find out how WWE has changed the schedule of the Cruiserweight tournament and why, more on the arrest of Adam Rose, more on Stephanie McMahon’s book, how Stephanie will be pushed on television going forward, how Stephanie will be marketed as the face of the company, and another WWE firing.

        Finally, there’s full coverage of UFC 198, including business notes including early estimates on success, ramifications of the show, match-by-match coverage, looking at the judging of close fights and poll results.

        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 sent to you today. 

        Also in this issue:

        • Elite Lucha Libre changes its date once again
        • New booking plans for the promotion at its Night of Champions show to crown two new champions
        • What this teams for the tournament
        • Who are in the two title tournaments
        • An arena that has housed more wrestling than all but a few in the world will no longer have regular shows after 73 straight years
        • The breakup of Mexico’s Los Ingobernables
        • Dorian Roldan talks AAA departures including Konnan, Alberto Del Rio and others
        • More notes on the upcoming World Cup
        • Update on the annual King of Gate tournament
        • Joe Doering sends message to All Japan fans
        • Two of Japan’s biggest legends wrestle for the first time this past week
        • Next Suzuki-gun show
        • New Japan key performers injured
        • New Naito feud starting
        • Sad story involving husband and wife pro wrestling Hall of Famers
        • Another pro wrestling Hall of Famer in the middle of an Olympic scandal
        • Chael Sonnen debuts a new form of pro wrestling with backing by major streaming company with many UFC elements including real matches
        • Notes on a number of different Hall of Famer ceremonies
        • Notes on Ultima Lucha tapings
        • Notes on all the Lucha Underground tapes for 2017 done this past week
        • A look at new characters and storylines and the built to Ultima Lucha
        • ROH Best in the World lineup
        • A look at the next four weeks of ROH television
        • A look at the ROH show in New York
        • TNA business update
        • Notes on revenue sharing and TV ad rates
        • Notes on why the change in TV schedule isn’t a good sign
        • Another bad sign from TV station
        • Notes on the next TNA PPV
        • Notes on the next TNA TV tapings and what they say
        • Real story behind who is owed money and why it’s not a direct TNA issue
        • Lots of new UFC fights
        • UFC PPV number updates
        • UFC Hall of Fame news and career of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
        • Floyd Mayweather continues to push for a Conor McGregor fight
        • Next UFC show
        • Details on the next season of Ultimate Fighter
        • Exactly what UFC fighters are banned from doing under their contract
        • Update on UFC drug test results
        • Update on Paige VanZant
        • Lots of new UFC fights
        • Bellator strips two champions and why
        • Why Bellator cut Will Brooks
        • Notes on the last Bellator show in San Jose with pay records
        • This week’s Bellator show
        • Update on Aaron Pico

        Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

        Check out the latest Online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: April 12, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WrestleMania 15 business, All Japan’s Tokyo Dome show – Early Wrestlemania 15 numbers, All Japan Tokyo Dome show notes, more. Plus all the usual news and notes you can only get right here.

        The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.

        Also in this issue:

        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 sent to you today. 

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        Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

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      • Lion’s Gate Project 2 results: NOAH vs. New Japan eight man tag

        Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Hirai Kawato

        This is a battle between New Japan (Kuwato) and NOAH (Kiyomiya) rookies. NOAH young lions wear green instead of black like in New Japan, but both are required to have boston crab as finishers, as was the case here. A lot of the match was Kuwato being worked on. Kiyomiya got the win with a Boston Crab. Kuwato wasn’t pleased after the match and the two brawled for a bit, slapping and kicking each other.

        Shiro Tomoyose vs. Teruaki Kanemitsu

        Apparently my theory about all NOAH rookies wearing green was wrong. Tomoyose is a NOAH rookie as well, but is wearing black. Apparently all NOAH rookies choose a color to wear, and Tomoyose’s color is black. Kanemitsu is taller than Tomoyose, but Tomoyose is more stout and looks a bit more physically imposing. He controlled a lot of the match, but Kanemitsu made a comeback and had him in a Boston crab for a long time. He eventually escaped, but Kanemitsu had his arm and was going for a submission when the bell rang, a time limit draw. Good, basic match.

