Daily Update: Nick Khan-Pat McAfee, TNA, Hardys indie match

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

We have the largest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter in our history up on the site covering two very newsworthy weeks:

  • Full coverage of Full Gear. The good, the bad, the reaction, the business notes, reasons for the surprisingly good PPV number, thoughts on the world title change, long title reigns and how they create legends, and early Continental Classic thoughts.
  • Notes and odds regarding upcoming matches
  • UFC announces its first two shows of 2026, changes that the company is making and why the first two main events are so controversial
  • Full coverage of UFC 323
  • The life and times of Bob Caudle, the voice of Mid Atlantic wrestling and a Hall of Fame candidate
  • A detailed look at how and why the ratings have changed, why the explanation makes no sense, exactly how much the new panel and big data ratings have hurt each show and in particular where.
  • The most in-depth look at the ratings for all the shows over the past two weeks, placings for the week, placings in the time slot, men vs. women, how the placings compare to 2024 and 2023, and each show compared with the prior year and prior week, as well as the leading competition for each show.
  • Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, Komander, Mortos, Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight go to CMLL, draw big crowds and a look at their key matches
  • CMLL ready to honor a milestone it is close that no company has ever done in history
  • Notes on AAA’s new TV deal in Mexico and Latin America and who they are pushing as the top stars
  • WWE tag team taking the name of one of Mexico’s greatest tag teams in history
  • Updates on tag team tournaments in Stardom, New Japan and All Japan.
  • Wrestler suspended after getting in car accident and messing up a tournament
  • Update on Tokyo Dome ticket sales
  • Fantastica Mania 2026 notes
  • Battle of the Generations
  • RAF new philosophy and update
  • Santo’s final matches
  • Sting’s son has first singles match
  • Headbangers farewell tour
  • The oldest male wrestler in history has a match last week
  • Opera Cup notes
  • TNA business notes as well as notes on the next PPV show and the last major show
  • AEW TV changes
  • Final Battle updated card
  • Tony Khan on multiple subjects
  • Ticket sales for upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA shows
  • Two best in the world at their specific sport athletes are on UFC’s radar
  • Becky Lynch’s comments
  • Update on stockholders lawsuit against WWE
  • New WWE signings
  • WWE star talks about her domestic violence issue
  • WWE engagements
  • Bret Hart talks McMahon and Michaels and our thoughts on it

This Week’s Back Issue

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • John Cena recorded an episode of the Bill Simmons Podcast that will be released on Thursday night.
  • On the Pat McAfee Show, WWE President Nick Khan praised Cena for how hard he works:
    • You talk about people who work their behinds off, who never say that they’re tired: Cena. You know him, you never hear him say, ‘I’m so tired, I can’t believe this, I have to do this or that.’ He just does it.
    • And you talk about the GOAT [Greatest of All Time], that’s GOAT mentality. He deserves everything that he’s earned in his life, and it’s our honor to help see him out.
  • Khan noted that he and McAfee will be meeting soon to discuss McAfee’s WWE return: “Listen, we’re going to bring you back. I know you and I are going to sit together once college football slows a little bit.”
  • Lucha Libre AAA confirmed that Natalya & Lola Vice will team up with Faby Apache for a six-woman tag match against Flammer, La Hiedra & Lady Maravilla at Guerra de Titanes on December 20.
  • WWE’s YouTube channel has surpassed 100 billion views over the course of its lifetime, making it only the 12th channel to ever do so.
  • WWE uploaded the full Je’Von Evans, Leon Slater, Joe Hendry & Myles Borne vs. DarkState main event from NXT last night, along with the complete John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar match from Wrestlepalooza.
  • Men’s Health interviewed Charlotte Flair.
  • Wren Sinclair was a guest on the Battleground podcast. 

Other Wrestling

  • The Thanksgiving night episode of AEW Collision averaged 285,000 viewers on TNT and drew a 0.06 rating in the 18-49 demo.
  • The Rizzler appeared on Hey (EW) with RJ City.
  • Here is the announced lineup for this Thursday’s episode of TNA Impact:
    • The Hardys, Steve Maclin & Cedric Alexander vs. Lexis King, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe
    • Number one contender’s match: Dani Luna vs. Xia Brookside
    • Mustafa Ali vs. Trey Miguel
    • Mike Santana vs. Robert Stone
    • First Class Penthouse segment with Leon Slater
    • Home Town Man (Cody Deaner) vs. Brooks Jensen
  • Denise Salcedo has an interview with TNA President Carlos Silva.
  • While speaking with Wrestlezone, Silva addressed how often Impact will air live in its new TV deal with AMC:
    • Probably in the first six months, I would say we’re probably going to be live a few more times than we’re usually live. We want to be live more often. There’s still some logistics and operations issues to moving the crew around and finding the right locations so many times. So, certainly, in the first six months, it’s going to be a combination of live and taped.
    • I’m a live guy, we’ve got some operational issues and workflow issues with the new network partner in AMC. We’d like to be live more often. But I think we’re going to be smart and work through this partnership in the first three months, then six months, so that we do things well, the way that we know how to do them. And then we’ll be able to pivot and do even more. I know the fans love live, I know the wrestlers love live, and I love live, but we’ve just got to be smart about it, how to do it and when to do it, so we do it well.
  • TNA Knockouts Champion Lei Ying Lee was a guest on Busted Open Radio today.
  • The Hardys will defend their House of Glory Tag Team titles against Zilla Fatu & Lance Anoa’i at the indie promotion’s Winter Warfare show in Queens, New York on December 19.
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Joseph Currier
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.