Pro Wrestling Illustrated February 2022

IT’S WORTH POINTING out that, at least for some readers of this magazine, our digital offerings are an afterthought. I don’t bring this up as a slight to the digital version of our magazine—available for Kindle, on Zinio, and on our mobile app (iPhone and Google Play)—but to underline the fact that print media still means a whole lot to many individuals. And I know, because I’m one of them. Yes, I’m the guy who insists on holding a pulpy book in his hands, who still buys albums on vinyl, and who likes to own Blu-Ray versions of his favorite movies and TV shows. For myself and many folks like me, there will always be a place for print media and tangible, physical objects. However, I’m technically a millennial—albeit, an elder millennial.…

WRESTLE UNIVERSE The venues of Tokyo and Osaka are a world away from the flat screens and laptops of Anytown, U.S.A., but the shared ubiquity of streaming technology and wrestling action ensures that wrestling fans everywhere can experience the unique spectacle of puroresu. Newbies can easily get acquainted with the scene in Japan through YouTube, but a far more immersive experience awaits via WRESTLE UNIVERSE—a streaming service offered by CyberFight, the parent company of DDT Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH. Although WRESTLE UNIVERSE has been around in different incarnations since 2017, the service was overhauled and relaunched in October 2021, offering a substantial library of content for less than nine dollars per month. Featuring live streams and archived shows from DDT, NOAH, Tokyo Joshi Pro, and Ganbare, WRESTLE UNIVERSE is a…

IS RING OF Honor dead … or not? The pioneering wrestling company announced it would go on hiatus at the end of the year and recalibrate in April 2022. Immediately after that tweet was posted on October 27, the overall reaction rushed to one conclusion: This is a sad ending to a once-great company, and that a spring reboot, if it happens, cannot possibly recapture the momentum ROH squandered away. The obituaries have been harsh, indeed. But has ROH really tapped out, or simply rolled out of the ring to catch a breather? Let’s take ROH’s original announcement at its word: “We now find ourselves at a time where we need to make changes to our business operations and are planning a pivot for Ring of Honor, with a new mission and…

SIX DECADES AFTER he first suited up, Spider-Man is still going strong, with two new movies on the way. Much of that popularity is owed to his enemies, who make up some of the most colorful supervillains in comic book folklore. In retrospect, maybe that’s why Brad Armstrong’s Spidey-inspired “Arachnaman” gimmick never took off—he just didn’t have the right opponents. Listen, bud, this edition of “Quick Count” is dedicated to the bad guys of the Spider-verse: Being caught, just like flies, since 1962. MYSTERIO The sheer notion of Dominik Mysterio turning on his father is enough to turn the stomach of many a WWE fan. But Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio may be the best wrestling match that none of us want to see. Now in the twilight of his hall-of-fame career, Rey Mysterio’s…

IT’S AT THIS time of the rolling year that we look ahead to the future, hoping for better things in the months to come, and thinking about what we might change if only we had the chance. And, because I’d never dream of subjecting you, dear reader, to my own personal aspirations for 2022 (after all, in this age of social media, how many “New Year, New Me!” posts can one be expected to read?), I’ll instead focus my attention on what I’d like to see happen in the sport we all love. And so, I present to you my 2022 New Year’s resolutions for pro wrestling … UNDERTAKER IN WWE’S HOF I’ll start off with the one that’s by far the most likely to actually happen in 2022, which is the…

VINCE MCMAHON IS out of touch. He’s the new Verne Gagne. His competition is the cool alternative. His superstars are defecting. His company is in peril. I’ve been hearing those kinds of comments over the past couple of years. I remember vividly when those statements were being made in 1997. In the fall of that year, the PWI offices received calls from inside sources suggesting the WWF was on the verge of bankruptcy. It was even worse than what the newsletters were reporting at the time. Bret Hart’s contract was up for renegotiation and WCW would certainly make a larger offer. Monday Nitro was amid its 83-week ratings winning streak against Monday Night Raw. The outlook was bleak. Thank goodness, no company’s survival is at stake in 2021. Modern-day WWE is much stronger…