Daily Update: WWE Raw, SmackDown ratings, Drew McIntyre

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• Wheeler Yuta not cleared for AEW vs. CMLL match at Homenaje a Dos Leyendas
• Paul Heyman directed Roman Reigns episode of Biography: WWE Legends
• Ivar pulled from WWE Raw match against Andrade
• WWE SmackDown ratings down against NCAA March Madness
• Jim Ross' new book 'Business Is About To Pick Up' to be released in May

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• FILTHY FOUR DAILY: Smackdown, Tom's solo Stardom update, new Sponsorship Snackdown
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This Week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter

• December 4, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Roddy Piper, WWE Survivor Series

Among the topics covered in this issue:

• The Cung Le vs. TKO lawsuit and its settlement, words from someone close to the case from its inception, a lawyer following the case weighs in. stock analysts talk, how much TKO's company value went up with the settlement and original goals of the suit.
• Dwayne Johnson and getting more leeway on promos after last Friday.
• WrestleMania update, who are the favorites in the matches, lineup, ticket sales and demand.
• Ronda Rousey in her book and interviews talks about WWE, Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, Bruce Prichard, history with concussions and more
• Coverage of the New Japan Cup, New Japan business, the final night and big shows coming up
• PPV buys for WWE, AEW and TNA by state and what states which companies are the biggest in
• The most detailed look at the ratings over the past week for all the wrestling shows, including segment-by-segment, competition, rankings for the week and comparisons to one year ago.
• 81st anniversary of wrestling in one of the legendary arenas
• AAA announces first TripleMania, more on its notalgia, Vikingo being stripped of his title and more
• Who is staying with Stardom and who is leaving
• Stardom PPV notes
• Mark Coleman news
• TV viewing notes from the past month regarding network, cable and streaming
• Lots of injury updates
• Wrestling show up for a multiple of awards
• A look at Buff Bagwell and Terry Gordy Dark Side of the Ring episodes
• Mark Hitchcock Memorial show
• RevPro announces major show
• AEW Dynasty PPV update
• Next Continental Classic notes
• Updates on PPV numbers for Elimination Chamber, Hard to Kill, Revolution and Joshua vs. Ngannou.
• Danielson talks Ospreay
• Advance ticket sales for AEW & WWE shows
• International TV rating and streaming numbers
• Former UFC champion coming out of retirement
• Bellator new TV deals
• Updated analysis of WWE stock
• Update on Vince McMahon documentary
• WWE upcoming major bouts

This Week's Retro Observer Newsletter

• December 4, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Roddy Piper, WWE Survivor Series

Monday Update

Bryan and I will be back tonight for Wrestling Observer Radio covering Raw and all the latest news as well as Raw & Smackdown news.

Smackdown Friday night did 2,235,000 viewers and an 0.61 in 18-49. Both numbers are the lowest of the year, but I wouldn't act like those numbers are bad given the Friday night competition with multiple NCAA basketball tournament games on. I'd consider holding up that well with that competition as a strong positive. There was no Rampage or Collision on Friday and Saturday this past weekend due to NCAA basketball.

Tonight's Raw at the Allstate Arena in Chicago with CM Punk appearing will draw the largest crowd for a Raw show since the end of the pandemic. The reason is that they cut down on the stage so they could sell more tickets. But they passed 15,000 tickets as of hours ago. This record will only last two weeks because the Raw after WrestleMania er Friday Smackdown in Philadelphia for Mania week they are also cutting down on staging and it's a bigger building and was at 15,823 as of last Thursday for that show. Besides Punk appearing, they've announced Jey Uso vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Sami Zayn vs. Bronson Reed, Ricochet vs. JD McDonagh, Andrade vs. Giovanni Vinci, and Candice LeRae vs. Ivy Nile. (thanks to WrestleTix)

The Nevada Athletic Commission held up the purse of Igor Severino from Saturday's UFC show. Severino was disqualified for biting. Nobody has ever been DQ'd for biting in a UFC fight. There probably is something more recent, but in a major fight people would remember Mike Tyson biting the ear of Evander Holyfield in their second fight. Dana White also paid opponent Andre Lima an added $25,000 and immediately fired Severino from the promotion.

Sean O'Malley was on the TimboSugarShow podcast and said hat he would face Merab Dvalishvili next in a bantamweight title defense. O'Malley had said he wanted a featherweight title shot at Ilia Topuria, but Dana White was negative on that. O'Malley has become one of the UFC's biggest draws and he and Dvalishvili for the title would be a major fight.

Drew McIntyre in Chicago for Raw had footage taken at Mindy's Bakery, which if you recall was the place CM Punk plugged at the All Out press conference in 2022 when he was eating muffins after the show. So this was done to troll Punk, however, the bakery is actually closed on Mondays:

Marc Raimondi, who I worked with for years at MMA Fighting and was one of the best reporters I've ever worked with, and also did some pro wrestling stories at ESPN, most notable a few with CM Punk that all ended up being controversial through not fault of his, will be leaving covering both genres and move to Atlanta to cover the Falcons. Raimondi was also doing a book on the history of the NWO.

Nigel McGuinness officially announced his latest magic show and talk show or Mania week in Philadelphia on 4/4 at the Black Squirrel Club.

Due to Judge Carlton W. Reeves taking himself off the case, the Ted DiBiase Jr. embezzlement of funds case trial date has been moved from 7/16 to January 7, 2025.

MLW announced Star Jr., managed by Salina de la Renta, vs. Virus, managed by Cesar Duran, for the 3/29 TV taping in Tampa, FL. St. Petersburg, FL