FROM THE

DESK OF...
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PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED (ISSN: 1043-7576), Vol.

34, No. 1, 2014, is published bi-monthly, plus an
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STANLEY WESTON
Founder
(1919-2002)
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Stuart M. Saks
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Bethany Lawler
PRE-PRESS DIRECTOR
Cliff Campo
IMAGING DIRECTOR
Jeff Smith
ART DIRECTOR
Samantha Weyant
SENIOR WRITERS
David Lenker
Dan Murphy
Harry Burkett
Al Castle
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Mike Bessler Bill Meltzer
Matt Brock Elizabeth A. Hunter
Brian Solomon C.F. Hunter
Brady Hicks Gerry Strauss
Louie Dee Kevin McIlvaney
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Jennifer Orehowsky
CONTRIBUTING ARTIST
Jason Conlan
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
George Napolitano Duane Long
George Tahinos Timothy A. Walker
Steve Beyer Mike Lano
Koichi Yoshizawa Wayne McCarty
Scott Romer Buddy LaMantia
Matt Roberts Scott Finkelstein
Dan MacMillan John Smolek
Steve Argintaru
PRESIDENT
Despina McNulty
SENIOR VP FINANCE/NEW BUSINESS
Bill Siebert
SENIOR CIRCULATION DIRECTOR
David Tyler
RETAIL SERVICES DIRECTOR
Briana Coppola
ADVERTISING INFORMATION
Stu Saks
(215) 643-6385
pwi@kappapublishing.com
386-246-0114
L
ETS PUT ASIDE the on-air relationships the extended McMahon family has
with Daniel Bryan and Dixie Carter has with AJ Styles. Deep down, every boss
understands that its the people who work for you that make your business pros-
pereven if management doesnt always demonstrate that they believe this to be true.
Those of us fortunate enough to have jobs in this horrendous economy want more
from our employer than a weekly paycheck. We want some acknowledgement that when
we spend half of our waking hours behind a desk, on a garbage truck, or in a wrestling
ring, our spirit and souls need something more than a direct deposit at our local branch.
Following Ring of Honors Death Before Dishonor 11 at the Pennsylvania Na-
tional Guard Armory in Philadelphia, I went to the backstage area to seek out Adam
Cole and grab a few photos of him with his newly won heavyweight title belt. I was
confused when I couldn`t fnd Cole, nor any of the other ROH wrestlers. I did, how-
ever, hear voices on the other side of a halfway closed rollup steel door. I saw a
bunch of boots with thick legs attached in the small opening, so I knew thats where
all the wrestlers were. I debated with myself whether or not it was appropriate to
duck under the door and eavesdrop on the meeting. My curiosity won out.
The wrestlers were so engaged by a silver-haired man in a suit that no one seemed
to notice the presence of an outsider. So I listened and took mental notes. And I was
impressed. The white-collar executive holding court with an assortment of no-collar
professional wrestlers was Ring of Honor COO Joe Koff. He spoke of his respect and
admiration, of their loyalty and self-sacrifce. He offered a special thank-you to Hunter
Johnston, who until a few short years ago was known to wrestling fans as Delirious, but
is now the man whose direction impacts the ROH story on a day-to-day basis.
As he spoke, Koff`s voice choked up with emotion. In his 2 years as COO
since Sinclair Broadcasting Group purchased Ring of Honor from Cary Silkin, Koff
has become very attached to the men and women who pour themselves into every
battle with seemingly little regard for their own bodies and even less regard for the
number of bodies in the seats. Only Koff knows how committed Sinclair is to the
future of the company, but he wasnt thinking about that at this point. All he cared
about was the commitment he saw from performers in producing a show that in
many ways was superior to the best of what WWE has to offer.
After Koff spoke, others chimed in with their thoughts. Johnston, who has the
most to say before the matches, had little to offer. He was visibly embarrassed
by the praise heaped upon him by Koff, and defected the acclaim to the athletes,
some of whom had not even had a chance to decompress after their grueling
matches. A couple of wrestlers spoke of the camaraderie that existed among men
who, within the past three hours, had been trying to infict as much physical harm
on one another as can be found in a ring where honor, pride, and talent are gener-
ally the only weapons found within the ropes.
But the battles for the evening were over. In that beat-up Armory locker room,
the COO, the booker, and the talent were of one mind. They obviously care deeply
about furthering the interest of a company that prides itself on its ability to commu-
nicate its stories through action, rather than vignettes. Backstage for Ring of Honor
is not a place for cameras (or nosey reporters, for that matter). Its a place where
men who may hate each other during the course of combat can unite for a greater
cause, one where, as Johnston said, Honor is not just a catchy name, but an idea
that we value when the cameras are on or off.
Stu Saks
Publisher

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DEPARTMENTS
FROM THE DESK OF Stu Saks
BEFORE THE BELL Compiled by Mike Bessler
RINGSIDE with Harry Burkett
QUICK COUNT by Al Castle
STRAIGHT SHOOTER by Liz Hunter
WIN, LOSE, OR DRAW by Harry Burkett
THE BUSINESS PAGE by Harry Burkett
12 QUESTIONS: JAMIN OLIVENCIA
INDEPENDENT ROUND-UP by Mike Bessler
INTERNATIONAL REPORT by Dan Murphy
ARENA REPORTS
PWI CLASSIC
BETWEEN FALLS
OFFICIAL WRESTLING RATINGS
DRAWING BLOOD by Jason Conlan
FEATURES
PRESS CONFERENCE: AJ STYLES
In a business where making enemies is the norm, AJ
Styles may have made the absolute worst choice in
getting on the bad side of company president Dixie
Carter. On the other hand, it could end up being the
best thing thats ever happened to him!
MAIN EVENT MAGNUS:
TNAS BRITISH STAR IS ON THE FAST TRACK TO
WRESTLING ROYALTY
Magnus has all any promoter could look for in a main-
event star: Hes big, talented, young, and good-look-
ing. As important, he has a good head on his shoul-
ders and a great perspective on his life and craft
A COLE-OSSAL DISAPPOINTMENT:
WHY WASNT WINNING THE ROH TITLE
TOURNAMENT ENOUGH?
Just when Adam Cole seemed to have everything he
wantedthe Ring of Honor title and the respect of
everyone who watched him maneuver his way
through the ROH championship tournamenthe
inexplicably assaulted Jay Briscoe from behind and
threw it all away. Why?
THE GREAT CHARADE:
ARE PUNK & HEYMAN PLAYING US FOR FOOLS?
Call us crazy. Call us yellow journalists. Call us hacks.
But dont forget to call us when were proven right. CM
Punk and Paul Heyman are in cahoots. They are not
enemies at all. They are in the midst of a grandiose
plan that at its successful conclusion will earn them
power and riches beyond even their wildest dreams!
THE IMPENETRABLE SHIELD:
WHY THIS GROUP WILL STAY UNITED
Young as they may be, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns,
and Dean Ambrose have a wrestling IQ that surpass-
es nearly everyone in the sportand certainly those
who have failed as tandems in the past. Get used to
it: The Shield is going to be around for a while
DANIEL BRYAN: THE FANS SAY YES! WHY DO
THE McMAHONS SAY NO?
The answer isnt as clear-cut as one might think.
WWEs upper management has had a problem with
Bryan and his ilk for years. Problem is, Bryan has
proved that he is good for business, and the McMa-
hons dont take kindly to being proved wrong
THREE CHEERS FOR THE CHEERLEADER!
TWO-TIME SHIMMER CHAMP EARNS TOP SPOT IN
THE 2013 PWI FEMALE 50
Looking at her photo, youd never believe that Melis-
sa Anderson has been at this for 14 years. But look
at her in the ring, and youll wonder why she never
won this honor before!
THE SIXTH ANNUAL PWI FEMALE 50
If youre a fan of womens wrestling and youve
never heard of many of the women on this list, we
hate to say it: Youre no fan of womens wrestling.
Well, its never too late to learn
THE PWI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS 2013 BALLOT
Who shined brightest in 2013? We provide the bal-
lot; you provide the winners in 11 different categories
COVER PHOTO:
John Smolek
COVER DESIGN:
Sam Weyant
JANUARY 2014
STAY CONNECTED!
REACHING YOU
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
March 2014 (PWI Achievement
Awards). Digital edition on sale
December 26; print edition on
sale January 21
Website: pwi-online.com
REACHING US
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Letters to the editor: prowres-
tlingillustrated@yahoo.com
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Subscription Inquiries: Kappa
Publishing Group Inc., P.O. Box
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REACHING EACH OTHER
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pages/PWI/127711697289232
Twitter: twitter.com/officialpwi
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6 PWI
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CHOLARS ASSERT THAT the most accurate
understanding of the past comes not from the
mouths of armchair historians and agenda-
driven revisionism, but from primary sourcesinclud-
ing photographs, original documents, and eyewitness
testimony. Laden with primary sources and unmis-
takable reverence for the heady days of wrestlings
yesteryear, Jim Crockett Promotions: The Good Old
Days, a 3-DVD set from Ellbow Productions and
Highspots.com, offers a look at one of the most highly
regarded and celebrated organizations in the history
of the business.
With the help of Jim Crockett Sr.s
sons David and Jim Jr., flmmaker Mi-
chael Elliott presents the story of Jim
Crockett Promotions, from the elder
Crocketts early years as an enter-
tainment promoter to the organiza-
tions pinnacle of success and even-
tual decline. Along the way, some of
the most signifcant happenings in pro
wrestling are discussed, including the
ascendance of Mid-Atlantic Cham-
pionship Wrestling, the 1975 plane
crash involving some of the promo-
tions top stars, and the origin of The
Four Horsemen. Key players from the
history of Crockett Promotions pro-
vide their indispensable perspectives, including the
likes of J.J. Dillon, George South, and Paul Jones. In-
terestingly, the contributions of Jim Cornette and Ole
Anderson are perhaps the most noteworthy of this
lot, as these two men, who are notorious for bluntly
articulating what they dislike about the wrestling busi-
ness, share with candor and enthusiasm that which
they admired and appreciated most about Crockett
Promotions.
While there are many heroes in the story of Crock-
ett Promotions, there is arguably one villain, and that
comes through in the documentary. David Crockett
places the blame for the promotions ultimate demise
squarely upon the shoulders of Dusty Rhodes, who
acted as booker for the company in its fnal phase.
While other voices in the flm-most notably Ric Flair,
speaking in an excerpt from a Highspots shoot inter-
viewattempt to refute this assertion, its clear from
the general tone of this particular chapter in the tale
that hard feelings toward Rhodes run very deep to
this day.
While the narratives of some of the promotions
best-known alumni are rather intriguing, the biggest
gem in this documentary is its wealth of rare footage
from live Crockett events, which is interspersed gen-
erously throughout the flm. This color Super 8 foot-
age, flmed by wrestling fan George
Pantas, provides a unique glimpse
of the passion and energy of the pro-
motion in its heyday, shot from the
perspective of a devoted and enthu-
siastic fan. Pantas himself tells the
story of his experiences in attending
and flming these shows in a special
chapter of the DVD. In fact, additional
flm from the Pantas collection is in-
cluded among the plethora of special
features and bonus material on Discs
2 and 3.
Fans who are accustomed to bells,
whistles, and over-the-top production
may fnd this Kickstarter-funded proj-
ect a little rough around the edges.
Moreover, some interview segments become a bit
repetitive in places, and at times almost too much
attention is given to pivotal events in wrestling that
have already received extensive coverage time and
again via other forums and media. But, all in all, Jim
Crockett Promotions: The Good Old Days is a solid
and commendable example of independent flmmak-
ing. This program tells one of wrestlings most com-
plex stories with detail, warmth, and respect, thus
earning four out of fve suplexes.
COMPILED BY MIKE BESSLER
BEFORE THE BELL
JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS: THE GOOD OLD DAYS
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JANUARY/2014 7
10. WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross announces
his retirement. Asked if hell miss the experience of
working for WWE, J.R. reportedly said, If I ever get
sentimental for those days, Im sure I can count on
family and friends to insult and ridicule me in the com-
fort of my own home.
9. Adam Cole defeats Michael Elgin to become
the new Ring of Honor champion at Death Before
Dishonor 11. A hard-fought victory for sure, but dont
hold your breath on getting a congratulatory fruit bas-
ket from Kevin Steen, Mr. Cole.
8. WWE releases a new DVD retrospective of Triple-
Hs career. After previously releasing numerous other
Triple-H retrospectives in years
past, WWE is short on new mate-
rial this time around, so chapters in
this DVD collection include rather
offbeat titles such as Triple-H Eats
A Hoagie and How To Use This
DVD As A Beverage Coaster.
7. Wrestling legend Angelo
Savoldi passes away at the
age of 99. A long life, lived with
honor. We could sure use some
more guys like him.
6. Aces & Eights self-destructs,
due in part to the increased
prominence of Bully Rays gal
pal, Brooke Tessmacher. This
is probably the only situation in
which anyone would ever dare to
compare Brooke Tessmacher to
Yoko Ono.
5. The Rhodes family takes on the McMahon
family and The Shield in what has become a very
personal and emotional feud. So its the old fella,
the young hothead, and the guy in face paint vs. the
chiseled roughnecks in S.W.A.T. gear. Seems like an
even matchup, right?
4. Dixie Carter tears up AJ Styles new TNA con-
tract on live television. Almost immediately after-
ward, she was overheard moaning, Oh crapI
thought that was Hogans contract.
3. Ryback joins forces with Paul Heyman. It may
seem like a weird pairing, but they were drawn to-
gether by their mutual love for French novels and fne
cheeses. Also, they both hate
CM Punk.
2. AJ Styles defeats Magnus in
the naI match of TNA's Bound
For Glory Series. Fans who
complain about the logic behind
the BFG Series point system fail
to realize that the runner-up gets
great consolation prizes, including
Boggle Jr. and unlimited weekend
use of a 1988 Dodge Omni.
1. Triple-H strips Daniel Bryan
of the WWE championship fol-
lowing Bryans big win at Night
of Champions. Evidently, Triple-
H is unfamiliar with the old Greek
sheepherders saying, Lay a
goat on his back and you`ll fnd
four hooves pointed squarely at
your face.
WE HEARD THAT!
TALKIN TRASH
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Heres a list of the top 10 wrestling-related items youve
been talking about lately and our gut reaction to each:
You look at other companies, and every couple of
months they start to clean house. Then the herd thins
out. I think there is a certain point where you need to
reshuffe the deck. It`s a normal transition period that
is only a temporary situation.
Hulk Hogan in an interview with the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch
I should be and where I need to be in the WWE.
I love that Ive never been handed anything ever.
If I wouldve been handed things, I dont know if I
wouldve been able to enjoy it as much. Every time I
turn a corner, it seems like the rug is being taken from
underneath me. And so, its hard but you have to
deal with it and it makes me hungrier every single
day knowing that Ive scratched and clawed for ev-
erything Ive earned in this business.
Dolph Ziggler to mlive.com
I know a lot of people want to bury the company
and talk down about it, which makes no sense to me
when theyre the only competition there is out there for
WWE. I think people out there need to support not just
TNA, but all wrestling. Indy wrestling, Ring of Honor,
wrestling in my grandmas backyard wrestling, for cry-
ing out loud. Fans should support it just because if
youre a true wrestling fan, you really shouldnt give
two craps too much about the backstage politics.
Matt Morgan, discussing TNA with Raj Giri of
wrestlinginc.com
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Most people who possess an instant claim to noto-
riety and recognition wouldnt think twice about cash-
ing in, sitting back, and waiting for fame and fortune
to come their way. But for the better part of his career,
Leland Race, son of Hall of Famer Harley Race, has
worked doggedly to build his own reputation as a top-
notch grappler. When Race debuted in April 2003, he
wrestled under the name Jason Jones, keeping his true
name and lineage a secret from fans. I ended up wres-
tling as Jason Jones for 10 years, he explained. That
was always the plan, really. My dad wanted to make
sure I was capable of carrying on the name that hed
built for himself. He didnt want to disappoint the fans,
himself, or me if things didnt work out.
There was a point in Lelands life where
a future in the squared circle wasnt ex-
actly a forgone conclusion. When he was
much younger, he was less than thrilled
with some of the darker aspects of the
business. I watched my dad get beaten
up a lot as a kid, he recalled. It wasnt a
pleasant thing to see. But I eventually got
to a point where I understood it and I really
wanted to be in the business. I just wasnt
sure how.
Race found success as a teenager in am-
ateur wrestling. He was nationally ranked
while in junior high and high school, an
experience that helped to build his interest
in learning the ropes of professional wres-
tling. In addition to training at Harley Races
Wrestling Academy in Eldon, Missouri, and
with George South in Charlotte, North Car-
olina, Leland also honed his chops at Pro
Wrestling NOAHs dojo in Japan.
With my experience as an amateur
wrestler, I can really move around on the
mat, he said. But I wanted to spread my
training around so that I could start out with
a pretty diverse range of skills.
Indy fans in the Midwest and the Mid-
Atlantic regions have known Race as Jason
Jones for almost a decade now, watching
him win gold in singles competition through
World League Wrestling and Exodus Wres-
tling Alliance. Only recently did Race fnally
divulge his true identity to fans as a way of
ultimately realizing his birthright. I broke
with my group, The Black Hand Warriors,
because it was time to fulfll Leland Race,"
he said.
And while fans warmly received his an-
nouncement, some of Races peers were
less than impressed. In August, the Black
Hand faction interfered in a main event match against
Ace Steel, working Race over as revenge for turning his
back on their clique. Adding insult to injury, Steel tried to
capitalize on Races misfortune by proclaiming himself
as victor in the bout after the beatdown. Several weeks
later, Race lost to Elvis Aliaga in the fnal of a four-man
tournament to fll the vacant WLW title when Aliaga`s
Black Hand cronies, Dark Shadows and Michael Mag-
nuson, made it their business to get involved. New en-
emies and challenges are part of the business, though,
and Leland Race is determined to write a new chapter
for the Race family. I havent looked back yet, Race
says. This is my destiny.
ONE TO WATCH: LELAND RACE
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8 PWI
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These days, it seems like everyone in wrestling is
getting into the podcasting game. Some of the most
charismatic performers in wrestling are on the net
with their own shows, serving up their perspectives
on the state of the business. Colt Cabanas Art Of
Wrestling podcast has garnered critical acclaim for
its diverse guest list and entertaining repartee. Stone
Cold Steve Austin has also given it a shot, interview-
ing squared circle legends like Ric Flair along with
non-wrestling guests like rocker David Lee Roth.
At its core, the wrestling podcasting scene is a col-
orful confederation of enthusiastic fans turned citizen
journalists and do-it-yourself audio engineers. Many
wrestling fans utilize free or inexpensive services like
Spreaker or Blog Talk Radio to produce web-based con-
tent. Those who are more serious about delivering their
message to the masses invest a substantial amount of
time and resources to produce content for their shows.
I n Your Head
Wrestling, an irrev-
erent but entertain-
ing podcast started in
2005 by wrestling fans
Neal Jones and John
Howard, is an exam-
ple of how a relatively
smal l undert aki ng
grew into to a long-
running, multifaceted
endeavor. In their eight
years together, the duobetter known to their fans as
Jack E. Jones and One Inch Bicepshave recorded
and posted around 400 shows that have been down-
loaded by thousands of fans from all around the world.
Theyve interviewed scores of well-known wres-
tlers, including Shawn Michaels, Bruno Sammartino,
and Chris Jericho. Using Skype, audio mixing com-
ponents, and sound editing software, the In Your
Head guys produce live shows on a weekly basis,
hosting and promoting their podcast through their
own website, which includes a chat room, a mes-
sage board, and social media integration.
Howard, who handles many of the technical as-
pects of the show, estimates that he spends between
six and 13 hours per week working on the show. De-
spite the demands of producing original content on a
regular basis, Jones sees an intrinsic value in the ef-
forts of wrestling podcasters: It brings wrestling fans
together, he explains. We get to talk about what we
like, complain about whats silly or what doesnt work
for us, and at the end of it all, we share a love for
wrestling. Thats what its all about.
FIGHTING FARE:
WRESTLING PODCASTS
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

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OCCURS? DO YOU WANT TO FOLLOW EVERY PAY-PER-
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of results and other wrestling information in
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10 PWI
W
HILE THERE S BEEN
no further indication that
TNA could be closing in
the near future, and, in fact, rat-
ings for Impact Wrestl i ng had
risen a couple of notches in early-
fall, a sort of panic seems to have
settled in the locker room, with
bigger stars touting their WWE
prospects and lesser-known per-
sonalities simply struggling to stay
in the business.
TNA Creati ve seems to be
playing into controversies, with
TNA President Dixie Carter rip-
ping up AJ Styles contract just
weeks before his match against
World champion Bully Ray at
Bound For Glory. The working-
without-a-contract storyline capi-
talizes on the persistent rumors
that Styles could be headed for
WWE. Then again, the fact that
Carter is willing to turn the is-
sue into a storyline indicates that
Styles may be staying in TNA.
In the meantime, Internet pun-
dits continue to refresh TNAs
roster page every few minutes in
search of the latest headline. As
we go to press, Mr. Anderson and
Mickie James are off the website.
Both were written off TV as part of
ongoing storylines, with Aces &
Eights attacking and injuring An-
derson, its vice president, after he
clashed with faction President Bul-
ly Ray. James lost the Knockouts
title to ODB during a September
edition of Impact Wrestling.
It just so happens that the con-
tracts for Anderson and James
expired in September, and both
have decided to take breaks from
TNA. James, in particular, is fo-
cusing on her music career. The
nature of their departures leaves
open the possibility that either
could return with revenge in mind.
Speaking of departures, Wes
Brisco was ousted from Aces
& Eights after being pinned dur-
ing a six-man tag team match
against The Main Event Mafia.
That leaves A&E on life support,
with Bully Ray, Garett Bischoff,
Knux, Brooke Tessmacher, and
After renewing the TNA contract presented to him by General Manager Hulk
Hogan, AJ Styles sees President Dixie Carter grab it and rip up. Life and art are at
a continual crossroads in TNA.
RINGSIDE
////////////////////////////////////////////////// WITH HARRY BURKETT
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announcer Taz as the only re-
maining membersand does Taz
count as anything but an honorary
member at this point?
TNA General Manager Hulk Ho-
gan confirmed the recent departure
of his daughter, Brooke Hogan,
from the company during an inter-
view with CBS Sports Radio in St.
Louis. She switched gears on all of
us pretty quick, he said, and added
that Brooke now lives in Dallas and
is engaged to Dallas Cowboy foot-
ball player Phil Costa.
Perhaps what was more tell-
ing in the interview was Hogans
willingness to talk up WWE, which
is always a reliable gauge regard-
ing his overall relationship with
TNA. When asked about WWE
stars, Hogan seemed well aware
of the WWE product, discussing
The Bella Twins and the Real
Americans faction. In a subse-
quent interview with the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch, Hogan stated he
was still on good terms with Vince
McMahon and had some interest-
ing comments about John Cena.
Whether the fans boo him or
whether the fans cheer for him, at
the end of the day, they are loyal
to him because he is a constant,
said Hogan, who certainly has
an informed opinion on the mat-
ter. They know he will deliver. He
is going to always be
there, and he is going
to outperform anybody
el se around. I t hi nk
there is a lot of respect
involved, and whether
they like him or hate
him, they believe in him
and respect him.
I nt erest i ngl y, Ho-
gans longtime business
associate, Jimmy Hart,
stated the 60-year-old
icon may still have a
few more matches in
him. I just talked with
Hulk a few days ago
before he went up with
the Dal l as Cowboys
and did some stuff with
them, Hart said on the
PWTorch Livecast. And
his hips are doing great now, he
finally got the last operation two
months ago, he got that little gad-
get out of his back that was used
if he had pain in his back. But I
think doctors have got him where
he might be able to get in that ring
two or three more times.
Former TNA star Matt Morgan
told Between The Ropes that
he believes Hogan will return to
WWE because all involved feel
the Hulkster could interact with a
whole new crop of stars and be a
valuable personality for the WWE
Network when it finally launches.
Its well known that Morgan him-
self was unhappy with his inconsis-
tent push in TNA and has always
considered a return to WWE as a
viable option. Said the 37-year-old
Morgan, I think I would be a hell
of an addition to that roster, add-
ing some freshness and adding a
big man who could go the next five
to eight years if needed. Morgan,
who is involved a number of out-
side projects, predicts that he will
be back on national television by
the end of the year.
Morgan also discussed Kurt
Angle, who was to have returned
at Bound For Glory, and the im-
portance of placing sobriety above
all other concerns. Morgan made
a decision to get clean in 2007.
It has to come before everything,
and that included the business
You cant put a timetable on get-
ting back in the ring.
Perhaps Morgan should talk to
So Cal Val. The former Knockout
tried to put a happy face on her
TNA release in late-August, tweet-
ing: Thank u #ImpactWrestling,
the locker room & esp the fans
for 9 wonderful years. No longer
w the company. Really excited 2
see whats next!
Unfortunately for Val, up next
was a DUI arrest only a week lat-
er. According to Orange County,
Florida, arrest records, Val was
charged with driving under the in-
fluence, leaving the scene of an
accident with property damage,
and failing to yield to oncoming
traffic when making a left turn.
The incident didnt prevent Val
from attending the most recent NXT
tapings in Florida. It is rumored that
she is interested in joining WWEs
developmental program.
Departures havent been ex-
clusive to TNA, however. In a sur-
prising development, Jim Ross
and WWE parted ways when the
legendary announcers contract
came up for renewal. Good ol
J.R. announced his retirement
from WWE on September 11, of-
ficially ending his 20-year relation-
ship with the company, a tenure
that included a run as WWEs vice
president of talent relations.
Ross was believed to be in
good stead with current talent re-
lations executive Triple-H, who
assigned him to work as an advi-
sor and scout for the department.
This past year, he began to coach
and produce new announcers at
WWEs new Performance Center
in Florida.
While Ross dismisses any no-
tion of joining TNA, he admitted
having an interest in announcing
for the UFC and perhaps writing
his autobiography during a recent
Steve Austin Show podcast. De-
spite a 39-year career in the wres-
tling business, Ross said he wasnt
Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart were both inducted in
the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. I think doctors have
got him where he might be able to get in that ring two
or three more times, Hart recently said.
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12 V PWI V
willing to sit in a rocking chair and
watch the world pass by. J.R.
stated that he had only one more
dream in pro wrestling, and that
was to call The Undertakers final
match, whenever that happens.
Many i nsi ders bel i eve that
Ross fell out of favor with man-
agement after hosting a 2K Sports
video game symposium before
SummerSlam during which he
failed to control a rambling Ric
Flair. As part of a seven-person
panel including Daniel Bryan,
Dolph Ziggler, Rey Mysterio Jr.,
Paul Heyman, Steve Austin, and
Mick Foley, Flair was to have dis-
cussed his WrestleMania memo-
ries, but wound up talking about
TNA, his late son Reid Flair, and
John Cenas drinking prowess.
Flairs contract was rescinded,
and after a couple of weeks, Ross
announced his retirement.
Whether the executive level
appreciates it or not, Ross de-
parture is a blow to the company,
considering he could have been a
vital contributor to the upcoming
WWE Network. Perhaps Ross and
WWE can construct a new rela-
tionship in the near future.
Finally got Bri to say YES
Im such an overachiever. With
that simple tweet, Daniel Bryan
announced that he and Brie Bella
are engaged to be married. Most
fans didnt know that Daniel and
Brie were an item until it became
part of the ongoing reality story-
line on Total Divas.
Mark Henry might have been
in tears earlier this year regarding
his wrestling future. But the former
World champion is all smiles now,
as he has signed a three-year ex-
tension and received a pay raise.
Back in the late-1990s, who would
have ever guessed that Henry
would emerge as WWEs most du-
rable star since The Undertaker?
Do WWE executives discour-
age their talent from having home
lives? Apparently, they do, said
Ryback during an interview with
the India Times. The WWE told
me if I wanted to be the best, the
best bet was to stay single and
not start a family. Im a loner and
that is what Ive given up to be
what I am. Ive had girlfriends, but
at this point, I have to do what I
need to do.
Remember Kenny Dykstra?
That was the ring name of Ken
Doane, a former member of The
Spirit Squad who had a remark-
ably hot year as a singles star in
2007 before departing WWE in
2008. After bouncing around the
independent scene and pursuing
other interests, the 27-year-old
became a student at Nichols Col-
lege in Dudley, Massachusetts,
where hes enjoying a collegiate
football career as a tight end and
linebacker. Theres no truth to the
rumor that hes a male cheerlead-
er at the school.
Jim Ross, Ric Flair, and Jerry Lawler entertain the fans at SummerSlams Axxess,
a day before the ill-fated 2K Sports Symposium that many feel was the primary
reason J.R. is no longer with WWE.
Former Spirit Squader Ken Doane is a 27-year-old sophomore playing football for
Division III Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts.
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Id like to offer tepid congrat-
ulations to Adam Cole, who
won a tournament at Death
Before Dishonor 11 in Phila-
delphia for the vacant Ring of
Honor championship, defeating
Tommaso Ciampa in the semi-
finals and Michael Elgin in the
final. This is his greatest career
achievement so far, but Im dis-
appointed that he attacked El-
gin and former champion Jay
Briscoe after he was awarded
the title belt.
Before we part, my sincere
condol ences go out t o t he
family and friends of Angelo
Savoldi, whose in-ring career
spanned from 1937 to 1972.
Born Mario Fornini in 1914 in
Castrocielo, Italy, Fornini ad-
opted the name Angelo Savol-
di at the behest of promoter
Jack Pfeffer. Savoldi held the
NWA junior heavyweight title on
three occasions between 1958
and 1964. His greatest feud
was against Danny Hodge in
Oklahoma. That rivalry became
so intense that Hodges father
stabbed Savoldi!
He went on to become a re-
spected promoter in the North-
east and is best known for his
New Jersey-based Interna-
tional World Class Champion-
ship Wrestling promotion in the
1980s. In addition to groom-
ing sons Mario Savoldi, Tom
Savoldi, and Jumpin Joe
Savoldi for the business, Savol-
di had a hand in training future
NWA World champion Jack
Brisco and Hercules Ayala.
At age 99, Savoldi was the
oldest living former wrestler at
the time of his death on Sep-
tember 20.
Thats all for now. Save a
ringside seat for me.
MORE TNA TURMOIL? For
two consecutive issues, Ive led off
with news items regarding TNAs
turbulent environment due to recent
financial challenges and releases. I
will offer a cautionary note: Every
promotion has departures, and its
always prudent to trim costs, wheth-
er its at the expense of big-contract
stars or younger talent still making
their way. Just because TNA is re-
leasing people doesnt mean its go-
ing out of business.
HOGAN HEADED FOR
WWE? Hulk Hogan has always
made rumblings about defecting to
WWE, even back in his WCW days
when the NWO was on top of the
industry. WWE will always be his
home, no matter what his current
contract says. I think The Hulkster
simply sees his obvious future, which
is TNA letting him go due to costs.
A GOVERNMENT MULE
PUT OUT TO PASTURE. Ive
never seen an employee remain
with a company so faithfully for so
many years despite being treated
with such disrespect. Although I un-
derstand that Ross recent years in
WWE havent been so harrowing,
thats only because he was suc-
cessfully minimized and deprived
of influence. I hope he maintains an
amicable relationship with WWE
but on his own terms.
A MAN FOR THE AGES. I
was delightfully surprised that the
September 23 edition of Raw in-
cluded a tribute to Angelo Savoldi,
narrated by Vince McMahon, who
stated, They dont make em like
they used to. I tried to nail down
an interview with Savoldi as late
as September 11, but the appar-
ently the Great Matchmaker in the
Sky had bigger plans for him. God-
speed, Angelo.
NEWS ANALYSIS
Five-time NWA junior heavyweight champion Angelo Savoldi was honored
with a photo montage narrated by Vince McMahon on Raw following his
death in September at age 99.

14 PWI
G
ROWI NG UP I N t he
1980s, there were few
things as fun as playing
with my wrestling toys. Wrestling
action figures may still be hot, but
recreat i ng TV grudges t oday
would require kids to understand
the nuanced political machina-
tions of corporate executives. And
forget about squirting ketchup on
your dolls to get some color.
Just i n ti me for the hol i day
shopping season, heres a toy
themed edition of Quick Count
fun for a girl and a boy.
MASTERS OF THE
UNIVERSE
Indeed, wrestling fans have
had more than their fill of corpo-
rate suits on television as of late.
Whether its Triple-H and Stepha-
ni e McMahon i n WWE, or the
newly villainous Dixie Carter in
TNA, wrestling executives, rather
than wrestlers themselves, have
been dominating the airwaves.
For more than 15 years now,
the sinister corporate boss has
been a fixture in pro wrestling.
Enough is enough. The truth is, by
and large, fans tune into wrestling
to see tough, larger-than-life ath-
letes settle scores inside the ring,
not to watch boardroom executives
enjoy pro wrestling fantasy camp.
Instead of trying so hard to re-
create Mr. McMahon, wrestling
promoters should try to create the
next Steve Austin.
MONOPOLY
Carters groan-inducing heel
turn would seem to be the least of
TNAs problems as of lateand
that doesnt bode well for the
future of wrestling as a whole.
With TNA drastically cutting
back on expenses, and report-
edly hemorrhaging money by tak-
i ng Impact on the road, now,
more than ever, there are real
questions about what the wres-
tling landscape will look like a
year from now.
Even if TNA sticks around for
the foreseeable future, its days of
trying to compete with WWE are
seemingly over. Thats too bad,
as having a viable alternative to
WWE has hel ped keep t he
McMahon family on its toes. Its
al so gi ven some wr est l er s
options, and leverage when their
contracts are up.
If WWE learned anything from
the Monday Night War, it should
have been that some competition
really is whats best for business.
X-BOX
And if TNA headliners have
r eason t o wor r y about t hei r
careers, you can imagine how its
X division competitors feel.
Over the past year, the X divi-
sion has been the picture of wres-
tling instability. If the constant rule
changes wer en t f r ust r at i ng
enough, X competitors
had to be frustrated
watching division pio-
neer Chris Sabin win
the TNA Worl d ti tl e,
only to be treated as
an afterthought. After
losing the title in his
fi rst defense, Sabi n
returned to his previ-
ous spot in the X divi-
si on. So much f or
career advancement.
TNA can boast all it
wants about the pres-
tige of its X division
championship, but in
t r u t h , i t c a n b e
ext r emel y har d t o
move up in the cards
once a wr est l er i s
pigeonholed as an X
QUICK COUNT
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// BY AL CASTLE

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The Worlds Largest Athlete should be confronting other
professional wrestlers, not corporate executives, notes Al
Castle, who feels that both WWE and TNA have misread
their audience.

