Daily Update: PFL-Bellator, WWE Raw, Stardom
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This Week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter
November 20, 2023 Observer Newsletter: 2023 Hall of Fame issue
One of our two traditional biggest issues of the year of the Observer came out this week, the 2023 Hall of Fame issue:
2023 Hall of Fame voting standings for all candidatesHall of Fame coverage, career highlights of the seven new inductees and one major feature story on a European legend, plus who is off the ballot next year, who will be added to the ballot next year, every first ballot Hall of Famer, every person historically elected with more than 75 percent of the vote and the top 30 in each category for reporters, historians, active pros and retired pros.Match of the week and performer of the weekA look at Full Gear and Survivor SeriesUFC 295 full coverageThe end of an era with Bellator and MMA on ShowtimeCoverage of DDT's Ultimate Party with Chris Jericho, Hiromu Takahashi and a great title match on topPWG on hiatus and its ever changing role in pro wrestlingThe most complete ratings report, demo coverage, competition for the shows and segment-by-segment notes, plus comparisons with one year ago.Notes on Flip Gordon becoming a regular in CMLLNewcomers to watch out for including one spectacular newcomer at Arena MexicoStardom and All Japan tag tourneysNew Japan tag tournament notes and this week's showsLone Star Shootout from New JapanWomen's wrestling sets all-time attendance markTony Khan's Continental ClassicLots of AEW stars in mainstream acting gigsInternational TV ratingsUpcoming ticket advances for WWE & AEWHow times have changed greatly for UFC regarding Conor McGregorDana White gos on rampages about sponsors and critics of another sponsorUFC's greatest fighters of all-timeNew UFC major fightsBellator champion suspended regarding drug test failureFury-Ngannou PPV updateRetired star gets giant money offer to return from Middle EastMore notes on Vince McMahon's stock saleRey Mysterio update and angle updateWWE making production changes for Mania weekDwayne Johnson claims he almost went to PrideWhy Raw could take a big hit this week
This Week's Retro Observer Newsletter
August 28, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Shamrock/Ortiz, WWE SummerSlam
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Monday Update
Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer Radio covering the Bellator sale to PFL, Raw, AEW injuries, hierarchy change in Japan and more. Our weekend show was Saturday night after Full Gear.
One of our two biggest issues of the year is out right now on the site, the 2023 Hall of Fame issue, on the site with the complete voting, as well as a great story on George Kidd which should easily answer the question of how he got voted in.
Some more notes on the Bellator sale to PFL. Donn Davis was on the MMA Hour today and said that the deal was finalized on Saturday, that they will be announcing a new television deal in about three weeks, that the PFL vs. Bellator champion vs. champion show will be in the first quarter of 2024, likely in February. He also said that Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix and middleweight champion Johnny Eblen won't be on that show as Bellator doesn't have tournament champions in those divisions, but the other Bellator champions will face the winners on Friday's PFL tournaments on that show.
Davis also claimed that Dana White is now worried because 30 percent of the top 25 guys in Fight Matrix are now with his organization, the same as UFC. The actual numbers are 62 percent for UFC and 25 percent for PFL/Bellator. He said they would do two PPV shows next year.
Raw tonight is in Grand Rapids, MI. The expectation is one of the biggest ratings for Monday Night Football in years for the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs game where Taylor Swift will meet the parents of boyfriend Travis Kelce for the first time. To me if Raw does better than 1.4 million viewers and an 0.42 people should be celebrating like crazy. It could do significantly worse and if it does, I wouldn't read a thing into it. This is one of those ratings that if it's bad you can just throw it away because it means nothing. Tonight's show is expected to set up Drew McIntyre and maybe Randy Orton for War Games on Saturday although Smackdown teased they may have changed plans and will go with LA Knight. There will also be a singles match with the member of each men's War Games team to determine the man advantage, Becky Lynch vs. Xia Li, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Chad Gable and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Nia Jax. There were just over 7,000 tickets out for the show this morning.
We're looking for reports from tonight's show in Grand Rapids with the Main Event bouts and anything else not on the live show to [email protected]
We're also looking for your thoughts on Full Gear, thumbs up, down or middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected] The reaction to this show was very polarizing, and for that matter to many of the matches. There were people who hated even the best matches whether it be for the violence or the storyline and people who loved those same said matches, people who said show of the year and people who outright hated the show.
Tam Nakano officially vacated her World of Stardom title at the press conference since she won't be able to return by the 12/2 PPV show in Nagoya. On 11/28, Suzu Suzuki will face Hazuki to go to the 12/2 show in a title match. The opponent will be the winner of a tournament with Maika, Mina Shirakawa, Momo Watnabe and Ami Sohrei. The Goddesses of Stardom tag titles were also vacated due to an injury to Natsupoi, who held the title with Saori Anou. Maika & Megan Bayne, who won the recent tournament, will fight against a team to be named on 12/2 for the vacant titles. Giulia also faces AZM for the New Japan Strong title.
While MJF is in great pain from a dislocated hip, it did pop back in and he is scheduled to appear at TV this week.
