Table of contents for May 2023 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated

LAST YEAR, TWO of the biggest events on the pop culture calendar—the Academy Awards and WrestleMania—were separated by just one week. And you’d be forgiven for confusing which was which. Looking to promote their movie, the cast of Jackass Forever appeared not in Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, but in a match involving Sami Zayn. And the most talked about cheap shot of the year was dealt not by Kevin Owens or Roman Reigns, but by Oscar winner Will Smith. Go figure. As unpredictable as awards season may be, there’s one thing you can count on each year: my Oscar-themed edition of “Quick Count.” The envelope, please … THE WHALE Like Ahab hunting Moby Dick, WWE matchmakers have long had their eyes locked on the biggest, most elusive prize in all of…

IF YOUR CHILDHOOD was anything like most of us at PWI, chances are you’ve spent some time—perhaps even as a younger reader of this magazine—with a pen and paper booking your own fantasy wrestling cards. And, when you were envisaging these dream bouts, you likely didn’t see them taking place at your local high school gym. Far more likely, you pictured them under the bright lights of a spectacular event stage, very much like WrestleMania. Well, truth be told, we are still partial to some fantasy booking. So, we got to thinking … what would our dream WrestleMania look like? Sure, we could concoct a card full of quality matches between WWE-contracted talent, but where’s the fantasy fun in that? Instead, we decided to open the ultimate Forbidden Door and…

SPOTLIGHT CARD OF THE MONTH GEORGIA ATLANTA—IMPACT Wrestling Hard to Kill 2023 at Center Stage: X division champion Trey Miguel defeated Black Taurus to retain … KUSHIDA beat Angels, Delirious, Mike Bailey, Mike Jackson, and Yuya Uemura in a sixperson scramble … Gisele Shaw, Savannah Evans, & Tasha Steelz defeated Jessicka, Rosemary, & Taya Valkyrie … World champion Josh Alexander beat Bully Ray in a Full Metal Mayhem match to retain … World tag team champions Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin beat Ace Austin & Chris Bey, Heath & Rhino, and Brian Myers & Matt Cardona in a four-team elimination match to retain … Digital Media champion Joe Hendry defeated Moose to retain … Masha Slamovich defeated Deonna Purrazzo, Killer Kelly, and Taylor Wilde in a four-way bout … Steve…

MEDIA REVIEWS WOOOOOO! BECOMING RIC FLAIR The process of public rehabilitation was, at one time, an arduous journey that could easily span many years. Richard Nixon authored some books and helped out his successors behind the scenes to evolve from a disgraced ex-president into an “elder statesman.” In the former Soviet Union, people regained their reputations and livelihoods through acts of government, sometimes posthumously. As for Ric Flair, who is coming off an unflattering few years in the limelight, he’s likely banking that Woooooo! Becoming Ric Flair may turn the tide of public opinion. A Peacock original documentary, Woooooo! Is carefully cultivated and well-produced, presenting the pivotal moments of Flair’s career. Fox Sports reporter Tom Rinaldi serves as both interviewer and narrator, his tone and delivery reminiscent of the ominous…

WITH WRESTLEMANIA LOOMING, many people seem to assume that Roman Reigns’ epic two-plus-year run as WWE Universal champion may at last be nearing its end. While that may be conventional wisdom, it’s quite far from a foregone conclusion. Be that as it may, the approach of Roman Reigns’ third consecutive WrestleMania as top dog in WWE seems as apropos a time as any to evaluate and recognize the incredible accomplishment that Reigns has pulled off this decade. It’s something that will be looked back on by historians in years to come as one of the truly great wrestling stories of our era—and the emergence of one of the sport’s iconic figures. With years of dominance now under his belt, it’s easy to forget that there was once a time when…

"THE CEO" MAKES HEADLINES AT WRESTLE KINGDOM ALONGSIDE SOME HEAVY HITTERS DON’T CALL HER “The Boss.” The former Sasha Banks has a new name and a new job title, anointing herself “The CEO” of women’s competition at New Japan Pro-Wrestling and World Wonder Ring Stardom. Though the gig may not come with a plush corner office or a devoted personal assistant, it apparently pays pretty handsomely. Prior to her official on-screen debut at Wrestle Kingdom 17, January 4 at the Tokyo Dome, Mercedes Mone had reportedly inked a deal with Bushiroad that saw her become the highest-paid wrestler in the company’s history, earning north of the six-figure mark per show. That may seem like a lot of money—and, no doubt, it is—but consider the upsides. Mone brings to the table…

