THE ROUND-UP
The latest from the F4W Staff
Your move, Imperator.
NEWS
The Anywhere Fighter: Kenny Omega’s road to the Tokyo Dome, pt. 1
Max Holloway vs. Anthony Pettis added to UFC 206
Attorneys for TNA & Billy Corgan make their case in court
Georges St. Pierre responds to Michael Bisping’s UFC 206 challenge
Six-man cruiserweight tag match set for WWE Hell in a Cell
Bayley vs. Dana Brooke booked for WWE Hell in a Cell
AUDIO
F4D: SmackDown LIVE, Impact, OVERWEIGHT CLASSIC, tons more! 10/26
WOL: Dixie Carter vs. Billy Corgan hearing 10/26
B&V: Retro Raw and Nitro from this week in 1997 10/25
Figure Four Weekly 10/24/2016: Deregulation of pro wrestling in Arizona – In Arizona, deregulation of professional wrestling wasn’t a pressing matter by any stretch when the topic was first broached in 1981. There was no major promotion running in the state and little to no full time work, with only one licensed promoter, who was running shows weekly in Phoenix… Current subscribers click here to continue reading.
F4W YouTube Page: Tons of clips and full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!
The Death of WCW by Bryan Alvarez and RD Reynolds is now available as an audiobook through Amazon.com and Audible. Bryan did the narration for the book and it runs almost fifteen hours, so grab yours today!
Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Oct 31, 2016: Billy Corgan vs. TNA, Urijah Faber retiring, more – The battle for power, and to survive, by TNA, continued this past week after Anthem Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Toronto-based Fight Network, agreed to fund the promotion. The questions regarding the funding and why Anthem was loaning TNA money instead of buying into the company, as they did with earlier funding, was because another partial owner, Billy Corgan, had gotten a temporary restraining order, which banned TNA from selling any stock in the company or selling any company assets, the key being both company stock and the tape library… Current subscribers click here to continue reading.
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 Meltzer, or by using PayPal directing funds to [email protected].
Rates in the United States are $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52. In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to [email protected]. For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52. If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.)
If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can choose one free classic issue, or two free classic issues with a 40-issue subscription.
WON BACK ISSUE: October 4, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWF Unforgiven and UFC 22 reviews, tons more – The workload stemming from increasing the television demands of the WWF started to show through on 9/26 with a disappointing Unforgiven PPV show… Subscribers click here to continue reading.
Thursday News Update
The latest WWN alerts provided context on the company following their deal with FloSports:
“WWNLive.com will remain active. If you purchased past VODs on WWNLive.com, they will still be available for you to watch. In addition, WWNLive.com will continue to stream 3rd party content.
The relationship between WWE and WWN, particularly EVOLVE, remains strong and has potential to develop. WWE was aware of the FloSports deal. WWE is also an investor in FloSports.
The partnership between WWN and FloSports has created several exciting and game changing possibilities for the entire WWN Family. We will have some announcements around the time of Black Friday that will continue the mind blowing 2016.”
WWE
Headbanger Mosh tweeted that The Headbangers are returning to SmackDown next week for a Survivor Series qualifying match.
Austin Aries tweeted a picture of his swollen eye after suffering an injury from a kick from Shinsuke Nakamura at NXT’s live event in Fresno, CA, last night.
Between the World Series and the NBA’s first few games of the season, SmackDown’s ratings Tuesday never really had a chance, hitting the lowest marks since the brand split.
WWE held their Q3 financial call Wednesday. Among the highlights: Network subs were down from Q2 but are still considered strong; social media numbers are still on the rise, and things are optimistic for the future. Visit our Twitter account for more in-depth insight as our friend and financial expert Chris Harrington did a Twitter takeover during the call.
Harrington and Dave Meltzer were guests on Wrestling Observer Live today, available now for subscribers.
In this article, Dolph Ziggler discusses wanting to finish his career in WWE.
WWE announced today that tickets to WrestleMania 33 will go on sale Friday, November 18 at 10 AM ET. WrestleMania 33 will take place on Sunday, April 2, 2017 at the Orlando Citrus Bowl and will be broadcast live around the world on WWE Network. Ticket prices range from $38-$1,065 (taxes included). There will also be a limited number of “Gold Circle” VIP Packages available for $2,130 (taxes included). The Gold Circle packages include seating in the first 10 rows ringside, access to a Gold Circle VIP Stadium Entrance and a commemorative WrestleMania 33 take-home folding chair. Tickets.
PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
Dave Meltzer goes over the latest in TNA in the lead story for this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, available now for subscribers.
David Bixenspan discusses the deregulation of pro wrestling in Arizona in this week’s Figure Four Weekly, available now for subscribers.
EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher will defend the EVOLVE Title vs. Tony Nese at EVOLVE 73 on November 13th in Joppa, MD. Nese is being awarded this title match due to his past success in EVOLVE and recent success on WWE Monday Night Raw. Can Nese go on Monday Night Raw as the EVOLVE Champion? Go to the DGUSA.tv Events section for more info and DGUSA.tv Store for tickets. There’s still a few second row seats remaining.
