Daily Update: NXT notes, Mercedes Mone, Eva Marie

Latest News:

• WWE Raw ratings down from post-WrestleMania episode
• WWE & Peacock's Ric Flair documentary nominated for Sports Emmy Award
• Brian Cage reportedly signs new AEW & ROH contract
• Vice TV reveals premiere date for 'Dark Side of the Ring' season four
• Matt Riddle vs. Miz match pulled from WWE Raw prior to travel delays
• WWE on A&E ratings up for Dusty Rhodes Biography
• Four matches announced for AEW Dark
• Tiffany Stratton match added to WWE NXT
• World title defense announced for ROH TV
• VIDEO: Ospreay vs. Omega should take place at AEW All In
• WWE Raw video highlights: Trish Stratus heel turn, Cody addresses Brock Lesnar
• Brock Lesnar set to return on next week's WWE Raw
• IYO SKY crowned number one contender to WWE Raw Women's title
• Cody Rhodes issues challenge to Brock Lesnar for WWE Backlash
• AEW Dark Elevation results: Dark Order, The Firm in action
• Title change on WWE Raw, Trish Stratus turns heel
• Changes made to WWE Raw due to travel issues
• Next week's AEW Rampage airing outside normal time slot

Latest Audio:

• Wrestling Observer Live: Lance Storm co-hosts to talk RAW, Wembley, brand split and more!
• Wrestling Observer Radio: RAW rewritten due to travel issues, commission shoot axes main event, Dusty Rhodes history

Latest Free YouTube Video:

Join us in Las Vegas for our annual F4W Convention

This Week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

• April 10, 2023 Observer Newsletter: Endeavor to acquire WWE and merge with UFC, WrestleMania 39

Highlights include:

*It's one of the biggest issues of the year, given we have coverage of what will be the biggest story of the year, the Endeavor/WWE/UFC merger with all the details of how it happened and what it means, plus coverage of WrestleMania and all the major events of WrestleMania week

*The story behind the merger

*The new power structure of WWE and UFC

*All the financial details of the merger including stock, what stockholders will be getting

*How the deal went down and when

*Who will be negotiating WWE TV deals

*Vince McMahon's worth based on what they are pitching valuation at and his actual stock worth as of right now

*How much top WWE execs were bonused from the sale and new contract for the top two guys in the company and its valuation

*How Vince McMahon changed Raw

*What are the big questions going forward regarding creative

*What employees and wrestlers were told

*Investigation of the deal

*Can WWE get out of the deal

*Financial benefits of the deal

*What it means going forward

*What happened internally in UFC from the deal

*Profits and revenue for UFC and WWE last year

*The history of Vince McMahon and UFC and secret story about a WrestleMania main event that never happened

*Coverage of WrestleMania

*Examining Rhodes vs. Reigns and the finish

*Real attendance figures and other business figures

*PPV numbers and which show had the most viewers

*What were the most watched matches after the fact

*Social media numbers and who drew the biggest and where there are contradictions

*Match-by-match coverage with star ratings as well as poll results

*AEW trying to run Wembley Stadium and more history of such

*A look at a famous period in wrestling history with the death of U.K. promoter Max Crabtree, and the debate over whether the Big Daddy era killed wrestling in that country or it was killed earlier and he just gave it a last life

*A look at the ROH Supercard of Honor, business notes, match-by-match coverage

*A look at NXT Stand & Deliver

*What happened with Gisele Shaw and Rick Steiner

*The most detailed look at the ratings over the past week and what they mean

*Arena Coliseo 80th anniversary event

*Build to the biggest show in Stardom history

*New Japan/Impact dual show

*One of the best bouts of the year took place this past week

*Jay White signing

*Injury updates

*Another major AEW hiring

*WWE Hall of Fame coverage

This Week's Retro Observer Newsletter:

• February 27, 2006 Observer Newsletter: WWE No Way Out, Johnny Grunge passes away

Ordering Info:

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Tuesday Update

WWE

• Tyler Bate and Zoey Stark worked the Main Event tapings prior to Raw on Monday.
• The NXT Anonymous Twitter account posted a video of Pretty Deadly being attacked by Tony D’Angelo and Stacks outside, with Kit Wilson being thrown into the trunk of D'Angelo and Stacks' car before driving away.
• Santos Escobar will be a guest on this week’s episode of The Bump.
• Sportico has an article on Vince McMahon’s wealth jumping as a result of the WWE/UFC merger announcement.
• “ANIMAL” by PVRIS is the official theme song for next month’s NXT Battleground event.
• HeymanHustle has a behind-the-scenes look of the Bloodline WrestleMania commercial.
• Matches and segments added to WWE’s YouTube account today include Edge announcing his retirement on the April 11, 2011 edition of Raw, a World Tag Team Championship Tag Team Turmoil match from Backlash 2005, and John Cena & Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, and Kane from the July 14, 2014 edition of Raw.

AEW

• This week’s Road to Dynamite, focusing on Swerve Strickland vs. Darby Allin, Chris Jericho vs. Keith Lee, and more.
• Marina Shafir is on the Swerve City Podcast.
• Dustin Rhodes and Ari Daivari are celebrating birthdays today.

Other Wrestling

• Mercedes Mone attacked Mayu Iwatani during a press conference ahead of their IWGP Women’s title match on April 23 at Yokohama Arena.
• Former WWE star Eva Marie expressed interest in a return to the company in an interview with WrestleZone. “Of course,” she said when asked. “That door is always open. I mean, we’re in constant talks. When I had originally left, I was filming my first lead action movie, so that door is definitely one of those things that is always open. I’m definitely down to always cause some trouble and stir up some things, that’s for sure.”
• The full match between New Japan World Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr. and Shota Umino that took place at Sakura Genesis this past weekend.
• GCW announced they will be returning to Tokyo for shows taking place July 17 through 20.
• Jordan Oliver vs. Shigehiro Irie for the JCW title has been added to GCW’s Scene of the Crime event on April 22.
• El Hijo Del Vikingo vs. Komander has been added to DEFY’s Heathens event on June 24.
• It was announced that Freddie Prinze Jr. has joined the Premier Streaming Network as a co-owner.
• Samuray del Sol (Kalisto) is the guest this week on The Sessions with Renee Paquette.
• Just 5 Guys’ entrance video and theme.