Daily Update: John Cena, WWE Raw, UFC

Daily Update

Latest Headlines

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

*AEW moves PPV to HBO MAX , details of the move, programming changes, All Out time move, All Out  card and ticket sales.

*The worst week of TV ratings you can imagine.  Each show broken down into all the details.*Clash in Paris coverage, business ntes
*Changes in Nielsen ratings and how this will affect sports sooner and later
*CMLL World Grand Prix with an 82:00 main event.
*Bandido vs. Hechicero is one of the best matches of 2025.
*ROH coverage including problems with the streaming.
*Early reviews on Smashing Machine starring Dwayne Johnson
*A look at the debut of Real American Freestyle
*Nick Hogan sued Bubba the Love Sponge, what he is suing over and the first court ruling comes in.
*The legend of Buford Pusser, a former pro wrestler who became a famous pop culture figure with movies and a TV show about him, and now it comes out that he may have murdered his wife.
*The Hall of Fame case for Steve Grey.
*CMLL with multiple sellouts coming up.
*Who is now in charge of AAA.
*What’s notable about the makeup of who is in  charge.
*Update on Raja Johnson and Syco Stu
*Ronda Rousey with her thoughts on WWE tenure.
*Updates on Matt Riddle.
*One of the biggest indie crowds of the year in Atlanta this past week.
*Upcoming ticket sales to all the WWE, AEW and TNA shows over the next few months.
*Notes on a new AAA signing.
*What fighter just got a $10 million payout over a lawsuit settlement
*Jon Jones cawse update
*Chael Sonnen crosses Rick Rude and The Grappler .
*How much is TKO worth.
*How much is Dwayne Johnson’s TK  stock worth
*Notes on the movie Street Fighter and the character named after a pro wrestler.

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Friday Update

WWE Raw logo

–Garrett Gonzales and I just finished a show talking a lot about business including AEW to MAX, how long should All Out go, Smackdown & Wrestlepalooza, MAX numbers, Page vs. Fletcher, low ratings and the next few months, and WWE having to battle the NFL.  Bryan and I will be back on
Sunday covering the weekend news.

–The reason the John Cena retirement show won’t be in Boston is because WWE wanted money similar to what they got from New Jersey for SummerSlam, to host the event, which would have been for multiple shows the weekend of 12/12 to 12/15.  Boston didn’t bid high enough and then they moved to Washington, DC.

–Raw on Monday from Milwaukee will start at 8 p.m. Eastern, and then the next three Mondays it’ll be at 7 p.m.  It’s a three week experiment by WWE and Netflix where they’ll compare the results of this week with the other three and try to see what is the actual optimal start time for the show during football season.

–The UFC show at the White House is set to take place on the White House Lawn, although it may be in late June rather than July 4th.  There will be fireworks and a light show.  The weigh-ins will be the day before at the Lincoln Memorial and events are expected to take place all week.

–Saul Carrillo, who was best known as Huichol, the king of the hair matches, passed away yesterday at the age of 67.  He had neck surgery last month but no idea if that had anything to do with his death.  He was known for his super long hair, which went down to his butt.  He won more than 50 straight hair matches in his career leading to the famous Rey Misterio Sr. vs. Huchil hair vs. hair match in 1994 in Tijuana.  Many people who attended that match felt it was the greatest live match they had ever seen, and is one of the most famous matches of Rey’s career.  I later saw the match and for the time it was a hell of a match, not the greatest ever but very high end based on 1994 Lucha Libre.  Huichol lost that match ending his streak and getting his head shaved.  He later wrestled as Loco Zandokan II, and is the uncle of current star  Zandokan Jr.  He wrestled in Mexico for 43 years.
–Dean 3 will be taped tomorrow night after Collision at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.  Blue Panther & Xelhura & Pantera vs. Virus & Dr. Cerebro & Hechicero will be on that shw.