Joey Styles will join Lenny Leonard in the commentary booth for EVOLVE 72 on November 12th in Queens, NY at La Boom. We couldn’t ask for a better commentary team for the first EVOLVE event on FloSlam! Styles will also be available for pictures and autographs before EVOLVE 72. Get tickets now and show the world what EVOLVE is all about! There’s only a handful of reserved seats left!
Karl Stern continues his longform audio series on the history of pro wrestling, available now for subscribers.
Alan Boon’s latest look at the British wrestling scene is up, talking about Finn Balor’s upcoming appearance for Insane Championship Wrestling.
TNA Wrestling may appear to be broken at the moment, but sources close to the production of Total Nonstop Deletion tell Pro Wrestling Sheet that won’t stop them from filming the Hardy special next month, despite things being postponed a few weeks.
The National Wrasslin League (NWL, LLC) has reached a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of Metro Pro Wrestling, a local promotion based in Kansas City, which will become part of NWL KC. While exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, League president Major Baisden announced that Metro Pros founder, former WWE SmackDown writer Chris Gough, has joined NWL KC as the promotions general manager, helping oversee creative and talent relations.
UFC/MMA
Chris Weidman took a shot at Michael Bisping, saying the middleweight division is one of the toughest except for its champion.
Shane Carwin has ended his retirement and signed with RIZIN.
Olympic standout Kayla Harrison signed with World Series of Fighting.
On January 21, 2017, both Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) and Chael Sonnen (28-14-1) will return to action inside the beautifully renovated Forum in Inglewood, Calif., to headline “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen.” In college, the two met on the wrestling mat, in a matchup that Sonnen won by pinning Ortiz on his birthday. Now, Ortiz will have the opportunity to avenge that loss when the compete in the Bellator MMA cage on SPIKE. Tickets go on sale to the general public TOMORROW, Friday, Oct. 28 at Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com, but if you are a member of Bellator Nation, you’ll have exclusive access to seats TODAY if you use the code “Bellator” when checking out. The event will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App. Additional main and preliminary card bouts will be announcing in the coming weeks.
Pro Mixed Martial Arts Series has just announced the Bakersfield Fight Club will Launch in January 2017.
VARIETY
NWX presents Live Pro Wrestling II : A Haunting On Hartzel on October 23, 2016 at CWF Studios on 20 Hartzel Rd in St Catharines, ON. Friday, October 28 at 6:30 PM – 9 PM
Chinlock Wrestling – Saturday, December 17 at 7 PM – 10 PM, Kingston Gospel Temple, 2295 Princess Street, Kingston, Ontario K7M 3G1.
This article is about DDP Yoga.
Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con has added a panel called “Ring Psychology: Pacing, Promos, and Piledrivers” for this Saturday at 4:30pm at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Dr. Billy San Juan announced through Twitter that he will be the moderator and the panel will include Rob Van Dam, Lisa Marie Varon (Victoria in WWE), Shad Gaspard, and Jervis Cottenbelly. Additionally, Women of Wrestling will have a booth with talent appearing throughout the weekend. Original WOW Girl Lana Star is the first to reveal through Twitter that she will be present.
Empire State Wrestling (ESW) returns to Frontier Fire Hall, 2176 Liberty Drive, Niagara Falls, N.Y. on Saturday, November 25, featuring former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstars Hardcore Holly and Santino Marella, as well as current Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling superstar Braxton Sutter and Cruiserweight Classic participant Tyson Dux. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. with a bell time set for 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $30 for front row, $20 for second row and $13 for general admission. All tickets increase $5 at the door. Email for tickets.
The Tennessee Historic Trust has just released its annual list of endangered historic properties in the state. This year’s edition includes the Mid South Coliseum in Memphis. The report says the building is on the block for possible demolition. (thanks to Kev Castle)
The “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” host recently sat down with an ensemble cast to jointly record a feature length commentary track for the Nine Legends film starring Mike Tyson, Goldberg, Bret Hart, and Chris Jericho. Branded the Nine Legends “Expansion Pack”, each “Legend” is tackled by a different personality in which Robin Leach is tasked with covering the 80’s WWE legend, the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. The two had worked together for a memorable episode of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” in 1988. In addition to this, Leach made an appearance at Wrestlemania IV in the now defunct Trump Plaza in Atlantic City – the wrestling extravaganza was hosted by Donald Trump. On that day Leach can be seen greeting Trump in the front row of the stadium before presenting the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event featuring DiBiase. In this exclusive preview of the Nine Legends Expansion Pack, Leach is asked about his relationship with Donald Trump and in the course of the discussion, Leach notices a comparison between Donald Trump and the villainous “Million Dollar Man” character. Over the past 24 hour, the stars involved in the Nine Legends project have taken to Twitter to promote the new Expansion Pack. A trailer for the new Expansion Pack can be seen here.
Today in Wrestling History (10/27):
CONTACT INFORMATION
Poll opinions: [email protected]
Feedback: [email protected]
Show results and news tips: [email protected]
Wrestling Observer Radio questions: [email protected]