We also have ratings for all the national shows for the past week.  We also have how every segment on Raw and Impact did as far as gaining and losing viewers, as well as who did what in the key segments and who appeals to what.  

        We also have our regular weekly features with results of all the major arena events around the world, as well as all the major TV show
reviews.   
 
         Also in this week's issue:

 

--Major attitude change in major company now looking at raiding big stars to rebuild

 

--Shocker talks about why he's been out of action

 

--One of the best wrestlers in the world is announced as coming to CMLL

 

--Update on business at Arena Mexico

 

--Annual King of Flyers match

 

--Plans for Jeff Jarrett's return to Mexico as AAA champion

 

--Latest New Japan vs. All Japan angle news

 

--New Japan opens tour and starts building the next PPV show

 

--Lineup for New Japan's next PPV show

 

--Pro wrestling world champion has MMA fight in a few weeks

 

--Disgraced former well known athlete faces Bob Sapp in a few weeks

 

--Two Hall of Famers battle for the first time ever

 

--A look at the WrestleReunion convention in Los Angeles

 

--More notes on Mike Tyson and Superstar Billy Graham meeting

 

--What Tyson remembers about pro wrestling

 

--Tyson appears at pro wrestling show

 

--Who was in this year's legends Battle Royal

 

--PWG has its biggest event of the year with many Dragon Gate stars

 

--Celebration of the Los Angeles territory

 

--Verne Gagne gets publicity as a Minneapolis theater has special showings of "The Wrestler" movie from 1974

 

--Other former AWA employees who were there

 

--How the event did

 

--Notes on a lot of lawsuits

 

--Former ROH star talks about why he's retiring in detail and looks back at his career

 

--Coach of one of pro wrestling's biggest stars passes away

 

--More on the death of wrestling trainee

 

--MVP talks the new Wrestling Retribution promotion and playing an all-new character

 

--How MVP got interested in being a pro wrestler

 

--Is he interested in returning to WWE

 

--Annual 16 Carat Gold tournament

 

--More on ROH vs. CHIKARA angle

 

--Hulk Hogan's return to the ring

 

--Ric Flair's new business deal and what does it mean

 

--Against All Odds PPV card

 

--Lots of crazy Hogan stories from his U.K. media work

 

--A look at the Bobby Roode and James Storm booking

 

--Why Hogan did the U.K. tour at the last minute

 

--How the U.K. tour did business-wise

 

--What angles didn't work in the U.K. and which ones did

 

--How TNA tried to save money on the tour

 

--Injury updates from the TNA tour

 

--What wrestling legend to Hogan invite to London

 

--TNA stars doing movies

 

--An update on  Haywire

 

--One of the best promos likely of the year for a match that still may not happen

 

--Two of UFC's biggest stars want one last match with each other

 

--A special on ordering UFC PPV events

 

--Matt Hughes talks his future

 

--Update on GSP and who and when he will likely fight

 

--Notes on the 3-D airing of UFC 143 and how often 3-D airings of UFC shows will be taking place in movie theaters

 

--What fixture of the UFC is gone as of now

 

--Notes on a movie about one of UFC's all-time greatest fighters

 

--What recently fired star is Dana White at least open about thinking about bringing back

 

--Another of Bellator's potentially biggest fights is not going to happen and why

 

--Fedor Emelianenko's plan for next fight

 

--Career of Olympic star turned MMA fighter now in jeopardy

 

          New subscribers ordering 24 or 40 issues have to let us know what major story (ies) of the past 11 years you are most interested in
and we'll send the issue with the best coverage of that story. 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. Our most requested issues in our history are:
 
*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 pro wrestling history, Jim Barnett)
 
*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 behind the scenes of both shows)
 
*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 its own, $7 overseas)
 
*January 9, 2006 (The life and times of Superstar Billy Graham, plus New Year's Eve 2005 coverage)
 
*January 16, 2006 (2005 Awards double issue, $6 or $7 overseas)
 
*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 overseas)
 
*October 9, 2006 (A look back nine years later at the life and legacy of Brian Pillman with tons of inside information about what made him
tick as his real objectives)
 
*November 15, 2006 (History of WCW part one, Eric Bischoff's book and how 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 reasons the company fell apart)
 
*January 22, 2007 (2006 Awards issue, double issue $7 on its own, $8 overseas)
 
*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) .
 
