Search Results: "illustrated"

NEWS

They’re Back: Full Details Of Ring Of Honor TV Relaunch, Including Return Date

February 16, 2023

Welcome back. The advent of online streaming has changed the way wrestling world. With internet based options, fans are now able to see so much more content than ever before. It has been a total breakthrough for all kinds of promotions and wrestlers, many of which have thrived with new platforms. It can mean something when a new web series gets to air and that is going to be the case again soon. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: He Will Be Missed: Wrestling World Pays Tribute To Jerry Jarrett Ring Of Honor owner Tony Khan has announced new details on the returning Ring Of Honor television series. In an interview with Busted Open Radio, Khan revealed that the first tapings will take place on February 25 and 26 in Orlando with tickets going on sale this week. In addition, when speaking to Sports Illustrated, Khan revealed that the show will be airing on March 2 on HonorClub. Ring Of Honor has some great talent available. Check out what they can do: [This post contains video, click to play] [T..

NEWS

WATCH: Vickie Guerrero On The Accidental Origins Of “EXCUSE ME!”

December 8, 2022

Something out of nothing. There are all kinds of ways for a wrestler to make a connection with the crowd and one of the most effective is a catchphrase. Someone saying something that the fans instantly recognize is one of those things that will work almost every time. No matter what else is being said, you know who is speaking every time. Now we know a bit more about how one of the best known modern catchphrases came about. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Maybe Later? WWE Reportedly Canceled Battle Of Wrestling Families Vickie Guerrero was recently interviewed by Pro Wrestling Illustrated and spoke about the origin of her “Excuse Me” catchphrase. Guerrero explained that one night she was scheduled to do a promo but specifics were changed several times throughout the day. As a result, Guerrero was a bit shaken and as the fans began jeering her, she eventually yelled EXCUSE ME. The WWE writers continues using in it her promos and it became her catchphrase. Guerrero has done a lot over the year..

NEWS

Current Wrestling Star Announces He Is Battling Cancer

December 7, 2022

That’s terrible. Wrestlers have all kinds problems to deal with on a day to day basis and you never know how things are going to go with their careers. At the same time, there are other issues that can come up outside of the ring which can be far more devastating. Now a young star has revealed a horrible situation, but things might already be taking a step in the right direction. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: In Name Only: Vince McMahon Mentioned On WWE TV Again During an interview with Sports Illustrated, major League Wrestling’s Richard Holliday revealed that he is undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Holliday, 30 years old, said that he began experiencing various health issues over the summer and was diagnosed in September. He promised to fight the disease and to return to the ring when he is able. Holliday last wrestled on June 23 and is a former MLW Tag Team Champion. Holliday has all of the tools. Check out what he can do in the ring: [This post contains video, click to play..

NEWS

Put It On The Resume: WWE Team Tops PWI’s Tag Team 100 List

December 6, 2022

That’s an honor. There are all kinds of tag teams in the wrestling world today and some of them are among the most successful teams in a long time. It can mean a lot for a promotion to have a successful tag team division and it can make for some great moments when the best teams are out there. Now we are seeing one such team get some high praise throughout the industry. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: Braun Strowman Gets Slapped Hard During WWE Dark Match Pro Wrestling Illustrated has announced that the Usos are named #1 on the Tag Team 100 list. This is the third year that the magazine has released a tag team list, though the two previous editions only featured 50 teams each. The Usos’ previous high mark was the #4 spot in the 2021 edition. They have held the SmackDown Tag Team Titles since July 2021 and added the Raw Tag Team Titles in May 2022. NEW ISSUE: The latest PWI features our 2022 #TagTeam100 ranking, topped by the trailblazing @WWEUsos! (?: @kimberlasskick) PLUS: @ReyFenix..

NEWS

Surprise Name Tops Annual PWI Women’s 150 List

October 28, 2022

She’s #1! One of the most common things that you see among wrestling fans is a discussion of the best wrestlers. At one point or another, every fan has debated something about wrestling, often over who the best is at any given thing. You occasionally get something official, or in this case something close to it, as a wrestler has won a rather prestigious award. Pro Wrestling Illustrated has released its annual PWI Women’s 150, ranking the top 150 female wrestlers in the world over the period of October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022. the award is based on a mixture of success, influence, in-ring ability, competition and more. The list has been released since 2008 and this is the first time that a woman from a non-North American promotion has ranked #1. Here is the top ten: 1. Syuri (Stardom) 2. Bianca Belair (WWE) 3. Thunder Rosa (AEW) 4. Becky Lynch (WWE) 5. Jade Cargill (AEW) 6. Jordynne Grace (Impact Wrestling) 7. Saya Kamitani (Stardom) 8. Charlotte Flair (WWE) 9. Starlight Kid (St..

