Pro Wrestling Illustrated May 2021

I KNOW IT sounds almost trite to say it, but what a time to be a wrestling fan! There’s more televised grappling produced on a regular basis than most folks could reasonably watch, let alone re-watch. I’d like to think that’s why you read Pro Wrestling Illustrated: to stay informed. And, just as important, to retain that information in some kind of physical place—be that our print magazine or a digital/mobile copy. Though the concept had disappeared from these pages by the time I began freelancing for PWI, I feel the “Supercards” issue is actually a lot more relevant today than it has been in quite some time. With so many big events promoted in any given year—even, as it turns out, during a global pandemic—it can be tough to find…

REVIEWS YOU CANNOT KILL DAVID ARQUETTE For far too long, fans have regarded David Arquette’s 2000 run as WCW World champion as one of the lowest in-ring moments in the history of professional wrestling. Unfortunately, Arquette himself has internalized this trope as a personal scourge, allowing the criticism and hateful rhetoric of fans and industry insiders to determine his own happiness and self-worth. For Arquette, redemption felt long beyond reach. But, when things came full circle for him in 2019, filmmakers David Darg and Price James were on hand to chronicle it all via the documentary You Cannot Kill David Arquette. Darg and James start from the ugly beginning, recounting Arquette’s estrangement from the acting business, his struggles with substance abuse, and his failed first marriage. What emerges through the prevailing narrative is…

AMANDA HUBER SHARED intimate details of Brodie Lee’s final two months and the desperate life-or-death struggle to save her husband. In an interview with Aubrey Edwards on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Huber described how quickly a case of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis settled into Lee’s lungs, and how the fight seemed nearly insurmountable from the outset. Huber explained that Lee had reported to Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida, for that night’s Dynamite, and, although the 6’5”, 275-pound star tested negative for COVID-19, AEW’s resident physician, Dr. Michael Sampson, noted that something didn’t seem right and recommended that he return home to quarantine and rest. Lee’s temperature rose to 102.9 degrees, and his wife urged him to visit the hospital. By that time, his oxygen level had decreased to 52. A normal oxygen…

OSCAR SEASON, FOR me, typically means two things: Getting to watch a bunch of terrific movies at my local cinema, and trying to find ways to tie some of those films’ titles into an Academy Award-themed edition of “Quick Count.” While the pandemic may complicate my ability to carry out the first of those missions, I shall not be deterred from the second. The envelope, please… NEWS OF THE WORLD For nearly 40 years now, The Wrestling Observer has been the go-to source for fans and insiders hungry to learn more about the inner workings of the professional wrestling industry. As the man lifting the curtain for us to get a peek behind it, Dave Meltzer has, at times, been the most beloved figure in the business … and the most hated. But, whatever…

EVERYTHING OLD IS new again. Last year, Pro Wrestling Illustrated got into a bit of a controversy when our intrepid Editor-in-Chief Kevin McElvaney innocently tweeted which wrestling titles were officially recognized as world championships by PWI, and opened up a hornet’s nest of naysayers defending the merits of the ones we didn’t recognize. At that time, I personally stuck my neck out to say that I considered the NWA heavyweight crown to be a world title, and even went on the official This Is the NWA podcast to precariously try to defend both mine and PWI’s positions. And now, in this issue, it’s come full circle, as PWI has announced that, for the first time in 14 years, it will indeed give world title recognition to the venerable National Wrestling…

DURING A RECENT broadcast of SiriusXM’s Busted Open, Bully Ray shared a story about Arn Anderson, who had worked as an agent during The Dudley Boyz’ WWE heyday. The Dudleys were facing William Regal and Lance Storm. Anderson thought Regal hitting Ray with a running knee was a sufficient finish. “Damn, Buh Buh, if a man runs at you and kicks you in the head with his knee, you’re gonna get knocked out,” reasoned Anderson. Bully recalled bristling at the idea. That might have worked in a previous generation, but, in an era when superstars possess almost superhuman resilience, he thought that finish would make him look extraordinarily weak. With this anecdote, Bully didn’t intend to criticize Anderson, but wanted to point out that insiders could view professional wrestling quite differently. I’m from…