Table of contents for June 2022 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated

IT’S NOW BEEN two years since I began my training as Editor of PWI, set to assume the weighty responsibilities of my predecessor (and former boss) Stu Saks. It’s been 15 years—wow, seriously?—since I penned my first, kayfabe-laden article for The Wrestler/Inside Wrestling. But that 15-year arc couldn't have happened without the support of not only former Publisher Stu, but former PWI Editor-in-Chief Harry Burkett. Harry, as of this issue, celebrates 25 years with Pro Wrestling Illustrated and its related family of magazines. The author of “Ringside,” “Win, Lose, Or Draw,” “TV Breakdown,” and countless feature stories has now been with this publication for a full quarter-century. Speaking of “WLD,” Harry talks a little bit about his earliest days with us in his latest edition of the column (page 18).…

AROUND THE SAME time that wrestling fans were celebrating the news of The Undertaker and Vader being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, music lovers were celebrating the news of the latest nominees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, some of my favorite bands—like Poison and Motley Crue—were once again snubbed. So, my only chance of seeing a hair band rocker perform at a Hall of Fame ceremony is if Rick Boogs brings his guitar to Dallas. “Lose Yourself” in this musical edition of “Quick Count,” paying homage to some of the most memorable tracks from this year’s Rock Hall nominees. LOSER I sometimes get flack for coming to the defense of Baron Corbin. But I believe Corbin has a lot of the attributes of a…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5CYy_2Kmqw IN MAY 2002, looking to Lita as inspiration, Becky Lynch took her very first wrestling class. The Irish “Lasskicker” knew that wrestling would save her from stumbling down a hard path full of poor choices and poor health, but she had no idea how successful she would become within the worlds of wrestling and entertainment. Lynch spent the subsequent 18 years building up a tough skin, a professional wrestling skillset, a gift of the gab, and an unrivaled fight-or-die spirit. Making her way through NXT, Becky Lynch helped lead the “revolution” of women’s wrestling to WWE’s main roster, developing a following of fans loyal to female athleticism and inner strength. In 2018, those loyal fans grew to outstanding numbers, after Lynch debuted the moniker “The Man.” As “The Man,”…

1 HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME “THE HEX”? AK: I started writing names on a paper towel (no, really). MB: We FaceTimed and brainstormed, going back and forth playing with the names. AK: We came up with a bunch of “Hex” puns and just decided to be The Hex, and use all those puns as our signature moves. 2 WHAT DID IT MEAN TO YOU TO WIN THE REVIVED NWA WORLD WOMEN’S TAG BELTS AT EMPOWERRR LAST YEAR? IS THIS SOMETHING YOU COULD’VE PREDICTED IN EARLY-2021? AK: Winning a defunct championship with a company we left less than a year prior was definitely not on our 2021 bingo card, but it was a magical night that meant everything. MB: Just thinking back to that night brings a…

AS THE TANKS ROLLED IN … WWE MADE HEADLINES around the world by severing its ties with Russia following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. This included ending its relationship with Russian broadcaster Match—which aired Raw, Smackdown, and NXT—and shutting down the WWE Network, which continues to make premium live events and archived programs available outside the United States. Barring changes, this will prevent Wrestle-Mania 38 from airing in Russia. WWE was among the first sports entities to terminate operations within the world’s largest country, following similar moves by the FIFA and UEFA soccer organizations, the National Hockey League, the International Olympic Committee, the Women’s Tennis Association, and the International Gymnastics Federation. While John Cena, Glenn Jacobs (Kane), and Nia Jax posted awkward tweets regarding the Ukraine invasion to mixed reviews,…

THERE’S A CERTAIN response I get from folks I meet, when I tell them that I’m an Andy Kaufman fan. “What a performer. Nobody knew when he was joking or not! What a mystery!” I’ll argue forever, though, that there is indeed a group of people who understood Andy Kaufman, and they are professional wrestling fans. Above all else, above his role on Taxi, above the Mighty Mouse comedy bit, above getting voted off Saturday Night Live, Kaufman’s career as an independent wrestling champion should be regarded as the crown jewel in his star and celebrity. It’s been almost four decades since Andy Kaufman passed away—or, for some still holding out hope, went into hiding in order to fake his own death as the ultimate prank. While his influence is…

SPOTLIGHT CARD OF THE MONTH CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES—Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Battle of Los Angeles 2022, Night 2 at Globe Theatre: Blake Christian, JONAH, Kevin Blackwood, & Rey Horus defeated Bandido, Jack Cartwheel, JD Drake, & Lee Moriarty … Battle of Los Angeles, Quarterfinals: Black Taurus beat Aramis … Daniel Garcia defeated Alex Shelley … Lio Rush defeated Buddy Matthews by DQ … Mike Bailey defeated Wheeler YUTA; Semi-finals: Daniel Garcia beat Black Taurus … Mike Bailey beat Buddy Mattthews (substituting for injured Lio Rush); Final: Daniel Garcia defeated Mike Bailey. (01-30-22) —Spotlight photos by Jessica Torres & Mikey Nolan ARIZONA PHOENIX— STAR Pro-Wrestling at The Cages: West Coast Cup 2022, Quarterfinals: Thugnificent defeated Prince Magod Ali … Joey Hendrix defeated Dante King … Paradox beat Akira Gonzalez X … El Dragon defeated…

AS YOU’RE READING this, the fulfillment of my greatest writing project is upon us. After nearly three years of work, Blood and Fire: The Unbelievable Real-Life Story of Wrestling’s Original Sheik has finally been released out into the world by the wonderful folks at ECW Press. I hope you’ll forgive me the personal indulgence this month as I discuss this book that’s become such a part of my life—but it does directly relate to the usual content of this column, after all. Some eight years ago, while I was working on my previous wrestling book, Pro Wrestling FAQ, I included a short capsule biography of The Sheik, generally regarded as the best drawing and most genuinely feared rulebreaker in the history of the sport. I had long been fascinated by…

