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  • Daily Update: Smackdown live tonight, Dean Ambrose injury

    WWE Smackdown is live tonight on USA Network, and features Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler and Tag Champions The New Day vs. The Lucha Dragons. Our Steve Khan will have your live coverage starting at 8 PM EST. 

    WWE is aware that last night’s Slammy Awards weren’t the most exciting of all time, made worse by the fact that several winners weren’t in the building.  There are discussions today about tweaking the format, including the idea of doing voting in advance so if someone wins and won’t be there, they can air a pre-tape.  Bryan and Mike talk a lot about this and other potential options on today’s new Wrestling Observer Live radio show and also Jeff Hamlin’s live coverage from last night.

    And no, the Slammys are not rigged.  Poor Joey Styles, wasting two days of his life arguing about this with people on Twitter.  Actually, that’s his fault.  Check out full results from last night.

    Impact has a soft debut on POP TV tonight with a best-of show that was originally going to air on Destination America before DA pulled the plug.  Next week will be a look at the TNA World Title tournament.  The actual launch that they will be plugging and promoting takes place in two weeks.

    PRO WRESTLING NOAH’S FINAL BIG SHOW OF THE YEAR IS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT THE TOKYO OTA WARD GYM

    Yoshinari Ogawa & Hitoshi Kumano vs. Yoshihiro Takayama & Kaito Kiyomiya

    Mohammed Yone & Mitsuhiro Kitamiya & Akitoshi Saito vs. Quiet Storm & Genba Hirayanagi & Captain NOAH

    Kenou vs. Hajime Ohara

    Maybach Taniguchi vs. Go Shiozaki

    Takashi Sugiura vs. Takashi Iizuka no DQ

    Shelton Benjamin vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima

    Daisuke Harada & Atsushi Kotoge vs. Desperado & Taka Michinoku for GHC jr. tag titles

    Taichi vs. Taiji Ishimori for GHC jr. title – Ishimori puts up his hair and name against the belt

    Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Colt Cabana & Chris Hero for GHC tag titles

    Minoru Suzuki vs. Naomichi Marufuji for GHC title

    The USA Network will air Tribute to the Troops on Wednesday night at 8 p.m., a taped show from Jacksonville.

    Figure Four Weekly

    Figure Four Weekly (12/21/15): Hulk Hogan and Nelson Frazier Lawsuit Updates
    Transcript gives new insight into the FBI/Gawker dispute, plus WWE gives us a peek at what their termination notices look like in the Nelson Frazier wrongful death lawsuit.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    Conor McGregor winning the UFC featherweight title, the story behind UFC 194 and the path of Roman Reigns to the WWE title are the lead stories in the new double issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter with coverage of so many major shows over the past week.

    We look at McGregor’s financial  goals, the business of UFC 194 and the records set, early PPV projections, what is next for McGregor, TV viewership numbers in the U.S. and Brazil, , as well as the path of McGregor to being the No. 1 male star in the promotion.  We look at Frankie Edgar as a contender, potential of UFC 200 if Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor are booked on the same show, the last two PPV shows, Rousey vs. McGregor as draws, Luke Rockhold’s middleweight title win, looking at the Yoel Romero vs. Chris Weidman judging and the future of the middleweight division.

    We also look at the path of Roman Reigns to the WWE title, the increased viewership on Raw, where the new viewers came from and how viewership differed from recent weeks.  We look at the reaction to Reigns, and the storylines that led to that reaction.

    We’ve also got complete rundowns on WWE TLC, NXT Takeover, as well as all three UFC events, including match-by-match coverage, business notes, star ratings and more.

    We also have a look at Mauro Ranallo’s signing with WWE, his background, how the deal came to fruition and the path from announcing pro wrestling on TV while a teenage on national television in  Canada to the WWE 30 years ago, with stops in kickboxing, MMA and boxing in between.

    PLUS MUCH MORE! CLICK HERE FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW

    The Latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter: December 21, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Conor McGregor wins UFC Featherweight title, Roman Reigns WWE Champion

    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. 

    Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

    Check out the latest Online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: November 9, 1998 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Jesse Ventura wins Minnesota Governor election, WCW trailing WWF, more
    Jesse Ventura becomes the Governor of Minnesota, WCW begins trailing WWF, ECW November to Remember recap, plus tons of news.

    TODAY’S DAILY UPDATE

    • If you are a producer at radio station and are interested in airing Wrestling Observer Live, either the 12 PT/3 ET live show or the replay edition at 5 PT/8 ET, email bryan@wrestlingobserver.com and he can put you in touch with Darren Peck at Sports Byline USA.  Obviously, if you run a wrestling website you can “syndicate” the show yourself using the TuneIn Radio link available here and on the front page of this website.
    • Dean Ambrose needed six staples in his head following his cage match with Sheamus on Raw Monday night.

    WWE/Pro Wrestling

    • NXT tomorrow has the return of Sami Zayn vs. Tye Dillinger, THE DRIFTER Elias Samson vs. Bull Dempsey, plus Chad Gable & Jason Jordan vs. Blake & Murphy vs. Vaudevillains vs. Hype Bros.
    • 2K Sports released a new DLC pack for WWE 2K16 today in the form of the Legends Pack. It includes The Big Boss Man, Trish Stratus, Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, Lita, and Mr. Perfect. You can purchase it for $7.99 or as part of the DLC season pass, which is $24.99 and gets you just everything 2K will release. There’s a trailer for the DLC pack on WWE’s YouTube channel. They also released a new update for the WWE Supercard mobile game focusing on older wrestlers.
    • Maryland Championship Wrestling runs this Saturday in Joppa, MD with Ethan Carter III, Ashley Massaro, Chyna, the debut of Sean Studd (Big John Studd’s son), and more.
    • Wrestle Kingdom 10 Preview Series: The Cleaner vs. The Time Splitter
    • Jacques Rougeau joins the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast. On not being able to use the Mountie gimmick in Canada: “I was doing such a great job of making The Mounties look bad in Canada that they suspended me on TV and I wasn’t allowed to be used on TV anymore. So the only way I was allowed to wrestle was if I took off the sleeves, the shirt and kept the black pants and they would announce me as Jacques Rougeau. Everyone knew me as Jacques Rougeau anyway so that was fun. I think [the RCMP] took it all a little too serious. Like in movies and everywhere else there is always dirty Cops or bad Cops but they don’t ban the movie because the Cop is crooked. But I think that my character was becoming so strong that eventually they decided and voted on it and sent a letter to Vince saying that I wasn’t allowed to wrestle on TV in Canada anymore. Eventually and after that they let that character go because it wasn’t helping me at all so I took a year off and came back a year and a half later with Carl Ouellet as The Quebecers ithe the same suit and our music was ‘We’re not the Mounties.’ So I think Vince wanted to get back at them in a way.“

    UFC/MMA

    Here is today’s FULL Daily Pro Wrestling History including International history: Daily pro wrestling history (12/21): Jeff Jarrett wins USWA Southern Title

  • WWE Smackdown live results: Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler

    Air Date: December 22, 2015 – Location: Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA

    The Big News:

    The New Day and Dean Ambrose successfully defended their respective titles on a live Smackdown show. Ambrose took a nasty bump on his head but appears to be fine.

