Daily Update: Jose Aldo, Vice Media, Google trends

Latest News:

• WWE NXT Level Up results: Joe Gacy vs. Odyssey Jones
• WWE Main Event results: Dexter Lumis vs. Charlie Dempsey
• New champions crowned at UFC 283, Glover Teixeira & Shogun Rua retire
• NJPW New Beginning in Nagoya notes: Shingo Takagi vs. Great-O-Khan
• Impact TV taping spoilers: Former WWE wrestler debuts

Latest Audio:

• Wrestling Observer Radio: Briscoe, UFC 283, The Rock, weekend news and TV reviews

Latest Free YouTube Video:

This Week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

• January 23, 2023 Observer Newsletter: Death of Jay Briscoe

*Performer and match of the week
*Details of the settlement of the Rita Chatterton case
*McMahon suing Chatterton 20 ears ago and details behind that
*What role Vince McMahon has played since returning and what was originally said that has been accurate and things that have already changed, including new office people back and old ones being gone
*The latest lawsuit against WWE for bringing back Vince
*Analysts look at the different sale possibilities
*More on Stephanie leaving
*Nick Khan talks the company and hat he said that does and doesn't make sense
*Where Dwayne Johnson stands
*Tony Khan talks about his interest in buying WWE
*Dwayne Johnson talks the sale of WWE
*A look at how UFC's talks with Francis Ngannou fell through and where Ngannou could go next and whether he can return
*Royal Rumble update, who is in, how tickets are moving
*Details on the new MLW TV title with Reelz
*Impact Hard to Kill coverage including PPV numbers
*Saturday's UFC coverage
*AAA announces big show schedule or 2023 and return of Alberto with Konnan explaining why and we talk about it
*Cage match and Wrestling Observer's list of the best in-ring wrestles of 2022 based on matches
*What wrestlers were in the most great matches and to 50 of modern times as well as what cities have had the best wrestling.
*Dana White's Power Slap debut and how it was received
*The most detailed look at te ratings for all the national shows and segment by segment Numbers
*What promotions drew the most fans in Japan n 2022
*Update on another date for Mercedes Mone in New Japan and the Sakura Genesis highlights
*New Japan and Stardom quarterly business numbers
*More on death of Black Warrior
*Ric Flair new endorsement deal
*One of the biggest feuds of the 70s comes alive through each man's son this past week
*Lots of WrestleMania week news
*How AEW got Kushida
*Danielson talks Takeshita
*More on CM Punk and Colt Cabana in AEW
*AEW gets international TV upgrade
*New documentary on former AEW star
*Streaming numbers
*Dana White talks punishment
*Mike Swick talks cancer battle
*PPV numbers for the shows over the weekend
*Cena WrestleMania note
*News no three major WWE cuts
*What independent promotion has not yet been dropped by WWE for Peacock
*International TV rights

This Week's Retro Observer Newsletter:

• December 12, 2005 Observer Newsletter: WWE begins exploiting Eddie Guerrero's death, drug testing policy coverage

Ordering Info:

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Sunday Update

Our weekend show is up on the site already with last night's UFC PPV show. We ran down the show with Ryan Frederick and talked about all the news from the past several days including an update on the daughters of Jay Briscoe and more on that tragedy, Dwayne Johnson and the weekend TV's and the Okada-Kiyomiya angle.

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site as well as the new back issue from 2005. The lead story on Jay Briscoe is probably the mos talked about story we've done in a long time, even more so than the Vince McMahon and Gene LeBell stories in recent months. We heard from many of his friends, many people who worked with him and it's filled with things of Jamin Pugh the person, growing up and learning from his mistakes. We talk about titles of course, but it's more about who he was, even talking to Gerald Brisco about the Brisco name, Delirious, Cary Silkin and Tony Khan talk about working with him from a management standpoint, Frankie Kazarian talks about him outside the ring, Nick Jackson talks about him wrestling, Khan talks about what was planned for him, we go into detail on the tweet that derailed his career and people like Ian Riccaboni and Effy talk about how he had natured and Kevin Kelly talks about knowing him from the start of his career in ECWA. There's a lot about his family and his getting into the business, his work at the local school, and his kids. I hope you all enjoy it.

Jose Aldo was announced last night for the Class of 2023 for the UFC Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place this summer in Las Vegas.

VICE media, which was valued five years ago at $5.7 billion, may end up being sold for less than $1 billion. 

Not much stuff from wrestling, boxing or MMA trended on Google this week. Jay Briscoe was the most searched topic on the Internet on Tuesday with 500,000 searches. UFC 283 did not trend and this would be the first time a PPV has not. However, Brandon Moreno was No. 11 yesterday and Glover Teixeira was No. 15, both at 100,000. These numbers were a very bad sign when it comes to PPV buys for last night's show

Regarding the questions on the changing of the Bloodline segment fro an Acknowledgment ceremony with the family of Roman Reigns to the trial of Sami Zayn, rumors regarding this had to do with The Rock pulling out or Vince McMahon changing things are both false. Rock was never booked for the segment. The change was made because Afa & Sika & Rikishi were all not going to be able to be there. They were to be the key people but Afa & Sika were not ready for the trip and Rikishi got sick this week so the idea basically fell apart. Creative was changed with The Bloodline story on Friday to reflect the change in Raw, a what happened was not what was originally scripted to happen. 

