Daily Update: AEW production change, Dutch Mantel, WWE Raw

Latest News

• WWE Raw live results: Seth Rollins vs. Jey Uso World title match
• AEW Rampage ratings up for return to normal time slot
• WWE SmackDown ratings down against Pac-12 championship game
• Kazuchika Okada 'seriously entertaining' signing with WWE or AEW
• TNA Wrestling returning to New Orleans for No Surrender 2024

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• Filthy Four Daily: Smackdown, Rampage, best Continental Classic matches, more
• Wrestling Observer Live: Big week of shows, CM Punk RAW follow-up, Collision and Smackdown reports, more
• Wrestling Observer Radio: WWE cuts, this week's lineups, Smackdown & Collision recaps
• Bryan & Vinny & Craig Show: AEW Collision with best tournament match yet, weekly live Q&A

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This Week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter

• December 4, 2023 Observer Newsletter: CM Punk WWE return, AEW revenue growth

The new issue of the Observer is up on the site:

• Match of the week and performer of the week
• What readers thought of Survivor Series and best and worst matches
• CM Punk's return, whatever details are available, what history teaches, the WWE creative process and next programs
• What was and wasn't real after the show
• Previous talks of Punk in WWE and how they went down
• Punk's return promo and why he didn't say what many thought he would say
• Tony Khan's thoughts and statements
• The most detailed look at the 2023 AEW business, revenue, PPV, Wembley, ticket sales, projections for 2024 and the biggest story relating to AEW of the next year
• Value of AEW
• What revenue streams will be expected to grow and others that probably won't over the next year
• Issues with the weekend shows
• Thoughts on 2024 in the ring and beyond
• Will Ospreay
• Issues involving other suitors for TV other than WBD
• Full coverage of Survivor Series
• All the business notes, record
• What WWE show did an amazing number of late buys
• Full details of the two stockholder lawsuits regarding the Endeavor/WWE deal and the key points they are arguing
• The sad story of Tammy Sytch, a one-time pre-med student whose life was a mess for so long and an innocent person died as a result. A look at her career, that of Chris Candido, a rise at a young age and fall
• Being the Elite is no more, a look at a show that changed wrestling history when it comes to NJPW in the U.S., ROH's best period ever and even the formation of AEW. A look at the first All In, early episodes, what stars took off because of the show and more
• Absolute Andy, the stunning death of a German independent star who wrestled with and against many of the biggest in-ring stars of this generation
• Update on how many homes the key stations that air pro wrestling and MMA reach
• The most detailed look at the ratings for every show over the past week, how the segments did, demos did, comparison to a year ago, how CM Punk moved the Monday numbers and Randy Orton's segments as well, competition and how badly Thanksgiving week hurt wrestling numbers
• AAA and Impact join forces for a TV taping for both groups
• First AAA show of 2024
• Stardom PPV lineup and build to one of the biggest events of the year
• All Japan tag team tournament and junior tournament notes
• NOAH's first show of the new year and coverage of this past week's biggest shows
• Okada pushes for Tokyo Dome main event
• New Japan tag team tournament notes
• Mercedes Mone update and thoughts
• WrestleCade coverage
• WWE group returns on indies
• Promotions headed to Germany to piggy back off WWE's big show
• London pre-sale for All In
• Nick Khan talks heavily about Wembley, WWE business and more
• Sting's retirement and the first televised Flair vs. Sting match in 1988
• Lots of injury updates*More on QT Marshall leaving AEW
• International TV ratings and streaming numbers
• ROH PPV notes
• Upcoming ticket sales for WWE & AEW events
• Highest paid fighters for a single fight for UFC every year from 2011 to 2016
• PFL's new TV deal
• PFL claims offering $15 million one fight offer for former UFC star
• Coverage of PFL's tournament finals
• Raw contract renewal talks
• WrestleMania ticket sale info
• What WWE exec just got $12 million worth of new stock
• Detailed notes on all WWE & AEW events

This Week's Retro Observer Newsletter

• September 11, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Pride Grand Prix, WWE

Ordering Info:

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If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

Monday Update

Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Raw, changes in AEW, Kazuchika Okada, Ratings, Mexico MVP and more.

Major news behind the scenes in AEW, as Kevin Sullivan, the Vice President of Post Production was let go today. Mike Mansury, the Senior Vice President and Co-Executive Producer made the call. Sullivan, no relation to the more famous wrestler, was very highly thought of and had been with AEW from the earliest days, coming over from Impact. Sullivan built the entire AEW post production team that was based in Nashville so there are a lot of questions going around regarding what happened past the feeling that the original AEW has changed greatly.

Dutch Mantell on Facebook wrote that he was very sick and said he was admitted to the hospital in Lutz, FL. He said he will be there for a while and to respect his privacy.

