Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2023 i Pro Wrestling Illustrated

ABOUT A MONTH after this issue hits newsstands in the U.S., Daylight Savings Time will officially come to a close. We at the PWI offices will set our clocks back one hour to coincide with a return to Eastern Standard Time. As the sun begins to dip below the horizon a little sooner each day, we’ll cherish Sunday, November 5, as it offers us an “extra” hour to do whatever we wish: sleep in, take on a little yard work, spend some time with our loved ones, or perhaps rewatch the Bret Hart-Shawn Michaels Iron Man match for the umpteenth time. Of course, this experience is all relative. Time is relative. And, this time around, we’re making a small adjustment to how we put together our “PWI 500” list. Instead of…

HOPEFULLY, TERRY FUNK knew how much the wrestling world loved him. How could he not? I dare you to find anyone with a bad word to say about the second-generation battler from the Double Cross Ranch. After his passing on August 23 at age 79, an outpouring of love came in great torrents, from all corners of the wrestling community. A favorite of so many—sometimes called the greatest of all-time—Funk’s greatness was paired with over-whelming generosity and kindness that seemed to contradict the image of the ruthless wild man he spent half a century cultivating. As I write this, I’m sitting at the desk in my hotel room in Albany, New York, where I’m spending the weekend for the third annual inductions of the International Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame—an establishment…

ASK 500 DIFFERENT people to compile their own detailed rankings of the best wrestlers in the world, and expect to get 500 very different lists. True, most any ranking that isn’t based entirely on mathematics will be subjective—it’s what separates the all-stars and MVPs from the league leaders in home runs or touchdown passes. To be sure, each of these categories is a reliable marker of excellence. Each one is worthy of celebration. However, these categories are not exactly the same. In Major League Baseball, the league MVP is a question up for debate, while the home run leader is not. The pitcher with the most strikeouts is a matter of proper recordkeeping, while the Cy Young Award winner is voted upon by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The…

FOR PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 27, 2023 HEAVYWEIGHT 1 SETH ROLLINS 217, Davenport, IA (1) WWE World heavyweight champion 2 ROMAN REIGNS 265, Pensacola, FL (3) WWE champion 3 MJF 205, Plainview, NY (2) AEW World champion 4 ALEX SHELLEY 215, Detroit, MI (6) IMPACT World champion 5 SANADA 220, Niigata, Japan (4) IWGP World champion 6 HIJO DEL VIKINGO 207, Nuevo Leon, Mexico (5) AAA Mega champion 7 JAKE LEE 231, Hokkaido, Japan (-) GHC World champion 8 ALEX KANE 240, Atlanta, GA (-) MLW World champion 9 YUMA AOYAGI 220, Nagano, Japan (7) AJPW Triple Crown champion 10 EC3 246, Willoughby, OH (-) NWA World champion WOMEN 1 ATHENA 120, Garland, TX (-) ROH Women’s champion 2 GIULIA 121, London, U.K. (9) NJPW STRONG Women’s champion 3 IYO SKY…

AMERICAN NIGHTMARE: BECOMING CODY RHODES WWE’s fancy DVD compilations, which once filled the shelves of big box stores everywhere, have largely gone the way of the dodo bird and Burger Chef. Of course, fans haven’t lost interest in the compelling backstories of their favorite stars, but improvements in technology have decidedly reshaped the market. However, if we could turn back the clock a couple of decades, American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes would easily be the feature presentation of a three-or four-disc retrospective package on the 2023 Royal Rumble winner. Here in the far-flung present, it’s available via Peacock TV, which is also the platform for WWE’s streaming service. The story opens with the leadup to Rhodes’ return to the ‘E at WrestleMania 38—arguably the defining moment of his career thus…

163 1 Called Manders 288 Joey Ace 236 Chris Adonis 70 Sam Adonis 82 Trish Adora 129 AKIRA 328 Francesco Akira 153 Jun Akiyama 378 Baliyan Akki 57 Nick Aldis 9 Josh Alexander 152 Titus Alexander 412 Lucky Ali 108 Mustafa Ali 49 Darby Allin 480 Alpha Zo 389 Karl Anderson 318 Andino 256 Action Andretti 269 Matt Angel 225 Alan Angels 167 Robert Anthony 284 Yuma Anzai 218 Yuya Aoki 122 Atsuki Aoyagi 111 Yuma Aoyagi 230 Lance Archer 78 Tristan Archer 391 Arez 469 Rachel Armstrong 93 Shotaro Ashino 128 Atlantis Jr. 479 El Atleta Manu 134 Ace Austin 210 Axiom 486 Ren Ayabe 325 Emman Azman 254 Emperador Azteca 166 B3CCA 373 Bad Dude Tito 39 Mike Bailey 61 Finn Balor 136 Bandido 282 Kidd Bandit 183…

IT’S “PWI 500” time. Those of us of a certain age look back fondly on those early years when we’d hurry to the news-stand for that special issue—or wait for it to arrive in the mail—seeking the definitive rundown and ranking of everyone who was anyone between the ropes. Especially before the internet, when information on wrestlers was scarce, the “PWI 500” was a treasure. It’s easy to understand why it’s become an institution. As a longtime reader, I’m thrilled to be a part of the “PWI 500” today. I’ve participated in four annual rankings, and it’s always a thrill. Working on this year’s edition got me nostalgic, and I started thinking about that very first “PWI 500,” which came out back in 1991. It was such a different time…

“AEW ALL IN: London marked a monumental achievement, and showed the world that AEW is not only here to stay, but also a formidable force worldwide,” beamed AEW CEO Tony Khan in a press release immediately following the August 27 card at historic Wembley Stadium. It was one of the rare times that public relations didn’t need hyperbole. Khan’s pronouncement was a statement of fact. Indeed, AEW far surpassed expectations that had set the threshold of success at around 45,000 people in attendance. All In attracted 81,035 fans from more than 70 countries, with the event available worldwide via pay-per-view. Another point of pride: All In exceeded SummerSlam 1992’s storied attendance of 80,355. All In’s live gate of more than $10-million made it the most successful wrestling event in the history…

ON NOVEMBER 18, 2012, The Shield made its WWE debut at Survivor Series, coming to the aid of CM Punk. And on September 14, 2023—the date of this magazine’s digital release—the group’s members reunited in an unconventional way. In respective order: “The Architect” Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Jon Moxley (formerly Dean Ambrose) are the#1, 2, and 3 wrestlers on the 2023 “PWI 500.” The continued influence of the group, which disbanded after Rollins’ 2014 betrayal and reunited fora celebrated 2017-2019 run, is deeply felt more than a decade after its initial formation. If you ask this year’s top-ranked wrestler, that feels just right. “We came into the spotlight with a unified goal,” Rollins told PWI. “We wanted to take over and rebuild the business in our vision. I think…