    Show Recap:

    WWE Tag-Team Championships: Kofi Kingston & Big E (w/Xavier Woods) beat Lucha Dragons via pinfall

    There’s a full Christmas setup on the stage. Big E said they deserved the Slammy for best tag-team more than any team in history. Xavier Woods said they would send the Lucha Booties home with coal in their stockings. Kofi Kingston said they have a Christmas album to promote and they rhymed off some awful song titles to no reaction. They wished everyone a Booty Christmas and Happy New Day. Kalisto came out with a his Slammy award and they replayed the highlight from TLC.

    New Day got the heat on Sin Cara after Woods distracted him with the trombone. Kalisto made the hot tag but spilled to the outside after Woods pulled down the middle rope, and Big E followed by slamming him into the barricade. Eventually, Kalisto rolled out of a belly-to-belly suplex and tagged in Sin Cara.

    The Dragons each hit suicide dives but Sin Cara totally missed and Kingston had to sell it anyway. Kalisto hit Big E with Salida Del Sol but Woods distracted Sin Cara, who kicked Woods off the apron. Sin Cara tried a springboard moonsault but Big E caught him and hit the Big Ending for the win. Not much of a match.

    They announced The Usos vs. Alberto Del Rio and Rusev for tonight. Backstage, Santino put on the cobra sleeve and put a star on a Christmas tree. After Santino left, someone who they didn’t show took the star off the tree. (It’s Stardust… probably.)

    Dolph Ziggler, Charlotte, Tyler Breeze and Roman Reigns wished everyone a Merry Christmas in separate pre-taped skits. Ziggler and Reigns were completely sincere. Breeze called everyone uggos. Charlotte was disappointed she didn’t get a Range Rover for Christmas.

    Backstage, Dean Ambrose told Renee Young he has six staples in his head, and his jaw is still clicking after Ziggler superkicked him last week. Ambrose said he would burst Owens’ head like a tomato and would throw everything at Owens and Ziggler to would retain his title. He also called Owens a crybaby.

    8-Man Tag Match: The Wyatt Family beat Dudley Boyz, Ryback & Kane via pinfall

    The crowd buzzed when Braun Strowman and Kane faced off, but they quieted down as soon as they started wrestling. Strowman got the better of him but Kane eventually made a tag to Ryback. Harper caught him with a Michinoku driver and they got the heat again. Ryback made a hot tag to D-von who ran wild on Bray Wyatt.

    D-Von hit a diving headbutt but Strowman broke up the cover, so Kane knocked him out of the ring. Strowman posted Kane though, and Rowan knocked Ryback over the barricade into the crowd. Harper superkicked D-Von on the outside and Bray hit Bubba with Sister Abigail for the win. The faces made brief comebacks but this was a pretty one-sided win.

    Backstage, Santino saw that his tree was knocked over and Stardust entered with the Ascension to mock him. Neville jumped in wearing an elf hat, with elf ears. Ascension threatened the little elf, so Titus O’Neil joined the party to even the odds. Stardust said Christmas was cancelled but they could save it if they beat the Ascension.

    U.S. Champion Alberto Del Rio & Rusev (w/Sheamus & King Barrett) beat The Usos via pinfall

    The crowd is dead, and the Usos each hitting dives to the outside didn’t wake them up. Del Rio won after hitting the double foot stomp on Jey Uso. The setup for this was worse than usual. Not much of a match.

    Afterwards, the League of Nations continued the attack but Roman Reigns ran out to make the save. Reigns tossed Sheamus over the announce table and hit Del Rio with a superman punch. An Uso superkicked Rusev, and Reigns followed with a superman punch. Reigns and the Usos stood tall as the League yelled at them from the ramp.

    Dean Ambrose, Santino, Becky Lynch, and New Day wished everyone happy holidays.

    Neville & Titus O’Neil (w/Santino) beat The Ascension (w/Stardust) via pinfall

    Santino did the introductions for his team and they came out to Christmas music. Santino called O’Neil as his favourite Irishman and Neville “the man gravity seems to consistency overlook.” The Ascension and Stardust backed Santino into a corner but Neville made the save, knocking out all three with a corkscrew dive. Neville hit Red Arrow on Viktor for the win.

    Backstage, Dolph Ziggler told Renee that the Intercontinental Title was special to him because it’s the first title he won on his own. Ziggler said he would win the title and 2016 would be his year. That seems unlikely.

    They aired a clip from Tribute to the Troops. They really focused on Roman Reigns.

    Non-Title: WWE Diva’s Champion Charlotte beat Brie Bella via submission

    On commentary, Becky Lynch said she was very proud of Charlotte for getting on the cover of Muscle & Fitness Hers. Michael Cole pressured her into telling us what’s more important to her – Charlotte’s friendship or the [women’s] title. She hesitated, but eventually said winning the title is her ultimate goal.

    Team B.A.D. came out during the match (to Sasha Banks’ music). They wore stupid Christmas outfits, including Banks as a snowman. They went straight to Lynch, poured eggnog on her head and attacked her. The story was that Charlotte saw it happening but didn’t help, applying the Figure Eight instead for the tap-out win. Cole in particular freaked out because it wasn’t even a title match, suggesting she should’ve helped.

    Backstage, Kevin Owens told Renee that he’s the real I.C. champion just like he’s the real Breakout Star of the Year. He said Smackdown was the Kevin Owens Show and he would walk out as champion. He left, not before telling Renee that she looks ridiculous (in her white Christmas dress/attire).