NEWS

Homecoming? WWE Working To Bring Back Naomi And Sasha Banks

July 29, 2022

A hope spot? There have been all kinds of changes throughout WWE over the last few months and one of the biggest on-screen changes took place when Naomi and Sasha Banks walked out. The two left the company despite being the reigning Women’s Tag Team Champions, which shook things up in multiple ways. However, the shakeup might be about to be unshook. According to Dave Meltzer on the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast, WWE is working to bring Banks and Naomi back to the company. This comes after Vince McMahon retired earlier this month and the new regime wants to bring them back. There is no word on if Naomi and/or Banks are interested in returning to the company. Banks and Naomi walked out on the May 16 Monday Night Raw. Opinion: This is something that shouldn’t be a major surprise as Belair and Naomi are both rather talented, but there are going to be some changes needed. I’m not sure if this is actually going to work in the end, but at least there is an effort being made. That being s..

NEWS

WOO! Big Change Made To Ric Flair’s Final Match Next Month

June 21, 2022

Make it bigger for Flair. There have been a lot of wrestlers over the history of the business but only a few of them have reached the top level. Those wrestlers are among the biggest names in the history of the industry and some of them are still top names today. One of them is going to be wrapping up his legendary career soon, but it is going to be in front of even more people. Ric Flair is scheduled to wrestle his final match on July 31 in Nashville, Tennessee. However, as confirmed by Sports Illustrated, the venue will not be moved from the Nashville Fairgrounds to the larger Nashville Municipal Auditorium. The move comes after a demand for tickets, with the new venue holding about seven thousand seats. Flair’s opponent has yet to be confirmed. Opinion: I’m still not sure what is going on with the match but I’m still not sure if I want to actually see the thing. There is certainly an audience for the match, though it is going to be one of those things that is a bit hard to watch. ..

NEWS

You Might Have To Wait Even Longer To See Roman Reigns Defend The WWE Title

June 9, 2022

Try again later. WWE has a lot of talented wrestlers on their roster but it is clear that Roman Reigns is the top star in the company and has been for a very long time now. Reigns is rapidly closing in on two years as Universal Champion, which will put him on a very short list of all time title runs. WWE has found a new way to extend that time and now you are seeing it again. According to both Sports Illustrated and F4WOnline.com, Reigns is no longer scheduled to wrestle at Money In The Bank on July 2. While a Reigns match had not been announced, Riddle had said that he was coming after Reigns, starting this week on SmackDown. It is not clear when Reigns will wrestle again. He has not defended his title since WrestleMania 38 on April 3. Opinion: This is the kind of thing that frustrates me about WWE. I understand that Reigns is on a new contract that allows him to do things like this, but that doesn’t mean it is a good idea. Assuming Reigns defends the title at Summerslam on July 30,..

NEWS

Seth Rollins Calls Three Hour Monday Night Raw’s “Obnoxiously Long”

April 8, 2022

He sounds on to something. WWE has been the biggest wrestling promotion in the world for a very long time now and some of that has been due to their television shows. Monday Night Raw debuted in 1993 and SmackDown debuted in 1999. The two shows have dominated the wrestling landscape for so long, though they are also on for a good amount of time every week. One prominent WWE star seems to think that it might be a bit too much. Monday Night Raw’s Seth Rollins appeared on the Sports Illustrated media podcast and discussed the lengths of Monday Night Raw and WrestleMania. Rollins said that he feels a three hour edition of Monday Night Raw every week is “obnoxiously long” as WWE has to come up with ways to fill it each time. He called two hours the “beautiful kind of number for a wrestling show” as three hours is a lot to ask from the fans every week. Rollins also spoke about a seven hour WrestleMania being too long, citing WrestleMania 35 going until after midnight being too long. Instead..

NEWS

Wrestling Legend Receives Very Special Award

March 7, 2022

I think he has earned it. Wrestling is a unique sport compared to its mainstream counterparts, as the accomplishments that wrestlers win are predetermined. In addition, the wrestlers are not permanent champions as they will lose any titles they win to someone else. There is very little that is seen as a true lifetime achievement but one legend has earned one of his own. As revealed on Twitter, Terry Funk has officially received the Stanley Weston Lifetime Achievement Award from Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Funk was presented with the award by his friend Manny Fernandez. Funk began wrestling in 1965 and wrestled his last match in 2017. He has been living in an assisted living facility in recent months due to having troubles with his memory. IMG Credit: Brian Solomon’s Twitter Opinion: Funk is one of those all time legends that would have only worked in professional wrestling. It is great to see him getting this kind of recognition, but at the same time it is sad to see what has happened..

