Table of contents for November 2022 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated

ONCE AGAIN, IT is time to share the results of the annual “PWI Readers’ Poll.” While this column isn’t a large enough space to offer too much bigpicture analysis—don’t worry, there’s plenty of that awaiting you in the “Poll” section itself—it feels worth revisiting the purpose of this annual undertaking before diving in to the pages ahead. As Stu Saks used to say, the “PWI Poll” is more of a snapshot of a fleeting moment in time than it is a definitive record. Less celebrated and far less glamorous than our year-end Achievement Awards, the “Poll” is arguably just as useful in documenting a particular period in professional wrestling. That’s because we’re asking the masses to weigh in on the current state of the industry and its myriad important figures…

IN THIS INTERVIEW, Eddie Kingston talks about how one of the things that drew him to Extreme Championship Wrestling as a fan was its realistic nature—the fact that he “grew up with a lot of guys” who reminded him of gritty characters like Tommy Dreamer, Raven, and New Jack. There’s a good chance that you grew up with an Eddie Kingston in your neighborhood, too. Maybe he was the guy who would drink at the bar while still wearing his mechanic’s uniform—covered in grease stains from a hard day’s work. Maybe he was the loner in high school, who rarely spoke up except to protect you from the school bully. Or maybe he was your dad. The archetype is a timeless one: an honorable man with some bad habits and…

“THE BEST-LAID SCHEMES o’ Mice an’ Men /Gang aft agley (Go often awry).” So wrote the great Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1785. These words ring true for Killer Kelly, who, over the last several years, has watched solid plans crumble again and again due to circumstances beyond her control. And yet, she remains resilient. In July 2022, as Lisbon’s top grappling export begins her twice-postponed run in IMPACT Wrestling, she’s optimistic that her fortunes have begun to turn. “I never got that time to come out of my shell and show people what I got,” said Kelly, reflecting on her past work in promotions like NXT U.K. “I feel like the spotlight is on me [in IMPACT], and I can finally show everyone what the original Killer Kelly was…

INTRODUCTION TO NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING ENGLISH With an ever-burgeoning following throughout Europe and North America, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has wisely expanded access to its in-ring product. Thanks to wrestling’s transcendent, universal method of storytelling—along with regular English commentary and subtitles—many fans beyond the shores of Japan have found it easy enough to explore NJPW’s contributions to the rich fabric of the genre. But, for those who seek an even better understanding of the product, the company seeks to bridge the language barrier with the book Introuction to New Japan Pro-Wrestling English (or NJPW English, for short). Available via the TOKON SHOP Global website, NJPW English was ostensibly developed as a way to introduce Japanese fans to English-language terms and concepts. Somewhere along the way, the notion that English speakers might…

LAST YEAR, OUR annual Pro Wrestling Illustrated poll was open to all readers of our magazine for the very first time. Once reserved exclusively for journalists and industry insiders, the “PWI Poll” has evolved into an annual tradition open to fans, pundits, and performers alike. In keeping with that tradition, we’ve specifically invited various wrestlers, journalists, and content creators to take part. Think of it as a sort of midway “State Of The Industry” report before our annual Achievement Awards in the April issue. Once again, PWI’s Al Castle and Kristen Ashly have taken great pains to compile the results and pen the detailed analysis that follows. 1. WHO IS, POUND FOR POUND, THE BEST WRESTLER IN THE WORLD? AJ STYLES 11% KAZUCHIKA OKADA 9% BRYAN DANIELSON 8% OTHERS 72%…

ON JUNE 12, 2022, the Saitama Super Arena was truly in Japanese summer matsuri (festival) mode. Thousands of spectators gathered at the celebrated venue, where they were treated to a summer street festival atmosphere with plenty of games, food, and vendors. The single-day wrestling event boasted an outdoor space featuring multiple booths prior to doors opening (and even included some streetfighting). NOAH Vice President Naomichi Marufuji, recently sidelined by knee surgery, was seen among the festival-goers. He also may or may not have doled out a chop or two at the Miyako Matsumoto Event Space! The focal point of the day’s festivities, though, would be a 14-match supercard. In addition to top wrestlers from its four promotions, CyberFight Festival 2022 boasted over-the-top entrances with dance troupes, new costumes, live musical performances,…

Mike Verna, “Man Of Steel,” is lying facedown a short distance from me, with about a baker’s dozen of acupuncture needles in his lower back, and they’re hooked up to a PENS unit. He’s getting carefully regulated electrical shocks into the area that’s bothering him most today, under a red UV light. It looks like a ’60s sci-fi concept for what medicine of the 2020s would be like. On Monday, May 2, Mike Verna’s car was hit: precisely where he was sitting in the driver’s seat and nowhere else. The other driver was going the wrong way on the Triborough Bridge. Verna’s whole body crumpled and compressed with the impact. “It’s gonna be alarming to see how much damage I’ve done to my body over the years.” He explains to…

FOR THE FIRST five years of her career, she proved herself a real “Woman Of The World” by competing for more than 20 promotions across Japan. In October 2020, Natsupoi entered Stardom full-time and revealed herself as the newest member of Donna Del Mondo. Using her plethora of experience, she has helped elevate the group to its current level of dominance and established herself as a threat both in singles and tag team competition—distinguishing herself from her teammates with her considerable speed and agility. Hot off a celebrated two-match series with Tam Nakano, including a stellar cagematch with match-of-theyear potential, the 27-year-old Yokahama native put the world on notice … and gave PWI a look into her personal life and wrestling aspirations. ASHLY: Since you often work as part of…

