Daily Update: AEW All Access, WWE on A&E, Donald Cerrone

Latest News:

• Ronda Rousey: WWE feud with Liv Morgan was ‘hamstrung by a bunch of octogenarians’
• Nigel McGuinness says WWE release 'wasn't a huge shock'
• WWE Main Event results: Charlie Dempsey returns, Nathan Frazer debuts
• Impact Wrestling TV taping spoilers: Former NHL player makes in-ring debut
• Tiller Bucktrot makes WWE NXT in-ring debut at house show

Latest Audio:

• Wrestling Observer Live: Will Cody Rhodes win at WWE WrestleMania 39?

Latest Free YouTube Video:

Join us in Las Vegas for our annual F4W Convention

This Week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

• March 27, 2023 Observer Newsletter: The latest on WWE WrestleMania 39, AEW ticket sales update

Highlights include:

*Match of the week and performers of the week

*WrestleMania update

*Ticket sales for all the WWE events of the weekend, how it compares to the past, as well as for the ROH show

*Updates on the lineup and what is on each night and what seems to be on each night based on reports

*Update on match changes

*Update on NXT Takeover and who will have their first big match on the show

*Update on the key independent shows held over WrestleMania weekend

*AEW ticket sales for Double or Nothing and Forbidden Door

*Full coverage of UFC 286 and where things go next for the top fighters on the show

*A look at the final week of the New Japan Cup, new stories, lineups for early April, and new stable, the Sanada title match and reviews of every tournament match and the full finals show.

*Andy Kaufman in WWE Hall of Fame, a look back at the famous angle and other key angles during Kaufman's run in Memphis, the David Letterman show and how the angle came to be

*NCAA wrestling tournament note including one of history's biggest upsets and the story behind it

*Davey Richards retires, a look at the allegations that led to his retirement, his career and the time when Bryan Danielson called him the best in the world

*The most detailed look at the TV ratings for all the national shows, placings and hat can be learned from the competition and the results

*A look at CMLL's second biggest show of the year , the big hair match and where Romero vs Volador looks to be going

*Notes on upcoming tournament of champions in Mexico

*Film on well known pro wrestling personality debuted recently at Film Festival

*Update on major celebrity wrestling angle and how it got exposed by a fan

*A look at the Lucha Libre World Cup featuring stars from AEW

*Update on plans for the biggest Stardom event in history

*All Japan has two shows featuring interpromotional matches

*NOAH runs a big show with key title change

*Update on Will Ospreay

*Update on Mercedes Mone and when her New Japan deal is up

*Notes on Best of the Super Juniors tournament

*Legendary promotion from the best with some of the best matches in history is starting a YouTube page

*Health updates on a lot of key wrestling personalities

*Former pro wrestler becomes a hero who likely saved a lot of lives averting a potential shooting

*Top U.S. stars tour Australia

*Unique tournament planned

*Indie promotion in the U.K. bringing in top stars for unique title determination matches

*Update on MLW and a new deal made

*Update on major new national television show in the plans

*A look at AEW's first house show in years

*New AEW and WWE business deals

*Ticket sales for upcoming AEW and WWE events

*International TV ratings and streaming numbers

*Conor McGregor's comeback notes including a key rule for his return and if it will be broken

*Olympic silver medalist signs unique deal to both do MMA and still try for a 2024 gold medal

*WWE video game news and launch party

*Story about a major international deal WWE is working on

This Week's Retro Observer Newsletter:

• February 13, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Randy Couture retires

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Sunday Update

Bryan and I will be back tonight talking all the weekend news with Wrestling Observer Radio. You can send questions to the show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com

The AEW All Access show actually debuted after the University of Connecticut vs. Gonzaga game last night. During the game they announced a sneak preview of the show and it ended up being the first episode. Reader John Athridge just said it was "extremely well done" with no other details. The regular debut is Wednesday night after Dynamite.

For tonight on A&E, the 8 p.m. Biography will be Charlotte Flair and then the 9 p.m. bio will be Rodney "Yokozuna" Anoa'i. The Rivals episode at 10 p.m. is Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar. I could see Rivals possibly beating either bio in 18-49 which happened once recently but never used to happen.

Donald Cerrone was last night named for the 2023 Class of he UFC Hall of Fame. The ceremony is 7/6 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Even though last night's UFC main event with Cory Sandhagen over Marlon Vera via five round decision wasn't a close fight, judge Joel Ojeda gave Vera the last three rounds and a 48-47 win. Sal D'Amato gave Sandhagen all five rounds and Chris Lee only Vera Vera round three. 100% of the media scores from MMA Decisions went to Sandhagen and 75% of them gave Sandhagen all five rounds. Dana White said it was scary it was a split decision and said Sandhagen wasn't far away from a title shot at 135. Sandhagen challenged Merab Dvalishvili, which does make sense.

The closest decision was Maycee Barber winning 29-28, 28-29 and 30-27 over Andrea Lee. It was 53-47 among media scores and that's as close as it gets. Round two was the one that decided the fight it seemed.

At this house show in Salt Lake City last night (and likely in Denver tonight), Asuka, after teaming with Michin over Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky, turned heel on Michin after the match.

