Table of contents for April 2017 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated

 TAP HERE FOR VIDEO No other rookie accomplished nearly as much on the national stage in 2016 as Nia Jax, who has established herself as an absolute juggernaut in the Raw women’s division. And she was just as dominant here as she has been in the ring, earning nearly half of the total vote in this category, turning this balloting into a virtual squash match. Jax is fortunate enough to have wrestling in her genes, as she is related to the illustrious Anoa’I family and cousin of The Rock. The Rock even took time to give Jax some one-on-one in-ring training shortly after she signed her WWE developmental contract in 2015. But it takes more than family connections alone to make it in WWE, and Jax has displayed power, poise,…

 TAP HERE FOR VIDEO Seth Rollins had the early lead in the Comeback of the Year voting, but once Bill Goldberg stepped back inside a WWE ring for the first time in a dozen years, the former WCW star rode a surge of fan support to coast past Rollins and second runner-up Chris Jericho. Call it nostalgia if you want, but Goldberg has once again established himself as one of the world’s most popular wrestlers. His convincing win over Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series showed that he seems to have some fire left in his belly, though it remains to be seen how hot it would burn in a longer, more competitive contest. But Goldberg’s return was a big deal in and of itself. One of the biggest stars of…

TAP HERE FOR VIDEO This year’s Most Popular category was the tightest race of the year as Shinsuke Nakamura, Dean Ambrose, and Bayley exchanged the lead several times until the final ballots came in and sealed the deal. In the end, “The King Of Strong Style” edged out “The Lunatic Fringe” and the bubbly hugger. This marks the first time the Most Popular Wrestler of the Year award has gone to someone who is not on the main WWE roster since 1997, when Sting won the award while in WCW. It also marks the first time the Most Popular award has ever gone to a wrestler who doesn’t speak fluent English, which shows (at least in the case of a dynamic performer like Nakamura) that promo ability isn’t a prerequisite…

TAP HERE FOR VIDEO Not only did The New Day surpass Demolition’s record for the longest tag team title run in WWE history, but it also became the first tag team to win back-to-back Tag Team of the Year Achievement Awards since Harlem Heat accomplished the feat back in 1995 and 1996. The New Day has had its critics. Detractors look at the silly promos, the light-up unicorn horns, the Booty-O’s, and the bumping-and-grinding and write them off as a novelty act. Several teams have made the critical error of underestimating Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods, and they’ve all gone down in defeat due to that mistake. The fact of the matter is that The New Day is a fundamentally solid trio, with Kingston’s veteran presence, Big E’s…

1.91 The Nielsen rating for the October 3 edition of Raw headlined by Charlotte defending the Women’s title against Sasha Banks. This was the first time a women’s match headlined Raw since Trish Stratus faced Lita on December 6, 2004. The rating was a slight increase from the 1.74 rating the previous week (where Raw aired against a presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton). 4.8 The Nielsen rating for the December 10 edition of Saturday Night Live featuring John Cena as host. It was the show’s highest rating since the week after the election. 10 The number of staples Randy Orton required to close a laceration in his head resulting from a stiff elbow slash from Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. The main event match was stopped and ruled…

Christian Abel Jean Antone Kenny Arden Don Bass Lord James Blears Sterling Brewer Bill Cardille Chyna Cinta de Oro Manuel Cota John Cozman Joe So Delicious D.C. Dillinger Dream Warrior Haruka Eigen Eddie Einhorn Phil Emerson Espectrito Willie Farkas Luke Forward Dewey Forte Jr. Ed Francis Mr. Fuji Charlie Fulton Joe Garagiola Mark Gedge Maj. Duke George Chef D Z Gillespie Archie Gouldie Roger Green Gypsy Joe Hayabusa Dennis Hilgart Joe Jares Denny Kass Karen Kellogg Norman Kenney Frankie Laine Kato Kung Lee Bob Leonard Lord Littlebrook Bobby Lombardi Balls Mahoney Chuck Marlowe Teddy Marshall Frenchy Martin Mario Milano Dan Miller El Mongol Moose Morowski Blackjack Mulligan Mark Nulty Mike Noles Curt Otterholt Johnny Peebles III Geoff Portz Joe Pottgieser Jr. Richard Pound Christopher Reykdal Mike Rice Axl Rotten Harley Saito…

