The Nielsen saga continues. After recently overhauling their data-collecting methodology to account for non-television streaming numbers, Nielsen has admitted to underestimating TV viewership numbers in their reports, whilst overestimating streaming numbers.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter, using information from The Wall Street Journal, broke the story on March 27. Reportedly, Nielsen’s new methodology has undersold traditional television viewership numbers by 15%, and has overstated streaming statistics by an undisclosed margin. This vast discrepancy has caused a stir in the broadcasting and advertising industries, who largely rely on Nielsen’s ratings when planning advertisements on broadcast and streaming services.

Sources claim that Nielsen was aware of their methodological inaccuracies as recently as “a few weeks ago,” where a combination of new data and television-centric programs such as the Super Bowl and the Olympics caused television numbers to overtake their streaming counterparts. Youtube and Netflix reportedly “freaked out” following the report, and Nielsen held back on publishing their findings to provide “additional data” to other troubled clients.

Nielsen was forced to reassess their practices following The Wall Street Journal’s story. While Nielsen will not make any changes to their methodology ahead of the February Gauge, their monthly television usage analysis report, in order to phase out their old methodology and protect streaming numbers, the ratings giant will begin to integrate DASH data, or data gathered from video-capable streaming devices such as smartphones and tablets. Several figureheads in broadcasting and streaming studies have heavily criticized Nielsen’s recent behavior, and Nielsen themselves admitted fault in their plans to, once again, overhaul their system.

While Nielsen’s recent overhaul saw a temporary bump to several wrestling television programs, longer shows, especially episodes of “Dynamite,” “Collision,” and “SmackDown” with an over-90 minute run time, initially suffered. With April’s high-stakes wrestling schedule quickly approaching, however, shows from both WWE and AEW have seen upticks in viewership prior to Nielsen’s methodological revisions.

Across his WWE career, Brock Lesnar has struck fear into and conquered most of his opponents. In looking at Oba Femi on “WWE Raw” recently, however, Big E has yet to see a twinge of concern in his eyes. And for that, Big E finds himself even more invested in the potential events that may unfold between Femi and Lesnar at WrestleMania.

“Maybe it’s something he’s dealing with internally that we don’t see,” Big E said, “but this man has handled this stage with so much aplomb, with so much grace. For me, there are a lot of matches that we’re going to be excited about on the build to WrestleMania, on this road to WrestleMania, but for me, it’s hard not to put this up there. I can’t wait to see what these two do. It’s the biggest test of Oba’s career, bar none. Obviously, he’s been in the ring with Cody Rhodes, our current world champion, face of the company, but there is no one on this planet quite like Brock Lesnar. I’m really excited to see if Oba can get it done.”

For Femi, WrestleMania 42 will mark his first showing on WWE’s biggest stage. In Lesnar’s case, it will mark his 13th, having previously bested the likes of The Undertaker, Triple H, Roman Reigns, and Goldberg on it. 

WrestleMania 42 will take Lesnar and Femi to Las Vegas, Nevada on April 18 and 19. As of now, the exact night on which they will wrestle each other has yet to be confirmed.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Raw Recap” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

She was a sultry image burned into the minds of many adolescent boys during WWE’s “Attitude Era,” but she was so much more than that. A pivotal example of what it looked like to go from a traditional manager/valet to a center-stage wrestler, Sable defined the odds that helped pave the way for women’s wrestling today. And for that, her ex-husband and former WWE star, Marc Mero, believes her time should be recognized with the greatest achievement anyone could ever receive, Hall of Fame status. In an interview with Chris Van Vliet on his “Insight” podcast, Mero explains why the former WWE Women’s Champion deserves this honor.

“She did something for the women’s division when they didn’t really have a women’s division so much back then at all,” the former one-time Intercontinental Champion began. “She brought eyes to the channels. The ratings and everything were very high because of her.”

While there’s been so many women’s wrestlers and managers who’ve earned this prestigious recognition before and after her, Mero does not believe the reason for her absence for Hall of Fame contention has to do with her 1999 lawsuit, where she sued WWE for sexual harassment and unsafe working conditions. That lawsuit, which was filed in June of 1999, was settled out of court two months later. After that $110 million lawsuit, Sable returned to the Stamford-based promotion from 2003 until August 10, 2004, citing she wanted to spend more time with her family.

Sable met Mero, who was her second husband, in 1993. One year later, they married. The two split up in 2004, with Sable meeting then dating “The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar. They wedded in 2006.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Insight with Chris Van Vliet” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

In 2004, Candice Michelle entered the WWE Diva Search with the goal of securing a WWE contract and a giant cash prize. Instead, she found herself eliminated from the competition, with fellow model Christy Hemme ultimately collecting the winnings and Diva Search crown.

While appearing on “Insight With Chris Van Vliet,” Michelle recalled the heartbreak she felt in the initial aftermath of her Diva Search loss. “That was really hard,” she said. “In LA, as you know, when you’re auditioning all the time, you get over it pretty fast or you need to get over it fast. And that one, I think I cried for like a month. I was like, that was perfect for me. I was athletic. I was into boxing and Krav Maga. I should have got that. I also know there’s a side of the business where I also knew Christy Hemme was perfect role for that spot. I just didn’t know that they would call me back when that contest ended and offer me a three-year deal.”

When asked for her take on why she didn’t win Divas Search, Michelle suggested that she might have presented a character different from what the WWE fanbase typically saw. “I have a different appeal. I need to warm up to an audience,” she said. “Christy just had that fun vibrant bubbly personality. People love her instantly and I think that’s what the WWE needed at that time.”

Upon coming aboard to WWE one month after her Diva Search stint, Michelle noted that then-WWE CEO Vince McMahon told her, and several other contestants, that he’d provide them with a platform to showcase themselves as WWE stars; it was up to them, however, to maximize it. Michelle made the most of hers and eventually seized the WWE Women’s Championship in 2007.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Insight With Chris Van Vliet” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Natalya recalled that he worked on the speech for months. When he read it to her to practice his speech, she timed it and the speech was 46 minutes long. She was worried they’d get kicked off stage, but he was adamant that he read it in its entirety. Hart went into the speech planning to read all of it, even if it meant getting pulled off stage.

About four minutes into the speech is when the man attacked Hart. She held on to her uncle and “I ended up taking an armdrag over Bret. We got knocked down to the ground. All these wrestlers come swarming the ring.” They were all trying to protect Hart while they were on the ground. Hart had to go to the hospital after. She told him she knew what happened sucked, but “that was in the most Jim Neidhart fashion ever. Chaos, craziness, mayhem. I feel like my dad was having a little laugh from heaven because ‘f*** it, we’re gonna go out big.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Busted Open” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.