COMPILED BY MIKE BESSLER It’s all well and good to proclaim the present era as “The Information Age” and celebrate the instant gratification of having thousands of libraries and millions of cat videos at humanity’s collective fingertips. But some of the best stories still remain off the beaten path of the so-called “Information Superhighway.” Such is the case with Brian R. Solomon’s new book, Blood and Fire: The Unbelievable Real-Life Story of Wrestling’s Original Sheik, in which he charts the life and legacy of Edward Farhat (one of wrestling’s most enduring enigmas). Solomon traces Farhat’s origins back beyond his birth in Lansing, Michigan, beginning amidst the mountains of Lebanon, where Farhat’s parents and prior generations laid the groundwork for The Sheik’s uncanny rise to wrestling stardom. It’s a gritty journey,…

YOU MAY NOT think the Taz of 1998 has much in common with “Absolute” Ricky Starks. But therein lies the common bond between the two men: Neither one would much care what you think. Like the “Human Suplex Machine” before him, Starks has made it abundantly clear that his passion for pro wrestling has little to do with winning the adulation of fans. Both men prefer winning matches … and championships. That includes the FTW championship belt that Taz debuted nearly a quarter-century ago, and which now sits around the waist of Starks. And—just as with Taz during his ECW run—don’t you dare tell Starks that the FTW title isn’t legitimate. “That thing has seen so much,” Starks said of the belt, which he has worn since defeating former Team…

I HAVE SOME bad news and some good news. The bad news is that I must talk about the pandemic once again. The good? It’s probably the last time. Slowly, but surely, everything is reopening, sanitary measures are being lifted, and the number of cases is decreasing. It means that pro wrestling in Canada is back … baby! Before talking about the independent scene, I want to mention the WWE house show from March 6, in Laval, Quebec. It was WWE’s first Canadian show since February 2020 in Winnipeg. The event was headlined by a very good match between Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre. That said, the true star of the evening was Montreal’s Sami Zayn, who was coming back home after more than two years. The 7,000 in attendance…

CONTRADICTION IS BEAUTIFUL to me. I shoot pro wrestling as live theater, not sports. When I shoot wrestlers, I see them as people. And, when I shoot people, I see our work as collaborative sculpture. Masculinity is a funny thing, and comes with inherent contradiction, especially within the art of pro wrestling. So, this is why, in 2021, I set out on a small project to capture beautiful men (physical artists in their own right) the way I saw them—away from the flexing and the harsh studio lights of traditional backstage shots, and the contrast and chiaroscuro. Relaxed, elated, soft, kind. To build the kind of kinetic sculpture I’m interested in, I often veil my subjects in sheets of soft tulle. The sheer fabric moves the way it wants to…

TONY KHAN’S PURCHASE of the Ring of Honor property made him a savior in the minds of many wrestling diehards. He secured Ring of Honor’s legacy by outbidding WWE for its video library, and saved its future by promising to revive the ROH brand. And give Khan credit: He did it with style. For only the second time, Khan made a scheduled on-air appearance on his flagship program, AEW Dynamite. The first occasion was Brodie Lee’s untimely passing. On the March 2 edition of Dynamite, Khan stood mid-ring with Tony Schiavone and announced his acquisition of ROH. To mark the occasion, AEW kicked off the show with Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels. Those two had appeared in ROH’s first main event—a three-way match also involving Low Ki—and it was hard…

"THE BIG PEACH,” also known as Atlanta, Georgia, has emerged as an oasis for talented creatives seeking fame and fortune away from the hectic streets of Los Angeles and New York. For wrestlers, the Southern city is once again looking to become a destination, while also yielding its fair share of remarkable talent native to the area. In recent years, Georgia-based wrestling promotions like ACTION Wrestling and Southern Honor Wrestling have thrilled locals by introducing up-and-coming athletes and providing a space for established talent to thrive. With awareness of one of the industry’s most storied and respected territories already on the rise, grappling fans have now been given a “pure” alternative from two very ambitious wrestlers with a new set of rules. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL4YaKIushY Enter TERMINUS. Ring of Honor World champion…

AS A WOMEN’S wrestling advocate, I try to consume as much women’s wrestling as possible. The goal has always been to study female competitors the world over, learning various grappling styles, storytelling techniques, and information about the talent (both past and present) who help construct the history of each region. In the past, it has sometimes proven difficult to penetrate the dense linguistic and geographical barriers that come with being an international wrestling fan. Today, those barriers are gradually being chipped away. This has allowed myself, and fans like me, the option of deep-diving into new wrestling territory. Lately, for me, this has meant exploring lucha libre. Though lucha libre’s influence is deeply felt in the U.S., U.K., Japan, and South America, the style traces its historical roots to Mexico.…

WELCOME TO THE sixth edition of “Smooth’s Court: A Global Wrestling Experience.” In the next edition, readers will be able to check out an interview I did that should catch some attention, so stay on the lookout for that. Now, on to the good stuff … Stardom has continued its consistent run of good fortune since joining the Bushiroad umbrella. At Stardom Nagoya Supreme Fight on January 29, the promotion featured several critically acclaimed matches. Giulia (Donna Del Mondo) went to a 30-minute draw with Mayu Iwatani (STARS). The match was supposed to determine the number-one contender for the World of Stardom championship. Iwatani has had two reigns with the promotion’s most prestigious crown. Giulia has yet to capture the richest prize in joshi puroresu. The Donna Del Mondo leader…