STU SAKS [PUBLISHER] My lingering memory of 2016 is that of Shane McMahon making a decision that could have had a devastating impact on himself, his family, and the family business. No, not his comeback after being gone seven years (that’s a good thing), but rather his foolhardy leap from the Hell in a Cell structure during his match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32. The possibility that Shane could have suffered a serious injury, or worse, in front of millions of people—four in particular who love and depend on him as a husband and father—surely should have outweighed the thrill of watching a 46-year-old man crash-landing from 20 feet in the air. His personal well-being aside, Shane could have subjected WWE to scrutiny not experienced since Owen Hart fell…

 SEND LETTERS TO: BETWEEN FALLS Box 96 Ft . washington,PA 19034 or you can e-mail your comments to prowerestlingillustrated@yahoo.com PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED welcome readers ‘ comments on any of our stories or columns. A NEW UNIVERSE We took quite a bit of Twitter flak—particularly from the mother of a certain woman wrestler—who questioned our cover choice for the February 2017 issue, in which we ran the PWI “Female 50” for the ninth time. Our art director, who happens to be a woman, agrees with the mother. One thing that almost everybody agreed on is that (daughter) Charlotte was well-deserving of the number-one slot. “Sasha Banks is my favorite, but Charlotte deserved number one this year,” e-mailed Bev Manginelli. “I’m grateful WWE is giving all the women a chance to shine.”…

Nov. 1996: Brian Pillman: Next WWF Champ! Also: Giant-Sting, Ray Stevens, Dick Murdoch, Cloudy, John Tenta, WCW shuffle. Jan. 1997: It Could Happen! Hogan’s Next Move … Buy WCW! Also: Undertaker, New Jack, Owen-Bulldog, Ted DiBiase. Feb. 1997: Wrestling’s Top Stars: What 1997 Has In Store For Them! Also: Michaels-Hart, Pit Bull I, Rey Mysterio Jr., Kevin Nash. May 1997: Hogan’s Headache: The Pain Is Piper! And The Remedy Is Revenge! Also: Michaels-Hart, Guerreros, J.C. Ice, gang violence, Marc Mero. Nov. 1997: 10-Year Grudge! Lex Luger’s Career Ruined By J.J. Dillon? Also: Shawn-Bret, Jeff Jarrett, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Dreamer-Raven, Dan Severn. Hol. 1997: First Owen … Then ’Taker … Then Hogan: Who’s Gonna Go Next? Also: Steve Austin, Bret Hart, Lex Luger, Ric Flair, Dean Malenko. Jan. 1998: Lex Luger’s…

 Avoid sellouts—order today! Nov. 1995: One Defense In Four Months?! Strip Hulk Hogan Of The Title—Now! Also: Alex Wright, Tatanka, King of Ring, Chris Benoit, Backlund-Clinton. Jan. 1996: Our Holiday Wish List For 1996! Also: Scott Norton, Sid Vicious, Psicosis-Misterio, Barry Horowitz, Sabu. Feb. 1996: Wrestling’s Top Stars: What 1996 Has In Store For Them! Also: Goldust, Sherri-Parker, Mikey Whipwreck, Smokin’ Gunns. March 1996: His Excellency! How Bret Masterminded Diesel’s Execution. Also: Jeff Jarrett, Giant, Jim Cornette, Survivor Series, Eddie Guerrero. June 1996: Luger Or Hogan? If Sting Makes The Wrong Choice, He’s Through! Also: Road Warriors, Roddy Piper, Ahmed Johnson, Raven, Al Snow Oct. 1996 (Special Issue): WCW Mid-Year Report. Also: Jake Roberts, Yokozuna, Giant-Konnan, Ahmed Johnson, Chris Jericho, strutters. Nov. 1996: The Steiners: Feasting On A Buffet Of…

TAP HERE FOR VIDEO The plucky, hug-happy girl with the entourage of wacky, waving inflatable arm-flailing tube men is the first wrestler ever to win back-to-back Inspirational Wrestler of the Year awards. The former NXT Women’s champion made her longawaited debut on the main roster at Battleground in July, when she appeared as Sasha Banks’ surprise tag team partner in a match against Charlotte and Dana Brooke. She returned to NXT until August, when she officially joined the Raw brand. Just as she did in NXT, Bayley quickly established herself as a crowd favorite. Her spunky enthusiasm and upbeat demeanor continue to strike a chord with the fans, particularly younger female fans who look up to Bayley as a role model. The key to Bayley’s success and popularity is that…

