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We're looking for reports on tonight's WWE Raw house show in Albany, NY and the Smackdown house show at the Greensboro Coliseum at
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WWE is the only major promotion running this weekend. The Raw crew will be on Sunday in Buffalo and Smackdown will be in Raleigh. Monday is the live Raw in Hartford, with Sheamus vs. John Cena for the WWE title, Timbaland as guest host, and it's a "go-home" show of sorts to build the debut of Bret Hart on 1/4. There will be a Smackdown house show in Charlotte on Monday night.
Smackdown and ECW are taped on Tuesday in East Rutherford, NJ at the Izod Center. Raw will run in Manchester, NH.
Wednesday night is a tri-branded show in Syracuse at the Carrier Dome.
The first Japanese New Year's Eve show that will air live to the U.S. is on Wednesday night/Thursday morning at 3 a.m. Eastern (midnight Pacific) from the Saitama Super Arena.
With detailed looks at UFC, TNA and Strikeforce going forward, we've got two issues of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter coming out next week.
We've got updates on who has signed with TNA and what is holding up other signings. We look at the plans for the next several months in both UFC and Strikeforce, including the main matches planned, as well as exclusive info on a number of UFC live events including major market debuts and the beginning of different TV deals.
We look at the big shows from recent weeks and business, including UFC 107, WWE Tribute to the Troops, WEC and Strikeforce's most recent shows, as well as show reviews and poll results.
The first issue of next week is available now to premium subscribers on the web site. The second will be available tomorrow. You can also get the Observer mailed to your home with details below.
We look at the lessons UFC 107 seems to have taught, where the show did well, and updates on Brock Lesnar.
We rundown Strikeforce Evolution and why it was one of the best shows of the year, looking at the Cung Le vs. Scott Smith and Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson matches as well as how Strikeforce has changed and how the crowds have changed, and why San Jose will likely never draw what it has done in the past.
We look at the booking of future Strikeforce events, the appealing to the hardcores and masses to extremes, along with lots of matchmaking ideas. We look at how every match on the show drew ratings wise and how much the fighters earned on the show.
We look at the final pro wrestling PPV event of 2009, TNA's Final Resolution, looking at the key stories, match-by-match coverage and star ratings.
We also have full coverage of the 2009 Super J Cup.
We've got a feature on Tommy Dreamer's career with his leaving WWE, including his glory days and role in the original ECW as well as his WWE tenure.
We've got more on WWE signing its new video game deal and how the 2010 game is doing, more on Mike Tyson in WWE and the 1/11 head-to-head showdown with UFC, an update on Jim Ross' contract situation and his decision making process, an update on Shane McMahon and why there was controversy about Barack Obama appearing on Tribute to the Troops.
Linda McMahon also talks her family's bankruptcy in the 70s, more on her background, a look back at the original WWE booking meeting plans when it came to trying to get Bret Hart to wrestle in the 2006 WrestleMania, as well as a dream match for that show, and a nightmare match, that never happened.
We also look at a new name surfacing for the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame.
We also look at the controversial issue of people streaming PPV shows on the Internet, including Lorenzo Fertitta's testifying before Congress on the subject. We look at the hearing and the various facts of the subject, including if it is costing producers money, long-term effects, is the psychology of those defending streaming valid in the business world. We look at the viewing habits of PPV events, what percentage of UFC revenue comes from PPV, Lorenzo Fertitta's estimates of the number of people who streamed the show illegally, Justin.tv's role in all this and Fertitta's response.
We also have our updated WWE and TNA business charts, looking at live attendance, live gates, sellouts, television ratings and PPV numbers so you can see if the companies are going up, down or staying even.
We also have a look at the ratings for all the major pro
wrestling and MMA shows on television over the past week.
We also have our usual weekly features such as the results of the
biggest matches of the week and rundown of the major television shows.
