Daily Update: TNA lawsuit, Okada vs. Tanahashi on AXS, Shawn Michaels
THE ROUND-UP
The latest from the F4W Staff
It’s not a cameo on the Simpsons, but it should be…
NEWS
The Rock developing a pro wrestling comedy for Fox
Wrestler and manager Jean Gagne (Frenchy Martin) passes away at 69
Jordan Parsons, Axl Rotten & Balls Mahoney diagnosed with CTE
TNA Impact Wrestling results: Eddie Edwards vs. Cody
AUDIO
Wrestling Weekly: Goldberg’s return, Dusty Rhodes, the mailbag 10/21
B&V: Lucha Underground, NXT, Raw, Granny Weekly Wrestling Report, more! 10/21
WOL: Scary Raw year-to-year ratings decline, news, Dave Meltzer interview, more! 10/20
WOR: TNA disaster, bailouts, SmackDown, Lucha U, GSP, UFC cuts, more! 10/20
BELLATOR 162 AT 9 P.M. EASTERN ON SPIKE TV
Hisaki Kato (185) vs. A.J. Matthews (186)
Ryan Couture (155.2) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (155.5)
Josh Appelt (249.3) vs. Bobby Lashley (245.2)
Kendall Grove (185.6) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (185.9)
CMLL LIVE FROM ARENA MEXICO AT 9:30 P.M. EASTERN
Electrico & Ultimo Dragoncito vs. Demus 3:16 & Pequeno Olimpico
Blue Panther Jr. & Esfinge & The Panther vs. Cuatrero & Sanson & Forastero
Estrellita & Marcela & Sanely vs. Amapola & Dalls & Metalica
Marco Corleone & Maximo Sexy & Rush vs. Euforia & Niebla Roja & Ultimo Guerrero
Block B of the three-week Universal title tournament, a one-night single elimination tournament with Atlantis, La Mascara, Volador Jr., Dragon Rojo Jr., Dragon Lee, Rey Bucanero, Luciferno, and Ephesto.
NEW JAPAN WORLD PRO WRESTLING RETURNS AT 9 P.M. EASTERN ON AXS TV
Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP heavyweight title
We’re looking for reports on tonight’s WWE Raw show in Hammond, IN, NXT in Tampa and ROH show in Fort Lauderdale (Jay Lethal & Alex Shelley & Silas Young vs. Jay Briscoe & Christopher Daniels & Colt Cabana, Adam Cole vs. Bull James non-title, Hangman Page vs. Dalton Castle, Mark Briscoe vs. Frankie Kazarian) to [email protected].
We’re looking for reports Saturday from WWE Raw in Milwaukee, SmackDown in Sioux City, IA, NXT in Ocala, FL and ROH in Lakeland, FL (Adam Cole vs. Silas Young for ROH title, Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian vs. Dalton Castle & Colt Cabana, Kamaitachi vs. Jay Lethal, Mark Briscoe vs. Hangman Page, Punisher Martinez vs. Bull James) to [email protected].
Sunday has WWE Raw in Rochester, MN and SmackDown in Des Moines, IA.
Raw will be Monday night from Minneapolis featuring the return of Brock Lesnar, plus Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho vs. Seth Rollins in a three-way non-title and New Day vs. Sheamus & Cesaro in a non-title match. It’s the go-home show for Hell in a Cell. There is also a SmackDown brand house show in Dubuque, IA.
SmackDown will be Tuesday in Green Bay.
Figure Four Weekly 10/17/2016: More on the deregulation of pro wrestling in California – To pick up where we left off last week, in 1989 deregulation of pro wrestling was put before the State Assembly and passed. Here’s how it was discussed in the minutes for the October 20, 1989 meeting of the California State Athletic Commission (emphasis ours): “Assembly Bill 1040 was signed by Governor Deukmejian and, except for the 5% tax on the amount paid for admission, will completely deregulate professional wrestling January 1, 1990… Current subscribers click here to continue reading.
F4W YouTube Page: Tons of clips and full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!
Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Oct 24, 2016: Pinpointing the day that lead to TNA’s current predicament, UFC layoffs, more – What has been the long-time inevitable but several times delayed financial implosion of TNA can really be traced back to one afternoon. Largely based on a contract with Spike TV, TNA was taking in more revenue than any pro wrestling company in the world aside from WWE through 2014. If a company like ECW would have gotten that type of a deal, they would probably still be flourishing today… Current subscribers click here to continue reading.
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 [email protected].
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 [email protected]. 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.)
If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can choose one free classic issue, or two free classic issues with a 40-issue subscription.
WON BACK ISSUE:,WON September 20, 1999: Eric Bischoff fired from WCW, Beyond the Mat review, more – Although wrestlers were singing “Ding, Dong, the Witch is dead,” Friday night in Baltimore, when the word of Eric Bischoff’s re-assignment within Turner (read that as a nice way of saying firing) reached the wrestlers, once the initial happiness wore off and reality set in, the reality is little has changed… Subscribers click here to continue reading.
