December 2020

-The number one overall most searched for item in the United States this past Sunday was “WWE.” On Saturday, the number one overall search in the U.S. was “UFC.” For those keeping track, more people searched for “WWE” on Sunday than “UFC” on Saturday.

-Mainstream coverage of the Darren Young situation continues, as the Howard Stern Show spent some time discussing it on their radio show this past Monday morning. Stern and his crew mainly took the opportunity to mock wrestling, noting it’s the perfect job for a homosexual because they are “half naked, oiled up guys who roll around on the ground together.”

-Speaking of the Stern show, on both Monday and Tuesday’s show, one of their “Wack Pack” characters, Eric The Midget (aka Eric The Actor) has been in somewhat of a “feud” with TNA Impact Wrestling star Bobby Roode. Roode has cut multiple promos on Eric, noting he’d like to beat his ass for being a miserable grump. He challenged Eric to come to Bound For Glory so he can kick his ass.

WWE SmackDown Spoilers

-Former WWE Superstar Tommy Dreamer noted on Twitter recently that he has already begun speaking with former undisputed boxing heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe about the possibility of training him in pro wrestling. As noted previously, Bowe is looking to enter pro wrestling and become the first ever heavyweight boxing and wrestling champion.

-WWE Hall Of Famer Jesse Ventura”s new political book, “They Killed Our President” will be released on October 1st. The official blurb for the book reads as follows:

“Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past fifty years, you’re aware of the many hypotheses that the assassination of President John F. Kennedy was not done by one man. Whether you’ve read one or a dozen of the books on this topic, there’s no way to fully grasp the depth of this conspiracy. For the first time ever, New York Times bestselling authors Jesse Ventura and Dick Russell have teamed up with some of the most respected and influential assassination researchers to put together the ultimate compendium that covers every angle—from the plot to the murder—of JFK. They Killed Our President will not only discuss the most famous of theories, but will also bring to light new and recently discovered information, which together shows that the United States government not only was behind this egregious plot, but took every step to make sure that the truth would not come out. With 2013 marking the fiftieth anniversary of JFK’s assassination, this is the perfect time for They Killed Our President to be available to readers. The research and information in this book are unprecedented, and there’s nobody better to bring this to everyone’s attention than the former governor of Minnesota and US Navy SEAL, Jesse Ventura.”

24WRESTLING.COM – WWE NEWS

The following are results from the WWE Supershow live event in Washington, D.C. The event was held on Sunday, September 1, 2013.

-Dolph Ziggler defeated Big E. Langston via Pinfall. Ziggler picked up the clean victory via pinfall after hitting Langston with his Zig-Zag finishing move. Ziggler got a big reaction coming out. Langston did more work than we’re accustomed to seeing out of him on television.

-WWE United States Champion Dean Ambrose defeated R-Truth via Pinfall. Was said to be a decent match. In the end, Ambrose retained his U.S. title via pinfall by rolling Truth up for the 1-2-3.

-Vickie Guerrero came out to the ring. She announced that after a fan poll via text-voting, we will have a Divas Dance-Off. The dance competition featured AJ Lee, Layla, Brie Bella, Kaitlyn, Naomi and Natalya. Pretty much the same deal as last week here. AJ Lee refused to dance. The heel girls danced, and when the face girls went to dance, they were attacked by the heel girls, setting up a tag-match.

-Kaitlyn, Naomi and Natalya defeated AJ Lee, Layla and Brie Bella via Pinfall. At one point in the match, Brie Bella, disgusted with AJ due to her promo on RAW last week, simply walked off and left AJ by herself. This allowed Kaitlyn to spear AJ for the 1-2-3.

-Ryback defeated Kofi Kingston via Pinfall. This match was kept relatively short. In the end, the “Bully” picked up the “W” after hitting Kingston with his Shell Shock finishing move for the pinfall.

-Rob Van Dam and The Big Show defeated Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns via Disqualification. RVD filled in for Mark Henry in this one, who couldn’t compete due to a hamstring injury suffered during his run-in at the Boston live event on Saturday. This was a pretty lengthy match, which ended by DQ when Ambrose came back out and interfered with a chair. Van Dam and Show pick up the “W”, but the WWE Tag-Team Championships remain with The Shield.

-The Wyatt Family defeated The Usos via Pinfall. This was kept extremely short, with the Wyatt Family picking up the clean victory in what was basically a squash-match.

-CM Punk defeated Curtis Axel via Pinfall in a Non-Title Match. Paul Heyman was in Axel’s corner for this one. He cut a promo before the match explaining that the bout would not be for Axel’s WWE Intercontinental Championship. In the end, Punk picked up the victory via pinfall and blasted Heyman with a kendo stick-shot after the match.