WWE from last night in Saginaw, MI:
Sami Zayn b Dominik Mysterio in 10:00 with the helluva kickBecky Lynch b Zoey Stark in 10:00 with the man handle slam in escaping the Z 360Omos b Akira Tozawa in 7:00 with a choke slam after MVP distracted Tozawa. MVP offered $10,000 to anyone who could knock Omos off his feet. He teased he'd pick fans to try but Tozawa came outCody Rhodes b Damian Priest in 13:00 after Priest went into a unpadded turnbuckle and hit three Cross Rhodes.Nia Jax b Raquel Rodriguez in 6:00 with the annihilatorGunther b Chad Gable to keep the IC title with a cradle off a Gable ankle lockSeth Rollins won a three-way to keep the world title over Drew McIntyre and Shinsuke Nakamura. Rollins pinned Nakamura after Nakamura took both a Claymore kick and a curb stomp. The crowd cheered McIntyre who didn't play heel until after the match when he blew off Rollins' handshake (thanks to Christopher Warren and Tom Skulley)
Mark Shapiro, the President and COO of TKO, will be participating in the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference on 12/4.
The New Japan tag tournament continues at 4:30 a.m. Eastern tomorrow morning from Korakuen Hall with these bouts: Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Hikuleo & El Phantasmo (IWGP tag champs vs. New Japan Strong tag champs), Taichi & Yuya Uemura vs. Yota Tsuji & Zandokan Jr., Lance Archer & Alex Zane vs Bad Luck Fale &* Jack Bonza and Minoru Suzuki & Yuji Nagata vs. Atlantis Jr. & Soberano Jr.
At press time TKO stock fell to $75.29 with the latest judge ruling in the Cung Le case and the announcement of PFL buying Bellator. I can't see the latter having any effect at all on UFC, but the court ruling could cost the company a giant amount of money. Plus Judge Boulware ruled that if the Le case is successful, that the second case that will follow, the Kajan Johnson case which is identical, they could file for injunctive relief immediately on completion meaning a bad hit in the first case will likrly result in an immediate bad hit in the second case. It doesn't look like a smart move for TKO to allow that case to go to trial because the monetary risks could be gigantic.
Also today in the case the court denied UFC's motion to reopen discovery. One of the things the plaintiffs are arguing would be maximum one-year contracts for MMA fighters which would totally change the industry.
There was little in the Google searches this week related to combat sports. The only thing over the past week to make it was Shakur Stevenson with 100,000 searches for No. 9 on Friday. No UFC or AEW cracking the top 20 on Saturday. Not all AEW PPV's crack the top 20 but a lot of them do and most UFC shows do
All Japan tag tourney tomorrow at Shin-Kiba in Tokyo has Cyrus & Ryan Davidson vs Katsuhiko Nakajima & Hokuto Omori. The Saito Brothers vs. Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani, Suwama & Hideki Suzuki vs. Hayato Tamura & Galeno del Mal, Ryuki Honda & Yuma Anzai vs. Japan Tokyo Kuroshio (Ikkemen Jiro) & Seigo Tachibana and Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi vs Shuji Ishikawa & Ren Ayaabe. Miyahara & Aoyagi have been tearing it up so far in the tournament.
Miyahara & Aoyagi vs. Honda & Anzai from yesterday in Nagoya, a 30 minute draw, was said to be even better than their previous match, which was great. Also lots of praise for the Okada & Tanahashi & Ishii vs. Ren Narita & Tomoaki Honma & Ryusuke Taguchi match for the Never trios titles which was far better than expected and Mirai vs. Saori Anou from the Stardom PPV show, although most were saying with the injuries that overall the Stardom PPV show wasn't anything special.
Miyu Yamashita defends the Tokyo Joshi Pro Princess of Princess title against Delmi Exo on the 12/7 MLW show at the Melrose Ballroom in New York that also includes Alex Kane vs. Matt Cardona for the MLW title and Satoshi Kojima vs. Tom Lawlor. MLW also runs 1/6 with Kings of Colosseum at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
Mike Santana vs. Channing Decker with Jerry Lynn as referee will be on the 12/16 Greektown Wrestling show in Toronto.
GCW from Friday night in Seattle: Jordan Oliver b Alex Price, MaKi Itoh b Nicole Matthews, Jimmy Lloyd NC Sawyer Wreck, Kevin Ku & Dominic Garrini retained the tag titles over Lloyd & Wreck, The Bollywood Boz and Manders & Mance Warner, Gringo Loco & Arez & Latigo b Laredo Kid & Rey Horus & Aramis, Santana Jackson b Matt Cardona, Effy & Allie Katch & Dark Sheik b Judas Icarus & Travis Williams & Evan Rivers, Blake Christian b Schaff to keep the GCW title, Joey Janela b Mike Bailey
Defy from Saturday night in Seattle: Sebastian Wolfe b Matt Brannigan, Cody Chhun b Gringo Loco to win the Primolucha title, Guillermo Rosas b Thiccy Riccy, Bollywood Boys b Effy & Curry Man to keep the Defy tag titles, Shaff b Jordan Oliver to keep the Northwest title, Vert Vien b Allie Katch to keep the Defy women's title, Judas Icarus & Travis Williams & Evan Rivers b Nick Gage & Mike Bailey & Artemis Spencer, KENTA b Joey Janela to retain the Defy title.
Smackdown on Friday in Chicago is at 15,338 tickets out. After expanding capacity, they have 2,000 tickets out that are being priced at $20. For AEW's Dynamite on Wednesday, they are up to 3,700 tickets out and if you are in the area if you use the code BG2XP1 you can get two tickets for $14.50 each plus fees. So while not the kind of crowd AEW has drawn there in the past, they will probably wind up above 4,000 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago which isn't bad with two WWE shows including Survivor Series this week.