Table of contents for April 2023 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated

OVER THE LAST 12 months, the wrestling industry has seen countless exciting developments and unpredictable shifts. Duty-bound, we at Pro Wrestling Illustrated have done our best to provide insight for our discerning readers. We’ve often found ourselves making educated guesses about what might happen next. In 2022, that last part of the job has proven especially difficult. Writing this month’s column—just two days before we close up shop for a long Christmas weekend—I’m struck by the wealth of almost unthinkable stories we saw this year. From Cody Rhodes leaving AEW for WWE to Vince McMahon leaving his longtime role as de facto industry head, Tony Khan buying Ring of Honor to CM Punk spending all of his goodwill in a single press conference, those events are revisited in this issue.…

THE SON OF two-time former ECW champion Taz, Hook already had legacy and wisdom on his side. Add to that training by Cody Rhodes, Pat Buck, and QT Marshall, and the second-gen grappler seemed destined for greatness from the get-go. “The Cold-Hearted Handsome Devil” officially debuted in December 2021, a year after first appearing alongside Team Taz with his dad, Brian Cage, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Ricky Starks. Though grouped with a team of talented wrestlers boasting decades of experience between them, Hook had stood out among the faction and almost instantly garnered a large following of fans demanding AEW “Send Hook.” Only competing on televised AEW programming, Hook’s undefeated streak started with a win over Fuego Del Sol, then continued throughout the year with wins over the likes of Serpentico,…

OVER THE PAST few years, Moxley solidified himself as a one-of-a-kind talent with a courageous spirit inside of the ring. In 2022, however, Mox also showed fearlessness outside of the ring in a way that PWI readers found heroic enough to name him Inspirational Wrestler of the Year. In November 2021, Jon Moxley entered an inpatient alcohol treatment program to focus on getting help for his addiction—a move that required vulnerable strength from a typically stoic Mox. The decision to concentrate on recovery came at a time when Moxley was getting closer to a second reign as AEW World champion, having just defeated Ten in the first round of the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament. The circumstances made the decision even more solemn and urgent. Looking healthier and ready to…

IT’S THE KIND of feud that wrestling fans salivate over—one between two grapplers with the gift of gab and a notoriously cantankerous side. Before the bell even rang for the first match between MJF and CM Punk on Dynamite, magic had already been made on the microphone in the lead-up. The bristling barbs and serrated verbal shots the two delivered to one another gave fans everything they had been waiting to hear. But, in the end, it was MJF who figuratively drew first blood by pinning Punk that February night in Chicago. Fast forward to AEW Revolution on March 6. That night, it was Punk who evened the score, as he picked up the win in a brutal dog collar match where both men drew blood literally. Such was the…

THERE’S NO ARGUING with numbers: #1 in the PWI “500,” #1 in the “Tag Team 100,” and hundreds of days spent in possession of the top singles and tag title belts in WWE. On the strength of those numbers, nearly one-half of your ballots proclaimed The Bloodline as the top faction in wrestling for 2022. It’s not just the stats, however, that catch the eye—it’s the sheer dominance that the group displayed in racking up those accolades. With the unflinching leadership of Roman Reigns, the diehard commitment of Jimmy & Jey Uso, the stoic support of Solo Sikoa, and the er, Sami Zayn-ness of Sami Zayn, The Bloodline is more than the sum of its pretty darn special parts. Add in the Machiavellian mind of Paul Heyman and you have…

FOR MANY YEARS, fans lamented that the Roman Reigns they were getting was not the one they wanted. Well, these days, it seems like the Roman Reigns they are getting … is the one that they need. Despite a very successful career to date, Reigns has never before been selected as our Wrestler of the Year. But, then again, he has never quite had a year like the one he’s had in 2022. With huge wins over the likes of Drew McIntyre, Brock Lesnar, and Logan Paul, “The Tribal Chief” firmly separated himself from the WWE pack (and maybe every wrestler on the planet). Outside of his own matches, Reigns helped keep The Bloodline in check, despite potential rifts, and guided them to dominance in pretty much everything that they…

Antonio Inoki Scott Hall Gene LeBell Tarzan Goto Michael Jones “Darling” Pat Sherry Adam Windsor Farmer Brooks Ricky “Gladiator” Hunter Dave Hebner Tim White Candi Devine Rocky King Matilda The Hun Pepper Martin Super Muneco Donna Day Bill Ash Tony “Banger” Walsh Don West Sara Lee Howard Brody Mickie “Jay” Henson Strong Kobayashi Andrea “Angel” Micheil Ernie Moore Shooter Storm Karl Konrad Lauer Jaysin Strife Frank Krewda Arturo Rivera Markus Crane Gil Hayes Babe The Farmer’s Daughter Charlie Smith Joe D’Orazio Dan Mirade Bob Steele Mills Lane…