We're looking for reports on these shows
*NXT last night in Melbourne, FL
*WWE last night in Erie, PA
*WWE tonight in Binghamton, NY
We're looking for results, match finishes ad highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

We're also doing polls for the weekend on these shows
*UFC 283
*New Japan/NOAH Wrestle Kingdom
*Great Muta farewell show
You can leave a thumbs up, down or middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

A tribute to Jay Briscoe was set up outside the Manhattan Center in New York. ROH asked the fan who put it up to contact them.

To answer a lot of questions, at this point the day for the Jay Briscoe tribute television show that was taped in Fresno to be put up is not decided yet.

Deiveson Figueiredo suffered a broken nose in his fight with Brandon Moreno but his eye is okay. His eye was shut in the third round causing the stoppage and his losing the flyweight title.

Moreno had a backstage battle of words with Alexandre Pantoja. Pantoja, who has two prior wins over Moreno, challenged Moreno to a title fight.

As of last night, the Okada-Kiyomiya angle, which builds to the 2/21 show at the Tokyo Dome had more than 2.5 million views which is a good number for a WWE angle, a great number for an AEW angle and an unbelievable number for a Japanese angle.

Friday night's Rocky Romero win over Volador Jr. to win the NWA welterweight title was a tremendous match. If you like great wrestling, and/or super heated crowds with great wrestling, the match is here, it starts at the two hour mark of the show.

Young Rock will be preempted this coming Friday for figure skating and will return on 2/3. They have a character playing James Bond Sean Connery from the movie where Peter Maivia and Sean Connery had a Fight scene, "You Only Live Twice." Other UK wrestlers worked as stunt men on the movie. 

The WWE donated $150,000 to Red Cross relief funds in Connecticut (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)

AEW is closing in on 5,000 tickets sold in Lexington this week which would make five straight shows over that mark. Some of the Texas advances indicate that streak won't continue but there is clearly ticket sales momentum for the company.

WWE

Montez Ford and Bianca Belair were on NBC yesterday before the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Jacksonville Jaguars game promoting Raw on Monday. 

BetOnline odds for Vengeance Day
Dijak -200
Wes Lee +150

Gallus +100
New day +150
Pretty Deadly +300

Bron Breakker -700
Grayson Waller +400

Roxanne Perez -1200
Jacy Jayne +500
Gigi Dolin +1000

The Houston Rockets host WWE night on Thursday for a game with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Toyota Center. The first 3,000 fans through the doors will get an Undertaker Bobblehead and there will be Undertaker/Rockets merchandise.

Other Notes

The comedy sitcom Paper Champions, about a failing independent wrestling company, is now available on Tubi (worldwide) and Amazon Prime (US + UK). Paper Champions stars Brady Roberts (Brady Malibu), Paul Lazenby, and Lance Storm also cameos in the show.

The PFL Challengers Series, a series of tournaments where the winners get into the big PFL tournaments this year, start on 1/27 on Fubo Sports.

AHOY Comics announced the release of The Gimmick, a dark comedy about wrestling written by Joanna Starer ad drawn by Elena Gogou. The story is about a fictitious women's promotion in Pennsylvania. It will be published monthly with the first issue out on 3/5.

AIW on 2/11 in Youngstown, OH headlined by The Sandman.

LFA has two title matches on its 3/10 show in Sao Paulo, Brazil on UFC Fight Pass with the middleweight title up as Lucas Fernando (8-1) faces Jansey Silva (8-2) and Eduardo Neves (6-1) faces Hago Silva (6-0-1).

On Friday's episode of Toon in with Me on MeTV, a letter was read that said Bill the Cartoon Curator looks like Shawn Michaels and a photo of Michaels was shown (thanks to Brian Henke)

Vendetta Pro Wrestling from last night in Pomona, CA: Davey Richards b Tyler Bateman, Jordan Cruz b B-Boy, Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs b Los Suavecitos, Jacob Fatu DDQ Evil; Uno, Sonico b Shunma Katsumata, Kidd Bandit b Robert Martyr. Mao b Kevin Blackwood, Athena b Miyu Yamashita to keep the ROH women's title.

Kirk White's Big Time Wrestling from Friday night in Newark, CA before a sold out crowd at the Pavilion: Big Fonz won the Battle Royal for the Roy Shire trophy, Ishamel Vaughn & Ka Ka Meng b Lost Treasures, D Rouge b Big Fonz, Dave Dutra b Sledge in a no DQ match, The freaks & El Chupacabra b Too Fresh. They did a ten bell salute for Jay Briscoe and Sledge did a tribute speech for him. They return on 3/18 to the Newark Pavilion (Thanks to Jim Davis)

ICW No Holds Barred from last night in Westville, NJ: AKIRA b Eric Dillinger, Tommy Vendetta b Crowbar Devon Storm, Bobby Beverly b Jeff Cannonball, Neil Diamond Gutter b Dr. Redacted, Toshiyuki Sakuda b Eric Ryan, Matt Tremont b Hoodfoot, Brandon Kirk b John Wayne Murdoch to keep the American death match title. Darren McCarty, a former hockey tough guy with the Detroit Red Wings, managed Vendetta on the show. (thanks to Leonard Brand)

Paradigm Pro Wrestling has moved its streaming home from IWTV to Fight+. It debuts on the new platform on 1/31. They will be airing at least 20 weeks of weekly one hour new content with Suge D, Tom Lawlor, Alex Kane, Billie Starkz, Cole Radrick, Dominic Garrini and more.