Daily Update: Being the Elite, weekend notes, PFL

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Daily Update: Being the Elite, weekend notes, PFL

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

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Friday Update

– We’ve got a busy weekend coming up with shows. Garrett and I will be doing our week in review, looking at the major news in the Observer this week which also talks the future. Bryan and I will be back tomorrow night covering Survivor Series along with the weekend WWE & AEW shows.

– The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site right now:

  • What did people think of Full Gear as compared to the other AEW PPVs of late
  • Performers and match of the week
  • Lots of good and bad thoughts on Swerve Strickland vs. Adam Page
  • A look at WWE vs. AEW when it comes to free agent signings of late
  • What Will Ospreay will and won’t mean for AEW
  • Full details of why Ronda Rousey appeared on the ROH show this week and it’s not what you think
  • Who is the top free agent out there right now
  • Thoughts on the MJF/Cole/White/Gunns storyline
  • Realities of AEW’s enemies and how the Strickland vs. Page match fits into that discussion
  • Logic issues and creative license in wrestling
  • Impromptu and using instinct in reacting when things mess up in a match
  • Why Ospreay signed with AEW and why it was announced this week
  • PPV numbers early on and what is says about more PPV shows
  • Live show business notes
  • Theater business notes
  • Full match coverage
  • Sorting out the Bellator/PFL deal and looking at the business aspect, top talent, show plans, next two PPV show ideas and more
  • Company talks 2024 schedule plans for Bellator and PFL
  • The top fighters under contract at this point to the new group
  • Hall of Fame updates and reaction to last week’s issue
  • Greatest tag teams of all-time
  • A look at a likely 2024 ballot
  • A look at Survivor Series plans, plus public demand and interest level
  • A look in depth at the Continental Classic, the good and bad of it
  • A look at this last week’s UFC show and notes about future shows
  • The most detailed look at the TV ratings over the past week, the segment-by-segment, changes in each group, competition, and where wrestling stands in the weekly numbers
  • World title match doesn’t get over on major show and why
  • Promotion running a business deal with major company to get major discount on a famous product
  • New team will be taking over the name of one of the best tag teams in history
  • Major changes in Stardom hierarchy and what happened to lead to it
  • Stardom titles vacant and steps on filling those vacancies
  • Stardom PPV rundown
  • Fantastica Mania 2024 notes
  • What dream match was planned for January in California and where it stands right now
  • New Japan tag tournament notes
  • All Japan tag team tournament notes
  • A look back at one mystery in the death of WCW
  • Wrestlers suspended for working an unlicensed show
  • Full details on Ronda Rousey’s appearance at AEW show in Los Angeles
  • Young Bucks repackaging
  • Darby climbing Mount Everest and details
  • What day will a number of new free agents be available
  • Looking at the ones AEW could sign
  • Two new rulings in Cung Le case and what kind of money figures are being bandied about
  • A look at WWE arena business and future show ticket sales, has it peaked, what does future say
  • AEW future ticket sales
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • Reigns next match and who it’s not with
  • Levesque booking philosophy
  • A look at the WWE & NXT house shows over the past week
  • Notes on December television schedule for both AEW and WWE including a show not airing, and a double taping planned

– A few weekend notes: There is no Rampage tonight due to an NHL game on TNT, AEW has three hours from 7-10 p.m. tomorrow night head-to-head with Survivor Series.

SmackDown tonight is the Survivor Series go-home show. It’s on FS1 from the Allstate Arena in Chicago. If you have a season ticket pass, you may have to manually record this show as my DVR didn’t pick it up. Also, on the Wet Coast, the show airs at 5 p.m. rather than 8 p.m. With the smaller stage in use it will be the largest legit crowd for a WWE TV shoot this year. As of last night there were 15,720 tickets out. Announced is Damian Priest & Finn Balor vs. Street Profits for the tag titles and Kevin Owens on the Grayson Waller Effect.

– We’ll write more about it this coming week, but BTE is not on hiatus, it’s actually done. As of this point in time, there are no plans to bring it back.

– Katsuyori Shibata vs. Wheeler Yuta for the ROH Pure title has been added to tomorrow’s first hour [Rampage] at 7 p.m. on TNT. Eddie Kingston vs, Brody King and Daniel Garcia vs. Claudio Castagnoli will be on the last two hours [Collision] in the Continental Classic.

– We are doing a poll this weekend for Survivor Series, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserverr.com

– We’re looking for reports from these weekend events

  • Smackdown tonight in Chicago (dark matches only)
  • Collision tapings tomorrow in Pittsburgh (only need stuff not on the live show)
  • Sunday WWE house show in Peoria, IL

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

– WWE is doing a 30 percent off ticket sale for the 12/26 holiday tour house show in Madison Square Garden using the code FRIDAY. It’s a one-day sale.

– We have another new book out for Christmas covering the first part of 1991. It’s available on Amazon in the U.S., Canada and U.K.

– The PFL has a PPV show tonight from Washington, DC. It is mostly the $1 million finals of the company’s tournaments this year.

  • Jesus Pineda (145) vs. Gabriel Braga (144.6) for the featherweight $1 million final
  • Derek Brunson (185.8) vs. Ray Cooper III (186,8) – Cooper missed weight by 0,.6 pounds
  • Kayla Harrisoin (150.4) vs. Aspen Ladd (150)
  • Josh Silveira (202.6) vs. Impa Kasanganay (202.4) for he light heavyweight $1 million final
  • Magomed Magomedkermiv (170) vs,. Sadibou Sy (169.8) for the welterweight $1 million final
  • Larissa Pacheco (145) vs. Marina Mokhnatkin (144) for the women’s featherweight $1 million final
  • Denis Goltsov (244.6) vs, Renan Ferreira (261.2) for the heavyweight $1 million final
  • Clay Collard (154.8) vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier (154.8) for the lightweight $1 million final

– Will Ospreay talks this past year for him.

– New Japan tag team tournament continues with an A Block show in Fujisawa tomorrow morning

  • Shota Umino & Ren Narita vs. Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona
  • Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs, Alex Coughlin & Gabe kidd
  • Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa vs, Evil & Yujiro Takahashi
  • Great O’Khan & Henare vs. Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste

– Eve results from Sunday in London:

First show: Su Yung defeated Skye Smitson, Alex Windsor defeated Lizzy Evo, Millie McKenie defeated Emersyn Jayne, Nina Samuels defeated Safire Reed-DQ, Miyu Yamasthia defeated Chantal Jordan, Yuu defeated Rhio to retain the International title

Second show: Rhio won over Alexxis Falcon and Emersyn Jayne, Royal Aces won the Eve tag titles in a four-way over champions Nina Samuels & Chantal Jordan, Aleah James & Kanjji and Skye Smitson & Nightshade, Su Yung defeated Kasey, Yuu defeated Rhia O’Reilly to keep the International title, Safire Reed defeated Miyu Yamashita to win Eve championship.

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