DAILY UPDATE
The Latest News
UFC 231 live results: Holloway vs. Ortega, Shevchenko vs. Jedrzejczyk
WWE Main Event results: The B-Team & Ryder win again
MLW Fusion results: Rush makes his debut
Ospreay returning for Tag League Finals, NJPW reveals full card
The Latest Audio
F4D: Lance Storm on Raw, Smackdown, WWE raiding indies, ‘winning’ titles, more! 12/8
Portland Wrestlecast: Dynamite Kid in the Pacific Northwest 12/8
Left My Wallet: CBS Sports’ Dave Richard, pro wrestling fan 12/8
UFC PPV SATURDAY NIGHT FROM TORONTO’S SCOTIA BANK CENTRE
Fight Pass at 6 p.m. Eastern
Devin Clark (205) vs. Aleksander Rakic (206)
Diego Ferreira (155.75) vs. Kyle Nelson (155.5)
Chad Laprise (171) vs. Dhiego Lima (170.25)
Brad Katona (135.5) vs. Matthew Lopez (135.5)
FS1 at 8 p.m.
Eryk Anders (186) vs. Elias Theodorou (184.5)
Katlyn Chookagian (125.75) vs. Jessica Eye (126)
Olivier Aubin-Mercier (155.75) vs. Gilbert Burns (155.75)
Nina Ansaroff (115.25) vs. Claudia Gadelha (115.5)
PPV at 10 p.m.
Jimi Manuwa (204.75) vs. Thiago Santos (205.75)
Kyle Bochniak (145) vs. Hakeem Dawodu (145.75)
Gunnar Nelson (170.25) vs. Alex Oliveira (171)
Valentina Shevchenko (123.5) vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (123.75) for vacant women’s flyweight title
Max Holloway (144.5) vs. Brian Ortega (144.75) for featherweight title
ALL JAPAN TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT SUNDAY MORNING AT 3 A.M. FROM OSAKA
Hokuto Omori vs. Black Menso-re
Takao Omori & Ultimo Dragon & Hiroshi Moriya vs. Atsushi Aoki & Hikaru Sato & Yusuke Okada
Tajiri & Gianni Valletta & Parrow & Odinson vs. Jake Lee & Koji Iwamoto & Atsushi Maruyama & Shoichi Uchida
Joe Doering & Dylan James vs. Naoya Nomura & Yuma Aoyagi
Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa vs. Jun Akiyama & Daisuke Sekimoto
Kento Miyahara & Yoshitatsu vs. Zeus & The Bodyguard
NEW JAPAN TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT FINALS FROM IWATE AT 1 A.M. EASTERN LATE SATURDAY NIGHT ON NEW JAPAN WORLD
Hirooki Goto vs. Kota Ibushi for Never Open weight title
Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. Seiya Sanada & Evil in tag team tournament finals
ALL JAPAN TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT FROM KYOTO KBS HALL AT 1 A.M. EASTERN LATE SATURDAY NIGHT
Takao Omori vs. Hokuto Omori
Jake Lee & Koji Iwamoto vs. Atsushi Aoki & Yusuke Okada
Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa & Hikaru Sato vs. Parrow & Odinson & Black Menso-re
Jun Akiyama & Atsushi Maruyama & Ultimo Dragon vs. Kento Miyahara & Yoshitatsu & Shoichi Uchida
Naoya Nomura & Yuma Aoyagi vs. Tajiri & Gianni Valletta
Joe Doering & Dylan James vs. Zeus & The Bodyguard
Sunday has WWE Smackdown in Calgary and NXT in Des Moines, IA.
Monday has Raw from San Diego, plus there is a Smackdown brand house show in Ontario, CA.
Tuesday has Smackdown, Mixed Match Challenge and 205 Live from Las Vegas. Among the things announced for the show is a rap battle with Sheamus & Cesaro vs. The Usos with New Day as hosts, Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair, and Mixed Match Challenge Smackdown finals with Carmella & R-Truth vs. The Miz & Asuka.
ALL JAPAN TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT FINALS FROM TOKYO KORAKUEN HALL
Atsushi Maruyama & Kotaro Suzuki vs. Tajiri & Gianni Valletta
Masa Fuchi & Koji Iwamoto & Ultimo Dragon vs. Atsushi Aoki & Hikaru Sato & Yusuke Okada
Zeus & The Bodyguard & Osamu Nishimura vs. Naoya Nomura & Yuma Aoyagi & Black Menso-re
Kento Miyahara & Yoshitatsu vs Parrow & Odinson
Jun Akiyama & Daisuke Sekimoto vs. Takao Omori & Manabu Soya
Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa vs. Joe Doering & Dylan James
F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Looking ahead to 2019
As we enter December, it feels like 2019 has been cemented as an absolutely pivotal year for the immediate future of professional wrestling. The global arms race for talent continued this past week. It was confirmed that WALTER, who is legitimately one of the best wrestlers in the world, has signed with WWE. He’s been signed for NXT’s United Kingdom brand and could play a part in the potential NXT Germany.