The Wrestling Observer ranges from 25,000 to 40,000 words covering
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Also in this week's issues:
--Business in Mexico
--Future of the world's oldest wrestling promotion
--Unique CMLL tournament
--Juventud Guerrera resurfaces
--Mexico ratings
--Final AAA TV tapings of 2009
--More on Guerra de Titanes
--What wrestler refused to adhere to the stipulations of a match
--Return of Booker T and it's not where you'd expect
--All Japan upcoming title matches
--Former WWE star debuting with All Japan
--Notes on NOAH's 2010 tag team tournament
--A huge match with major stips scheduled for October
--More awards for 2009
--Quebec wrestling Hall of Fame
--Famous California wrestling story
--Mainstream acceptance of UFC
--Highest rated non-Japanese MMA match
--Edge talks his future
--What wrestlers appeared the most at the Spectrum
--Former WWE wrestler rips the promotion and how it looks at talent
--MVP talks about his fondness for pot and his trip to Iraq
--Behind the Michael Cole remarks on Jim Ross
--Business notes on all the 2008 PPV events
--WWE developmental news updates
--TNA's promotion of Jan. 4
--Discussion of Scott Hall in TNA
--People coming and going from TNA
--Updates on Bobby Lashley's MMA career and pro wrestling career
--What happened with TNA in Australia
--New TNA television show
--TNA vs. ECW
--Why TNA contacted the AAA office about one of its wrestlers
--Business notes on Ultimate Fighter finals
--Advance business at upcoming major UFC events
--Notes on the UFC's debut on Versus and the first main event
--Sites for a number of upcoming UFC events
--Notes on the next WEC show
--Changes in upcoming UFC lineups
--More on airing prelims on free TV before PPV shows
--B.J. Penn talks his new contract terms
--Pride returns to television
--Penn's trainer accuses GSP of steroids
--Firing of UFC ring card girls
--Date of Vancouver debut
--Former NCAA champion signs with UFC
--Former UFC fighter goes crazy and drives into the front of a casino
--Updated New Year's Eve matches
--Update on Sakuraba
New subscribers ordering 24 or 40 issues have to let us know what
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*November 17, 1997 (full details of everything leading to the most famous
wrestling match finish of modern times at the Survivor Series plus a
history of in-ring double-crosses)
*December 21, 1998 (the complete Vince McMahon-Bret Hart conversation
right before the Survivor Series match so you'll know exactly what was
said--the conversation played in edited form both on the inaugural
broadcast of Confidential as well as in Wrestling with Shadows, but
everything that was said between the two about the match that was going
to take place that same night)
*August 1, 1994 (the most detailed coverage anywhere of the Vince McMahon
steroid trial, an issue praised in numerous newspaper article
and Sex, Lies and Headlocks)
*March 26, 2001 (death of WCW and history of pro wrestling on the Turner
networks)
*October 22, 2001 (why the adult audience has left pro wrestling in such
great numbers and what needed to have been done to save them)
*July 8, 1991 (Ric Flair leaves WCW as world champion/Zahorian steroid
trial)
*February 8, 1993 (the life and times of Andre the Giant)
*May 13, 2002 (the life story of the most incredible pro wrestling career
ever, a look at Lou Thesz, in one of the largest issues of our
history)
*January 27, 2003 (part one of the two-part series covering the career
and life of The Sheik)
*February 3, 2003 (Part two on The Sheik including thoughts from people
who worked with him and where he stands historically)
*March 24, 2003 (history of the WWWF title, inside behind the Sammartino,
Backlund and Backlund era)
*April 21, 2003 (history of WWF continues with the expansion nationally,
the death of the regional territories and the rise of Hulk
Hogan)
*May 12, 2003 (The life and death of Elizabeth, and the rise of fall of
Lex Luger)
*June 9, 2003 (Part 1 of history of WWF vs. WCW wars and what many say
was the greatest year in U.S. wrestling; plus a look at Fred Blassie)
*June 16, 2003 (Freddie Blassie through the eyes of his biggest rivals
and friends)
*July 28, 2003 (Part 2 of the history of the WWF vs. WCW war and the
plans to make new superstars in the early 90s, what happened, and the
night where the three biggest wrestling companies in the world combined
for a joint show and what happened)
*August 25, 2003 (2003 Hall of Fame issue with huge profiles on the
controversial career of Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit as well as
historical features on Earl Caddock and Francisco Flores)
*September 22, 2003 (Part 3 of the history of the WWF vs WCW war with the
seeds that caused the collapse of the industry in the 90s,
Zahorian trial, Gulf War controversy, Flair leaves WCW while holding
world title and much more)
*October 27, 2003 (The fascinating life of Stu Hart plus the story of
Road Warrior Hawk)
*January 19, 2004 (2003 Awards issue)
*February 2, 2004 (History of Toronto wrestling, Jack Tunney life story,
Royal Rumble and Battle Royal history)
*February 23, 2004 (History of Guerrero family with Eddy's win over Brock
Lesnar)