FOCUS ON… AEW DYNAMITE DYNAMITE VIEWER NUMBERS [TBS] December 7: 840,000 December 14: 950,000 December 21: 957,000 December 28: 876,000 January 4: 864,000 January 11: 967,000 Analysis: How can Dyna-mite reach one million viewers consistently? With CM Punk possibly gone forever, AEW President Tony Khan has renewed the company’s focus on two of its “homegrown” stars, Ricky Starks and “Hangman” Adam Page. Starks delivered a breakout performance against new World champion MJF on the December 14 edition, then scored a solid win over Chris Jericho on January 4. Likewise, Page made a thunderous comeback, whipping Jon Moxley with a Buckshot Lariat on January 11. Intrigue among six terrific performers—MJF, Starks, Jericho, Page, Moxley, and perhaps Bryan Danielson—could be the answer. And the reward? To paraphrase Dr. Evil, “One million viewers.”…

JAY BRISCOE, amid his 13th Ring of Honor tag team title reign with brother Mark Briscoe, died in a horrendous auto accident on January 17. Jay was driving in his 2019 Chevrolet Silverado with his two daughters, Gracie Pugh and Jayleigh Pugh, when another truck swerved into his lane and hit his vehicle head-on. Jayleigh incurred injuries, but was stable as of press time, while Gracie suffered very serious back and leg injuries. The tragic irony is that Briscoe, who had traveled hundreds of thousands of miles to wrestling venues over the past two decades, would be involved in a fatal car crash in his small hometown of Laurel, Delaware, with his family in the vehicle. Briscoe and the driver of the other truck were pronounced dead on the scene.…

AS WE BEGAN working in earnest on this section, WWE was undergoing a sea change. Vincent K. McMahon had just resumed his position at the head of the company’s board of directors, and daughter Stephanie quickly resigned from her position as co-CEO. Rumors swirled about a potential sale of the company, with some analysts expressing concern about where all this might leave the industry leader a year or two from now. Surely, WrestleMania seemed to be the last thing on the minds of many close observers. And yet …. The annual springtime extravaganza has become almost synonymous with the former World Wrestling Federation, as it has expanded its influence across the globe as a juggernaut of sports and entertainment. Whatever happens in 2023—or in the years ahead—WrestleMania has forever shaped…

THE YEAR 2001 was a pivotal one for professional wrestling. Being a kid whose life had changed that day in 1997, when I first saw the ECW Barely Legal video tape, the company closing was a huge blow. The second biggest promotion in the world (WCW) was also bought out by WWE, and the wrestling landscape completely changed. WWE was definitely on fire at this point—we know the history—but, with the foundation that ECW set, I was craving something more. I scoured the internet for the next best thing late at night on message boards and chat rooms. That became part of my daily life. And, late one night, I stumbled upon some highlight videos from Combat Zone Wrestling. I remember being immediately mesmerized by a younger, smaller, very fast,…

THE “IT FACTOR.” That unquantifiable magnetism that just is, and can never be taught, turns hard-working people into household names. But, while charismatic performers are plentiful in the wrestling industry, I’ve always thought that true babyfaces—the kind that enrapture hardcore wrestling fans and casual viewers alike—were harder to come by. Enter Willow Nightingale, who, like the late actress (and one of Hollywood’s most celebrated babyfaces) Mary Tyler Moore, turns the world on with a smile. It’s difficult to think of Nightingale as anything but one of the most likable wrestlers around. I can’t imagine a scenario where fans and the wrestling community at large couldn’t or wouldn’t root for the “Babe With The Power.” In my humble opinion, it would be akin to disliking a casual encounter with puppies, bunnies,…

WHENEVER PEACOCK ADDS new classic wrestling content to its WWE section, you’d better believe that like many of you, I’m among the first in line to devour it. And Peacock didn’t disappoint last December, with the addition of ten vintage episodes of WWF Championship Wrestling from the first four months of 1980. There are several things to recommend in the new offerings, including some early matches from a rookie managed by Fred Blassie known as “The Incredible” Hulk Hogan, some rare WWF appearances by Ox Baker, and a priceless match between Baron Mikel Scicluna and Rene Goulet that’s far more entertaining than it should be. But, by far, the main reason to check out these episodes is that they spotlight the explosive feud between Bruno Sammartino and his former protege…