JANUARY/2014 15
division competitor. All too often,
that X can be little more than a
scarlet letter.
TRANSFORMERS
When Darren Young came out
in August as WWEs first openly
gay performer, some people wor-
ried about a change in fans reac-
tion toward Young and his Prime
Time Players partner Titus ONeal.
Indeed, there was a changea
change for the better.
Days after Young s hi stori c
announcement, the jeers for the
cocky tag team transformed into
cheers of respect and admiration.
And, boosted by their newfound
fan support, The Prime Time Play-
ers changed as well. They fought
harder, started racking up wins,
and became the top challengers
to The Shields WWE tag team
championship.
After winning a four-team elimina-
tion match at Night of Champions,
the Players fell short in their title
challenge later that evening. But
they were big winners neverthe-
lessproving that hard work and
honesty yield results, and respect.
ANGRY BIRDS
Since their WWE debut this
past summer, The Wyatt Family
has been one of the hottest acts
in all of wrestling. Theyre selling
T-shirts and plastic lamb masks.
Their promos are heralded as
some of the best in the sport.
So what are t hey so mad
about?
And, make no mistake, they
are madand in more ways than
one. Its clear that behind the
sadistic grin of its ringleader, Bray
Wyatt, lies some serious hurt.
Unfortunately, it seems the only
thing that makes him happy is to
inflict worse pain on others. His
two disciples, Erick Rowan and
Luke Harper, are all too happy to
follow his lead.
Strangely, for all their cruelty,
many f ans st i l l cheer on t he
Wyatts, respecting their aggres-
sive attitudes. But, no doubt, its
rage, and not cheers, that fuels
the Wyatts smiles.
CARE BEAR
While watching the recent DVD
rel ease The Best Of WWE At
Madison Square Garden, I was
surprised to see a familiar face.
Then agai n, i n some ways, i t
wasnt that familiar.
Years ago, wrestling bad guys
didnt come any badder than Ivan
Koloff. And so, it was peculiar
seeing The Russian Bear as a
soft-spoken, gentle old-timer smil-
ing as he recalled his fond memo-
ries of the Garden.
In truth, the once-hated Koloff,
71, is all about love these days.
Si nce 1996, he s been an
ordained Christian minister. For
the right price, young couples can
even have their wedding officiated
by the former WWWF heavy-
weight champion.
Just this past spring, Koloff
returned to the WWE fold after a
30-year absence, taking part in
WrestleMania weekend festivities
and giving interviews for the MSG
video compilation. Theres even talk
of a 2014 Hall of Fame induction.
Young fans getting their first
glimpse of him may not see anything
more than a nice old man. But, in his
day, Ivan Koloff was trouble. Just
ask Bruno Sammartino.
Ivan Koloff wraps his powerful legs around the head of WWWF champion Bruno Sammartino in a
1976 match. The Russian Bear and the Living Legend are once again involved with WWE, which
pleases Castle and older fans no end.

W
ITH YOUR REGULAR
Straight Shooter col-
umnist and facial hair
aficionado Dan Murphy tied up
wri t i ng bi os and compi l i ng
research for this years PWI
Female 50 (it seems to me like
hes just watching hours and
hours of Jessica James matches;
give it up, MurphLady Poison
isnt going to give you The Kiss of
Death, no matter how much you
beg for it), I have been asked to
fill in for this issue.
I want to talk Total Divas.
I might be breaking gender ste-
reotypes here, but I dont care
much for reality shows and Ive
never watched a second of Keep-
ing Up With The Kardashians or
any of their spawn of spinoffs.
The only time I tune in to E! is to
watch The Soup, a show that
skewers that sort of programming.
But, considering the fact that
Ive been covering wrestling for
30 years now (I started young; I
was 6), I felt obligated to tune in
to witness WWEs foray in to E!-
friendly fare.
And I got hooked.
As a rule, I havent enjoyed
WWEs attempts at reality TV, like
Tough Enough. My disdain for the
Diva Search is well-documented.
I expected Total Divas to combine
the worst elements of each of
those contestsfloozies with stars
in their eyes trying to pass them-
selves off as wrestlers so they can
become rich and famous.
Im a traditionalist. I want to
see wrestlersmale or female
make it to WWE because they
worked their way up the ladder
and l earned t hei r craf t , not
because they can sing or dance
or pitch a hissy fit on some semi-
dramatic TV show. As my mentor
Matt Brock always says: The
marquee outside says WRES-
TLING. Thats whats important.
So I went into Total Divas
expecting the worst. Now I find
myself setting the DVR each
week and stopping to watch re-
runs whenever I pass by E!,
which now happens more fre-
quently than I ever expected.
Sure, Total Divas has its share of
drama, including love interests,
backstage cattiness, professional
jealousy basically, the same
drama you find on a typical wres-
tling show. But TD doesnt shy away
from the physicality required to be a
wrestler. The cameras were rolling
when Nikki Bella was knocked off
the apron to the floor, suffering a
stress fracture of her shin. Wrestling
isnt a beauty pageant or a variety
show. Total Divas respects the art of
wrestling, and that enabled me to
respect Total Divas.
TD also introduces wrestling
and womens wrestling in particu-
larto new audiences, and thats
good for wrestling as a whole.
Female TV viewers who couldnt
care less about Triple-Hs feud
with Daniel Bryan can sink their
teeth into the rivalry between
WWE newbies and roommates
Eva Marie and JoJo, for example.
Those viewers might be willing to
16 PWI
Natalya and Brie Bella are two of the central figures on Total Divas, which guest col-
umnist Liz Hunter surprisingly finds as compelling as a wrestling match between
the two. The reality show has been such a blessing in every way, Natalya told Liz.
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THE STRAIGHT SHOOTER
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// BY LIZ HUNTER

JANUARY/2014 17
buy a ticket the next time WWE
comes to town. Dare I say, they
might even be willing to buy PRO
WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED, which is
good, because that helps keep a
roof over my head. I dont want to
wind up on a street corner holding
a sign reading Will editorialize
about wrestling for food.
The show also gives the Divas
a chance to show a little more
personality, especially since many
of them are frequently relegated
to four-minute matches and go-
nowhere backstage vignettes on
TV. After watching a few episodes
of TD, I can now tell The Bella
Twins apart. Up until now, WWE
has always presented them as
interchangeable one-dimensional
characters.
[The show] has been such a
wonderful outlet to let the Divas
shine even more, Natalya told me
in a recent conversation on Twitter.
Im so proud to show how hard we
work, in and out of the ring, and
that we are all human. It has been
such a blessing in every way.
Natti e, whose weddi ng to
Tyson Kidd was the highlight of
the first season, said Total Divas
is capturing the imagination of
new vi ewers and i ntroduci ng
them to the world of wrestling.
It definitely encourages a new
audience to check out WWE and
tune in to Raw and Smackdown,
she said. I have gained SO many
new fans since the show debuted.
It has been such a thrill to me.
Natalya also said she didnt
see any conflict between being a
pro wrestler and being a reality
TV star.
I pl an on conqueri ng the
world, she cracked. Wrestler, TV
star, I like having it all! I want to
have my cake and eat it, too
and I dont want my cake to have
any calories in it.
Maybe it seems slightly jarring
for me to be praising Total Divas in
this particular issue, one that is
dedicated to honoring wrestlings
top 50 females for their accom-
plishments in the ring. Elsewhere
in this issue, we feature Cheer-
leader Melissa and many other
women who travel the indy circuit,
wrestling in front of crowds of a
few hundred fans every weekend.
Those women arent moving into
mega-mansions with John Cena,
or having professional makeup art-
ists and stylists at their disposal
backstage. It may seem that the
world showcased on Total Divas is
completely different than the one
inhabited by those women.
But wrestling is the common
connection. Womens wrestling
has proven it can be a draw
both on its own and showcased
with frenetic edits, jump-cuts, and
back-stories on E! Total Divas is
good for womens wrestling
and its a pretty damn enjoyable
show, too.
Total Divas has given the world a unique look at the mercurial relationship between
tag team partners and roommates Eva Maria and JoJo, seen posing at the
SummerSlam Kickoff Party.
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18 PWI
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BDULLAH THE BUTCHER
carving Carlos Colons fore-
head with a foreign object.
Roddy Piper, with blood oozing from
his left ear, battering Greg Valen-
tines skull with a dog chain. Harley
Race sporting a red, white, and blue
robe and his classic mutton
chops. Angelo Mosca, clad in
a red PWI T-shirt, parading
new NWA World champion
Ric Flair around the ring on
his shoulders.
Those images seem like
only yesterday for the fans
who were around to experi-
ence Starrcade 83. Novem-
ber 24, 2013, marks the
30th anni versary of that
milestone event.
Rewatch Starrcade 83 if
you can. It really holds up as
the first supercard of the
modern era. It featured a
dual broadcast team (a rarity
in the NWA in those days) of
Bob Caudle and Gordon
Solie. It hosted globally rec-
ognized stars, including Flair,
Race, Colon, Abdullah, Rick
Steamboat, and The Great
Kabuki. And it implemented
new product i on val ues,
including poofs of smoke for
main-event entrances and an
overhead camera.
Its a far cry from Wres-
tleMania 29. But one can
recognize the natural trajectory,
starting with the first Starrcade in
Greensboro, North Carolina, and
culminating with Mania 29 in East
Rutherford, New Jersey.
It has been suggested that
Starrcade 83the brainchild of
the Crockett family and Dusty
Rhodesinspired the first Wres-
tleMania in 1985. After all, Jim
Crockett Promotions aired Starr-
cade in an impressive number of
closed-circuit locations throughout
the Mid-Atlantic, including Char-
lotte, North Carolina, and Colum-
bia and Spartanburg, South Caro-
lina. Nearly 16,000 people attend-
ed the event live at the Greens-
boro Coliseum (with a gate of
$500, 000), but a snowst orm
affected the turnout at several
other arenas, limiting the closed-
circuit attendance to a total of
30,000. While it wasnt the enor-
mous success that Jim Crockett
Jr. had sought, it was successful
enough for him to continue Starr-
cade as a Thanksgiving tradition
in subsequent years.
Most importantly, it proved that
pro wrestling could generate reve-
nue on a grand scale, merely by
expanding the universe of potential
viewers. Thats why its often said
that if it werent for Starrcade, there
wouldnt be a WrestleMania today.
That might be a stretch. The
WWF had al ready pi oneered
closed-circuit television, dating as
far back as 1976s Show-
down at Shea in Flushing,
New York. The triple main
event, which saw WWWF
champion Bruno Sammarti-
no vs. Stan Hansen and
Andre the Giant vs. boxer
Chuck Wepner, also fea-
t ur ed Ant oni o I noki vs.
Muhammad Ali in a wrestler-
vs.-boxer match via closed-
circuit television from Tokyo.
In addition, the WWF regu-
larly provided closed-circuit
television for the Felt Forum,
adjacent to Madison Square
Garden, to handle the over-
flow from its major live events.
The first instance was Sam-
martinos WWWF title defense
against Spiros Arion in 1975.
Other events included Sam-
martinos second title defense
against Superstar Billy Gra-
ham in 1976 and WWF cham-
pion Bob Backlund vs. Inter-
continental champion Magnifi-
cent Muraco in a Texas Death
Match in 1983.
Even the AWA made use
of closed-circuit TV, with the
most famous example being Hulk
Hogans near-capture of Nick Bock-
winkels World title in April 1983.
Verne Gagne had raised the ticket
prices, and most fans thought a title
change was imminent, so much so
WIN,
LOSE,
OR DRAW
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////
BY HARRY BURKETT
Riding atop the broad shoulders of Angelo Mosca, Ric
Flair celebrates his NWA World title win over Harley
Race at Starrcade 83. On the 30th anniversary of that
historic event, Harry Burkett remembers its profound
influence on the industry.

JANUARY/2014 19
the St. Paul Civic Center reached
capacity at approximately 20,000
spectators, and an overflow crowd
of an additional 5,000 fans packed
into the St. Paul Auditorium to
watch via closed-circuit. Bockwinkel
retained the championship on a
technicality, and the AWA disap-
pointed thousands of fans as a
result, an incident widely consid-
ered the beginning of the long end
for the company.
Crockett certainly wasnt the first
wrestling promoter to use CCTV
technology, but he was the first to
attempt it on a regional scale. Vin-
cent K. McMahon immediately took
notice of what Crockett was doing.
Harley Race claims that McMahon
offered him a considerable amount
of money to sign with the WWF just
before Starrcade, which would
have prevented him from dropping
the NWA title to Flair, thus ruining
the event. Four years later, McMa-
hon would create Survivor Series to
cripple Starrcade, which was ulti-
mat el y f orced t o move f rom
November to December.
And, of course, McMahon pre-
sented WrestleMania 1 on March
31, 1985, far surpassing Starr-
cade on a national scale, with 135
closed-circuit locations.
McMahons rivalry with Crock-
ett fueled his ambition. Without
Crockett and Starrcade, we d
probably still have WrestleMania,
but it probably wouldnt have hap-
pened as early as 1985.
Closed-circuit television quickly
led to pay-per-view, with fans able
to watch events from the comfort
of their own homes. The Wrestling
Classic and WrestleMania 2 were
the WWFs first two pay-per-view
events, and Crockett didnt catch
up to PPV until Starrcade 87.
Thats where professional wres-
tling has remained for over a gen-
eration. In the age of YouTube and
smart phones, pay-per-view as a
media delivery system is remark-
ably dated. Vince McMahon and
WWE CFO George Barrios have
already expressed their view that
PPV is obsolete. Yet, even though
McMahon plans to transform most
of WWEs pay-per-views into major
events for the upcoming WWE
Network, WrestleManiadue to its
mainstream appealwill continue
to air on pay-per-view as long as
its financially prudent.
Starrcades legacy is relevant
today. The notion of gearing TV
shows and angles toward one
event that potentially could be
seen by the entire fan base, rather
than emphasizing matches in local
buildings, was transformational for
the wrestling business, and it truly
began with Starrcade. It was a
five-month build, with Race win-
ning the NWA World title from Flair,
and The Brisco Brothers beating
Rick Steamboat and Jay Young-
blood for the World tag team belts,
all to set up a day of championship
glory for Flair, Steamboat and
Youngblood. Then there were the
grueling personal feuds that culmi-
nated at Starrcade, with Piper
beating U.S. champ Valentine in a
non-title dog-collar match, and
Jimmy Valiant (as the masked
Downt own Char l i e Br own)
defeating The Great Kabuki for the
NWA TV strap.
Sure, the Greensboro Coliseum
seems like a small-time gymnasium
compared to MetLife Stadium, but
we can thank Jim Crockett Jr. for
helping to make pro wrestling a big-
time phenomenon. Three decades
later, we salute you, sir!
For its glitz and pageantry, WrestleMania 29 far surpassed any event ever promoted by a WWE rival.
But, as Burkett notes, it was Starrcade that prompted Vince McMahon to come up with the
WrestleMania concept.

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A
UGUST 29 COULD well go down as the turning point in AJ Styles life. That
was the night he stood in the ring alone and spoke his heart before 1.5 mil-
lion of his closest friends. In a little over seven minutes, we learned more
about the man than we had during hundreds of TNA promos over the past 11 years.
We knew right then and there that we had to get him for Press Conference, said
Publisher Stu Saks. AJ had always been the consummate company man, always
doing what he was asked and rarely putting up a stinkcertainly not publicly.
As August turned to September, Styles did his talking in the ring, overtaking the
sizzling hot Magnus in the Bound For Glory Series to earn a World title shot at the
Bound For Glory pay-per-view, which will take place after this issue has gone to press.
Regardless of the outcome of that match, Styles had turned the heads of fans,
TNA management, and future opponents. He had found his voice and a level of
self-assuredness he probably hadnt even been aware was lacking. Being placed
on the backburner so many times has lit a fre under his butt that will not soon
be extinguished.
It has been reported that Styles contract with TNA expired during the summer
and was extended to the end of the year. Beyond that, his status is unknown.
Perhaps thats why he feels free to speak his mind as never before. Hopefully,
hell be with TNA for years to come, as, more than anybody, he represents the
identity of that company.
When Styles spoke with Saks and Senior Writers Harry Burkett and Al Castle
backstage at the Bob Carpenter Center before beating Bobby Roode at a TNA event
in Newark, Delaware, it was evident that his identity was undergoing a metamor-
phosis of sorts. He was like a whole different person than the last time we spoke,
noted Burkett. He still has the same sense of humor and value set, but there was
something about the way he carried himself that gave a totally different vibe.
PHOTOS BY LEE SOUTH/TNA WRESTLING
AJ Styles
Though hes been in the game for 15 years, AJ Styles
has lost none of the athletic skills that have brought him
his great success. Bobby Roode is among the men who
have said it is nearly impossible to anticipate the nature
and origination of AJs strikes.

Stu Saks: Its a bit hard to
gauge your mood these days. We
cant tell if youre angry or happy,
frustrated or content
AJ Styles: (Laughs) Well, Im
a complicated sort of guy. Hey, I
dont want to leave anybody with
mi xed si gnal s, whi ch i s why I
wanted to talk to you guys today.
Saks: The foor`s all yours.
Styles: No, I did my soapbox
deal on Impact. Ill just let you
guys ask the questions.
Harry Burkett: Well, to begin
with, let me congratulate you on
winning the Bound For Glory Se-
ries and earning a shot at the TNA
World championship. By the time
this issue is in our readers hands,
your title match in San Diego will
have taken place and well be able
to see even more emotions.
Styles: Positive ones, I pre-
dict. Hey, win or lose, Im grate-
ful to be working for a company
that, in spite of its president, does
at least give wrestlers a chance
to compete for their opportunities
and doesnt play politics with your
dreams. And I think you all know
what Im talking about.
Burkett: Yes! Yes! Yes!
Styles: Look, everyone knows
Ive had my differences with upper
management in TNA. I said on the
record that theyve been jerking me
around for 11 years, and that cant
be overstated. But anyone whos
ever worked anywhere can appreci-
ate where Im coming from. Manage-
ment tends to take its so-called lifers
for granted, but the moment they get
a big-time resume shoved in front of
their faces, they go all ga-ga, like a
firm hiring some exec from a For-
tune 500 company is going to vali-
date their own company. It doesnt
matter how good they are, how hard
they work, how loyal theyve been,
how much blood theyve spilled
Al Castle: It sounds like youre
begi nni ng to tal k about AJ
Styles, not that hypothetical
Fortune 500 executive.
Styles: Thats right, Al. Ive
seen it over and over during
these 11 years. Management
can t smel l what s ri ght un-
der their noses half the time.
Theyll sign so and so and
give him the world. They
roll out the red carpet for
the guy and make the rest
of us take off our shoes to
walk across it.
Saks: Like you said,
though, its something
thats commonplace
i n the workforce.
Ive seen it here,
dare I say.
Styles: But were you
the victim of it?
Saks: I cant say that
it affected me directly, no.
Styles: Well, I have, and
Im not the only one in this
company who feels this
way. I just dont care any-
more, so I spoke my mind.
Cast l e: But get t i ng
back to something you al-
luded to earlier, no one can
I can honestly
say that Dixie
never really heard
me until I said
what I did in the
ring in front of
her and a million-
and-a-half other
viewers.
EVERY ISSUE,
REPORTERS FROM PRO
WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED
WILL PARTICIPATE IN
AN INCISIVE PRESS
CONFERENCE WITH A
TOP WRESTLING STAR.
THE QUESTIONS WILL
BE DEMANDING. AND
THE ANSWERS WILL
REVEAL THE INNERMOST
THOUGHTS OF THE GIANTS
OF THE SPORT
JANUARY/2014 21

22 PWI
deny you the opportuni ty you
earned by winning the Bound For
Glory Series.
Styles: Thats right, and thats
why its so important that I take
advantage of it. After all thats
gone down, I dont think theyll be
running after me to give me a re-
match, so I know I have to take
care of business.
Burkett: You seem determined
to make it on your own, though. You
turned down both the Main Event
Mafa and Aces & Eights. Wouldn`t
it help to have a little support?
Styles: Not necessarily, no. Ive
been part of tag teams and super-
groups, Ive had Sting and Ric Flair
try to show me the way, Ive been
offered more advice than I care to
remember. And you know what? In
the end, all it proved is that I didnt
trust my own abilities and judgment.
Its taken me a while, but I feel that
Im finally comfortable in my own
skin. I know who I can truly depend
on: my God, my family, and myself.
If I cant make it on my own, then I
dont deserve to make it at all.
Saks: I think its a little harsh to
even think that you havent made
it. Between the NWA and TNA
titles, youve been top man in this
company four times, not to men-
tion fve tag team championships,
six X division titles
Burkett: And the top spot in
the PWI 500.
Styles: I was getting to that.
While I have you guys here, I
want to thank you again for that.
It was nice to see my name at the
top. I was hoping it would send a
message to some people here,
but they barely acknowledged it.
Castle: Maybe that shoul d
have sent a message to you.
Styles: (Laughs) True, Al, true.
But Im beginning to look at things
differently. Its all a matter of per-
spective. Maybe Dixie Carter and
them didnt show me the love I
thought they should, but, heck, Ive
been here 11 years. If they didnt re-
ally want me, they would have cut
me loose a long time ago. Even if
they dont want to acknowledge
that Im their go-to guy, the face of
the company, who else is more as-
sociated with TNA than guys like
me, Booby Roode, James Storm,
Samoa Joe, and Christopher Dan-
iels? We`re the glue that continues
to hold this company together while
management continues to sample
the favor of the month.
Saks: Certainly, the fans still
respond to you in particular. They
were really enthralled by your Au-
gust 29 promo.
Burkett: I doubt Dixie Carter
felt the same way.
Styles: But its something she
Bully Ray did his best to recruit Styles to Aces & Eights (above), but AJ has had it
with affiliations and would prefer to use his talents against A&E members such as
Garett Bischoff (below).

JANUARY/2014 23
needed to hear. Ive had a lot of
sit-downs with Dixie over the past
decade. Ive been to her home
socially on numerous occasions.
But I can honestly say that Dixie
never really heard me until I said
what I did in the ring in front of
her and a million-and-a-half other
viewers.
Castle: Did she call you?
Styles: She texted me.
Castle: What did she say?
Styles: All she said was, We
have to talk.
Castle: Did you?
Styles: Not privately.
Saks: Just her response during
Impact?
Styles: Yup.
Saks: That couldnt have made
you happy. She basically said you
owe your career to her and that
you had become a marginal talent.
Styles: Yes, she did. I didnt re-
ally know how to take that. I know
she knows better. I think she was
just lashing back at me for what
I said. Butya knowit doesnt
really matter what anybody says.
This is a job. Im here to support
my family. And Im always going to
do whats best for them.
Castle: You tol d Di xi e that
you would win the World title and
make her pay. What did you mean
by that?
Styles: I said what I said, and
I stand by it. Ill keep my thoughts
private for now. Theres a heck
of a lot more at stake here than
just AJ Styles career. Im mak-
ing a stand for my band of broth-
ers, the men and women who fell
victim to the corporate greed that
permeates the offce in Nashville,
Tennessee. But when it comes
right down to it, whatever I do, I
will work my hardest and do the
best with the talents the Lord has
given me and everything will turn
out okay. Ill be able to look at my-
self in the mirror and be satisfed.
Burkett: With or without the
World title?
Styles: We all know that once
this interview is read, now wont
we?
Styles has spent 11 years listening to what Dixie Carter has to say (above), but
during one memorable promo in August (below), he let the world know that he
deserves better than the treatment Dixie and TNA have afforded him.

24 PWI

TEXT BY MIKE BESSLER
PHOTOS BY LEE SOUTH/TNA WRESTLING
ITH THE SOUND of the bell still ringing in his ears and a palpable air of
frustration swirling about him, Magnus was already contemplating his next
move. After heading into the final match of TNAs Bound For Glory Series
with a commanding lead in points, Magnus fell just short of victory in a barnburner of
a match against AJ Styles. While most men might have given in to feelings of resent-
ment and set out looking for cold-hearted revenge, Magnus was quick to put the
setback into a productive context. I think my match against AJ was the best match
of my career, from my work in the ring to the story that was told and all of the emo-
tions behind it, he said. I have no problem saying that the best match of my career
thus far was a losing effort.
JANUARY/2014 25

Its not surprising that Magnus walked away from
this particular defeat more determined than ever.
With a longstanding and uncanny ability to find
opportunity at virtually every turn, the 26-year-old
has amassed an admirable rsum of experiences
and accomplishments both inside of the ring and
out. In his five years with TNA, Magnus has evolved
from a cocky upstart to a member of one of the most
exclusive factions in the companys history. Along
the way, hes gained further notoriety as a writer, a
bodybuilder, and an actor.
His path to the squared
circle began as a young fan
living in Docking, Norfolk. I
didnt get to watch a lot of
wrestling on television back
then, he recalled. But I
read a lot about the story-
lines and I always knew
what was going on in wres-
tling. WCW didnt have a
noticeable presence in the
United Kingdom, so I was
most familiar with WWE.
Triple-H was a big influence
for me and I was a huge
fan of Bret Hart. As a kid, if
I wasnt pretending like I
was Leonardo from Teen-
age Mutant Ninja Turtles, I
was dressed up like The
Hitman. Even without
much exposure to WCW,
Magnus also shared an
earl y ent husi asm and
appreciation for the work of
Sting, a man whom hed
eventually come to consid-
er as both a peer and a per-
sonal friend through their
work together in TNA.
But fandom and make-
believe werent enough
for Magnus when it came to his affinity for pro
wrestling, and as a teenager, he began to get seri-
ous about making his passion a career. I formed
the idea of becoming a pro wrestler at 14, he
shared. I wanted to be like those guys, so I started
working out. Where basic bodybuilding gave him
the physique to look the part of a grappler, he
needed to acquire the skills to make it in the ring.
After learning the ropes at Ricky Knights World
Association of Wrestling Academy in Norwich and
Dropkixx Academy in Purfleet, Essex, Magnus
wrestled a few appearances in small-venue battle
royals and six-man tag matches before making his
singles debut against Doug Williams for Premier
Promotions in 2005. Impressing fans and area pro-
moters alike, Magnus was wrestling on a full-time
basis for Britains All Star Wrestling by the age of
19. He remembers his early years with English pro-
motions fondly: Guys like Steve Austin and Chris
Jericho came through every level in the business,
Magnus explained. Thats how you cement your-
self in the business.
Although Magnus couldve basked in the relative
comfort of his safe European home, he looked
across the Atlantic for a
chance at new experienc-
es and options. I didnt
want to be some old-tim-
er, sitting around disgrun-
t l ed and compl ai ni ng
every night that I never
got my shot , Magnus
reflected. He journeyed to
America in 2007, looking
for the chance to hone his
skills at places like Harley
Races Wrestling Acade-
my in Missouri. Returning
to England with some new
chops, Magnus resumed
competition at some of his
ol d st ompi ng grounds
and, exploring a new facet
of his expanding skill set,
he landed a television role
as Oblivion on the Sky1
athletic competition show
Gladiators. In subsequent
years, Magnus enjoyed
further work as an enter-
tainer, hosting Sky1s The
UKs Strongest Man and
performing as a panto-
mime actor in adaptations
of Al addi n and Snow
Whi t e And The Seven
Dwarfs.
In 2008, Magnus signed with TNA and raised eye-
brows with a series of noteworthy victories over Matt
Morgan and Chris Sabin. He eventually joined ranks
with his fellow countrymen Doug Williams and Rob
Terry to form an imperious alliance called The British
Invasion. Together, the domineering rulebreakers
knocked heads with some of TNAs most reputable
tag teams, often coming out on top. I dont have any
regrets about how we did things at the time, he
chuckled. We came to represent the U.K. and rub it
in everyones face. Thats what we did.
But although much of Magnus time as a pro
wrestler is replete with accomplishments as a tag
grapplerincluding two TNA championships (with
26 PWI
Standing 63, Magnus is able to lift his opponent high off
the mat, making a simple submission hold like the single-leg
Boston Crab excruciating. Kazarian has no choice but to tap.

Williams and Samoa Joe), plus a pair of reigns
with major Japanese promotions New Japan
(with Williams) and Pro Wrestling NOAH (with
Joe)Magnus has generated all sorts of buzz
through his most recent work as a singles com-
petitor. In early-2012, Magnus won TNAs India-
based Ring Ka King elimination tournament,
besting a host of the companys veteran perform-
ers. Back stateside, he joined the Main Event
Mafia as they rolled into battle against Aces &
Eights. Getting called up to the Main Event
Mafia just felt right, smiled Magnus. It doesnt
get more elite than that group. Sting and Kurt
Angle are icons in the business and they have
been very good to me. As for Samoa Joe, my
work with him, both our singles feud and our time
as a team, has been the most important thing
that has happened in my career.
Even with Aces & Eights in relative disarray,
Magnus sees continued challenges ahead. Now
weve got Bobby Roode, Christopher Daniels,
and Kazarian running around as E.G.O., he said.
Its out of the frying pan and into the fire.
But despite the intrigue of a wild and woolly
locker room and perpetual rumors that hes bound
for WWE, Magnus is thrilled with the course of his
current work in TNA and confirmed that he recent-
ly re-signed with the company. Im not painted in
anyones colors, but TNA is doing right by me, he
explained. I love wrestling. I enjoy every spot on
the cardevery single spot is important.
With his uncanny combination of resolve, ver-
satility, and a genuine affection for professional
wrestling, its a safe bet that most of Magnus
spots will be at the top of the card for the foresee-
able future.
V JANUARY/2014 V 27
Though he suffered a disappointing loss to AJ Styles in the
finals of the Bound For Glory Series, Magnus feels he wrestled
the finest match of his career.
Magnus has soaked up the knowledge imparted to him by such men as British Invasion partner
Doug Williams (left) and Main Event Mafia cohorts Sting, Kurt Angle, and Samoa Joe (right). Hes had
great success as a tag team wrestler but says hes ready to take the next step in his career.
TEXT BY AL CASTLE
A
DAM COLES ATTACK on Jay Briscoe and
Michael Elgin moments after winning the
Ring of Honor heavyweight championship
marked one of the most surprising wrestling turns
in recent memory.
But maybe, it shouldnt have.
A closer look at Coles behavior leading up to
his ROH title tournament victory at Death Before
Dishonor 11 reveals that the Panama City, Flori-
da, native had been heading down a path to dis-
honor for a while.
It was evident in the cheap shot Cole took when
he kicked a downed Mark Briscoe in their first-round
tournament match. It was evident in Coles increas-
ingly disturbing promos leading up to the September
20 show, in which he seemed almost obsessed with
winning the championship. And it was evident in his
semifinal matchup that night with Tommaso Ciampa,
when he relentlessly targeted his opponents surgi-
cally repaired left knee en route to a victory.
With the stakes so high, fans seemed willing to
overlook Coles questionable tactics leading up to
his title win. But once Cole defeated Michael Elgin
in the tournament final, and the heavyweight title
belt was finally in his grasp, his actions werent
just questionable. They were inexcusable.
After former champion Jay Briscoe came into
the ring to present Cole with the ROH champion-
ship title belt, Cole blindsided him with a superkick
to the back of the head. The new champion then
knocked out Elgin with the belt for good measure.
Fans at the Philadelphia National Guard Armory
were stunned. And, even more surprising, the 19th
ROH heavyweight champion doesnt understand why.
Oh, give me a break, Cole said. Jay Briscoe
interrupts my special moment to try to gain sympathy
from the fans, and Im the bad guy for doing some-
thing about it? Thats exactly the kind of hypocrisy that
Im sick of. The truth is, I dont much care what any-
body thinks anymore. The only thing that matters is
that Im number one, and I have the gold to prove it.
If only things were so simple. Cole may have
the title in his possession, but Jay Briscoe, who
was stripped of the championship because of an
injury, and Elgin, who had Coles shoulders pinned
to the mat in their match while referee Todd Sin-
clair was temporarily debilitated, can both make
sound arguments as to why the title belongs to
them. And Coles post-match behavior only gave
them more motivation to come after it.
My daddy told me if I went in there and handed
the belt over like a man, then the new champion
would have no choice but to accept it like a man.
Well, Adam Cole didnt do that, Briscoe said. He
made a liar out of my daddy. And, where I come
from, thats just something you dont do.
Whatever statement Adam Cole
was making by attacking Jay Bris-
coe and Michael Elgin after winning
the ROH title tournament, his
actions boil down to this: He may
have the title, but he has lost the
support of the fans and the respect
of the locker room
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For Elgin, Coles inexplicable actions just made
worse what was already the most disappointing night of
his career. When Briscoe went down with an injury in
July, ROH matchmaker Nigel McGuinness considered
awarding the title to Elgin, who was the number-one
contender, but Elgin refused, insisting on winning the
title in the ring instead.
Elgin went into the tournament as a big favorite,
and picked up wins against Paul London and Karl
Anderson to advance. After beating Kevin Steen in
a grueling semifinal bout, he went into his match
with Cole exhausted and hurting, but still came with-
in inches of winning the title before succumbing to
Coles Florida Key suplex finisher.
Im okay with losing. I really am. Dont get me
wrong, I wanted that title more than anything. But I can
live with having given it the best I could and coming up
short, Elgin said. What I cant live with is being disre-
spected. So, now, Im coming not only for the title, Im
coming to teach that punk a lesson in respect.
Sadly, the new champions unsportsmanlike attitude
muddied what should have been a shining moment for
Cole, 24, who until then had earned his way to becom-
ing one of the sports most promising young stars. Just
four years after making his professional debut in 2009,
Cole won the ROH TV championship in 2012 and held
it for more than eight months.
More impressive than his title reign or his suc-
cess against some of ROHs top names was Coles
commitment to the foundation on which ROH was
builthonor. Whether in bloody battles against for-
mer Future Shock tag team partner Kyle OReilly or
in dropping the TV title in an upset loss against Matt
Taven, Cole was always able to hold his head up
Certainly Elgin had no reason to suspect Coles change of attitude when they greeted each other
with a handshake before the finals (left). Indeed, Cole looks touched by Jay Briscoes honorable ges-
ture to hand over the belt he was stripped of because of injury in July (right).
In the titanic Ring of Honor tournament semifinals, Adam Cole won when Tommaso Ciampa passed
out against the pain of a figure-four (left), and Elgin was able to take advantage of Kevin Steens
injured left shoulder (right) to advance.

