Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2023 i Pro Wrestling Illustrated

IT DOESN’T GET hotter than this! Three major events took place on a single Saturday in mid-July, affirming the superstar-status of some, changing the careers of others, and, in the case of one unrepentant heat magnet, threatening his very life. Trinity earned the biggest headline coming out of IMPACT Wrestling’s Slammiversary pay-per-view on July 15, defeating Deonna Purrazzo for the Knockouts World title. Both women narrowly avoided quick defeat, first, with Purrazzo dodging Trinity’s Rear View hip attack, and Trinity escaping the Queen’s Gambit piledriver. Purrazzo focused on Trinity’s arm throughout, snaring her in an armbar whenever possible. In the end, however, Trinity caught the champ in her Starstruck submission finisher, and Purrazzo tapped out for the first time in her IMPACT career. Trinity’s gutsy decision to walk out of…

FOCUS ON… WWE NXT NXT  VIEWER NUMBERS [USA] June 6: 615,000 June 13: 581,000 June 20: 773,000 June 27: 622,000 July 4: 508,000 July 11: 671,000 Analysis: Seth Rollins helped NXT draw 773,000 viewers on June 20—the show’s highest number of 2023 so far—when he defended the WWE World title against former NXT champ Bron Breakker. As a point of comparison, AEW Dynamite attracted 902,000 viewers that week. And why shouldn’t Rollins defend the World title against qualified contenders on NXT or its live Peacock specials? It’s no different than champions Ric Flair or Harley Race taking a swing through Florida decades ago. Likewise, The Judgment Day kicked off the July 11 edition with a hot segment, leading to NXT champ Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams defeating Finn Balor and…

THEY SAY THAT records were made to be broken—but, sometimes, that can take a really long time. In the case of the attendance record for pro wrestling in Southern California, it took 52 years. On Saturday, April 1, 2023, night one of WrestleMania 39 drew 80,497 people into SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, smashing that age-old record. Ironically, the new record stood for only one day until it was broken by night two of WrestleMania 39, which packed 81,395 into SoFi to see Cody Rhodes’s disappointing loss to WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns. The new record is more than three times the size of the old record that stood for half a century—a sign of changing times in the business of pro wrestling, to be sure. Nevertheless, fans of old-school…

ON EPISODE 220 of The PWI Podcast, hosts Al Castle and Brian R. Solomon welcomed fellow Contributing Writer, Mike Bessler, for a wide-ranging conversation. One of the major topics discussed was the June 2023 coronation of Alex Shelley as IMPACT World champion. Shelley, of course, is a respected veteran of the IMPACT locker room, with memorable reigns as X division and World tag team champion. One prize that long eluded him, though, was the company’s top accolade. Until Shelley defeated Steve Maclin for the IMPACT World title at Against All Odds. The same week Episode 220 was recorded, I took the opportunity to speak with the new champ over Zoom. “With my schedule, it’s go, go, go,” Shelley told me, when asked if he’d had time to reflect on the…

PRINT MEDIA MAY not be what it once was, but I’d like to think there will always be an audience for magazines—and I don’t just say that because I write for one. Heck, if it wasn’t for the copy of GQ at my local newsstand, I might actually have to buy a bottle of cologne. This edition of “Quick Count” is for some of those great magazines not named Pro Wrestling Illustrated. TIME I was just months out of college and interning at a Long Island, New York, newspaper when I landed on one of my first exclusives: an interview with Darren Drozdov days after his career-ending injury. I was there at the Nassau Coliseum on that night in October 1999, when D’Lo Brown delivered an errant powerbomb that left…

FOR MOST WRESTLERS, a full-time deal with WWE or AEW is the be-all, end-all. There’s no denying the appeal of the financial security and visibility that comes with a TV contract. These are the stages, we’ve been told, where dreams come true. Matt Cardona and Steph De Lander are both ex-WWE talents seeking their pound of flesh. Cardona, as “Long Island Iced Z” Zack Ryder, was a cult favorite and a former Intercontinental champion. As Persia Pirotta, Melbourne native De Lander was a popular presence on weekly NXT broadcasts, until WWE brass began making budget cuts. The tenor and tenure of those respective runs with the industry leader were quite different. Yet, there is such chemistry between the two performers—who share a passion for hard work, self-promotion, and doing things on their…