IF THE RUMORS are true, a set of former superstars returning to WWE—ironically, some of the names found on the company’s massive talent-release lists a couple of years ago—stand poised to reinvigorate the Raw, Smackdown, and NXT rosters in 2023. As the New Year gets underway, these wrestlers are primed, seasoned, and ready to go. Miro: The former Rusev has been missing from AEW as of late. According to Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer, AEW President Tony Khan had approached Miro about a storyline leading to Full Gear, which Miro reportedly rejected because he didn’t like the idea of taking a loss. This is setting up an awkward recurring theme in AEW—stars with an eye toward returning to WWE under the new Paul Levesque regime, unwilling to risk their market…

DESPITE SADLY BEING released at the top of her game, Rose enjoyed the best 12 months of a WWE career spanning six years. Slotted in tag competition for a majority of 2021 on the main roster—and nearly lost in the mix—Rose joined the NXT Women’s division in late-2021 and quickly ascended its ranks. Following her NXT Women’s title win over Raquel Gonzalez (Rodriguez) in October 2021, the former Tough Enough contestant spent nearly all of 2022 as champ. Rose proved to be a fighting champion, boasting 10 successful televised defenses against talent like Zoey Stark, Dakota Kai, and Alba Fyre (along with numerous defenses at NXT house shows). At September’s Worlds Collide event, Rose defeated stellar athletes Meiko Satomura and Blair Davenport to unify her title with the NXT U.K.…

IF ONE WERE to look at all the winners and runners-up in the 2022 PWI Awards, they would notice Moxley’s name mentioned more than just once. As a rugged man of the people, his win in this category was fairly easy to predict. The Ohio native spent a majority of his year as the top babyface in AEW, walking out to “Wild Thing” among thousands of screaming fans at nearly every show, where he proved to be the face of the company. In June, while CM Punk was injured, Moxley won the Interim AEW World championship at Forbidden Door. When Punk vacated the AEW World title in September, Mox defeated Bryan Danielson to become the next chosen leader, much to the delight of All Elite Wrestling enthusiasts. As a natural…

IF EVER THERE were living proof that life persists outside of WWE and AEW, then it’s Matt Cardona. Despite regular appearances for the likes of IMPACT Wrestling and the NWA, “The Broski” decided to forgo signing an exclusive contract with any one promotion and, instead, has committed his career solely to himself. From riling up fans in GCW to becoming World champion in the NWA, Cardona—with wife Chelsea Green by his side—caused a stir in all he did, with an independent spirit befitting this award. Whether it was in Nevada or Northern Ireland, Cardona was more than happy to pack his suitcase and put his considerable money where his even more considerable mouth was, no matter the size of the crowd. In his feature interview for the June issue of…

MORE THAN A few folks criticized PWI’s call to rank The Usos atop our 2022 “Tag Team 100,” telling us in no uncertain terms that another pair of tag specialists deserved that honor. And, sure enough, PWI readers have responded loudly and clearly by voting FTR as 2022 Tag Team of the Year. ROH World tag team champions, IWGP tag team champions, AAA World tag team champions … certainly, there’s no argument as to whether these “Top Guys” are a top team. And yet, the manner in which they showcased this in 2022 was truly remarkable. As Kenny Omega did the year prior, Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler made a habit of collecting title belts in multiple major promotions. From beating the best that New Japan and AAA had to…

MANAMI TOYOTA TEXT BY WALTER YEATES PHOTOS BY KOICHI YOSHIZAWA IN THE MODERN era of the internet, where diehard wrestling fans no longer have to trade spotty tapes to watch matches from other regions, it’s a shame the name Manami Toyota doesn’t get more plaudits in primarily English-speaking countries. Journalists (like myself), historians, wrestlers, and fans familiar with the history of women in the industry applaud Toyota as being the best women’s wrestler ever. However, I deem her to be a top-three wrestler of all-time … and she may even top that list. It was my pleasure to interview Manami Toyota for her PWI Lifetime Achievement Award. “It’s an exceptional honor to receive such an award,” said Toyota, chosen from a pool of thousands of professional wrestlers to receive this…

WWE MAIN ROSTER WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP N/C | Roman Reigns (Held since Aug. 2020) WWE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 01.01.22 | Brock Lesnar def. Big E [Five-way also included Bobby Lashley, Kevin Owens, and Seth Rollins] 01.29.22 | Bobby Lashley def. Brock Lesnar 02.19.22 | Brock Lesnar def. Bobby Lashley [Elimination Chamber bout also included AJ Styles, Austin Theory, Matt Riddle, and Seth Rollins] 04.03.22 | Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar [Title unified with Reigns’ Universal title] RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP 04.11.22 | Bianca Belair def. Becky Lynch SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP 05.08.22 | Ronda Rousey def. Charlotte Flair 07.02.22 | Liv Morgan def. Ronda Rousey 10.08.22 | Ronda Rousey def. Liv Morgan 12.30.22 | Charlotte Flair def. Ronda Rousey RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 01.10.22 | Alpha Academy def. RK-Bro 03.07.22 | RK-Bro def. Alpha…

