Daily Update: UFC White House card fallout, Jon Jones, MyAEW

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • March 9, 2026 Observer Newsletter: More on AEW’s potential future with Paramount, WWE Elimination Chamber review & ratings
  • More on the Paramount purchase of WBD and details of when it goes through, if it goes through and details on how it helps or hurts UFC, AEW and Zuffa Boxing as well as a cost efficiency look at the three properties for 2027 if plans go through as stated.
  • The road to WrestleMania and why Paul Levesque is in a position where it’s impossible for him to do the job people want and impossible for him to fail, business notes on the show, and a look at the Elimination Chamber show, how it did on Netflix, the good and the bad.
  • Preview and updates on AEW Revolution and interest level
  • Odds on upcoming wrestling matches
  • Coverage of the New Japan New Beginning USA show in Trenton with two title changes
  • A look at the Demolition tag team as they go into the WWE Hall of Fame
  • The most detailed look at the ratings of all the pro wrestling TV shows, including demos, competition and comparisons with last year.
  • Johnny TV in the most heated match so far this year with Angel de Oro
  • Why AAA television is so entertaining
  • Stardom Cinderella tournament notes
  • Brothers face off in NOAH jr. tag tournament final
  • New Japan Cup first two days
  • Final night of Fantastica Mania notes
  • Jeff Jarrett documentary
  • Wrestler out of prison starts working on indices this week
  • Real American Freestyle angle
  • Update of the robbery of the Canadian promotion and the Davey Boy Smith Jr. Hall of Fame ring
  • John Laurinaitis wants back in to wrestling
  • 16 Carat Gold weekend in Germany
  • Pro Wrestling Eve has biggest show of its history this week
  • Brodie Lee Jr. first singles match date
  • Steph De Lander talks why she and Mance Warner quit TNA
  • Notes on David Finlay signing with AEW
  • ROH first TV tapings in a studio
  • UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight title updates
  • Lots of new UFC fights
  • Updates on WWE front office news and changes
  • The story behind leaking fast nationals
  • WWE accused of deleting key information in a lawsuit
  • More notes on the WWE deal with Endeavor and how it went down
  • Janel Grant speaks in favor of changing Connecticut law on NDAs
  • Bianca Belair update
  • WWE sends out unchecked email to network subscribers causing a panic
  • Next WWE media deal to be made
  • WWE injury updates
  • Nick Khan sells millions in TKO stock

This Week’s Back Issue

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Monday Update

Bella Twins

— Bryan and I will be back tonight talking about a ton of news including the White House show and how we got there, WWE court cases updates, WrestleMania, AEW’s new service, Jon Jones, NXT Vengeance Day, Raw and a lot more.

— Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins, a 40-year-old former UFC light heavyweight, has been added to the 5/16 Gina Carano vs. Ronda Rousey Netflix show that MVP Promotions is putting on. Rousey, in promoting the fight, said on X, “That what happens when you put fighters and fans ahead of shareholders. PS. UFC”S White House card sucks!” There will be a press conference for this show tomorrow at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and tickets go on sale Tuesday. Ticket sales will be interesting. I expect the show to do very good numbers on Netflix, but I’m not as certain about live ticket sales if they are charging high prices. Nobody has drawn a big house for MMA in this country except for UFC probably dating back to the Strikeforce heyday in San Jose.

— After Dana White said that Jon Jones was never in the plans for the White House card, and he said he told Jones lawyer some time back when Jones wanted on the show that it was never going to happen, ever, Jones claims he was in talks as late as Friday. He said they were in real talks and real negotiations and said he came down from his original number, but was lowballed. Stories out indicate Jones wanted $25 million and UFC offered $15 million. He said he got stem cell treatment last week to get ready to train. He said if UFC thinks he’s done, then please give him his release. Right now with the nature of Netflix and MVP Promotions, Jones probably could make more with a fight with Francis Ngannou than any fight in UFC now. So I don’t know if the UFC would be willing to release him for that.

— The new AEW service looks to me as something they are setting up as a replacement for Triller, which has major financial issues. This has nothing to do with the U.S. television situation and this service is not even available in the U.S., because the contract with WBD would not allow it to be.

— Raw tonight is from Seattle with a Gauntlet match for a women’s IC title shot with Bayley, Lyra Valkyria, Asuka, Iyo Sky and Raquel Rodriguez, Oba Femi vs. Rusev and Penta vs. Grande Americano Gable. Neither Roman Reigns nor Brock Lesnar are scheduled, but both will be regulars on Raw starting next week in San Antonio. They had 8,755 tickets out as of earlier today, so again a good crowd but far from a sellout.

— Wrestletix lists AEW Double or Nothing for Louie Armstrong Stadium as having moved 6,545 tickets so far.

— TNA Impact on Thursday did 249,000 viewers and an 0.04 in 18-49. It was the second best viewer number, tied for fourth best 18-49 number since they started on AMC. This was a live show from Atlanta.

— NXT tomorrow has Joe Hendry & Myles Borne vs. Ricky Starks & Ethan Page, Lainey Reid vs. Sol Ruca, Wren Sinclair vs. Thea Hail, winner faces Speed champion Fallon Henley next week, Tavion Heights & Charlie Dempsey vs. Lexis King & Uriah Connors and Jasper Troy vs. Eli Knight vs. Sean Legacy.

— Eddie Hearn, as a guest on Ariel Helwani’s show, in his feud with Dana White said that he’d knock White out in three rounds or less if they boxed and said that when White does interviews with UK outlets, that the reporters are told ahead of time what they are allowed to ask and that UFC asks to see the interview before it can go out.

— Chelsea Green was on the Bellas podcast and said Michael Hayes has apologized to her over what he said months ago on WWE Unreal.

— Raven posted a photo of himself with Rosemary and The Bunny (who also returns to TNA meaning she was not given an AEW contract renewal) as a preview for the already shot show on Thursday.

— CMLL, with no advance warning, streamed last night’s Arena Mexico show featuring the return of Mascara Dorada. Dorada & Templario & Neon beat Angel de Oro & Hechicero & Barbaro Cavernario in the main event. Tomorrow night’s show at Arena Mexico which does stream live has Dorada & Templario vs. Difunto & Hechicero, Neon vs. Flip Gordon and Corbade & El Hijo de Stuka Jr. & Felino Jr. face Blue Panther Jr. & Dark Panther & El Hijo de Blue Panther for the Mexican national trios tites. Blue Panther vs. Stuka Jr. and Atlantis Jr. & Titan & Xelhua vs Angel de Oro & El Hijo del Villano III & Soberano Jr. will headline in Guadalajara tomorrow.

— Claudio Castagnoli vs. Ultimo Guerrero for the CMLL heavyweight title in a rematch will be on Friday’s Arena Mexico show. Their first match was good, nothing compared to Castagnoli’s big AEW singles bouts though.

— The New Japan Cup continues in Okayama at 4:30 a.m. Eastern tomorrow morning has Shingo Takagi vs. Don Fale and Drilla Moloney vs. Yuya Uemura.

— Norvell Austin turns 75 today. Nikita Koloff turns 67. Rick Steiner turns 65. Tiger Ali Singh turns 55. Melina Perez turns 47. Aubrey Edwards turns 39. Eddie Creachman, the manager of The Sheik, was 66 when he passed away 32 years ago today. Wally Yamaguchi (Yamaguchi-san in WWF) was 60 when he passed away seven years ago today. (thanks to Tony Richards)

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Dave Meltzer
Dave Meltzer

Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.