NEWS

Important Detail On Cody And Brandi Rhodes’ Wrestling Future

February 17, 2022

Not so fast? There have been some big wrestling stories over the course of the week, but perhaps the most surprising has been Cody and Brandi Rhodes leaving AEW. Cody helped found the company and Brandi was an executive, but now both of them are out the door. This has led to some speculation about where they are heading, but we might know a bit more about one of them. According to Sports Illustrated, Brandi will not be joining Cody in WWE, assuming Cody goes there as well. There is no word on where Brandi will go, or if she will continue to wrestle elsewhere. Brandi served as a ring announcer during her time in WWE, under the name of Eden Stiles, though she never wrestled a match for the company. Cody has been in talks to make a WWE return but nothing has been made official. Opinion: I’m not sure if this is the biggest surprise, as while Brandi has been in WWE, she was never a character or anything more than a ring announcer. Now that she has become a television character and a wrest..

NEWS

Keep On Going: Lita Reveals Her Future WWE Plans

February 16, 2022

It’s not on the cards. We are in the middle of WWE’s busiest season as the company is on the Road to WrestleMania 38. That means there is a lot of work to be done as WWE tries to get ready for their biggest shows of the year. Some of those adjustments involve a lot of work but WWE tends to know how to pull them off. In this case, it means wrapping up a story for a certain visiting legend. Lita made her return to WWE back at the Royal Rumble in January. The following week on Monday Night Raw, she challenged Becky Lynch for a Raw Women’s Title match at Elimination Chamber, which has since been made official. During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Lita revealed that there are currently no plans for her to continue with WWE after the match. There is still a chance for that to change though. Opinion: I’m not entirely surprised by this, as I don’t think Lita was exactly a heavy favorite to take the title from Lynch. That doesn’t leave Lita with much to do at WrestleMania or beyond, s..

NEWS

AEW Dominates 2021 PWI Awards, WWE Nearly Shut Out

January 14, 2022

They have earned it. There are only a handful of awards for wrestlers to win, which makes them that much more prestigious. It makes for some interesting discussions year to year, as fans are always going to debate the best at any given point. Some wrestlers are going to stand out more than others, and this time around, the fans have been allowed to give their input on the best around. Pro Wrestling Illustrated has released its annual awards issue, looking at the Best Of 2021. AEW dominated the major awards, sweeping almost everything from WWE. These awards are fan voted, The only award that WWE won was the Inspirational Wrestler of the Year, which went to Edge. Here are the major winners, along with some comments from the biggest winner Wrestler of the Year – Kenny Omega Tag Team of the Year – Young Bucks Match of the Year – Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa – St. Patrick’s Day Slam Feud of the Year – Chris Jericho vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman Most Popular Wrestler of the Year – CM Punk Mos..

NEWS

Here’s What Was Originally Planned For The WWE Title At Day One

January 6, 2022

What could have been. Last weekend, WWE presented its first ever Day One event, marking what might be a new tradition for the company. The show did have a big card, but it was not the one that was originally advertised. The announced main event of Universal Champion Roman Reigns defending against Brock Lesnar did not happen due to Reigns contracting the Coronavirus. Lesnar wound up winning the WWE Title instead after being inserted into the match. Now we might know what was coming before the change. According to Dave Meltzer in an article for Sports Illustrated, the original plans for the WWE Title match at Day One would have called for Seth Rollins to win the title. There is no word on what would have been next for Rollins after he won the championship. In addition, the Reigns vs. Lesnar match would have featured Paul Heyman officially siding with Lesnar, which wound up taking place two days later on Monday Night Raw instead. It was a busy night. Check out how the match went down an..

NEWS

AEW Dominates This Year’s PWI Tag Team 50 List

December 2, 2021

Add it to the trophy case. Tag teams have an interesting place in wrestling history, as it has been big in just about every promotion outside of WWE. Other promotions have emphasized it more over the years and as a result, WWE teams may not be as recognized as some others. That was the case again this year as another promotion has won a prestigious honor. Pro Wrestling Illustrated has announced that the Young Bucks have topped the PWI Tag Team 50 list. This is the second year that the list has been released and the second year in a row that an AEW team has been on top, following FTR last year. The Young Bucks were also on last year’s list at #11. The only WWE team in the top five was the Usos, who came in at #4 and were unranked last year due to Jimmy Uso’s knee injury. Here is the top 5: 1. The Young Bucks 2. Lucha Bros 3. Dangerous Tekkers 4. The Usos 5. ALK (Giulia & Syuri) Congratulations to Matt & Nick Jackson, The Young Bucks, for ranking #1 in the second annual PWI #TagTeam50..

