Daily Update: John Cena, Aaron Rourke, Big Daddy documentary
Daily Update
Latest News
- WWE Hall of Famer reportedly discussed for on-screen appearance
- Update on pitched WWE SummerSlam match and two potential returns
- Update on CM Punk’s expected WWE return
- John Cena shares new ideas for WWE John Cena Classic
- Janel Grant, Vince McMahon, WWE in talks to move lawsuit to private arbitration
- The Rock details recent cancer scare in new interview
- Bret Hart being honored by Cauliflower Alley Club
- Chris Jericho on ditching Y2J persona in WWE: ‘I don’t wanna be a nostalgia act’
- Former WWE wrestler Heidenreich working at Walmart, ‘couldn’t ask for a better life’
Latest Audio
- WOL: Janel Grant and Vince McMahon, Dynamite, Bryan’s birthday gift
- WOR: Janel Grant updates, UFC White House card, Dynamite & NXT recaps, Undertaker/Rey Mysterio bury CMLL
Latest YouTube Video
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Among the topics covered:
- Mexico City becomes the battleground of wrestling in September. We look at the strategies, the decisions going into a period when the city will host four major shows and seven major arena shows in eight days.
- WWE attempts to counter program Forbidden Door with NXT Great American Bash. A look at the numbers the last time and trying to figure out why it would be tried again
- The most publicized UFC show in history comes to the White House. Can it beat Rousey vs. Carano numbers, can it beat NFL numbers, how it got started and plans for the show.
- AAA Noche de los Grandes, full review of the show and the make-up of the viewership and how it’s changed over the last year, as well as thoughts on the mask vs. mask match that tore down the house
- The WWE stockholders lawsuit against the WWE key higher ups goes to trial this week. We look in depth of what is being asked, why, and give background on everything involved in the case
- WWE Clash In Italy coverage and business numbers
- Ben Askren wins Gaspard/Huber award and returns for one last match
- Odds for King and Queen of the Ring
- How much has Nielsen’s new ratings method hurt the value of pro wrestling on television? We have pretty much the figures, plus the shocking real comparisons for AEW Dynamite last week with recent years
- Full ratings report for the pro wrestling programming, competition, comparisons, and more,.
- Arena Mexico coverage with lots of big matches this coming week
- NOAH tag team tournament news
- Best of the Super Juniors coverage
- Top young star getting shoulder surgery
- Japanese MMA legend wins pro wrestling tournament
- The future of Lucha Libre in 2036 on display this past week
- Ticket sales for all the major upcoming pro wrestling shows this summer
- A crazy indie story involving Jacques Rougeau
- RAF booking a major event in Tbilisi
- More on Damo & Nikki Cross buying Progress
- Lots of Mick Foley AEW talk
- How the Von Erichs viewed the A&E Biography
- Another judge upset with TKO executives not saving evidence
- McGregor return ticket prices go crazy, although not Knicks crazy
- Robbiers in boxing or just bad judging
- Notes on Smackdown going forward
- Examing what Nick Khan said about 2024 WrestleMania plans
- George Barrios claims he talked Vince McMahon into running Saudi Arabia after the Kashoggi death
- Punk on talks to go back to WWE in 2018
This Week’s Back Issue
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Thursday Update
WWE
- US Weekly asked John Cena if he was surprised that there was some fan backlash to his John Cena Classic announcement:
- Great point. I dropped so much information on the audience, and I didn’t … it’s not complete. There’s still more information to give. We’re gonna have a new event. We’re gonna crown a new champion, and everyone qualifies for the vote, and there’s going to be a vote. What does that mean? Well, if you want to vote for the winners, vote for the winners. That’s fine. I just want to let you know that if somebody busts their hump and wins your heart and wins your vote, you can vote for them. That’s an important piece to get out, because we’re trained that only winners qualify.
- So that, in itself, is a landslide of questions: ‘Oh, this just turned my world upside-down. I don’t even know if this is gonna work!’ Neither do I, but I think it’s bold enough to try, because in the early stages of my career, I lost a lot, but people would walk away being like, ‘That’s that rapping guy.’ So I really won; I won their heart and I won their vote because they kept showing up. I’m literally trying to encapsulate the early stages of my journey into one night of exhibition contests. So we’ll see. I can promise you this: You will get my all for this thing, absolutely.
- In an Esquire profile piece on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, legendary director Martin Scorsese praised Johnson’s performance in “The Smashing Machine,” where he played MMA fighter Mark Kerr:
- Dwayne is remarkable in The Smashing Machine. He and Benny [Safdie], along with Emily Blunt and Ryan Bader, went deep together. They got into some challenging and uncomfortable territory that really stunned and enlightened me. Dwayne is one of a kind.
- Indie promotion Limitless Wrestling announced that Aaron Rourke, a WWE ID talent, has been pulled from their June 20 show in Portland, Maine:
- Breaking: Due to a WWE contractual obligation, Aaron Rourke will no longer be appearing for Limitless Wrestling on June 20th.
- As our wrestlers move up the ranks, this is the risk we run as an independent organization booking contracted talent.
- We’ll continue to take those risks to always bring the very best professional wrestling possible to Maine. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
- Carmelo Hayes visited New England Patriots minicamp this week and took photos with NFL stars AJ Brown and Drake Maye.
- Damian Priest will be participating in Sunday’s Puerto Rican Day parade in New York City.
- The Early Bird Special interviewed Chelsea Green.
- WWE Vault uploaded a full episode of Mid-South Wrestling from October 27, 1984.
- The WCW YouTube channel has a nearly three-hour video of Steiners footage from 1989.
Other Wrestling
- A documentary on British wrestling legend Big Daddy (Shirley Crabtree) is in the works from BUFF Studios and Rainbow Trout Films:
- The feature will be titled ‘Who’s The Daddy?.’ BUFF Studios will produce in association with Rainbow Trout Films. The producers will introduce the project to buyers at this year’s Sheffield DocFest, where BUFF Studios will present its 2026 documentary slate.
- The film’s official synopsis reads: The project will examine how an ordinary Halifax sportsman became one of Britain’s most recognizable television personalities, transforming professional wrestling into prime-time family entertainment and laying the foundations for modern celebrity culture in pre-digital Britain.
- NJPW’s English-language website posted an interview with Drilla Moloney.
- Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Darian Bengston has been announced for Produce Wrestling’s June 29 show in Brooklyn.
- Rick Martel is set to appear at WrestleCon in Minneapolis on August 1-2.
- Earl Hebner made an appearance on Busted Open Radio.
- Teddy Long is the guest on the latest episode of TMZ’s Inside the Ring.
- AEW talent gave their World Cup winner predictions.
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.