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WON NEWSLETTER: March 1, 2021 Observer Newsletter: 2020 Awards Issue, Elimination Chamber
The biggest and most-talked about issue of the year, the 2020 awards issue, is out today. The issue covers the awards winners as voted on by the readership in these categories. It also has all the top place winners for every category, comments on the awards for this year as well as a listing dating back to 1980 of all the awards winners in all the different categories.
We also have the performer and match of the week.
WWE Elimination Chamber show, with notes on direction, business, interest level, poll results and star ratings.
Also in this issue:
The new television war in Canada on Wednesday, how the first week went and what to look for, details on the WWE’s A&E Documentaries, who is being covered and more, reaction to Undertaker’s comments about current wrestlers being soft, migration of WWE Network to Peacock, Sasha Banks talks wanting to quit a few years ago, WWE business approaches, how WWE & AEW are doing as compared to televised sports this past week, Bill Goldberg on TV, notes on lots of new signees and are starting in camp including some not revealed yet, new WWE Network event, update on the Vince McMahon/Oliver Luck legal case, Ric Flair on why he doesn’t talk to the other Horsemen, Arn Anderson talks why a major international star flopped in WWE, WWE wins awards, the current WWE market value and the most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE Network.
This past week’s UFC show, the background, how it affects fighters going forward, and details behind the late changes in the show.
Television ratings of the past week, including segment-by-segment numbers for the past two weeks on Wednesday, who was watching in different age groups, how different segments did on Raw & Smackdown and more.
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 dave@wrestlingobserver.com or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.
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FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE
Garrett Gonzales and I did our usual Friday show yesterday talking the 2020 Observer Awards with Tony Khan as well as talked the last year of the promotion with a lot of behind-the-scenes stories including about talent performing at the beginning of the pandemic, the writing of the Brodie Lee Memorial Show, initial reaction of Garrett giving both of us the weekly ratings and other fun stuff.
AEW tickets for Revolution were put on sale this morning and sold out instantly. It was around 1,095 tickets (unofficial number) and some are reserved for local sponsors and those who work with and for the Jaguars so paid would be a little less than that. There are 96 tickets left for Wednesday’s Dynamite tapings with Shaq at the moment of writing this, , so that will end up being sold out as well. (thanks to Bill Zdon)
There are three wrestling deaths to report of name wrestlers of the 50s, 60s and 70s. Jumping Johnny DeFazio of Pittsburgh, who Bruno Sammartino thought could have been a big star but he had a regular job in the city and didn’t want to travel, passed away at 80. He was a union leader with the Steelworkers and later an Allegheny County Council President. Don Serrano, who worked all over the world for 34 years, passed away. He had to be close to 90. Art “Boom Boom” Michalik, who was an All-Pro NFL player and an Olympic hopeful in wrestling for the 1952 games, a name pro wrestler into the early 70s, and later a notable football coach at the high school level, passed away this week at the age of 91. At one time in the 60s, Don Owen had Michalik, Don Manoukian (who played for the Raiders), Curtis Iaukea (a star at Cal) and The Destroyer (a star at Syracuse) all together. Jim Otto, who was an NFL legend as one of the great centers of all-time , came up there to talk Manoukian into coming to camp and they ended up almost talking him out of going to camp with all the fun they had touring Oregon wrestling. They almost got him wrestling as a German heel. We will have stories on all three in next week’s issue. All three have very notable life stories.
Smackdown tonight has Bianca Belair making her choice for WrestleMania, which would presumably be Sasha Banks, plus Chad Gable & Otis vs. Rey & Dominik Mysterio and the Street Profits vs. King Corbin & Sami Zayn. 205 Live was taped Wednesday with August Grey vs. Tony Nese and Curt Stallion & Masoor vs. Ever-Rise.
New Japan Castle Attack from Osaka Castle Hall tonight is at 2 a.m. Eastern on New Japan World. There will be live English language coverage with Kevin Kelly:
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Will Ospreay & Great O’Khan & Jeff Cobb
Tanga Loa vs. Yoshi-Hashi
Tama Tonga vs. Hirooki Goto
Toru Yano vs. Chase Owens in a KOPW title match where the object is to remove the turnbuckle pads
Jay White vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Kazuchika Okada vs. Evil
Tomorrow has the second night of Castle Attack at midnight, which means prime time at 9 p.m. Pacific:
Ospreay & Cobb vs. Kojima & Tenzan
Okada & Ishii & Yano vs Evil & White & Owens
Tonga & Loa vs. Yoshi-Hashi & Goto for IWGP tag titles
Tanahashi vs. O’Khan for Never Open weight title
El Phantasmo vs. Desperado vs. Bushi for vacant IWGP jr. title
Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito for IC title
Tonight is the biggest episode of New Japan Strong in its history starting at 10 p.m. on New Japan World or on FITE TV with Jon Moxley vs. KENTA for the U.S. title, Ren Narita vs. Chris Dickinson and Brody King & ACH & The Riegel Twins vs. The DKC & Kevin Knight & Clark Connors & TJP
The highest segment on Wednesday night was the brawl with Sting & Darby Allin vs. Team Taz. It wasn’t the high quarter, but the brawl itself averaged 1,002,000 viewers and 512,000 in 18-49. A Matt Jackson promo and the Britt Baker vs Nyla Rosa ring entrances also topped 500,000 in 18-49. Parts of Adam Page vs. Isaiah Kassidy also topped 1 million viewers.