IS THE FIVE-DECADE career of Vincent Kennedy McMahon reaching its end? Following a June 15 Wall Street Journal story that McMahon had paid a 41-year-old female employee approximately $3-million to remain silent about a physical relationship between the two, McMahon stepped down as WWE Chairman and CEO to allow the company’s board of directors to investigate the matter. While all initial reports suggested the relationship was consensual, the more pressing question was whether McMahon has fostered a culture of sexual harassment in the workplace. The Wall Street Journal stated the female employee had signed a nondisclosure agreement, and there were additional NDAs involving McMahon, more women, and Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis. Bruce Prichard has since replaced Laurinaitis in that position, at least temporarily. Another story ran in the…

VINCE McMAHON’S ALLEGED inappropriate relationship with a 41-year-old female employee—a scandal that has expanded to include fellow WWE executive John Laurinaitis—seems ripped from the headlines of 1986 or 1992, not 2022. We’ve been spoiled over the past decade, with the epidemic of premature deaths, steroid trials, and intra-WWE sexual misconduct allegations being distant memories. The good news is the latest McMahon scandal seems like a throwback—something not characteristic of today’s wrestling industry. The irony is that McMahon, who is blamed for many scandals of the modern era, is also responsible for sports entertainment’s cleaner image over the past 10 years: The Wellness Program implemented after the Benoit family tragedy, the pursuit of a PG rating, and the corporatization of WWE have all improved the culture of the business. McMahon’s policy…

EVERYWHERE … THEN RARELY THERE The important question leading up to the Roman Reigns-Brock Lesnar world-title unification bout at WrestleMania 38 was this: Can WWE function as effectively with only one world champion? Now, we have a new question: Can WWE function as effectively with no world champion? The ratings are formulating a surprising answer: Yes. Reigns renegotiated the terms of his WWE contract, meaning he would be working fewer dates after ’Mania. As a result, his appearances have become more important. And, somehow, his specter looms larger over both shows, with The Usos and special counsel Paul Heyman advancing the Bloodline story in his absence. The Usos have done so in spectacular fashion, as demonstrated by their incredible Undisputed tag team title defense against Street Profits at Money in…

FULL RESULTS: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI HASHI defeated Aaron Solo & QT Marshall … Lance Archer pinned Nick Comoroto … Keith Lee & Shane Strickland beat El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru … Max Caster & Austin, Billy, & Colten Gunn defeated Alex Coughlin, The DKC, Kevin Knight, & Yuya Uemura … Chris Jericho, Minoru Suzuki, & Sammy Guevara defeated Eddie Kingston, Shota Umino, & Wheeler YUTA … ROH tag team champions Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood beat Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta and IWGP tag team champions Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb in a winner-takeall match to become IWGP tag champs … PAC defeated Clark Connors, Malakai Black, and Miro in a four-way to become the inaugural AEW All-Atlantic champion … Darby Allin, Shingo Takagi, & Sting beat Matt & Nick…

JULY 1 WAS Canada Day, and I can humbly say that the local Canadian scene has never been blooming as much as it is right now. Let’s start with the Matt Falco story. The Saint-Casimir native has been wrestling for close to 20 years now, mainly throughout the province of Quebec. At 6’5” and 220 pounds, he’s considered a giant on the independent scene. And still, Falco, who just turned 35, has never had the same opportunities as some of his fellow workers such as Marko Estrada, “Speedball” Mike Bailey, and Matt Angel. All that changed in a matter of eight days. On June 18, NSPW was promoting its biggest show of the year, Golden Opportunity 12. In the main event, Falco defeated longtime NSPW champion Angel in front 1,354…

BILLY DIXON’S PRO Wrestling Vibe—a promotion that seeks to spotlight LGBTQ+ wrestlers, wrestlers of color, and other traditionally underrepresented groups within the sport—recently presented its biggest undertaking to date. On January 16 and 17 at the Knights of Columbus in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, the ambitious indie put on a high-stakes two-night event, dubbed “Pride & Vibe.” Night two featured the latest edition of Dixon’s celebrated “Paris Is Bumping” show, which blends elements of ballroom culture with professional wrestling. Night one, which is documented here, saw the return of last year’s influential Cassandro Cup (named for the legendary exotico), which this year took the form of a rumble-style battle royal. The main event of the six-bout card would be a brutal “I Quit” match between Dixon and heated rival…

HEAVYWEIGHT 1 JON MOXLEY 234, Cincinnati, OH (7) Interim AEW champion 2 ROMAN REIGNS 265, Pensacola, FL (2) WWE Undisputed champion 3 JAY WHITE 220, Auckland, NZ (–) IWGP World champion 4 SATOSHI KOJIMA 238, Tokyo, Japan (–) GHC heavyweight champion 5 JOSH ALEXANDER 240, Bolton, ON (4) IMPACT World champion 6 WARDLOW 267, Cleveland, OH (–) AEW TNT champion 7 TREVOR MURDOCH 241, St. Louis, MO (–) NWA World champion 8 JONATHAN GRESHAM 175, Atlanta, GA (6) ROH World champion 9 ALEX HAMMERSTONE 251, Phoenix, AZ (8) MLW World champion 10 SUWAMA 265, Kanagawa, Japan (–) Triple Crown champion WOMEN 1 BIANCA BELAIR 165, Knoxville, TN (1) Raw Women’s champion 2 THUNDER ROSA 119, Tijuana, Mexico (4) AEW Women’s champion 3 LIV MORGAN 117, Elmwood Park, NJ (–) Smackdown…