There was nothing pro wrestling related in the top 20 google searches for any day this past week. Obviously that will change this current week. There were two boxing related top 20 searches yesterday with the David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant fight at 500,000 and in fifth place, which is very strong for a boxing match, and the women's amateur championships were No. 18 with 20,000. The only thing related to last night's UFC show was Holly Holm, who beat Yana Santos in the semifinal, being No. 11 with 100,000.

We're looking for reports from tonight's WWE house show in Denver with results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com. As of this morning they had more than 9,000 tickets out which is gigantic for a house show these days. Keep in mind when Raw was in Denver the last time they did about 5,500 paid so that's another sign of how hot the promotion is right now.

PWinsider reported David "Gangrel" Heath is coming in for WrestleMania. That doesn't necessarily mean he's on the show, just that he is coming in. It should be noted that the original plan for Hell in a Cell was at the Royal Rumble and it was to be Demon Balor vs. Brood Edge. They've thrown around the Demon thing in interviews teasing that, so the Brood Edge thing could be what the interview on Monday's show was leaning toward.

Masha Slamovich replaces the injured Mickie James in a four-way with Deonna Purrazzo, Gisele Shaw and Miyu Yamashita on Thursday's New Japan/Impact joint show at the Globe Theater in Los Angeles which is sold out. It's notable that it's a New Japan show, New Japan and Stardom have the same owner but no Stardom talent is on the show and Yamashita is.

The first round of the Stardom Cinderella tournament took place earlier today from the Yokohama Budokan: Finishes are pin, submission or over the top rope an 10:00 time limits. If there is a draw, both women are eliminated from the tournament:

Waka Tsukiyama b Lacy D pin

Saya Iida b Miyu Amasaki pin

Ami Sohrei b Yuna Mizumori over the top rope

Starlight Kid NC Haruka Umesaki both over the top rope together

Xena b Hina pin

Mariah May b Rina pin

Saki Kashima b Momo Kohgo

Mirai b Hanan

Thekla b Koguma

Natsuko Tora b Ruaka

Syuri b Tomoka Inaba

Hazuki NC AZM both over the top rope together

Mai Sakurai b Giulia over the top rope in a huge upset

Natsupoi NC Mina Shirakawa both over the top rope together

Saya Kamitani NC Mayu Iwatani both over the top rope together

Momo Watanabe b Maika over the top rope

Utami Hayashishita d Nanae Takahashi 10:00 time limit expired

Tam Nakano b Himeka

There will be a WWE Viewing Party at Dave & Buster's on the Franklin Mills Circle for WrestleMania with R-Truth and Sarah Schreiber.

Thanks to Jason Alvaz for the report from the Las Vegas Smackdown show on Friday night.

The WWE was a category on Jeopardy! on Friday night. HHH introduced the category and he, Rey Mysterio, Kofi Kingston, Alexa Bliss and The Miz were on reading the clues. Key stuff was Kingston reading the clue asking about a legend billed as 7-foot-4 and 500 pounds (Andre the Giant). Miz asked the name of the show about giving someone a decisive setback and started in 1999 (Smackdown). HHH talked about beating Mankind in 1997 to win this coveted Rhyming Royal title (King of the Ring); Mysterio asked the name of Mexican freestyle wrestling known and this alliterative two word name (Lucha Libre) and Bliss' clue was Dave Bautista played Drax the Destroyer in this 2014 movie (Guardians of the Galaxy) (thanks to Brian Henke and Grant Zwarych))

Other Notes

Boom Pro Wrestling from last night in Vancouver, BC before a sellout 250 fans: President Abraham Lincoln b Tony Baroni, Nicole Matthews b Izzy McQueen, Evan Rivers b Maxwell Benson, Brady Malibu b Shaolin Funk, Travis Williams b Coco Flash, Scot Henderson b Malik Mello in a cat tail on a pole match, Randy Myers b Shareef Morrow, Tony Baroni b Randy Myers with his Golden haunches (equivalent to a money in the bank briefcase) to win the title.

El Hijo del Vikingo headlines the 6/16 House of Glory show at the NYC Arena in New York. His opponent has not been announced yet.

Juicy Finau was added to the MLW 4/8 Battle Riot match. This is their version of the Royal Rumble and has 40 men. Announced so far include Jacob Fatu, John Hennigan, Raven, Willie Mack, Alex Kane, Rickey Shane Page, Shigehiro Irie, Mance Warner, Matthew Justice, Calvin Tankman, Lance Anoa'i, Sam Adonis, Mr. Thomas, Manders and Jimmy Lloyd.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Calvin Tankman has been added to the 4/6 MLW show at the Melrose Ballroom in New York.

Insane Wrestling Revolution on Thursday night in Monroe, MI: Ace Austin b Jack Price, Miss Canada b Mean Gia, Jack Price won Battle Royal, Rich Swann b Jason Hotch to win the U.S. title, Sam Beale b Ace Evans , Trey Miguel & Myron Reed b Aaron Orion & Isaiah Broner and Bry Sullivan & Damian Chambers, Buckeye Sam b Rod Lee, Madman Fulton b Zach Thomas, Rhino & Dread King Logan & DBA b King Latimer & N8 Mattson & Arena Daniel Norman. This is Rhino's promotion and their next show is 5/4 with Rhino and Miguel at the FOP Hall in Monroe, MI. (thanks to Leonard Brand)

WAR Wrestling on 4/15 in Lima, OH at the Empowered Sports Center