    Intercontinental Championship: Dean Ambrose beat Dolph Ziggler and Kevin Owens via pinfall

    After a break, Cole said Owens threw a Christmas hat at them on commentary. Jerry Lawler and Booker T made sure to clarify that Owens threw it specifically at Cole. Owens tossed Ziggler into the gifts and trees on the stage, and attacked Ambrose with gift boxes. Ambrose and Ziggler fought back and launched Owens off the stage on to some more Christmas stuff. Ambrose and Ziggler fought down to the ring and the crowd chanted for Ambrose.

    Owens popped back in the ring and held up Ziggler for an electric chair drop but Ziggler slipped out, superkicked Ambrose, Owens superkicked Ziggler and Ambrose clotheslined Owens. Ziggler hit an X-Factor off the top but Owens pulled him out of the ring and threw him into the steel steps.

    Ziggler applied a sleeper on Owens, so Owens did his running senton onto Ambrose with Ziggler still on his back. Owens posted Ziggler and hit a nasty suplex on Ambrose. Ambrose landed right on his head and they replayed it repeatedly. As the referee checked on Ambrose, Owens went outside and sent Ziggler into the barricade with a fallaway slam.

    Ambrose recovered somehow and hooked Owens in for Dirty Deeds, but Ziggler jumped them from behind to hit a Zig Zag as Ambrose hit Owens with Dirty Deeds all at once. Cool spot. Ziggler superkicked Owens out of the ring and Ambrose hit Ziggler with Dirty Deeds for the win. 

    Fun match and the crowd popped big for Ambrose. Ambrose swung the title around and posed on the steel steps as the show ended. Cole said Owens was destroying a tree as this happened.

    Final Thoughts:

    This was a very normal Smackdown show, despite being live and having two title matches. The main event was worth watching. Hopefully Dean Ambrose is fine.

  • November 9, 1998 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Jesse Ventura wins Minnesota Governor election, WCW trailing WWF, more

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    Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

  • Figure Four Weekly (12/21/15): Hulk Hogan and Nelson Frazier Lawsuit Updates

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    Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

  • Full list of 2015 WWE Slammy Award Winners

    Superstar of the Year: Seth Rollins

    Diva of the Year: Nikki Bella

    Rivalry of the Year: The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar

    WWE Tag Team of the Year: The Usos

    Breakout Star of the Year: Neville

    Match of the Year: The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar at Hell in a Cell

    Double-Cross of the Year: Damien Mizdow eliminates The Miz from the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania

    “This is Awesome!” Moment of the Year: The Rock and Ronda Rousey confront The Authority at WrestleMania 31

    LOL! Moment of the Year: R-Truth misunderstands his status (Raw, June 8; SmackDown, Nov. 19)

    The “OMG!” Shocking Moment of the Year: Kalisto’s Salida del Sol through a ladder at WWE TLC

    Extreme Moment of the Year: Roman Reigns levels The League of Nations and Triple H at WWE TLC

    Surprise Return of the Year: Sting returns, posing as Seth Rollins’ statue, and attacks The Architect (Raw, Aug. 24)

    Best John Cena U.S. Open Challenge: John Cena vs. Cesaro (Raw, July 6)

    The Hero in All of Us Award: John Cena

    Hashtag of the Year: #SuplexCity

    Celebrity Moment of the Year: Stephen Amell dives onto Stardust at SummerSlam

    “Tell Me You Didn’t Just Say That” Moment of the Year: Brock Lesnar coins “Suplex City” at WrestleMania

    Best Original WWE Network Show: Stone Cold Podcast

  • Paul Heyman backstage at WWE RAW

    Paul Heyman is backstage at Raw right now in Minneapolis.

    We don’t have it confirmed that Brock Lesnar is there, but it would makesense with it being the Slammy Awards show and this being in Minneapolis, where he lived for years.

    Tonight’s show should also get the ball rolling for this year’s Royal Rumble.

    Lesnar would be one of the leading candidates for the Superstar of the Year award.  Lesnar was not advertised as appearing on Raw until 1/11 in New Orleans, at which point he and Heyman would be appearing fairly regularly through WrestleMania.

    Check out our live coverage of WWE RAW.

    Sign up now to listen to Wrestling Observer Radio tonight with Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez discuss the fallout of WWE RAW tonight.

  • Daily Update: Slammy Awards, WrestleMania 2017

    We’re looking for reports from Minneapolis and Raw tonight with dark matches, Superstars matches and anything else not evident from the live show.

    We’re looking for your thoughts on Saturday night’s UFC show, Friday night’s ROH Final Battle and Wednesday night’s NXT Takeover, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave Meltzer

    Smackdown will air live on the USA Network at 8 p.m. on Tuesday from Des Moines.  The New Day vs. Lucha Dragons for the tag team titles has been announced.

    PRO WRESTLING NOAH’S FINAL BIG SHOW OF THE YEAR IS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT THE TOKYO OTA WARD GYM

    Yoshinari Ogawa & Hitoshi Kumano vs. Yoshihiro Takayama & Kaito Kiyomiya

    Mohammed Yone & Mitsuhiro Kitamiya & Akitoshi Saito vs. Quiet Storm & Genba Hirayanagi & Captain NOAH

    Kenou vs. Hajime Ohara

    Maybach Taniguchi vs. Go Shiozaki

    Takashi Sugiura vs. Takashi Iizuka no DQ

    Shelton Benjamin vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima

    Daisuke Harada & Atsushi Kotoge vs. Desperado & Taka Michinoku for GHC jr. tag titles

    Taichi vs. Taiji Ishimori for GHC jr. title – Ishimori puts up his hair and name against the belt

    Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Colt Cabana & Chris Hero for GHC tag titles

    Minoru Suzuki vs. Naomichi Marufuji for GHC title

    Smackdown will air live on the USA Network at 8 p.m. on Tuesday from Des Moines.  The New Day vs. Lucha Dragons for the tag team titles has been announced.

    The USA Network will air Tribute to the Troops on Wednesday night at 8 p.m., a taped show from Jacksonville.

    Figure Four Weekly

    Figure Four Weekly 12/14/2015: Hogan sex tape police report released
    Gawker releases the police report in the Hulk Hogan sex tape investigation.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    Conor McGregor winning the UFC featherweight title, the story behind UFC 194 and the path of Roman Reigns to the WWE title are the lead stories in the new double issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter with coverage of so many major shows over the past week.