Friday News Update
Match of the Year?
The New Japan AXS show tonight at 9 p.m. contains the main event from the most recent Tokyo Dome show with Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, which is one of the best matches of this year if not the best match. It’s the biggest match in New Japan for 2016, main event of the biggest show, featuring the two biggest stars, in this era’s classic long-term feud, for the IWGP title. It’s a one-match show and usually the one match shows, with the preshow interviews, post-show, etc. make for the best shows on that station. A 2013 match between the two of them on AXS with Mauro Ranallo and Josh Barnett calling the action was one of the best one-hour pro wrestling television shows I’ve ever seen.
AXS TV announced today that they have signed a multi-year contract extension with Lion Fights to air Muay Thai shows on Friday nights. They will air at least eight shows in 2017. They finish this year with shows tonight from the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas and have an 11/18 show at Foxwood Resort Casino in Manshantucket, CT.
PWInsider has reported that the Billy Corgan lawsuit against TNA will be unsealed on Tuesday, however, they are rewriting the complaint to remove sensitive material Corgan didn’t want out (which is why it was sealed in the first place) before the release. However, that means the lawsuit hasn’t been dropped even though Fight Network was willing to pay Corgan off his investment money.
According to a UFC official, reports that Ultimate Fighter is being cancelled are false and that UFC is right now casting for season 25 (for early 2017), which will start filming in Las Vegas in January and start airing on FS1 in April. They are looking at an All-Star format at welterweight where it wouldn’t be up-and-coming fighters, but name fighters battling for some type of a prize.
WWE
And hilarity ensues…
Shawn Michaels was listed for the cast of the new “Avengers of Justice” movie, which is a spoof of superhero adventure movies. Michaels, Stephen Rannazzisi (of the FXX show “The League”) and Amy Smart are listed as the stars of the movie in a release to Variety today. Rannazzisi will play SuperBat, a former crime fighter who has lost it all and Michaels will play his mentor, who gets him back into shape to fight his rival, the Dark Jokester.
Regarding Michaels and A.J. Styles rumors, what we do know is that the last time Michaels was asked about doing one more match he was firm that he was not going to do it. People do change their mind but that wasn’t long ago.
For this weekend, Becky Lynch is advertised to return for the all of the SmackDown shows. Chris Jericho is not advertised for Raw tonight in Hammond but the rest of the regular crew all is. Jericho is scheduled for Milwaukee, Rochester, MN and television. On the SmackDown side, Randy Orton has the weekend off, but is scheduled for Green Bay on Tuesday. John Cena is filming a television show so he’s right now off every show except possibly Survivor Series in Toronto between now and Christmas.
UFC
Caption This…
Antonio Bigfoot Silva is out of UFC right now. His manager, Alex Davis, said that both sides agreed not to negotiate a new deal since Silva has only won one fight in the last four years. Davis said Silva is not retiring, and expects him to fight either in Rizin in Japan or in a Russian organization.
Pilgram Studios, which does Ultimate Fighter, is casting next week for a reality show called Octagon Girls for Pop TV. They are looking for experienced models over 21 with an athletic body type that have never done porn. The show will be shot in Southern California. Everyone on the show will receive a UFC Octagon girl contract.
VARIETY
A story on Adam Pacitti of What Culture is here.
Border City Wrestling on 11/15 in Windsor, ONT at the St. Clair College Gym has Anthony Carelli (Santino Marella) and Aron Rex.
WrestleCade on 11/26 in Winston-Salem, NC at the Benton Convention Center has Ricochet & Matt Cross & Shane Strickland (Killshot) vs. Sonjay Dutt & Jason Kincaid & Juventud Guerrera.
House of Glory Wrestling tonight in Jamaica, NY at the NYC Arena has Cody Rhodes vs. Matt Riddle in the main event plus Zack Sabre Jr. is on the card.
Northern Championship Wrestling tomorrow night in St. Therese, Quebec at the Cultural and Community Center with Heavy Metal Chaos vs. Chakal & Franky the Mobster.
Jeff Cobb vs. Kongo Kong and Rey Fenix vs. Dezmond Xavier have been added to the AAW show on 11/4 in Merrionette Park, IL at 115 Bourbon Street,.plus the AAW debut of Matt Hardy.
CWF Night of the Hellhounds on 10/30 at 2:30 p.m. at the CWF Training Facility in St. Catharines, ONT featuring Rene Dupree.
Pure Wrestling Association on 12/3 in Kitchener, ONT at the Alpine Club.
Former wrestler Gilles Poisson, a major Montreal star, talks beating Stu Hart, his trainer, in a shot here.
Today in Wrestling History (10/21): Chris Jericho defeats The Rock for the WCW Title
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