-WWE Champion Randy Orton defeated Daniel Bryan via Pinfall. Was said to be a very good match that went about 20 minutes. At one point during the match, Orton was stuck in the “Yes! Lock” submission hold. Brad Maddox ran-in and pulled the referee out of the ring so he did not see Orton tapping. This led to The Shield beating down Bryan, setting up a RKO from Orton, which was immediately followed by the 1-2-3. After the match, The Shield continued their beatdown of Bryan. This resulted in all the babyfaces coming out. Orton ran off, leaving The Shield to take a beating from all of the good guys.

NOTES:

-Both Mark Henry and a World Heavyweight Championship match between Alberto Del Rio vs. Christian was scheduled. Henry didn’t appear, and the Del Rio-Christian match never happened.

HUGE Match Featuring A RETURNING WWE Legend CONFIRMED For WrestleMania XXX

-WWE Superstar John Cena posted his latest injury update on Twitter, this time including a graphic photo of the healing process he is currently going through in his rehab.

Cena posted the following tweet, which contains a link to the aforementioned photo:

Daily dose of scar stuff. Will post some less gut wrenching pics of rehab later #evenstronger @WWEUniverse @eonline pic.twitter.com/2R90VB7Yyo

Follow John Cena on Twitter for continued updates on his rehab progress @JohnCena.

REPORT: Cena’s Arm Worse Than Originally Thought; Out ANOTHER 2-4 Months? [READ >>]

-WWE Diva and Total Divas reality star Nikki Bella recently updated fans on the status of her physical therapy in a new tweet posted on her official Twitter account. Nikki wrote:

“Gettin’ my grind on at Physical Therapy. Gettin’ stronger everyday. Nothin’ will b able 2 stop #TwinMagic soon! N”

-WWE Superstar and executive Triple H recently posted a tweet on his official Twitter account addressing tonight’s WWE NXT tapings at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. HHH wrote:

“Headed to the @WWEPerformCtr and @FullSail for @WWENXT Tapings tonight. Always love seeing the future unfold….TONS of talent #brightfuture”

-The following are some more Twitter reactions to the news regarding Jim Ross:

Howard Finkel: “I wish nothing but the very best to @JRsBBQ. I’ve truly enjoyed my professional and personal association with him through the years!”

MVP: “@JRsBBQ Good luck JR. It was a pleasure to listen to you. It was an honor to have worked with you. Be well.”

Vickie Guerrero: “@JRsBBQ thank you JR for your friendship! It was an honor to work with you. I wish you the best in your career filled with blessings.”

Beth Phoenix: “Thank u @JRsBBQ for doing me the honor of calling my matches & sharing ur wisdom. I was truly one of the lucky ones to b able to work w/ u!!”

Lance Storm: “@JRsBBQ is the greatest announcer to ever call a match IMO. He’s made more matches better than any wrestler ever has.”

Backstage Reason WWE FIRED Jim Ross + Total Divas *SPOILERS* [Click Here]

WWE Executive Stephanie McMahon Levesque sold even more shares of WWE stock this week:

– 5,468 shares on 9/13 at $10.12 per share
– 14,516 shares on 9/16 at $9.99 per share

The latest round of sell-offs netted her over $200,000.

Since May, Stephanie has now sold 1.441 million shares of WWE stock.

For a full list of WWE stock she has sold this year, visit SEC.gov.

* WWE BATTLEGROUND Main Events Revealed, NXT Stars Getting Called Up Soon & More

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

AEW Games ‘2.Show’ debut moved to January 6
Christmas WWE SmackDown draws best ratings since Fox debut
WWE Raw video highlights: Randy Orton-Alexa Bliss cliffhanger
Wrestlers pay tribute to Brodie Lee on WWE Raw
Money in the Bank briefcase returned to The Miz on WWE Raw
Bobby Lashley announced for WWE men’s Royal Rumble match
Jax & Baszler declare for WWE women’s Royal Rumble match
WWE Senior Vice President Craig Tello departs for EA
WWE Championship match official for Raw Legends Night
WWE Raw live results: Number one contender’s match

Latest Audio:

WOL: Brodie tribute show, Smackdown ratings, RAW, more!
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: WWC Aniversario 1985 review
WOR: AEW revamping Wednesday, NXT, Brodie Lee, RAW, tons more!
F4D: Smackdown, 2020 Filthy Awards!

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WON NEWSLETTER: December 28, 2020 Observer Newsletter: WWE TLC review, Tokyo Dome preview, more

We look back at the good and bad of last week’s major events as well as where this all leads in the current issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

We’ve got TLC coverage, looking at the card, with match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

Also in this issue:

Our new feature of Performer of the Week and match of the week.