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high, knowing that he had taken the righteous path.
Thats whats so troubling about it, mate,
McGuinness said. Adam Cole, in many ways,
exemplified what Ring of Honor is all aboutguts,
athleticism, energy, respect. Unfortunately, some
people are willing to sell their souls to wear champi-
onship goldnot realizing that its not about wearing
some belt. Its about what the belt represents. And
if you dont represent the same things, youre not
champion at all.
But Adam Cole doesnt see it that way. For the
young champion, the gold around his waist validates
everything he did to win it, and everything hes will-
ing to do to keep it.
Its easy for people to talk about taking the high
road when nothing is on the line, he said. But this title
means that Im the best. And I wantno, I need
everybody to know that, no matter what it takes.
After a handshake, Briscoe turns his back on Cole and is hit with a stiff kick to the back of the skull
(left). The new champion follows up with an attack on Elgin and then admires his handiwork (right).
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32 PWI
A
S FANS OF this great sport we call
professional wrestling, we have been
conditioned to call into question
everything we see, which is kind of ironic. If we didnt
have the willingness to at least tem
porarily believe
what we know cant be true, we wouldnt be wrestling
fans to begin with. Yet, m
any of us are so sensitive
about being labeled with the dreaded M word (you
know, the one that rhym
es with shark) that we just
wont allow ourselves to admit we believe anything.
Somewhere in the darkest corners of cyberspace,
som
ebody is boldly stating that Bret Hart and Vince
McMahon were in cahoots in 1997, that Darren Young
is not gay and that he was under com
pany orders to
drum up the attention of the national media in the days
leading up to SummerSlam, and that Andy Kaufman is
alive and prepping for a rematch with Jerry Lawler.
W
e at PRO W
RESTLING ILLUSTRATED are not entirely
guiltless when it com
es to paddling against the tide
of conventional wisdom
. If we have a theory
as
outrageous as it m
ay seem
at the tim
e
that can be
backed up with facts, well take a shot from
tim
e to
tim
e. Som
etim
es, we take it on the chin from
m
edia
critics and readers, like when we forecast a W
res-
tleM
ania m
atchup of John Cena vs. The Rock. A
year later, when the match was actually signed, we
dont recall receiving any apologies. But thats
okay. W
hen were wrong, we dont offer any either.
TEXT BY STU SAKS
PHOTO BY GEORGE NAPOLITANO
32 PWI

CM Punk and
Paul Heyman
relish the idea
of messing with
the heads of
those they
consider mentally
inferior. That
group just
happens to
constitute the
rest of the
world's population,
who are quite
sure-but perhaps
sadly mistaken-
that Punk and
Heyman really do
despise one another
Caution:
JANUARY/2014 33

If we were reckless with our story selection, we
wouldnt be in a position to celebrate the 35th birth-
day of PWI later this year. On the other hand, if we
played it safe all the time, how many customers
would be there to help us celebrate?
With all that as serving as a backdrop, let us
make this bold statement: Paul Heyman and CM
Punk are not bitter enemies; theyre still the tightest
of friends. They are using their marvelous verbal
skills to manipulate us all. At one point, the end
game of their charade will be clear.
They will, of course, have a good
laugh at the worlds expense, but,
more importantly, they will have
gained political and strategic power
in WWE that will enrich their stand-
ing and wealth.
How do we know this? To be per-
fectly honest, we dont. Call it intu-
ition, a gut feeling, a well-informed
hunch. But dont write it off as a
reporter taking a contrarian view
merely for bragging rights if somehow
it proves to be true. Do we have first-
hand information? Well, no, unless
you can glean anything from a non-
response to the question we e-mailed
to Punk, or this from Heyman: Thats
a preposterous notion, something only
a hack like you would come up with.
Perhaps, but certain hacks have
known Heyman and Punk for a long,
long time and cant imagine that their
relationship could sour so swiftly and completely. I
betrayed you, CM Punk, because you cant beat
Brrrrrrock Lessssssnar, Heyman proclaimed on Raw.
Talk about preposterous. Why would it suddenly
matter if Punk could beat Lesnar? Isnt it more fea-
sible that Lesnar resented the amount of time and
attention Punk diverted from Heyman? That he
informed Heyman he wanted to meet Punk in the
ring, and that hed have to choose
one or the other?
After Heyman proclaims Punk a failure for his inability to defeat
Undertaker at WrestleMania, Lesnar punctuates the proceedings by
attacking Punk at ringside. Is Brocklike usbeing duped?
A perfectly placed uppercut from the knees thwarts Lesnars attempted
chair shot at SummerSlam (below). Axel uses the same strategy to stop
Punk from choking out Heyman eight days later on Raw (right).
2013 WWE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
PHOTO BY GEORGE NAPOLITANO
PHOTO BY BRIAN MINSON
34 PWI

We first explored the possibility of an
uncivil war between Punk and Lesnar in
another one of those hack speculation
pieces in The Wrestler/Inside Wrestling
(Volume 51), six months prior to Wres-
tleMania 29. Since Heyman exercised
his right to remain silent at the time, we
turned to a man who was very familiar
with the thought processes of Paul,
Punk, and Lesnarthat being Tommy
Dreamer. At the time, Lesnar was on hia-
tus following a SummerSlam victory over
Triple-H, and there were rumblings that
he would soon be making his return. Said
Dreamer: Flat out, Brock isnt going to
like it if he comes back and has to split
his time with Punk. I can tell you with cer-
tai nty that i f he comes back he d
expect Paul to dump Punk.
And if not?
Well, answered Dreamer, then get
ready for some fireworks!
If Heyman were forced to choose, there
are arguments to be made in favor of Hey-
man staying with either man. Punk will sure-
ly be a more active wrestler for the next
several years, which would allow the WWE
paychecks to keep coming Heymans way.
On the other hand, if it werent for Lesnars
return to WWE in 2012, Heyman would have never
been welcomed back into the fold to begin with. Hey-
man has a lot of character flaws, but disloyalty is not
among them.
Which brings us back to Heymans relationship with
Punk. With both Punk and Lesnar on his client and/or
friend list, he was positioned perfectly to be advising
both the hottest talent in the sport and one of its most
highly regarded special attractions. The fact that Punk
and Brock did not have any relationship to speak of
worked perfectly for Heymans interests. Paul, how-
ever, didnt have to read our Wrestler story to know
that the situation was potentially volatile. In our current
scenario, when Lesnar gave Heyman the ultimatum,
Paul was prepared with an answer that would con-
vince Brock that he was and would always be his main
man. Heyman and Punk presumably would have
mapped out their plan by that point.
Heyman would ruin Punks bid for a WWE title
shot at Money in the Bank. Paul would find a new
Heyman Guy in Curtis Axel. A match between
Punk and Axel would end with the former WWE
champion choking out Axel (planned) and Lesnar
rushing in to attack Punk (assumed). Harsh words
were exchanged on TV between Punk and Heyman,
culminating in the Punk-Lesnar showdown at Sum-
merSlam in which Heymans presence resulted in a
Lesnar win. Punk would next face Heyman and Axel
in a handicap match at Night of Champions, a
match that was decided by the newest Paul Hey-
man Guy, Ryback.
To be clear, neither Lesnar, nor Curtis Axel, nor
Ryback, and certainly not PWI, are privy to the
schemeonly Heyman and Punk. And, mind you,
there are strong reasons to disbelieve our premise.
For one, Heyman is not the bravest soul in the
world, and double-crossing a man like Lesnar could
prove to be extremely dangerous. Two, as close as
Heyman and Punk have been through the years, it
was clearly just a matter of time before the wits of
two of the greatest thinkers in this sports history
would be at odds. Three, this plot would come too
close in time to the Bully Ray/Aces & Eights ruse in
TNA, thus giving it the distasteful appearance of
being a copycat crime.
Bully himself had a view on that third point. Paul
Heyman is and has always been the master manip-
ulator. Where do you think I learned it from? said
the two-time TNA World champion, who received his
big break in the business from Heyman in ECW.
Bully has no direct insight into a potential Hey-
man/Punk con, but he has a piece of advice for any-
one who would dismiss it out of hand. There is no
doubt in my mind, he said, that the more people
that think it isnt a possibility, that it is indeed the
strongest possibility.
As Axel holds Punk in place, Heyman takes a free swing with a kendo
stick. If PWIs theory does indeed hold water, both Punk and Heyman are
paying a heavy price to pull off this deception. Surely, the end game would
have to be sweeter than the mere pleasure of playing a joke on us all.
PHOTO BY BRIAN MINSON
JANUARY/2014 35

The Shield is approaching its first anniversary in
WWE, and there are still no signs of friction within
its ranks. Isnt it just a matter of time? Or will
the Ambrose-Reigns-Rollins faction defy
conventional wisdom?
TEXT BY HARRY BURKETT
W
HILE THE OFTEN-QUOTED statistic contending
that 50 percent of marriages end in divorce is
regarded by many experts to be an inflated num-
ber, it wouldnt be an overstatement to suggest that 80
percent of tag teams and wrestling factions end in irrec-
oncilable differences. And these are brutal breakups,
often initiated by a chair-shot to the head and ending
with someone lying in a pool of his own blood.
Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins
believe they will defy the odds and enjoy extended
success. Even more amazingly, we agree.
Lets concede the obvious: The cycle of life for a
typical tag team is 1) the initial pairing based on a
shared goal, 2) the pursuit of that goal, 3) varying
degrees of success or failure, and 4) the falling-out
and 30-day feud that culminates on pay-per-view.
The consequences are usually worse for a bona
fide group. The biggest mega-group in history, the
New World Order, disintegrated into civil strife, splitting
into NWO Hollywood and NWO Wolfpac. In recent
years, outsider CM Punk initiated a mutiny in The
Nexus, ousting leader Wade Barrett and forming The
New Nexus, which ended up with little resemblance to
the originaland far more successfulgroup. Another
offshoot, The Corre, made even less impact.
So what makes The Shield different?
JANUARY/2014 37
May 19, 2013, was a huge day for The Shield.
At the Extreme Rules pay-per-view in St.
Louis, Dean Ambrose won the U.S. title from
Kofi Kingston, and later came to the ring to
congratulate his Shield teammates, Roman
Reigns and Seth Rollins, on their WWE tag
team title win over Team Hell No.
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I hear comparisons between The Shield and The
Nexus all the time, said Heath Slater, founder of
3MB and a former Nexus member. The Nexus
could have ruled WWE to this very day, if not for one
man and his ego, and that man is Wade Barrett.
See, Barrett beat all of us in NXT and he thought
that entitled him to be the boss. I run 3MB in a com-
pletely different way. I never hog the spotlight and I
give Drew [McIntyre] and Jinder [Mahal] most of the
glory, even if they dont deserve it.
What makes The Shield so strong is they dont
have a leader. They all came to WWE at exactly the
same time. Seth told me they wanted to be viewed
as three equal members, with no one getting more
mike time than anyone else. Smart move.
He makes a valid point. Ambrose, Reigns, and
Rollins refused interviews with PWI because none
of them wanted to be perceived as speaking for the
group, and they wanted to avoid having more
quotes attributed to one member than another.
Another aspect of this pact is The Shields refus-
al to allow new members. The introduction of asso-
ciate member Lex Luger caused turmoil for the
original Four Horsemen, and the NWO grew so
large that nearly everybody became a member, with
the possible exception of Wildcat Willie, the WCW
mascot. Keeping The Shield lean ensures the group
will stick to its high standards and core values.
That also means avoiding managers and stable
politics. Consider Heymans Guys. Then-WWE champ
CM Punk and Brock Lesnar couldnt coexist in the
same room, let alone function on the same team. Add
Paul Heymans self-interest and megalomania, and his
stable is bound to remain unstable. Only I-C champ
Curtis Axel, whose taste for first-time glory overrides
his ego much like The Shields, is a reliable team play-
er. It remains to be seen how Ryback will fit in.
No leader, no outsiders, no manager. Ambrose,
Reigns, and Rollins are students of history and they
have avoided these pitfalls.
It helps that The Shield has experienced immediate
success with this formula. They made a main-event
impact right away when they powerbombed Ryback
Reigns (left), Rollins (above), and Ambrose (bottom left) all
understand that the odds of remaining together as a unit
defy historical precedents, but, as students of history, are
also keenly aware of what took down other such groups
before them. They believe they know how to make this work,
and all indications are that they do.
38 PWI
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through a table, helping CM Punk retain the WWE title
at last years Survivor Series. They targeted both The
Rock and John Cena in the lead-up to their historic
rematch at WrestleMania 29. And, in the most impor-
tant match of their fledgling careers, Ambrose, Reigns,
and Rollins defeated The Undertaker, Kane, and Dan-
iel Bryan on the April 22 edition of Raw. The following
month at Extreme Rules, Ambrose defeated Kofi
Kingston for the U.S. championship, and Reigns and
Rollins beat Kane and Bryan for the WWE tag belts.
WWE COO Triple-H has noted The Shields
sense of purpose and trustworthiness. He has uti-
lized Ambrose, Reigns, and Rollins as his personal
hit squad in his recent dealings with Bryan, The Big
Show, and Dolph Zigglerand The Shield realizes
that an alliance with WWEs power structure is a
strategic plus.
Triple-H is savvy enough to respect The Shields
independence. He realizes their Hounds Of Justice
credo is not a deception, but a genuine career phi-
losophy. They find honesty in their ruthlessness.
But youre missing the entire three-man team
dynamic, mused WWE official Michael Hayes. He
should know. The Fabulous Freebirdscomprised
of Hayes, Terry Gordy, and Buddy Robertsran
roughshod through Georgia, the Mid-South, Texas,
and the AWA throughout the 1980s. Theyre consid-
ered the best trio in six-man tag team history.
When Bamm-Bamm and I were startin out, we
rode high during our successes, but couldnt handle
our failures, reflected Hayes. We were together all
the time, drivin the back roads, drinkin in the same
bars together, goin after the same women, sharin
hotel rooms together. So we had arguments, just like
a married couple, hittin each other with fryin pans and
stuff. The lights almost went out in Georgia, where we
had that big feudit drew a lot of money, dont get me
wrongbut the Freebirds almost died right there.
Freebird Fantasia didnt happen until Bill Watts
had the sense to put Buddy Roberts with us. He was
15 years older. Having that third man helps cool the
passions when things run hot between any two of
the members. If I ever got into it with Buddy, then
Bamm-Bamm would step in and tell us to cut it out.
We thought Buddy would make a good designated
driver, too, but that didnt work out so well.
Look at the Von Erichs in Texas, and The Rus-
siansIvan and Nikita Koloff and Krusher Krush-
chevand youll see they were much better at exe-
cuting the team concept. Id love to see WWE intro-
duce a six-man tag team championship, and wed
see how great The Shield really is, and even how
great 3MB can be.
Right now, The Shield has enough gold to keep them
busy, with Ambrose holding the U.S. belt and Reigns
and Rollins wearing the tag team straps for nearly six
months as of press time. Their first gut-check will be
how they handle losing one of those titles.
Adversity could make them stronger and more
dangerous.
The Shield willingly offered their support when asked by management to run interference for
Triple-H, Randy Orton, and anyone else the company feels needs protection from blindside attacks.
JANUARY/2014 39

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40 V PWI V
TEXT BY STU SAKS
D
ESPITE THE FACT that Daniel Bryan has been gainfully employed by WWE
since 2009 (minus two months), there are enough indications to support the
notion that when it comes time to sign his paycheck, none of the McMahons do
so without trepidation.
They dont care for the man; they never have.
Theres just no legitimate reason why they wouldnt like Bryan, said Shawn
Michaels, who helped train the Aberdeen, Washington, native at his Texas Wrestling
Academy in 1999. Hes the classic story of an overachiever, and the WWE Universe
is eating it up. Ive asked Hunter [Triple-H] about it, and he says its just not true.
Now, Ive known Hunter for a long time, and I always know when hes lying.
Michaels chuckled at the implication of that last statement, but its clearly not a
laughing matter. Mind you, nobody is crying for Daniel. Hes come a long way since
his sessions with Michaels and Rudy Gonzalez in Texas and his days of showing off
his skills in small indy arenas whose attendance seldom reached four figures. Hes
making more money than he ever dreamed possible, the fans adore him, and he has
a gorgeous fiancee in Brie Bella.
Hes a pretty secure guy, said Brie, but its not a comfortable situation when
your bosses dont like you.
Vince, Stephanie, and Triple-H (collectively, The McMahons) can deny their true
feelings about Bryan, but there is ample anecdotal evidence to make it pretty clear
that hes not going to be flying on the new corporate jet anytime soon.
The problem the McMahons have with Bryan goes back to 1999, when the former
Bryan Danielson turned 18 and was still 510 tall in thick-soled shoes. The only thing
that was going to grow at that point was his skill level, which was fine for the rasslin
promotions, but not WWE. When Bryans technical prowess began to be discovered
by eyewitnesses and his appearances greeted with the chant Best In The World,
Best In The World! the McMahons did not at first take notice. But when the little guy
was ranked in the top 20 of the PWI 500 for three straight years, was chosen Best
Pound-For-Pound Wrestler in the PWI Poll, and was named Best Wrestler by The
Wrestling Observer and the Pro Wrestling Torch, people started asking the McMa-
hons why hes not a WWE Superstar.
It is presumed that reigning WWE champion Triple-H had Bryan in mind when he
offered this quote to The Otttawa Sun during an August 2008 interview: If you go to
the Internet, theres always somebody saying this guy is the best wrestler in the
world But its not about what they like. Its what the masses like. These guys
The WWE Universe speaks
with one voice when it
comes to Daniel Bryan, but
ultimatelyand as unfair as
it may bethe McMahons
will always get the final word
JANUARY/2014 41
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theyre talking about are wrestling in front of 50 peo-
ple, not 20,000. And thats because the masses
dont want to see them.
In other words, Bryan is not good for business. It
wouldnt be the last time wed hear that.
Still, it was only a year or so later that Bryan was
signed by WWE, and the former Ring of Honor and
Global Honored Champion junior heavyweight titlist
with nearly a decade of experience was whisked off to
developmental in Florida to be indoctrinated into the
WWE way of doing things. When he finally got the
chance to come back north, it was as an NXT rookie
under the mentorship of none other than that wily old
master, The Miz.
Anybody who had any knowl-
edge of the business beyond
WWE of course knew that Bryan
wasnt a rookie, said fellow NXT
rookie and current NWA contender
Michael Tarver. But to pair him
with The Miz as his so-called Pro
was a real slap in the face to not
only Bryan, but all of his fans.
To his credit, Bryan, while pub-
licly proclaiming his preference for
William Regal as mentor, was not
going to let the indignity of being
called a rookie get in the way of
his big chance. I dont have a
problem with being called any-
thing, as long as people treat me
with respect, he told ct.com last
year. I felt like when I got to
WWE, all the wrestlers treated me
great, but coming from indepen-
dent wrestling, you really have to prove yourself more
to the office than anybody else because I dont look
like your prototypical WWE Superstar.
The fact that he had earned the respect of his peers
was evident when, in spite of his 0-5 NXT record, he
was ranked number one in a poll of the Pros. That,
unfortunately, did not save him from being bumped from
the competition, along with Tarver. Bryan did come back
to join his fellow rookies in the shocking May 31, 2010,
assault on John Cena, CM Punk, and every piece of
valuable equipment at ringside. In the midst of the
attack, Bryan strangled ring announcer Justin Roberts
with his tie, a major no-no in light of the manner in
The McMahons and Randy Orton celebrate the triumph of big business over fair play
at Daniel Bryans expense on the Monday Night Raw following SummerSlam.
Daniel Bryan scores the pinfall over John Cena at SummerSlam as Triple-H makes the three-count
(below left). Along with fans, HHH seems to be enjoying the moment (below right), when, unexpect-
edly, he nails the new champion with a Pedigree (opposite page, left). Over Bryans lifeless body,
Orton is crowned new champion by WWEs COO (opposite page, right).

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PHOTO BY GEORGE NAPLITANO PHOTO BY GEORGE NAPLITANO

which Chris Benoit had killed his wife, son, and himself.
With all the violence we saw that night, and, indeed
every night in pro wrestling, that hardly seemed like a
fireable offense. Had it not been Bryan, I think it would
have been overlooked, said Tarver.
Bryan returned to the indies, his head held as
high as it could, and never said an unkind word
about anyone in WWE. With the support of none
other than Cena, he was brought back on board for
SummerSlam that August.
It was, of course, at SummerSlam this August
that Bryan defeated Cena on what should have
been the greatest night of his life. But there was
Triple-H to ruin it. After serving as guest ref for the
title match, HHH nailed Bryan with a Pedigree, set-
ting it up for Randy Orton to redeem his Money in
the Bank contract and take the title.
Bryan holding the WWE title is bad for business,
said both Triple-H and Stephanie McMahon, who
have verbally disparaged Bryan at every opportu-
nity and ordered wrestlers, from The Shield to The
Big Show, to launch attacks against him. He won the
WWE title a second time at Night of Champions,
though the belt was taken from him on Raw the next
night by Triple-H on the grounds that referee Scott
Armstrong had issued a fast three-count (a charge
that replays bear out).
Through it all, Bryan hangs toughand the Yes
chants from 20,000 fans are as important to him at
this stage of his life as the Best In The World
chants were from 50 fans five years ago.
So take that, Triple-H.
No matter how many times McMahon and WWE say no, Bryan will always receive a yes answer
from Brie Bella and his fans.
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2013 WWE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2013 WWE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
JANUARY/2014 43

TEXT BY DAN MURPHY
ELISSA ANDERSON WAS two years old
when she attended her first pro wrestling
event. She sat at ringside, beside her
mother, watching her father, Doug Anderson, wrestle.
In her early teens, Melissa joined Doug on drives
down to San Bernardino, California, to watch wres-
tling events promoted by her uncle Bill, her fathers
former tag team partner. When the matches were
over and all the fans had filed out of the hall, Melis-
sa would climb into the ring and play, running the
ropes, tumbling, and mimicking the moves she had
seen her father, uncle, and many others perform in
that ring over the years.
Today, that little girl who grew up in the shadow
of a ring has been selected as number one in the
2013 PWI Female 50.
I feel nothing but pure excitement, Melissa said
when she was informed of her ranking. Im so very
honored. Thank you!
Melissas decade-and-a-half journey to the top is
indicative of the dedication, commitment, and drive that
have made her one of the titans of womens wrestling.
At 15 years old, Melissa joined her high school
wrestling team. She also began attending Bill Ander-
sons pro wrestling school and training for a career
as a pro. A short time later, she was working as a
valet, adopting the name Cheerleader Melissa and
running interference for The Ballard Brothers, help-
ing the Slapshot-inspired duo become one of the
hottest tandems in California.
But Melissa was never content to simply serve as
a valet. At 17, she made her wrestling debut. She
continued to train, receiving instruction from her
uncle, Christopher Daniels, and Daniel Bryan,
among others. Barely three years after her debut,
she was invited to compete in Japan, working along-
side venerable joshi talents like Lioness Asuka and
Mariko Yoshido.
44 PWI
In 2004, the Cauliflower Alley Club tabbed Cheerleader Melissa a
Future Legend. With her collection of championship hardware and
now a Female 50 number-one selection, she may have already made
good on that forecast
Two-Time SHIMMER Champ
Earns Top Spot In The 2013
PWI Female 50

JANUARY/2014 45
PHOTO BY ZACK SMALL

Melissas exploits went viral. The raven-haired
California beauty had a grace and presence that
belied her inexperience. In 2004, the Cauliflower
Alley Club recognized Melissa, presenting her with
the prestigious Future Legend award, an honor
determined by the veteran wrestlers and Hall-of-Fam-
ers who comprised the clubs awards committee. In
2006, G4 TVs Attack Of The Show featured her as
its MySpace Girl Of The Week.
Melissa became a focal point of the San Francisco-
based ChickFight promo-
tion. In 2005, she was
invited to wrestle for SHIM-
MER Women Athletes, a
promoti on l aunched i n
2005 by Dave Prazak and
Allison Danger.
Melissa is one of the
women who we like to refer
to as SHIMMER Originals,
who have been a part of
the SHIMMER project since
our launch in 2005 and
remains on the active roster
(along with Mercedes Mar-
tinez and MsChif), Prazak
said. Melissa was one of
the pioneers of the current
era of female professional
wrestlers, who, through
their hard work inside the
ring and by competing all
over the world, have set the
st andard. Any women
breaking into the sport must
challenge themselves to
perform at the same level
as wrestlers like Melissa,
Sara Del Rey, Mercedes
Martinez, and their peers
who have demonstrated
such a great work ethic
over the past decade.
In 2008, Melissa got her
big break on the national
stage when she signed with
TNA. However, instead of
showcasing the persona
she built on the indepen-
dent circuit, she was placed
under a burka as Raisha Saed, the manager and occa-
sional tag team partner of Awesome Kong. She pulled
double-duty, also competing as Alissa Flash but rarely
had an opportunity to showcase her abilities. By the end
of 2009, she was gone from TNA.
Instead of sulking, Melissa went back to her
roots, tirelessly traveling the independent circuit and
proving herself, time and time again, against the top
competition available.
On October 2, 2011, Melissa beat Madison Eagles
(who was number one in the Female 50 that year) for
the SHIMMER championship. She lost the belt to Sara-
ya under controversial circumstances in 2012, but
became the first woman to hold the title on two occa-
sions when she defeated Saraya in a steel cage match
on April 6, 2013.
Melissas accomplishments over the past 12 months
are without equal. In addi-
tion to the SHIMMER title,
she also won the Pro Wres-
tling Revolution Womens
title and the River City
Wrestling (Texas) Angels
t i t l e. She compet ed
throughout North America
and won the vast majority of
her matches, including
those agai nst Saraya,
Angelina Love, Kalamity,
Sarita, Mercedes Martinez,
and Courtney Rush.
When it came time to
rank this years list, the
t op spot was an easy
choice.
Cheerleader Melissa is
without a doubt one of the
most complete wrestlers on
the scene today, said NCW
Femmes Fatales promoter
Stephane Bruyere. With
her in-ring abilities and cha-
risma, its easy to see why
she once was under con-
tract with a big promotion,
and I wouldnt be surprised
if she would sign again in
the big leagues.
Through her hard work
and perseverance, Melissa
has truly become the face
of SHIMMER for 2013 and
beyond, Prazak said. She
continues to set the stan-
dard for women athletes in
professional wrestling.
While gracious and hon-
ored by the recognition, Melissa said she is looking to
achieve even bigger things in the years to come.
Right now, my focus is on keeping my titles, but
having been born into this business, Ive always
wanted to leave a lasting mark, the 31-year-old
said. I have accomplished a lot so far, but Im not
finished yet.
PHOTOS BY SCOTT FINKELSTEIN
46 PWI
Melissa knew she had to up the ante if she was going to
regain the SHIMMER title from Saraya in their cage match
in New Jersey. And she did just that. Though Melissa
remains her old, sweet self outside the ring, opponents
have to be prepared for her new aggressive tactics.

JANUARY/2014 47
COMPILED BY DAN MURPHY
J
UST AS THE PWI 500 has developed into
an institution, the PWI Female 50 has
become one of the most highly anticipated,
and hotly debated, issues of the year.
The Female 50, which debuted in 2008 in rec-
ognition of the growth and popularity of womens
wrestling, is a ranking of the top 50 female wres-
tlers competing in the United States and Canada;
wrestlers who compete exclusively in Japan, Mex-
ico, the United Kingdom, or elsewhere overseas
are excluded. However, this list does include
women who wrestle internationally, provided they
have competed at a high level in the U.S. and/or
Canada during the period of evaluation.
Our ranking criteria is somewhat similar to
what we use to compile the PWI 500. Each can-
didate was evaluated based primarily on their
accomplishments within a 12-month period, from
September 1, 2012, through August 31, 2013.
However, we do occasionally reference some
events that occurred outside of that time frame in
an attempt to provide historical context or title
changes occurring after the evaluation period
concluded. We examined:
Championships won
Quality of opposition
Technical proficiency
Won-loss records
Overall activity
Momentum/promotional "push" during the
evaluation period
In addition to evaluating the Divas of WWE and
the Knockouts of TNA, we paid close attention to
the women toiling on the independent circuit, with
particular attention to all-womens promotions such
as Women Superstars Uncensored, SHIMMER,
SHINE, ArenaChicks, and NCW Femmes Fatale.
This year, three of the top four women on our list
(including our number-one selection, Cheerleader
Melissa) compete exclusively on the independent
circuit. Not counting wrestlers associated with
WWE, TNA, or with their respective developmen-
tal systems, 31 women from the independent
scene made our top 50, while some well-known
WWE Divas (such as Aksana and Rosa Mendes)
failed to make the cut.
Several other highly regarded women also did
not make this years list, including Serena Deeb,
Angelina Love, Awesome Kong, and (as of press
time) the reigning TNA Knockouts champion ODB,
who won the title after the evaluation period con-
cluded. While these women are major stars, former
champions, and established main-eventers, they
were less active during the evaluation period, and
failed to make a major impact in a prominent pro-
motion. There is a method to our madness.
As far as our choice for this years number one,
Cheerleader Melissa was the obvious selection.
The two-time SHIMMER champion was active and
consistently excellent all year, scoring wins over
some of the top competition on the independent
scene. While other women were dominant in one
or two promotions, Melissa was a force in every
promotion in which she competed. One of the best
technicians in the world (male or female), Melissa
scored at the top in every evaluation category. No
woman in WWE or TNA had as much sustained
success over the 12-month period as Melissa.
We hope you enjoy this years Female 50,
and we encourage you to check out every wres-
tler on this listnot just the Divas and Knock-
outsthe next time they wrestle near you.

