Daily Update: Tessa Blanchard & Esfinge engaged, NWA awards, Jamie Hayter
Daily Update
Latest News
- Hiroshi Tanahashi has ‘no worries’ NJPW will cool off after his retirement
- The Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online top ten most viewed news stories of 2025
- John Cena thanks fans, co-workers for making 2025 unforgettable
- Bryan Alvarez’s AEW New Year’s Smash Dynamite review
- MJF to defend AEW World title at indie event
- WWE PLE archive added to Netflix
- Legendary tag team petitioning for WWE Hall of Fame induction
- AEW/ROH wrestler Diamante gets engaged to girlfriend Kiera Hogan
- Frankie Kazarian had ‘really good conversations’ with WWE after AEW departure
- TNA Champion Frankie Kazarian having ‘way too much fun’ to retire right now
- Tetsuya Naito wins gold in surprise Japanese wrestling return
Latest Audio
Latest YouTube Video
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The new issue of the Observer is up on the site covering the following topics:
- Where AEW stands today, and the key out of the ring and out of their hands challenges that will face them between now and the end of 2027
- AEW’s ratings growth outside the U.S. this past year
- AEW’s television ratings decline with the different factors involved
- Key aspects of the WBD sale and what it means to AEW
- What AEW didn’t do in 2025 as far as new deals that were talked about one year ago
- Estimating using different methods how many U.S. viewers AEW Dynamite really gets
- How things have changed greatly in the past year
- Business of AEW Worlds End
- Gambling odds for matches
- A look at AAA Guerra de Titanes, one of WWE’s best shows of the year
- Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul and business numbers and record level manipulation of numbers
- Ric Flair and Mike Tyson file lawsuit against former business partner
- The life and times of Roland Bock, one of the most intriguing pro wrestling characters of the 1970s, his famous matches with Antonio Inoki, the reality of those matches, his tough guy reputation, the legendary tough guy whose career he ended and just how different pro wrestling was back then. We go from being tortured as a child, to developing a street fighter rep, going to the Olympics in wrestling, his attempt to pioneer a promotional style that got big in Japan several years later, why his career didn’t explode in Japan and everything from wrestling bears to bulls
- Who is eligible for the 2025 Rookie of the Year award
- The most detailed look at the ratings over the past week
- Update on 2025 Arena Mexico attendance
- A look at CMLL Dream Match Night
- Ozawa talks awards
- Wrestle Kingdom updates
- A look at the life and career of Mark Wolf
- Rick Link goes into hospice care
- Jerry Lawler returns to WMC
- Grandson of Hawaiian pro wrestling legend is starting QB at USC, headed to a bowl game an an NFL prospect
- Ticket sales to upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA shows
- Lots of AEW news notes
- Jim Ross responds to DVon Dudley
- Updates on multiple lawsuits against TKO and judges concerns about evidence in two different cases
- WrestleMania ticket sales as well as the next two AEW PPV sales
This Week’s Back Issue
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Thursday Update
WWE
- Sami Zayn named his match against Kevin Owens from Elimination Chamber as his favorite match he had in 2025.
- Photography By Avery – the photographer for Maxxine Dupri and Anthony Luke’s wedding – shared a story of Dupri (Sydney Zmrzel) taking time out of her wedding day to sign an autograph for a fan:
- One more behind the scenes moment. This gentleman approached us while doing bridal portraits kindly asking for an autograph. Sydney gave the biggest smile and said ‘of course! Would you like a selfie too?’ Then proceeded to chat with him briefly about his son. She was thrilled to take time out of her wedding day to chat with a fan. She’s truly such a precious soul @maxxinedupri
- Stephanie Vaquer posted a tweet calling 2025 the best year of her life:
- 2025 was the best year of my life, and so much of that is thanks to all of you. Dreams came true, goals became reality, we made history together, and we lived moments I will never forget. Hearing the crowd chant ‘La Primera,’ seeing signs with my name, and feeling that energy night after night… it’s unforgettable.
- Your support, your love, and your motivation pushed me to keep going, to grow, and to dream even bigger. I know where I come from, I know where I’m going, and with pride I can say it: I am the WWE Women’s World Champion.
- Thank you for standing with me, and thank you for believing in me.
- The Bella Twins spoke with Adrian Hernandez about their Bonita Bonita wine brand.
- WWE has a Playlist video of the best entrances of 2025.
- WWE Vault put together a four-hour video of classic Roddy Piper footage.
Other Wrestling
- Jamie Hayter has been announced for Pro Wrestling Eve’s Wrestle Queendom VIII event in London on March 8.
- Nyla Rose co-hosted AEW Unrestricted this week as she, Aubrey Edwards, and Will Washington looked back at their favorite PPV matches of 2025.
- On Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Frankie Kazarian praised how strong the TNA locker room is:
- Especially with this new AMC deal, I was there when we got the news that we’d be on Fox Sports West, whatever it was at 4 pm on Friday, whatever. But that was TV, and it was an hour, but it was TV. We were thrilled. Then hearing that we’re going to Spike network television, massive. Yeah, this is even bigger. There’s so much excitement. Like I said, TNA’s strength has always been its locker room. Just the work ethic of the guys in the locker room, management changes and all that, but that attitude has always been there. And this team, this crew we got there, the management team, everybody on the roster, is just a joy to be around. And again, a united front all wanting the exact same thing.
- Tessa Blanchard and CMLL star Esfinge announced their engagement.
- Okumura is the latest entrant confirmed for MLW Battle Riot VIII in Kissimmee, Florida on January 29.
- Tony Deppen announced that, in order to get his mind and body right, he will not be wrestling for the first half of 2026. He hopes to return in his best form when he comes back to the ring.
- Minoru Suzuki will face Matt Brannigan at Prestige Wrestling’s show in Portland, Oregon on February 20. It’s the last-ever Prestige event.
- Post Wrestling and Denise Salcedo interviewed our Dave Meltzer.
- Former WWE NXT wrestler Gable Steveson was a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience.
- The NWA announced its year-end awards for 2025:
- Male Wrestler of the Year: “Thrillbilly” Silas Mason
- Female Wrestler of the Year: Natalia Markova
- Tag Team of the Year: Mike Knox & Trevor Murdoch
- Breakthrough Star: Mike Mondo
- Hot Prospect of Next Year: Kylie Paige
- Shock of the Year: NWA Power joining Roku Sports
- Match of the Year: Tiffany Nieves vs. Natalia Markova steel cage match from Looks That Kill
- Moment of the Year: Natalia Markova’s dropkick from top of steel cage at Looks That Kill
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.