Innholdsfortegnelse for Fall 2024 i Pro Wrestling Illustrated

IT HAS BEEN A WHILE since I’ve devoted my column to what amounts to housekeeping—updating you, dear reader, on some of the ins and outs relating to the magazine. In recent columns, I’ve waxed philosophical about various topics related to the wrestling industry. Before that, you were kind enough to let me write through some very real feelings of grief. (Thanks for that, by the way.) This month, I’d like to update you on some slight changes to our upcoming publication schedule. But don’t worry … it’s all good news! For one, you may have already noticed that the cover date of this issue has changed. In the “Contents” section, found in the front of PWI’s October 2024 edition, we noted that the November 2024 issue was “up next.” However,…

AMERiCA HAS WRESTLED with a difficult decision as of late. On one hand, there’s the unhinged guy with all the legal trouble, but undeniable charisma. Then, there’s the other guy, who is undoubtedly wiser, but also older, and clearly showing his age. Yet, I think the choice is obvious. If WWE hires back only one Hardy brother, it should be Jeff. As it happens, there’s also a presidential race going on this year—one filled with some critically important issues. Whether you lean left or right, lean into this election-issue edition of “Quick Count.” DEMOCRACY There are varying opinions on why WWE is clicking in a way that it hasn’t in years. Is it the popularity of its top stars? The quality of the action in the ring? The return of…

FROM CAREER-THREATENING INJURIES TO BAD-FAITH CRITICS—AND THE TOUGHEST, WORLD-CLASS OPPONENTS SENT HER WAY—“THE CEO” IS READY TO DEFEAT THEM ALL WHETHER SHE’S A BOSS or a CEO—bragging about having more cash than several banks or raking in even more moné—one might be tempted to judge the reigning TBS and NJPW STRONG Women’s champion for placing way too much importance upon the almighty dollar. But, despite all the flashy bling, the extravagant entrances, and the grandiose promos, it’s not Mercedes Moné’s net worth that fuels her greatness. It’s her self-worth. “I’m the CEO of my life. And that’s what I want to show people: that they can control the narrative, that they can control what they want in their life.” Thus said Moné, speaking with Pro Wrestling Illustrated just days before…

Sitting on the north bank of the River Ribble, Preston, England, is a place built on hard work. The city was once an industrial boomtown, filled with engineering and textile factories that provided a living to generations of Prestonians. The men and women who filled these factories were “grafters”—folks not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get down to business. As was the case in much of Great Britain, the 20th century brought with it a decline in industrial work. And today, many of those factories that gave life to so many have disappeared. The ones that remain cast a shadow on the streets … and in the psyche. THE SUN HAS BARELY risen over those same streets when a young woman steps out into the still-cool summer air…

THERE’S AN OFT-HEARD PHRASE in wrestling, which brings hope to anyone who hears it: “Never say never.” In the case of the wrestling industry and entertainment business, these words ring even more true in 2024. This year alone, we’ve witnessed a joining of forces between WWE and TNA, surprise comings and goings of wrestling talent and personalities between promotions (Ricochet, Stephanie Vaquer, Giulia, and The Rascalz, to name a few), and the announcement of John Cena’s retirement! Anything is possible in wrestling and in entertainment. And, with the two conjoined in many circumstances, the results are anything but uninspiring—as you’ll soon discover in this latest installment of “Mat, Stage, & Screen.” PARADIGM SHIFT There are numerous talent agencies strewn across the globe, but a small handful are known to entertainment…

IT’S HARD TO THINK of pro wrestling icons as mortal, particularly ones as timeless and otherworldly as Kevin Sullivan. Earlier this year, I had the great honor of picking his brain. One of the most influential and twisted minds in our sport’s history, Sullivan’s evil genius spanned generations. Whether creating “Satanic Panic” in early-’80s Florida, rallying his cultish Army of Darkness against Dusty Rhodes, or leading The Dungeon of Doom’s efforts to end Hulkamania in WCW, he has always been a calculating and chaotic force. In May, “The Iron Gates Of Fate” turned on Sullivan. A serious medical emergency befell “The Taskmaster.” Hospitalized for weeks, he experienced a waterfall of ongoing, near-catastrophic conditions that took a serious toll on both his health and finances. For all that has been said…

GREETINGS, GRAPPLE FANS. And welcome to another edition of “The Irish Whip,” bringing you the wrestling news rundown from the U.K. and Europe. In this edition, we look at which grapplers are cashing in around the scene and a promotion that is banking on nostalgia paying off this autumn. With WWE in town for Clash at the Castle weekend, Scotland’s ICW capitalized on the large swaths of fans flocking to Glasgow, staging a duo of shows on June 15 and 16 at its regular venue, The Asylum. In notable results from the events: Theo Doros dethroned Stevie James to become ICW Zero G champion; KOE retained their ICT tag straps over Nathan Black & Will Kroos; ICW heavyweight champion Jack Jester bested Rory Coyle in a deathmatch; and Rhio had…

GETTING HEAT: SUCH A SIMPLE concept in professional wrestling, and yet something that seems harder and harder to do in this “wink-wink, nudge-nudge” era, when the fans are more in on the act than ever before. I’m not talking about the kind of heat where you laugh at the heel’s dastardly antics, or even worse, cheer them on. I’m talking about hate. Shock. Genuine revulsion, especially of the variety that you don’t see coming at all. And most importantly, I am talking about the kind that makes you desperately want to tune in next time, order a pay-per-view, or buy a ticket, just to see what’s going to happen next. You want to see if the purveyor of the heat will get what’s coming to them; you want to see…