Ratings are based on won-lost records for the past month, quality of opposition, and inherent skill of each wrestler or tag team. Unless submitted by promoters, ratings are compiled by a committee consisting of Kevin McElvaney, Pat Laprade, Kris Zellner, Louie Dee, Harry Burkett, Jason McVeigh, Marek Indyka (Australian ratings), Paul Pratt, and STRIGGA (cagematch.net, purolove.com). The numbers in parenthesis indicate a wrestler’s position in that category last issue. HEAVYWEIGHT 1 MJF 205, Plainview, NY (-) AEW World champion 2 ROMAN REIGNS 265, Pensacola, FL (2) WWE Undisputed champion 3 JAY WHITE 220, Auckland, NZ (3) IWGP World champion 4 HIJO DEL VIKINGO 207, Nuevo Leon, Mexico (-) AAA Mega champion 5 CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI 231, Lucerne, Switzerland (-) ROH World champion 6 YUKI YOSHIOKA 172, Gifu, Japan (9) Dragongate champion…

LAST YEAR, WE began our “Year In Review” section by acknowledging the admittedly impressive elephant in the room—All Elite Wrestling nearly sweeping our annual reader-voted awards. This year, with the WWE product having made steady improvements, there is no need for such an acknowledgment. Indeed, the “Big Two” U.S. promotions are quite evenly matched this time around, with AEW claiming winners in six different categories and WWE just narrowly taking the race with seven. In two other categories, we have winners who, while not technically under an exclusive contract, are most associated with IMPACT Wrestling. Though they didn’t bag any awards this time, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Stardom both received more votes than they have in recent years—indicating that our readers were watching (and enjoying) a wider variety of in-ring…

2021 LOOKED BLEAK for Valkyrie, then Franky Monet, who only wrestled six matches in her five active months with WWE. Fans who’d followed her decade-plus career knew the native Canadian wasn’t being used to her full potential. In November, WWE released her. But “La Wera Loca” wasted no time reminding the industry she was an extraordinary talent with plenty to offer. Taya Valkyrie hit the ground running as soon as her non-compete period ended, immediately returning to her old stomping grounds of AAA to contend for a shot at the Reina de Reinas championship. In April, the three-time former champ got her opportunity to make it an even four. Valkyrie defeated Deonna Purrazzo for the Reina de Reinas title at IMPACT’s Rebellion PPV, starting a reign that would carry through…

TO BE NAMED the most hated person in your profession is quite the dubious honor. But hey, we can’t be the nicest versions of ourselves all the time! Of course, in order to be named most hated in back-to-back years, well … you’ve got to be pretty unlikeable. With nearly one-half of the vote, our readers have deemed Maxwell Jacob Friedman to be that very person. On the surface, it’s easy to understand. MJF is entitled, he’s condescending, and he will step over anyone to get what he wants. But he’s also very, very good at what he does—which somehow makes him even more unbearable. From turning on Wardlow (perhaps the only friend he had) to disrespecting veterans like CM Punk and Jon Moxley, then holding up AEW because of…

WHEN YOU HAVE already done battle on two consecutive pay-per-views, it can be difficult to give the audience something different for a third time. But, in the case of Rhodes and Rollins, they saved the best of their series for last. Days before their scheduled June 5 Hell in a Cell match, rumors began to swirl that Cody Rhodes was quite badly injured. Despite this, WWE gave no indication that the match would be postponed. After Seth Rollins made his entrance (wearing Dusty Rhodes-esque polka dots) there was a clear air of anticipation as the Chicago crowd awaited the arrival of his opponent. When Rhodes entered the Hell in a Cell structure and removed his ring jacket, the full extent of his injury became clear. Rhodes’ upper right arm and…

AS THE HIGHEST-RANKING female talent in our Most Popular Wrestler of the Year category—and the #2 wrestler on the PWI “Women’s 150”—the Raw Women’s champion enjoyed a 2022 worthy of the “EST” label. Belair ran the Women’s division during a time when some of WWE’s biggest female stars were injured, on vacation, or otherwise sidelined. She competed in more than 100 matches throughout the year, no doubt suggesting how much WWE values her. At WrestleMania 38, Belair topped Becky Lynch at another stop in their feud to win the Raw Women’s championship. She held the title for the rest of the year, defending it against Asuka, Bayley, and other top superstars. As if being a world champ in the biggest company in wrestling wasn’t enough, Belair made the decision to…