Daily Update: Flying Fred Curry passes away, weekend preview

NXT Stand & Deliver 2026
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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered:

  • The most detailed update on the Janel Grant case, with her new filing and claims, a look at those claims in detail, what is net for the case, the key thing regarding the future of the case and why it really comes down to the judges ruling, and timeline for all of this. We cover new cais and the arguments for and against binding arbitration or continuing the civil case.
  • Update on WrestleMania, the card as of this point, reasons for some of the new matches, when matches changed and why, as well as the business for the show, how far behind are ticket sales and interest in the show as compared to the same period last year.
  • Chris Jericho returns to AEW and as much detail as we have on the decision
  • AEW Dynasty update and updated major event ticket sales
  • The death of J Robinson, a college coaching legend and his connections with a number of key figures in pro wrestling, including the recruiting of Brock Lesnar by WWE and the politics behind why WWE waited an extra year to offer him a deal.
  • The most detailed look at the television ratings for all the pro wrestling shows this past week, including competition, comparisons with one year back, Raw vs. Dynamite and how close it has become, and more.
  • It’s CMLL tournament of champions month starting this week
  • Anniversary shows at Arena Mexico and Arena Coliseo this week including a look back at the first show in each building
  • A look at the four title match show at ArenaMexico on Tuesday
  • A super hot match to watch on AAA
  • A look at Stardom’s biggest stipulation of the year and Yokohama Arena show
  • Current Tiger Mask retires
  • Best of the Super Junior tournament update
  • Largest crowd of the year for women’s wrestling in Japan
  • Hodge trophy winner looked at
  • Maple Leaf Wrestling announces new TV deal and a look at the weekend shows
  • Stabbing at a pro wrestling show
  • Very interesting political match will take place with TNA champion vs. AEW star
  • American gold medalist challenges UFC undefeated champion
  • Rebellion notes
  • Lots of injury updates and business notes
  • Wrestler complaining about AEW not booking them enough
  • Kenny Omega talks his and Kota Ibushi’s health
  • Brody King talks the chants
  • Tony Khan and his enemies
  • Kayla Harrison on why her next bantamweight fight will be her last and why she should never have fought at bantamweight to begin with
  • Crazy Dana White story
  • Will Mayweather-Pacquiao II take place and what are the issues
  • Fedor Emelianenko wants to return to combat next year
  • Nick Khan acquires TKO stock
  • Bret & Ross Hart talk Badnews Allen in WWE Hall of Fame

This Week’s Back Issue

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Friday Update

NJPW Sakura Genesis
NJPW Sakura Genesis

— The weekend schedule will be a show today with Garrett Gonzales talking about the news of the past week, and boy is this the week, and then our weekend show will be Sunday night covering news, Sakura Genesis, NXT Stand & Deliver, CMLL tonight and much more.

— Flying Fred Curry, the son of Wild Bull Curry, and a major star in the 60s and 70s, passed away today at the age of 82. He was famous for being part of the father-and-son tag team that turned Bull babyface and multi-time NWA tag team champion with Tony Marino.

— We will talk about the note from the lawyer of John Laurinaitis on today’s show.

— SmackDown tonight from St. Louis will have the answer to the mystery as to who is advising Randy Orton. Stories include will Carmelo Hayes be added to the U.S. title match at WrestleMania which is being teased, plus Rhea Ripley vs Michin, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley & Lyra Vakyria, plus Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu are on the show. They had 11,221 tickets out as of earlier today, so will have a big crowd.

— AEW Dynamite did 730,000 viewers and an 0.15 in 18-49 Wednesday night. It was sixth on cable, third in hour one behind the NBA and FOX News and fourth in hour two behind the NBA, FOX News and CNN. News numbers were huge.

— CMLL on 4/16 at the Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas has a 3 p.m. show with Neon & Mascara Dorada vs. Flip Gordon & Capitain Suicide and Ultimo Guerrero vs. Blue Panther. There is also a Mistico main event.

— New Japan Sakura Genesis takes place at 2:40 a.m. Eastern time tonight and 11:40 p.m. Pacific time. We’ve talked about the key things for tonight’s show, which has a strong top of the card. They will also be announcing the final two participants in the Best of the Super Juniors title tonight.

  • Kushida & Masatora Yasuda vs. Tatsuya Matsumoto & Taisei Nakahara
  • Tiger Mask & Togi Makabe vs. Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fiujita
  • Shingo Takagi & Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X vs. Jake Lee & Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young
  • Aaron Wolf & Toru Yano & Yoh & Master Wato vs. Don Fale & Douki & Sho & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi & Oleg Boltin defend the Never trios titels against Ren Nartia & & Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
  • Konosuke Takeshita defends the New Japan World TV title against Shota Umino
  • Will Ospreay & Great O’Khan & Henare vs. Yuya Uemura & Taichi & El Desperado
  • Yuto-Ice & Oskar defend the IWGP tag titles against Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa
  • Yota Tsuji vs.Callum Newman for the IWGP heavyweight title

— Colby Covington has filed a lawsuit against Jorge Masvidal based on Masvidal attacking him outside a Miami Beach restaurant in 2022. On March 21, 2022, Covington claimed that he was leaving Papi Steak in Miami Beach and Masvida ambushed him without warning, punching him and giving Covington no chance to defend himself. Masivdal was arrested and plea bargained to misdemeanor battery and fined. Covington is looking for in excess of $100,000 in damages.