Tokyo Dome show as well as talk of the new restrictions and just how much money the restrictions are costing the company, the lineup of both nights and more stories regarding the show.

WWE Slammy Awards for the serious and not-so-serious.

WWE top star talking about wrestling becoming secondary to him and negotiate fewer dates, Notes on the most-watched Smackdown of the year, WWE’s next legends show, Flair & Hogan’s drawing power in the past, lots of new WWE TV show ideas, plans for 2021 Hall of Fame, WWE star wins major Jui Jitsu tournament, update on Pat McAfee and Ronda Rousey, U.K. TV ratings, how WWE & AEW compare to sports ratings, more on Bill Goldberg, Hulk Hogan new business, most-watched shows on the WWE Network and market value of WWE right now.

UFC’s final show of the year in detail with all the stories of the different matches.

Dragon Gate’s last big show of the year, with the match to lead to a faction being disbanded, rookies being pushed and thoughts on the handling of the Ben K concussion.

Kevin Greene, an NFL Hall of Famer who did several matches in WCW and picked up pro wrestling better than most athletes do.

Luis Carlos Borges, one of Argentina’s biggest-ever stars and the heyday of Los Titanes en el ring.

A feature on 1930s Bulgaria star Dan Koloff, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. This was scheduled for this year’s Hall of Fame issue originally. This feature by Phil Lions goes through his career and explains why he is a cultural icon in Bulgaria, where multiple books and even a major movie were done on him.

Detailed look at the television business, looking at stats not available elsewhere to get the deepest read into how shows are doing, what categories are doing well and how shows compare with previous weeks and one year ago.

Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.

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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TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE
PWInsider reported that tributes to Jon Huber (Brodie Lee in AEW and Luke Harper in WWE) were filmed prior to last night’s Raw. Fightful also reported that a video package for Huber has been prepared. When and where the tributes will air remains to be seen.
Seth Rollins and Randy Orton wrote tributes to Huber on Instagram.
WWE has filed trademarks for the names Nash Carter, Wes Lee, Shi Zui, Shi Gun, and Tian Sha. They appear to be new in-ring names for NXT/Performance Center wrestlers.
TalkSport has an interview with Ric Flair.
Steve Austin reacted to a viral video of a four year old doing his entrance.
Members of the WWE roster revealed their New Year’s resolutions for 2021.
WWE’s YouTube channel uploaded Bret Hart vs. Diesel in a steel cage match for the WWF Championship from In Your House 6, Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins from the December 29, 2014 episode of Raw, and John Cena vs. JBL for the World Heavyweight Championship from Royal Rumble 2009.
Other Wrestling
Jon Huber’s wife Amanda wrote a letter to her late husband on Instagram:

“It’s been 56 hours. 56 hours since you left. It’s been weird navigating this storm without you.

I was showing @margaret.stalvey videos of you tonight and this is one of the last videos I have. I remember in the moment mentioning you the Johnny Cash quote about paradise. You rolled your eyes and smiled. You knew I was right, but would never admit it. Playing with the dogs, Nolan ‘SUPERCHARGED’ running, and Brodie chasing the dogs.

I got angry looking at your last texts. We had so much we planned. Then I got tagged in old pictures. Pictures I forgot existed. Pictures that remind we of the life we built. The storms we weathered. I’ve loved you since that first night we stayed up all night talking. I knew you were ‘it’. The weird things we had in common, the ease I was able to talk to you, but most of all your sense of humor. You could make me laugh like nobody else ever could. I LITERALLY ‘busted a gut’ which you were SO proud of (that’s another story for another time)

Wednesday’s @allelitewrestling show @aewontnt will be a testament to the person you were. @tonyrkhan has poured so much thought and love into it, I know you’d be awe-struck. I can’t wait.

You had this infectious personality that made everyone fall in love with you. The kind words and stories and photos that have been shared have struck me to my core. The beautiful artwork is a testament to how you made people feel. I’m reposting some of them (which I hope is ok) @artbyfallucca @bosslogic @scarboroughtattoo @laurenmoran @maria_tattoo13″