NEWS

WATCH: Becky Lynch Says She And Charlotte No Longer Speak, Talks Backstage Incident

November 12, 2021

It’s becoming a thing. While the storylines that you see on a wrestling show are written in advance, you will occasionally see real life issues spill over onto the show. That can make for some rather intense moments, but it also has fans wondering whether what they are seeing is real or scripted. That might be the case again in WWE, as a big match with a personal story is coming. Last month, Becky Lynch and Charlotte had a backstage incident after a SmackDown segment involving a trade of the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Titles. The two argued backstage, with Lynch standing up for herself when she felt that Charlotte had disrespected her. This has been discussed since, and now Lynch herself is being asked about what happened. Lynch was interviewed by the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast and was asked about her relationship with Charlotte. In response, Lynch said that she and Charlotte do not speak anymore. She also spoke about how the locker room needed a hero and Lynch is fine if that i..

NEWS

Big International Star Becoming Free Agent Soon

November 10, 2021

Back on the market. The wrestling world has changed a lot in recent years and that does not seem to be letting up anytime soon. There are so many places for a wrestler to go around the world and now almost anyone can see them at almost anytime. It can be interesting when you see a wrestler getting a chance to hit the open market and that will be the case again soon. New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Juice Robinson spoke with Sports Illustrated and revealed that his contract with the company is expiring in February, making him a free agent. Robinson is hoping to reignite his singles career before his deal expires, as he has mainly been teaming with David Finlay as FinJuice. There is no word on where Robinson plans to sign next after his contract expires. Robinson could be a player in a lot of places. Check out some of his time in the ring around the world: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opini..

NEWS

WWE’s Bianca Belair Top Special First Time Ever List

October 22, 2021

That is quite the honor. WWE women’s wrestling has come a long way in the last few years and a lot of that is due to the Women’s Revolution. After years of being treated as little more than a sideshow, women’s wrestling has become mainstream in the industry, with several female wrestlers becoming top stars in the company. Now one of the bigger names is getting some special recognition. Pro Wrestling Illustrated has announced the top five names in their annual PWI Women’s 150. The list was topped by WWE’s Bianca Belair, who won the SmackDown Women’s Title in the main event of the first night of WrestleMania 37 and held the title until Summerslam. Here is the top five: 1. Bianca Belair 2. Utami Hayashishita 3. Deonna Purrazzo 4. Britt Baker 5. Thunder Rosa The list covers the span of time from October 1, 2020 – September 30, 2021 and is based on the following criteria: • In-Ring Achievement (championships, tournaments, win-loss record) • Influence (in one’s home promotion and the ind..

NEWS

Former World Champion To Be Free Agent, Open To Offers

September 28, 2021

The field grows. We are in a different wrestling world than ever before and that means we are in for a lot of changes. For the first time in decades, there is a viable second national promotion out there to rival WWE and that means wrestlers have a new place to go. That is going to make things all the more interesting as there is a big star coming to the free agent market soon. Former Ring of Honor World Champion Rush was interviewed by Sports Illustrated and revealed that his contract expires in January, when he was open to listening to other offers. Rush is currently out of action following knee surgery in August, which will leave him out of action for eight months. There is no word on which promotions will be trying to land Rush, though he has not begun renegotiating with Ring of Honor. Rush is a heck of a star. Check out how good he really is: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opini..

NEWS

Top AEW Star Earns Major Wrestling Award For Second Time

September 8, 2021

That’s quite the honor. Thanks to the internet, there is more wrestling coverage available than most people know what to do with. That is quite the change from the old days, when magazines were about all you could find. Some of them are still around today and a few of them have quite the prestige. Now a modern champion has earned an honor for the second time in his career. Pro Wrestling Illustrated has revealed that Kenny Omega has topped their annual PWI 500 for 2020-2021. The list ranks the top 500 male wrestlers from July 2020 – June 2021, taking into account a mixture of different criteria, including success, championships and level of competition among others. This is Omega’s second time earning the honor, following his 2018 win. The rest of the list has yet to be revealed. As just announced by @AlCastlePWI on @BustedOpenRadio: Congrats to @KennyOmegamanX, who ranks #1 in the 2021 #PWI500—his second time topping the list. Preorder your copy of our 31st annual "500" issue at ht..