*March 1, 2004 (History of WWF continues with the period that brought the
company down in early 1992, the mistakes, the real stories and how the
business changed)
*March 8, 2004 (History of Wrestlemania, its greatest matches and best
and worst shows as voted both by wrestlers and non-wrestlers and
Wrestlemania history books)
*July 5, 2004 (A look behind the scenes and Ric Flair's book and his
background with Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan)
*July 12, 2004 (A look at more on Ric Flair's book and his comments on
Bruno Sammartino, Bret Hart and Mick Foley)
*August 16, 2004 (History of the Olympians in pro wrestling)
*August 23, 2004 (2004 Hall of Fame issue and biggest issue of the year
with huge profiles on Kazushi Sakuraba, Undertaker, Bob Backlund,
Masahiro Chono, Ultimo Dragon, Kurt Angle and Tarzan Lopez--this counts
as one issue if you are asking for a free issue, but ordered separately,
due to size, is $6 in North America and $7 overseas)
*October 4, 2004 (the life and times of Big Bossman; as well as details
of the life and times of one of the most influential men world wide in
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*November 15, 2004 (the full story of what happened between Kurt Angle
and Daniel Puder, plus coverage of the most important week in the
history of TNA)
*January 24, 2005 (2004 Awards issue, Rock and WWE part company)
*March 14, 2005 (the 50 biggest money players in the history of WWF and a
look at their Hall of Fame)
*May 9, 2005 (the life and times of Chris Candido)
*June 20, 2005 (The full story behind Paul Heyman and the death of ECW,
as well as coverage of One Night Stand, Hardcore Homecoming and
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*July 18, 2005 (death of Shinya Hashimoto and his records with a look at
the fall of New Japan, the Matt Hardy angle, tons of WWE firings,
Cornette firing in detail as well as problems of a WWE developmental
territory in our biggest news issue of the year which is a double-sized
issue and would be $6 on its own and $7 overseas)
*August 24, 2005 (2005 Hall of Fame issue with career profiles of Paul
Heyman, HHH and Freebirds plus debut of MMA Hall of Fame)
*September 12, 2005 (History of Mid South Wrestling)
*October 10, 2005 (Life and Times of the Ultimate Warrior)
*November 21, 2005 (Life and Times of Eddy Guerrero and Crusher, double
issue $6 on its own and $7 overseas)
*December 5, 2005 (The Eddy Guerrero special issue, double issue $6 on
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*January 9, 2006 (The life and times of Superstar Billy Graham, plus New
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*April 3, 2006 (Story of Ann Calvello and the history of Roller
Derby--many called this the best issue of the Observer ever)
*April 10, 2006 (Behind the scenes at the 2006 Wrestlemania/Hall of Fame
week)
*July 24, 2006 (The History of the Von Erichs and World Class
Championship Wrestling--the most unreal story ever in wrestling)
*September 4, 2006 (The Rise and Fall of Kurt Angle; 2006 Hall of Fame
inductions of Eddie Guerrero, Paul Bowser, Masakatsu Funaki, Aja Kong and
Hiroshi Hase including tons of wrestling history around the world from
the 20s through the 60s, the evolution of working to not working
in Japan, and a look at Guerrero in hindsight, double issue $6 or $7
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tick as his real objectives)
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the industry was changed forever)
*November 20, 2006 (History of WCW part two, Why Jim Ross left WCW, How
Bischoff changed the company, signing of Hulk Hogan, Beginning of Nitro,
Jesse Ventura, Brian Pillman, Chris Jericho and signing Wrestlemania
planned celebrity away)
*November 27, 2006 (History of WCW part three, When Bischoff challenged
McMahon to fight; Truth and fiction around Bret Hart signing with WCW and
why it didn't click)
*December 6, 2006 (details behind Pride's offers to sell promotion and
Part four of History of WCW part four, Hogan-Goldberg match and why
there was no rematch, WCW loses NBC network deal in 1999 and the real
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*February 14, 2007 (Life and Times of Bam Bam Bigelow)
*March 5, 2007 (WWE begins plans that will change the business)
*March 12, 2007 (Life and Times of Mike Awesome)
*March 19, 2007 (Life and Times of Ernie Ladd)
*April 4, 2007 (Life and Times of Badnews Allen Coage--which many are
calling one of the best issues in history)
*July 2, 2007 (Part one of the Benoit double murder-suicide)
*July 5, 2007 (Part two of the Benoit double murder-suicide)
*July 10, 2007 (Part three of the Benoit double murder-suicide)
*July 19, 2007 (Part four of the Benoit double murder-suicide)
*July 23, 2007 (Part five of Benoit double murder-suicide)
*July 25, 2007 (Part six of Benoit double murder-suicide)
*August 15, 2007 (The legend of the God of Japanese wrestling and his
influence on MMA, Karl Gotch)
*October 15 (2007 Hall of Fame double issue, $7 on its own, $8 overseas
including inductions of The Rock, Tom Packs and the original Strangler Lewis)
*November 12, 2007 (Life and times of Fabulous Moolah and history of U.S.
women's wrestling) .