— CMLL has a big weekend. Tonight’s Arena Mexico show sold out early this morning. The top matches are Mistico & Kevin Knight & Mike Bailey defending the AEW trios titles against El Clon & Hechicero & Volador Jr., Flip Gordon vs. Mascara Dorada vs. Averno for the Universal title tournament, Neon vs. Templario and Thunder Rosa & Marcela & India Sioux vs. Olympia & Persephone & Princesa Sugehit. Rosa is expected to work regularly in CMLL and to sign a CMLL contract as well. She will continue to be under AEW contract as well. She wrote today that she will be wrestling in all the CMLL arenas this year.
In the tournament match, it’s the first person to score a pin advancing to the tournament finals on 4/24. There will be tournament matches on 4/10 and 4/17 with those two winners also going to the final night which will be a three-way match.

— Arena Coliseo is sold out for the 83rd anniversary of pro wrestling in that building. It’s a loaded show with Mistico vs. El Clon vs. Soberano Jr., on top, plus Knight & Bailey vs Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja in a non-title match, El Hjio del Villano III & Villano III Jr. defend the Arena Coliseo tag titles against Los Calavera Jr. I & II, Rosa & Jarchita & Garra Negra vs. Keyra & Sanely & Zeuxis and Solar I vs. Xelhua.

— Mistico & Knight & Bailey have a non-title main event Sunday at Arena Mexico against Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr. Rosa & Jarochita face Persephone & Olympia as well.

— Puebla on Monday is expected to sell out with Mistico & Mascara Dorada & Atlantis Jr. vs. Black Tiger & Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero, plus Esfinge & Templario vs Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja in another non-title match.

— A correction from earlier today, Black Tiger in CMLL is the former Magnus, not the former Stigma. Also tomorrow night’s Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja vs. Kevin Knight & Mike Bailey match is not for Oro & Roja’s CMLL tag team titles.

— NXT Stand & Deliver from St.Louis tomorrow

  • Joe Hendry vs. Ethan Page vs. Ricky Saints vs. Tony D’Angelo for the NXT title
  • Jacy Jayne vs. Lola Vice vs. Kendal Grey for the women’s title
  • Tatum Paxley vs. Blake Monroe for the North American title
  • Myles Borne vs. Johnny Gargano for the North American title
  • Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes vs. Rayo & Bravo for the NXT tag titles
  • Sol Ruca vs. Zaria
  • Hank & Tank & Shiloh Hill & EK Prosper & Wren Sinclair vs. Lexis King & Stacks Lorenzo & Uriah Connors & Arianna Grace

— UFC starts at 5 p.m. Eastern tomorrow from The Apex Arena in Las Vega and airing on Paramount +

  • Kai Kamaka III (155) vs. Dakota Hope (155)
  • Dionie Barbosa (126) vs. Melissa Gatto (125.5)
  • Azamat Bekoev (186) vs. Tresean Gore (185.5)
  • Alice Pereira (136) vs. Haily Cowan (136)
  • Lando Vannata (156) vs. Darrius Flowers (156.5) – Flowers missed weight and was fined 20 percent of hir purse
  • Alessandro Costa (125.5) vs. Stewart Nicoli (126)
  • Guilherme Pat (250.5) vs. Thomas Petersen (251)
  • Jose Delano (144.5) vs. Robert Ruchala (146)
  • Tommy McMillen (145.5) vs Manolo Zacchini (145)
  • Ethyn Ewing (135.5) vs. Rafael Estevan (136.5) – Estevan missed weight and was fined 20 percent of his purse
  • Abdul Rakhman Vakhyaev (206) vs Brendon Ribeiro (205)
  • Virna Jandiroba (116) vs. Tabatha Ricci (115.5)
  • Renato Moicano (156) vs. Chris Duncan (156)

— Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, the former Kane, is the Grand Marshal for the 35th Food City 500 race at Bristol Motor Speedway on 4/12

— Combate Global has a Mexico vs. USA show on 4/11 in Burbank CA on EstrellaTV, Samsung TV + and on YouTube. From this point forward all Combate Global shows will air on Saturday nights, meaning mostly head-to-head with UFC.

— Tiger Jeet Singh turns 82 today. Jeff Van Kamp, an early Lord Humongous, turns 64 today. Lance Storm turns 57 Alex Marvez turns 55. Aron Stevens turns 44. Tasha Steelz turns 39. The late Ron Starr was born on this day in 951. Marie LeVeau was born on this day in 1952. Russ Francis, a former NFL superstar and perhaps the best All-Around athlete in the last 60 years in pro wrestling, was born on this day in 1953. Former world champion Bobby Managoff was 84 when he passed away 24 years ago today. Chief Jay Strongbow was 83 when he passed away 14 years ago today. Bobby Whitlock was 68 when he passed away 21 years ago today. Butch Miller of the Sheepherders and Bushwhackers was 78 when he passed away three years ago today. (thanks to Tony Richards)

— Frankie Kazarian will be on Memphis Wrestling tomorrow and there are teases of Vince Russo on the show.

— Amy “Lita” Dumas will be a guest on 7/17 for the Reading Fightin Phils AA baseball game with the Altoona Curve on 7/17 in Reading. It is billed as a Tribute to Pro Wrestling Night.

— The Brooklyn Cyclones have a WWE Night on 7/17 where the first 1,000 fans attending will get a WWE replica championship belt.

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Dave Meltzer
Dave Meltzer

Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.