48 PWI
Captured her second SHIMMER championship with a win over longtime nemesis Saraya
in a steel cage match in April in New Jersey In a 48-hour span on the weekend of April
13-14, successfully defended the belt three times, in singles bouts against Mercedes Martinez,
Courtney Rush, and Kalamity Adopted a more aggressive approach during her feud with
Saraya New attitude culminated in a full-fledged heel turn when she refused to break a
submission hold on Allison Danger during Dangers retirement match, and then turned on her
own partner, Ayako Hamada, after the match Made a one-night-only return to TNA as
Alissa Flash, losing to Gail Kim at the Knockouts Knockdown pay-per-view Has competed
in Mexico, India (Ring Ka King), the United Kingdom, and Japan Has held several mens
titles, including the River City Wrestling (Texas) heavyweight, International, and tag team (with
Darci Drake) Also held the RCW Angels (womens) title and is a two-time Pro Wrestling
Revolution (California) Womens champion Regularly competes in NCW Femmes Fatales,
where she has feuded with Bellatrix champion Courtney Rush Targets the
head, neck, and shoulders with finishing moves the Air Raid (developed by
Mariko Yoshida) and the Kudo Drop (innovated by Megumi Kudo).
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JANUARY/2014 49
For the fourth time in the six-year history of the Female 50, Mickie James finishes within
the top five Captured the top spot in 2009, and since that time has won three TNA Knock-
outs titles Veteran has been a fixture on the national scene since she debuted with WWE in
2005, and captured five WWE Womens and one Divas title during her five-year run there
Was mired in a slump during the first part of the evaluation period, suffering numerous losses
to then-champion Tara, Brooke Tessmacher, and Gail Kim Low point of the year may have
been a loss to Maria Kanellis in NEW (Connecticut) in May After months of showing signs of
a return to rulebreaking, James finally snapped this summer, capitalizing on a knee injury suf-
fered by Velvet Sky to win her third Knockouts title Proved to be much more successful
when she adopted a more aggressive style, putting together a string of wins over Sky, Taeler
Hendrix, and Taryn Terrell during the summer Dropped the Knockouts title to ODB shortly
before deadline (but after the August 30 ending of the official evaluation period) While her
record was checkered with losses during the first half of the year, James was a
top contender for most of that time Has found a perfect balance to her dual
careers as a wrestler and country music star.
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50 PWI
s
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Other women may be stronger, younger, or more athletic, but no one can generate the sense of
sheer panic like Sweet Saraya Knight British hooligan ruled SHIMMER with an iron fist for
more than a year, beating Cheerleader Melissa for the title in March 2012 and finally losing it back
to Melissa in a wild steel cage match in April 2013 Defended the SHIMMER title in three coun-
tries Launched the Bellatrix promotion in England Unpredictable brawler has been known to
attack fans, officials, bookers, and security, and has administered savage beatings to overmatched
opponents Her list of victims during the evaluation period reads like a Whos Who of female
stars, including LuFisto, Athena, Jazz, and MsChif Suffered a DQ loss to Jessicka Havok in a
July bout in SHINE Is the mother of WWE NXT Womens champion Paige Has an encyclope-
dic knowledge of catch-as-catch-can style submission locks, such as the full-nelson bow and arrow
stretch and the Saraya Stretch grounded surfboard variation Saraya carries herself unlike any
other female performer in the industry, and as a result, has an unmistakably evil and dangerous
aura, said SHIMMER founder Dave Prazak. In a time period where her daughter
is getting most of the attention due to being under WWE contract, Saraya has truly
undergone a career resurgence herself.
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JANUARY/2014 51
Ohio native is the leader of The Midwest Militia and a two-time Women Superstars Uncen-
sored champion Has been a juggernaut in her home base of WSU, racking up wins over
Athena, Sami Callihan, Alicia, and Lexxus, but she has suffered a few prominent road losses to
Cherry Bomb (in IWIW, Ohio), Rain (in SHINE), and Nevaeh (in CZW), which has damaged the
aura of invincibility she had built over the past two years An intense and bruising competitor,
she is both methodical and intimidating Tortures opponents with clubbing forearms, stiff
kicks, chokes, and backbreaker submission holds, until putting them away with either the
Demon Drop piledriver or the HavoKiller power bomb Began competing in SHIMMER this
year, gaining wins over Serena Deeb and Mia Yim Scored a DQ win over Saraya in the
opening round of the SHINE title tournament in July, but suffered a countout loss to Rain in the
semifinals Frequently wears a gas mask or bandana adorned with a menac-
ing skull in an effort to intimidate opponents Often displays superior strength
in intergender bouts Previously held the WSU tag title (with Hailey Hatred)
and the WSU Spirit title.
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52 PWI
The Houston native may have been the most active female on this years list, wrestling
more than 150 documented matches during the evaluation period Has been a fixture on
the house show circuit, and has racked up some very impressive wins on and off TV
Entered WWE by winning the much-maligned Season 3 NXT competition, but has shown
marked improvement over the past year, emerging as one of the true cornerstones of the
Divas division Defeated Eve Torres for the Divas championship on January 4 in her home-
town of Houston Successfully defended that title against Natalya, Tamina Snuka, and her
former tag team partner AJ Lee, until dropping the championship to Lee at Payback Was
the victim of a secret admirer hoax by Lee and Big E Langston, who employed psycho-
logical warfare to take Kaitlyn off her game Former competitive bodybuilder is WWEs
most powerful Diva since Beth Phoenix retired Her spear is one of the most effective
finishers in the Divas division Teamed with Dolph Ziggler to beat Lee and Langston in a
mixed tag at SummerSlam Has gained confidence and invaluable ring
experience thanks to her grueling schedule over the past year and is candi-
date for 2013s Most Improved wrestler.
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JANUARY/2014 53
k
i
m
Last years Female 50 number one slipped out of title contention this year and suffered
a handful of upset losses to the likes of Taryn Terrell, ODB, and Velvet Sky Once listed
on Forbes magazines top 40 list of Most Eligible Bachelorettes, she put an end to her
single days in August 2012 when she married celebrity chef Robert Irvine Two-time
Knockouts champion held that title from November 2011 through June 2012, when she
dropped the belt to Brooke Tessmacher in another upset loss Scored a win over Cheer-
leader Melissa (as Alissa Flash) on the TNA Knockouts Knockdown pay-per-view Has the
athletic ability, experience, and know-how to beat any female wrestler in the world on any
given night, but was inconsistent through the evaluation period Lost to Terrell during a
terrific last-Knockout-standing bout at Slammiversary Avenged that loss by beating Terrell
in a ladder match on Impact in July Unsuccessfully challenged Mickie James for the
Knockouts title and came out on the losing end of a feud with ODB Former WWE Wom-
ens champion is well-schooled in lucha libre style Eat Defeat finisher is
low-risk and effective, but has proven to be easily countered and is frequent-
ly telegraphed.
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54 PWI
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Mid-Atlantic star scored the biggest win of her career in October 2012 when she defeated
veteran Tasha Simone for the NWA Womens championship in Lebanon, Tennessee Has
been tirelessly touring the United States, successfully defending the title against Barbi
Hayden, La Rosa Negra, and Reby Sky, among others Teamed with Kimber Lee to win
the DCW (Delaware) tag team title in August 2012 Won a three-way bout against Renee
Michelle and Chelsea Diamond to capture the Elite Pro Wrestling Alliance (West Virginia)
Womens title in July Gained the BWF (Virginia) Womens title a second time by beating
Jennifer Blaze in August Beat Mia Svensson in a TNA dark match in February in North
Carolina Beat Tremor for the NWL (Maryland) championship in August, but immediately
vacated the title Broke into wrestling as a manager in 1998, beginning her active career
seven years later Usually competes as a heel, and uses her considerable strength to wear
down opponents with an array of suplexes, clotheslines, chokes, and chops, before putting
them down for the count with a double-underhook DDT Has wrestled in
17 different states Hopes to build the prestige of the NWA Womens title
with international defenses.
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JANUARY/2014 55
Like a fine wine, the five-time TNA Knockouts champion and two-time WWE Womens cham-
pion continues to improve with age Held the Knockouts title from October 2012 through Janu-
ary 2013, thanks in part to her Hollywood boyfriend Jessie Godderz of Big Brother fame The
self-proclaimed Hollywood power couple claimed to be TNAs version of George Clooney and
Stacy Keibler Actually stole the 2012 Female 50 first-place plaque during a segment of TNA
Today where she grabbed the plaque from PWI Senior Writer Dan Murphy while he was making
the presentation to Gail Kim via satellite feed Made a surprising heel turn in fall 2012 after suf-
fering several losses to her protg, Miss Tessmacher Went on to collect wins over most of
the Knockouts, including Tessmacher, ODB, and Mickie James Also had notable wins over
Mia Yim (One Night Only: Knockouts Knockdown), Jillian Hall (September 2012 dark match), and
Taeler Hendrix (November 2012) Excels at comedy, but can trade holds with anyone, and
usually enjoys a decided strength advantage over most opponents Was released by TNA in
July and has been focused on her new business, a restaurant named The
Squared Circle that she opened in Chicago in March Veteran is still in magnif-
icent shape; hopefully a return to the ring is in the cards.
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56 PWI
The 2012 PWI Woman of the Year achievement award winner has gone from being a boy-crazy
(and arguably just plain crazy) valet to being the cornerstone of the WWE Divas division
Captured the WWE Divas championship with a win over former tag team partner Kaitlyn at the
Payback pay-per-view in June Instigated a feud with the cast of Total Divas with a memorable
pipe bomb promo in August in which she called the reality-show cast members a bunch of
cheap, interchangeable, expendable, useless women Teamed with Big E Langston in a mixed
tag team loss to Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn at SummerSlam Scored singles wins over Naomi,
Kaitlyn, Natalya, Bayley, and Paige during the evaluation period Petite New Jersey native relies
on her quickness, guile, and a spectacular Black Widow octopus submission lock to dominate
opponents Also has a dangerous Shining Wizard knee smash, made more effective by the full
rotation of her right hip Learned a great deal from watching her previous charges Ziggler and
Daniel Bryan, and has developed into a formidable mat wrestler and technician Previously held
the Florida Championship Wrestling Divas title, the Queen of FCW title, and the
WSU tag team title (in 2009 with Brooke Carter) A wrestling fan since
childhood, she achieved her lifelong dream by winning the Divas title.
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The Latina Sensation is one of the most decorated and respected females on the
independent circuit Defeated Kalamity for the NCW Femmes Fatales championship in March
Has had an intense feud with LuFisto that has crossed from NCW Femmes Fatales into WSU
Since turning heel last year, she seems obsessed with injuring opponents and putting them
out of commission Wrestled former WWE Womens champion Jazz to a no-contest in August
2012 in SHINE Defeated Santana Garrett, MsChif, Amazing Kong, Nikki Roxx, and Ayako
Hamada during the course of the evaluation period Unsuccessfully challenged Cheerleader
Melissa for the SHIMMER championship in April Wrestled Kimberly to a no-contest in a bout
for the vacant WXW Womens title in April in Minneola, Florida Well-known for her toughness,
superior cardiovascular conditioning , and versatile style, which mixes brawling, strong-style
striking, and submission techniques Waterbury, Connecticut, native has wrestled many of the
top female stars of the past decade and has been a proven main-event talent for the past several
years Signature moves include the brainbuster, German suplex, and her
Eddie Guerrero-inspired Three Amigas triple suplex series Two-time former
WSU champion is the longest-reigning titlist in the history of that promotion.
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58 V PWI V
velvet
Paige
SK
Y
Returned to TNA in December 2012 after a five-month sab-
batical, during which time she re-formed her Beautiful People tag
team with Angelina Love on the independent circuit Won a
five-woman gauntlet match to become the top contender to the
Knockouts title at the Genesis PPV Captured the Knockouts
title for the second time on January 26 in London, England, when
she won a four-woman elimination match over Gail Kim, Miss
Tessmacher, and Tara Successfully defended the Knockouts
title against Tara, Gail Kim, Taeler Hendrix, Jillian Hall, and Mick-
ie James, which is an extremely impressive array of competition
Injured her knee in a successful title defense against Kim in
April The injury would prove to be her undoing as it was tar-
geted by James en route to winning the belt in May One of
TNAs most popular stars, Sky continues to improve her game,
particularly when it comes to counter-wrestling (including an
effective neckbreaker to counter backdrop) Had the best six-
month span of her career between December 2012 and June
2013, but injuries, illness, and inactivity prevented her from land-
ing a spot in the top 10 Primary finishers are the In Yo Face
double-underhook facebuster and the DDT.
Second-generation grappler out of England is poised to
become WWEs breakout Diva She is currently biding her
time in NXT, where she holds the Womens title The daughter
of Saraya and veteran wrestler Ricky Knight, she and her mum
have made history by being the only mother-and-daughter tan-
dem ever to make the Female 50 the same year (two years
straight) Was known as The Anti-Diva, but seems to be
distancing herself from that moniker Won a tournament to
become the first NXT Womens champion in May, beating Tam-
ina Snuka in the quarterfinals, Alicia Fox in the semifinals, and
Emma in the finals Boasts a very unique offensive style in
which she is constantly in attack mode, rocking opponents with
a comprehensive arsenal of suplexes, sidekicks, submission
locks, and rolling cradles Well-schooled in the British catch-
as-catch can style and is adept as using the ring (ropes, turn-
buckles, and apron) as offensive weapons A fan favorite in
NXT, she is well-versed in roughneck tactics; she is Sarayas
daughter, after all Scored a win over AJ Lee in March in
Cleveland, perhaps a precursor to an eventual feud for the
Divas title Previously competed in SHIMMER (where she
beat Saraya in a no-DQ match in 2011)
and held several titles in the United King-
dom before relocating to the U.S.
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PHOTO BY LEE SOUTH/TNA WRESTLING
PHOTO BY GEORGE NAPOLITANO
JANUARY/2014 59
natalya
Madison
EAGLES
Anyone foolish enough to attempt to insult Natalya by calling
her an ugly duckling either has no idea what the word ugly
means, or they just dont understand that the moral of the fable
was that the ugly duckling was actually a beautiful swan that
was underappreciated by those around her Third-generation
star has become the focal point of the WWE Total Divas program,
which has sparked a nasty feud between Nattie and The Bella
Twins Remarkably versatile competitor is one of the best pure
technicians in WWE, but shes also a consummate pro, as was
evidenced by her willingness to go along with the awful flatulence
storyline she was saddled with a while back Held the Divas
title for two months in 2010-2011 Scored several wins over
Brie Bella, Aksana, Tamina Snuka, Alicia Fox, and AJ Lee during
the evaluation period, yet failed to gain lasting momentum or earn
shots at the Divas title Married longtime boyfriend Tyson Kidd
in June Teamed with television personality Maria Menounos
to beat The Bella Twins in a featured SummerSlam pre-show
bout in August Suffered a loss to former Divas of Doom part-
ner Beth Phoenix in one of Phoenixs final appearances in WWE
in September 2012 Main finishing move is the Sharpshooter,
in honor of her uncle Bret Hart.
The 2011 PWI Female 50 number-one selection was side-
lined by injury in 2012 and returned to the ring in January
Became the first non-U.S.-based wrestler and the first wrestler
not associated with a national promotion ever to earn the top spot
in either the Female 50 or the PWI 500 Quickly shook off
any ring rust and made up for lost time, winning a tournament to
claim the Pacific Pro Wrestling (Australia) Womens title in March
Former SHIMMER champion proved that she is still a top
contender for that championship by beating Jessie McKay, Kana,
Courtney Rush, and Athena in singles matches in April Faced
Jessicka Havok in a veritable dream match in a qualifier for the
SHINE title tournament, but suffered a rare loss Competes
primarily in her native Australia, with regular tours in the U.S.
Advanced to the semifinals of the Indygurlz tournament in Perth,
Australia She is a two-time PWA (Australia) Womens cham-
pion Tall, lean competitor is a superior striker who typically
enjoys a significant height and strength advantage over most
opponents Signature moves include the spider German
suplex, the brainbuster, the roundhouse kick, the Yakuza kick,
and a stalling deadlift German suplex Main finishing move is
the Hellbound, which combines a tradi-
tional Death Valley Driver with a Go To
Sleep for additional kayo power.
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PHOTO BY GEORGE NAPOLITANO
PHOTO BY GILDA PASQUIL/SHIMMER

60 PWI
Kellie
rain
sKater
The Rate Tank has been shooting up our Female 50
rankings over the past few years, debuting on the list at num-
ber 37 in 2010 and now breaking into the top 15 The pride
of Bacchus Marsh has been experiencing success world-
wide, having completed tours of Japan, Canada, the U.S., and
her native Australia Teamed with Tomoka Nakagawa (The
Global Green Gangsters) to win the SHIMMER tag team title
from The Canadian Ninjas While once considered delu-
sional for acting like a super heavyweight powerhouse, Skater
has gotten herself into tremendous physical condition and has
shown that she can go toe-to-toe with any woman (and many
men) Unsuccessfully challenged for the SHIMMER, NCW
Femmes Fatales, and PWWA titles this year In each case,
she pushed the champion to the brink, scoring several near-
falls over SHIMMER champion Saraya, nearly beating NCW
FF champ Kalamity in a best-of-three falls bout, and wrestling
PWWA champ Evie to a 30-minute time-limit draw Has
adopted a new finisher, a cross-armed reverse DDT, that has
been dubbed The International Incident.
Underrated competitor has had a career rebirth in SHINE
after breaking away from her previous home base in WSU
last year Captured the first-ever SHINE championship by
winning a tournament in July, beating Jessicka Havok by
countout in the opening round, upsetting LuFisto in the semi-
finals, and defeating Mia Yim in the finals Also scored
victories over Amazing Kong (by disqualification), Christina
Von Eerie, and Santana Garrett during the evaluation period
When not wrestling, Rain works as a personal trainer and
yoga instructor; her physical conditioning is second-to-none
Previously competed in SHIMMER as part of the Interna-
tional Home Wrecking Crew (with Lacey and Jetta) and in
TNA, where she was known as Payton Banks and managed
Robert Roode Picked up some valuable international
experience when she competed for AAA in Mexico in 2009
and 2010 Held the WSU Spirit title for just one day in
2011, winning it from Sassy Stephie and then immediately
losing it to Stephies ally, Havok Revived her Payton
Banks persona in July when she scored a DQ victory over
Jillian Hall in a match in Deer Park, New York Main finish-
ing moves are the Acid Rain straight-
jacket electric chair drop and several
variations of the DDT.
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JANUARY/2014 61
Taryn
layla
Terrell
It turns out that the former ECW general manager and official
referee of the Knockouts division is a pretty darn good wrestler in
her own right Was goaded into active competition in TNA by
Gail Kim, who continuously criticized her officiating Terrell
responded by delivering a big spear to Kim at Lockdown, which
caused her to be fired as a Knockouts referee and hired as an
active competitor by Brooke Hogan Pulled off one of the big-
gest upsets of the year by defeating Kim in a critically acclaimed
Last- Knockout-Standing match at Slammiversary The match
was such a show-stealer that Terrell was featured on tmz.com for
her gutsy performance Lost to Kim in a ladder match to deter-
mine the top contender for the Knockouts title in July Had
been competing in Ohio Valley Wrestling prior to debuting as a
wrestler in TNA, and won the OVW Womens title in November
2012 from Heidi Lovelace Had a disgusting feud with Taeler
Hendrix that culminated in a loser gets dumped into a pool of
dog poop match, which Terrell lost (though both women ended
up taking a fecal float) New Orleans native appeared in sev-
eral episodes of the HBO drama Treme in 2012 Was a body-
builder and cheerleader before trying her hand at wrestling.
Former Divas champion and WWE Womens champion
stunned her fans by betraying Kaitlyn and forming an alliance
with AJ Lee in August, becoming a heel in the process Held
the Divas championship for nearly five months in 2012, beating
Nikki Bella for the title in April 2012 and holding it until Septem-
ber, when she lost it to Eve Torres Lost several matches to
Torres in late-2012, but collected wins over Kaitlyn, Natalya,
Aksana, Tamina Snuka, and Alicia Fox during the evaluation
period Has been with WWE since winning the 2006 Diva
Search, making her one of the most senior women in the Divas
division Ranked 95 in Maxims annual Hot 100 list in 2012
Missed a year of action in 2011-2012 after tearing both her
ACL and MCL Since making her return, she has relied on
her Bombshell roundhouse kick as her finisher of choice
London, England, native was a professional dancer before try-
ing out for the Diva Search, and she regularly showcases her
agility and balance with unique offensive attacks such as the
flipping Facelift jawbreaker and the running cross-bodyblock
Was mentored by former Female 50
number-one Michelle McCool and her
countryman William Regal.
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62 PWI
BrooKe
Mschif
Tessmacher
Two-time TNA Knockouts champion dropped a dozen spots
from last years Female 50 after not being featured on television
for several months Returned to TNA in August and joined Aces
& Eights, revealing herself as Bully Rays new love interest (the
guy must have a serious Brooke fetish) Former Hawaiian
Tropic model started her career in WWEs developmental sys-
tem, had a brief run as part of the Extreme Expose dance group
(with Kelly Kelly and Layla), and has been with TNA since 2010
Lost the Knockouts title to her mentor, Tara, in October 2012
Despite several wins over former champions Gail Kim and
Madison Rayne throughout fall 2012 and into 2013, she was
unable to get another title shot Beat Tara in a non-title match
in Manchester, England, in January Beat Santana Garrett in
the One Night Only: Knockouts Knockdown event in March
May have the most celebrated posterior in wrestling history, with
her booty being featured in music videos by Timbaland and Dor-
rough, and with her version of the Stinkface being one of the
most popular moves in TNA Silenced a lot of critics over the
past year by proving she was tough enough to beat Tara and Kim
and showing the world that she was more than a fitness model
moonlighting as a wrestler.
Emerald-clad banshee has been carrying the banner for
womens wrestling in Ring of Honor in 2013 Two-time former
NWA Womens champion and former SHIMMER champion
Ventured to Japan to challenge Hailey Hatred for the Remix Pro
Wrestling Womens title in October 2012, but Hatred won that
bout Unsuccessfully challenged Saraya for the SHIMMER
championship two weeks later Earned victories during the
evaluation period over Athena, Veda Scott, Allysin Kay, Mia Yim,
and even the king of hoopla himself, Truth Martini Resilient
competitor with a tremendous ability to absorb punishment and
freakish flexibility, which allows her to fend off 99 percent of
submission holds and frustrate opponents Teamed with fel-
low eccentric Christina Von Eerie in both SHIMMER and SHINE
Married Michael Elgin in July Was featured on the PBS
series The Secret Life Of Scientists And Engineers in 2010,
which showed her toiling in her day job (as a scientist in a labo-
ratory) and then busting heads in the wrestling ring Main
finishing moves are the Code Green leg-trap sunset flip power
bomb, the Desecrator scissored DDT, and the Obliteration
tombstone piledriver Known as Your Souls Tormentor
Has had little title success over the past
12 months, but remains a top contender
in every promotion in which she appears.
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V JANUARY/2014 V 63
Lufisto
Brie
Bella
Montreal, Quebec, native (though she is often billed as hail-
ing from either Tokyo, Canada, or Montreal, Japan) is an
enigma; she is a light-hearted sweetie who carries her trusty
kewpie doll (Pegaboo) everywhere she goes, but she is also
one of the stiffest, most intimidating female wrestlers on the
planet Had a heated feud with Mercedes Martinez that
crossed promotional and international boundaries Defeated
Martinez in February, becoming the top contender to the WSU
championship Toured Mexico this spring and competed in
AAAs Reina de Reinas (Queen of Queens) title tournament
Beat Simon Martel for the North Shore Pro Wrestling (mens)
heavyweight title in August 2012, but was forced to vacate the
title due to injury in April Frequently teams with Japanese
star Kana as Lu-Kana in SHIMMER Despite being sidelined
with injuries for three months (hindering her ability to train),
LuFisto lost body weight and improved her overall cardiovascu-
lar conditioning Earned her way into the SHINE title tourna-
ment in July by winning a four-way qualifying match against
Martinez, Nikki Roxx, and Su Yung, but was upset in the open-
ing round by eventual winner Rain Main finishers are the
Death Valley Driver and rear-naked choke LuFisto is one of
the most unique wrestlersmen or womenthere is and cer-
tainly one of the hardest workers on the independent scene,
said NCW Femmes Fatales booker Stephane Bruyere.
For most of their WWE run, The Bella Twins have been
virtually interchangeablethat was the key to their twin
magic, after all However, since their return to the WWE in
2013 after a brief sabbatical, both have had a major impact in
WWE, with a healthy Brie being the more active Held the
Divas championship for two months back in 2011, but has
improved considerably since then, no longer relying as much
on switcheroos or referee distractions Main finishing move
is a Bella Buster split-legged, sit-out face-buster (usually set
up by a stiff kick to the midsection), but Brie is also capable of
grabbing a quick cradle to steal a victory Had rivalries with
Natalya and The Funkadactyls this year Brie and Nikki were
briefly affiliated with Team Rhodes Scholars, but the two teams
eventually went their separate ways She is one of the fea-
tured stars of Total Divas and has gone public with her roman-
tic relationship with Daniel Bryan Both Bellas have been
criticized for their wrestling ability in the past, but both Brie and
Nikki have shown marked improvement
in the ring and have become true corner-
stones of the WWE Divas division.
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64 PWI
courtney
naomi
rush
Winnipeg, Manitoba, native is remarkably upbeat and good-
natured, and loves nothing more than engaging in an impromptu
dance-off before matches Formed an odd couple tag team
with Sara Del Rey, where her quirkiness and sense of humor
offset Del Reys aggression and intensity; think of her as Daniel
Bryan and Del Rey as Kane Teamed with Del Rey to win the
SHIMMER tag title in 2012 Went into a slight tailspin after
dropping the belts, but a pep talk from Allison Danger and Leva
Bates helped her regain her confidence, and she has been one
of SHIMMERs top stars ever since Beat Athena, Madison
Eagles, and Saraya in a four-way bout to earn a title shot against
Cheerleader Melissa in April Lost that match, but fought Melis-
sa to a violent double-DQ in NCW Femmes Fatales in July
Defeated Danger to win the Bellatrix Female Warriors (U.K.) title
in April Intensified her mat game with the addition of the sharp-
shooter and the modified crossface to her repertoire Com-
peted in the PWA tag tournament alongside Jody DMilo (The
Moonwalk Thrillers), losing to Brian Kendrick and Paul London
Won the APW (Ontario) Womens title from Addy Starr Scored
wins over Mercedes Martinez, Portia Perez, and Allysin Kay this
year Huge Winnipeg Jets fan.
Naomi is a classic example of a wrestler whose abilities
have been overshadowed by their persona One-half of The
Funkadactyls dance duo, along with Cameron Best known
for her dancing and cheerleading for Tons of Funk (Brodus
Clay and Sweet T), but this dancer has also collected singles
wins over many of WWEs top Divas, including AJ Lee, Brie
Bella, and Natalya Won a tournament to become the first
Florida Championship Wrestling Womens champion in 2010,
topping Liviana, Savannah, and Serena Deeb to claim the
honors Along with Cameron, dominated feuds with The
Bella Twins and AJ and Layla this year Former Orlando
Magic cheerleader has been one of the stars of Total Divas
Competed on the third season of NXT Unsuccessfully chal-
lenged Eve Torres for the Divas title in December 2012 at the
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs PPV Signature moves include
a variety of butt-bumps that would impress Iceman King Par-
sons himself, a springboard cross-bodyblock, the leg lariat,
and the diving neckbreaker Would be well-served to end
her association with Cameron and Tons of Funk and make a
concerted push for the Divas title Has a reputation as being
one of WWEs most athletic females, but
her toughness, resolve, and stamina are
still questionable.
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JANUARY/2014 65
Athena
Nicole Matthews
Garland, Texas, native is the innovator of one of the most
exciting finishing moves in womens wrestling, The O Face, a
flying blockbuster-style neckbreaker into a seated Ace Crusher
The move is spectacular to watch, difficult to defend (due to
the unorthodox manner with which Athena catches her oppo-
nent), and extremely effective Held the Anarchy Champion-
ship Wrestling TV title from January 20 to June 23 Known as
The Wrestling Goddess Suffered a Grade-2 tear of the AC
ligament in her shoulder in August after receiving a German
suplex from WSU champion Jessicka Havok; the injury was
expected to keep her out of action for up to six months
Scored a singles win over MsChif in Ring of Honor in July
Other notable wins during the evaluation period came against
Ayako Hamada, Tomoko Nakagawa, Kimber Lee, and Ivelisse
Unsuccessfully challenged Kalamity for the NCW Femmes
Fatales title in November 2012 Earned the NCW FF title shot
by beating Cheerleader Melissa, Angie Sky, and French com-
petitor X-Cute Sweet in a four-way bout In addition to ROH
and WSU, Athena regularly competes for SHIMMER and
SHINE Teamed with A.R. Fox to win the 2013 WSU Queen
and King of the Ring intergender tag tournament in May, topping
Drew Gulak and Kimber Lee in the finals.
Coquitlam, British Columbia, native is one-half of The Cana-
dian Ninjas with Portia Perez and is a two-time SHIMMER tag
team champion Captured the SHIMMER tag belts the second
time with a win over Sara Del Rey and Courtney Rush on an
NCW Femmes Fatales card in Montreal in July 2012 Held
that championship until dropping the belts to the Global Green
Gangsters (Kellie Skater and Tomoko Nakagawa) in April Is
a four-time Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling Wom-
ens champion, having won the title most recently from K.C. Spi-
nelli in March Headlined SHIMMER Volume 50 (October
2012) in a SHIMvivor Series five-on-five elimination match,
teaming with Perez, Saraya, Mercedes Martinez, and Lexie Fyfe
against Regeneration X, Cheerleader Melissa, LuFisto, and
MsChif in a veritable all-star bout Held the ECCW mens tag
team title as one-quarter of the stable The Riot from October
2012 through March 2013 Played competitive volleyball and
swam prior to wrestling Underrated singles competitor has
impressive stamina, terrific ring awareness, and a well-rounded
mat wrestling style that has allowed her to go toe-to-toe with the
likes of proven commodities such as Melissa, Serena Deeb,
Hiroyo Matsumoto, and LuFisto Main
finishing move is a rolling neckbreaker
she calls The Vancouver Maneuver.
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66 PWI
Tamina snuKa
cherry Bomb
Second-generation star was out of action with a back injury for
three months in the late-summer of 2012, returning at the 2012
Survivor Series, where she aligned with Vickie Guerrero and
attacked AJ Lee Feud with Lee never quite developed, but
Snuka took advantage of a depleted roster of heel females to earn
more than 30 title shots against WWE Divas champion Kaitlyn
between January and May, though she was never able to score
the elusive victory over the champ Superfly splash is one of the
most effective womens finishers in WWE, butas Kaitlyn
provedif that move can be avoided, Snukas offense is flimsy
and ineffective Despite the losses to Kaitlyn, Snuka scored a
handful of wins against Lee and Layla during the evaluation peri-
od, and maintained her spot as top contender for the Divas title for
nearly half of the year Was cast in her first acting role alongside
her cousin, The Rock, for a film to be released in 2014 called
Hercules: The Thracian Wars Participated in the tournament to
crown the first NXT Womens champion in June, but was elimi-
nated by Paige in the opening round Previously managed both
The Usos, JTG, and Santino Marella Other signature moves
include the superkick, the Samoan drop, and the headbutt, which
was a staple in the repertoire of her father, Jimmy Snuka.
Toronto, Ontario, native has enjoyed a whirlwind romance with
Pepper Parks Debuted in CZW in September 2012, along with
Pepper, declaring themselves to be life coaches for the CZW
fans, preaching proper fitness training, nutrition, and beauty tips
Duo targeted Greg Excellent for his disgusting lifestyle choic-
es Handed MsChif her first loss in Ring of Honor after a run-
ning DDT Won the 2CW Girls Grand Prix tournament in June,
beating Nikki Roxx in the first round, Courtney Rush in the semi-
finals, and then winning a three-way against Jessicka Havok and
Allysin Kay in the finals She is a staple in SHIMMER, NCW
Femmes Fatales, and WSU First made her name on the
Canadian independent scene after completing her training at the
Squared Circle Training Center Won the IWIW (Ohio) title in
July 2012 Toured Japan in 2010 and 2012 Main finishing
moves include the superkick, the Cherry Popper sit-out face-
buster, a bridging double-chicken wing submission lock, and the
Death Valley Driver Made a memorable cameo on an episode
of Monday Night Raw when she appeared as a blind date for
Goldust in 2010 Suffered an upset loss
to Davina Rose (now known as Baylee in
NXT) in October 2012 in SHIMMER.
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JANUARY/2014 67
Portia Perez
Christina von eerie
The petite Ottawa native is one of just 12 women to earn a
spot on the PWI Female 50 every year since its inception in
2008 Of those 12, only Portia and Amber ONeal achieved the
feat as independents In 2008, we described the number 50
selection as a spunky youngster She has certainly matured
over the years, developing into a finely conditioned athlete and
one of the most in-demand talents on the independent circuit
Held the SHIMMER tag team title with Nicole Matthews (as The
Canadian Ninjas) from July 2012 until April 2013, when they lost
the belts to Kellie Skater and Tomoko Nakagawa Completed
a 12-day tour of Newfoundland in September 2012 Toured
Japan in January, teaming with Skater and Nakagawa in the Art-
ist of STARDOM trios tournament Won the NHPW Global
Conflict Shield tournament in Australia, scoring wins over Sway,
Madison Eagles, and Skater Portia is an asset inside the ring
as an athlete, but she is also exceptional on the microphone, both
in interviews and as a color commentator, said SHIMMER found-
er Dave Prazak. She has a fantastic mind for the business as a
whole and plays a crucial role in the overall presentation of the
SHIMMER product.
High-haired punk rock princess hails from Spook City, USA
Has had a rocky relationship with former CZW champion
MASADA, whom she fought to a 20-minute no-contest decision
in an intergender death match in February Made two tours of
Japan during the evaluation period Also competed in SHINE,
SHIMMER, WSU, and 2CW this past year Briefly wrestled in
TNA in 2011 as Toxxin Teamed with MASADA in the WSU
Queen and King of the Ring tournament, losing to Addy Starr
and Matt Tremont in the quarterfinals Scored a DQ win over
Saraya in SHIMMER in April Won a four-way match against
Cherry Bomb, Kalamity, and Ryo Mizunami in SHIMMER in
October 2012 Held the AAA (Mexico) mixed tag team title with
Alex Koslov on 2010 Occasionally teams with MsChif
Proved her mettle in an intense feud against Sara Del Rey in
2011 Defeated Marti Belle in her debut in EVOLVE in Sep-
tember 2012 Main finishers are the 138 Tilt-a-Whirl face-
buster, double-knee facebreaker, and the Graveyard Smash
facebuster Has played guitar and bass guitar in a pair of punk
rock bands Has shown she can excel in a variety of match-
es, including technical bouts, hardcore
matches, and matches against a variety
of international competition.
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68 PWI
Allysin Kay
niKKi Bella
Detroit native serves as a member of the Midwest Militia (with
Jessicka Havok and Sassy Stephanie) and is one-half of the
team Made in Sin (with Taylor Made) in SHIMMER Has held
the Absolute Intense Wrestling (Ohio) Womens title since April
2012 and co-holds the WSU tag title with Sassy Stephanie
Made in Sin defeated MsChif and Christina Von Eerie in April
Embarked on a three-month tour of Japan in July, competing in
Diana, ZERO-1, Sendai Girls, and REINA Also scheduled to
make her Bellatrix debut in England this fall One of the most
active independent women in the U.S., regularly competing in
SHIMMER, WSU, SHINE, and in the Ohio/New York/Ontario
independent scene Lost to MsChif in Ring of Honor in
November 2012 Faced an impressive array of opponents this
year, including singles matches against Courtney Rush (win),
Serena Deeb (win), Cheerleader Melissa (loss), Mickie Knuck-
les (win), and Nikki Roxx (win) Main finishing moves are the
Cut-Throat Saito suplex and a modified gogoplata choke
Advanced to the finals of 2CWs Girls Grand Prix 2 tournament
in June, but lost a three-way bout in which Cherry Bomb man-
aged to beat Kay and Jessicka Havok.
Former WWE Divas champion has not been as active as her
twin sister, Brie, since the Bellas returned to WWE earlier this
year after a brief sabbatical from wrestling Part of the reason
for her inactivity was her recent breast enhancement surgery,
which Nikki confirmed on Twitter, as she and Brie looked notice-
ably less identical this summer Prominently featured on E!s
Total Divas, with her relationship with John Cena developing into
one of the reality shows focal points The Bellas have primar-
ily feuded with The Funkadactyls since their return Nikki
earned a singles victory over Kaitlyn on Raw in April, which was
her biggest singles win during the evaluation period While not
a technical master, Nikki has been one of WWEs most success-
ful womens performers over the past five years, thanks in large
part to her charisma, strong promo skills, andof coursethe
Bellas twin magic switches Won the Divas title in a Lumber-
jill match with Beth Phoenix in April 2012 when Phoenix injured
her knee Dropped the belt less than a week later to Layla at
Extreme Rules 2012 One of the best overall athletes in wres-
tling, Nikki was a standout soccer star and
planned to play professionally until an
injury dashed that dream.
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JANUARY/2014 69
Jessica James
Taeler Hendrix
Texas native recently completed a successful tour of Japan,
where she lived in a training dojo Has added several new
moves to her repertoire, including the tornado suplex from the
corner, several armlock submissions, and a front scissors take-
over into a leg submission Innovated a handstand scorpion
kick that the Japanese media has dubbed The JJ Kick in her
honor Added muscle mass, which has helped her adapt to
the stiff strong-style utilized by Japanese opponents, including
Jaguar Yokota, Yumiko Hotta, and Kaoru Ito Also added
bridging suplexes and missile dropkicks to her game Cap-
tured the Anarchy Championship Wrestling (Texas) American
Joshi title for the third time in January with a win over Barbi
Hayden Occasionally competes as her sinister alter-ego,
Lady Poison Lady Poison uses a kiss of death to beat
opponents, letting a mysterious green substance ooze from her
mouth until she smooches them into unconsciousness (sign us
up!) Defeated Athena in January in ACW Also wrestled in
Traditional Championship Wrestling (Tennessee), Indygurlz
(New Jersey), MetroPro (Kansas), and Bayou Independent
Wrestling (Louisiana) during the evaluation period Small in
size, but an explosive and multi-faceted competitor.
At this time last year, the redhead from New Bedford, Mas-
sachusetts, looked like she was on the verge of big things in
TNA, but the wrestling gods can be very fickle gods, indeed
Received a TNA contract by virtue of a strong showing in a Gut
Check match against Tara in June 2012 Was inexplicably
kept in TNAs developmental system (Ohio Valley Wrestling),
making just a handful of appearances until she was released by
TNA in July In those rare TNA appearances, she lost to Mick-
ie James, Velvet Sky, Hannah Blossom (in a three-way match
that also included Sojourner Bolt), and Tara Was very active
in OVW, where she held the Womens championship on three
occasions Was the center of a bizarre love rectangle as
Dylan Bostic, Ryan Howe, and Heidi Lovelace vied for her affec-
tions Lovelace won out, but it turned out Hendrix was just
using her to maneuver her way to a title shot Formed the
Mean Girls faction with Envy in OVW She always had a
professional attitude and the real desire to improve, said New
England Championship Wrestling promoter Sheldon Goldberg.
I used to tell her that I thought she was the most beautiful girl
in wrestling, and that when her wrestling
skill caught up to her beauty, shed be
unstoppable. Shes almost there.
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70 PWI
Alicia Fox
Sassy Stephie
Former WWE Divas champion (in 2010) has slipped out of
title contention, but shes always a viable threat Competed
in the tournament to crown the first NXT Womens champion
this summer, beating Bayley in the opening round before losing
to eventual winner Paige in the semifinals Scored a win over
Kaitlyn on the July 5 edition of Smackdown, thanks to outside
interference from AJ Lee Lost several matches to Natalya
and Layla over the past year, but dominated Aksana and won
some bouts against Tamina Snuka in August Former fashion
model has been quite active on the WWE house show circuit
with inconsistent results Tried her hand at tag team wrestling
this past summer, partnering with AJ, Aksana, and Layla at
various times Main finishing moves include the power bomb,
the scissorkick, and a somersault legdrop Co-hosts the Total
Divas after-show on wwe.com with Renee Young Tall, lean,
and athletic, Fox specializes in quick roll-ups, backslides, and
sunset flips, all designed to end a match in an instant.
Akron, Ohio, native has been active in WSU, SHIMMER,
NCW Femmes Fatales, SHINE, and at various indies in the
Great Lakes region Is a member of the Midwest Militia, along
with Jessicka Havok and Allysin Kay (as well as occasional
member Nevaeh) Scored a win over Christina Von Eerie in
April, which made her the top contender for the Remix Pro
Wrestling (Ohio) Womens title, a championship she won from
Sara Del Rey and then lost to Hailey Hatred that same night in
2012 Other notable wins during the evaluation period came
against Santana Garrett, DArcy Dixon, and Su Yung Has
excelled in tag team competition (with Kay) but has been incon-
sistent as a solo Racked up wins against Del Rey and Von
Eerie, but lost to Cherry Layne, Missy, Sweet Cherrie, and
Thunderkitty Previously held the WSU tag team and WSU
Spirit championships Has the ability to methodically control
the pace of a match Shes working everywhere, which
shows that shes a great person to have backstage, and she is
probably one of the most underrated wrestlers on the scene,
said NCW FF booker Stephane Bruyere
Main finishing move is the Kiss MY
Sass, an inverted overdrive.
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JANUARY/2014 71
Cameron
Emma
The Funkadactyl is better known for her dance moves than
her wrestling prowess, but the fact of the matter is that both she
and her tag team/dance partner, Naomi, had a solid year in
WWE California native was a contestant on Tough Enough
in 2011 and received a WWE developmental contract despite
being the first contestant eliminated Briefly competed in Flor-
ida Championship Wrestling before getting the call-up to WWE
to join Brodus Clays dance squad The Funkadactyls have
earned some wins over respectable teams, including Alicia Fox
and Natalya, Aksana and Tamina Snuka, The Bella Twins, and
AJ Lee and Layla Landed in hot water with a DUI arrest in
2012, but has put that regrettable incident behind her Has
been prominently featured on Total Divas, where she has had
more than her share of drama with her partner Her wrestling
skills are quite basic, consisting primarily of basic takedowns,
cradles, and the DDT, but her quickness and ability to stay out
of her opponents grasp has helped her succeed Tag team
specialist is frequently taken lightly by opponents due to her
lack of experience, but she has managed to hold her own
against several former Divas champions.
Charming Australian has won over NXT fans, in large part due
to her infectious, straight-armed dance, which makes Alex Wright
look like Mikhail Baryshnikov by comparison Competed as
Tenille Tayla and Tenille Dashwood prior to signing with WWE in
2011 Trained under Lance Storm in Calgary in 2007 Two-
time former Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling Wom-
ens champion feuded extensively with Nicole Matthews Also
previously competed in SHIMMER Her clumsy dance routine
has helped her stand out on NXT, where fans frequently imitate
her moves; think of her as NXTs female answer to Fandango
Advanced to the finals of a tournament to crown the first NXT
Womens champion, beating Aksana and Summer Rae before
losing to Paige in the finals Teamed with both Kaitlyn and
Tamina Snuka in May, giving her valuable experience alongside
established WWE Divas Beat Summer Rae to become top
contender for the NXT title in August An impressive ring gen-
eral who knows how to utilize the ropes to her benefit, bouncing
off them to gain speed for her running cross-bodyblocks and
dropkicks and using them to tie up opponents with her version of
the Tarantula Stretch Signature submission moves include the
bridging Muta-lock Indian deathlock varia-
tion and, as a tribute to Lance Storm, the
single-leg Boston Crab.
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PHOTO BY DUANE LONG

