Daily Update: Hunter Q. Robbins III, Satoshi Kojma, Oba Femi
Daily Update
Latest News
- 12-man tag team match set for AEW Collision: Maximum Carnage
- Sabu announced for GCW Hammerstein Ballroom show
- Column: With more WWE stars staying put, the fun of free agency has fizzled out
- Ring of Honor TV spoilers from Athens, Georgia
- Booker T defeats Zilla Fatu at Reality of Wrestling event
- Sumie Sakai officially retires at NJPW Battle in the Valley
Latest Audio
- DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The pioneer era ramps up
- WOR: Recaps of NJPW Battle in the Valley, AEW Collision & WWE SmackDown, Odyssey Jones news
Latest Free YouTube Video
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The highlights of the issue:
- The WrestleMania direction
- First WWE show on Netflix
- John Cena, The Rock, Undertaker and more and what things on the show garnered the most interest
- Businessnotes on the show
- Positives, negatives and goals of the show
- How the show did on Netflix and deciphering what the different numbers mean
- How advertising works comparing television vs. streaming
- Hulk Hogan reaction
- Changes on the show
- Run time change
- TKO looking at getting into the boxing business with Saudi Arabia
- Kenny Omega returns for the Tokyo Dome show
- In depth on New Japan business concerns and Bushiroad CEO Takaaki Kidani speaks on a number of issues
- The business of the two Dome shows
- Takaaki Kidani talks about his thoughts about a future WrestleDynasty show
- Zack Sabre Jr. does something unprecedented and a list of all non-Japanese who have won an NJPW Tokyo Dome main event
- The Chris Charlton story in depth
- Did the injury to Douki change the finish?
- Where do Young Bucks rank among most world tag team title reigns in history
- A look at the career of the late Rick “Hangman” Harris/Black Bart
- Who had the most four star matches of 2024 and the most in history
- Who has the most of the top 250 matches of all-time on Cagematch
- Explaining how ratings are changing and how to reevaulate numbers
- How many homes have access to the different services
- Quality of watching on MAX vs. TBS
- Tourist board putting on a major international show
- Another big business week for CMLL
- New Year’s Dash notes
- Notes on the next major New Japan shows
- New Japan bodybuilding contest
- The death of Gilbert Cesca, one of the best technical wrestlers that you never heard of
- Germany has a prime time major celebrity wrestling show featuring Claudio Castagnoli
- Malakai Black news
- Ticket advances for WWE & AEw shows
- Streaming numbers and International TV ratings
- How did TNA debut on SportsNet in Canada
- GFL announces lots of women stars’
- Paul Levesque talks planning WrestleMania and The Rock
- Update on Bill Goldberg
- Nick Khan and Dwayne Johnson stock transactions this week
- How much does WWE help the USA Network
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue
Sunday Update
— Both of our weekend shows are up on the site now. We went into detail on the Vince McMahon story, understanding the changes in ratings and how to evaluate Raw and Dynamite, Battle in the Valley, Black Bart and more on our show with Garrett Gonzales. We also talked about the weekend shows, the latest news last night with Bryan Alvarez.
— We are sorry to report the death of Robin Hunt, who was early ECW manager Hunter Q Robbins III, at the age of 57. He was the first manager of Sabu in the company before Bill Alfonso. He later produced independent movies after leaving wrestling.
— The only weekend match internationally that we heard a lot of raves for was Blue Panther vs Hechicero on Friday night at Arena Mexico. Last night’s show in San Jose had two very strong matches in Gabe Kidd vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hechicero. New Japan also did a great job with the Sumie Sakai retirement.
— We are doing a weekend poll on NJPW Battle in the Valley, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
— In Google searches over the last 48 hours, the UFC show did 200,000 in total. Khabib Nurmagomedov, who had a video on Tik Tok from a flight he was on go viral, did 200,000 while Mackenzie Dern, who beat Amanda Ribas in the first UFC main event of the year, did 100,000.
— We’re looking for reports from last night’s NXT show in Jacksonville, results, finishes and highlights to [email protected]
— For those voting in the awards this year, people involved in counting noted that some are listing Oba Femi for Rookie of the Year. The list of those who are eligible for the award is in the January 6 issue. For Rookie of the Year, you had to have not wrestled a match for a major promotion prior to September 1, 2023. Femi debuted November 1, 2022, or ten months before the cut off.
— Athena & Hanan & Koguma beat Saya Kamitani & Momo Watanabe & Thekla on yesterday’s Stardom show in Aiichi. On today’s show in Aichi, At han & Hazuki & Koguima & Momo Kohgo beat Kamitani & Watanabe & Thekla & Ruaka via DQ. Athena faces Thekla for the ROH women’s title tomorrow at Korakuen Hall.
— There was a huge pickup in sales for Raw in San Jose tomorrow night. As of this morning they were past 11,700 and look like they will sell out. Given nothing special has happened such as new matches to lead to a big upswing in ticket sales, it probably has to do with the Netflix debut and aura regarding the product. It will probably sell out with the walkup and this was not tracking to do anywhere close to that. Announced is Finn Balor vs Damian Priest in a street fight, Lyra Valkyria vs. Dakota Kai for the women’s IC title in the tournament final, Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser and Chad Gable vs. ? (believed to be the debut of Penta). C.M. Punk will be at the show.
— Satoshi Kojima was burned in the face by the pyro after his match with Matt Riddle on last night’s MLW show in North Richland Hills, TX. The pyro was for the celebration of Riddle winning the MLW title. Pyro shot right into his face. He was in a lot of pain and everyone freaked out, but he was okay.
— MLW from last night in North Richland Hills, TX: The show legit sold out. MLW claimed 2,400 was the attendance which we can’t verify but the sellout is legit: Neon b Virus, Okumura b Dark Panther, Bobby Fish b Ariel Dominguez, CW Anderson & Brock Anderson b Paul London & Paul Walter Hauser in a tornado match, Tom Lawlor b Minoru Suzukli, Mads Krugger won a Gravity Gamble ladder match over Matthew Justice, Brett Ryan Gosselin, Akira and Mr. Thomas, Mistico b Barbaro Cavernario 2/3 falls to keep MLW middleweight title, Atlantis & Atlantis Jr. b Blue Panther & Dark Panther, Delmo Exo b Janai Kai to retain her hair and win the women’s featherweight title, Donovan Dijak b KENTA, Averno won three-way over Mascara Dorada and Esfinge, Matt Riddle b Satoshi Kojima to win the MLW title.
— Kushida will be back as a regular in MLW now that his TNA contract has expired.
— Chris Jericho will be at a Q&A tomorrow night as they are screening the movie “Dark Match” at 7 p.m. at the IFC Center in New York. Jericho will be doing a live Q&A after the movie airs.
— WAPA in San Juan is no longer airing Smackdown after 20 years. So for those without cable, the show is no longer available there. (thanks to Leonardo Mendez Toledo)
— Shinya Aoki, who has been a pro wrestler in Japan after making his name in MMA, was announced for the ONE show on 3/23 at the Saitama Super Arena in a fight with Eduard Folayang. Aoki beat former UFC star John Linekelr in his last fight one year ago.
— There is a very interesting NFL debate regarding Jim Tyrer in the Hall of Fame. It mirrors a lot of pro wrestling debates on Chris Benoit (thanks to Danny Lu)
— CAC President and former pro wrestling star Brian Blair turned 67 today.
— Limitless Wrestling tonight in Heron, ME has Matt Cardona vs. Dezmond Cole, B3CCA vs. Gabby Forza and Anthony Green vs. John Walters among the top bouts.