UFC weigh-ins for tomorrow’s show which will be on ESPN+ starting at 6 p.m. Eastern:
Dustin Jacoby (204.5) vs. Maxim Grishin (210.5) – Grishim missed by 4.5 pounds and forfeits 30 percent of his purse
Vince Cachero (135.5) vs. Ronnie Lawrence (135.5)
Alexis Davis (135) vs. Sabina Mazo (135.5)
Alexander Hernandez (156) vs. Thiago Moises (155.5)
Alex Caceres (146) vs. Kevin Croom (145.5)
Angela Hill (116) vs. Ashley Yoder (116)
Pedro Munhoz (135.5) vs. Jimmie Rivera (135.5)
Montana De La Rose (126) vs. Mayra Bueno Silva (125.5)
Nikita Krylov (205.5) vs. Magomed Ankalaev (205.5)
Jairzinho Rozenstruik (254.5) vs. Ciryl Gane (247)
The scheduled Alex Oliveira vs. Ramazan Kuramagomedov fight is off as Kuramagomedov was taken ill this morning.
ROH has a major TV show syndicated this weekend with two title bouts with Rush vs. Shane Taylor for the ROH title and Jonathan Gresham & Jay Lethal vs. Kenny King & Dragon Lee for the tag titles.
Here are the BetOnline.ag odds for AEW Revolution:
Kenny Omega -500 vs. Jon Moxley +300
Young Bucks -250 vs. Jericho & MJF +170
Adam Page -300 vs. Matt Hardy +200
Sting & Darby Allin -400 vs. Brian Cage & Ricky Starks +250
Best Friends -160 vs. Kip Sabian & Miro +120
WWE
Bill Goldberg, who is now living near San Antonio, was helping out people who had problems with supplies due to weather.
A story here about covering up behavior of stars includes Hulk Hogan and the sex tape talk. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
A story on college wrestler Drew Kasper signing with WWE.
Roman Reigns and Edge are both pickems at -120 for their WrestleMania main event from www.BetOnline.ag.
UFC
Deiveson Figueiredo is a -235 favorite against Brandon Moreno for their flyweight title rematch at sportsbetting.ag
OTHER NOTES
This story regarding an award given to Tiger Jeet Singh Sr., who was a huge star in Japan and Canada during the 70s, got mainstream media coverage in Japan. Slam Wrestling has the story of a special presentation on Thursday to Tiger Jeet Singh, Tiger Ali Singh and the Tiger Jeet Singh Foundation by Japan, receiving the Consul-General’s Commendation.
CNN has a profile on the art/wrestling journal Orange Crush.
Kevin Eck’s weekly look at the ROH news.
SWE Fury TV Show results from this week’s episode 207 Charlie Hass defeated Gino Valentino by submission Andrew Anderson was disqualified in his match vs Action Jackson Moonshine Mantell vs Max Castellanos fought to a no contest Malia Hosaka defeated Jazmin Allure Rodney Mac Defeated Niles Plonk to become the new SWE Fury SWE TV Champion.
SWE is doing a TV Taping/Facebook PPV this Saturday Feb 27th from Carthage TX . Order information is at this link:
Ricky Knight’s WAW promotion appears to be in trouble and a story on how they are trying to keep it alive. (thanks to Lee Wall)
A Go Fund Me for the family of Tom Cole, who passed away last week due to suicide, was set up by his sister.
There is also a Go Fund Me Memorial Fund for the family of Joseph “Josephus” Hudson aka The Question Mark in NWA. The goal was $15,000 for burial and medical costs but it had raised $26,000 as of earlier today with major donors including David Arquette, Victor Deaton, Tony Falk, Cody Runnels, Shaun Ricker, David Lagana, Jimmy’s Seafood Restaurant, and many others. More money raised will go to a trust fund for his 10-year-old son.
Jake Roberts, Jim Duggan, Lisa Marie Varon and Matt Taven have been announced for the 2021 WrestleCon convention.
The Wrestling Estate reported that ECWA, UWA Elite and Synergy Pro Wrestling have announced the creation of a Territory Championship that will be defended throughout New Jersey and the surrounding area.
A story on a George Romero pro wrestling television show pilot that resurfaced. (thanks to Joe Puccio)
Legacy Fighting announced a 3/12 show in Shawnee, OK at the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort airing live on Fight Pass with A.J. Dobson (5-0) vs. Maika Graf (8-1) in a middleweight main event.
NFC on 3/20 at District in Midtown Atlanta.
Calvin Tankman vs. Laredo Kid was announced for Wednesday’s MLW Fusion TV show.
John Lineker vs. Stephen Loman is set for the 4/28 ONE show in Singapore which will be airing live on TNT right after Dynamite on 4/27.
Daily Pro Wrestling History: British Bulldog becomes first WWF European Champion
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