WON NEWSLETTER: December 10, 2018 Observer Newsletter: Death of Dynamite Kid
A look at the life of Dynamite Kid is the lead story in this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer.
Look at his influence on the industry, his in-ring sacrifices, read comments from Bret Hart & Julie Hart, a look at his early days and his arrival in Stampede Wrestling, and his explosion of popularity in Japan.
Also look at Vince McMahon’s latest stock sale, as well as co-President George Barrios selling stock.
Read about the decision to flip flop Takeover and the Hall of Fame ceremony in April. Look at awards given to Cena, wrestlers and charity work, and more on the restrictions placed on U.K.
Look more at the XFL and the battle with the AAF that Vince McMahon is going to have starting next spring.
Examine UFC’s decision to sign Greg Hardy and debut him on the same show as Rachael Ostovich and the marketing behind both fights.
Read the update on the New Japan tag team tournament tour with results, business notes, lineups, the Tanahashi & Okada tag team and more.
This issue has an update on the WWE TLC show, with the card, plus ticket sale updates.
Read full coverage of both UFC shows from the past week, with match-by-match coverage and business notes on both shows.
Also look at the PPV numbers for Liddell vs. Ortiz what lessons is teaches.
There is also coverage of AAA’s Guerra de Titanes and ICW’s Fear and Loathing.
Read more on the MMA debut of the former Jack Swagger.
ORDERING INFO: 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.
SATURDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
Dakota Kai appeared to suffer a knee/leg injury at last night’s NXT house show in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She was teaming with Kairi Sane & Candice LeRae against Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir & Jessamyn Duke. It became a two-on-two tag match after Kai’s injury, and Sane & LeRae won by DQ.
Finn Balor apologized for not being able to wrestle at WWE’s house shows in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
AnnMaria De Mars (Ronda Rousey’s mother) attended WWE’s house show in Santiago, Chile this week and watched Rousey wrestle for the first time.
WWE is teasing that Heath Slater will referee his first match on Monday’s Raw. Slater was made a referee in storyline after he defeated Rhyno in a match where the loser got “fired” from Raw.
Naomi and Mandy Rose look to be building up a match, with Naomi responding to Rose on Twitter and calling her bootleg Eva Marie.
Bray Wyatt has deleted all of his old tweets and tweeted: “Today I am someone different. Today I have finally become who I really am.”
Scott Dawson posted a tweet praising Apollo Crews: “Ain’t no reason Apollo isn’t in the main event every night.”
Roman Reigns won’t be able to appear at ACE Comic Con in Glendale, Arizona on January 11 due to a change in his schedule.
Mick Foley wrote a remembrance of Dynamite Kid.
Pro Wrestling
Rush vs. Sammy Guevara, Marko Stunt vs. Ace Romero, and Teddy Hart vs. Jason Cade aired on this week’s MLW Fusion episode.
AXS TV released a promo video for Women of Wrestling, which is premiering on January 18.
Jonathan Gresham has been announced for Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport on April 4 in Jersey City, New Jersey.
UFC/MMA
The UFC has announced a new multi-year deal with TSN to continue their broadcast partnership in Canada.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth episodes of Embedded for tonight’s PPV have been released.
Dana White isn’t interested in answering questions about Greg Hardy fighting on the same show as Rachael Ostovich. “I’m not going to talk about Greg Hardy anymore. I already covered this. I’m not playing this bullsh*t with you guys. He’s on the UFC roster. He’s on the UFC roster — period, end of story,” White said. “He’s on the roster. Listen, you guys want to be sensitive about sh*t. Anybody can be sensitive about anything. You can make an issue about everything. The weird thing is that you guys give a f*ck, but she doesn’t. She doesn’t care. You know what she said yesterday in her statement? ‘Please stop asking me about this. I want to focus on training. I don’t want this to be an issue for me. I don’t know this guy. This guy has nothing to do with me. I have nothing to do with this guy. This guy’s never done anything to me. This isn’t an issue.’”
Responding to a question about Brock Lesnar, White said he isn’t focused on Lesnar this week and will call him when he needs to. White noted that Daniel Cormier is hurt right now and he’ll call Lesnar or someone in the 205 pound division once Cormier is ready to fight. White said Cormier still wants to fight at 205 pounds.
White blamed Tyron Woodley for the UFC’s welterweight title situation being on hold, saying “When is Woodley ready to fight anybody ever?”
Donald Cerrone will face Alexander Hernandez at the UFC’s first show on ESPN+ in Brooklyn on January 19.
Max Holloway thinks Conor McGregor did pretty well against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Floyd Mayweather said he’ll never fight under MMA rules.
Daily Pro Wrestling History: Harlem Heat win WCW World Tag Team Titles
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