    We look at McGregor’s financial  goals, the business of UFC 194 and the records set, early PPV projections, what is next for McGregor, TV viewership numbers in the U.S. and Brazil, , as well as the path of McGregor to being the No. 1 male star in the promotion.  We look at Frankie Edgar as a contender, potential of UFC 200 if Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor are booked on the same show, the last two PPV shows, Rousey vs. McGregor as draws, Luke Rockhold’s middleweight title win, looking at the Yoel Romero vs. Chris Weidman judging and the future of the middleweight division.

    We also look at the path of Roman Reigns to the WWE title, the increased viewership on Raw, where the new viewers came from and how viewership differed from recent weeks.  We look at the reaction to Reigns, and the storylines that led to that reaction.

    We’ve also got complete rundowns on WWE TLC, NXT Takeover, as well as all three UFC events, including match-by-match coverage, business notes, star ratings and more.

    We also have a look at Mauro Ranallo’s signing with WWE, his background, how the deal came to fruition and the path from announcing pro wrestling on TV while a teenage on national television in  Canada to the WWE 30 years ago, with stops in kickboxing, MMA and boxing in between.

    PLUS MUCH MORE! CLICK HERE FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW

    The Latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter: December 21, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Conor McGregor wins UFC Featherweight title, Roman Reigns WWE Champion

    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. We’ve got coverage of every major PPV event and world wide spectacular, every major star switching promotions, histories of companies like FMW, Rings and New Japan, retirement and obit issues of every major star who fits into those descriptions over the past 11 years, as well as our biggest issue every year, the annual awards issue, and our most controversial issue of every year, the Hall of Fame issue.

    Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

    TODAY’S DAILY UPDATE

    Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer radio covering tonight’s Slammy Awards and Raw, as well as the rest of the latest news.  We will also be answering e-mail questions that you can send to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com

    It will be interesting to see if Minneapolis, where Raw is coming from tonight, is announced as the host city of the 2017 WrestleMania.  There were people in the company expecting that would happen tonight months ago, but I’ve heard nothing in that direction in recent weeks.

    No word on any surprise people but with Superstar of the Year, a legit voting contest, there are candidates like John Cena and Brock Lesnar who haven’t been on Raw lately.  WWE 2015 Slammy Awards winners & nominees

    Wrestling Observer Back Issue:17 years ago in the Observer headlined by Jesse Ventura winning the election for Governor of Minnesota, which led to some embarrassing storylines with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, who didn’t like him.

    Greg Gilleland has been promoted from Business Manager of ROH to General Manager.

    New Japan has added a new championship, called the Never six man tag team titles.  The match at the 1/4 Tokyo Dome with Toru Yano & Mark & Jay Briscoe vs. Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga & Yujiro Takahashi will determine the first champions.

    WWE

    • Sisters, where John Cena has a role, opened at $13,922,855, in the No. 3 spot this weekend.  Everyone went to Star Wars, which set the all-time opening weekend records at $248 million domestic and $525 including worldwide.  The old U.S. record was Jurassic World at $209 million.  Spectre, with Dave Bautista, was No. 11 in week seven.  It was No. 4 in Australia as well (thanks to James Stanios)
    • Wale has released a new song about Sasha Banks
    • Smackdown will be airing live not just on the USA Network tomorrow but also on Sportsnet 360 in Canada at 8 p.m. Eastern time.  We’ll have live coverage on the front page.
    • Sportsnet 360 will be doing a free WWE Network marathon from 7 p.m.on 12/24 through 8 p.m. on 12/25.  It will air whatever is on the main feed of the network.
    • Sportsnet also has more WWE programming than usual this week with Raw tonight, Smackdown at 8 p.m. Tuesday live, Smackdown replayed at 8 p.m. Wednesday in its usual time slot, and Smackdown again at 8 p.m. Friday (thanks to Steve Khan)
    • Daniel Bryan’s very good autobiography will be released in July on paperback.
    • WWE announced a 3/13 house show in Hershey, PA.
    • Tommy Dreamer and Blue Meanie are appearing at a winter coat drive at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis, which is across the street from the Target Center, where Raw takes place.
    • Laura Martin of Needham & Company, a stock analyst who has been super bullish on the WWE Network from the start, claiming that their three to four million subscriber goals were low, published a note about content creators cutting their own throats.  She wrote about how WWE in 2013 got $6.37 per viewer per hour on PPV and after moving to OTT, they are now getting 67 cents per view per hour.  She warned Viacom and  Time Warner could follow suit if they pursue recently announced lower ad rate strategies.  Here is the story.
    • Stock closed today up six cents to $17.26 per share. 

    UFC/MMA

    • Valentina Shevchenko, who debuted on Saturday’s UFC show, is on a Dancing with the Stars type show in Peru at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UaJt3ar
    • Cheick Kongo vs. Augusto Sakai was announced for the 2/26 Bellator show in Mulvane, KS as a main card fight.  That’s the show headlined by Marcos Galvao defending the bantamweight title against Eduardo Dantas.
    • The World Series of Fighting has announced a 1/23 show at the Fed Ex Forum in Memphis with Mike Ricci vs. Caros Fodor as the main event and Teddy Holder vs. Shamil Gamzatov.  Those matches sound really tough to sell tickets in such a large arena as that.
    • Emerson Witner looks at UFC 3

