DAILY UPDATE
The Latest News
NXT UK results: Women’s tournament first round concludes
WWE SmackDown ratings down coming off Survivor Series
Bully Ray vs. Flip Gordon I Quit match added to ROH Final Battle
NJPW World Tag League: Updated standings and results
Top Wrestle Kingdom 13 matches to air on AXS on same-day delay
Miz TV with Nakamura & Mysterio announced for WWE Starrcade
John Cena’s WWE return set for December
Trademarks filed in Florida for All Elite Wrestling, All Out, and more
ROH TV results: SCU win Tag Team titles, Scurll vs. Hurricane IV
WWE SmackDown video highlights: The new Daniel Bryan appears
The Latest Audio
F4D: Tom’s fight this weekend, Smackdown, Choppin Block, more! 11/21
WOL: All Elite Wrestling, Smackdown, Daniel Bryan promo, more! 11/21
JNPO: Inside the new PRIDE historical book ‘Before A Fall’ 11/21
B&V&C: Retro Raw and Nitro from 19 years ago this week! 11/20
F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Standout performances highlight Survivor Series week
With standout performances from Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, Brock Lesnar, and Daniel Bryan, Survivor Series and the days leading into the pay-per-view were as strong of a stretch as the WWE main roster has had all year. An injury that took Lynch out of what was going to be the biggest moment of her career thus far ended up having plenty of silver linings.
WON NEWSLETTER: November 19, 2018 Observer Newsletter: Survivor Series shake up, more
One week ago, the Survivor Series was to be headlined by Brock Lesnar vs. A.J. Styles and Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch in battles of the Raw and Smackdown brand champions.
But just days before the show, two unrelated incidents saw both main events that were heavily-looked forward to change.
And in doing so, one of the key matches at WrestleMania, possibly the main event, was also established.
Right now the plan is for Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch to headline WrestleMania. After the injury to Lynch on 11/12, a fractured nose and a concussion from a punch by Nia Jax during an in-ring Raw vs. Smackdown women’s brawl, she was out of the match that, due to the promos on both sides, was the most looked-forward to match on the show.
The next day, both Vince McMahon and Rousey decided that the best course of action was to do the match at WrestleMania. Rousey and Lynch immediately went at it hard on social media, even though Rousey’s new opponent on the PPV is Charlotte Flair.
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WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
WWE officially confirmed that Braun Strowman will need to undergo elbow surgery. Their announcement played up the angle from Raw and questioned whether or not Strowman will be able to wrestle Baron Corbin at TLC on December 16. Earlier this week, Dave Meltzer reported that Strowman has bone spurs in his elbow and it’s “touch and go” on whether he’ll be ready for TLC after surgery.
The U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati has removed Strowman vs. Baron Corbin from the card for Saturday’s WWE Starrcade event. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka has been added, and Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose is now listed as being a steel cage match. The event will take place on Saturday night, with a one-hour special from it then airing on the WWE Network at 8 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. Here’s the updated advertised card (there will also be a Miz TV segment with Shinsuke Nakamura & Rey Mysterio):
Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins defending against Dean Ambrose in a steel cage match
AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe in a steel cage match
United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura defending against Rey Mysterio
Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
SmackDown Tag Team Champions Cesaro & Sheamus defending against The New Day
Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre
The Miz vs. Rusev (w/ Lana)
An Elias concert segment with Ric Flair
Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Dolph Ziggler also advertised
With John Cena added to the card, Cena & Finn Balor vs. Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre is now being advertised for WWE’s house show at Madison Square Garden on December 26. Rollins vs. Ambrose in a steel cage match for the Intercontinental title, Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax for the Raw Women’s Championship, Strowman vs. Corbin, Elias vs. Bobby Lashley, and Pete Dunne, Ricochet, Aleister Black & Velveteen Dream vs. Tommaso Ciampa & The Undisputed Era are currently listed for MSG as well, with Alexa Bliss, Natalya, Sasha Banks, and Bayley also advertised.
WWE stock closed the day at $63.09 per share, which is up 2.15 percent from yesterday.
WWE Network News reported that two Mid-Atlantic house show title matches will be added to the WWE Network’s Hidden gems section tomorrow. They’re from July 9, 1983 and are matchups that eventually took place at the first Starrcade: Harley Race vs. Ric Flair for the NWA title and The Brisco Brothers vs. Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood for the NWA Tag Team titles.
With The Miz working as the babyface and Daniel Bryan as the heel, Miz defeated Bryan by disqualification in the post-Mixed Match Challenge dark match at last night’s SmackDown tapings in Los Angeles. Bryan low blowed Miz for the DQ. Miz then low blowed him, hit the Skull Crushing Finale, and posed with the WWE Championship belt before dropping it back on Bryan.
Today is Nikki & Brie Bella’s 35th birthday.
The Riott Squad made their WWE main roster debut on this day in 2017.
ICW posted video of Killian Dain’s entrance from his surprise appearance at their November 11 show.
Pro Wrestling
Jake “The Snake” Roberts appeared on yesterday’s episode of the Joe Rogan Experience.
David Arquette responded to criticism from Rogan: “Hey @joerogan – these are the movies I have coming out; Saving Flora, Mope, Dr. Fishes Advice for Sad Poets, and the Duplass Brother’s The Mis-Education of Bindu. I start a film Heartland on Dec. 1st. I’m wrestling to stop people talking sh*t about me and cause I love it.” Arquette then tweeted: “It’s actually Dr. Bird’s advice for Sad Poets… don’t know how I got that wrong. Maybe it was the Ten Light Tubes, Four Doors, a pizza cutter and Chair that got my brain scrambled.”
A no ropes, no holds barred fight between Tom Lawlor and Simon Gotch has been added to MLW’s TV tapings in Miami on December 13.
UFC/MMA
Arnold Berdon, Rachael Ostovich’s husband, was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of second degree attempted murder after allegedly attacking Ostovich over the weekend.
MMA Fighting has video of yesterday’s Golden Boy Promotions press conference for Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz. They also interviewed Tom Lawlor at the press conference.
Chuck Mindenhall wrote an article on Lawlor’s pro wrestling career and fight against Deron Winn in the semi-main event of the Liddell vs. Ortiz show.
The prelims for UFC Fight Night: Argentina drew more viewers than the main card. The prelims averaged 707,000 viewers, while the main card averaged 632,000.
Kayla Harrison will face Moriel Charnesk at PFL 11, which is taking place at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on December 31.
Daily Pro Wrestling History: Bret Hart wins WCW World title
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