With a newly strengthened lineup, the faction that once ruled over WWE is eager for another reign. How long before it crumbles under the weight of its own ambition? “Wrestling has more than one royal family.” Playing before Cody Rhodes’ entrance music, the tagline is a shot across the bow of WWE mythology. Rhodes wants his family to be recognized alongside The McMahons as pro wrestling royalty. However, “The American Nightmare” could just as easily be talking about another family: a rock-solid, multi-generational group of pro wrestlers with ancestral ties to the Pacific Islands; a group that has become so intertwined with his own quest for wrestling immortality. Indeed, there can be no serious conversation about influential wrestling clans that doesn’t include The Bloodline. As the faction reinvents itself following…

AUSTRALIA’S WOMEN WRESTLERS SHINE BRIGHT THE CROWD IS FERVENT. In the ring stand Jessica Troy and DELTA. These wrestlers harbor two different styles but share the same resolute goal: leave as the Pro Wrestling Australia (PWA Black Label) heavyweight champion, belt in hand. Troy’s heavyweight title defense against DELTA isn’t the main event on this evening. That honor belongs to the eponymous match of PWA Black Label’s “King Of The Metro” card, which will be won by Charli Evans. But, even if it’s not on last, the title match has the buzz. These two competitors are about to tear the house down—two women fighting for a belt that has been historically held by men. Notably, both women are “firsts” in this regard: Troy with the PWA heavyweight championship; and DELTA,…

A PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER NEEDS more than great footwork, an amazing look, or even a certain je ne sais quoi, both undeniable and irreplaceable. Conviction, intuition, and a willingness to try are also important ingredients for a blossoming wrestling career on the verge of takeoff. Take Ruthie Jay, of the National Wrestling Alliance, for instance. Hailing from Miami, Florida, by way of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, Jay dreamt of being a professional wrestler from the time she was a little girl. While she couldn’t understand the English language spoken from the mouths of the larger-than-life superstars she watched on her TV screen, she decided to dedicate her adult life to becoming one of them. “I don’t think there’s a specific way that I made it through,” Jay says. “There [were] no guidelines or…

THIS MONTH, I’M TAKING the title of this column very seriously and taking you back to a time that really is lost. I’d like to talk about a phenomenon that older fans like me got to enjoy back in the day, which we will likely never see again. Imagine watching WWE on weekly television, and then being able to go down to the gym at your school that weekend and see all the people you just saw on national television, competing right there in front of you and a couple hundred other people from your neighborhood. You could walk right over and talk to them, get their autograph for nothing, even hang out with them in the parking lot if you were lucky. That’s what it was like once upon…

WHAT WAS JOHN CENA doing in Toronto? That was the initial thought when Money in the Bank host Trish Stratus introduced Cena—considered, at least by Michael Cole, to be the greatest of all-time—at the Scotiabank Arena. Fans quickly got the idea as Cena flashed a “Last Time Is Now” towel (to go along with all the other obligatory merch) before announcing his intention to retire sometime in 2025. “Tonight, I officially announce my retirement from WWE … You’ll see me, but you won’t see me.” At times, Cena swallowed hard, as if it were difficult to say the words. He said 2025 would be his final Royal Rumble, final Elimination Chamber, and final WrestleMania. Speculation is Cena will pursue either the WWE Undisputed or World championship to finally break his…

GCW’S EVERYMAN FORSAKES THE FANS (AND MOST EVERYONE ELSE) MANCE WARNER HAS ALWAYS been violent. Now, it appears the Game Changer Wrestling champion is entirely unhinged. Over the last year, Warner has ascended to the very top of GCW. His rise, though, has come at the expense of friendships, fans, and any relative code of ethics he once displayed, notes Dr. Sidney M. Basil. “Mance Warner’s actions have obviously been very alarming,” says Dr. Basil. “In my professional opinion, Mr. Warner’s recent actions extend far beyond a desire to become the GCW champion. I strongly suspect his more violent deeds stem from a core fear of abandonment rooted in his childhood.” A revered, time-tested resource for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, Dr. Basil has long used his expertise to offer cogent analysis…

DYNAMITE LOSES SPARK AEW’S DISMAL RATINGS performance—only 502,000 viewers—on June 19 was likely affected by two factors: The Juneteenth federal holiday changing viewer habits, and Black Panther providing a weaker lead-in than the usual airing of The Big Bang Theory. While just a momentary dip, this indicated how low the floor could drop as Dynamite’s numbers trend downward. The 502,000 figure was significantly lower than the previous week’s 681,000, which had already been considered dangerously low. Let’s face it: Dynamite’s premiere in October 2019 attracted more than a million viewers, then the new normal was 900,000 … then 800,000 … then 700,000. Since May, Dynamite’s overall viewers have dipped to around 680,000. There were two notable exceptions: The May 29 edition following the Double or Nothing pay-perview, with 787,000 viewers,…

SPOTLIGHT CARD OF THE MONTH NEW YORK ELMONT—AEW Forbidden Door at UBS Arena: Kyle Fletcher pinned Serpentico … Brody King & Malakai Black beat Gabe Kidd & Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly & Tomohiro Ishii, and Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen … Tam Nakano & Willow Nightingale defeated Kris Statlander & Momo Watanabe … Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament: Mariah May pinned Saraya … Mistico, Pentagon Jr., & Rey Fenix defeated Hiromu Takahashi, Titan, & Yota Tsuji … MJF pinned Hechicero … Matthew & Nicholas Jackson & Kazuchika Okada defeated Anthony Bowens, Hiroshi Tanahashi, & Max Caster … Men’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament: Bryan Danielson beat Shingo Takagi by submission … AEW Women’s World champion Toni Storm pinned Mina Shirakawa to retain … Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Orange Cassidy by submission…