72 PWI
nevaeh
leva bates
The Gem City Queen is the doyenne of the Ohio Is 4 Killers
(Oi4K) stable, along with Jake and Dave Crist and Sami Callihan
Currently based in Combat Zone Wrestling and also competes
in WSU, SHIMMER, and several other indy promotions Nota-
ble wins during the evaluation period came against Cherry Bomb,
Jessicka Havok, and Angelus Layne Has had a volatile rela-
tionship with fellow Ohioan Havok, feuding with her in CZW while
joining forces with Havoks Midwest Militia in SHIMMER Previ-
ously held the SHIMMER tag team title with Ashley Lane (Madi-
son Rayne) Proved she wasnt the weak link of that team by
beating Lane in a grudge match in SHIMMER in October 2011
Trained at the Heartland Wrestling Association With Jake Crist,
advanced to the second round of the WSU Queen and King of
the Ring Tournament 2013, beating Cherry Bomb and Pepper
Parks in the opening round and then losing to Drew Gulak and
Kimber Lee Signature moves include the STO, the back-pack
stunner, and her Killer Comb (a snap mare, a Perfect snap float-
over neck-wrench, and a sliding clothesline) Main finishing
move is a bridging German suplex.
Petite Floridian with a penchant for playing dressup and a
wardrobe full of geek-wear Was one-half of Regeneration X
with her tag partner and mentor Allison Danger in SHIMMER
Popular fan favorite is wildly charismatic and known for her
toughness and determination Based in Florida but hails from
Gotham City, Florida, which is probably somewhere near
Orlando Appeared on Impact Wrestling in September 2012
when she helped Aces & Eights abduct Sting and Hulk Hogan
by macing them in the face (and we always thought she was
such a nice, sweet girl) Although, considering she trained at
the Team 3-D Academy, perhaps we should have seen it com-
ing Had a wild feud with Kimberly in SHINE, which culmi-
nated with an Arkham Asylum weapons steel cage match,
which Bates won in April in Ybor City Has also competed in
FIP, WSU, ACW (Texas), IndyGurlz, and Battling Bombshells
With Danger, unsuccessfully challenged The Canadian Ninjas
for the SHIMMER tag title (Volume 52) Selected to compete
in the SHINE title tournament, but lost her opening-round match
to Mia Yim Also competed in the ACW Queen of Queens
tournament, advancing to the semifinals, where she lost to
Angelus Layne Held the CCW, SCW,
and SuperCon Womens titles in Florida
Finisher is the Super(Hero) Kick. 4
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JANUARY/2014 73
mia yim
amber o'neal
California beauty is the reigning NWA-FUW (Florida) Wom-
ens champion, having beaten La Rosa Negra for the title in
March Has improved a great deal over the past few years
with her activity in Ring of Honor, SHINE, CZW, and SHIMMER
Lost to Tara at the TNA One Night Only: Knockouts Knock-
down PPV Previously served as valet in Prince Nanas
Embassy in ROH Advanced to the finals of the SHINE title
tournament in July, scoring wins over Ivelisse Velez and Leva
Bates before succumbing to Rain Notable opponents this
year include Awesome Kong, Jessicka Havok, and MsChif,
which shows how she has progressed from being perceived as
Prince Nanas arm-candy to a formidable in-ring competitor
With her experience in Japan as well as here in the U.S., Mia is
someone with a very bright future on a global scale, said Dave
Prazak, founder of SHIMMER. She has an exciting, high-impact
style of wrestling which mixes devastating strikes, unique high
flying ability, and submission prowess. There are very few
women who compete regularly in North America who put as
many aerial maneuvers to use as Mia Yim. Primary finishing
move is the SkyYim, a sky twister press off the top rope.
Veteran has wrestled in almost every major U.S. promotion
at some point, and continues to remain extremely active on the
independent circuit Founded the Arenachicks promotion and
actively promotes that company throughout the U.S. Debuted
in SHINE in May, losing to Ivelisse Scored a victory over
former WWE Womens champion Leilani Kai in early-2012
Notable matches during the evaluation period include a victory
over Shelly Martinez (bra and panties), a win over Angelina
Love, and losses to Serena Deeb and Mickie James Formed
a very successful tag team with Santana Garrett that captured
the reactivated Women of Wrestling tag team title with a win
over Caged Heat ONeal and Garrett have gone undefeated
on the indy circuit since forming their team, known as The All
American Girls Teamed with Zane Riley to beat Maria Kanel-
lis and Mike Bennett in a mixed tag bout in PWX (North Caro-
lina) Holds the title of Queen Of PWX Long-running feud
with Reby Sky shows no sign of abating Is one of the only
women to wrestle for OMEGA Cur-
rently preparing for a tour of Germany,
where she is scheduled to face Martinez.
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PHOTO BY FRANK KREWDA

74 PWI
veda scott
xandra bale
There was no sophomore slump for the 2012 PWI Rookie of
the Year The Tim Hortons coffee-quaffing cat-lover is a regu-
lar in SHIMMER (where she frequently tags with Shazza McKen-
zie) and WSU, and has competed in NCW Femmes Fatales,
PWS Bombshells, and Wrestling Is Respect Her highest-pro-
file role is as an announcer and interviewer with Ring of Honor, a
position that led her into a grudge match against MsChif on ROH
TV in June Traveled to Japan in October 2012, where she
competed for the Stardom and Joshi4Hope promotions
Teamed with Gregory Iron as Hope and Change to win the Abso-
lute Intense Wrestling (Ohio) tag team title in November 2012
Won an Uncensored Opportunity match over Niya to earn her
way onto the WSU roster in February Won a four-way ladder
match that included Addy Starr, Athena, and Crazy Mary Dobson
to become the top contender to the AIW Womens title in March
Competed in the 2013 JT Lightning Invitational tournament,
losing to Marion Fontaine in the opening round Signature
moves include the Saito suplex, the diving cross-bodyblock, and
the snapmare driver Always fashionable, Veda is known for
her snazzy houndstooth ensembles, her horn-rimmed glasses,
and her flirty miniskirts.
Comic book fanatic can give Leva Bates a run for her money
when it comes to cosplay ring gear Thornhill, Ontario, native
had a breakthrough year, debuting in SHIMMER and SPARKLE
in April, Women Superstars Uncensored in August, and compet-
ing for NCW Femmes Fatales in Montreal Was trained by
respected Ontario instructor El Fuego Billed as The Suicide
Blonde due to her high-risk, high-flying offense Also claims
to weigh in at 1,000 pounds of awesomeness Notable
opponents have included Angelina Love, Courtney Rush, The
Midwest Militia, Melanie Cruise, and Ryo Mizunami Recent-
ly formed a promising tag team with Leah Von Dutch Defeat-
ed Jody DMilo for the OCW Womens title in May Competed
in the Squared Circle Adrenaline Cup mens tournament in
Toronto Ring gear is almost always superhero-themed, with
Spider Man, Venom, Wonder Woman, and Wolverine being
standouts Finishing moves are the Bale Out! spider submis-
sion lock, the fisherman neckbreaker, and a diving cross-body-
block Other signature moves include the top rope hurrican-
rana, the missile dropkick, and the spinning heel kick Also
has a reputation for diving from the ring and hurling herself at
opponents on the floor Played baseball and hockey prior to
training for the ring and is a licensed
physiotherapist, which means she can
both dish out and treat acute injuries.
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JANUARY/2014 75
Santana Garrett
Bambi Hall
Belleview, Florida, native is becoming one of the most in-
demand female competitors on the independent circuit Com-
peted in SHIMMER, SHINE, WSU, and TNA this year (losing to
Brooke Tessmacher at One Night Only: Knockouts Knockdown)
Was the sole survivor in a five-on-five womens elimination match
presented by Vendetta Pro Wrestling during the 2013 Cauliflower
Alley Club Reunion, last eliminating Kat Von Heez to earn the vic-
tory for her team Regularly competes against male opponents,
including in Belleview Pro Wrestling (where she won the cruiser-
weight title) and in I Believe in Wrestling Main finishing move is
the Shining Star Moonsault press, a handspring standing moon-
sault Had notable feuds against male opponents Chasyn
Rance, Shooter Storm, and Jayson Falcone this past year
Scored victories over Leva Bates, Nikki St. John, Sojourner Bolt,
Rhia OReilly, and Taeler Hendrix during the evaluation period
Holds the Southern Championship Wrestling (Florida) Womens
title Teamed with Amber ONeal to win the re-launched Women
of Wrestling tag team title in January Competed in the tourna-
ment to crown a SHINE champion, but was defeated by Ivelisse in
the opening round Previously debuted in TNA in controversial
fashion, portraying the female love interest of Orlando Jordan dur-
ing his flamboyant bisexual phase in 2010.
Second-generation wrestler is making waves in Western Can-
ada Was voted third runner-up in the 2012 PWI Rookie of the
Year balloting, won by Veda Scott, marking the second time in
the history of the Achievement Awards that two females finished
among the top four vote-getters in that category (Nidia and Taylor
Matheny finished second- and third-runner-up respectively in
2002) Bambi is the daughter of wrestler Raven Lake True
student of the sport has been preparing for a career in the ring
since she was a little girl Was prominently featured on the
reality TV series World Of Hurt, alongside Roddy Piper Com-
peted in more than 140 matches in her first two years, including
the infamous Tony Condello Death Tour across northern Mani-
toba Was named Rookie of the Year by the Canadian Nation-
al Wrestling Alliance and was a finalist for the Cauliflower Alley
Club Future Legend award in 2013 Held the CNWA Womens
title from January through August, when she lost the belt to Sexy
Samantha Notable opponents have included Raven Lake,
Nicole Matthews, Angelina Love, and Kat Von Heez Recently
relocated to Edmonton, Alberta, seeking new opponents and
additional career opportunities Trained
under Michelle Starr, Nathan Burke, Sean
Dunster, and Phil Lafon.
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76 PWI
Bayley
Thunderkitty
Just when you thought AJ Lee had cornered the market on
crazy, another perky, somewhat off-kilter Diva comes onto the
scene in NXT Previously wrestled on the independent circuit,
appearing as Davina Rose in Big Time Wrestling, SHIMMER, and
SHINE Signed a WWE developmental contract and debuted
in NXT in February as Bayley Has shown a much more
aggressive side since joining WWE San Jose native was a
wrestling fan since she was 11 years old and has a background
in track, basketball, and martial arts Surprised Divas champion
AJ in August, interrupting an interview on NXT by hugging her
and gushing over how much she adores the champ, and begging
for a title shot; shades of Mickie James/Trish Stratus, circa 2006
Has struggled in matches against Paige this year, but she has
victories over some top-notch talent to her credit, including Cher-
ry Bomb, Angel Orsini, Amber ONeal, and Christina Von Eerie
Has been using a surfboard with chinlock combo, a diving rear
elbow off the second rope, and a exploder snap suplex since
joining NXT Girl next door looks belie an incredible will to
win, as capturing title gold in WWE has been a lifelong obsession
One to watch in 2014.
Throwback-styled competitor is straight out of the 1950s, com-
plete with the old-fashioned one-piece swimsuit-style ring gear, a
leopard print robe, and wearing her hair back in a conservative
bun Her unique look and classical wrestling style have made
her a cult favorite, particularly in the Chicago area, where she
competes in Resistance Pro Wrestling and SHIMMER/SPARKLE
Native of Gulfport, Mississippi, attended The Santino Brothers
Wrestling Academy and was also trained by The Ballard Brothers
and at CZWs Dragon Den Academy Strong technical wrestler,
but excels at brawling and is particularly dangerous once the
match spills out of the ring Notable matches during the evalu-
ation period include a best-of-three falls win over Mickie Knuck-
les, a win over Sassy Stephie in SHIMMER, a win over The Great
Cheyenne, and participating in a four-woman elimination match
that included Awesome Kong, Nikki St. John, and DArcy Dixon
in RPW She says her hobbies include drinking Jack Daniels,
shopping at garage sales, and getting into fights Signature
moves include the sleeper and a variation of the Boston Crab that
she calls The Cornbread Crunch Also likes to wear down
opponents with stiff crossfaces, punches
to the stomach and back, and an impres-
sive array of suplexes.
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2013 WWE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
PHOTO BY GILDA PASQUIL/SHIMMER

JANUARY/2014 77
She Nay Nay
mistress Belmont
Ottawa, Ontario, native is perennially underrated, but can hold
her own against just about any female in the game today Rare-
ly travels outside of her native Canada, which prevents her from
getting the attention her skills deserve Defeated Veda Scott in
July at NCW Femmes Fatales in Montreal Has also collected
wins over Rhia OReilly, Xandra Bale, and Jody DMilo in recent
years Street-smart and with a gift for trash-talk, she employs a
unique blend of brawling and technical wrestling styles; shes as
likely to throw an opponent to the mat by the hair as she is to
wrestle her into submission Competed on a grueling tour of the
Canadian Maritimes this spring, wrestling 23 matches in 23 con-
secutive days in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova
Scotia Wrestled in Ohio Valley Wrestling in 2007, where she
frequently faced such stars as Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Serena
Deeb, and ODB Has also competed in SHIMMER on several
occasions I had the pleasure of touring with She Nay Nay this
year as part of my 30th anniversary comeback tour in Atlantic
Canada, said Ron Hutchison, who trained Trish Stratus, Edge,
Gail Kim, and Beth Phoenix, among others. Not only is she a
phenomenal heel that gets it, she is a natural leader, both inside
and outside the ring. She is a great addition to any locker room.
New England-based wrestler has a dark, Goth/dominatrix look
that sets her apart from the divas Has slimmed down this
year, sporting a lean, muscular physique Trained by the late
Steve Bradley and has his initials tattooed on the back of her neck
in his memory Elevated her game by facing some higher-level
competition, including Angelina Love and Mickie James Gained
respect from Veda Scott after beating her in July in BLOW, leading
to an odd couple Freaks and Geeks tag team Holds the PWF
Northeast tag team title with her brother, Jon Poe, being the first
intergender tag champs in that promotions history Has also
competed in IndyGurlz, New England Championship Wrestling,
and Chaotic Wrestling Unique entrance music, The Long Kiss
Goodnight by the death metal band Flood This Earth, was written
specifically for her Main finishers are the Slave Driver (variation
of the Michinoku Driver), the Long Kiss Goodnight sit-out choke-
bomb, and Cobra Clutch slam Often sets up those finishers
with a corner chest kick off the second rope or a surfboard sub-
mission lock Had notable feuds with Kasey Rey and Greek
Barbie this past year A secret admirer continues to send her
boxes of weapons to the ring while she
competes in NECW, usually resulting in
Belmont getting herself disqualified.
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RESTLING ILLUSTRATED
The Next Generation Of Wrestling Magazine
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JANUARY/2014 79
I
T SAYS SOMETHING about the evolution of this
business that arguably the most talked-about
wrestlers in years 2012 and 2013 are two men
most prominent promotions wouldnt have even
afforded an opportunity 25 years ago. But think about
it: Where would pro wrestling be today if not for the
contributions of men like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan
in WWE and AJ Styles and Chris Sabin in TNA?
Of course, there will always be a fascination in all
sports with the bigsand we will never downplay
the importance of men like John Cena and Bully
Raybut we as fans have always been willing to
open our hearts to men who more than make up for
a lack of size with their in-ring talents and ability to
entertain on the microphone. It just took the sports
powerbrokers a few years to catch on.
The race for 2013 Wrestler of the Year is, refresh-
ingly, filled with horses of all sizes. Daniel Bryan
came on super strong during the summer and into
the fall and was so impressive in his SummerSlam
win over John Cena (and so screwed over by McMa-
hon, McMahon, & Helmsley) that he may well be the
peoples choice. It also shouldnt be overlooked that
with the help of Kane, he helped revive the moribund
WWE tag team division. Cena, on the other hand,
triumphed in the main event of WrestleMania over the
legendary Rock, plus he won the Money in the Bank
ladder match and The Royal Rumble. Then theres
Bully Ray, who reshaped not only his own body, but
the balance of political power in TNA. Or, perhaps
youve experienced the brilliance of Hiroshi Tana-
hashi and Kazuchika Okada on a New Japan iPPV,
or at least seen their matches on YouTube, and feel
driven to cast your vote for one or the other. There
also last years winner, CM Punk, to consider, as well
Japans Suwama, Mexicos El Terrible, and WWE
stars Alberto Del Rio and Randy Orton.
This is not an easy call, and, quite frankly, were
glad were not making it, nor any of the decisions in
our other 10 traditional Achievement Awards catego-
ries. Thats where you come in. Once again, we are
asking for your expertise. And heres how the voting
is done: In this special section, youll find descrip-
tions of the various categories along with a list of top
candidates in each. Carefully read the descriptions
and weigh your choices for each award. If you dont
see your nominee on the list, feel free to write it in.
Keep in mind that our list of nominees is created
toward the end of September, so there may well be
candidates (particularly in Match of the Year) that
would not have been presented.
Once youve made your selection in each cate-
gory, record your votes on the ballot provided on
page 83, and send it in to us by mail or e-mail
(addresses on ballot).
Also, please remember to share your Unofficial
Official Awards. When making up your awards and
lists, get creative! Think outside the box and be as
clever or silly as you like. Keep it clean and have
some fun! Some of 2012s more memorable Unof-
ficial Official Awards included the following:
Dixies Midnight Runners: Christopher Daniels
& Kazarian; Here Comes The Pain (In The Ass):
(Tie) Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman; Nepo-Girl:
Brooke Hogan; Ron Jeremys Love Child: Joey
Ryan; The S_it Factor: Bobby Roode; The Taylor
Swift We Are Never Ever, Ever Getting Back
Together Award: Daniel Bryan & AJ Lee; TNAs
Best ASSet: Brooke Tessmacher; World Heavy-
weight Champion Of The All-You-Can-Eat Buffet:
Ryback; Worst Storyline Of The Year: AJ Styles
and Claire Lynchs baby mama drama
RememberUnofficial/Officials asidethis is
serious business for serious fans, and we seriously
want your serious consideration before you fill out
and return your ballots.

80 PWI
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
The man or woman you select as Rookie of the
Year must fulfill two qualifications: He or she must
have not been a runner-
up in last years vote and
should have yet to com-
plete his or her second
year as a pro by the time
December 31, 2013, rolls
around. A vote for Rookie
of the Year is a vote for a
possible future superstar.
Top candidates for
2013: Americos, John
Greed, Cody Hall, Matt
King, Hitoshi Kumano,
Lucipher Lords, Elliott
Russell, David Starr, Tim
Zbyszko
MOST POPULAR WRESTLER
OF THE YEAR
Popularity used to be self-explanatory: cheers,
adoration, and the love of the fans. But in recent
years, some of the biggest heels have been among
the sports most popular stars, so wrestlers are eli-
gible in this category, as well as Most Hated.
Top candidates for 2013: Jay Briscoe, Daniel
Bryan, John Cena, Jeff Hardy, Kane, Kofi Kingston,
Magnus, Joseph Park, CM Punk, Chris Sabin, Shea-
mus, James Storm, AJ Styles, Dolph Ziggler
MOST IMPROVED WRESTLER
OF THE YEAR
For Most Improved Wrestler of the Year, pick
someone who, throughout 2013, has worked the
hardest to improve himself or herself as a wrestler
the man or woman who has struggled to learn
several new maneuvers or has captured a major title
for the first time. This wrestler can be a heel or a fan
favorite, but the improvement should have been con-
siderable and notable.
Top candidates for 2013: Curtis Axel, Bully Ray,
Fandango, Shane Haste, Kaitlyn, Magnus, Roman
Reigns, Matt Taven, Taryn Terrell
MOST HATED WRESTLER
OF THE YEAR
The flip side of popularity: jeers and utter contempt
from the public. Some wrestlers openly court the fans
hatred; others just dont care what they think. Who
hears the loudest boos? That really is the only consid-
eration in choosing your
Most Hated Wrestler of
the Year. This category is
open to anyone connect-
ed with the business.
Top candidates for
2013: Bully Ray, Dixie
Carter, Adam Cole, Zeb
Colter, Brock Lesnar,
Stephani e McMahon,
Randy Orton, Ryback,
The Shield, Matt Taven,
Triple-H
2012 WINNER: VEDA SCOTT
2012 WINNER: JOHN CENA
2012 WINNER: RYBACK
2012 WINNER: CM PUNK
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JANUARY/2014 81
WOMAN OF
THE YEAR
Women continue to
play more prominent
roles in wrestling than
ever before. Theyre
beautiful, theyre tough,
and i n many cases,
they are very, very influ-
ential. You can vote for
a woman who wrestles
regularly or one who
works mostly as a valet/manager, general manager, or
even owner. We just ask that you vote for the woman
you think made the biggest impact.
Top candidates for 2013: Dixie Carter, Cheer-
leader Melissa, Mickie James, Kaitlyn, AJ Lee,
Stephanie McMahon, Tara, Velvet Sky
COMEBACK OF THE YEAR
Heres an opportunity to honor a competitor who
had a big year after suffering through a long period
of stagnation or being out of the sport entirely.
Top candidates for 2013: Bella Twins, Jay Bris-
coe, Goldust, Kane, Chris Jericho, Jerry Lawler,
Chris Sabin, Davey Boy Smith Jr.
INSPIRATIONAL WRESTLER
OF THE YEAR
As the darker side of athletes personal lives are
brought to light, it has become increasingly difficult to
look to them as role models. But while the negative is
often spotlighted, there also those that have quietly
shown themselves to be human beings with the capac-
ity to inspire with their actions. For the first time, we
open this category not only
to active wrestlers, but to
anyone associated with the
business.
Top candidates for
2013: Kharn Alexander, Dan-
iel Bryan, Terra Calloway,
John Cena, Dallas Page,
Johnny Gargano, Chris Mas-
ters, Darren Young
FEUD OF THE YEAR
Every year there are wars that capture the imagina-
tion of fans for months on end. The criterion is simple:
Your choice for Feud of the Year should be that one
continuing series of battles (verbal and/or physical)
lasting at least two monthsthat you feel has domi-
nated the careers of the participants to the exclusion
of all other activities. Special note: The wrestlers you
select for Feud of the Year need not have wrestled
each other numerous times.
Top candidates for 2013: John Cena-The Rock, CM
Punk-Paul Heyman, CM Punk-Brock Lesnar, Alberto Del
Rio-Jack Swagger, Daniel Bryan-McMahons, Ryback-
John Cena, Dixie Carter-AJ Styles, Sting-Bully Ray,
Mark Henry-Ryback, Chris Jericho-Fandango, The
Shield-Team Hell No, Brock Lesnar-Triple-H, Dolph
Ziggler-Alberto Del Rio, Cody Rhodes-Damien Sandow,
Bully Ray-Jeff Hardy, American Wolves-Red Dragon,
Hiroshi Tanahashi-Kazuchika Okada
2012 WINNER: JEFF HARDY
2012 WINNER: AJ LEE
2012 WINNER: ACES & EIGHTS
vs. TNA
2012 WINNER: JERRY LAWLER
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MATCH OF THE YEAR
Every wrestling fan, at one time or another, thinks,
That was one of the greatest matches Ive ever seen.
If that happened to you this year, you know what this
category is all about. The bout chosen as Match of
the Year might well have historical significance (such
as a major title change or loser-leaves-the-company
match), though that is not a specific requirement.
(Editors note: Please remember to give fair con-
sideration to matches that occur after the press
date of this issue.)
Top candidates for 2013: Hiroshi Tanahashi-Kazu-
chika Okada (January 4), The Rock-CM Punk (Janu-
ary 27), Hiroshi Tanahashi-Karl Anderson (February
10), John Cena-CM Punk (February 25), Undertaker-
CM Punk (April 7), Hiroshi Tanahashi-Kazuchika
Okada (April 7), William Regal-Kassius Ohno (April
10), Kofi Kingston-Antonio Cesaro (May 1), Triple-H-
Brock Lesnar (May 19), Ryusuke Taguchi-Kenny
Omega (May 30) Kurt Angle-AJ Styles (June 2), Taryn
Terrell-Gail Kim (June 2), Seth Rollins-Daniel Bryan
(June 10), CM Punk-Chris Jericho (June 16), Money
in the Bank (June 14), Katsuyori Shibata-Hirooki Goto
(June 21), WWE Money in the Bank (July 14), Antonio
Cesaro-Sami Zayn (July 22) Tomohiro Ishii-Shabata
(August 4), Daniel Bryan-John Cena (August 18),
Brock Lesnar-CM Punk (August 18), Adam Cole-Tom-
maso Ciampa (September 20)
2012 WINNER: UNDERTAKER
vs. TRIPLE-H
2012 WINNERS: KOFI
KINGSTON & R-TRUTH
2012 WINNER: CM PUNK
TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR
Experience, skill, and success all count in this cat-
egory, though whether a team is scientific or rulebreak-
ing should make no difference. A Tag Team of the Year
should be more than simply a great pairing; it should
dominate the promotion in which it competes.
Top candidates for 2013: Austin Aries & Bobby
Roode, Daniel Bryan & Kane, Christopher Daniels &
Kazarian, Bobby Fish & Kyle OReilly, Goldust & Cody
Rhodes, Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Hernandez, Satoshi
Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Seth Rollins & Roman
Reigns, James Storm & Gunner
WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
This is the top honor: The winner of this award
should be the one person who has personified the
essence of professional wrestling throughout 2013.
Talent, skill, and achievement are the three prereq-
uisites for this category. The competitor chosen as
Wrestler of the Year should be the one wrestler
whose accomplishments for the year stood out
above all others.
Top candidates for 2013: Bully Ray, Daniel
Bryan, John Cena, Alberto Del Rio, Kazuchika
Okada, Randy Orton, CM Punk, Kevin Steen, Suwa-
ma, Hiroshi Tanahashi, El Terrible
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Official Fan Ballot
Send ballot to: Achievement 2013 Vote c/o Pro Wrestling Illustrated O198 Butler Pike/8uite 2OO Blue Bell, PA 19422
E-mail to: pwiawards@yahoo.com
Rookie of the Year:
Most Popular Wrestler of the Year:
Most Improved Wrestler of the Year:
Most Hated Wrestler of the Year:
Woman of the Year:
Comeback of the Year:
Inspirational Wrestler of the Year:
Feud of the Year:
Match of the Year:
Tag Team of the Year:
Wrestler of the Year:
My Unofficial Official Awards for 2013:
Additional Comments (please feel free to use additional paper):
NAME

AGE
STREET
CITY STATE ZIP E-MAIL
HOW DID YOU GET THIS ISSUE? SUBSCRIPTION NEWSSTAND
You ma] e-mail ]our oallots to pwiawards@]ahoo.com. Ballots are due Decemoer O, 2O18.
JANUARY/2014 83

