Daily Update: Brian Cage, Don Callis, MJF

Don Callis AEW
Don Callis cuts a promo on AEW Dynamite.

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered:

  • A look back at the career of Dennis Condrey of Midnight Express fame
  • Update on WrestleMania, both the matches, business update the ticket demand at the present time
  • An updated look at AEW’s All In on 8/30 at Wembley Stadium as well as a look at the Dynasty show and ticket demand for the show
  • Coverage of El Homenaje a Dos Leyendas, CMLL’s second biggest show of the year, with El Satanico’s retirement at 76, The Death Riders appear, the heavyweight title changes hands and Mistico returns
  • A look at the NCAA Division I tournament including a look back 79 years when future pro wrestling legends dominated the heavyweight division and how it ties into the most recent tournament. We also look at the rivalry that could define college wrestling for years to come between a coach and his former pupil, a guy who was in high school in December and wins the NCAA title in March, as well business notes on the show, both attendance and television ratings
  • A look back at Sid Vicious, Badnews Allen and Dennis Rodman’s pro wrestling days
  • Trying to explain the latest controversy in television ratings and how this related to pro wrestling
  • How ratings differ from a sports survey about wrestling fans
  • The most complete look at the ratings for all the pro wrestling television shows over the past week,including competition, demos and comparisons with one year ago, as well as competition in the time slot.
  • Notes on CMLL talent coming to WrestleMania week
  • Major injury to arguably CMLL’s best worker
  • Notes on the 83rd anniversary of pro wrestling in one of its most famous arenas
  • Notes on tentative plans for a major mask vs. mask match
  • Callum Newman and Yuya Uemura tear it up in the New Japan Cup finals
  • Next major New Japan show thoughts with Ospreay’s returnh
  • Tanahashi talks goals to turn the company around
  • Kazusada Higuchi retirement notes
  • Thoughts on Satoru Sayama and his impact on pro wrestling
  • Aja Kongs 40th anniversary show
  • Gable Stevesn and RAF
  • Ted DiBiase Jr acquitted in his case
  • The end of CBS News Radio and what former WCW announcer was an anchor there
  • Notes on the announcing at the orignal When Worlds Collide AAA show
  • Lots of WrestleMania week show notes
  • FantasticaMania comes to the U.K.
  • Update on WBD sale to Paramount Skydance
  • Update on Revolution PPV buys
  • Jeff Jarrett becomes co-owner of a sports franchise
  • Jericho talks about working today
  • More on the Ali Revival Act
  • A list of a lot of PPV buy numbers for UFC
  • Ari Emanuel’s role in getting President Trump to stop the case against Ticketmaster/Live Nation.
  • WWE star training for a bodybuilding contest soon
  • Jesse Ventura rants but his timeline makes sense

This Week’s Back Issue

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Wednesday Update

Lola Vice Kendal Grey WWE NXT
Lola Vice and Kendal Grey’s WWE NXT match ends without a definitive winner.

WWE

Other Wrestling

  • On Games with Names, MJF compared Bryan Danielson to NFL legend Tom Brady:
    • That’s like a Tom Brady level. I would say he’s Tom Brady. Like, definitely GOAT status. He’s like soft-retired right now. I don’t know if he’ll ever come out of retirement. He’s a sicko, so he probably will, because he can never get enough – much like Brady. And he’s definitely, if you talk to wrestling fans and you say who’s one of the greatest wrestlers, bell-to-bell, all-time, GOAT, they’ll say Dragon.
  • Brian Cage appeared on RVD’s 1 of a Kind podcast and gave an update on he’s feeling now that he’s medically cleared to compete:
    • I feel great. I’ve been cleared for a little while. I’m not 100 percent as far as performance-based — obviously I’m not lifting as much weight on my leg lifts and I’m not jumping just as high just yet. But, I mean, I can do everything, I’ve been in the ring several times training and practicing. I’m doing all kinds of different dynamic jumping stuff on my off days in the gym. I just trained legs today, I can train them fine. So I’m feeling good and excited. Have been waiting to come back. I’ve got three matches on the same day on Mania weekend. It just worked out that way.
    • The quad would’ve had me out for probably nine months anyways, and then I chose to get this right knee surgery and get a special, like, replacement on it. And that’s actually what kept me out longer. Because long story short, they botched it. I should’ve come back in November, and then I had to go back under the knife in November, and now I’m cleared from that surgery. When I found that out in October, I was pretty freaking devastated. I was like, ‘You got to be kidding me.’ Because the whole point of getting the one I got done in June on my right knee was so that when November came around, I didn’t have to get surgery again. I could be good to go instead of coming back and still having problems with my right knee.
  • Queen Aminata noted that she’s now pain-free after the neck injury she’s been dealing with for months.
  • Edmonton Journal published a story on Don Callis ahead of tonight’s Dynamite in Winnipeg. Callis reacted to the news that Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling has gotten a TV deal in Canada with TSN:
    • I think MLP getting a national television deal in Canada is gigantic news. It’s the first time since, I think, ’86 or ’89, since anyone has had national television in Canada in terms of a quote, unquote, independent (promotion). Of course, AEW is also on TSN, so I think it’s a great partnership.
    • I’m excited for Canadian fans that Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling is back. I think Canada has great wrestling fans – I don’t want to speak or interact with them – but they are intelligent in terms of pro wrestling.”
  • Parodying the Peter Rosenberg tweet from earlier today where he cautioned WWE talent against doing dives, Chris Hero joked that wrestlers should avoid taking bumps altogether:
    • This is why I tell whoever I can at ROH and even at AEW — don’t bother with these bumps. They are all risk — no reward. If you successfully take a bump in 2026 no one cares, But if you mess it up you could truly harm yourself! Don’t do it
  • Lady Frost will make her MLW debut at a TV taping in Charleston, South Carolina on April 12. She’s now under contract with MLW after her AEW deal expired at the end of March.
  • Yota Tsuji spoke to NJPW’s website about leading the company as IWGP Heavyweight Champion:
    • I’ll keep the same attitude that I have; I won’t change that regardless of the talk that comes out of it. And as I lead NJPW, I have to think about carrying all of Japanese wrestling and all of pro-wrestling worldwide. We have to change things, we have to keep moving into new areas, untested waters. If NJPW gets complacent, it gets left behind by WWE, AEW, CMLL, so part of protecting what makes NJPW great is by changing the way it does things, and to innovate. And that goes for the staff and the wrestlers too; I hope people disagree with me,  and prove me wrong, if that makes things bigger and better for all of us.
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Joseph Currier
Joseph Currier

Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.

In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.