Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2018 i Pro Wrestling Illustrated

IT’S HARD TO envision Kenny Omega in a New Japan uniform at this time next year. Omega acknowledged the obvious in a podcast conversation with Jim Ross in June. “WWE has a great collection of talent,” he said. “I’d feel like it was a missed opportunity if I couldn’t work with them at some point. I’d like to be able to do it while I can still move.” Omega is a bright man. Politically speaking, his response to JR’s question about a future in WWE was perfect. He’s interested; he’d be a fool not to be. But at the same time, he never said a jump was imminent. In fact, shortly before he was asked about WWE, Omega stated that he had more goals to achieve in New Japan. Omega’s…

OMEGA’S DONE PLENTY FOR US LATELY IT’S A QUESTION Janet Jackson first asked more than 30 years ago: What have you done for me lately? And despite the Pro Wrestling Illustrated staff having an outlined set of criteria in front of us to help us approach the “PWI 500” objectively each year, inevitably that question creeps into the discussion. That’s because, among “titles won, major feuds, won-loss records, quality of opponents, prominence within their individual promotion, activity, and overall ability,” one word is missing from our set of criteria: momentum. Momentum can be a tough thing to quantify, but you know it when you see it. It’s the reason that Kenny Omega, who in early drafts of this list was as low as number 6, takes this year’s top spot.…

RING OF HONOR and New Japan are set to make history on April 6, 2019, when, for the first time since the Capitol Wrestling Corporation began running shows in Madison Square Garden in 1952, a professional wrestling event will take place in the world’s most famous arena without the McMahon family being associated with it. Making this even more remarkable, the joint Ring of Honor-New Japan extravaganza—dubbed “G1 Supercard”—is scheduled for the same night as NXT: TakeOver: Brooklyn on WrestleMania 35 weekend, taking place only five miles away at Barclays Center. It was once unimaginable that Jay Lethal, Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, or The Young Bucks would headline Madison Square Garden for a company other than WWE. Other potential main-eventers include Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, Dalton Castle, Nick Aldis, and, if…

VINDICATION IS ITS OWN REWARD VINDICATION IS A powerful motivator—and a respectable ranking in the “PWI 500” can vindicate a wrestler’s career choices, even the decision to become a wrestler. Consider East Coast wrestler Timmy Lou Retton. Best described as a gymnastic aerialist, Retton claimed the number-500 spot in 2016. At his mother’s suggestion, he adopted the nickname “Mr. 500,” and went on to create a “PWI 500” championship belt that he has defended 13 times. He even parlayed his “500” momentum into a spot in the 2017 ECWA Super 8 tournament. “That year’s ‘500’ allowed me to get noticed, and all I needed was that opportunity,” said Retton. “I’m proud to be among other wrestlers who earned number 500, like Space Monkey, Dolph Ziggler, and Zeus.” Although Retton barely…

IT WAS A little past 7 a.m. when Kenny Omega received the phone call. He was in Japan in the midst of the grueling G1 Climax tournament. Sore and half-asleep, he grudgingly answered the cell phone’s ring. He had agreed to take this call, even though he didn’t know what it was all about. “We’re joined now by the IWGP heavyweight champion, Kenny Omega, in the midst of an amazing run,” Jim Ross’ voice boomed at the other end of the line. “Dan Murphy of Pro Wrestling Illustrated is here. Dan, the floor is yours.” That’s how Kenny Omega learned the news. The IWGP champion had been named number one in the 2018 “PWI 500.” The official reveal had been made in a call taped for the “The Ross Report”…

THE REALITY OF THE “500” IN THE 2017 “PWI 500,” Jay White was ranked at number 466. This year, he is number 44. So what happened? Did White improve that dramatically over the past 12 months, or did we badly misjudge his placement last year? Crazzy Steve came in at number 68 last year. This year, he’s number 430, sandwiched between Gregory Iron and “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams. What happened there? Did Steve suddenly forget how to wrestle? Are the PWI editors pulling ranking positons out of their collective behinds? While I’m sure there are some fans (and some wrestlers) who believe we come up with our 500 ranking by a mixture of voodoo, payola, and chance, the fact is that our editorial team makes a very concerted effort to…