*December 31, 2007 (History of Ric Flair and the heyday of wrestling at the Greensboro Coliseum)
 
*January 21, 2008 (2007 Awards issue, double issue $7 on its own, $8 overseas)
 
*March 17, 2008 (Life and times of Johnny Weaver)
 
*March 24, 2008 (Life and times of Gary Hart)
 
*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 its own, $8 overseas)
 
*August 11, 2008 (Ric Flair leaves WWE; Updated history of pro wrestlers and MMA fighters who went to the Olympics)

 

* September 8, 2008 (2008 Hall of Fame double issue, $7 on its own, $8 overseas; part one of Killer Kowalski bio)
 
* September 15, 2008 (Life and Times of Evan Tanner)
 
* September 22, 2008 (The amazing career of Killer Kowalski, one of our most in-depth bios)
 
        You can also order any of these issues on their own for $4 in North America or $5 overseas.
 
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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.
 
We now have available personally autographed copies of Tributes II, our latest book, as well as a DVD that comes with it talking more
about the subjects in the book. The book covers the life stories of Lou Thesz, Wahoo McDaniel, Elizabeth, Fred Blassie, Road Warrior Hawk,
Andre the Giant, Curt Hennig, Johnny Valentine, Davey Boy Smith, Terry Gordy, Owen Hart, Stu Hart, Gorilla Monsoon, The Sheik and Tim Woods. To get all of those biographies as back issues of the Observer would be a $60 value today. This is a collection of some of the best
Observer articles of the past several years in a hardcover, full-color format that is 239 pages. There is also a foreword by Bret Hart. The book
price is $12.95 plus $3.50 for shipping costs in the U.S., $10 for shipping costs to Canada and $12 for shipping costs outside North
America. You can order the book the same way you order the newsletter.

*****

--PWinsider.com is reporting that WWE is looking for a cruiserweight style show for the proposed network.  This makes sense based on rumors of them showing interest in a lot of smaller independent talent. With the network's launch now months away, there is plenty of time for tweaking, changing and even dropping this idea.

--A clip of Jerry Lawler and Andy Kaufman was shown during a CBS special on the 30th anniversary of Letterman's Late show.

--The UFC has officially announced its next Fan Expo for 7/6 and 7/7 at the Mandalay Bay Convetion Center in conjunction with the 7/7 live show.  This is also the weekend of the annual Observer/Figure Four web site convention in Las Vegas.  Tickets are $40 for the Friday show and $45 for Saturday, or $60 for both days.

--A lengthy interview with John Morrison is at http://www.sportsvibe.co.uk/articles/other/sportsvibe-meets-former-wwe-superstar-john-morrison-15117/  He talks why he left, and his return to wrestling over the weekend on a show in the Philippines against Shelton Benjamin.

--Who do you expect to take this match?
Roy Nelson 52.6%
Fabricio Werdum 47.4%

--Who do you expect to win the Smackdown Elimination Chamber match?
Daniel Bryan 61.6%
Randy Orton 26.4%
Great Khali 3.7%
Cody Rhodes 1.5%
Big Show 0.9%

--Which of these matches will draw the most on North American PPV?
Rock vs. John Cena 49.4%
GSP vs. Nick Diaz if it happens 33.5%
Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 14.0%
Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans 3.1%

--Who was the most valuable celebrity in WrestleMania history?
Mike Tyson 34.9%
Mr. T 33.7%
Donald Trump 12.0%
Cyndi Lauper 10.6%
Snooki 3.9%
Floyd Mayweather Jr. 2.9%
Lawrence Taylor 1.8%
William Perry 0.2%

--Mike Carlson, who is hosting the Super Bowl on BBC in the U.K., is the guest with Dr. Keith on a free show up on the site today. Carlson, who is the host of the NFL gams on Ch. 4, as well as a Wrestling Observer Newsletter subscriber for the past 25 years, talks about the Observer, his favorite wrestlers and promotions and football before the game. It's up here.

--Joe "Animal" Laurinaitis and Dan Severn will be receiving special awards at the 2012 George Tragos/Lou Thesz Wrestling Hall of fame ceremony in Waterloo, IA, this year.  Laurinaitis will recieve the Frank Gotch Award for positive recognition to pro wrestling.  Severn will receive the George Tragos award which goes to a wrestler who used his skill to excel in MMA.  Also being honored are Kurt Angle and Don Curtis in the Hall of Fame, John Layfield getting the Lou Thesz Award and Bill Apter getting the James Melby Award.  The Hall of Fame dinner will be on 7/13 and 7/14.

