Daily Update: Josh Alexander, Mickie James, AEW Dark

Daily Update

Latest News:

WWE SmackDown live results: Cody Rhodes vs. Ludwig KaiserImpact Sacrifice live results: Trios tag team main eventVince McMahon reimburses WWE $17.4 million for hush money investigationJoin us in Las Vegas for our annual F4W ConventionKO Show with Sami Zayn added to WWE SmackDown

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Wrestling Observer Radio: Latest on WrestleMania, AEW businessWrestling Weekly: A talk with Nigel McGuinnessWrestling Observer Live: CM Punk Instagram statement & reaction, AEW Saturday show rumorsFight Game: Why Kenny Omega should be AEW's top babyfaceBryan & Vinny Show: AEW Dynamite with KENNY VS. VIKINGO, and NXT with Duke Hudson putting up Chase U in a match

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Join us in Las Vegas for our annual F4W Convention

This Week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

March 27, 2023 Observer Newsletter: The latest on WWE WrestleMania 39, AEW ticket sales update

Highlights include:

*Match of the week and performers of the week

*WrestleMania update

*Ticket sales for all the WWE events of the weekend, how it compares to the past, as well as for the ROH show

*Updates on the lineup and what is on each night and what seems to be on each night based on reports

*Update on match changes

*Update on NXT Takeover and who will have their first big match on the show

*Update on the key independent shows held over WrestleMania weekend

*AEW ticket sales for Double or Nothing and Forbidden Door

*Full coverage of UFC 286 and where things go next for the top fighters on the show

*A look at the final week of the New Japan Cup, new stories, lineups for early April, and new stable, the Sanada title match and reviews of every tournament match and the full finals show.

*Andy Kaufman in WWE Hall of Fame, a look back at the famous angle and other key angles during Kaufman's run in Memphis, the David Letterman show and how the angle came to be

*NCAA wrestling tournament note including one of history's biggest upsets and the story behind it

*Davey Richards retires, a look at the allegations that led to his retirement, his career and the time when Bryan Danielson called him the best in the world

*The most detailed look at the TV ratings for all the national shows, placings and hat can be learned from the competition and the results

*A look at CMLL's second biggest show of the year , the big hair match and where Romero vs Volador looks to be going

*Notes on upcoming tournament of champions in Mexico

*Film on well known pro wrestling personality debuted recently at Film Festival

*Update on major celebrity wrestling angle and how it got exposed by a fan

*A look at the Lucha Libre World Cup featuring stars from AEW

*Update on plans for the biggest Stardom event in history

*All Japan has two shows featuring interpromotional matches

*NOAH runs a big show with key title4 change

*Update on Will Ospreay

*Update on Mercedes Mone and when her New Japan deal is up

*Notes on Best of the Super Juniors tournament

*Legendary promotion from the best with some of the best matches in history is starting a YouTube page

*Health updates on a lot of key wrestling personalities

*Former pro wrestler becomes a hero who likely saved a lot of lives averting a potential shooting

*Top U.S. stars tour Australia

*Unique tournament planned

*Indie promotion in the U.K. bringing in top stars for unique title determination matches

*Update on MLW and a new deal made

*Update on major new national television show in the plans

*A look at AEW's first house show in years

*New AEW and WWE business deals

*Ticket sales for upcoming AEW and WWE events

*International TV ratings and streaming numbers

*Conor McGregor's comeback notes including a key rule for his return and if it will be broken

*Olympic silver medalist signs unique deal to both do MMA and still try for a 2024 gold medal

*WWE video game news and launch party

*Story about a major international deal WWE is working on

This Week's Retro Observer Newsletter: 

February 6, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Royal Rumble, WWE business notes

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Friday Update

Garrett Gonzales and I did a news update show today. Bryan and I will be doing our weekend show on Sunday night. You can send questions to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com

Want to mention what a great job Josh Alexander did as Impact champion, and for that matter, the strong storyline follow-through Impact did with Mickie James as champion. Alexander had surgery for a torn triceps today suffered at the World Cup show in Mexico and will be out of action. On today's show with Garrett I may have mentioned biceps but it was triceps. So the company lost both champions at the same time. The men's title will be up in a match on 4/16 at the Rebellion PPV with Steve Maclin vs. Kushida to determine the new champion. They will address the women's title on the show tonight in Windsor, ONT on Impact +. Impact said that the announcement for the 3/30 show where Alexander was to defend against Kushida would be announced shortly.