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the Greensboro Coliseum)
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overseas)
*March 17, 2008 (Life and times of Johnny Weaver)
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*April 10, 2008 (Farewell to Ric Flair; My thoughts, Shawn Michaels talks
of Flair's meaning to him; Hall of Fame; Wrestlemania double issue, $7 on
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*August 11, 2008 (Ric Flair leaves WWE; Updated history of pro wrestlers
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overseas; part one of Killer Kowalski bio)
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--Vince McMahon is scheduled to be at Raw on Monday to cut a promo building to Bret Hart's debut the following week.
--Dan Rafael of ESPN reported today that Golden Boy Promotions have come off its hardline stance regarding drug testing by Manny Pacquiao.
They are okay to have someone other than the U.S. Anti-Doping Association handle the testing, but are insistent that there would be regular and random blood and urine testing and it Pacquiao would get no advanced warning of when he would be tested.
The two sides are attempting to agree to a cut-off date for the final test. Pacquiao's side agreed to take tests on specific dates, the last being 30 days before the fight. Bob Arum said Pacquiao's side was willing negotiate on that 30 day stance but didn't want the USADA doing the testing because they were inflexible because they would not come on board unless they had the right to test at random, any time they chose.
But Arum today changed his stance again, saying they would not even agree to the previous terms unless Nevada asked for it. Nevada has generally only tested the day of the fight, although for big fights, such as the main matches on some UFC PPV events, they have done one unannounced urine test.
Nevada has never asked fighters to submit to blood tests, which in theory would be able to detect some drugs urine could not. He said they would do what the Nevada commission wants, but nothing more.
Keith Kizer of the Nevada commission noted Nevada has never tested blood and it would be unlikely that something would change before the fight where they would ask to do so. He said one side would have to ask the commission, they'd have to do a special meeting and that right now nobody has formally asked and no meeting is scheduled.
Golden Boy did agree to Pacquiao's unprecendented demand that if Mayweather fails to make 147 pounds, he would be fined $10 millon. Arum's side can't be thrilled because they put out Paulie Malignaggi as a sub for Pacquiao to fight on 3/13 if this fight falls apart, and then the first thing Malignaggi did, was say that he thougth Pacquiao was using performance enhancing drugs.
--This could get ugly. there is a contract dispute with Time Warner in Los Angeles and FOX, and if a new deal isn't signed by next week, all Time Warner subscribers won't be getting FOX channels, which includes MyNetwork 13 that airs Smackdown. I can't imagine this one not being settled because Time Warner would lose a ton of subscribers to satellite if they lost all those channels.
--Dixie Carter today confirmed the signing of The Young Bucks, Nick & Matt Jackson, who had a strong tryout match on Monday's television tapings. While we don't know that this will happen, when they wrestled the Machine Guns on Monday and everyone was impressed by it, there was talk of signing them and debuting them on 1/4.
--They are advertising Undertaker defending the title against Batista as the dark match for the 1/26 go-home Smackdown taping in Cincinnati (thanks to Brian Henke)
--Ole Anderson has been hospitalized due to an infection that his limited the mobility in his legs. He could be in the hospital for as long as two months. (thanks to Rich Tate)
--Promoter Keiichi Sasahara claims that he will shave his head if Pride loses more fights than Sengoku on New Year's Eve.
--Also regarding that show, Satoshi Ishii was interviewed two days ago and said he had been training in Las Vegas with Frank Mir. Hopefully Mir taught him how to do a promo. He said that he would beat Hidehiko Yoshida as revenge for Yoshida beating his trainer, Naoya Ogawa, and he considers this a grudge match. Then he started talking about this is a grudge match and he expects it to do big ratings. Sounds like he's got Russo scripting his promos. First he said that he wants to beat Koki Kameda's rating, and asked what it was. He was told it was a 43.1 rating. He quickly realized that wasn't happening and said, okay, my goal isn't to beat that rating, but to beat the rating when he won his gold medal in Beijing, which was a 25.4.