TAP HERE FOR VIDEO Last year, Sasha Banks rode a wave of popularity that carried her to the 2015 Woman of the Year award. This year, Banks again earned an impressive vote tally, but it wasn’t enough to get past Charlotte, the woman who held the WWE Women’s title for nearly 300 days during the calendar year. Charlotte earned 40 percent of the vote (compared to Banks’ 35 percent) to capture her first PWI Woman of the Year award. In addition to holding the Women’s title for the majority of the calendar year, Charlotte shined on pay-per-view, beating Becky Lynch at the Royal Rumble, Brie Bella at Fastlane, Natalya at Roadblock, Payback, and Extreme Rules, Banks and Lynch (in a three-way match) at WrestleMania, Banks at SummerSlam, Hell in a…

 TAP HERE FOR VIDEO Here’s a guy who fights honorably and abides by the rules. He has proven loyal and dedicated to family and friends. He always conducts himself as a gentleman, never ducks a challenge, and has managed to overcome the odds every time they seem stacked against him. And the fans boo the crap out of him. More than a quarter of our respondents cast their vote for Roman Reigns as the Most Hated Wrestler of the Year, marking the first time in the history of the PWI Achievement Awards that a so-called “fan favorite” has won this distinction. Not even John Cena, who has been such a polarizing figure for the past decade, has ever so much as earned a runner-up acknowledgement in this category. So, we…

TAP HERE FOR VIDEO The votes are tallied and you could say the results are phenomenal: With 51 percent of the vote, AJ Styles is the 2016 Wrestler of the Year. This is the first time Styles has won the Wrestler of the Year award, though he was a runner-up in 2003, 2004, and 2014. Despite his excellence in TNA and later in New Japan, many fans and observers were skeptical he could find success on the grand stage of WWE. Critics said he was too small and too old (almost 40) to be a star in WWE. It didn’t take him long to shut up those critics. Just a couple of weeks after unsuccessfully challenging Shinsuke Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental title at Wrestle Kingdom 10, Styles made a…

“My dad was sitting right over there where the guy with the goat mask with the ‘Daniel Bryan’ sign is standing right now. And my dad got to see that. His son getting that kind of reaction from all you people. And that was the last time my dad got to see me wrestle, and you guys made it special for him and for me and for my entire family … That special moment that I had with my dad, I get to share this moment with my mom, with my sister, with my family, with my friends. I get to share that with them, I get to share that with you, I get to share it with my wife in the back, I get to share it with all…

 CZW’s 18th ANNUAL Cage of Death show on December 10 again confirmed the company’s longstanding reputation as pro wrestling’s version of an interstate pileup. Inside the sinister structure, Team CZW, comprised of Matt Tremont, Joey Janela, Jeff Cannonball, and Conor Claxton, clashed with Devon Moore, Drew Blood, Dale Patricks, and Josh Crane, better known as Team Notorious Inc. Following the eliminations of his comrades-inarms, Janela fought valiantly against the combined might of his opponents until Tremont returned to the ring to clean house. As Tremont picked apart Team Notorious, the fans surely expected that a win for Team CZW was well within reach. But instead of polishing off Moore, Tremont turned on teammate Janela, putting his purported pal through a pane of glass and handing victory to Moore and his…

Top 10 and Tag Team ratings are based on won-lost records for the past month, quality of opposition, and inherent skill of each wrestler or tag team. These ratings are compiled by a committee consisting of Stu Saks, Dan Murphy, Kris Zellner, Harry Burkett, Louie Dee, and STRIGGA (cagematch.net, purolove.com). The numbers in parentheses indicate a wrestler’s position in that category last issue. Agate-sized ratings are supplied to PWI by promoters and can be e-mailed to us at pwiresults@yahoo.com (please put the word “ratings” in the subject line). TOP 10 1 AJ STYLES 218, Gainesville, GA (1) WWE World champion 2 KEVIN OWENS 266, Marieville, QC (2) WWE Universal champion 3 ROMAN REIGNS 265, Pensacola, FL (6) WWE U.S. champion 4 KAZUCHIKA OKADA 240, Tokyo, Japan (3) IWGP heavyweight champion 5 KYLE O’REILLY…

