Daily Update: Rob Van Dam, John Cena, Rezar

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • We’ve got a giant new issue of the Observer out today covering the Cena and Santo retirements as well as all the big events from the past week:
  • John Cena and El Hijo del  Santo’s retirement shows and how they are so different
  • A look back at both’s careers and places in history
  • Where Santo went wrong
  • Key people who saved John Cena’s career
  • Why he never turned heel years ago
  • Marketing of Cena as The GOAT
  • How Cena ranks with the biggest draws in wrestling history
  • Update on WBD’s potential sales to Netflix or Paramount, what the deals entail and how this  all affects AEW
  • Dwayne Johnson and his Golden Globe nomination
  • Odds for upcoming pro wrestling bouts
  • 1,000,000th fan attends CMLL pro wrestling at Arena Mexico alone.  Why this has never happened before, and the absolutely staggering part of the story that nobody talks about
  • UFC 323 coverage of the last UFC show on PPV for at least seven years
  • A look at NXT Deadline
  • A look at ROH Final Battle
  • A look at TNA Final Resolution
  • A look at the career of Steve “Mr. Electricity” Regal, death of territories, the shocking win over the Road Warriors and holding world titles in the AWA and NWA in the 80s.
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the TV shows over this past week
  • A look at major promotions joining together for different shows in 2026
  • A look at last week’s big shows at Arena Mexico, both a hell of a Friday and a big Tuesday with Bad Bunny under a Mistico mask in the front row
  • Key CMLL talent banged up
  • All Japan tag team tournament ends with a former rugby star from New Zealand and former member of the Harlem Globetrotters against each other.
  • NOAH’s big start of the year show
  • New wrestlers starting at NOAH including the brother of a UFC fighter
  • New Japan tag team tournament final standings and results
  • Big awards being announced this week
  • Actress who played Hall of Fame pro wrestler on a Netflix series wins major award for her performance
  • Where did the original star ratings in Mexico rating matches come from
  • Hulk Hogan album being re-released
  • Notes on AEW Worlds End
  • Andrade makes claims about what happened with AEW and WWE
  • Advance ticket sales for all the AEW and WWE upcoming shows
  • Lots more on Trump UFC event at the White House
  • UFC schedule
  • More on the Ali Act and attempting to change and subvert it
  • Dana White talks Francis Ngannou now that he wants to return
  • The most interest in buying tickets to a pro wrestling or UFC show in history took place this past week
  • Lots more on the two lawsuits going against Vince McMahon and WWE
  • The WWE TV schedule for this coming week
  • Big PPV main event match that fell through from earlier this year

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE uploaded the full Joe Hendry vs. Leon Slater vs. Dion Lennox vs. Myles Borne main event from NXT last night. Slater won the match, earning a title shot against NXT Champion Oba Femi at New Year’s Evil.
  • Cody Rhodes announced that a new episode of his “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” podcast will premiere tomorrow with John Cena joining him as the guest: “For the FIRST TIME since retiring from the ring…@JohnCena joins us on #WhatDoYouWannaTalkAbout TOMORROW.”
  • Cena acknowledged Kevin Owens by sharing a photo of them shaking hands while Owens was in the crowd for Cena’s last match.
  • Mark Hendry joined Undertaker & Michelle McCool on a new episode of Six Feet Under.
  • Esquire shared a first look at Dave Bautista’s next movie “The Wrecking Crew,” which Bautista stars in alongside Jason Momoa. Here is the description for the film:
    • Estranged half-brothers Jonny and James reunite after their father’s mysterious death. As they search for the truth, buried secrets reveal a conspiracy threatening to tear their family apart.
  • Jake Paul unveiled the Hulk Hogan-inspired gear he’s wearing for his boxing match against Anthony Joshua on Netflix this Friday.

Other Wrestling

  • Kazuchika Okada, who supports Manchester City in the Premier League, visited their Etihad Stadium while AEW is in the United Kingdom.
  • Ortiz will compete for Limitless Wrestling at their Limitless Rumble event in Lewiston, Maine on Friday, January 16. His tag team partner Eddie Kingston has also been announced for the show.
  • The Wrestling Classic interviewed Wheeler Yuta.
  • Megan Bayne & Joey Janela vs. JetSpeed (Kevin Knight & Mike Bailey) has been announced for Superpower Slam in New York City on Sunday, February 1. The event is being put on by Orange Crush magazine, Game Changer Wrestling, and Jersey Championship Wrestling to benefit the neurodivergent community.
  • Rob Van Dam told TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast that he has recovered from the broken heels he suffered in April:
    • I’m good now. I’m good. It’s been like – I was just figuring out, it’s been, I guess, six months or so. I haven’t wrestled yet. I do have a match in Australia in February. That’ll be the test. But yeah, I’m much better.
  • Paul London is the latest entrant confirmed for MLW Battle Riot VIII in Florida on Thursday, January 29.
  • Gzim Selmani (former WWE wrestler Rezar of The Authors of Pain) has signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. His first fight for the promotion is expected to take place in February.
  • Braun Strowman and comedian Brad Williams appeared on a new episode of Something’s Burning with Bert Kreischer.
Google Icon

Exclusive access to podcasts and newsletters

Subscribe
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.