    OTHER PRO WRESTLING

    • Pro Wrestling NOAH has its final major show of the year on Wednesday night at the Ota Ward Gym in Tokyo.  They’ve had Suzuki-gun run through NOAH all year and claim they will finish it off.  Suzuki claimed after he beats Naomichi Marufuji in the main event, he’s going to attack Kenta Kobashi, who will be at the show as an announcer.  Taiji Ishimori will also shave his head and change his name if he fails to win the jr. title from Taichi.
    • AAW on Saturday night in Merrionette Park, IL at 115 Bourbon Street has Eddie Kingston vs. Ethan Page in a cage match, AR Fox vs. Sami Callihan, Kongo Kong vs. Russ Jones, Chris Hero vs. Davey Richards, Davey Vega vs. Louis Lyndon and Tommaso Ciampa, Michael Elgin, Colt Cabana, Silas Young, Zero Gravity and more.
    • Davey Richards was announced as the second man in the 1026 ECWA Super 8 tournament on 4/23 in Woodbury Heights, NJ.  He follows Jason Kincaid.
    • Supreme Pro Wrestling from Sunday in Sacramento:  Dan Reynoso & Brittni Barger b Sir Samurai & Christina Von Eerie (this match was taped for the PBS TV show Beyond Geek), J.J. King b Jean Erick, JR Kratos b T-Lo & Jonnny Yen in a handicap match, Ethan White b Joe DeSoul-DQ, Big Ugly JD Bishop won four-way, Virgil Flynn b Daniel Torch-COR, Michael Hayashi b Airon Skye, Rik Luxury & Corvus & Sir Samurai & Drake Frost, Brian Tannen b Scoot Robertson to keep the SPW title.  Next show is 1/17 with Hayashi vs. Bishop for the Extreme title and Samurai & Frost challenge Luxury & Corvus & Truex for the tag titles, but in a trios match.  (thanks to Mike Millerick)
    • GSW on 1/2 in Moosic, PA at the Youth Center.
    • Maryland Championship Wrestling on 12/26 in Joppa, MD at the MCW Arena with Chyna, Ashley Massaro, Ethan Carter III and the debut of Sean Studd, the son of John Studd.
    • Rockstar Pro Wrestling on Wednesday night at the Rockstar Pro Arena in Dayton with all tickets $6.
    • The kids of former ECW wrestler Danny Doring were in a scared by Santa contest.
    • Josh Olsen has released a new wrestling book called “Working Stiff:  The Anthology of Professional Wrestling Literature and Art.”  Longtime reader Lavie Margolan has a short piece on attending a Herb Abrams UWF taping with his father in 1991.

    Here is today’s FULL Daily Pro Wrestling History including International history: Daily pro wrestling history (12/21): Jeff Jarrett wins USWA Southern Title

  • WWE RAW live results: The Slammy Awards, plus post-show notes

    The Big Takeaway: 

    Slammies were given out. Only major news item on the show was John Cena is returning next week. The show was focused on getting the League of Nations over as a heel group. 

    Show Recap:

    Stephanie McMahon started the show smiling. She said McMahons don’t wallow in their self-pity, so she won’t let Roman Reigns get her down tonight. Reigns showed up smiling because he was the new champion. He suspected that McMahon had something up her sleeve, but he doesn’t sweat any of the McMahons or HHH. Roman said he hasn’t seen HHH since he laid him out at TLC, but he told her to tell HHH he wasn’t hard to find, he was the one wearing the gold. 

    Stephanie ordered him to get out of her ring. Reigns just laughed at her. Stephanie shrieked as Reigns kept laughing and the fans chanted “no.’ Reigns said the fans didn’t want him to leave. Roman asked the fans if they wanted to see her get really mad, and he turned his back to her. Stephanie screamed at him to get back in the ring, saying “How dare you turn your back to me!” They love taking lines from “Gladiator.” 

    Reigns kept smiling and walked back up through the crowd. Fans were cheering as he made his way up the crowd as Stephanie ordered him to get back in the ring. Roman ignored repeated threats. Stephanie got so mad that she ordered Reigns’ cousins, the Usos, to wrestle the New Day. Reigns no sold that.  Then she ordered Dean Ambrose to wrestle Sheamus in a steel cage. 

    Dolph Ziggler came out for the first Slammy Award for the “Breakout Star of the Year.” The nominees were Kevin Owens, Neville, Charlotte, Tyler Breeze and Braun Strowman. 

    The winner was Neville. His acceptance speech was interrupted by Owens, who said he should have won. Owens got cheered. He ordered Neville to take a walk. Neville complied. What the hell kind of booking was that? They should have handed Neville a shovel so he can bury himself. Owens turned his ire to Ziggler, claiming that the only way Ziggler could win a Slammy was if they awarded “Has-Been of the Year.” That led to a pull-apart brawl with Ziggler fighting in his tuxedo. 

    Kane defeated Bray Wyatt by DQ (:53)

    They spilled over to the floor where Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and Strowman jumped Kane for the DQ. The Dudley Boyz and Tommy Dreamer ran out for the save, starting up yet another eight man between these teams. 

    The Wyatt Family defeated Kane, Tommy Dreamer and the Dudley Boyz (2:47) 

    Harper pinned Devon Dudley with a lariat. The Dudley Boyz gave Harper Wazzup, but Strowman clothesline do both Dudleys. Kane clotheslined Strowman over the top rope before the finish. 

    Santino Marella came out for the “LOL Moment of the Year.” Crowd was happy to see Marella. Nominees were the New Day and it’s showdown with Edge and Christian; the Bushwackers being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame; the Miz world premiere of his erectile dysfunction commercial where he turned out the Miz was the one who got over; R-Trtuh cutting a promo for the Money in the Bank match he wasn’t even competing in; and the New Day dancing with Stephanie, while HHH reluctantly joined in.

    R-Truth was the winner. Santino accepted the award for R-Truth because he’s never won a Slammy before, which the audience kind of groaned at. R-Truth came out and demanded the award. Santino took off running with the Slammy and R-Truth chased him. 

    Santa Claus cut a promo wishing everyone a Merry Chirstmas. Of course, it was Mick Foley. His daughter Noelle and son Dewey were dressed as elves. 

    Paul Heyman came out to present a Slammy. He said aside from LOL and Diva of the Year, every Slammy should go to Brock Lesnar. The award was the “OMG Shocking Moment of the Year.” Nominees were Seth Rollins cashing in the briefcase at WrestleMania; Lesnar giving Michael Cole and a random cameraman F-5s the night after WrestleMania; Kalisto delivering Solina del Sol on Jimmy Uso at TLC off the top of a ladder onto another ladder; Sheamus cashing in the briefcase and pinning Reigns at Survivor Series, ending Reigns 1st world title reign after 5:15; and the Wyatt Family jumping the Undertaker at the end of their Hell in a Cell match. 

    Kalisto was the winner. He came out wearing a mask in a three-piece suit, which reminded me of Mil Mascaras in the dying days of World Class Wrestling. Crowd didn’t really react to him. Weird to see Kalisto and Heyman out there together. There was a photo tweeted of Owens waiting in the ring taking a nap against a turnbuckle as Kalisto did the promo. 

    Kevin Owens defeated Dolph Ziggler (12:05)

    More good stuff from Ziggler. Owens won with the Pop-Up Power Bomb after Ziggler tried to give him a Zig Zag. Ziggler had just hit a Famouser for a two count. Ziggler has really upped his game over the last six months. Nothing new regarding an Ambrose-Owens program tonight, so it remains to be seen if that’s a program that fell through the cracks or if it’s on a one week sabbatical. 

