Daily Update: CM Punk-Finn Balor, Brian Knobbs, Mercedes Mone

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site right now. Some of the key stories being covered:

  • Royal Rumble thoughts, odds and direction
  • The business of UFC to Paramount, the numbers that were released, what they mean, and how much revenue does this mean vs. how much they paid for rights
  • Coverage of Saturday Night’s Main Event
  • UFC 324 coverage, the fights, the future and the business
  • The life and times of Kim Wood, football, weightlifting, perception of people, Ken Shamrock and Brian Pillman
  • How Smackdown and NXT did throughout 2025 on Netflix, the ups and the downs
  • The most complete look at the ratings for all the pro wrestling TV shows over the past week, demos, comparisons, drops from last year factoring out why it would and should drop with big data
  • A new record set for most sellouts by a main eventer in a given month
  • Huge CMLL business week and great matches
  • Major shows upcoming
  • Big events coming for New Japan
  • Fantastica Mania coming
  • Mayu Iwatani’s 15th anniversary show
  • Jesse Ventura suggest Minnesota should leave the U.S.
  • Chris Jericho on TV show
  • Jimmy Jacobs talks working for Vince McMahon
  • Mick Foey on his mother’s death
  • Controversial independent angle makes mainstream attention and gets wrestler fired
  • Former WWE champion in talks to become a weekly TV character elsewhere
  • Former WCW attitude era announcer about to come back to wrestling
  • Ticket sales for upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA shows
  • Looking at the AEW business with Triller
  • AEW executive there from the start leaving
  • Issues with spoliation of evidence in UFC case
  • More on the White House show
  • Lots of notes on Zuffa boxing contracts
  • Notes on WWE international deals
  • Injryu updates
  • New AEW & WWE signings

This Week’s Back Issue

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Thursday Update

WWE

  • WrestleVotes reports that CM Punk vs. Finn Balor for the World Heavyweight Championship is an idea that’s been proposed for WWE’s Elimination Chamber PLE in Chicago on February 28.
  • El Grande Americano vs. Rey Fenix vs. Dragon Lee vs. Octagon Jr. in a Rey de Reyes qualifying match has been added to the card for this Saturday’s Lucha Libre AAA TV episode.
  • On TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast, Liv Morgan was asked how she deals with social media criticism given that she has such a large following:
    • Honestly, and I mean this respectfully, I don’t really care about your criticism. If you’re not someone that I’m asking critique for, if you’re not my boss – I respectfully don’t care about what you have to say or what your opinion is. Everyone is entitled to [opinions]. You know, all opinions are welcome. But it doesn’t affect me whether it’s positive or negative, because I only care about what my bosses think.
  • Seth Rollins appeared on The Rich Eisen Show today.
  • The Bella Twins spoke with Notsam Wrestling following Brie Bella’s WWE return.
  • Logan Paul uploaded a new vlog.
  • WWE Vault added full video of a Georgia Championship Wrestling event that took place at The Omni in Atlanta on February 5, 1984.

Other Wrestling

  • Brian Knobbs of The Nasty Boys, who has battled serious health issues over the past few years, shared that he is back in the hospital due to an infection:
    • While things have become more challenging financially, Brian has faced hard roads before and he’s always found a way to fight through. He’s staying positive, pushing forward, and deeply grateful for the support that continues to lift him up. Anything you’re able to do, whether it’s donating, sharing, or simply sending good thoughts, makes a real difference and is sincerely appreciated.
  • Loaded Magazine asked Chris Jericho to name the proudest moment of his showbiz career:
    • It’s hard to pinpoint an exact moment. I think the thing I’m most proud of is being able to do this for 35 years. Getting to tour the world and do what I love the most. Making money is great, but getting to do it is the dream. If I had to pinpoint anything…headlining the Tokyo Dome with Kenny Omega, starting AEW and seeing it become such a success, stealing the show with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIX and drawing 1,000 tickets for the first time in Nottingham. 
    • What I do also makes other people happy, and that’s important. Giving them lifelong memories that help them to forget about their troubles for a moment, and helping them to chase their dreams. That means a lot to me.
  • Mercedes Mone is among the celebrity guests set to appear on season 10 of “Bar Rescue,” which premieres on the Paramount Network on February 22.
  • Winnipeg Pro Wrestling is teasing Mone for their March 31 show.
  • Luther joined Aubrey Edwards & Will Washington on AEW Unrestricted this week.
  • Ricochet appeared on a live edition of Unlikely with Adrian Hernandez.
  • Syuri defending the IWGP Women’s Championship against Athena is now official for NJPW New Beginning USA in Trenton, New Jersey on February 27.
  • MLW announced that its show in Cicero, Illinois this Saturday will be a television taping for the soon-to-return MLW Fusion series.
  • Headbanger Mosh was the guest on a new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet.
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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.