Daily Update: CMLL, AAA Triplemania, WWE SmackDown

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

*The most detailed look at the UFC deal with Paramount, and all the doors that had to be opened to put it together, UFC getting out of PPV, how TKO boxing fights, trying to make this work economically, the loss to ESPN and the loss of ESPN exposure for UFC, analysts, stock market reaction and how much Vince McMahon and Dwayne Johnson made on this deal.
*A look at the next  AEW, NXT and WWE major shows between now and the end of the month.  The lineups, the business, the stories and more.
*Full G-1 Climax reports, the booking, the best matches, the worst matches and more
*The most detailed look at the strange case involving  Karrion Kross
*Amateur wrestling Hall of Famer Greg Wojciechowski, who later was a  world champion with Dick the Bruiser’s Indiana promotion, the grandstand challenge to Hulk Hogan, the boycotted Olympics and more.
*The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling television shows this past week as well as UFC, competition, placings and more.
*A look at CMLL and the popularity of wrestling in Mexico City and Guadalajara.
*Arena Mexico coverage for this week.
*TripleMania notes
*Five Star Grand Prix notes
*Notes on two different Hulk Hogan documentaries
*What the documentaries didn’t cover
*Robbie Ellis, the art dealer turned independent wrestler
*Longest match in history
*More career highlights of Gerry Morrow
*The most detailed look at TNA, its agreement with WWE, why WWE may want outside ownership of the company and another attempt to break its attendance record
*New AEW signings
*Lots of injury updates
*Taz talks about Bret Hart’s view  of wrestling
*WWE library
*Latest WWE cut
*New movies WWE talent is in
*Leading YouTube numbers

This Week’s Back Issue

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Friday Update

–Garrett Gonzales and I just did our show today covering all the news from the past week, from the UFC deal, long-term of AEW,  the big weekend coming up with the shows in Mexico, UFC, G-1, TNA and its future, Lorenzo Fertitta, and more.  Our weekend show will be tomorrow night covering G-1, UFC, TripleMania  and more.

–Tonight’s Arena Mexico show headlined by MJF vs. Zandokan Jr. for the CMLL light heavyweight title sold out five hours before it started.  Tomorrow night’s TripleMania show a few miles away is also sold out, and tomorrow’s Arena Coliseo show had only a few tickets left as of yesterday so it probably sold out by this point.  Also on tonight’s show is Mistico & Hologram vs. Difunto & Mortos, Templario & Titan vs. Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja and a Cibernteico with Ultimo Guerrero, Averno,Barbaro Cavernario, Dragon Rojo Jr., Esfinge, Valiente, Rey Bucnaero and Felino.

–This is the hottest period for Arena Mexico wrestling in its 69 year history.  It has now broken the records set in 1991.

–More than 40,000 fans will pay to see the three shows in Mexico City tonight and tomorrow.  Mistico & Hologram & Templario vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Mortos & Volador Jr. headline tomorrow at Arena Coliseo head to head with TripleMania.  

–TripleMania has El Hijo del Vikingo vs Dominik Mysterio vs. El Grande Americano vs. Dragon  Lee, Finn Balor & JD McDonagh & Raquel Rodriguez vs. Mr. Iguana & Nino Hamburguesa & Lola Vice, Angel &  Berto defend the AAA tag titles against Pagano & Psycho Clown in a street fight and Lady Flammer defends the Reina de Reinas title against Natalya and Faby Apache.  TripleMania  airs on YouTube at 9 p.m. Eastern

–We are doing weekend polls for these shows
*Arena Mexico tonight
*G-1 tomorrow morning
*TripleMania tomorrow night
*G-1 on final on Sunday
We’re looking for a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for each show to [email protected]

–Smackdown  tonight in Boston had Street Profits vs. DIY,  Piper Niven vs. Alexa Bliss, Miz & Carmelo Hayes vs. Nathan Frazer & Axiom along with Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre.  They had 12,000+ out as of this morning and was expected to sell out.

–A correction from the current issue of the Observer in the story on Robbie Ellis.  The wrestler Ron Ellis who did TV in World Class, Mid South and the Carolinas in the 80s was not Robbie Ellis.  Ellis never actually worked for a major promotion.

–Perry Saturn underwent hip replacement surgery this past week.