Raw tonight from Albany, NY has Seth Rollins vs. Jey Uso for the World title, Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Ludvig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci in a 2/3 fall match, Drew McIntyre vs. Sami Zayn, Nia Jax vs. Shayna Baszler, The Creeds vs. Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh, Natalya & Tegan Nox vs. Kayden Carter & Katana Chance plus Cody Rhodes will talk about Shinsuke Nakamura. The NFL game tonight head-to-head are the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars. There were about 6,800 tickets out earlier today and they had moved 1,700 in the last week from fans expecting Randy Orton and C.M. Punk. Neither are advertised for tonight nor were advertised locally, but I would expect most fans expect at least Punk on the show as Orton was made pretty clear is on Smackdown.

Dana White has been teasing the idea of a dream match in April for UFC 300. This has led to talk of Ronda Rouesy vs. Miesha Tate going around, although everything we've heard from the Rousey side is that she is not interested in fighting again and was looking to have another child. White had in the past always shot down any rumors of Rousey returning, which naturally started when her WWE contract expired and she left full-time pro wrestling.

The California State Athletic Commission this week is voting on whether to approve PowerSlap.

The final A block show in the New Japan tag tournament is Wednesday in Karatsu and final B block show is Thursday in Miyakono.

The A block matches Wednesday:

• Shota Umino & Ren Narita (3-3) vs. Evil & Yujiro Takahashi (2-4)
• Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano (4-2) vs. Great O'Khan & Henare (3-3)
• Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste (5-1) vs. Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd (4-2)
• Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa (2-4) vs. Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona (1-5)

The winner of Nicholls & Haste vs. Coughlin & Kidd is guaranteed a spot in the final four. If Ishii & Yano win and Nicholls & Haste win, Ishii & Yano advance. If Ishii & Yano lose and Nicholls & Haste lose, then Nicholls & Haste and Coughlin & Kidd advance.

B block on Thursday:

• Yota Tsuji & Zandokan Jr. (3-3) vs. Atlantis Jr. & Soberano Jr. (2-3-1)
• Hikuleo & El Phantasmo (4-2) vs. Lance Archer & Alex Zayne (4-2)
• Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi (3-2-1) vs. Taichi & Yuya Uemura (4-2)
• Yuji Nagata & Minoru Suzuki (1-5) vs. Bad Luck Fale & Jack Bonza (2-4)

The two winning teams in the Hikuleo match and the Goto match would advance to the finals.

The semi finals are Friday in Kirishia and finals are Sunday. For Sunday, it will only air live in Japanese with the English version up very shortly after.

Rampage and Collision on Friday and Saturday night both air on TSN 2 in Canada. Usually those shows only air on the TSN app, but because they are being taped in Montreal, they will air in Canada.

The Collision show for Saturday is being taped tomorrow night in Montreal at the Bell Center with Eddie Kingston vs. Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson vs. Andrade.

Josh Alexander comes to House of Glory Wrestling on 1/6 at the NYC Arena.

MLW has added Mane Event vs Wasted Youth vs. TJ Crawford & Griffin McCoy to the Fusion part of the Thursday tapings in New York at the Melrose Ballroom. The live FITE + show is Alex Kane vs. Matt Cardona for the MLW title, Satoshi Kojima vs. Tom Lalwlor, Rocky Romero vs. Mascara Dorada for both the CMLL welterweight title and the MLW middleweight title (Romero holds both), Jana Kai vs. Maki Itoh for the women's featherweight title, Rickey Shane Page vs. Jimmy Lloyd for the National title and Miyu Yamashita vs. Delmi Exo for the Princes of Princess title from TJPW. The Jacob Fatu vs. Alex Hammersone match won't be on the live show but will be taped that night for later television.

ASE from Friday night in Charlotte, NC: Kevin Knight b Jah C, Kiera Hogan b chait King, Carlie Bravo & Shawn Dean b The Mane Event, Ian Maxwell & YayYah & Movie Myk & Reyham Inteus b Suge D & Trevor Aeon & Ashton Starr & Owen Knight in a North Carolina vs. Georgia match, Aja Kong b Trish Adora (thanks to Mel Gray)

Sukeban announced that the Wednesday night show at 10 p.m. from Miai will air on th CEO Gaming Twitch Channel and on the Sukeban Tik Tok Channel @sukeban_world

The NWA announced that JCP Southeast will be its second official territory. Joe Cazana Promotions is the parent company of NWA JCP Southeast. Joe Cazana is the grandson of John Cazna, who promoted out of Knoxville dating back to 1953 and worked with Ron Fuller's Southeastern Championships Wrestling in the 70s and 80s, Thrillbilly Silas Mason will now be a double NWA champion, holding the National heavyweight title and the Southeastern title.

Bret Hart and Mickie James have been announced for Starrcast in April in Australia. The government of Victoria, Australia is working with Conrad Thompson on the event.