Daily Update: Carmelo Hayes, Jackie Redmond, Zane Jay

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the news covered in this issue:

  • Coverage of the Tokyo Dome show
  • How did the show accomplish what should have been its key goals
  • Thoughts on Aaron Wolf
  • Business notes on the show
  • Yota Tsuji and the title name change
  • The end of the Bullet Club
  • Shinsuke Nakamura and his thoughts
  • Angle with Will Ospreay
  • Records that Tanahashi set during his career
  • Tanahashi’s background
  • Notes on his last IWGP title win that wasn’t supposed to happen
  • The unique way he became a mainstream figure in a news story
  • How his career exploded from there
  • How Tanahashi differed from prior IWGP champions and how that changed who could hold that title
  • The Tanahashi era that turned around New Japan
  • A look at his record setting 13 Tokyo Dome career main events
  • Various title wins and career awards
  • 2025 Business Year in Review
  • A look at all the shows that drew 15,000 fans
  • Biggest individual draws of the year
  • Crowds of 15,000 or more by promotion and how the main companies did
  • How UFC PPV gates were
  • The biggest pro wrestling drawing card every year from 1916 to 2025
  • What wrestlers were No. 1 for the year the most years in their career
  • The 50 biggest arena draws in pro wrestling history based on the standards of their era
  • New Year Dash coverage
  • The year in matches, who had the most great matches in 2025, most over the course of a career, top ten arenas of all-time and new records set in 2025 by a promotion for a year as well as for a city
  • A look at the life of Johnny Legend, a cult celebrity wrestling fan, his work with Freddie Blassie and Andy Kaufman, and his promotion, Incredibly Strange Wrestling.
  • The most detailed look at the ratings of the pro wrestling TV shows and details regarding who watches
  • Advanced ticket sales for WWE, AEW and TNA events
  • AEW stars headed to CMLL next week
  • Another Arena Mexico sellout
  • Legendary pro wrestling promoter turns 101
  • Old living wrestling personalities
  • Ted DiBiase files lawsuit
  • The Ted DiBiase Jr. case
  • A look at the career of Bob Boyer/Bobby Bold Eagle, who wrestled from 1955 to 1987
  • Documentary planned on 80s tag team
  • Notes on WrestleMania week shows
  • Update on the WBD sale
  • Former UFC champion goes for boxing world title
  • Update on the home for WWE’s library
  • Plans for TV shows this month
  • How much Dwayne Johnson has made from the WWE contract he signed two years ago
  • Those added to WWE, those leaving, those injured and those they are interested in
  • How the Holiday week house shows did
  • Why WWE’s weekly  audience on Netflix should go up close to 12 percent over the next three months.

This Week’s Back Issue

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Thursday Update

WWE

  • For his United States title open challenge on SmackDown tomorrow, Carmelo Hayes invited the best of the United Kingdom to step up: “Smackdown in London tomorrow night! I want the best out of the UK that wants to step up, put on and tear the roof off that bih #USTitleOpenInvitation”
  • On Insight with Chris Van Vliet, WWE broadcast team member Jackie Redmond addressed whether she would like to get involved in the ring one day:
    • I mean, I don’t have any desire to be, like, in a match or anything like that.
    • I do wish that Superstars yelled at me [on-screen] more. I’m not going to lie. Like, that’s not really a thing that we do anymore, but I want them in my face. I want them to be mean to me. Like, I actually really want that. Like, please be a d*ck. I really — be a jerk to me. But it’s a different time. Maybe one day.
    • No, I don’t want to be in the ring, but I wouldn’t be opposed to, like, slapping someone or taking a bump. No [I’ve never taken a bump]. I would love to, though. I would even love just to learn how to take a bump.
  • Redmond discussed her friendship with CM Punk:
    • I crossed paths with CM Punk prior to joining WWE because he’s such a hockey fan. So I knew him through hockey. So when he came back, I instantly DM’d him. I was leaving the venue, and I was like, ‘You little sh*t! I didn’t know you were coming back.’ This is crazy, and I was still pretty new at that time. So for me, I was like, Oh my gosh. It’s an intimidating world. Everyone’s so nice and welcoming, but it’s a big world with big personalities. Everyone’s focused on what they have going on. So when I first started, I was very much in my shell, I was shy. So when Punk came back, I was like, Oh, my God, a friendly face. I know this person, which is so crazy because his reputation prior to coming back, it just amazes me some of the things that people say about him, because for me, he’s always just been an absolute pleasure, so nice, so professional, just awesome.
  • Punk spoke with Comicbook.com during the media tour for his new movie “Night Patrol.”
  • Bayley shared a funny story about accidentally receiving texts from Trish Stratus:
    • You know who texts me on accident all the time is Trish, because she has a nephew named Bailey. I will get happy birthday texts all the time. ‘Happy 12th birthday.’ Oh, my God, thank you. She’s like, ‘Damn it. I did it again.’
  • In Paris yesterday, Maxxine Dupri attended the world premiere for season four of the Netflix series “Bridgerton.”
  • Jordynne Grace was a guest on Busted Open Radio.
  • Denise Salcedo has an interview with Chelsea Green
  • Logan Paul uploaded a new vlog.
  • WWE Vault uploaded the company’s full Battle Royal at the Royal Albert Hall event from 1991.

Other Wrestling

  • Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun appeared on AEW Unrestricted this week.
  • No-Contest Wrestling spoke with The Hardys ahead of TNA’s AMC premiere.
  • In an interview with NJPW’s website, Zane Jay discussed being the only foreigner currently in the NJPW Japanese Dojo:
    • It’s not an easy life in the Dojo (laughs). Not at all. I think before me, in the past, (David) Finlay and Juice (Robinson), Jay White, the foreigners in the Dojo had other foreigners there to support them. Right now, it’s only me, so I have a chip on my shoulder. And they have more experience in Japan than me, but at the same time I have more life experience, and a different mentality. I went through a lot to get here, and now I really want to make the most of this.
  • Los Tranquilos de Japon protege Ryusei is making his official debut at a show for SAJ Wrestling in Italy on January 31.
  • Anthony Greene will be an entrant in MLW Battle Riot VIII.
  • CJ Perry interviewed Nhooph Al-Areebi (former WWE wrestler Aliyah) on her Identity Crisis podcast.
  • Denise Salcedo is holding a live show with special guests at Circa Resort & Casino Las Vegas on April 17, which is the Friday of WrestleMania week.
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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.