    Stephanie came out to present the Superstar of the Year Slammy. Everyone on the roster was nominated. Reigns, Sheamus, John Cena, Owens, Ambrose, Wyatt, The New Day, Lesnar, the Undertaker, Kane, Rollins, and Sting were highlighted in an excellent video package. 

    Stephanie announced Rollins as the winner. Rollins came out on crutches to a good babyface reaction, and the announcers put him over like he was a face. There was even a “Thank you, Seth” chant. Rollins wasn’t shilling a bit, going full arrogant saying there was no other option for Superstar of the Year. He brought up his performance at the Royal Rumble in the three-way against Cena and Lesnar, winning the championship at WrestleMania, etc. As quickly as the success came, one wrong landing made it all disappear. 

    Rollins turned serious and said in 2016, he would redesign Seth Rollins, he would rebuild himself and he will reclaim a championship he never lost. 

    Alberto Del Rio (C) defeated Jack Swagger in a nontitle match (7:07) 

    Alberto Del Rio won with the Double Stomp on the Tree of Woe. Afterwards, Sheamus gave Jack Swagger the Brogue Kick. 

    Mark Hery came out to present the “Hero in All of Us” Award. This was an award presented to various wrestlers who help out with charity. Nominees were: Natalya for her work with the Special Olympics and the USO; Reigns for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the Dosomething.org campaign; the Big Show for the U.S. Armed Forces and the Special Olympics; Titus O’Neal for his commitment to help the homeless; Cena for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

    Cena was the winner to wide cheers. Fans weren’t as happy when it was announced he wasn’t there. Henry accepted the award for Cena and appeared a little choked up, perhaps knowing this was the last time he would be at a Slammy presentation as an active wrestler. 

    They announced non televised Slammy Winners, including Lesnar vs. Undertaker as Rivalry of the Year; the Stone Cold Podcast as Best WWE Network Show; Damien Mizdow winning Double Cross of the Year (knocking off Del Rio in an upset); and Reigns leveling HHH as Extreme Moment of the Year. 

    Supposedly, Santa Claus came out to present the award for Surprise Return of the Year. It was Bo Dallas under the outfit. Nominees were the Dudleys, Chris Jericho, Del Rio (with Zeb Coulter not mentioned or even shown), Kane (?), and Sting. 

    The winner was Sting, who was also absent. Crowd wasn’t happy about that one either. 

    New Day were out and unhappy that they didn’t get the Slammy for Tag Team of the Year. As revenge, Big E. Was going to ruin the ending to the latest Star Wars movie, but Kofi Kingston didn’t want that because his son hadn’t seen the film yet. The Usos came out with new music. 

    The Usos defeated the New Day in a 2-on-3 handicap match (10:57) 

    Jey Uso pinned Xaiver Woods after reversing an Rolling Reverse Cradle. Pretty good match but the fans were getting worn out by this point. Fans chanted for Bayley. How about we keep that one quiet before she’s called up to the main roster and buried faster than you can say “Miss Universe is Miss Colombia?” 

    R-Truth, who retrieved his Slammy from Santino, came out to present the Diva of the Year. Nominees were: Nikki Bella, Naomi, Paige, Sasha Banks, and Charlotte. 

    Paige was announced as the winner. Paige and R-Truth embraced. It appeared R-Truth tried to put his handprint on her ass because she had to push him off. Paige acted like a heel. Did she tun again since TLC? Of course, this was the Steve Harvey spot that you knew was coming. R-Truth said he had made a mistake and Paige was the runner-up. The winner was announced as Nikki Bella. Nikki came out and asked Paige to stick around. Nikki did a total babyface speech, dedicated the award to everyone. She and Paige embraced. 

    Rusev defeated Neville via submission (8:02) 

    Rusev got almost all the offense and got the submission win with the Accoldate. Neville attempted the Red Arrow but Rusev moved, Neville jumped off right into a thrust kick by Rusev. Post match, Sheamus gave Neville another Brogue Kick. 

    Miz, who was on commentary for the Neville match, presented the Slammy for the This is Awesome Moment of the Year: Nominees were Lesnar destroying J&J Security’s car; Randy Orton’s RKO of Rollins at WrestleMania; Stephanie McMahon starting the Divas Revolution; Ronda Rousey showing up at WrestleMania and the Shield reforming to power bomb Orton through an announcers table. 

    The Rock and Rousey at WrestleMania. No one reacted because they knew Rock nor Rousey wasn’t within 1,000 miles of the place. 

    Becky Lynch defeated Brie Bella via submission (5:11) 

    Becky Lynch won with Disarm-her after blocking Brie Bella’s La Magistral cradle. Charlotte was at ringside but didn’t interfere. Crowd has faded out. 

    Ric Flair came out to award the Slammy for Match of the Year. Nominees were Lesnar vs. Cena vs. Rollins at Royal Rumble: HHH vs. Sting at WrestleMania; Owens vs. Cena at the Elimination Chamber; Reings vs. Ziggler vs. Owens vs. Delp Rio in a Fatal Four Way #1 Contenders Match on Raw from November and Lesnar vs. Undertaker at Hell in a Cell. Why Cesaro vs. Cena in July wasn’t nominated is beyond me. 

    The winner was Undetaker vs. Lesnar. Lesnar’s music played, but of course he didn’t come out. Heyman did and got booed. Quite funny to see Flair and Heyman shake hands since Flair fired Heyman from WCW in 1990 over a promo Heyman gave where he went against Flair’s orders and basically put himself over. Fans chanted for Lesnar. Heyman said Lesnar has no desire to accept awards, he wants to show up for a fight. He said while the fans want Lesnar, no one in the locker room is man enough to want Lesnar. Heyman said the Undertaker stood toe-to-toe with Lesnar in a Hell in a Cell, and he paid tribute to Undertaker. Heyman tried to rally the fans with a babyface interview, but they wanted stars at this point. 

    The League of Nations jumped the Usos in the back. Rusev put Jimmy in the Accolade while Del Rio but Jey in the cross armbreaker. Sheamus gave them both Brogue kicks and said “2 down, one to go.” 

