Pro Wrestling Illustrated November 2022

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 exhaustive…

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 use the…

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 July 8…

LONG BEFORE FANS could play out fantasy matchups on the latest WWE 2K video game release, pro wrestling “gaming” entailed rolling dice and maybe pressing play on the VCR WrestleMania board game. I still have my game cassette lying around somewhere. Peacock, if you’re interested in adding it to your collection, let me know. Of course, there were many, far more fun board games to play when I was a kid. Read on to be reminded of some of them. Do not pass “go.” Do not collect $200. OPERATION It’s hard to remember a time when so many wrestling companies lost so many top stars due to injury. Is there something in the water? Or maybe in the modern wrestling style? Just months after his momentous return to WWE, where he was clearly being…

IF YOU’RE EVER driving down Main Street in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and you pass the Burger King—the one right next to the AutoZone—just know that it’s the one where I once had lunch with John Cena 19 years ago. He ordered two Double Whoppers with cheese, a large order of fries … and a Diet Coke. I’ll never forget it. What I’ll also never forget from that day was how unassuming, down-to-earth, warm, and humble he was. What a decent person he was! A lot has changed over the years since that day … but not that. The John Cena I first got to know was a 26-year-old kid from West Newbury, Massachusetts, still literally living in his parents’ basement. Even though he was already on TV as the “Doctor Of Thuganomics”,…

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 of paying for…