Daily Update: Triller TV, Drew McIntyre, Konosuke Takeshita

Drew McIntyre WWE

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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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Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE uploaded the complete Ricky Saints vs. Je’Von Evans main event from last night’s NXT.
  • Blake Monroe surprised her family in the United Kingdom by traveling home for Christmas.
  • In a tweet today, Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Yoshiki Inamura thanked Shawn Michaels, Matt Bloom, and everyone at NXT for playing a role in his excursion:
    • 2025 was truly an unforgettable year.
    • Being in NXT was an amazing experience.
    • I am deeply grateful to Shawn, Bloom, all coaches, staff members, wrestlers & fans.
    • Because of all of you, I was able to become a champion in NOAH.
    • I look forward to seeing you all again.
    • #WWENXT
  • IYO SKY wished everyone a happy New Year and called 2025 the best year of her career.
  • Damian Priest posted a New Year’s message to fans:
    • Wishing you all the best New Year! We focus so much on what we want, what we believe should be that we forget about what is. Life is so good. Smile. Laugh. Enjoy. Pass that on to someone. To anyone. To everyone. We ain’t sh*t. But we can do more for others. Let’s try together. I’m with you.
  • At WWE’s house show in Detroit last night, Drew McIntyre taunted Brandi Rhodes and her family as they were in the front row. The main event of the show was Cody Rhodes defeating McIntyre in a street fight to retain the WWE Championship. Rhodes won by splashing McIntyre through a table.
  • Carmelo Hayes commented on his United States title win:
    • Closing out the year coming off one of the greatest achievements and moments in my career so far. I appreciate everyone who stayed down and welcome everyone who just jumped on. Enjoy the ride, we going up
  • Natalya told Undisputed that she’s happy to see a diversity of ages represented on the WWE roster:
    • When I watched John Cena and AJ Styles wrestle at Crown Jewel, I wished they’d both never retire. The match was that good. I love that we’re celebrating a diversity of age in WWE. Asuka is in her mid-40s, she is a mother, she’s been wrestling for decades, and no one talks about her age. She’s also doing the best work of her career. She’s captivating, she’s intriguing, and the audience connects with her.
    • That’s the biggest thing in storytelling, the emotional connection with the audience. I’m not thinking about when she’s going to retire–I’m just thinking about when I can see her wrestle again.

Other Wrestling

  • Sports Illustrated shared full video of their nearly two-hour interview with Tony Khan.
  • While speaking with NJPW for an in-character interview, Konosuke Takeshita addressed whether he’s gotten used to the schedule of being under contract with all three of AEW, NJPW, and DDT:
    • I don’t think it’s something anybody can get used to, heheh. But I’ve gotten to know what it takes. You have to have your mind in a few different places at once, but at the same time you have to have your focus on the thing that’s right in front of you, and once you do that the mental aspect gets a lot easier. If you think too far ahead then everything gets on top of you.
  • Takeshita noted that all three promotions have different styles – and he brings his own style to the table as well:
    • They’re definitely all different, and the way the fans of each see pro-wrestling is very different. So there’s my own style and then there’s adapting that to the different tastes. It’s been about three and a half years since I went to America, and at first it really was a difficult change of gears. Now I wrestle much more in America than in Japan, so when I’m in Japan I have to change modes the other way.
  • Takeshita noted that, by wrestling overseas, he hopes to bring more of a spotlight to Japanese wrestling:
    • I am a Japanese wrestler, you know. I debuted in Japan. And now I’m wrestling in America, gained a ton of experience there, and I think that I can really bring Japanese pro-wrestling into the spotlight in a major way. I see my work overseas as my way of repaying the Japanese scene.
  • TNA put together a video of their top 10 moments of 2025.
  • Ahead of appearing in his retirement match for Beyond Wrestling tonight, indie wrestler Dan Barry thanked everyone who supported him as he chased his dream
    • Today is my last day as a professional wrestler. Thank all of you who supported me as I chased a dream I’ve had since I was a little kid. 
    • I’ve been blessed to meet tons of people, see hundreds of cities, and chase a dream that was thought to be unobtainable. 
    • Thanks for the memories.
  • Stardom’s AZM is set to compete for Pro Wrestling Eve at Wrestle Queendom VIII in London on March 8.
  • Triller Group Inc, the parent company of Triller TV, announced that it is appealing Nasdaq’s decision to suspend trading of Triller stock and delist Triller from the stock exchange:
    • Triller Group Inc. ( ‘Triller Group’ or ‘the Company’) today announced that it received a determination letter from a Nasdaq Hearings Panel on December 26, 2025, confirming the suspension of trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market effective at the open of the market on December 30, 2025 and delisting of the Company’s securities. This decision stems from the Company not having been able to file two periodic reports by a deadline of December 24, 2025 set by the Hearings Panel.
    • The Company’s operations have been progressing in a normal manner, and no deficiencies or irregularities have been identified that materially affect the Company’s financial position or operational integrity. The filing delay is attributable primarily to one remaining technical matter involving the consolidation of accounts for a U.S.-based operation within Triller Group. Management is highly confident that the Company will regain full filing compliance within weeks, positioning the Company for robust revenue growth, product development, and expansion in 2026.
    • The imposed timeline does not account fully for the substantial remediation efforts that the Company has already achieved in resolving non-recurring integration challenges following the October 2024 business combination with legacy Triller Corp. The Company’s team, in collaboration with its advisors and auditors, has spent more than a year addressing all accounting and audit matters related to legacy Triller Group’s pre-merger operations. Prior to the merger’s closing, the Company (then operating as AGBA) was in full compliance with all Nasdaq listing requirements.
    • The Company is also in the final stages of implementing a comprehensive upgrade to its accounting systems and processes in partnership with a leading accounting and finance consulting firm in Los Angeles.
    • Triller Group is fully committed to exhausting all available appeal avenues. We intend to pursue an appeal through the Nasdaq process, and to the Securities and Exchange Commission and United States Court of Appeals if necessary. We expect to regain full filing compliance and return to regular trading on a major Exchange soon. The Company has retained Jacob S. Frenkel with Dickinson Wright PLLC as counsel to appeal the decision of the Hearings Panel and pursue all possible legal challenges to the Hearings Panel’s decision and the Nasdaq’s suspension of trading and delisting of our securities. On December 29, 2025, Mr. Frenkel filed an emergency application to the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘SEC’) requesting, among other things, that the SEC stay (prevent from going into effect) the trading suspension.
    • This procedural issue has no bearing on the Company’s ongoing operations, strategic priorities, or underlying financial strength.
    • The Company looks forward to achieving key growth milestones in 2026 and will provide timely updates to the market regarding progress on its financial filings and the Nasdaq appeal process and challenges to the Nasdaq’s decisions.
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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.