Tony Khan tweeted about the Brodie Lee tribute show that will take place on this week’s Dynamite: “I haven’t slept much recently, I have a lot of responsibilities across my different roles, but this was the hardest week I’ve ever experienced. I’ll miss Jon very much. I worked all night on a tribute card to honor him, the response from Amanda & from fans made me cry. Thank you.”
Ahead of teaming with John Silver & Alex Reynolds against MJF, Santana & Ortiz on Wednesday’s tribute show, Hangman Page tweeted: “It is a true honor and privilege to team with these two on tomorrow’s Dynamite to celebrate the life of Brodie Lee.”
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle published an article about the tribute show for Huber.
Erick Rowan wrote a tribute to Huber.
Mick Foley has joined CM Punk in donating 100 percent of his next month of proceeds from Pro Wrestling Tees to Huber’s family.
WrestleCon announced that WrestleCon 2021 will no longer take place in Los Angeles. WrestleCon wrote: “If you reserved rooms at the Westin Bonaventure, you should be receiving notification from the hotel that your reservations are being cancelled automatically. If you do not receive that notification, you should contact the hotel directly to insure your refund [is] processed.”
Jazz is accepting bookings for her retirement tour in 2021.
During an appearance on Keepin it 100 with Konnan’s Christmas show, Nick Aldis said the NWA has picked up an option in his contract for him to remain with the promotion. Aldis also said that NWA Power will return in 2021.
NJPW’s English-language website has interviews with Hiromu Takahashi, Kazuchika Okada, and Will Ospreay ahead of Wrestle Kingdom 15.
Kota Ibushi is the winner of the second annual NJPW Concurso.
The Young Bucks appeared on the latest episode of Sitting Ringside with David Penzer.
Game Changer Wrestling announced that Rickey Shane Page is off their events this week: “In adherence to GCW’s Covid-19 protocols and with an abundance of caution, RSP and GCW have mutually decided that he will sit out this weeks events. A replacement will be announced ASAP.”

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Mick Foley wins his first WWF World title

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WWE Superstar Mark Henry recently appeared on actor/comedian Jay Mohr’s “Mohr Stories” podcast.

The two discussed Henry’s recent feud with former WWE Champion John Cena, and how he reached out to celebrities and used Twitter to foreshadow his retirement from pro wrestling. Mohr stated that Henry even worked him over, telling him weeks before the event that he was “tired” and “sick of waking up with his knees hurting”, even convincing his friends that he was headed towards retirement. Mark’s wife Jana was on hand for the interview, and confirmed that Henry even told her he was planning on retiring almost one month before giving John Cena the World’s Strongest Slam on Monday Night Raw.

Here are some highlights of what Henry said about:

Maintaining A Home Life While Being A WWE Superstar:

“I want to be known as a great dad more than anything. Kids – young men find it uncool to be a dad I think. It’s very cool to me … I love being at home with my kids. I got pissed yesterday because I get a call and a video, that my daughter swam for the first time without the floaties on. I miss all that kind of stuff.”

Having Issues With JBL Early In His WWE Career:

“I used to have an issue with Bradshaw . When I was young, he used to pick on me. Ribbing is a part of wrestling. That’s the way they show a fondness for you – they play practical jokes on you. They put your wrestling gear in plastic bags and throw it in the shower. Just stupid stuff. They hazed me – I wanted to fight everybody. They were like ‘look man, you’ve gotta quit trying to fight everybody. We’re trying to be brothers with you.’ It took a while for me to understand that. John is one of the people I respect most in the business now.”

You can listen to the full interview at JayMohr.com.

* What’s Next For JIM ROSS, Early Plans for Hell In A Cell & Survivor Series

As noted previously, Triple H has extended an invitation to the Rhodes family to appear at Monday’s edition of WWE RAW, which is the “go-home” show for the upcoming WWE Battleground pay-per-view.

According to one report, the reason the Rhodes family, which consists of Dusty Rhodes, Cody Rhodes and Dustin “Goldust” Rhodes, are coming to RAW, is to set up a six-man tag match for the Battleground show.

It had been rumored several weeks ago, and it appears, at least according to plans as recently as last week, that the match between the Rhodes family and The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) is on for Battleground.

WWE Battleground emanates from Buffalo, New York on Sunday, October 6th, live on pay-per-view. Make sure to visit Rajah.com for the best WWE Battleground live results coverage on the web.

HUGE WWE Battleground *SPOILERS* Revealed — CLICK HERE!

[Credit: F4WOnline.com]

– WWE issued a statement today in response to a report on Saturday by PWInsider.com indicating that the WWE Network could launch as early as February 24, 2014 (according to a source in the organization).

“As discussed on WWE’s last earnings call, we continue to aggressively pursue the launch of a WWE Network in 2014 via traditional and non-traditional distribution models; however no launch date has been confirmed,” a spokesman stated to the website.

– World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio’s brutal Cross Armbreaker is featured in the latest 30 Second Fury! video.

– The official WWE website has released a gallery of backstage photos, which can otherwise only be seen through the WWE App.

See rare photos of Alberto Del Rio wearing a mask in a WWE ring

WWE Dominates Searches, Howard Stern Mocks Young, Eric The Midget/TNA

Former WWE Star To Train Riddick Bowe For Wrestling?, Jesse Ventura's New Book