Table of contents for August 2018 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated

SCOTT D’AMORE AND Don Callis know that if Impact Wrestling were a house on sale in the real estate market, it would be, to say the least, a “fixer-upper.” Sixteen years after being co-founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett, the former Total Nonstop Action Wrestling has been rebooted more times than an old laptop. Along the way, the TNA initials were dragged through the mud like few other promotions in wrestling history. Early last year, Canadian media company Anthem Sports and Entertainment became the latest gambler willing to bet that it could right the TNA ship. After a few of its own missteps, Anthem decided to put the newly branded Impact Wrestling in the hands of two fellow Canadians with extensive wrestling resumés that included past stints in TNA. In…

KAZUCHIKA OKADA TIED Hiroshi Tanahashi’s record of 11 successful IWGP heavyweight title defenses within a single reign with a hard-fought win over Zack Sabre Jr. at New Japan’s Sakura Genesis event on April 1 in Tokyo. Sabre, who won the annual New Japan Cup tournament on March 21, defeating Tanahashi in the final round, tortured Okada with painful submission locks throughout the match and managed to counter virtually every hold the champion was able to apply. However, despite dominating much of the match, Sabre was unable to make Okada submit. Finally, after 34 minutes, Okada was able to connect with a Tombstone Piledriver followed by a Rainmaker lariat to put the challenger down for the count. Following the match, Tanahashi came to the ring to personally congratulate Okada on tying…

It’s never too early … Get ready to book your flight and make your hotel reservations because we already know which lucky venue will be the host of WrestleMania 35: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. WWE executives and superstars, New Jersey Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, and other dignitaries were on hand for the announcement regarding WM 35, which will take place on April 7, 2019. Barstool Sports’ Robbie Fox actually broke the story back in January that WrestleMania would once again hit the New York market. The bidding process for WrestleMania has become ultracompetitive in recent years, on par with bids for the Super Bowl and other annual sports extravaganzas. Accordingly, WWE is making more requirements of potential host cities (including the caveat that only stadiums will be…

We encourage promoters and readers to e-mail results to: PWIResults@yahoo.com Please try to utilize the exact format you see in the “Arena Reports.” Also, please distinguish between handicap matches and three- or fourway matches. And, when reporting the result of a handicap match, indicate the number of competitors and who was the last man eliminated. Finally, please note pinfall finishes. Following these guidelines will help us greatly and make it more likely that your report will be used. SPOTLIGHT CARD OF THE MONTH…. LOUISIANA NEW ORLEANS—ROH Supercard of Honor 12 at the UNO Lakefront Arena: Women of Honor Tournament Semifinals: Kelly Klein beat Mayu Iwatani by submission … Sumie Sakai pinned Tenille Dashwood … Final: Sumie Sakai pinned Kelly Klein … Chuckie T pinned Jonathan Gresham … Punishment Martinez pinned Tomohiro Ishii ……

BRUNO SAMMARTINO, arguably the sport’s most legendary figure, passed away on April 18 after a long illness. He was 82. Sammartino was best known as the longest-reigning heavyweight champion in the history of WWE, holding the World Wide Wrestling Federation title 11 years over two reigns in the 1960s and ’70s. He was a hero to the Italian-American community and commanded such respect that he meant as much to wrestling as Muhammad Ali meant to boxing, Babe Ruth meant to baseball, and Gordie Howe meant to hockey. “One of the finest men I knew, in life and in business,” WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon tweeted on the day of his death. “Bruno Sammartino proved that hard work can overcome even the most difficult of circumstances. He will be missed.” Sammartino…

HIGHER TEMPERATURES and tougher schedules cause tempers to flare and ambitions to burn during the summer season. June through September will be an intense stretch on the wrestling calendar. This has always been the case in pro wrestling, particularly down south. From Memphis and Knoxville to Pensacola and Mobile, the summer meant the grueling, grinding procession of local fairs and carnivals, the stifling humidity of outdoor events. Jim Crockett Promotions mastered the summertour concept with the Great American Bashes and Super Summer Sizzlers of the mid- to late-1980s. Up north, summertime meant the AWA could tour some northern Minnesota towns and run a few outdoor shows, and places like the Canadian Maritimes would thaw just enough for regulars such as Leo Burke, The Beast, and “Killer” Karl Krupp to return…

THE DUDLEY BOYZ (Inducted by Edge & Christian)—Bubba (Bully) Ray and D-Von are the most highly decorated tag team in wrestling history, having won top honors in the WWF/E (nine times), WCW (one time), NWA/TNA (three times), ECW (eight times), and New Japan (two times) … Fans were never satisfied unless they put their adversaries through a table, including women of all ages (Mae Young) and ranks (Dixie Carter) … Chosen Tag Team of the Decade (2000-2009) by Pro Wrestling Illustrated … Competed in 31 promotions, according to Wikipedia … PWI Awards: Tag Team (2001, 2009), Match (2000, 2001, vs. Edge & Christian and The Hardy Boyz). HILLBILLY JIM (Inducted by Jimmy Hart)—Began his WWF career as wrestling fan “Big Jim,” who one day decided a front row seat wasn’t…

THE PHRASE “WrestleMania Weekend” now effectively transcends the handful of top-tier events staged and sanctioned by the “E” itself. It is now a collective reference to the parallel universe of independent wrestling shows that annually descends upon the host city of WWE’s flagship event. This year, it was New Orleans, Louisiana, that played host to some of the most anticipated indy wrestling shows, offering some of the best wrestling action of the year well before the opening bell of WrestleMania 34. Barefoot fighter Matt Riddle celebrated one of the biggest victories of his career at EVOLVE 102 on April 5, beating U.K. export Zack Sabre Jr. for the EVOLVE championship. Riddle earned a tapout win by way of his Bromission hold … The following day, Riddle defeated Deonna Purrazzo in…

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