--Ted Robinson was sitting in for Gary Radnich on Thursday on KNBR in San Francisco, and when the death of sportscaster George Michael came up, he started talking wrestling. Robinson, who does just about every sport but may be best known for doing most of the major tennis events, was a big wrestling fan in the 80s and when he did a radio show on KCBS in San Francisco, I'd do his show every six weeks or so. He brought up being good friends with Gene Okerlund, saying he was friends with Okerlund from Okerlund's days in the advertising business, before he was ever hired by the AWA. He noted that Okerlund tried to recruit him into wrestling but that wrestling wasn't for him, and spoke about being with Okerlund one night in Oakland as Okerlund would tape all the localized promos, joking about how he'd see rivals yell and scream at each other and then be friendly when the promo was over. He said that Andre the Giant came in and said, "He goes outside." Okerlund said Robinson was his friend but Andre didn't want any outsiders watching his promos. And he did in fact, go outside. (thanks to Derek Sousa)
--Versus will be doing a New Year's Eve WEC marathon starting at 2 p.m.. They will air the recent show headlined by Donald Cerrone vs. Ed Ratcliff at 2 p.m., followed by the show headlined by Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo Jr., and the Brown vs. Urijah Faber show, a Greatest Knockouts special and the 2009 Match of the Year (Cerrone vs. Ben Henderson, Brown vs. Faber and Miguel Torres vs Takeya Mizugaki) special.
--Sting will be special guest at the 2010 Mid Atlantic Legends wrestling reunion in Charlotte in August.
--Former wrestling promoter Gary Juster, on the death of George Michael: "Was saddened to read of George Michael's death. I interacted with him often in the late 80s and early 90s. Back in 1987, I promoted the Great American Bash at the Capital Centre, my first show at what was then the major arena in the DC area. It was my home town and I was really excited to finally get a date at that building. WWF had an exclusive up until then. We had no local TV but we had George Michael on Ch. 4. He ran highlights three times the week of the show and plugged the event. We had a big house and I was always grateful to George for that and other plugs he gave us over the years. It also gave me the chance to become friends with Lou Charlip, his producer and a big wrestling fan."
--I don't know if this is available on youtube, but Lou Charlip did a piece with himself, Ric Flair and Lou Thesz going to wrestling school (Charlip ended up tearing up his shoulder) that was tremendous that Michael ran.
--Which of these champions will lose his title first?
Jake Shields 27.2%
Lyoto Machida 20.5%
Brock Lesnar 17.2%
Jamie Varner 10.6%
Alistair Overeem 9.9%
Brian Bowles 4.0%
Georges St. Pierre 3.0%
Gilbert Melendez 2.0%
Jose Aldo Jr. 1.7%
Anderson Silva 1.3%
Gegard Mousasi 1.0%
--With the exception of WrestleMania, what company will draw the biggest live crowd of 2010?
UFC 40.0%
WWE 27.2%
New Japan Pro Wrestling 17.4%
K-1 4.3%
TNA 3.9%
Dream 3.3%
CMLL 1.6%
AAA 1.3%
Pro Wrestling NOAH 0.7%
Strikeforce 0.3%
UFC may if they do the Aloha Stadium show Dana White has talked about, but I would think the most likely answer is New Japan or K-1. Strikeforce & NOAH won't draw the biggest crowd of the year, but TNA ahead of them on this list and being so close to K-1 (which will draw 35,000 fans most likely on Wednesday) is perplexing.
--Poll on Superstars from Thursday?
Excellent 5.9%
Good 32.4%
Average 26.5%
Fair 17.6%
Poor 17.6%
66.7% of those responding didn't see the show
--Strongest candidate for next year's Hall of Fame election
Chris Jericho 39.5%
Rey Mysterio 18.6%
Jesse Ventura 18.3%
Kensuke Sasaki 6.3%
The Assassins 4.0%
Red Bastien 3.3%
Rollerball Rocco 3.3%
Wilbur Snyder 2.0%
Kent Walton 1.7%
Perro Aguayo Jr. 1.3%
Hans Schmidt 1.0%
Dr. Wagner Sr. 0.7%
--Dwayne Lewis vs. David Heath has been announced for the first MFC show on 2/26 at the River Cree Casino outside of Edmonton.
--Regarding the Dustin Runnels gimmick of Seven, it was a character that was about to debut before Vince Russo came on board in WCW. They did videos to set up his coming in but when Russo got power the character was nixed. The character was similar to the Black Reign character that Runnels did in TNA. (thanks to Michael Langan II)
--Reader Paul Bradbrook is in Beijing and just saw UFC 106 at 2:30 p.m. on television on NNTV. The station is a free station that covers most of China. He's seen older fights on the station but that's the most recent shows he's seen.
--An interview with Strikeforce's Erin Toughill is at http://www.promotingwomen.blogspot.com/
--Shawn Spears headlines a Monday night show in Oshawa, ONT at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall
--Maryland Championship Wrestling Holiday hell tonight in Dundalk MD at the new Green Room
--Pro Wrestling Phoenix on 1/9 in Council Bluffs, IA at the National Guard Armory
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