84 PWI
M
ore i PPV mi sery for
ROH Ring of Honor
Chief Operating Officer
Joe Koff thought he was rebuild-
ing fan trust in the iPPV concept
when he offered fans live stream-
ing of Death Before Dishonor 11,
free of charge. The event fea-
tured some of the best
matches in the compa-
nys history, according
to those who were i n
attendance at the Penn-
sylvania National Guard
Armory in Philadelphia.
Fans who attempted to
watch the live stream on
the Internet didnt have
the same experience.
Unfortunately, ROH
has a history of poor-
qual i t y i PPVs, not i n
terms of entertainment
value, but because of
technical issues. This
dates back to ROH s
earliest collaborations
with Go Fight Live and
also its own attempts to
stream events in-house
at rohwrestling.com.
According to Koff, Go
Fight Live CEO David
Kl arman was anxi ous
to demonstrate that his
company could deliver
a cl ean st ream. Koff
didnt want ROH to pay
for the service unless he
was certain that it would
work. Klarman offered
to provide a stream for
Death Before Dishonor free of
charge, and, at approximately 5
p.m. Eastern, with the event only
a few hours away, Koff issued an
online statement that fans could
watch Death Before Dishonor on
GFL, free on the Internet.
It was important to me that
as many fans as possible get
to see our title tournament, and
thats why the idea appealed to
me, Koff told PWI. And as far as
I know, most viewers got to see
those great semifinal matches,
including Adam Cole vs. Tom-
maso Ciampa, and Michael Elgin
vs. Kevin Steen. We expected
the streaming to go well, but, if it
didnt, we knew that fans wouldnt
be out any money.
By most accounts, the prob-
lems began after intermission,
and, in some cases, fans missed
the main event, Coles win over
Elgin, entirely. Understandably,
Koff is more skeptical than ever
regarding iPPV technology.
Ive come to realize this is an
inexact science, he lamented.
With the live streaming weve
been attempting, there are too
many conditions out of our control.
Fans are entitled to a quality prod-
uct, and we have to do a better job
of meeting their expectations.
So, wi l l ROH ever attempt
iPPV again?
Im always willing to
try new things, replied
Koff. I think our prob-
lem is that we have so
many f answe have
among the highest buy-
ins that GFL has ever
seenand we re re-
ally testing the limits of
the technology. There
i s sti l l great potenti al
with GFL, but I have to
be convinced that the
problems will be worked
out. Maybe that means
well never do another
live stream. Weve had
more success with vid-
eo-on-demand, and that
may be a better alterna-
tive, even if it means the
events wont be in real
time.
Koff downplayed the
loss of potential iPPV
revenue, insisting that it
was not a major factor in
ROHs bottom line.
Brevetti in charge of
briefs Some readers
may remember Laura
Brevetti, who was ap-
pointed WWE senior vice presi-
dent, general counsel and secre-
tary, in late-September. Although
it wasnt acknowledged in WWEs
press release, Brevetti played a
Ring of Honor COO Joe Koff decided to test the iPPV waters
with a free offering of Death Before Dishonor. With the picture
having failed before the main event, hes now unsure if ROH will
attempt live web feeds for the foreseeable future.
THE BUSINESS
PAGE
////////////////////////////////////////////////// BY HARRY BURKETT
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key role in successfully defending
Vince McMahon against the fed-
eral government during his 1994
steroid trial. Brevetti had been a
partner at the same Pittsburgh law
firm as Jerry McDevitt, who rep-
resented McMahon at the steroid
trial and in many other legal mat-
ters over the years.
Brevetti has 30 years of experi-
ence, which includes attorney-in-
charge and special attorney for
the U.S. Department of Justice
and assistant district attorney for
Kings County, New York. She will
be the principal legal advisor to
McMahon and corporate secretary
to WWEs board of directors.
Where will you be on April 6,
2014? Thats the date for Wrestle-
Mania 30, being held at the Mer-
cedes-Benz Superdome in New
Orleans, Louisiana. Tickets went
on sale on Saturday, November
16, at 11 a.m, with prices ranging
from $25 to $850, and, for the die-
hards, a limited number of Gold
Circle VIP packages available
for $2,000. The package includes
seating within the first four rows,
a special stadium entrance, a col-
lectible ticket-holder, and a com-
memorative folding chair.
60-Day High: 10.70 on August 1
60-Day Low: 9.62 on September 23
52-Week High: 11.33 on July 17, 2013
52-Week Low: 7.50 on November 15, 2012
Wall Street analysts are always apprehensive when any company
revises its outlook downward, and that was the case when WWE
released a statement on September 13, predicting smaller OIBDA
(operating income before depreciation and amortization) results for
the second half of fiscal year 2013. WWE gave a range of $40- to
$50-million for 2013, compared to the $62-million earned by the com-
pany in 2012.
A companys OIBDA uses operating income as its starting point,
unlike EBITDA, which emphasizes earnings, including those created
by certain tax treatments and one-time write-downs. Many analysts
view OIBDA as a more accurate measure of a companys year-to-year
financial health.
WWE lowered its outlook on Friday, September 13, and its stock
value fell 48 cents to 9.73 by the following Monday.
More commentators have become wary of WWEs future, too. Ja-
cob Steinberg of the influential Seeking Alpha financial website gave
an informed critique of WWEs audience, suggesting the companys
PG stance was limiting its earnings potential and that would prevent
it from achieving the same ratings and live-event attendance success
it had in the late-1990s and early-2000s. He concluded that Vince
McMahon has been successful in a very narrow scopeprofessional
wrestlingand hasnt shown the potential to expand elsewhere.
John Cena addresses a press gathering to announce New Orleans as the site of
WrestleMania 30. Tickets went on sale in November for the big event to be held at
the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
WWE STOCKWATCH
[ For the period of August 1 to September 30, 2013 ]

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TV BREAKDOWN
August 5: 3.0
August 12: 3.0
August 19: 3.2
August 26: 3.1
September 2: 2.9
September 9: 2.9
September 16: 3.0
September 23: 2.8
August 2: 2.0
August 9: 1.9
August 16: 1.8
August 23: 1.9
August 30: 1.9
September 6: 1.9
September 13: 2.0
September 20: 1.9
August 1: 1.0
August 8: 0.9
August 15: 1.0
August 22: 1.0
August 29: 1.0
September 5: 1.0
September 12: 1.1
September 19: 1.1
September 26: 0.9
Analysis: The pay-per-view effect is alive and well, as the August 19 edition of Raw, airing
the night after SummerSlam, earned a 3.2, the programs highest Nielsen rating since the night
after WrestleMania 29. Raw scored a 3.4 that evening. It was a combustible Raw, with John
Cena announcing his hiatus from WWE due to a severe triceps injury, the coronation of new
WWE champion Randy Orton, and Daniel Bryans conflicts with the HHH-Stephanie corporate
regime. The good news is that Raw held steady during Cenas absence in subsequent weeks,
and there was a palpably unpredictable feel to the show, thanks to emerging headliners such as
Bryan, The Shield, and Ryback. There really hasnt been much change in Raws numbers since
last year. These might be the best ratings WWE can achieve with a three-hour show.
Analysis: Smackdown is averaging one point below Raw, but thats quite respectable for
WWEs number-two show. Other than World champion Alberto Del Rios feuds with Christian
and Rob Van Dam in the late-summer, there appeared to be few storylines that were exclusive
to Smackdown. With the brand extension essentially over, there remains the debate of whether
WWE needs the World heavyweight championship. Right now, Smackdowns emphasis on the
World title is the only thing that differentiates it from Raw. Smackdown is becoming a Raw re-
bound program, airing recaps from Monday night and offering weak extensions to Raw-centric
angles. But is this necessarily bad? Maybe not. When Creative is on the upswing, as it seems to
be in WWE, then fans will want more of the same on Friday nightsnot an alternative program.
Analysis: Congratulations to TNA for
its six-week streak, maintaining an av-
erage rating of 1.0 or higher for Impact
Wrestling. The program is averaging
about two-tenths of a point higher each
week, compared to the late-spring and
early-summer, and Impacts ratings are
back where they were during the same
period in 2012. Is it because of the un-
raveling of Aces & Eights, a concept
that was never popular with the fans?
Is it the formation of the Extraordinary
Gentlemens Organization? Or is it the
return of AJ Styles and his elevation
to the main event of Bound For Glory?
More than likely, its a combination
of all these factors, plus the presence
of General Manager Hulk Hogan most
weeks. Now we have TNA President
Dixie Carter showing heel tendencies.
TNA is breeding a volatile environment,
and that makes for good television.
TV MATCH OF THE MONTH
AJ Styles vs. Magnus, Impact, September 19
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SMACKDOWN
[ ]
USA
Syfy
IMPACT WRESTLING
[ ]
Spike
[ ]

HURRY! THIS OFFER EXPIRES DECEMBER 31, 2013!
www.zinio.com/giftcards/index.jsp
HURRY! THIS OFFER EXPIRES DECEMBER 31, 2013!

88 PWI
1
Who, or what, would you consider to be your mor-
tal enemy?
OVW wrestler Paredyse. I mean, just look at the guy.
Its obvious hes not playing with a full deck.
2
Did you experience any culture shock when you
relocated from Western New York to Louisville,
Kentucky?
Yes, I did. I had to change my accent. The hardest
part was learning to pronounce it as Lou-ah-vull
instead of Lou-e-ville.
3
What do you think about Ben Affleck being cast
as Batman?
I think its awesome! I like the fact that everyone is so
bent out of shape about it, but I think it will be excellent.
4
What has been the singlemost surreal moment of
your career so far?
There have been so many surreal moments. Id say
the most surreal thing is when Im interacting with fans.
They have been so supportive and truly believe in me,
and have such high hopes for my career. Its incredibly
humbling and reassuring getting that kind of reaction.
This has been what Ive wanted to do since I was a kid,
and the fans believe in me. Thats surreal.
5
Complete the following sentence: If Jamin
Olivencia wasnt a pro wrestler, he would be
_____.
A stunt double.
6
What is the first CD you ever bought?
Oasis, (Whats The Story) Morning Glory. I was the
only kid in the fourth grade who was into Oasis.
7
What has been the most personally rewarding
match of your career so far?
When I won the OVW heavyweight title against Doug
Williams. I have a tremendous amount of respect for
him. He brought my game to a completely new level.
8
What is your favorite sport, other than wrestling?
Football. Im an NFL guy.
9
Fantasy football: Cool or for nerds?
Im not into fantasy football. I wouldnt want to call
them nerds, but the super fantasy football fanatics
have too much time on their hands.
10
If I handed you a $100 bill right now, how would
you spend it?
First Id have to set some money aside to buy tickets
for the Ben Affleck Batman movie. Then Id go to the
mall and spend the rest buying stuff to make mer-
chandise for myself.
11
What is the best Christmas gift you ever received
as a kid?
The Sega Genesis. I loved Earthworm Jim. It was
terrible, but I loved it. I also loved the WWF Royal
Rumble game.
12
When the fans leave the building after a show,
what do you want them to be saying about Jamin
Olivencia?
That they felt something watching my match; that I
was able to elicit some emotion, maybe something
that they havent felt in a long time. I want to tell a
story and make an emotional connection with the
fans. Thats what I try to do every night.
12 QUESTIONS
Youre at the airport. You see your favorite
wrestler relaxing in one of the terminals. You
rush up to him or her as questions fill your
excited mind. There are certain things you
j ust have t o know about t hi s person.
Well, these are the 12 questions youd
never think of asking
////////////////////JAMIN OLIVENCIA

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INDEPENDENT ROUNDUP
////////////////////////////////////////////////////
B
Y THE END of EVOLVE
24, the ring area inside
the Brooklyn Lyceum re-
sembled the charred remains of
a bombed-out war zone. A.R.
Fox and Ricochet topped off the
September 22 card, delivering a
match that darn near wrecked the
joint. Prior to the starting bell, Fox
grabbed a microphone and as-
serted that his bout with Ricochet
would be best contested as a falls-
count-anywhere, no-disqualifica-
tion match, stipulations with which
Ricochet eagerly agreed. Fox later
explained that a number of factors,
including the general condition of
the ring itself, left in virtual sham-
bles after a packed card of hard-
hitting matches, prompted him to
change things up at the last min-
ute. The ring was pretty much fall-
ing apart and I wasnt sure that it
would last for our match, he said.
Ive never done a falls-count-any-
where match, so I was excited to
do it and I pretty much went ahead
and made the stip on my own with-
out asking anyone. Looking back,
on it, Im proud of that decision.
Fox and Ricochet brawled with
uncanny fervor, turning folding
chairs, wooden planks and even
parts of the ring itself into imple-
ments of destruction. As the sag-
ging ropes and the torn and blood-
stained mat couldnt contain the
sheer ferocity of the battle, the
men took their fight to the ringside
area, dishing out punishment all
over the venues concrete floor.
They eventually made it back into
the ring, and although Ricochet
poured every iota of resolve and
effort into the battle, it was Fox
who finally pulled off the win, get-
ting the pinfall after landing a dou-
ble stomp on Ricochet as he lay
buried under a pile of debris.
In a remarkable sign of sports-
manship, Ricochet addressed the
crowd after the match, thanking Fox
for pushing him to his limits as a
competitor. The outspoken Fox was
understandably humbled by Rico-
chets words. It was pretty awe-
some to hear Ricochet put me over
in front of everyone, Fox beamed.
Hes one of the best high-flyers in
the business and hes been around
a bit longer than me, so his praise
was a big compliment.
But after Fox walked off into the
sunset, the night got even rougher
for Ricochet, who paid the price
for turning down Su Yungs invi-
tation to join the Premier Athlete
Brand. Insulted by his refusal to
join their clique, Yungs Premier
BY MIKE BESSLER
A.R. Fox targets Richochet lying in the debris-strewn Brooklyn Lyceum ring at EVOLVE 24. With the
ring having been compromised during a night of wild action, Fox felt it prudent to request a falls-
count-anywhere match.
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cronies, Anthony Nese and Mr.
A, attacked Ricochet, making it
very clear that Ricochet has gained
some new and powerful enemies.

Ricky Ruffin had a choice to

make heading into this years Sep-
tember to Remember show for
Vendetta Pro Wrestling. After win-
ning an elimination challenge at
the 2012 September to Remem-
ber, Ruffin had one year to cash in
his shot at any of the promotions
championship titles. After sitting on
his opportunity for the better part of
the year, Ruffin finally opted to take
on Billy Blade for the heavyweight
championship at the September 13
show. With so much time to con-
coct a decent strategy, one would
hope that Ruffin could come up
with a solid plan, but at the end of
it all, Ruffin cracked Blade with a
set of brass knucks to seemingly
win the contest.
Referee Jay Stone subse-
quentl y reversed hi s deci si on
upon l earni ng that Ruffi n had
used a weapon in scoring the win.
With his title restored, Blade soon
came face to face with his next
challenger, Vintage Dragon, who
had himself earned a shot to chal-
lenge for any Vendetta title after
winning an elimination match ear-
lier that night. Dragon stated hed
use his opportunity to challenge
Blade for the heavyweight title in
the near future.

Chris Hayes and Dynamite

Seth Knight faced off in a note-
worthy bout at Pro Wrestling Elites
September 13 show in Union City,
Tennessee. It was a rematch be-
tween the two, with Knight having
garnered the win in their previous
encounter. This time around, with
a better feel for the tactics and tal-
ents of his opponent, Hayes was
ready for just about everything that
Knight threw at him, and as Hayes
climbed to the top rope to execute
a Swanton Bomb, fans were cer-
tain that hed locked up the win.
But in a cruel twist of fate, it was
Chris brother, Erik Hayes, who
actually stole the victory away from
his sibling, charging to ringside
and knocking Chris off the rope.
Seizing on his chance to grab the
win, Knight climbed atop the felled
Chris for the three-count.
Not content in costing his broth-
er some hard-earned laurels, Erik
entered the ring and added insult
to injury, laying out his brother with
a mammoth power bomb. Asked
to explain his actions, Erik didnt
make an effort to hide the toxic lev-
els of jealousy from his side of the
Hayes family dinner table: Hes
been trying to steal my spotlight
and have everything handed to
him instead of paying his dues and
earning his stripes in the wrestling
business, Erik complained. From
here on out I will continue to show
him who the better Hayes is.

As expected, Pro Wrestling Guer-

illas annual Battle of Los Angeles
was a huge hit with the dedicated
followers of the West Coast-based
promotion. The tournament, held
August 30 and 31 in Reseda, Cali-
fornia, attracted some of the most
prominent names in independent
wrestling, including Kevin Steen,
Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano,
and Roderick Strong. In addition to
copious amounts of high spots and
hard knocks, fans were treated to a
few lighthearted moments, includ-
ing a bit of silliness from the likes
of guys like Joey Ryan and Drake
Younger. During their bout, Ryan
and Younger teased a bit of hard-
core action by producing a bag
that purportedly held thousands of
thumbtacks. Once dumped on the
mat, the contents turned out to be
a mixture of candy and Lego blocks,
which probably still hurt quite a bit
when Younger pinned Ryan on top
of the mess to win their match.
Although the first night of the
tournament had its share of sur-
prises, things really heated up on
Night 2, beginning with a notable
upset in the quarterfinal brack-
ets when Gargano bested Steen.
Gargano won via submission af-
ter catching Steen in his patented
Gargano Escape. Gargano later
fell to Michael Elgin in the semif-
nal round in a contest that fans re-
ceived as one of the best matches
on the two-day card.
Erik Hayes puts the hurt on his younger brother Chris after costing him the win in a
hotly contested match against Seth Knight.
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Michael Elgin and Kyle OReilly
collided in the final round of the
tournament. OReilly defeated a
host of top-notch talent to grab his
spot, including Trent?, ACH, and
Drake Younger. Although Elgin
appeared to be the odds-on favor-
ite heading into the duel, OReilly
trapped Elgin in a triangle choke to
prompt a tapout.
With his loss in the fnal round
of the Ring of Honor heavyweight
tournament, it was a tough stretch
for the Unbreakable one.

ECWA slated its September 7

show in Newark, Delaware, as a
special event, determined to cel-
ebrate its 46th anniversary in style.
In addition to a scintillating match
in which Kekoa the Flyin Hawai-
ian defeated Mike Mondo, Greek
God Papadon retained his ECWA
heavyweight title in a bombastic con-
frontation with Apollyon. In a partic-
ularly emotional milestone, Jessie
Kaye became the frst-ever ECWA
Womens champ, defeating Missy
Sampson, who probably expected
more help from bossman Michael
Tartaglia than she actually received.
The night also saw the creation
of a new group that purports to fll
the power vacuum left by the de-
mise of the Blackheart faction. Led
by Joel Blackheart, AHTU, Na-
palm Balm, and Solo have formed
the Legion of Destruction, a large
and in charge group of gladiators
who might well run roughshod over
every ECWA wrestler in an unholy
quest for supremacy.

Fans at the September 21 Pro

Wrestling Freedom show in Wil-
liamsburg, Kentucky, were treat-
ed to a titanic helping of wrestling
action when NWA junior heavy-
weight champion Jason Kincaid
locked up with fan favorite Jor-
dan Kage. Tension between the
men had escalated for the better
part of the past year, with Kincaid
clearly radiating his feeling that
the indy scene wasnt big enough
for both men. With the PWF faith-
ful clamoring for an in-ring meet-
ing between the two, the men
agreed to a 45-minute main-event
bout that was a showcase in abil-
ity and fortitude from bell to bell.
Despite an ample supply of stiffy
traded, high-impact shots, including
a roundhouse kick from Kage that
ultimately left Kincaid with a con-
cussion, neither man could gain a
defnitive upper hand by the expi-
ration of time. As the bell rang, the
audience jumped to its feet, ex-
pressing their appreciation for the
efforts of Kage and Kincaid.
The crowd demanded another
fve minutes, an arrangement that
Kage and Kincaid obliged. But
even with an overtime period, the
match still ended in a draw even
as Kincaid seemingly closed in on
a victory. I clearly had him in the
last fve minutes," said Kincaid. "I
hit him with a piledriver and he was
down and out.
Ki ncai d coul dn t seal t he
deal, though, and after the bell
rang again, both men appeared
to have gained some mutual re-
spect, raising each other's hands
in triumph and basking in the ac-
colades of the audience. The d-
tente was short-lived, however,
as Kincaid abruptly kicked Kage
in the gut, delivered a Tombstone
Piledriver, and left the ring. Folks
at the PWF are already talking
about a rematch.

Northeast Wrestlings Septem-

ber 21 Wrestling Under the Stars
II show, held at Dutchess Stadium
in Wappingers Falls, was a verita-
ble whos who of wrestling greats.
WWE Hall of Famer Howard Fin-
kel hosted the celebrity-encrusted
event that saw Colt Cabana score
a win over Jake Manning and Jer-
ry Lawler defeat Matt Striker. Kev-
in Nash was joined in tag action by
Scott Halls son, Cody Hall, in a
match against the OutCast Killaz.
Scott appeared in support of Nash
and Cody, who picked up a win
over the grappling gangstas.

After a very short retirement,

Charlie Haas has retuned to the
ring, wrestling matches in his home
state of Texas. On August 17, 2013,
he went head to head with NWA
Branded Outlaw Wrestling champ
Jax Dane, winning the match and
Danes strap. Theres no official
word yet as to whether or not Haas
return to action means an eventual
reappearance of his celebrated al-
ter ego Stone Cold Steve Haastin,
but starry-eyed wrestling fans can
always dare to dream.
Jessie Kaye is all smiles backstage after
beating Missy Sampson to become the
first-ever ECWA Womens champion. Next
stop the Female 50!
Charlie Haas showed no signs of ring
rust after having abruptly retired in
March, winning the Branded Outlaw
Wrestling Texas title from Jax Dane in
his first match back.
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Nov. 1995: One Defense In Four Months?!
Strip Hulk Hogan Of The TitleNow! Also:
Alex Wright, Tatanka, King of Ring, Chris
Benoit, Backlund-Clinton.
Jan. 1996: Our Holiday Wish List For
1996! Also: Scott Norton, Sid Vicious, Psico-
sis-Misterio, Barry Horowitz, Sabu.
Feb. 1996: Wrestlings Top Stars: What 1996
Has In Store For Them! Also: Goldust, Sherri-
Parker, Mikey Whipwreck, Smokin Gunns.
March 1996: His Excellency! How Bret
Masterminded Diesels Execution. Also:
Jeff Jarrett, Giant, Jim Cornette, Survivor
Series, Eddie Guerrero.
June 1996: Luger Or Hogan? If Sting
Makes The Wrong Choice, Hes Through!
Also: Road Warriors, Roddy Piper, Ahmed
Johnson, Raven, Al Snow
Oct. 1996 (Special Issue): WCW Mid-Year
Report. Also: Jake Roberts, Yokozuna,
Giant-Konnan, Ahmed Johnson, Chris Jeri-
cho, strutters.
Nov. 1996: The Steiners: Feasting On A
Buffet Of Violence. Also: Shawn Michaels,
Sabu-Douglas, King of Ring, Eddie Guerrero,
truck stop terror.
Dec. 1996: Three Women For Four Horse-
men? The Hot Search For A Fourth Filly
Has Begun! Also: Sunny & Gunns, Giant,
Goldust, Cornette & Hart, Jerry Jarrett.
Holiday 1996 (Special Issue): The Tomb-
stone: Wreslings Deadliest Finisher. Also:
1997 calendar, Pyscho Sid, Benoit-Misterio,
Steiners-NWO, Pit Bull I, Jushin Liger.
June 1997: Ahmed Johnson Reveals: I
Almost Joined The Nation Of Domina-
tion. Also: Mankind, Lex Luger, NWO,
Davey Boy Smith, Jerry Graham.
Nov. 1997: WWF War Zone: Interfederation
Battles Rock The Sport! Also: Ahmed John-
son, Dan Severn, Hennig-Hogan, Nueva
World Order, Chris Candido.
Holiday 1997 (Special Issue): The Stein-
ers Million-Dollar Gamble! Also: 1998 cal-
endar, Alex Wright, The Patriot, Sgt. Slaugh-
ter, Turnbuckle Turkey Awards.
April 1998 (Special Issue): The 1998 INSIDE
WRESTLING Computer Tournament. Also:
Scott Hall, Marlena, Chris Benoit, Gunn &
James, Sabu-Sandman.
May 1998: Is The WWF Screwing Another
Hart? Also: Steve Austin, Dallas Page, Book-
er T, Larry Zbyszko, Al Snow.
June 1998: Steve Austin: The 10 Men Who
Inspired His Toughness. Also: Perry Saturn,
Dusty & Dustin Rhodes, Mortis, Jeff Jarrett,
hottest rivalry.
July 1998 (Special Issue): Top Stars
Answer Your Personal Questions. Also:
Jericho-Misterio Jr., Steve Austin, Sunny,
Scott Steiner, Christopher-Michinoku.
Aug. 1998: WrestleMania XIV: The Real
Winners And Losers. Also: Sunny, Curt
Hennig, Dan Severn, Ultimo Dragon.
Sept. 1998: Power Surge! While The NWO
Fiddles These Men Are Burning. Also:
Sabl e, Ul ti mo-Guerrero, DeGenerati on
X-Owen, Rocky Maivia, Mad Russian-Rambo.
Oct. 1998 (Special Issue): WCW Midyear
Report. Also: Steve Austin, Taka Michinoku,
Al Snow, Hollywood Hogan, Roddy Piper,
Misawa-Kawada.
Nov. 1998: Austin vs. Goldberg: Who Would
Win And Why. Also: Bret Hart, Dude Love,
Junkyard Dog, Helmsley-Michaels, Ray-Booker.
Dec. 1998: DDPs Big Bang Theories: Cut-
ting Loose On Life, Love, & The Ultimate
Buzz. Also: Sable-Jackie, Mankind, Hogan-
Horace, D-Lo, APW.
Holiday 1998 (Special Issue): Kane: Still
Haunted By His Day Of Glory. Also: Eddie
Guerrero, Stevie Ray, Val Venis, Turnbuckle
Turkey Awards, bonus calendar.
Jan. 1999: Seasons Greetings With A Bang
(DDP & Kimberly). Also: Severn-Shamrock,
Konnan, Arn, Undertaker-Kane, Chris Jericho.
Feb. 1999: Wrestlings Top Stars: Whats
Ahead For 99. Also: Hogan & Hart, D-Lo
Brown, Ken Shamrock, Slaughter-Snow.
March 1999: Estrange Situation! Insider
Reveals: Shane Still Resents His Father!
Also: X-Pac, Hogan-Warrior, Jesse Ventura,
Billy Kidman, Scott Norton.
April 1999 (Special Issue): The 1999 INSIDE
WRESTLING Computer Tournament. Also:
Bossman-McMahon, Steiner & Bischoff, Hol-
lywood Hogan, Wrath, Blue Meanie.
May 1999: Team Corporates WrestleMania
Scare! Mankinds Title Victory Could Have
Spoiled Everything! Also: New Age Outlaws,
Eddie Guerrero, Triple-H, Bill Goldberg.
June 1999: Still In-Vince-Ible! What Will It
Take To Topple This Man? Also: Rey Miste-
rio Jr., ECW, Triple-H, NWO, Blue Meanie.
July 1999 (Special Issue): Top Stars Answer
Your Personal Questions. Also: Vince McMa-
hon, Vincent, Eric Bischoff, Giant Baba.
Aug. 1999: WrestleMania XV: The Real
Winners And Losers! Also: Vam Dam-Lynn,
Saturn, Goldust, Steiner-Bagwell.
Sept. 1999: Shane, Come Back! Can Vince
Survive Without His Son? Also: Ken Sham-
rock, Hogan-Fl ai r-Page-Gol dberg, Ri ck
Rude, Bret Hart, Super Crazy-Tajiri.
Oct. 1999 (Special Issue): WCW Midyear
Report. Also: Mankind & Shamrock, Snow-
Holly, Sting, Edge, Flair-Robinson, AIWF.
Nov. 1999: Crash At The Bash! Enter Sid,
Viciously! Also: Undertaker-Austin, Acolytes,
Master P, Debra, Justin Credible.
Dec. 1999: The Rock: What Makes You
Love/Hate This Man? Also: Sting, Shane
Douglas, Droz, Piper-Bagwell, Taz.
Holiday 1999 (Special Issue):): The 1999
Turnbuckle Turkey Awards. Also: Sting, Dogg-
Gunn, Undertaker, Steve Corino, 2000 calendar.
Jan. 2000: Dreaming Of An Extreme
Christmas (Tommy Dreamer & Francine).
Also: Goldberg, Al Snow, Billy Gunn, Doring
& Road Kill, cigar-chompers.
Feb. 2000: Wrestlings Top Stars: Whats
Ahead For 2000! Also: Vince-Bulldog, Mike
Awesome, Sid Vicious, Gorilla Monsoon.
March 2000: Kevin Nash & Scott Hall: Get-
ting Inside The Outsiders Heads. Also:
Dudleys, Jerry Lynn, Vince-DX, Kimberly,
Zero Gravity.
April 2000 (Special Issue): The Y2K Comput-
er Tournament. Also: Jarrett-PTB, Christopher
& Taylor, Lou E. Dangerously, Lawler-Fantastico.
May 2000: Hey, Scott, Watch Your Back!
The NWO Is Setting You Up! Also: Hacksaw
Duggan, Rikishi Phatu, Test, Mike Awesome.
June 2000: Chris Jerichos Deadliest
Enemy: His Ego! Also: Tazz, Kidman-Torrie,
Nash-Funk, Buff Bagwell, New Jack.
July 2000 (Special Issue): Its True! Kurt
Angle Will Be Hotter Than The Rock In Six
Months! Also: Elizabeth, Steve Blackman, Nor-
man Smiley, Spike Dudley, personal questions.
Aug. 2000: WrestleMania 2000: The Real
Winners & Losers! Also: Dustin-Funk, Eddie
Guerrero, ECW extreme?, WCW analysis.
Sept. 2000: Those Damn Dudleys! Is
There An Evil Act Fans Wont Cheer? Also:
Billy Kidman, Taka Michinoku, Yoshihiro Tajiri,
Jeff Jarrett.
Nov. 2000: When Will Triple-H Proclaim
Im Sick Of Being A McMahon! Also:
Trish Stratus, Shane Douglas, Hulk Hogan,
Kevin Nash, Yoshihiro Tajiri.
[FULL-COLOR BEGINNING WITH JANUARY 2001]
Jan. 2001: Olympic Games: What Kind Of
Angle Has Curt Been Running? Also: Tazz-
Lawler, Big Vito, Stacy Keibler, Chris Benoit,
Kid Kash, Chyna.
March 2001: Who Knows The Rocks
Role? Is He Ditching Wrestling For Holly-
wood? Also: Trish Stratus, Billy Gunn, Jar-
rett-Sting, C.W. Anderson, Booker T.
May 2001: The WrestleMania Tip Sheet:
What You Must Know About The Event Of
The Year! Also: Scott Steiner, Dudleys,
Malenko & Lita, Shane Douglas, Raven.
Oct. 2001: Will Debra Ice Stone Cold?
Also: Chyna-Lita, William Regal, Radicals,
Big Three fallout.
Dec. 2001: The WWF-WCW Dream Matches
We Really Want! Also: Tazz, Dudleys, Perry
Saturn, Johnny Valentine, 100 WCW facts.
April 2002: Feud Alert! The Lowdown On
2002s Hotest Showdowns! Also: Rikishi,
Stacy Keibler, Shane Helms, 2001 report cards.
June 2002: Special Comeback Issue: Tri-
ple-H, Chris Benoit, Kevin Nash. Also:
Chris Jericho, Howard Stern, hypothetical
unification showdowns.
Aug. 2002: WrestleMania X8: The Real
Winners And Losers. Also: Hulk Hogan,
Scott Steiner, Jamie Noble, Jarrett-Christo-
pher, All-Japan.
Oct. 2002: Dark Side Be Damned! Under-
takers At His Best As Himself! Also: Ric
Flair, Triple-H, Wahoo McDaniel, Goldberg,
WWE-Hollywood.
Dec. 2002: The Impossible Dream, Part 2:
Can Angle Win Another Olympic Gold?
Also: Shane McMahon, PTC-WWE, Trish
Stratus, Malice, next best things.
Feb. 2003: HBKs Miracle Comeback: Will
The Fans Let Him Make The Smart Choice?
Also: Edge, RVD, Chuck & Billy, Russ Haas
Memorial, Turnbuckle Turkeys.
April 2003: Big Poppa Pump: On A Dirty
Mission To Clean Up WWE. Also: Ron Kill-
ings, Big Show, WWE agents, report cards.
June 2003: Grabbing For Greatness: Tri-
ple-Hs Desperate Quest For Immortality.
Also: Abdullah, Shawn Michaels, Chris Ben-
oit, WCW winners & losers.
Aug. 2003: WrestleMania XIX: The Super-
card That Changed The Course Of Histo-
ry! Also: Rene Dupree, The Hurricane, Chris
Jericho, Team Angle, injuries.
Oct. 2003: Done? Dont Count On It! Stone-
Cold Will Die If He Cant Fight! Also: Kliq, Miss
Elizabeth, D-Lo Brown, FBI, WWE nostalgia.
Dec. 2003: The 10 Most Respectable
Wrestlers Who Get No Respect. Also:
Dragon vs. Misterio, Hulk Hogan, Lance
Storm, Sting, Lawler vs. Rhodes.
Feb. 2004: The Game vs. Da Man: The
Death War Thats Too Brutal To Last! Also:
Undertaker, Kane-Shane, Shaniqua, Bris-
coes vs. Briscos, Turnbuckle Turkeys.
April 2004: The Raw vs. Smackdown
Super Bowl Party: WWE Will Never Be The
Same! Also: Tajiri, Maven, Carly Colon, Raw
report cards.
June 2004: Who Can Tame The Beast That Is
Batista? Also: Hardcore Holly, Michael Shane,
Chavo-Eddie, McSpansions 20th anniversary.
Aug. 2004: WrestleMania Alumni Agree:
Randy Ortons Life Is Changed Forever!
Also: Eddie Guerrero, Hall & Nash, Chris Ben-
oit, insiders poll.
Nov. 2004: John Cena: Do We Need To
Hate Him To Love Him? Also: Shelton Ben-
jamin, Steamboat-Punk, Chavo Classic, A.J.
Styles, Jonathan Coachman, William Regal,
OVW streetfight.
Feb. 2005: Why Randy Orton Will Succeed
Where Brock Lesnar Failed. Also: JBL, Batista,
Dudleys, Striker, Jeff Hardy, Turnbuckle Turkeys.
May 2005: The Return Of Brock Lesnar: Is
BL The Only Man To Take Out JBL? Also:
Maven, Hardcore Holly, Lita, TNA, Raw
report cards.
Aug. 2005: Head Trips: How Long Can
Helmsley Endure The Pressure? Also: Ric
Flair, Jeff Hardy, M-N-M vs. Dudleys, Wres-
tleMania, insiders poll.
Nov. 2005: ECW Reunion 2005: Ready To
Change The Face Of Wrestling Again!
Also: Christian, Orlando Jordan, Raven,
Randy Orton, Viscera, WWE women.
Feb. 2006: Shawn Of A New Day: HBK Enters
The Scariest Phase Of His Career. Also: New
Age Outlaws, Melina, Matt Striker, WrestleRe-
union II, Lord Al Hayes, Turnbuckle Turkeys.
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94 PWI
I
F ANYONE WAS wondering
whether Hiroshi Tanahashi
trul y deserved hi s number-
three ranking in the 2013 PWI
500, the six-time IWGP heavy-
wei ght champi on once agai n
showed just how good he is by
posting two huge victories in two
different hemispheres, winning the
2013 CMLL Universal Champion-
ship Tournament in Mexico and
then solidifying his status as the
top IWGP contender in Japan.
The 16-man Univer-
sal Championship Tour-
nament i s open to al l
titleholders in the CMLL
promotion. As a tag team
champion (with Jushin
Li ger), Tanahashi was
able to join a field that
i ncl uded t r i os cham-
pi on Mi sti co, heavy-
weight champion El Ter-
rible, NWA middleweight
champion La Sombra,
and a dozen other lucha
libre champions.
Tanahashi def eat -
ed Shigeo Okumura,
Dragon Rojo Jr., and La
Sombra in succession
on August 30, winning
the B Block of the tourna-
ment and securing a spot
in the finals. On Septem-
ber 6, Tanhashi defeated
Rush in a best-of-three
fal l s match to wi n the
tournament and add yet
another accomplishment
to his incredible profes-
sional resume.
Three weeks later, Ta-
nahashi ended his New
Japan Pro Wrestling feud
with Prince Devitt, beat-
ing the high-flying Irishman in a
wild lumberjack death match on
September 29 at the New Japan
Destruction PPV. Devitt was sec-
onded by members of his Bullet
Club stable, who freely interfered
throughout the bout. Captain New
Japan, Tiger Mask IV, Togi Mak-
abe, and Tomoaki Homna ac-
companied Tanahashi. The bout
was filled with interference from
the lumberjacks and weapons
(including a guitar, chairs, and
crutches), but Tanahashi earned
the victory after connecting with
a variation of the Styles Clash
and his signature High Fly Flow
splash.
In the main event, IWGP cham-
pion Kazuchika Okada success-
fully defended his title against Sa-
toshi Kojima, pinning Kojima af-
ter a Rainmaker lariat. But before
Okada could celebrate his victory,
Tanahashi issued a challenge for
Okadas title, setting the stage for
yet another classic con-
frontation between New
Japans top stars.
Tanahashi di d suf -
fer one hi ccup duri ng
an otherwise successful
September; he and Liger
lost the CMLL tag title
to Bullet Club members
Tama Tonga and Rey
Bucanero on September
14 in Tokyo.
I n ot her news f rom
Japan, Wrestl e-1the
splinter promotion found-
ed by former All Japan
Pro Wrestling head Keiji
Mutohel d i t s debut
event on September 8
at the Tokyo Dome City
Hall. According to reports
from Japan, tickets for
the event sold out weeks
ahead of time, and the
fledgling promotion drew
a capacity crowd of 2,500
fans. In addition to Muto
and other recent All Ja-
pan expat r i at es, t he
event (enti tl ed Wres-
tle-1: Raising An Army
Competition) featured
competi tors from New
Japan, Big Japan, Drag-
Hiroshi Tanahashi made his way back to the number-one con-
tenders position for Kazuchika Okadas IWGP heavyweight
championship with a win over Prince Devitt.
COMPILED BY DAN MURPHY
THE INTERNATIONAL REPORT
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
PHOTO BY SCOTT FINKELSTEIN