Alexander was the longest reigning Impact champion and had a series of great matches as champion and probably didn't get his due for some of them, like the classic match with Mike Bailey a few months back. Alexander underwent surgery under Brad M. Homan, DO, FAOAO in Orlando, FL. today.

The James vs. Jordynne Grace match is off and James will be there and they will make an announcement regarding the title. Steve Maclin replaces Alexander in the main event, teaming with Rich Swann & Frankie Kazarian vs. Kushida & Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley. Trey Miguel also defends the X title against Lince Dorado, Chris Bey & Ace Austin defend the tag titles against Bad Dude Tito & Shane Haste, Joe Hendry defends the Digital Media title against Brian Myers, Tommy Dreamer vs. Bully Ray, Deonna Purrazzo vs Gisele Shaw and Mike Bailey vs. Jonathan Gresham.

Smackdown tonight is from Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Announced is Cody Rhodes vs. Ludvig Kaiser and LA Knight vs. Rey Mysterio. The big angle being pushed is that Angie and Aalyah Gutierrez, the wife and daughter of Rey Mysterio, will be there along with Rey and Dominik to continue in the next step of building the angle,. There were just under 10,000 tickets out this morning so with a good walk-up they could sell out.

No Rampage tonight. It airs 10 p.m. tomorrow night on TNT this week.

AEW is taping Dark tonight in Orlando.

Ronda Rousey said that her injury that has kept her out of action is a fractured radius, which is one of the bones in the forearm. She also noted having no cartilage or ACL in her right knee,. The knee problems date back before UFC when she was in judo.

We're looking for reports on these weekend shows:

*Smackdown tonight in Las Vegas (dark matches and anything not airing on television)

*WWE Saturday night house show in Salt Lake City

*WWE Sunday night house show in Denver

We're looking for results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

A story on the Henry Cavill spy thriller "Argyle" and getting $1 billion in backing for a series of his projects. John Cena is one of the stars of the movie. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)

Kairi said in an interview with WrestlingNews.co that as a free agent she would love to team with Asuka or Iyo Sky or maybe wrestler Iyo Sky again, and would love to do the Royal Rumble saying it's her favorite PPV show of the year. She also brought up wanting to work with Saraya, Toni Storm and Jamie Hayter.

UFC tomorrow from San Antonio with an ESPN+ show starting at 4 p.m. Eastern:

Victor Altamirano (124.5) vs. Vinicius Salvador (126)

CJ Vergara (126) vs.. Daniel Da Silva (126)

Trevin Giles (170.5) vs. Preston Parsons (171)

Steven Peterson (146) vs. Lucas Alexander (146)

Daniel Pineda (145.5) vs. Tucker Lutz (146)

Chidi Njokuani (185) vs. Albert Duraev (186)

Alex Perez (126) vs. Manel Kape (125.5)

Andrea Lee (126) vs. Maycee Barber (125.5)

Nate Landwehr (145.5) vs. Austin Lingo (146)

Holly Holm (135.5) vs. Yana Santos (135)

Marlon Vera (136) vs. Cory Sandhagen (135.5)

Two scheduled fights are now off. Manuel Torres vs. Trey Ogden is off because Torres failed to weigh in due to medical issues. Tamires Vidal vs. Halley Cowan is also off because Vidal was off due to medical issues.

Konosuke Takeshita wrestled in DDT earlier today teaming with Samuray del Sol (Kalisto) beating Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada in Tokyo at Shinjuku Face.

Angel de Oro of CMLL is out of action temporarily after testing positive for COVID yesterday. He had a singles match on tonight's Arena Mexico show against Volador Jr. Templario will be the replacement which could make for a great singles match. 

At the ROH PPV on 3/31, the ladder match for the ROH tag team titles has Penta & Fenix, Rush & Dralistico, Top Flight, Matt Taven & Mike Bennett and Aussie Open.