    Dean Ambrose (C) defeated Sheamus in a cage match (10:45) 

    Ambrose won by climbing over the cage when he and Sheamus had climbed over and slugged it out. After Sheamus hit a head butt, Ambrose fell to the floor. Once Sheamus hit the floor, Reigns hit him with a spear. Both men made several attempts to climb over the cage. Sheamus gave Ambrose White Noise off the top rope for a two count. Not even that spot could get the crowd buzzing. They fought again on the top rope where Sheamus crouched himself. Ambrose tried to climb over, but Rusev and Del Rio stopped him. So Ambrose jumped off the top of the cage with a hooking clothesline for a good near fall. Ambrose tried to get out of the cage, but Del Rio slammed the cage door into his face. Amazing to see something that drew millions in Dallas in the 80s used as a transition spot here. Reigns ran out of the crowd and gave Del Rio a spear, and hit Rusev with a Superman Punch. Sheamus tried to climb out, but Reigns met him at the top, had a staredown with him and threw a chair into the ring. Ambrose used the chair for several shots across the back, then hit Dirty Deeds. There was a very audible “Sheamus is boring” chant. Stephanie watched from the back. As Ambrose climbed in the ring, Sheamus gave him a Brogue Kick. Rusev and Del Rio put the boots to Ambrose before the match even started. 

    SUMMARY: 

    Show ran out of steam about 90 minutes in. The good news was Reigns got a good reaction the week after winning the strap. 

    Post-Show Notes from Eric Thibault:

    WWE returns on Friday March 4th for a Road To Wrestlemania house show.  The presale password is WWEPRE.

    Kids loved chanting New Day Rocks before the show. Definitely not as full as last Raw in August featuring Undertaker and Lesnar. 3/4 of upper level curtained off. 

    Pre-Show dark match:  Lucha Dragons vs. The Acension.  They went straight to big moves, Acension double teamed Kalisto for the heat one minute in. Hot tag to Sin Cara two minutes in. Kalisto and Sin Cara hit topes, then the Salida del sol and the Swanton for the victory in 3:30.

    Roman Reigns was cheered loudly during the opening video package.

    Nikki and Paige were really over. The League of Nations received little to no reaction during entrances, its matches or post match angles.

    Becky Lynch had a really cool, smoke filled entrance during the commercial break.

    This was the second time on RAW in Minneapolis in the last couple years that they teased Lesnar but didn’t deliver.

    Fans chanted “This is boring” during the cage match but flipped after Ambrose dove off the cage.  Ambrose and Roman celebrated on the ramp after the match.  No post match angle or match.

  • Daily Update: Conor McGregor responds to Diaz, TNA special added, ROH

    We’re looking for your thoughts on last night’s UFC show, Friday night’s ROH Final Battle and Wednesday night’s NXT Takeover, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave Meltzer

    We’re also looking for reports on today’s WWE show in Winnipeg (Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus, Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens, yesterday’s ROH TV tapings in Philadelphia and today’s 2CW shot at Dave Meltzer

    Monday will be the Slammy Award edition of Raw from the Target Center in Minneapolis.

    Smackdown will air live on the USA Network at 8 p.m. on Tuesday from Des Moines.  The New Day vs. Lucha Dragons for the tag team titles has been announced.

    The USA Network will air Tribute to the Troops on Wednesday night at 8 p.m., a taped show from Jacksonville.

    Figure Four Weekly

    Figure Four Weekly 12/7/2015: McDevitt comments on concussion lawsuits
    Details on Jerry McDevitt’s comments on the ongoing concussion lawsuits against WWE, Alan discusses potential candidates for 2015’s best rookie.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    Conor McGregor winning the UFC featherweight title, the story behind UFC 194 and the path of Roman Reigns to the WWE title are the lead stories in the new double issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter with coverage of so many major shows over the past week.

    We look at McGregor’s financial  goals, the business of UFC 194 and the records set, early PPV projections, what is next for McGregor, TV viewership numbers in the U.S. and Brazil, , as well as the path of McGregor to being the No. 1 male star in the promotion.  We look at Frankie Edgar as a contender, potential of UFC 200 if Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor are booked on the same show, the last two PPV shows, Rousey vs. McGregor as draws, Luke Rockhold’s middleweight title win, looking at the Yoel Romero vs. Chris Weidman judging and the future of the middleweight division.

    We also look at the path of Roman Reigns to the WWE title, the increased viewership on Raw, where the new viewers came from and how viewership differed from recent weeks.  We look at the reaction to Reigns, and the storylines that led to that reaction.

    We’ve also got complete rundowns on WWE TLC, NXT Takeover, as well as all three UFC events, including match-by-match coverage, business notes, star ratings and more.

    We also have a look at Mauro Ranallo’s signing with WWE, his background, how the deal came to fruition and the path from announcing pro wrestling on TV while a teenage on national television in  Canada to the WWE 30 years ago, with stops in kickboxing, MMA and boxing in between.

    PLUS MUCH MORE! CLICK HERE FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW

    The Latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter: December 21, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Conor McGregor wins UFC Featherweight title, Roman Reigns WWE Champion

    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@wrestlingobserver.com” target=”_blank”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com

    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. We’ve got coverage of every major PPV event and world wide spectacular, every major star switching promotions, histories of companies like FMW, Rings and New Japan, retirement and obit issues of every major star who fits into those descriptions over the past 11 years, as well as our biggest issue every year, the annual awards issue, and our most controversial issue of every year, the Hall of Fame issue.

    Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

    TODAY’S DAILY UPDATE

    We have two weekend Wrestling Observer radio shows up, one covering the ROH show and one covering the UFC show.  We’ll be back with a new show after Raw tomorrow.

    To clarify Nate Diaz saying that Joe Silva told him he was getting the next shot at Conor McGregor, which he said in an interview last night after the show with Ariel Helwani, we’re told that nobody knows where that came from but we’re told Silva never said that to him.  Conor McGregor, when talking about Diaz, Rafael dos Anjos and Charles Oliveira, all of whom challenged him last night, said, “Line them up on their knees with their hands out.  I want them to beg me.”  Diaz did the best interview, only nobody watching on television saw it since just about the entire interview was bleeped out.  At the press conference, Diaz said, and I’m not sure of this logic, that since McGregor already punked out dos Anjos at a press conference months ago, that nobody wants to see that fight and that he’d have a real fight with McGregor, not a fake fight.

    Ronda Rousey’s first major interview since losing the title will be on Wednesday with Kelly and Michael Strahan on ABC at 9 a.m.

