Daily Update: Wrestle Kingdom tickets, Neville, Jeff Jarrett
July 15, 2020 | News | No Comments
THE ROUND-UP
The Latest from the F4W Staff
NEWS
Interest in invasion angle follow-up boosts WWE SmackDown ratings
Two Survivor Series qualifying matches set for WWE SmackDown
AUDIO
F4D: Smackdown, Geek of the Week, Tom’s house, more! 10/25
B&V&C: Retro Raw and Nitro from 19 years ago this week! 10/24
FIGURE FOUR WEEKLY: Figure Four Weekly 10/23/2017: Recapping WWE’s unusual TLC PPV
Making the most of a bad situation, Sunday night’s TLC pay-per-view provided a fun ending for what must have been a rough week for WWE. Two wrestlers (Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt) being pulled from a PPV due to a viral infection just days before the show is always a bad situation. But TLC being built almost solely around the in-ring reunion of The Shield made the timing especially awful. Having a mediocre PPV is forgivable in the Network era, but WWE knew that they had to give ticket holders worthy replacements.
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WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER: October 23, 2017 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Brock Lesnar vs. Jinder Mahal, Observer Hall of Fame candidates, more
A look at the WWE PPV picture over the next two shows, the championship scene and the TLC show is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer, a double issue that features three back-of-the-book features, one on PED usage and lifestyle changes in pro wrestling, one on the life and times of Bobby Heenan and another of the 2017 Hall of Fame.
The lead story looks at Brock Lesnar vs. Jinder Mahal, the return of Kane and some of the new programs.
Look at the ROH Global Wars week, what the business says and doesn’t say, a rundown of the Chicago show, the anti-WWE movement, along with match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.
Examine WWE drug testing, lifestyle changes among the wrestlers, what WWE talent is and isn’t allowed to do, beating tests, TUE’s, what Dave Palumbo said, what WWE has said in response, just how prevalent are TUE’s in WWE compared to other sports, double standards and rules between office, talent and part-time talent, why WWE drug tests in the first place, why the idea that pro wrestling isn’t a competitive situation is as shallow a thinking as possible and how the business has changed over the years as far as the look to be a star.
Look back at the life outside of wrestling of Bobby Heenan.
Check out the 2017 Hall of Fame ballot and thoughts on the candidates including breaking down most of the candidates on the ballot.
Get updates on WrestleMania ticket sales, Jinder Mahal in India, Austin Aries talks the economics outside WWE, WWE earnings and predictions for PPV numbers, and updates on Neville and Nia Jax.
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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 Meltzer, or by using PayPal directing funds to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com.
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 moonsault@mediaplusint.com. 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.)
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WON BACK ISSUE: October 1, 2000 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Disappointing WCW ratings, WWF Unforgiven reviewed, more
Whatever changes in the landscape temporarily that would result from the WWF going to a lower rated network appear to have been overstated. It was thought that this would be the week for WCW to capitalize, as viewers, used to WWF on Monday nights, would switch to WCW when finding other programming on the USA Network. Even though, due to the court decision coming in late and Viacom not getting nearly the amount of publicity they had planned to hype the debut of Raw,
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WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
In what could be a sign for his future with the company, Neville was removed from the video intro for 205 Live this week. It’s the first time that he hasn’t been in the intro since the news that he wanted to leave WWE broke.
ESPN released a short excerpt from the upcoming 30 for 30 on Ric Flair’s life that will air on November 7th. In the clip, Flair talks about how people would live vicariously through him in the 1980s and video of athletes imitating him were shown.
Nia Jax replied to Natalya and Tamina on Twitter, teasing that she’ll be part of the Raw women’s team at Survivor Series.
Sami Zayn will be this week’s guest on the Edge & Christian podcast.
Triple H announced that “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)” by Power Trip and “Play” by Marmozets are the official theme songs for NXT TakeOver: War Games.
BBC has a video profile on Mae Young Classic participant and WWE signee Kavita Devi.
Chris Jericho will be appearing on an episode of First We Feast’s “Hot Ones” YouTube show tomorrow.
Pro Wrestling
Tickets for Wrestle Kingdom 12 at the Tokyo Dome on January 4th are now on sale. NJPW’s English-language website has a post about ticket information, with there also being travel packages available that include hotel accommodations and tickets (but not plane tickets) for people coming from outside of Japan.
NJPW also unveiled the poster for Wrestle Kingdom 12.
Celeste Bonin, who was formerly known as Kaitlyn in WWE, revealed that today marks a year since she checked herself into a hospital for a medical drug detox. Bonin wrote that she was in a bad place mentally and physically then and in a “terrible” marriage. She said that it took her a long time to admit that she was an addict but urged others to never be too proud to ask for help.
WrestleCade announced that Jeff Jarrett won’t be attending any of their events in Winston-Salem, North Carolina next month (including a scheduled match against Ryback) due to personal reasons. WrestleCade called Jarrett a friend of their team and wished his family all the best.
Pro Wrestling Sheet spoke to Steven Ewaschuk, the promoter for Real Canadian Wrestling, about Jarrett’s behavior at their show last Friday. Ewaschuk claimed that Jarrett showed up late to the show and appeared slightly intoxicated, then passed out in the locker room during the show before getting ready for his match. Jarrett denied that he passed out in the locker room and called Ewaschuk an “amateur.”
AR Fox is returning to EVOLVE for their shows in Queens, New York and Melrose, Massachusetts on December 9th and 10th.
VIP packages for WWN’s More Than Mania events over WrestleMania weekend in New Orleans next year are on sale now.
Adam Blampied, who recently departed WhatCulture and was their promotion’s on-screen general manager, put out a statement publicly apologizing for falsely claiming to several women that he was in an open relationship in an effort to get them to send pictures of themselves to him. Shortly after that, a woman detailed her experiences with Blampied and posted screenshots of messages between them. Cultaholic, the new website and YouTube channel that Blampied is involved with, announced that they’d be delaying the launch of their YouTube channel as Blampied is taking a short leave of absence.
UFC/MMA
While speaking with a Wall Street Journal podcast, Dana White said that the UFC would be open to signing a deal with a digital platform instead of a television network when their contract with Fox comes up. While that is likely White keeping options open ahead of contract negotiations, White said that he thinks internet and over-the-top services are where everything is going.
White also noted that he could see the UFC bringing boxing under their umbrella at some point.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk again called Rose Namajunas, who said that she wants to use her title shot to promote mental health awareness, “mentally unstable” in a conference call to promote UFC 217.
Michael Bisping is being sued by a man who alleges that Bisping choked him at a gym in Anaheim, California in July.
The New York post ran an article on there still being hundreds of tickets available for UFC 217.
Scott Coker said that he’s open to Bellator having five-round main events for non-title fights like the UFC has.
Today in Professional Wrestling History: WCW Halloween Havoc 1998
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