        Kanemitsu went for a handshake after the match but Tomoyose would have none of it. Tomoyose eventually was convinced to shake hands, but then Kanemitsu tricked him by slapping the taste out of his mouth and bailing. These New Japan kids are pretty rude this morning.

        Hitoshi Kumano vs. Ayato Yoshida

        Kumano is another NOAH rookie; he wears red. Yoshida represents Michinoku Pro. The latter had a lot of good looking strikes. This was solid, if not unspectacular.  Kuwano got the win with a chokeslam/spinebuster combination.

        Yoshinari Ogawa vs. David Finlay

        Finlay showed a lot of great fire early. In terms of presence and look he really outshines White, who is a bit better in the ring. Ogawa controlled a lot of the match and kept it on the ground, working on Finlay’s left arm. Finlay made a good comeback and kicked out of a back suplex. Finlay looked like he was going to capture Ogawa’s arm in an armbar, but in transition Ogawa held him down and pinned him. Cool finish to a pretty solid match.

        Captain NOAH & Genba Hirayanagi vs. Muhammed Yone & Ryusuke Taguchi

        This was a total comedy match, at least the first half of it. Genba’s gimmick apparently is that he likes to use the testicular claw on everyone, as he did during the early parts of the match. Taguchi wore an afro like Yone’s, I guess to match. NOAH and Taguchi had a chop battle and Taguchi teased doing the Flair flop, since that is Jado’s thing (he’s Captain NOAH, spoilers) but NOAH fell anyway. This was VERY LONG. Not terrible or anything but felt way longer than it needed to be. This was at least a twenty minute segment or longer when it needed to be half that.

        Taguchi finally got the win for his team after two sliding hip attacks on Genba. Captain NOAH cut a promo after the match. No idea what he said.

        Naomichi Marufuji vs. Jay White

        This was pretty good. White does the little things Finlay doesn’t that really add to the match, though Finlay is a bit more dynamic in what he does. Marufuji gained control early but White made a comeback and hit some very nice spots. This was one of the first times where he did more than just the basic stuff he does in his prelim matches and didn’t look totally out of place, though there were a few moments that looked a bit off. Shiozaki eventually cut him off and won with the sliced bread. This was given some decent time and was a very good match while it lasted.

        Go Shiozaki vs. Juice Robinson

        Juice has definately improved since working regularly in Japan. I wouldn’t say he’s as good as Finlay or White, but he’s perfectly fine and doesn’t look lost out there – he gets it. Much like the story of other matches on this card, Shiozaki worked on Robinson after dodging some punches and was in control until Robinson made a comeback. He kept kicking out of nearfalls, but eventually he could not kick out of a sick lariat dished out by Shiozaki, and that was the end of Robinson. Pretty solid match.

        Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima, Maybach Taniguchi, Masa Kitamiya & Quiet Storm

        New Japan old guard were the faces here. Storm and Nakanishi traded big guy spots, which is funny since Storm is about a head shorter than Nakanishi. I’ve complained on here before that no one should buy Nakanishi and Nagata’s finish because they’ve never submitted anyone with the armbar/torture rack they do. Well this time, it actually did work. While Nagata didn’t have an armbar in, he did pin Quiet Storm with a backdrop suplex while Nakanishi had Taniguchi in the torture rack. Perfectly okay eight man tag, but nothing memorable.

        Nagata got a mic and introduced his two guys that are training in the New Japan dojo. One is Ota, who is a high level wrestler, and Kitamura, who is also a wrestler and jacked to the gills. He teased they might wrestle on the next Lion’s Gate show.

        For the most part, everything was good. Marufuji/White was probably the best match on the show.

      • May 23, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE Extreme Rules preview, Vince McMahon sells portion of WWE stock, tons more

        In theory, WWE interest should start picking up over the next few weeks with the Money in the Bank PPV on 6/19 from the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, SummerSlam on 8/21 from the Barclays Center, and returns of injured stars John Cena, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt and Neville as well as Brock Lesnar and theoretically Paul Heyman for some Raw shows.

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