Daily Update: Sgt. Slaughter, Lilian Garcia, Ricky Saints

Sgt. Slaughter WWE.
Sgt. Slaughter faces off against The Iron Sheik. (Image credit: WWE)

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered:

  • Preview and business notes on AEW Revolution
  • Updates on WrestleMania, how we got to Rhodes vs. Orton and feuds that are starting
  • A look at the UFC White House show and how we got here
  • Full UFC 326 coverage including the most viewers of a TV UFC show since Paige Van Zant vs. Michelle Waterson
  • A look at the new AEW streaming service
  • NXT Vengeance Day coverage and poll results
  • Odds on upcoming pro wrestling matches
  • Logan Paul’s grandstand challenge to football players gets several takers, including some big names, but nothing can transpire and how it ended
  • Full coverage of the 16 Carat Gold tournament in German featuring many of the best independent wrestlers in the world
  • A complete look at the TV ratings from all the pro wrestling shows over the past week, including breakdowns in various categories, placings, how Raw did on Netflix, competition and more
  • CMLL’s lineup for its No. 2 show of the year next week
  • Full rundown of the CMLL all women’s show onFriday
  • Konnan news
  • Behnid the Nino Hamburguesa firing
  • Rey de Reyes notes
  • Stardom Cinderella tournament news
  • New Japan Cup and anniversary show news
  • Pro wrestler and MMA star looks back at a fixed fight and more comments including the Japanese attempt to get a major WWE star to job in an MMA match to theri guy
  • Notes on a new promotion debuting
  • Attendance updates for future WWE, AEW, TNA and other shows including Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano.
  • Giant weekend in Europe including the two big Eve shows and the controversy
  • TNA future direction
  • Notes from the Tony Khan media call
  • Putting recent Collision numbers into perspective
  • How Zuffa boxing’s biggest show did
  • Rousey vs. Carano and Rousey’s promotional tactics as well as responses from other fighters
  • Lots of new UFC fights
  • Jake Paul’s women’s boxing group makes ESPN deal
  • Changes to the WWE writing team
  • ESPN reporting side does exactly what they said they wouldn’t do regarding pro wrestling
  • More vacant WWE titles

This Week’s Back Issue

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Wednesday Update

Booker T WWE NXT Appreciation Night
WWE celebrates Booker T on NXT in Houston.

WWE

  • WWE uploaded the full Tatum Paxley vs. Izzi Dame steel cage match for the Women’s North American Championship that headlined NXT last night.
  • A video package celebrating Booker T aired during the NXT episode, which took place in Houston and was Booker T Appreciation Night. 
  • Ricky Saints spoke with KRON 4 News about his acting ambitions:
    • It’s so taboo to talk about like, ‘Oh, he’s a wrestler and he’s talking about wanting to go from wrestling to acting.’ Yes, for sure, my body won’t be able to do this forever. So, for those who hate hearing it, yes, I want to get into acting. Who cares? I loved acting. I loved [CW’s] Wild Cards. I loved the whole experience. I thought it was really good, and it really gave me a sense of something that I’m able to do after this. [When] this life is over, and so, you know, the hope is more of that to come. And the network, they love me. They really did. They enjoyed me. They cherished me. All my fans. They said, ‘well, Ricky, you did great. You were a natural.’ And I say, ‘Yeah, can’t help it.’
    • I’ve always said I think I could play a really, really good Gambit [from X-Men]. I just need to learn how to throw cards and, you know, shuffle a deck. But, yeah, that’s like the top of the list. If I can get Gambit, it’s a wrap or Blade. Imagine me as Blade. I think I look good in leather.”
  • Sgt. Slaughter told Going Ringside that he was the only wrestler to go to Iron Sheik’s funeral when Sheik passed away in 2023:
    • In 2023, he passed. And I was the only wrestler at his funeral, which I thought was pretty horrendous, that I was the only wrestler to go to his funeral. And he lived in Atlanta where all the wrestlers lived, so I thought that was kind of a slap in the face. [Sheik did] so much not only for wrestlers but for the professional wrestling business.
  • Lilian Garcia was a guest on Busted Open Radio today. She noted that she’ll be doing some ring announcing at WWE’s summer 2026 European tour and will be in Las Vegas for WrestleMania 42 weekend:
    • To be able to get called back, to come back and still have a role. You know, Saturday Night’s Main Event, Worlds Collide. I’ll be doing some of the Europe tour now, they just let me know. And some things here at WrestleMania. It’s just always fun. It’s just in my blood.
  • When asked how WWE has changed across her different stints with the company, Garcia pointed to how much the Wellness Policy has cleaned up things in the locker room:
    • I just listened to the podcast with Chris Masters and Chris Van Vliet actually, and he was talking about some of the things that were happening with the Wellness Policy and how things have changed now and the partying that was before and the Wellness Policy, how it cleaned up a lot. And so it changed.
    • I think for me, that was really great to see too. Obviously, I think for all of us. You know, Tommy [Dreamer], you and I have experienced the loss of so many wrestlers dying way too young. When I started counting it one day, I’m like, ‘I’ve lost my fingers. All my fingers are gone. All my toes are gone. It’s crazy.’ And so I think that’s the biggest thing, that the wellness is better in there. And you’re not expected to be this monster of a wrestler to be able to be effective.
  • Liv Morgan will be appearing at a live podcast taping for Cody Rhodes’ “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” during the Wednesday of WrestleMania week.
  • Complex’s Graps podcast interviewed Jade Cargill.
  • Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be featured in the next season of the video game Fortnite.
  • For a 3:16 Day video, Danhausen tried to trick wrestlers into thinking he was “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

Other Wrestling

  • In an interview with High Times, Marina Shafir opened up about her relationship with husband Roderick Strong:
    • He’s such an amazing partner. I love that I can speak my love language with my husband while training together. That’s a different level of trust. He understands who I am, and I understand who he is.
    • There’s so much going on outside of my bubble that I can’t control…  It’s a lot. So I take it one week at a time.
    • We really try hard to carve out time for our son, too. Soccer practice, going to the farmers market, and just making time for family.
  • MVP appeared on Your Entertainment Escape in Fresno ahead of tonight’s Dynamite.
  • Denise Salcedo uploaded video of her live show with Willow Nightingale from Revolution weekend.
  • AJPW Tag Team Champions Titans of Calamity (Ren Ayabe & Tolos) will compete in the 2026 NWA Crockett Cup in Forney, Texas on April 4.
  • During an Instagram Q&A, Maki Itoh was asked what her biggest career goal is right now: “Go to the Tokyo Dome with STARDOM. And suddenly show up in AEW again..make the crowd want me, and leave for Japan right away lol”
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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.