Daily Update: Sami Zayn, SmackDown ratings, Tony Khan-Ariel Helwani

By Joseph Currier
Published: 18 Feb 2023, 14:39

Daily Update

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Latest Free YouTube Video:

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

February 20, 2023 Observer Newsletter: The life & career of Jerry Jarrett

In this week’s issue:

One of the biggest history issues of the year with the lead story on Jerry Jarrett and the glory days of Tennessee wrestling
Jarrett’s booking the wrestling war in Atlanta
Jarrett outside of wrestling
The start of TNA Wrestling
Jarrett’s departure from TNA wrestling
The original premise of TNA
How Jarrett first got into wrestling
Jarrett and Bill Watts discussion of fighting
The Mario Galento story from the Jarrett side, the Lawler side and the Galento side
The court case, exposing the business, and how the business did
Jarrett building the promotion with he, Jackie Fargo and Tojo Yamamoto as the big three
Jarrett’s booking philosophy
How Tennessee wrestling was viewed outside Tennessee
How Saturday morning wrestling became a tradition
How Dave Brown got into wrestling and how his career as a newsman changed due to wrestling
The wrestling war in Memphis
How the NWA title matches changed when Sam Muchnick was no longer booking the champion and why Muchnick was taken out of the position
The booking that led to Jerry Lawler being the king of Memphis wrestling
The key people Jarrett wanted to win the wrestling war
Details of the brief war
How popular was the TV show
What happened when Lawler threatened to start up and go against Jarrett
The fall of the promotion
Jarrett attempts to buy WCW
Jarrett’s ideas after wrestling
Jarrett’s last matches in the ring
Wrestling moving weekly to the Mid South Coliseum
How Jarrett figured into the first shows
The first sellout at the Coliseum
Jerry Lawler’s first big crowds
How a local rock band played into Memphis wrestling
What star much bigger than Andy Kaufman was talked with about doing wrestling
The Jimmy Hart era
Major names who got their start in wrestling
The boxer vs. wrestler angle they did and how it could never work now
The Lawler vs. Dundee feud
Jarrett selling the company and the attempted revivals
Why the MLW vs. WWE lawsuit was thrown out and what happens next
Tony Khan talks issues with WWE and the story behind the new Japan story
Khan talks about new business deals
The big question about Elimination Chamber
Full coverage of Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski and UFC 284
Keiji Muto about to retire
What next for Jay White
New Japan’s big events for the next two months
New Beginning in Osaka coverage
Billy Two Rivers, a cultural icon among native Americans and a celebrity in Europe passes away and his life story
The life of flying Eric Froelich, a 60s and 70s star
The most complete look at the ratings of all the major shows over the past week
Update on Jon Moxley’s planned European tour
Debut of ROH television
A look at the Revolution card
Upcoming ticket sales for WWE & AEW shows
Changes in UFC contracts
International TV ratings

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

January 2, 2006 Observer Newsletter: K1 New Year’s Eve lineup & history

Ordering Info:

Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].

Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.

In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.

For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.

If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

Saturday Update

WWE

WWE has a video diary with Sami Zayn’s wife Khadija speaking about Zayn’s match against Roman Reigns at tonight’s Elimination Chamber PPV.
WWE also posted a video with Ariel Helwani interviewing Zayn ahead of Elimination Chamber.
Zayn returned to using his “Worlds Apart” theme music on SmackDown last night.
I previewed the Elimination Chamber card for Sports Illustrated and gave my predictions for each match.
Montez Ford, Liv Morgan, and Johnny Gargano were guests on the pre-Elimination Chamber edition of WWE’s The Bump.
Last night’s SmackDown averaged 2.254 million viewers in the fast national ratings, down from the 2.39 million the show drew in the fast nationals last week. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.5.
A post-show interview from SmackDown appeared to show that Madcap Moss and Emma are turning heel. Emma and Moss said the crowd turning on him was the reason Moss lost to Gunther last night.
The Miz hit a half-court shot that would have tied last night’s NBA All-Star Weekend celebrity game, but the shot didn’t count because time expired.
Kurt Angle is set to undergo a back procedure next month:

They’re not going to do any fusion or anything like that, thank God. They’re going to clean it out. They’re going to clean all the arthritis out because I have a nerve going down my leg and it’s bothering me. There’s pain in my lower back.
So, they’re going to clean all that stuff out, take the bone chips out, the calcium and stuff like that. He said I should be good to go after that. He said it might not relieve all the lower back pain, but you’re not going to feel the pain running down your leg.

Drew McIntyre & Sheamus, Rey Mysterio, and Liv Morgan appeared on The SmackDown LowDown.
WWE’s YouTube channel uploaded the following matches: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship (SummerSlam 2022), Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship (Elimination Chamber 2021), and Rey Mysterio vs. Chavo Guerrero for the Cruiserweight title (No Way Out 2004).

AEW/Other Wrestling

Tony Khan tweeted after Ariel Helwani appeared on SmackDown last night: “You’re a fraud @arielhelwani. You’re as legitimate of a reporter as @tonyschiavone24. #AEWRampage”
Helwani tweeted back at Khan: “Thanks for watching, old friend! Can’t wait for our next chat. (Also, don’t listen to the snowman, Schiavone. You’re a legend in my books.)”
Khan responded: “Good luck with the unbiased journalism.”
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Mercedes Mone named her three favorite matches of her career: “The first has to be me vs. Bayley at NXT TakeOver. My career cannot be outdone! I really loved myself vs. Alexa Bliss in Abu Dhabi, that meant so much to me. Then I would have [to] say myself vs. Bayley at Hell in a Cell during the pandemic, I still see clips of that match and I can’t believe we had such an incredible match without fans.”
Sports Illustrated and TV Insider also have interviews with Mone.
Mone’s mini-documentary on her NJPW debut includes a clip of her meeting Kenny Omega for the first time.
IGN shared exclusive new footage of a Hangman Page vs. Bryan Danielson match from AEW’s Fight Forever video game.
AR Fox was the guest on AEW Unrestricted this week.
Miyu Yamashita will be based in the United States from April to June.
Warrior Wrestling released a hype video previewing their event that’s taking place tonight.

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.