Luchablog reported that El Hijo del Vikingo would be in St. Louis for AEW TV tapings on Wednesday. It should be noted that on Wednesday they will be taping the go-home show for the ROH PPV that Vikingo defends his title against Komander on, so it would make sense to do an angle with the two of them there. They are also taping Rampage and of course Dynamite is live.

GCW announced that The Wrld show on 4/1 in Los Angeles has been moved an hour back to a 1 a.m. Eastern late that night from 10 p.m. to allow people more time to get to the Ukrainian Cultural Center from WrestleMania at SoFi Stadium.

Miro announced he is doing voice acting for an animated short called "Yellowbird" for HBO MAX.

The Miz, Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston will be appearing on Jeopardy today. 

Undertaker is doing his One Man Show tonight in Las Vegas in conjunction with the Smackdown tapings there. The show is at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan.

Odds on WrestleMania right now from BetOnline:

Cody Rhodes -550 Roman Reigns +325

Rhea Ripley -1000 Charlotte Flair +500

Asuka -140 Bianca Belair +100

Gunther -140 Sheamus +135 Drew McIntyre +500

Austin Theory -400 John Cena +250

Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn -2000 Usos +700

Seth Rollins -450 Logan Paul +275

Edge -150 Finn Balor +120

Brock Lesnar -1500 Omos +600

Becky Lynch & Trish Stratus & Lita -300 Damage Ctrl +200

Viking Raiders -150 Ricochet & Braun Strowman +200 Street Profits +350 Alpha Academy +700

Both Logan Paul and Bianca Belair will be guests on the new season of "Cold As Balls," hosted by Kevin Hart. The new season premiered on 3/21.

Other Notes

Tony Deppen vs. Tracy Williams was announced for the 4/6 MLW show at the Melrose Ballroom in New York.

Augusto Sakai, a heavyweight who se contract with UFC expired with his last night, will not be signed to a new deal according to MMA Fighting which confirmed the story with Sakai. 

Arman Tsarukyan vs. Renato Moicano will headline the 4/29 UFC show.

Muhammad Mokaev suffered a partial MCL tear on Saturday in his UFC fight with Jafel Filho, which he won. He will be out six to eight weeks.

AAW tonight live on Highspots.tv at 8:30 p.m. Eastern from 115 Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park, IL

Jake Something vs. Robert Anthony for the AAW title

Christi Jaynes vs. Sierra in a lumberjack match

Davey Vega & Hartenbower vs. Mike Bennett & Levi Everett in a double dog collar match

Conan Lycan & Solom Tupu vs. Russ Jones & Schaff in an I Quit match

Fred Yehi vs. Manders vs. Silas Young vs. Ren Jones

Mance Warner vs. Thrillbilly Silas Mason

Shazza McKenzie vs. Heather Reckless

The Dave Bautista movie "A Knock at the Cabin" is now streaming on Peacock.

Nigel McGuinness is doing a magic show where he will run down his career and use magic as part of the storytelling. The event will be Thursday in at 8 pm. at the Illusion Magic Lounge in Santa Monica with more info here

AAW has its 19th Anniversary show

MCW on 4/8 in Perryville, MD at 5th Company Brewing,, 4/14 in Joppa, MD at the RJ Meyer Arena and 4/15 in Hollywood,MD at the Volunteer Fire Department

IPSW and the Totowa, NJ Police Athletic League are doing an event tonight at 7:30 p.m. to raise money for the Martinez Family who recently lost everything and their seven pets in a house fire. Partial proceeds from the show will benefit the family. Appearing include Snitsky, Maven, Hale Collins, Crowbar, Tina San Antonio, HC Loc and more.

PFL announced that tickets for the second half of the 2023 regular season at the OTE Arena at Atlantic Station in Atlanta go on sale today. The shows are 6/8, 6/16 and 6/23.

A horse named Rowdy Rousey finished third in a race at Dover Downs on Wednesday (thanks to Barry Werner)

On Jeopardy last night the category was The JV Squad and the question was "This Navy SEAL later went into pro wrestling, movies and Minnesota politics." The contestant correctly answered the question as Jesse Ventura (thanks to Grant Zwarych)

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