Daily Update: SmackDown ratings, Josh Alexander, Darren McCarty

Originally posted on F4WOnline.com | By Joseph Currier | Last updated 3/25/23

Daily Update

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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 title4 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 6, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Royal Rumble, WWE business notes

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Saturday Update

WWE

Against competition from the Sweet 16 of NCAA March Madness, last night’s SmackDown averaged 2.121 million viewers in the fast national ratings. The number is steady with last week’s fast national average of 2.122 million. The rating in the 18-49 demo was a 0.54 in the first hour and a 0.52 in the second.
Cody Rhodes & The Street Profits defeated Solo Sikoa & The Usos in a dark match after SmackDown last night.
A WWE category was featured on last night’s episode of Jeopardy. It included introductions by Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Kofi Kingston, The Miz, Rey Mysterio, and Alexa Bliss.
In a story for The Ringer, Booker T discussed Bron Breakker vs. Carmelo Hayes at NXT Stand & Deliver:

Bron Breakker’s actually out there doing it. But those guys, they have a chance. They have an opportunity to go out and deliver. Absolutely deliver in the biggest way. I mean, they’re going to have the crowd. They’re going to have the people there pushing for them. They’re going to have everybody in the back pulling for them to go out there and really shine like new money. I’m talking about put the rocket on them and send it straight to the moon. Those two guys, Carmelo and Bron Breakker, they are the pillars here in NXT. And to see those two mix it up one-on-one for the first time, it’s going to be awesome, man. So I hope they’re ready. Like I say, preparation is the only luck they’re ever going to have. … When you have a moment, it could be there; in the next moment, it could be gone just like that. So take advantage of it.

People published a report on the death of former WWE Tough Enough winner Sara Lee. Lee passed away at 30 years old last October.
WWE released the trailer for the WWE 24 episode on WrestleMania 38 that premieres on Peacock/WWE Network this Monday.
LA Knight, Natalya & Shotzi, and Imperium appeared on The SmackDown LowDown.
SHAK Wrestling has an interview with Charlotte Flair.
John Cena made an appearance on the Whiskey Ginger podcast with Andrew Santino.
MVP was the guest on WWE After the Bell this week.

AEW/Other Wrestling

Josh Alexander posted a statement after undergoing surgery for a torn triceps:

I sit here in my 18th year of pro-wrestling. The only time I've missed in my career was for my second neck surgery. In those 9months off I had time to reflect and plan to come back and make good on any and all mistakes I ever made. In 7yrs since coming back from that I've left it all in the ring every damn time. Wether 5, 50, 500 or 5000 in attendance you always got everything I had.
I love this sport, this business. Whatever you want to call it. Now out indefinitely with a torn tricep you can bet I'll make the best of this time off too. I will be back and when I am I'll be better than ever before.
I'm stepping away from socials to spend some much needed time with my family and to concentrate 100% of my energy on myself. I love you all. It's never goodbye. It's just see you later

After getting involved at Sacrifice last night, former NHL player Darren McCarty will team with Tommy Dreamer & Yuya Uemura against Bully Ray & The Good Hands (Jason Hotch & John Skyler) at tonight’s Impact Wrestling TV tapings in Windsor. The match will air on the Thursday, April 6 episode of Impact. Bully Ray & The Good Hands powerbombed McCarty through a table at Sacrifice.
Taylor Wilde vs. Jessicka has also been announced for tonight's Impact tapings.
Mercedes Mone visited the APC Catch training school in Paris, France.
On his podcast, Ric Flair spoke about the passing of Arn Anderson’s son Barrett. Flair also said that he’s reconnected with Arn:

It’s a very personal thing with Arn. I know what he’s going through. Kevin Nash knows what he’s going through. Any number of people out there. I’m just being selective with the wrestling community. All the bullsh*t that we go through, there are some things in wrestling that are real and hurtful and just never seem to work out right.
It’s a very tough thing to say but, I think Arn and I have reconnected. We’ve kind of gone our separate ways. It all started back with Jim Herd. He left. I came back. They left. I mean, to have that phenomenal time in the 80s and see it kind of slip away for whatever reason, quite honestly because of promoters, and then to reconnect and have a private moment and exchange texts and everything, it made me cry. I was that happy to hear back from him. Not much more I can say about that. I just hope he and I can move forward and do some stuff together.

Mike Kanellis cut a promo about how much it means to him to compete for the ROH Tag Team titles at Supercard of Honor.
Jeff Jarrett appeared on AEW Unrestricted this week.