JANUARY/2014 95
on Gate, and several other Japa-
nese independent promotions.
In a major surprise, the reign-
ing All Japan TV champion, Rene
Dupree, wrestled on the event,
teaming with Zodiac in a tag team
loss to Muto and Bob Sapp. Du-
pree surrendered his title to All
Japan following the event and
has signed on as a member of the
Wrestle-1 roster.
The event, which aired on Jap-
anese television and iPPV, also
featured a womens bout, and es-
tablished names such as Seiya
Sanada, Kaz Hayashi, and for-
mer All Japan Triple Crown cham-
pion Ryota Hama.
While iPPV numbers were not
immediately available, the quick
sellout and overall positive re-
views of the event demonstrate
that there has been considerable
curiosity about this new promo-
tion ever since Muto announced
he was leaving AJPW to start his
own group, just as Mitsuhara
Misawa left All Japan to launch
NOAH in 2000. Coupled with the
general dissatisfaction with the All
Japan product in recent months,
Wrestle-1 might pose a serious
threat to the long-term viability of
All Japan, a promotion that was
established in 1972 and has been
one of the most successful and
influential wrestling promotions
worldwide. However, the onus
is now on Muto to prove that the
success of that debut card was
due to more than just the curiosity
factor. Vince McMahons ill-fated
XFL garnered spectacular ratings
in its first week and we remem-
ber how that turned out.
The World Wrestling Council
celebrated its 40th anniversary
on September 21 with its annual
Anniversario event in Bayamon,
Puerto Rico. The main event fea-
tured Sting in his Puerto Rico de-
but, taking on Carlito, the son of
WWC legend Carlos Colon. Sting
appeared to have the match in
hand when Carlito pulled the refer-
ee in the way of a Stinger Splash.
With the official incapacitated,
Carlito took control of the match,
but before he could apply the coup
de grace, Rey Fenix ran into the
ring to right the wrongs, laying
out Carlito with a back-stabber.
From there, Sting connected with
a Stinger Splash and a Scorpion
Death Drop to secure the win.
In other matches, Jay Velez
Sr. C, Zion RT1, and Xix Xavant
defeated AJ Castillo, Diabolico,
Steve Joel, and Styler Andrews;
Andy Leavi ne pi nned Sam-
son Walker; junior heavyweight
champion Rikochet beat Tommy
Diablo; Chicano and Abbad won
the WWC tag team title by prevail-
ing in a triple-threat match over
champions Sons of Samoa and
Puerto Rico mainstays Thunder
and Lightning; Universal heavy-
weight champion Chris Angel
retained his title with a win over
Apolo; Carlos Colon and Stacy
Colon defeated Invader #1 and
La Tigresa; and Savio Vega beat
Super Fenix by DQ.
Finally, in an item of interna-
tional interest, Dick The De-
stroyer Beyer has opened the
first park golf course in the Unit-
ed States in Akron, New York.
Beyerperhaps the best-known
gaijin wrestler ever to compete in
Japanlearned the game while
staying in Japan and developed
an 18-hole course of his own ad-
jacent to his home. The game,
which is played with one single
club and a billiard ball-sized ball,
was developed in Japan, where
there are now more than 1,300
park golf courses. The course was
inspected and certified by Japans
NIPPON Park Golf Association.
The course also features a De-
stroyer/Dr. X museum filled with
vintage wrestling memorabilia.
For more information, visit www.
destroyerparkgolf.com.
In his 28th year in the sport, Sting made a successful debut in Puerto Rico, beating
Carlito on the WWC 40th Anniversary card.
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96 PWI
ALABAMA
BIRMINGHAMRing of Honor at Bout-
wel l Audi t ori um: Tommaso Ci ampa
pi nned Luke Hawx Kevi n Steen
pinned Q.T. Marshall Michael Elgin
pinned Raymond Rowe Mike Bennett
defeated Davey Richards Jay Lethal
pinned Matt Taven in a Proving Ground
match Tag team champions Red Drag-
on (Bobby Fish & Kyle OReilly) beat
C&C Wrestle Factory (Caprice Coleman
& Cedric Alexander) Adam Cole de-
feated Roderick Strong.
(09-07-13)
Brad Mortinson
ARIZONA
TUCSONTNA at the Tucson Conven-
tion Center: Hernandez pinned Joseph
Park Knockouts champion ODB pinned
Leid Tapa X division champion Manik
pinned Eric Young World tag team
champions GunStorm (Gunner & James
Storm) beat Bad Influence (Christopher
Daniels & Kazarian) Austin Aries
pinned Bobby Roode World champion
Bully Ray pinned Samoa Joe.
(09-21-13)
Granger Burton
CALIFORNIA
OCEANSIDESo-Cal Pro Wrestling at the
Boys & Girls Club: Nick Lovin pinned Ki-
tana Vera B-Boy, Jimmy Ray Walker,
& Ronnie Thrash beat Joey Barone, Doc
Shield, & Matt Twizted SoCal Crazy
beat Rene Bustamante in a kendo stick-
on-a-pole match Adam Pearce pinned
Andre Machievski Anchors Away
(David E. Jones & Ryan Stone) beat tag
team champions Mirror Image Megastars
(Tommy Wilson & Ricky Mandel) for the
title Golden State champion Big Duke
beat heavyweight champion Big Daddy
Destro in a steel cage match for the title.
(09-21-13)
Chad Simplicio
SANTA MARIAVendetta Pro Wrestling:
Vintage Dragon defeated Tommy Mis-
fit, Judah Matthew, Tyler Bateman, and
Richie Slade in a five-shot elimination
match Hudson Envy and Allie Parker
won the third annual Luna Vachon Memo-
rial Battle Royal Heavyweight champi-
on Billy Blade defeated Ricky Ruffin by
DQ Lil Cholo beat Shannon Ballard
and Tri-Force champion SoCal Crazy for
the title Mario Banks & Mike Menace
defeated Jimi Mayhem & Mr. Tanaka
Hudson Envy pinned Allie Parker Su-
nami & Kadin Anthony beat J.D. Horror
& Sledge.
(09-13-13)
Joseph Duncan
HAYWARDAll Pro Wrestling Gym Wars
at the APW Garage: Boyce LeGrande &
Tyson Thompson defeated APW/Ven-
detta Pro Unified tag team champions Rik
Luxury & Matt Carlos in a non-title match
Brian Tannen defeated Marcus Lewis
Jeff Cobb pinned Ryan McQueen
Vinnie Massaro defeated Jeckles Sir
Samurai, TLo Insano, & Bushwhacker
Luke defeated Dalton Frost, KMJ, & Cor-
vus Will Rood & Damien Grundy vs.
Boyce LeGrande & Tyson Thompson end-
ed in a double-DQ World-Wide Internet
champion Drake Younger defeated Dylan
Drake Universal heavyweight champion
Adam Thornstowe pinned JR Kratos.
(09-07-13)
Markus Jacobson
MONROVIAInsane Wrestling League
at Masonic Temple Lodge #305: Joseph
Silas Young dominated most of the action, but Jay Lethal ended matters with a
backflip/Lethal Injection combination, followed by a pin.
PENNSYLVANIA
PHILADELPHIARing of Honor Death
Before Dishonor 11 at the National
Guard Armory: Vinny Marseglia beat
Will Ferrara Jay Lethal pinned Silas
Young IWGP junior heavyweight tag
team champions Forever Hooligans
(Rocky Romero & Alex Kozlov) beat
The American Wolves (Davey Rich-
ards & Eddie Edwards) Adam Page
pinned RD Evans Roderick Strong
pinned Ricky Marvin Caprice Cole-
man, Cedric Alexander, ACH, & Tadar-
ius Thomas beat Kyle OReilly, Bobby
Fish, Matt Taven, & Michael Bennett
Heavyweight title tournament, semi-
finals: Adam Cole pinned Tommaso
Ciampa Michael Elgin beat Kevin
Steen by submission Finals: Adam
Cole beat Michael Elgin by submission.
(09-20-13)
Spotlight photos by Stu Saks
SPOTLIGHT CARD
OF THE MONTH
UNITED STATES
ARENA REPORTS
/////////////////////////////////////////////
We encourage promoters and readers
to e-mail results to:
PWIResults@yahoo.com
Please try to utilize the exact format you
see in the Arena Reports. Also, please
distinguish between handicap matches
and three- or four-way matches. And,
when reporting the result of a handicap
match, indicate the number of competi-
tors and who was the last man eliminat-
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Following these guidelines will help us
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report will be used.

JANUARY/2014 97
Knox beat Tyler Durken and Che Cabre-
ra in a three-way Willie Mack pinned
Famous B Breakout champion Simon
Lotto beat Steven Andrews, Seville Al-
varez, and Joseph Knox in a four-way
Justin Ryke beat Pinky by submission in
a dog collar match Eric Watts pinned
Mikey OShea Joey Ryan pinned An-
archy champion Eric Cross in an Anarchy
Rules match for the title Monster Mafia
(Josh Alexander & Ethan Page) beat tag
team champions The Young Bucks (Matt
& Nick Jackson) for the title Michael
Elgin pinned B-Boy Ray Rosas beat
heavyweight champion Johnny Saovi in
a ladder match for the title.
(09-01-13)
Chad Simplicio
RESEDAPro Wrestling Guerrilla Battle
of Los Angeles Tournament at Ameri-
can Legi on Post #308: Non-tourna-
ment: Adam Cole & The Young Bucks
(Matt & Nick Jackson) beat T.J. Perkins
& Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov &
Rocky Romero) Joey Ryan, Trent
Barreta, & Chuck Taylor beat Willie
Mack, B-Boy, & Tommaso Ciampa
Adam Cole & The Young Bucks beat
Candice LeRae, Rich Swann, & A.R.
Fox Tournament Matches: Round
1: Kevin Steen pinned Chuck Taylor
Brian Cage pinned Tommaso Ciampa
Johnny Gargano beat Willie Mack by
submission Roderick Strong pinned
A.R. Fox Drake Younger pinned Joey
Ryan ACH pinned Anthony Nese
Kyle OReilly beat Trent Barreta by sub-
mission Michael Elgin pinned Rich
Swann Round 2: Drake Younger pinned
Brian Cage Johnny Gargano beat Kev-
in Steen by submission Michael Elgin
beat Roderick Strong by submission
Kyle OReilly beat ACH by submission
Semifinals: Michael Elgin pinned Johnny
Gargano Kyle OReilly beat Drake
Younger by submission Final: Kyle
OReilly beat Michael Elgin by submission.
(8-30/31-13)
Chad Simplicio
DELAWARE
NEWARKRight Coast Pro at the RCP
Arena: King Mega defeated Ryan Rush
and Chris Steeler in a three-way
Stockade beat Fallah in a Filipino strap
match Mozart Fontaine & Colton
Quest defeated Billy Bax & Harry M.
Baldwin Chris Steeler beat Bazooka
Joe, Mike Reed, and Tommy Maclin in a
four-way Zac Conner & Sonny Deeds
beat Courageous Cruz & Francis Kip-
land Stevens Michael Blake pinned
Sean Royal Alvin Alvarez, Anthony
Bennett, & Chris Steeler defeated The
International Mercenaries (Nick Sohlo,
JR Ryder, & Pedro Duro).
(09-14-13)
Thomas J. Rude
NEWARKEast Coast Wrestling Asso-
ciation at the Greater Boys & Girls Club:
Little Mikey defeated Napalm Bomb
Bobby Shields beat Matt Saigon
Kekoa the Flyin Hawaiian pinned Mike
Mondo Tag team champions D-Line
beat Breaker Morant & Monster AHTU
in a double chain match Kid USA & Mr.
Ooh La beat Jean-Jean LeBon & Gus
Grand Jessie Kaye pinned Missy
Sampson to become the first-ever ECWA
Womens champion Chris Wylde &
Renee Michelle beat Ricky Martinez &
Amber Heavyweight champion Papa-
don defeated Apollyon, Ricky Reyes,
and VsK in a four-way.
(09-07-13)
Joe Zanolle
NEWARKTNA at the Bob Carpenter
Center: X division champion Manik beat
Zema Ion and Sonjay Dutt in a three-
way ODB beat Gail Kim Magnus
pi nned Mr. Anderson AJ Styles
pinned Bobby Roode World tag team
champions GunStorm (Gunner & James
Storm) beat Bad Influence (Christopher
Daniels & Kazarian) World champion
Bully Ray pinned Samoa Joe.
(09-06-13)
Harry Burkett
FLORIDA
PALM BAYRiot Pro Wrestling at the
Palm Bay Hotel & Conference Center:
Oso Panda & Freight Train beat tag
team champions Josh Hess & Rhett Gid-
dins for the title Aaron Epic defeated
Chico Adams Alan Stratton beat
Chico Adams Santana Garrett beat
Chasyn Rance, Josh Hess, Jason Cade,
Jayson Falcone, Ash Maybrook, Gabri-
el Black, & Willie Brown in an eight-way
for the RIOT cruiserweight title Jesse
Neal defeated Jesus De Leon Willie
Brown & Gabriel Black beat Jason Cade &
Ash Maybrook Heavyweight champion
J.D. Amazing defeated Irish.
(09-21-13)
Al Haft
CAPE CORALNew Era Wrestling at
the Fall Fest Fun Fair: Jake Roberts,
Sinn Bodhi, & Zack Monstar defeated
Giovanni the Greatest, Justin Mat-
thews, & Eli Stevie Richards &
Shooter Storm defeated CJ ODoyle
& Sunny Days Kenneth Cameron
pinned David Pierce Torcher pinned
Michael Patrick Dravin pinned Tom-
my Taylor Punchy the Clown pinned
Leroy Patterson Michael Kai Rayne
pinned Tweedle Die.
(09-15-13)
Thomas J. Rude
TAMPAWWE NXT at NXT Arena: Ja-
son Jordan defeated Knuckles Madsen
Sawyer Fulton beat Kassius Ohno
C.J. Parker, Camacho, & Luther Ward
beat Baron Corbin, Cal Bishop, & Jake
Carter Bayley & Paige beat Emma &
Sasha Banks Mason Ryan defeated
Colin Cassady Xavier Woods beat
Solomon Crowe Tag team champions
Adrian Neville & Corey Graves defeated
Leo Kruger & Rick Victor.
(08-29-13)
Duane Long
KETUCKY
LEXINGTONWWE at the Rupp Arena:
Zack Ryder pinned Damien Sandow
The Funkadactyls (Naomi & Cam-
eron) beat AJ Lee & Layla Sami
Zayn pinned Jack Swagger The Wy-
att Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper,
& Erick Rowan) beat The Usos & Kofi
Kingston Rob Van Dam beat World
champion Alberto Del Rio by DQ
Ryback pinned Santino Marella CM
Punk pinned Intercontinental champion
Curtis Axel in a non-title match Daniel
Bryan pinned Randy Orton.
(09-20-13)
Bill Meyers
SHOPVILLENew Kentucky Zone Wres-
tling at the Old Shopville Gym: Matt Ray-
born pinned U.S. champion Matty B. for
the title J.D. Blaze defeated Tyler Dan-
ger, Bob Goodman, Future, and Justin
Peel in a five-way Katie OMalley &
Michelle Meyers beat Violet Rayne &
Venus Jordan Hazard pinned Larry
McCoy Team Tomahawk (Chief Tom-
ahawk, Rico Vega, Jeremy Brake, & Big
Daddy Dalton) defeated Team Bad At-
titude (The Super Assassin, The Wid-
owmaker, B.W. Anderson, & David Run-
yon) in a cage match Michael Haviek
Alex Koslov has Eddie Edwards in a predicament with a rope-hung surfboard he
calls Perestroika. Forever Hooligans emerged from this back-and-forth thriller
against The American Wolves still in possession of their IWGP junior heavyweight
tag team belts.

98 PWI
pinned heavyweight champion Johnny
Bad for the title.
(09-14-13)
Frank Hobbs
ILLINOIS
SPRINGFIELDWWE at Prairie Capital
Convention Center: Santino Marella beat
Damien Sandow The Funkadactyls
(Naomi & Cameron) beat AJ Lee & Layla
Sami Zayn pinned Jack Swagger
The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke
Harper, & Erick Rowan) beat The Usos
& Kofi Kingston Rob Van Dam beat
World champion Alberto Del Rio by DQ
Ryback pinned Zack Ryder CM Punk
pinned Intercontinental champion Curtis
Axel in a non-title match.
(09-22-13)
John Smolek
RIVER GROVEChicago Style Wrestling
at the Guerin College Prep: Chris Miller &
Colin Smith defeated Sunny Ago & Brad
Kevins Nick Cutler pinned Ex.Celetor
The Arc Angel pinned Eric Del Ray
The Polish Crippler pinned Ricky the Jani-
tor Sean Mulligan pinned Hunter Paine
The Soul Touchaz (Willie Richardson
& Acid Jazz) defeated DTA & The Lunatic
Nick Brubaker pinned Colin Cambridge
Steve Boz vs. Prince Mustafa Ali ended
in a 10-minute time-limit draw Marshe
Rockett pinned Ruff Crossing.
(09-13-13)
Thomas J. Rude
CHICAGOWorld Wrestling Zone at Por-
tage Park: Mike Matthews pinned Dante
DVS The Locust pinned Mike Antho-
ny Micro Wrestling Federation cham-
pion Xander DaVinci pinned P.O.D.
The Twin Turbos defeated The Manson
Brothers Heavyweight champion Buff
Bagwell defeated C4.
(09-13-13)
Thomas J. Rude
VILLA PARKPremier Pro Wrestling
at the Premier Studio: Calvin Beckham
pi nned Ron Reeves Scott Spade
pinned Dolla Matt Dewar pinned Mirko
Joecop Backwoods Brown pinned
Alex Romero The Hellbillies (Cous-
in Eddie & Outlaw Jay) vs. Team Sea-
Stretch (Sea Man & Masked Stretcher)
ended in a double-countout Michael
Mack pinned Texas Pete GPA defeated
DAngelo Steele and Cutta Crosby in a
triple-threat Matt Vine pinned Andy An-
derson Mr. Bank$ beat Calvin Beck-
ham and Alex Bernadino in a triple-threat
Milad Akbar defeated Mojo McQueen
in a fireball match.
(09-07-13)
Thomas J. Rude
GLEN CARBONDynamo Pro Wres-
tl i ng at The Sports Academy: Jackal
beat Brandon Gallagher, Jake Parnell,
Shawn Santel, Alexandre Rudolph, and
C.J. McManus in a six-way Jack Adon-
is & Mike Sharona defeated Adam Raw &
Dice Jake Dirden beat MsChif Nik-
ki Strychnine vs. K.C. Karrington ended
in a no-contest Dingo pinned Billy
McNeil Ken Kasa & Dave Vaughn de-
feated tag team champions The Bumrush
Brothers (Shorty Biggs & Outtkast) by
DQ Heavyweight champion Dan Walsh
beat Ricky Cruz.
(09-06-13)
Patrick Brandmeyer
VILLA PARKGALLI Lucha Libre at the
GALLI Arena: GPA, Marshe Rockett Wil-
lie Richardson, & defeated Los Inicuos
(Rosario, Will Moah, & Matt Creed) De-
structor Jr. & Calvin Beckham defeated
Destructor & Payaso Chico Suave &
Discovery beat Dante DVS & Mike Antho-
ny Dark Scorpion & Renegado Ripper
beat Furia Roja & Golden Dragon Kuni
Silencio & Pentagono defeated Traidor &
Funebre Matt Knicks, Joe Firoz, & Jake
Shining beat The Syndicate (Barry Ryte,
Marcus Conrad, & Mason Conrad) by DQ
Bryce Benjamin, Prince Mustafa Ali, &
Acid Jazz defeated The Curse (Punisher
747, Ovirload, & Mojo McQueen).
(09-01-13)
Thomas J. Rude
INDIANA
FORT WAYNEWWE at the Allen Coun-
ty War Memorial: Santino Marella beat
Damien Sandow The Funkadactyls
(Naomi & Cameron) beat AJ Lee & Layla
Sami Zayn pinned Jack Swagger
The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke
Harper, & Erick Rowan) beat The Usos
& Kofi Kingston Rob Van Dam beat
World champion Alberto Del Rio by DQ
Ryback pinned Zack Ryder CM Punk
pinned Intercontinental champion Curtis
Axel in a non-title match.
(09-21-13)
Harv Mendelson
GOSHENU Pro Wrestling at the VFW
Hall: Denzel Bishop pinned Jynx
Hardcore Harry pinned Jeff King Eli
McFly pinned Kyle Maverick Super-
Diva pinned Slim Trimmons Denzel
Bishop pinned Big Daddy Dean Lou-
is Lyndon vs. Jack Thriller ended in a
15-minute time-limit draw Dru Skillz
defeated Ryan Epic and Kharn Alexan-
der in a triple-threat The Painkillers
defeated Russ Jones & Scotty Young
Jake Omen pinned Hakim Zane.
(09-14-13)
Thomas J. Rude
MAINE
BREWERIndependent Wrestling En-
tertainment at the Cityside Banquet Hall:
Graves defeated Ian Griffin Ricky
Williams defeated Roadblock Super
Primer Brothers defeated tag team cham-
pions Johnny Miyagi & Shane Marvel for
the title Jivin Jimmy defeated Ace
Romero and Crash Landing in a triple-
An Adam Page powerslam knocks the wind out of
RD Evans, who entered the match with broken fin-
gers courtesy of an attack at Manhattan Mayhem by
Outlaws Inc., Eddie Kingston and Homicide.

JANUARY/2014 99
threat Scott Wild beat Ryan London
Justin Credible beat heavyweight
champion Tommy Mack in a lumberjack
match for the title.
(09-07-13)
Joel Bouchard
MASSACHUSETTS
FALL RIVERTop Rope Promotions at
the Police Athletic League: Gregory Ed-
wards & Tony Delfonzo defeated Jason
Blade & Anthony Greene Shane Al-
den pi nned Matt Magnum Jimmy
Preston defeated Brandon Webb .
Tag team champions Ryan Waters &
Kevin Perry defeated Brickhouse Baker
& Johnny Angel Nick Steel pinned
Vinny Marseglia Interstate champion
Craig Costa vs. Vince Beach ended in a
double-countout Half Nelson pinned
Tiny the Terrible Heavyweight cham-
pion Biff Busick defeated Matt Hardy
Nick Steel pinned heavyweight champion
Biff Busick for the title.
(09-06-13)
Shawn ODomski
WOBURNChaotic Wrestling at Elks
Lodge: New England champion Mikey
Webb pinned Chester Furnacola Scott
Reed & Brandon Locke beat Kongo &
MPG Donovan Dijak pinned David
Dunn Todd Hanson pinned Scotty
Slade Slyck Wagner Brown pinned
Eddie Edwards Alex Arion pinned
Psycho Sean Burke pinned heavy-
weight champion Brian Milonas for the ti-
tle Mark Shurman pinned heavyweight
champion Sean Burke for the title.
(09-06-13)
Dave Ratty
BOSTONWWE at the TD Garden: Dolph
Ziggler pinned Big E Langston U.S. cham-
pion Dean Ambrose pinned Rob Van Dam
Kaitlyn, Natalya, & Naomi defeated AJ
Lee, Brie Bella, and Layla Kofi Kingston
pinned Ryback Mark Henry & Big Show
beat tag team champions Seth Rollins & Ro-
man Reigns by DQ The Wyatt Family
(Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, & Erick Rowan)
beat The Usos & R-Truth CM Punk beat
Intercontinental champion Curtis Axel in a
non-title no-DQ match WWE champion
Randy Orton pinned Daniel Bryan.
(08-31-13)
Steve Oberlin
MICHIGAN
LANSINGInternational Ring of Grap-
plers Wrestling at the Think Live Music
Production Studio: Cy Risk pinned Red
Dragon Red Rocket pinned TJ Rich-
ards Heavyweight champion Roderick
Street pinned American Eagle Red
Rocket pinned Red Dragon in a mask vs.
mask match Cy Risk pinned heavy-
weight champion Roderick for the title.
(09-21-13)
Leonard Brand
DETROITWWE Night of Champions at
the Joe Louis Arena: Tons of Funk (Bro-
dus Clay & Sweet T) beat Drew McIntyre &
Heath Slater Real Americans (Antonio
Cesaro & Jack Swagger) beat Tons of Funk
The Prime Time Players (Titus ONeil
& Darren Young) defeated Jey & Jimmy
Uso The Prime Time Players beat Real
Americans Intercontinental champion
Curtis Axel pinned Kofi Kingston Divas
champion AJ Lee beat Brie Bella, Naomi, &
Natalya in a Fatal 4-Way Rob Van Dam
beat World champion Alberto Del Rio by
DQ Curtis Axel & Paul Heyman defeat-
ed CM Punk in a handicap match U.S.
champion Dean Ambrose pinned Dolph
Ziggler Tag team champions Roman
Reigns & Seth Rollins defeated The Prime
Time Players Daniel Bryan pinned WWE
champion Randy Orton for the title.
(09-15-13)
Leonard Brand
SAGINAWWWE at The Dow Event Center:
Tag team champions Seth Rollins & Roman
Reigns beat The Prime Time Players (Ti-
tus ONeil & Darren Young) Zack Ryder
pinned Curt Hawkins Natalya beat Brie
Bella by submission Tyson Kidd pinned
Jack Swagger Rob Van Dam pinned
Heath Slater Ryback pinned Santino
Marella The Miz defeated Fandango by
submission Daniel Bryan beat U.S. cham-
pion Dean Ambrose by DQ.
(09-14-13)
Leonard Brand

EAST LANSINGWWE at the Breslin Stu-
dent Events Center: Seth Rollins & Roman
Reigns beat The Prime Time Players (Ti-
tus ONeil & Darren Young) Zack Ryder
pinned Curt Hawkins Natalya beat Brie
Bella by submission Tyson Kidd beat
Antonio Cesaro Rob Van Dam defeat-
ed Heath Slater Ryback pinned Santino
Marella The Miz defeated Fandango
by submission Daniel Bryan beat U.S.
champion Dean Ambrose by DQ.
(09-13-13)
WARRENXtreme Intense Champion-
ship Wrestling at the Ritz: Willie Watts vs.
Moe Evans ended in a no-contest Chaz
Montana pinned Paul Bowser Caleb
Stills vs. Dicky Bronson ended in a no-
contest Jamey Coxxx pinned Mark
Gjoka Movado pinned Xavier Justice
The Bug pinned Alexander the Great
Midwest champion Jimmy Jacobs
pinned The Bug Austin Manix pinned
Zach Gowen The DBA pinned Rhino
The Scarbonis defeated tag team
champions TD Thomas & Mad Dragon for
the title Eddie Venom pinned Intense
champion Jimmy Jacobs for the title.
(09-08-13)
Leonard Brand
RIVER ROUGELive Pro Wrestling at the
Rouge Dayz Festival: Raymond Gold Memo-
rial Cup, Opening Round: Donnie Molson
pinned Frank Stein Breyer Welling-
ton pinned Scotty Primo Chuck Stein
pinned Suicyco Overkill Rick Solid
pinned Suicyco Slasher Semifinals:
Rick Solid pinned Donnie Molson Breyer
Wellington defeated Chuck Stein by DQ
Finals: Breyer Wellington pinned Rick Solid
Non-tournament: Heavyweight champion
Movado defeated Anthony Rivera and Dar-
rell Jackson in a elimination match.
(09-07-13)
Leonard Brand
ATWATERFighting Spirit Pro at the Atwa-
ter Community Center: Adan Reyes defeat-
ed Steven Andrews, Blake Greyson, Anjul
Stone, Vincent Black, & Dejon Brown
Kaka Meng beat Victor Sterling Brian
Cage defeated Bobby Hart Savanah Ri-
ley defeated Kira Hime Channel Surf-
ers defeated Synn & Tony Vargas Brian
Cage defeated Damian Grundy to become
first FSP heavyweight champion.
(09-06-13)
Dave Perez
Luchador Ricky Marvins exploits in Mexico and
Japan were well known to many fans, and while
he was impressive inside, outside, and above the
ring in his American debut, Roderick Strong was
able to prevail at Death Before Dishonor.