--There is a story here about Legends House which is scheduled to start shooting shortly in Rancho Mirage, CA at the estate formerly owned by Harpo Marx.

--On the most recent "Art of War" podcast, Colt Cabana and C.M. Punk did a segment where Punk confirmed that a 3-disc WWE retrospective of his career is in the works and he's in charge of the roduct, including the music, the matches and who he wants interviewed.  He didn't say anything about whether any pre-WWE matches would be allowed to be part of it.

Also on the podcast, Cabana said that a second volume of Wrestling Road Dairies, the highly acclaimed DVD he did with Bryan Danielson last year, would be produced over the next two months with Cabana,Luke Gallows and Cliff "Domino" Compton traveling the indie circuit from town to town. (thanks to Michael Bernstein)

--Alissa Flash will be appearing on KENS-5's Great Day San Antonio tomorrow at 9 a.m. to promote Saturday's show in San Antonio at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Chuch that she and Hernandez are headlining.

--An interview with Sean Waltman and Marty Jannetty is up here.

--Chuck Langerman's daily pro wrestling trivia concerns veteran Monty Sopp, also known as Billy Gunn and Kip James.  Growing up in Central Florida, Sopp never dreamed of being a pro wrestler.  He wanted to become a cowboy and attended Donny Gay's Bull Riding School.  Gay is a legend in that sport winning eight world bull riding championships in the 70s and 80s.  Sopp attended Oviedo High School near Orlando and was a great high school athlete in a number of sports.  He got scholarship offers from 20 colleges for football, but felt his future was in rodeo so accepted his lone rodeo scholarship offer from Sam Houston State.  He ended up as a pro wrestler due to a chance meeting with Ron & Don Harris at a gym.

--Hulk Hogan will be co-hosting the Wendy Williams show on 2/9.

--This is the Kia commercial that will air Sunday on the Super Bowl featuring Chuck Liddell and Motley Crue.  (thanks to Jeff Gagliardo)

--The final interview with Angelo Dundee, the famed boxing trainer of Muhammad Ali, who passed away yesterday at 90, was on The FanAddicts MMA show by subscriber David Wolf.

--Edge is one of the headliners at the 2012 Wizard World Toronto Comic Con on 4/15 and 4/15 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

--Rashad Evans will be doing analysis on Saturday night on the UFC weigh-in show tomorrow on Fuel at 4 p.m. and the post-fight show on Fuel after the PPV ends at 1 a.m. along with Jon Anik, Jay Glazer and Ariel Helwani.

--Mick Foley and Eve Torres are putting together a WrestleMania vacation where al proceeds after expsnes go to RAINN to help survivors of sexual violence.  They are doing a $10 raffle where the winner gets 2 great seats to WrestleMania, round-trip airfare for two, 2 tickets to one session of the Axxess, 2 tickets to the Half of Fame, 3 nights at a four star Miami hotel and a lunch with Eve Torres and three other Divas.  This is an idea rather than a concept and Foley is trying to hear from people on his twitter account to see if there is interest.

--ROH tickets for 5/12 in Toronto go on sale to the public tomorrow.  They are on sale now for ROH Ringside members.

--ROH announced an after party for after Saturday night's TV tapings in Baltimore for Della Roses at 101 S Clinton St. in Baltimore.

--Bellator announced a 3/23 show (show No. 3 of the season) in Laredo, TX.  The UWF promotion, which ran the Roger Huerta vs. War Machine fight, is co-promoting the show locally. (thanks to Eduardo Martinez)     

--The Wall Street Journal today as a story on New York Giants receiver Devin Thomas and all his tattoos.  He has an HBK tattoo, but it, as he explained, has nothing to do with  Shawn Michaels but has to do with being dumped by a girl.  

--Allysin Kay had her nose broken in three places in a match with Mia Yim on the AIW show on 1/29 in Cleveland which was a DVD taping for Smartmarkvideo.  They are playing it up to build a program between the two. Here's a photo.

--GCW on 2/4 in Oshawa, ONT at Harmony Hall headlined by Anthony Darko vs. Psycho Mike Rollins.  Shawn Spears is also on the show.

--Here's a video of Chris Cruise doing a Traditional Championship Wrestling control center segment.

--IWF is doing a Relay for Life fundraiser on 4/28 in Ntuley, NJ at the Frank A. Cocchiola Parks & Rec Building

--Kyle Matthews and Bandido Jr. were announced as the final two entrants in the ECWA Super 8 tournament on 4/7 in Newark, DE.