THE CROWD REACTION AJ Styles received when he emerged as the third entrant in the 2016 Royal Rumble told me one thing: PWI has at least 15,170 readers in Orlando, Florida. How else would the fans at the Amway Center have known about “The Phenomenal One”? Well, Stu, could it be that there are a few people—particularly people who reside in the Orlando area—that are familiar with Styles’ 12-year body of work in TNA? That he long ago established himself as one of the brightest stars in the sport, moving on from TNA to excel in New Japan and Ring of Honor? That even residents of the WWE Universe have a general awareness of what’s going on in the wrestling business? Okay, okay. Good points all. It was very gratifying for me…

 TAP HERE FOR VIDEO In a year that saw Donald Trump win the presidency and the Chicago Cubs win the World Series, something truly unthinkable happened: The Miz earned the respect of the wrestling world. Maligned for most of his professional career, Miz entered 2016 as a former WWE champion, six-time Intercontinental champion, two-time US champion, and four-time tag team champion. There are Hall of Famers who can’t match those credentials. Yet most of the wrestling world (including, we admit, the editorial staff of this magazine at times) treated The Miz like a joke. He was a former reality TV star masquerading as a wrestler in an era where the glory seems to go to wrestlers like Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, and Seth Rollins, who fought their way up through…

TAP HERE FOR VIDEO It’s entirely possible that Sasha Banks and Charlotte could face each other another hundred—perhaps another thousand—times without one establishing the clear edge over the other. The rivalry between Charlotte and Sasha started in January and raged right through to the end of the year (and beyond). They headlined Raw. They headlined Hell in a Cell. They traded the women’s title six times (as of press time, at least). Charlotte has been unbeatable on pay-per-view, whereas Banks seems to have her number on Monday nights. But every time one scores a win, the other rallies back with even more drive and intensity. Charlotte drew the proverbial first blood by beating both Banks and Becky Lynch in a three-way bout at Wrestle-Mania to be crowned the new Women’s…

 TAP HERE FOR VIDEO It was a match fraught with symbolism. On one hand, you had the iconic John Cena, WWE’s marquee attraction and a 15-time world champion. A household name, movie star, and bigger-than-life iconic superstar. On the other hand, you had AJ Styles. Long considered one of the best pure wrestlers in the world, Styles carried TNA for more than a decade before spreading his wings and journeying to Japan, where he became the top star for New Japan Pro Wrestling. One of the greatest wrestlers of his generation, but one who never received the exposure he was due. Styles wanted to prove that he was better than Cena. Cena respected Styles’ ability, but didn’t want to see him succeed at his expense. And at SummerSlam, the two…

By his own estimation, Dick Beyer believes he wrestled about 8,500 matches over the course of his 39-year career, a career that saw “The Sensational Intelligent Destroyer” become an international icon. Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1930, Beyer attended Syracuse University, where he wrestled and played football (including the 1953 Orange Bowl). Promoter Ed Don George saw Beyer wrestle on the amateur mats against Don Beitelman (who would go on to wrestle professionally as Don Curtis) and recruited him for the pro circuit. Beyer was intrigued and started his wrestling career in earnest, wrestling while attending college and eventually earning a master’s degree in education. After graduation, Beyer moved on to the Columbus, Ohio, territory under promoter Al Haft. He continued to learn the ropes before returning to Buffalo,…

Two of the most influential WWE stars of the past decade made big news in 2016 not for what they did in the wrestling ring, but rather what they did in the Octagon. In June, UFC made the surprise announcement that Brock Lesnar would return to the promotion as part of its epic UFC 200 event on July 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Days later, legendary knockout artist Mark Hunt was confirmed as Lesnar’s opponent. A former UFC heavyweight champ and top attraction, Lesnar last competed in the UFC in December 2011, when he lost to Alistair Overeem. He returned to WWE months later, and after flirting with a UFC return, announced just prior to Wrestle-Mania 31 that he was officially retired from mixed martial arts. And so it was…