–Paul Levesque and Stephanie McMahon took a vacation to Greece this week.  TMZ shot photos of them.

–We have most of the notes on Wednesday’s AEW ratings in the issue but because of G-1 we didn’t have all the details we usually do.  So a few notes:
The show did the second biggest women 18-34 and 18-49 numbers of the year, behind only Grand Slam Mexico.  The first quarter was the largest number of viewers for a quarter on Dynamite since  September 11, 2024.  Keep in mind that September numbers weren’t with the show also on MAX, so the actual number probably beat that by a few hundred thousand.  In 18-49, the first quarter, which  was the Adam Page and MJF segment, did the second biggest 18-49 number for Dynamite so far this year, trailing only the MJF vs. Mistico segment from Mexico City.
The high point for viewers, 18-49 and all women demos were the MJF & Page segment.  The high point for men was Darby Allin, Will Ospreay and Death Riders stuff along with the ring entrances for the Mercedes Mone women’s trios match.  The high point for 18-34 was the Adam Copeland, Stokely Hathaway, FTR, Christian Cage, Nick Wayne & Kip Sabian segment.

–Apollo Crews is back in the ring in Orlando training for a return to action.  He’s been out seven months since surgery to repair a torn pec.

–Leila Grey of AEW is performing on Tuesday night in New York at the  Bowery Electric.  She has also released a record album called “This Is Leila.”

–UFC 319 is tomorrow from the United Center in Chicago
ESPN + at 6 :30 p.m.
Alibi Idris (126) v.s  Joseph Morales (126)
Karine Silva (125) vs. Dione Barbosa (125)
Edson Barboza (155.5) vs. Drakker Klose (156)
ESPN and ESPN+ at 8 p.m.
Chase Hooper (155) vs. Alexander Hernandez (156)
Jessica Andrade (116) vs. Loopy Godeniz (115)
Gerald Meerschaert (185) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (186
Baysangur Susurkaev (186) vs. Eric Nolan (183)
PPV at 10 p.m
Tim Elliott (126) vs. Kai Asakura (126)
Jared Cannonier (186) vs. Michael  Venom Page (186)
Geoff Neal (171) vs. Carlos Prates (170)
Lerone Murphy (146) vs. Aaron Pico (145)
Dricus du Plessis (185) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (183) for the middleweight title

–CM Punk is  expected at the UFC show tomorrow night.

–The New Japan show with the G-1 semifinals starts at 3:30 a.m. Eastern time tonight/tomorrow morning from the Ariake Arena
Tatsuya Matsumoto & Tiger Mask & Togi Makabe vs. Zane Jay & Masatora Yasuda &  Shoma Kato
Ryusuke Taguchi &  El Desperado & Yoshi-Hashi & Yuya Uemura & Shota Umino vs. Master Wato & Yoh & Toru Yano & Satoshi Kojima & Taichi
Oleg Boltin & Tomoaki Honma vs. Don Fale & Yujiro Takahashi
Kawtsuya Murashima & El Phantasmo & Hioroshi Tanahashi vs. Jakob Austin Young & Callum Newman & Great O’Khan
Shingo Takagi & Daiki Nagai vs. David Finlay & Gedo
Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori vs. Yoshinubu Kanemaru & Sanada
Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita vs. Douki & Sho & Ren Narita
Evil vs. Yota Tsuji in G-1 semifinal
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. KonosukeTakeshita in G-1 semifinal’

–The G-1 finals will start at 1:30 a.m. tomorrow night Pacific time.  The match should go into the ring at about  4 a.m. Eastern or 1 a.m. Pacific time.

–TNA Emergence tonight from Baltimore, MD at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena
Eddie Edwards &  Brian Myers vs. AJ Francis & Rich Swann
Matt Cardona vs. Mustafa  Ali
Mike Santana vs. Sami Callihan
Ryan Nemeth vs. Home Town Man
The Elegance Brand vs. Jazmyn Nyx & Fallon Henley vs. The Iinspiration vs. Lei Ying Lee & Xia Brookside for the Knockouts tag team titles
Matt & Jeff Hardy vs. Zachary Wentz & Myron Reed for the TNA tag titles
Steve Maclin vs. Jake Something for the International title
Leon Slater vs. Cedric Alexander for the X title
Trick Williams vs. Moose for the TNA title