–Mistico & Bandido vs. Angel de Oro & Hechicero is the main event for tonight’s show at Arena Mexico.  They also have a four-team tag team tournament with Barboza & Difunto, Elemental & El Terrible, Los Gemelo Diablos and Dragon de Fuego & Dragon Legendario in block A of the Copa Independencia.  Saturday’s Arena Coliseo main event is Esfinge & Templario & Neon vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr.  Sunday’s Arena Mexico show has Mistico & Titan & Atlantis Jr. vs. Averno & Mephisto & Euforia and a singles match with Blue Panther vs. Valiente.

–Matt Jackson noted a reason the eight-man Dynamite match was so wild was because it was the first time the Young Bucks had worked the 2300 Arena since leaving ROH, and that it was a very big night for them due to their history in the building and pivotal career matches.  He noted Nick Jackson, Kota Ibushi, El Generico (Sami Zayn) and Jigsaw had a match in CHIKARA, and the Dragon Gate USA match in the building that he said they believe was one of the most important abouts of their career in a tag match against Cima & Susumu Yokosuka.

–We’re looking for reports on these weekend shows:
*NXT tonight in Spartanburg, NC
 *WWE Smackdown in Chicago (off TV matches)
*TNA TV taping in Minneapolis
*NXT tomorrow night in North Charleston, SC
*NXT Sunday in Augusta, GA
We’re looking for results, finishes and highlights to [email protected]

–UFC tomorrow starting at Noon Eastern on ESPN+ from the Accor Arena in Paris, France

Shauna Bannon (116) vs. Sam Hughes (116)
Andreas Gustrafsson (171) vs. Rinat Fakhretdinv (170)
Brad Tavares (186) vs. Robert Bryczek (186)
Sam Patterson (170) vs. Trey Waters (171)
Harry Hardwick (156) vs. Kare Fernandes (155)’
Marcin Tybura (256) vs. Ante Delija (239)
Oumar Sy (206) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (206)
Wiliam Gomis (145) vs. Robert Ruchala (146)
Axel Sola (170) vs. Rhys McKee (170)
Mason Jones (156) vs. Bolaji Oki (156)
Modestas Bukauskas (205) vs. Paul Craig (205)
Benoit Saint Denis (155) vs. Mauricio Ruffy (156)
Nassourdine Imavov (185) vs. Caio Borralho (185)

Losene Keita weighed  in at 149, missing weight by three pounds.  Patricio Pitbull Freire then refused to face him with him missing weight by that much so that fight is off the show.

–El Hijo del Santo has his farewell match in El Paso tomorrow.  Santo & Santo Jr. & Cinta de Oro (the second Sin Cara in WWE) & Cinta de Or Jr. face Magno & Ciclon Ramirez Jr. & Rafaga Jr. & Romer in the main event.

–Geza Salmani, who was Rezar of AOP in WWE, said that he will be returning to combat sports.  He fought in Bellator prior to signing with WWE.  He also issued a challenge to strongman Eddie Hall for a boxing match on an upcoming Misfits Boxing show.

–House of Glory from last night in Philadelphia:  Zilla Fatu b Bully Ray to win the Crown Jewel title, La Sombra (not Andrade) won over JJ Doze, Raheem Royal, Jodi Aura, Angel Jazquez and Antonio Riccosd, Infamous b Joey Silva to keep the cruiserweight title, Midas Black & Jay Lyon b  Alec Price & Jordan Oliver t keep the tag titles, Shotzi Blackheart b Prscilla Kelly (Gigi Dolin), Cedric Alexander b Amazing Red.  Next show is 10/10 in New York.

–Buff Bagwell will be at the Memphis Wrestling show at the Dyer County Fair, plus he’ll be throwing out the first pitch at the Memphis Redbirds baseball game tomorrow.  On tomorrow’s TV show, Carlito faces Aaron Roberts in the main event.

–Jerry Oates turned 80 today.  Ray Stevens would have turned 91 today.  

–Cinta de Oro, who was the first Mystico and second Sin Cara, turned 48 today.

–Hall of  Famer Dick Lane, who was the person who Mike Tenay took mannerisms and cadence from as an announcer, passed away 43 years ago today.  Lane is the only person in both the pro wrestling and Roller Derby Halls of Fame and was also inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his career as an actor in many movies.

Google Icon

Exclusive access to podcasts and newsletters

Subscribe