The main event of Double Or Nothing 2023 has come to an end, and Wheeler YUTA is perched high on the shoulders of Claudio Castagnoli, celebrating a win for his team. His other colleagues, Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley, shine with pride for the 26-year-old. As the youngest member of the Blackpool Combat Club, one could say YUTA is standing on the shoulders of wrestling giants. YUTA is exhausted, soaring above the ring. Exhausted, but happy. With a screwdriver and his Seatbelt pinning combination, the burgeoning star has defeated one of the most decorated and, arguably, most skilled wrestlers the world has ever known: Kenny Omega. It’s a pin and a victory that may be remembered as one of the greatest moments of YUTA’s career, but it’s only one step…

BORN February 21, 1994, in London, England … Moved to Japan with her Italian father, Japanese mother while still an infant … Began grappling training at the Ice Ribbon dojo in 2017, studying under Mio Shirai (elder sister of Iyo Sky) … Debuted in a tag match that October, teaming with All Japan Women legend Takako Inoue … Fell in early bouts with Maya Yukihi, Saori Anou, and Tsukasa Fujimoto, before finally scoring first singles victory over Asahi in April 2018 … Made indie appearances across Japan that year, competing in showcase matches for Big Japan, Shinjiro Otani’s Zero1 … Challenged Yukihi for the Ice Ribbon ICExInfinity championship in May 2019 … That July, Giulia faced Anou for the Actwres girl’Z championship, also failing in that attempt; but won the…

FOR PERIOD ENDED JULY 17, 2023 Ratings are based on won-lost records for the past month, quality of opposition, and inherent skill of each wrestler or tag team. Unless submitted by promoters, ratings are compiled by a committee consisting of Kevin McElvaney, Kristen Ashly, Louie Dee, Harry Burkett, Jason McVeigh, Paul Pratt, and STRIGGA (cagematch.net, purolove.com). The numbers in parentheses indicate a wrestler’s position in that category last issue. HEAVYWEIGHT 1 SETH ROLLINS 217, Davenport, IA (1) WWE World heavyweight champion 2 MJF 205, Plainview, NY (2) AEW World champion 3 ROMAN REIGNS 265, Pensacola, FL (4) WWE Undisputed champion 4 SANADA 220, Niigata, Japan (3) IWGP World champion 5 HIJO DEL VIKINGO 207, Nuevo Leon, Mexico (5) AAA Mega champion 6 ALEX SHELLEY 215, Detroit, MI (-) IMPACT World…

BRYAN KEITH WANTS to bring “Texas Strong Style” (or what he calls “Texas Smash Mouth”) to the world. Building his name on the red-hot scene of his home state, “The Bounty Hunter” has been lighting up independent wrestling promotions far beyond its borders. In the process, he has become one of the most sought-out freelance wrestlers nationwide. Keith is a mainstay of the Booker T-led Reality of Wrestling promotion, and boasts a dominant run of 700+ days as the New Texas Pro champion. Across the numerous West Coast Pro shows I have attended featuring Keith—and the many other wrestling events I’ve watched with a Keith match on them—it’s seemed like he’s made a conscious effort this last year to always have the match of the night. Battles with “Speedball” Mike…

BLOOD, SWEAT, AND GLASS glittered under the mirror ball dangling from the ceiling of 416 Wabash as “Hoodfoot” Maurice Atlas staggered to his feet. As he always had in the city of Indianapolis, Hoodfoot found his footing braced by a friend, his frequent travel partner, Referee Sean Patrick O’Brien. Though he may have tasted defeat in Circle 6’s Circle City debut, standing there in itself represented a victory that was uncertain only four years prior, when Mo Atlas checked in to the men’s homeless shelter the next street over. Growing up broke, Hoodfoot recalled in an interview with PWI, his entry into pro wrestling was a bit different from most wrestling fans in the era of the Monday Night War, when Raw and Nitro battled for supremacy on cable television.…

IT’S THAT TIME again, and my, oh, my, do I have a treat for you all! “STARRLIGHT” is back with yet another amazing interview where I put the spotlight on your favorite personalities in professional wrestling. Before we get into our exclusive interview, I would like to thank each and every one of you for the outstanding support and love that you all have shown since I announced this new chapter in my life, as I continue to entertain you all with everything that is wrestling! How about we keep the fun going, shall we? I’m beyond excited to put the spotlight on someone whose career I’ve been able to witness up close since the very beginning. From training nonstop to traveling all over the country and wrestling some of…