    Michael Bennett and Maria Kanellis finished up with ROH last night.  It was pretty well acknowledged and everyone did a thank you for them at the end of the show.  They are expected to be headed to TNA, which is trying to debut new talent for its 1/5 show. A.J. Styles was at the ROH tapings last night and got involved in a finish but didn’t do a match as he was pretty banged up after his match with Jay Lethal on Friday. 

    Pop TV has added another TNA special, which will be on New Year’s Day at 1 a.m. called “This is Impact,” which will be a preview show to hype the final four in the world title series on 1/5.  TNA also announced that the 1/30 show in London will feature multiple cage matches as one of the two shows taped will be Lockdown, an all cage match television show.  They also announced a Monster’s Ball match on 1/29 in Manchester and a King of the Mountain match on 1/31 in Birmingham.  Names announced for the tour are Kurt Angle, Bobby Lashley, Matt Hardy, EC 3, Drew Galloway, Eric Young, Bobby Roode, Rockstar Spud, Grado, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards, Ken Anderson, Tigre Uno, Robbie E, Mandrews, Mahabili Shera, Gail Kim, Taryn Terrell, Velvet Sky, Madison Rayne, Abyss, Awesome Kong, Jessie Godderz, DJ Zema Ion, Eli Drake, Trevor Lee, Andrew Everett, Rebel, Tyrus, Marti Bell and Jade.

    WWE

    • WWE week begins tonight on the USA Network with the movie Santa’s Little Helper with Miz and Paige at 8 p.m.  Plus during the week from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. there will be WWE interviews with Big Show, Miz, Brie Bella and Stephanie McMahon, plus they will during the week be airing Dwayne Johnson movies such as The Rundown, Fast Five and GI Joe Retaliation.
    • Big E promotes the 12/26 house show in Detroit.  He said he’d like a singles match with Brock Lesnar.  When asked what would happen in a powerlifting competition between he and Mark Henry, he said, “In his heyday, I’d give him his due.  He would have beaten me handily.  He’s one of the strongest men to have ever walked the Earth. Right now, though, I’d smoke him.”

    UFC/MMA

    • The Final F4Wonline.com 2015 prediction standings for UFC

    Jack Encarnacao of Sherdog/Boston Herald 113-49 (69%)

    Steve Juon 105-57 (64%)

    David Bixenspan 104-58 (64%)

    Mike Sempervive 103-59 (63%)

    John Pollock 101-61 (62%)

    Dave Meltzer 101-61 (62%)

    Frontrow Brian 99-63 (61%) 

    Mike Sawyer 96-66 (59%)

    Josh Nason 91-71 (56%)

    • Weekend trending, UFC was No. 4 for Saturday behind the Dallas Cowboys, BYU Football and Alcorn State, with 100,000 searches.  Nate Diaz was No. 9 with 50,000 searches.  Nothing from the NXT show got 20,000 searches which was No. 2 for either Wednesday or Thursday.   

    MISCELLANEOUS

    • A story on Matt Riddle helping an area family whose house went on fire with fund raising
    • Amber Gallows, the wife of Doc Gallows, captured the NWA women’s title from Santana Garrett on Friday night in Sherman, TX.  Gallows formerly worked as Amber O’Neal, and made some New Japan appearances this year as the Bullet Club Babe. 
    • A high school wrestler died yesterday during a tournament in Iowa
    • Rock Solid Wrestling on 2/15 in Wasaga Beach, ONT at the Rec Plex with Cody Deaner vs. Anthony Darko as the main event.
    • Lucha Xtreme TV from last night in Fresno:  Manny Fernandez b Brandon Pinion loser leaves town, Mortal DCOR Brandon Groom, Mortal b Jesse Poole.
    • I Believe in Wrestling from last night in Orlando:  Brandon Scherer b Slade Porter, Tyranus b Rex Bacchus, Ace Andrews b CT Brown Josh Parker b Chico Adams, Mike Reed b Siniestro, Santana Garrett b Shaniah Ariyana to keep the Wonder of Stardom title, Jonny Vandal & Aaron Epic b Michael Patrick & Leo Brien-DQ.  Next show is 1/2 with a tag team title match with the titles being able to change hands via DQ plus Garrett and Rhett Giddins. (thanks to Al Haft)
    • Great North Wrestling on 2/27 in Hawkesbury, ONT at the Robert Hartley Arena with Jeremy Prophet vs. Hannibal and Carlito vs. Paul Rosenberg.
    • Johnny Mundo spoke with Alfred Konuwa of the PodNasty Wrestling Podcastduring last week’s Lucha Underground tapings. He talked about his current run in Lucha Underground and continued his war of words with former WWE champion Seth Rollins.  Mundo also talked about how Lucha Underground compares to other promotions, long-term goals and the Boone: the Bounty Hunter film which he wrote, directed and starred in. 

    Here is today’s FULL Daily Pro Wrestling History including International history: Daily pro wrestling history (12/20): Bret Hart defeats Goldberg to win WCW World Title

  • Ratings for UFC on FOX 17 disappointing

    The fast national ratings for Saturday’s UFC on FOX were disappointing as the show did a 0.9 in the key 18-49 demo and 2.28 million viewers.

    Keep in mind that this number covers what the FOX affiliates did between 8-10 p.m. Eastern, 7-9 p.m. Central, 6-8 p.m. Mountain and 8-10 p.m. Pacific time.  That means it doesn’t include the main event, which started at about 10 p.m. and figures in West Coast programming that wasn’t the UFC which aired from 5-7 p.m. Pacific.

    With the short main event, the growth from these numbers is unlikely to be as much as in most past FOX shows.

    The number was weak for a football season number for a UFC show, and more along the lines of a summer show. Also, UFC usually wins the 18-49 demo with the networks and here, it finished third as both ABC and CBS are listed as doing 1.1 for prelim numbers with ABC running the Democratic Debate (6.71 million viewers) and CBS running an NCIS repeat (5.15 million), a Criminal Minds repeat (5.20 million) and a 48 Hours repeat (5.80 million). FOX only beat NBC, which aired The Wiz repeat that did a 0.4 in the demo and 1.59 million viewers.

    The UFC also had to compete with an NFL game (Cowboys vs. Jets) on NFL Network, as well as people going to the movies to see the new Star Wars movie which has been crushing all-time box office numbers since it came out Thursday night.

    Actual numbers will be released on Monday or Tuesday.