100 PWI
MISSISSIPPI
BAY SPRINGSMississippi Wrestling
Corps at the John R. Sims Arena: Tommy
Morrow beat T. Biggs, Eric Black, and
Jesse Dalton in a four-way Steve
OMalley pinned Braydin Payge Joey
Abel defeated Fuse Chris Black & Vi-
sion beat The Faroh of Phunk & Tiffany
Black The Boogie Woogie Boy won
the 2013 Colby McPhail Cup battle royal.
(09-07-13)
Daphne Bowen
MISSOURI
RICHMONDWorld League Wrestling at
the Richmond Community Center: Leland
Race defeated Mark Sterling in the semi-
finals for the vacant heavyweight title
Elvis Aliaga defeated Jon Webb in the
semifinals for the vacant heavyweight title
Jamell Harris beat Dustin Bozworth
Tag team champions The Black Hand
Warriors (Dark Shadows & Michael Mag-
nuson) defeated Rope & Rangle (Kris
Wallace & Britton Tucker) Elvis Aliaga
defeated Leland Race in the final for the
vacant heavyweight title.
(09-14-13)
Brian Kelley
ST. LOUISMid-Missouri Wrestling Al-
liance at the South Broadway Athletic
Club: Moondog Rover pinned Jackson
Whi techapel Juni or heavywei ght
champion Andrew Wilder defeated Ace
Hawkins TC champion A.J. Williams
beat Dave Osborne by DQ Brian
James pinned Tony Raze Heavyweight
champion Brandon Espinosa defeated
DaMarius Jones The Lumberjacks
(Abe & Gabe) beat Webmaster Stevie K
& J-Mal Swagg Battle Royal Mephisto
vs. Gary Jackson ended in a no-contest.
(09-14-13)
Patrick Brandmeyer
NEVADA
LAS VEGASAdrenaline Unleashed at
the Las Vegas Roller Hockey Center: Ja-
son Muse pinned James Slay Mike
Odd beat El Torito Juventude and Jace
Battle in a triple-threat Junior X pinned
Tommy Misfit Mr. Tanaka pi nned
Ares Allie Parker & Tommy Purr beat
Mariah Moreno & Hudson Envy The
Eccentric Lion pinned Las Vegas cham-
pion Gabriel Busan for the title Heavy-
weight champion Bryce Slaven pinned
Brent Meyers.
(09-14-13)
Tommy Watanabe
NEW JERSEY
VOORHEESCombat Zone at Flyers
Skate Zone: Alex Reynolds & John Sil-
ver beat Shane Hollister & Caleb Konley
Sozio & Biff Busick beat Dave & Jake
Crist Azrieal & Bandido Jr. beat Da-
vid Starr & JT Dunn Drew Blood vs.
Lucky tHURTeen ended in a no-contest
Danny Havoc vs. Rory Mondo ended
in a no-contest Pepper Parks & Cher-
ry Bomb beat Greg Excellent & Can-
dice LaRae Tag team champions BLK
Jeez & Ruckus beat Amasis & Ophid-
ian Heavyweight champion Drew Gu-
lak beat Chris Dickinson by submission
Alex Colon beat A.R. Fox, Andrew
Everett, and Shane Strickland in the
Chris Cash Memorial ladder match.
(09-14-13)
Nate Stein
WILLIAMSTOWNOld Time Wrestling
at the OTW Pro Wrestling Club: Chris
Bohren pi nned Charl i e Sal mon
Nick Comoroto defeated Owen ONeil
Dave Davis & Tyler Scott defeated
Nick Comoroto by countout Clas-
sic champion Adam Chandler vs. Andy
Bivians ended in a time-limit draw
Brian Johnson pinned Dre Drummond
Chris Dace defeated BJ Hard Candy
Heavyweight champion Mik Drake de-
feated Eddie Hawkins.
(09-07-13)
Rick Pisaturo
EAST RUTHERFORDWWE at the Izod
Center: U.S. champion Dean Ambrose
pinned Rob Van Dam Sami Zayn &
Bo Dallas defeated Real Americans
(Jack Swagger & Antonio Cesaro)
Natalya beat Brie Bella by submission
CM Punk pi nned Interconti nental
champion Curtis Axel in a non-title, no-
DQ match Tyson Kidd pinned Drew
McIntyre Tag team champions Ro-
man Reigns & Seth Rollins beat Jey &
Jimmy Uso Daniel Bryan beat WWE
champion Randy Orton by DQ.
(09-07-13)
George Tahinos
NEW YORK
WAPPINGERS FALLSNortheast Wres-
tling at Dutchess Stadium: Colt Cabana
pinned Jake Manning The Godfather,
Rikishi, & Mikey Webb defeated J-Busta,
Gregory Edwards, & Mark Shurman
Cody Hall & Kevin Nash defeated The
Outcast Killaz Romeo Roselli beat
Joe Ausanio Jerry Lawler defeated
Matt Striker Heavyweight champion
Brian Anthony beat Jeff Starr in a falls-
count-anywhere match John Morrison
pinned Robbie E.
(09-21-13)
Tim Walker
BROOKLYNWWE at the Barclays Cen-
ter: U.S. champion Dean Ambrose pinned
Rob Van Dam Sami Zayn & Bo Dallas
defeated Real Americans (Jack Swagger
& Antonio Cesaro) Natalya beat Brie
Bella by submission CM Punk pinned
Intercontinental champion Curtis Axel in
a non-title match Tyson Kidd pinned
Drew McIntyre Tag team champions
Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins beat Jey
& Jimmy Uso Daniel Bryan beat WWE
champion Randy Orton by DQ.
(09-08-13)
Al Castle
NORTH CAROLINA
WILMINGTONModern Day Warriors
at the National Guard Armory: Barbwire
Briggs defeated the New Age Southern
Assassin by DQ Kevin Shoals pinned
With Maria Kanellis, Selezia Sparx, Scarlette Bordeaux, and Casey Ray serving as
distractions on the apron, the men (left to right) Bobby Fish, Kyle OReilly, Michael
Bennett, and Matt Taven simultaneously pin ACH, Caprice Coleman, Cedric
Alexander, and Tadarius Thomas, respectively.

JANUARY/2014 101
Aries Tag team champions Blood Mon-
ey (Coldblood & Supa-Natural) beat The
Flamboyant Ones (The Amazing Velvet
& The Beast) John Beasley vs. Xavi-
er Rush ended in a time-limit draw LA
Tank pinned Muscle Shoals.
(09-14-13)
James Beasley
YOUNGSVILLEGOUGE at the National
Guard Armory: The Goat pinned Storm
Maverick Otto Schwanz pinned The
Red Hornet Shawn Alexander pinned
Trailer Park Heat Guerilla Ninja de-
feated Alas de Angel and El Chaco in
a three-way Mickey Gambino pinned
Seymour Snott.
(09-14-13)
Thomas J. Rude

FAYETTEVILLERingWars Carolina at
John D. Fuller Rec/Athletic Center: J-
Money won the 12-man Battleground
Raphael King defeated Kris Nemesis
No Limitz champion Diego Vasquez beat
James Anthony and Syde Effect in a
three-way Devyn Nicole beat AIWF
Womens champion Mia Svensson for
the title Heavyweight champion Hector
Sanchez beat Hangtyme.
(09-07-13)
Matthew McKoy
OHIO
OREGONNWA Championship Interna-
tional Wrestling at the International Boxing
Club: Will Studd pinned Mitch Johnson
D-Ray 3000 won a battle royal Mid-
west champion Sebastian Rose pinned
Kris Korvis Nitro pinned NWA National
champion Damian Wayne for the title
Midwest Team Tournament Quarterfinals:
Lords of Kaos (Damian Wayne & Lance
Erickson) defeated D-Ray 3000 & Sean
Casey Legion defeated Grizzly House
Jones & Buzz Manson Sons of Michi-
gan (N8 Mattson & Ben Boone) defeated
Tre Miguel & Andrew Lee The Glass
City Saints (Mikey Smalls & Van Envy)
defeated Terror Khan & Mustafa Moham-
med Semifinals: Sons of Michigan de-
feated The Glass City Saints Legion
vs. Lords of Kaos ended in a no-contest
Finals: Lords of Kaos defeated Legion
& Sons of Michigan in a three-way.
(09-14-13)
Leonard Brand
CHI LLI COTHEBi zarro Li ve at t he
Triple Crown Family Fun Center: Que-
sazilla defeated Corey Mason Sal
Calzone defeated Super Oprah El
Manos beat The Flying Redneck
Zakk beat Ohio Grand Tiger Bruce
Grey & Ron Mathis defeated Sugoi
Tora & Stretcher the Pooh.
(09-03-13)
Jeremiah Young
OKLAHOMA
TULSACompound Pro Wrestling at the
Perfect Practice Athletic Center: Super
Skunk Ape Jr. defeated X division cham-
pion Ignition by DQ Steven Sterling
beat Showtime champion Bobby Starr by
countout Tag team champions Richie
Adams & Terry Montana defeated The
Swamp Men (Amphibian & Reptile)
Jake OBrien beat Graham Bell
Dutch Hagen and Richie Adams were
eliminated simultaneously from the 2013
Oklahoma Stampede.
(09-06-13)
Mike Iles
OREGON

KEIZERDOA Pro Wrestling at the Keiz-

er Lions Club: George Michael defeated
Nate Andrews by DQ Dr. Kliever &
Jonas Albert Robinson beat Exile &
Eric Right The Rock & Choc Connec-
tion defeated Patrick Large & Pugsley
Mary Jane Payne beat Betty Black
by countout Bubba Blanchard pinned
Patrick Large Thunder pinned Kellen
Raeth Jeremy Blanchard defeated
Ethan HD in a chain-on-a-pole match
Hess & J_SIN Sullivan defeated tag
team champions Quiz & Mike Santiago in
a cage match for the title.
(09-13-13)
Thomas J. Rude

PORTLANDUIWA Blue Collar Wrestling
at the North Portland Eagles Lodge: Erik
Hanson pinned Komodo the Untamed
Big V pinned Tony Stetson Gregor
Petrov pinned YouTube champion Tony
Stetson for the title Lone Star defeat-
ed Bedlam by DQ Diafullah Dobashi
beat Keith Atkins in a camel rope match
Chief Attakullakulla defeated Buddy
Highway and Damon Scythe in a three-
way streetfight.
(09-08-13)
Thomas J. Rude
PENNSYLVANIA

PUNXSUTAWNEYPhoenix Pro Wres-

tling at the Punxsutawney Area Community
Center: Todd Taylor defeated AKIBA and
Shawn Stevens in a three-way Jacob
Young pinned Mark Maverick Blue
Collar Slaughterhouse (Bronco McBride
& Matt Sagaris) defeated The Wildcardz
(Jason Radatz & Eddie Page) Matt
Bish defeated A.C. Norway ManChild
defeated Starlight Gaze (Travis DuFour
& Tyler Caton) James Ford pinned
Legacy champion Dax Hastings for the
title Joseph Schwartz, Shane Mal-
ice, Zack Rayne, & Randi West beat C4,
Cody Manning, Kaos, & Atlas Hytower.
(09-21-13)
Ted Hallowell
BETHLEHEMTNA at Stabler Arena: X
division champion Manik beat Zema Ion
and Sonjay Dutt in a three-way ODB
beat Gail Kim Magnus pinned Mr.
Anderson AJ Styles pinned Bobby
Roode World tag team champions
GunStorm (Gunner & James Storm) beat
Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels &
Kazarian) World champion Bully Ray
pinned Samoa Joe.
(09-07-13)
Mary Rose
TENNESSEE
MILLERSVILLENWA Southern All-Star
Wrestling at the SAW Mill: Stephon Smith
defeated Dylan Bostic Jason Kincaid
beat Kevin Weatherby Heidi Lovelace
beat Haley Shadows Jason Nation
beat Yaden Matthews Jeremiah Plun-
kett defeated Lance Erikson Hot Rod
Biggs defeated Stephon Smith Crim-
son beat Jocephus by DQ Cliff Comp-
ton defeated Charles Alexander Kid
Kash beat Chris Michaels by DQ.
(9-20-13)
LaVonda Bell
PETROSERA Wrestl i ng at Petros-
Adam Cole took a tremendous amount of punishment from a determined
Tommaso Ciampa in the nights first semifinal for the Ring of Honor heavy-
weight title. Cole won the contest when he scored a pinfall while holding
Ciampa in a figure-four leglock.

102 PWI
Joyner School: Draven Lee defeated Tsu-
nami Kid Death Stalker & The Law vs.
Johnny Deacon & Cody Raines ended in
a no-contest Shane Daniels defeated
Brad Cash James Cole beat Donovan
Daniels Funkmaster V defeated Noah
Richards TV champion Pain defeated
Mountain Man by DQ.
(09-14-13)
Jon Diamond
LEBANONTop Rope Wrestling at Wilson
County Fairgrounds: Gary Valiant beat
Sinister GQ defeated Johnny Demen-
to Panther defeated Anthony Wayne
Zack Hartnell vs. Sinister ended in a
no-contest Zack Hartnell, Johnny De-
mento, & Panther vs. Sinister, GQ, & An-
thony Wayne ended in a no-contest.
(09-07-13)
Lekisha F. Oliver
EAST RIDGERing of Honor at Camp
Jordan Arena: Roderick Strong beat Ray-
mond Rowe Adrenaline Rush (ACH &
Tadarius Thomas) beat Alabama Attitude
(Mike Posey & Corey Hollis) Q.T. Mar-
shall defeated Cheeseburger Davey
Richards beat TV champion Matt Taven
in a non-title match Jay Lethal defeated
Luke Hawx Bobby Fish beat Caprice
Coleman Kevin Steen & Michael Elgin
defeated Adam Cole & Tommaso Ciampa.
(09-06-13)
NASHVILLETraditional Championship
Wrestling at the Tennessee State Fair-
grounds Sports Arena: Sigmon defeated
Shane Williams John Saxon defeated
Jon Omari Greg Anthony beat Tracy
Smothers Scott Phoenix defeated Mr.
Wrestling III Titan beat Genetic Per-
fection (Michael Barry & Alan Steel) in
a handicap match TCW junior heavy-
weight champion Kincaid defeated John
Saxon to win their best-of-seven series,
4-2 Lance Hoyt defeated Rob Con-
way by DQ Vordell Walker beat Dan
Severn Heavyweight champion Tim
Storm defeated Americos Genetic
Perfection beat tag team champions The
Hounds of Hell (Roosevelt & Cerebus)
for the title The Empire (Steve Antho-
ny & Greg Anthony) defeated The Rock
n Roll Express (Rick Morton & Robert
Gibson) in an Empire Rules match
Tommy Dreamer beat Doug Gilbert in a
Tennessee Street Fight.
(09-06-13)
Kel Varnson
TEXAS
HIDALGOWWE at the State Farm Arena:
Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay & Sweet T)
beat Drew McIntyre & Jinder Mahal
NXT champion Bo Dallas pinned Anto-
nio Cesaro Brie Bella pinned Alicia
Fox Justin Gabriel pinned Fandango
Big Show beat tag team champions
Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins in a non-
title handicap match The Great Khali &
R-Truth defeated Camacho & Hunico
U.S. champion Dean Ambrose pinned The
Miz Daniel Bryan pinned Randy Orton.
(09-22-13)
Steve Beyer
HIDALGOWWE at the State Farm Are-
na: Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay & Sweet
T) beat Camacho & Hunico U.S. cham-
pion Dean Ambrose pinned Bo Dallas
Alicia Fox pinned Brie Bella The Miz
& R-Truth beat tag team champions Ro-
man Reigns & Seth Rollins by DQ The
Great Khali beat Jinder Mahal & Drew
McIntyre in a handicap match Justin
Gabriel pinned Antonio Cesaro Daniel
Bryan pinned Randy Orton.
(09-21-13)
Steve Beyer
EL PASOTNA at the El Paso County
Coliseum: Hernandez pinned Joseph
Park Knockouts champion ODB pinned
Leid Tapa X division champion Manik
pinned Eric Young World tag team
champions GunStorm (Gunner & James
Storm) beat Bad Influence (Christopher
Daniels & Kazarian) Austin Aries
pinned Bobby Roode World champion
Bully Ray pinned Samoa Joe.
(09-20-13)
Brendon Monroe
SHERMANNWA Texoma at the Sher-
man Elks Lodge: Jerome Daniels pinned
Montego Seeka Prince Al Farat vs.
Scott McKenzie ended i n a doubl e-
countout Bree Ann defeated Miss
Diss Lexia by DQ Tag team champi-
ons Rock Star Mafia defeated Genesis
Paul London pinned Gregory James
Mike Foxx pinned Texoma champion
Tim Storm for the title.
(09-20-13)
Rob Moore

WAXAHACHIENAWA Bi g Ti me Pro
Wrestling at the NAWA Arena: Ameri-
can Mad Dog beat Tejano Kid Max
Muscles beat Isaiah Cowboy Adam
& Joe Angelo Garcia beat Bulldozer
& Big John Famous for the vacant tag
team title Texas champion Nobe Bry-
ant beat Doberman.
(09-07-13)
Rob Moore
VIRGINIA
HENRICOGround Xero Wrestling at the
Fairfield Commons Mall: The Russian De-
stroyers defeated The North American Ex-
press Shorty Smalls pinned Brandon
Scott Crimson Society defeated The
Tiger Express J-Sinn pinned Money
Green TJay Jackson pinned Ethan
Cross Kevin Daniels pinned Respect
champion Colt Freeman for the title Mar-
tin Stanley Fuqua pinned Robbie Paige.
(09-20-13)
Thomas J. Rude
In the other semi, former champ Kevin Steen executes a package piledriver
against Michael Elgin, but was unable to effectively follow up. Elgin was able to
capitalize on a shoulder injury he inflicted early in the match and force Steen to
tap to a crossface/armwrench combo.

JANUARY/2014 103
ROANOKETNA at the Roanoke Civic
Center: Jessie Godderz pinned Eric
Young Gail Kim pinned ODB James
Storm beat Robbie E by DQ James
Storm & Eric Young beat Robbie E and
Jessie Godderz Austin Aries pinned Mr.
Anderson AJ Styles pinned Chris Sa-
bin Jeff Hardy pinned Bobby Roode.
(09-16-13)
Rob Matthews
ROCKY MOUNTAINAmerican Champi-
onship Wrestling at the Benjamin Franklin
Middle School: Bad News Holland beat
Jamie Wright by DQ Col. Spud Wade
& Pvt. Flo defeated Hillbilly Helbert &
Ace Englund Jimmy Valiant beat Au-
brey Wright Rolling Thunder & To-
neup defeated The Legendary Eclipso &
Scott Weddle by DQ Robbie Cruz beat
Ric Kelly by DQ Jody Osbourne
pinned Josh Valen Jimi Love & Dan Da
Man defeated Eddie Justice & Rex Chapel.
(09-14-13)
M. Weddle
WASHINGTON, DC
WASHINGTONWWE at the Verizon Cen-
ter: Dolph Ziggler pinned Big E Langston
U.S. champion Dean Ambrose pinned R-
Truth Ryback pinned Kofi Kingston
Kaitlyn & Natalya beat AJ Lee & Brie Bella
Big Show & Rob Van Dam defeated tag
team champions Seth Rollins & Roman
Reigns by DQ The Wyatt Family (Bray
Wyatt, Luke Harper, & Erick Rowan) beat
The Usos & Justin Gabriel CM Punk
beat Intercontinental champion Curtis Axel
in a non-title no-DQ match WWE cham-
pion Randy Orton pinned Daniel Bryan.
(09-01-13)
Clint Bronson
WEST VIRGINIA
MARTINSBURGIndy Pro Entertainment
at the National Guard Armory: Shorty
Smalls pinned Shane Malice Mass
Effect pinned Buddy Portner Bodie
Williams pinned Mark Angel Amber
ONeal pi nned Amber Rodriguez
Jasyn Justice defeated That 80s Team
in a handicap match OGB defeated
Anthony Odyssey and Vince Vega in a
three-way Jake Davis defeated Luke
Gallows in an anything-goes match.
(09-14-13)
Thomas J. Rude
WISCONSIN
RUBICONSupreme Wrestling Entertain-
ment at the Rubicon Ranch: Youth Gone
Wild pinned tag team champions Ur-
ban Assault Team for the title Storm
pinned Devlin Kain Sexy K.C. pinned
Chase McCoy The Ross Family (Xavi-
er Mustafa & Scott Williams) beat The
Ghost Riders (Ruff Crossing & Dave
Bell) Melanie Cruise & Peter Schwanz
defeated Val Malone & Nick Colucci
Jack Spade pinned heavyweight cham-
pion T.C. Washington for the title.
(09-14-13)
Chris Hansen
CANADA
LONDON, ONWWE at Budweiser Gar-
dens: Dolph Ziggler won a battle royal,
last eliminating Damien Sandow The
Funkadactyls (Naomi & Cameron) beat
AJ Lee & Layla NXT champion Bo
Dallas pinned Justin Gabriel The Wy-
att Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, &
Erick Rowan) defeated The Usos & Kofi
Kingston The Great Khali defeated
JTG Big E Langston pinned Damien
Sandow Dol ph Zi ggl er beat Worl d
champion Alberto Del Rio by DQ.
(09-14-13)
Steve Argintaru
HAMILTON, ONWWE at the Copps Coli-
seum: Dolph Ziggler won a battle royal
Big E Langston pinned Damien Sandow
Prime Time Players (Darren Young &
Titus ONeil) beat Jinder Mahal & Heath
Slater Naomi pinned Divas champion
AJ Lee in a non-title match R-Truth
pinned Fandango Bray Wyatt & Eric
Rowan beat Tons of Funk (Sweet T &
Brodus Clay) Ryback pinned Xavier
Woods Dolph Ziggler beat World cham-
pion Alberto Del Rio by DQ.
(09-08-13)
Leonard Brand
WINDSOR, ONWWE at the WFCU Cen-
tre: Dolph Ziggler won a battle royal Big
E Langston pinned Damien Sandow
Prime Time Players (Darren Young & Titus
ONeil) beat Jinder Mahal & Heath Slater
Naomi pinned Divas champion AJ Lee in a
non-title match R-Truth pinned Fandango
Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper beat Tons of
Funk (Sweet T & Brodus Clay) Ryback
pinned Xavier Woods Dolph Ziggler beat
World champion Alberto Del Rio by DQ.
(09-07-13)
Steve Argintaru
MONTREAL, QCWWE at the Bell Cen-
tre: NXT champion Bo Dallas defeated
Tyson Kidd U.S. champion Dean Am-
brose beat Rob Van Dam Natalya beat
Brie Bella Tag team champions Roman
Reigns & Seth Rollins beat Jey & Jimmy
Uso Sami Zayn defeated Antonio Ce-
saro CM Punk beat Intercontinental
champion Curtis Axel in a non-title match
Daniel Bryan beat WWE champion
Randy Orton by DQ.
(09-06-13)
Aaron Birdsong
MEXICO
MEXICO CITYCMLL 80th Anniversary at
Arena Mexico: Ishii, Namajague, & Shigeo
Okumura beat Fuego, Rey Cometa, & Stu-
ka Jr. Marco Corleone, Rush, & Van-
gelis defeated Negro Casas, Shocker, &
Terrible Averno beat Blue Panther in a
hair vs. hair submissions match La Som-
bra & Volador Jr. beat Atlantis & Ultimo
Guerrero Trio tag team champions Los
Estetas del Aire (Mascara Dorada, Mistico
II, & Valiente) beat Los Revolucionarios
del Terror (Dragon Rojo Jr., Polvora, &
Rey Escorpion) La Sombra defeated
Volador Jr. in a mask vs. mask match.
(09-13-13)
Jesus Rojas
THE NETHERLANDS
POELDI JKDut ch Pro Wrest l i ng at
the De Leuningjes: Santos pinned Mot
van Kunder Kenzo Richards pinned
Daniel van Kuijk Emil Sitoci pinned
Tengkwa Joey Hayes pinned Max Da-
mon Emil Sitoci won the Championship
Rumble to become the new Dutch Heavy-
weight Champion.
(09-22-13)
Thomas J. Rude
INTERNATIONAL
In the tournament final, Elgin slams Cole through the table that had been
occupied by judges Joe Koff, Cary Silkin, and Prince Nana. Both men were
nearly knocked out by the force of the fall and barely made it back to the ring
by the 20-count. Cole emerged with the victory when he rolled out of a cross-
face into a pinning combination (tournament details on page 28).

104 PWI
10 REASONS WHY
ULTIMATE WARRIOR WILL
BE THE GREATEST WWF
CHAMPION EVER AND
10 REASONS HE WONT
At odds with WWE and its senior management for years, Warrior
has reconnected with the company through his association with 2K
Sports, the new manufacturer of WWEs videogame. What the future
holds for Warrior and WWE is unknown, but the buzz surrounding this
unique individual does give us the opportunity to look back at the
beginning of his 293-day WWF title reign that began with a victory
over Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 6
TEXT BY DAVE ROSENBAUM
O
N APRIL 1 i n Toronto,
when The Ultimate War-
rior beat Hulk Hogan for
the WWF World title, a new age
for greatness for the WWF be-
gan. Then again, maybe it didnt.
The jury is out on the Warrior. He
has been a fine Intercontinental
champion, but he did lose his title
once to Rick Rude. He will now be
judged not only on the longevity
of his World title reign, but on its
quality, too. And he will be mea-
sured against some of the great-
est wrestlers of all-time, men like
Buddy Rogers, Bruno Sammarti-
no, Bob Backlund, and, of course,
Hogan. Can he stack up? Heres
why he will and why he wont.
1
The Warrior will be the great-
est WWF World champion of all-
time because he is the most pow-
erful. He is a superhuman with an
incredible body. He makes Hogan
look small in comparison
But while the flesh is strong,
the mind is weak when it comes
to wrestling skills. A shortage of
scientific knowledge will ultimately
catch up to the Warrior, putting him
in the same category as former
World champions Ivan Koloff, Stan
Stasiak, and Superstar Graham,
also-rans for World title greatness.
2
Fans l ove the Warri or, and
they can make or break a cham-
pion. The greatest WWF World
champions have also been the
most popular, and the Warrior
certainly fits into that category.
When Hogan raised Warriors
arm at the conclusion of Wrestle-
Mania 6, the Warriors popularity
was assured
Yet he will live in the shadow
of Hogan, always trying to match
PWI CLASSIC
/////// FROM THE AUGUST 1990 ISSUE OF PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED
Stunned in place, Hogan is defenseless
against Warriors axhandle from the
turnbuckles at the 18:25 mark.

JANUARY/2014 105
him in achievement and popularity.
As long as Hogan is around, the
Warrior will be in a constant battle
with himselfand with the fans.
3
Of course, the Warrior was the
first man since 1991 to cleanly pin
Hogan. There was no doubt about
the victory: a three-count in the
middle of the ring. Beating Hogan
automatically assures Warriors
greatness. After all, some out-
standing wrestlers couldnt do it
But about that rematch, the
one WWE President Jack Tunney
said will never happen: By denying
Hogan a rematch, Tunney is deny-
ing the Warrior a chance to affirm
his victory. There are doubts, after
all. Hogan had Warrior pinned for
a full five-count while referee Dave
Hebner was unconscious.
4
About that 1-0 record against
Hogan: The Warrior also obliter-
ated Andre the Giant (something
Hogan never did as decisively) and
manhandled Ted DiBiase, another
wrestler who caused trouble for Ho-
gan. The Warrior has already beaten
several men that Hogan had difficul-
ty handling. With that in mind, hes
headed for a long, great reign
That will end once he is forced
to wrestle a variety of these top
wrestlers day after day, week after
week, month after month. Wrestlers
target the WWF World title; theres
a much smaller line for the I-C belt.
The Warrior wont be able to handle
all the competition, because hes
never had to deal with it before.
5
Of course, the immediate length
of Warriors title reign was virtually
assured when Tunney announced
that there would be no rematch.
The top challengers are Rick Rude
and Curt Hennig, both of whom
the Warrior should have no trouble
handling. The WWF Top 10 isnt
what it once was, and the Warrior
should take advantage of this
By beating nobodies. Sure
Rude and Hennig are talented, but
Rude was manhandled recently by
Roddy Piper, and Mr. Perfects re-
cord against Hogan has been per-
fectly dismal. The WWF talent crop
isnt strong enough right now to
make a champion great. The War-
rior needs Hogan, but wont get him.
That can be bigger trouble for the
Warrior than it is for the Hulkster.
6
Even consi deri ng al l of the
WWF champions weaknesses,
however, we should realize that
the Warrior is a drastically im-
proved wrestler, capable of tak-
ing on the best in the world. That
wasnt true a year ago, but the
Warrior worked on his weaknesses
and turned them into strengths
And yet, title defenses are
not a time for learning. Hogan, for
example, hardly improved at all as
a wrestler during his first title reign.
But when he took time off from
the sport, he was vastly improved
upon his return. He used the time
between title reigns to work on his
weaknesses. Weve seen the last
of the Warriors improvements. The
worst is yet to come.
7
But greatness is measured in
other ways. Hogans faceand
bodyis known internationally.
He has appeared on TV, films,
and advertisementsso much
that he became a househol d
name. The Warrior will be the
same. He is so unique, and he fits
the look of a cartoon character so
well, that he is assured his piece
of the marketing pie
If he can talk. Can anyone
understand the Warriors inter-
views? Hogan, at least, was usu-
ally coherent. Who ever heard of
a spokesman that cant speak?
The Warrior is so hyperactive, so
maniacal, that he wont be accept-
ed by the general public.
8
Of course, we know that the
public is most likely to accept
wrestlers who are committed to
the rules. Sammartino, Backlund,
David Hebner forces his way between the two men. It was only the combatants
exhaustion that allowed the ref to maintain any semblance of control.

106 PWI
Hogan hands over the belt he held with pride for the past 364 days (above) and, in a
memorable show of class, salutes Warrior as he is wheeled from the ring (below).
TOP 10
1. Ric Flair
2. Ultimate Warrior
3. Hulk Hogan
4. Lex Luger
5. Jerry Lawler
6. Curt Hennig
7. Larry Zbyszko
8. Rick Rude
9. Kerry Von Erich
10. Mr. Saito
TAG TEAMS
1. Rick & Scott Steiner
2. Demolition
3. Brian Pillman & Tom Zenk
4. The Road Warriors
5. The Hart Foundation
6. Doom
7. The Rockers
8. Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom
9. Rex King & Steve Doll
10. Jeff Warner & Art Barr
WWF
1. Ultimate Warrior
2. Curt Hennig
3. Hulk Hogan
4. Rick Rude
5. Earthquake
6. Dusty Rhodes
7. Randy Savage
8. Rick Martel
9. Brutus Beefcake
10. Ted DiBiase
NWA
1. Ric Flair
2. Lex Luger
3. Norman
4. Kevin Sulivan
5. Mike Rotundo
6. Tommy Rich
7. Johnny Ace
8. Cactus Jack
9. Eddie Gilbert
10. Abdullah the Butcher
AWA
1. Larry Zbyszko
2. Mr. Saito
3. Nikita Koloff
4. Sgt. Slaughter
5. John Nord
6. Tully Blanchard
7. D.J. Peterson
8. Col. DeBeers
9. Kokina Maximus
10. Tommy Jammer
AUGUST 1990
PWI RATINGS

JANUARY/2014 107
Hogan all did their best to pro-
tect the integrity of wrestling.
The Warrior will do the same.
He respects the sport. That is
one course to greatness
A course the Warrior doesnt
know how to follow. He is a terror,
a man willing to tear people apart
to get what he wants. He was a
rulebreaker in the past and still fits
the characteristics of a rulebreak-
er: wild, violent, uncaring.
9
He is a symbol of all that man
can be. Like Hogan, the Warrior
made it to the top through hard
work. He is willing to put his
body on the line to be the best.
As long as a man is willing to
sacrifice, he can be on top for a
long time
But success has its way
of softening a man. The Warrior
has been fighting too long and
too hard. He might feel that its
time for a breather, just when he
needs to turn things up a notch.
10
The ultimate reason: The War-
rior will be the greatest WWF
World champion ever is because
theres never been anyone else
like him. People compare him to
Hogan, but the Warrior is totally
unique. We do not know exactly
what he is capable of, but we do
know this: The Warrior is stron-
ger than Hogan and Sammartino,
more determined than Randy
Savage, and genuinely larger
than life. We should not doubt
a man who has already accom-
plished so much
Even though hes a dime a
dozen. Hes the muscleman that
made it, but that doesnt mean
he wont hit a roadblock. The
Warrior is about to deal with
situations hes never dealt with
before. How he handles these
situations will decide how great
he really is.
PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED
AUGUST 1990
On The Cover: While the photo shows
The Ultimate Warrior hoisting both
the WWF World and Interconti-
nental title belts, Warrior would be
forced to forfeit the I-C belt, per
WWF rules. With the allegiance
of the fans at the SkyDome in To-
ronto split in two, Warrior scored
what some would call an upset and
some would call simply inevitable
in pinning Hulk Hogan for his first
and only World championship.
Larryland: For some odd reason,
Larry Zbyszko thought hed have
the American fans behind him when
he tried to regain the AWA World
title from Mr. Saito in St. Paul, Min-
nesota. The truth is, whether he was
American or not, no one wanted to
see the cheating, conniving, stalling
Zbyszko holding the title belt. Did
America owe him a debt of grati-
tude? Zbyszko got his answer.
Championship Press Conference:
With Ultimate Warriors victory over
Hulk Hogan ushering in a new era
for the WWF, we arranged for a tele-
phone hook-up between three for-
mer champs, Buddy Rogers, Ivan
Koloff, and Bob Backlund, to dis-
cuss current trends in the company
and pro wrestling in general. Once
you make it to the WWF champion-
ship, youve reached the pinnacle,
said Rogers. I was the first man to
hold that title, and its still the thing
Im proudest of.
The Ultimate WrestleMania: Wres-
tleMania 6 wont go down in his-
tory as one of the great Wrestle-
Manias, but it did have some
excellent matches and it cer-
tainly featured one of the all-time
great WrestleMania moments:
the vanquished Hulk Hogan be-
ing wheeled away in a two-foot-
square ring, his arm raised in sa-
lute to Warrior and Warriors arm
raised to salute him back.
////

Title? Plus: Hulk Hogan, Perfect-Beefcake, Toni
Adams, Woman.
May 1992: Revitalized In Tokyo: Hulk Hogan
Is Super-Psyched For WrestleMania VII! Cen-
terfold: Rick Rude. Plus: Sting & Muta-Steiners,
Jarrett & Fuller, Lightning Kid, Randy Savage,
intimidation.
Annual 1996: Cutting-Edge Profiles With An At-
tiude. Includes 32 full-page color pinips.
Jan. 1998: The Real New World Order: WCWs
Hot Young Studs. Plus: The Giant, Shane Doug-
las, Shawn Michaels, Ahmed Johnson.
April 1998: The DeGeneration-X Debate: Will
They Save Or Ruin The WWF? Plus: Bret Hart,
Kane-Bearer-Undertaker, Melanie Pillman.
Aug. 1998: SuperCards 98: WCW SuperBrawl,
WWF WrestleMania XIV, ECW Living Danger-
ously. Plus: Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie.
May 1999: Who Holds The Key To Wrestle-
Mania XV? Centerfold: Konnan. Plus: Mark Hen-
ry, Sting-Nash, Bill Alfonso, Brian Hildebrand.
July 1999: Warning! This Team Will Self-De-
struct In 15 Seconds! Centerfold: X-Pac. Plus:
New Jack-Dudleys, Jesse James, Venis & God-
father, Sting-Bischoff-Flair.
Oct. 1999: Why The World Must Fear Scott
Steiner, By Buff Bagwell. Centerfold: Mankind.
Plus: Kane & X-Pac, The Godfather, Perry Sat-
urn, 20th anniversary readers poll.
Wint. 1999 (Special!): 20th Anniversary: A Cel-
ebration of PWI And The Sport Of Wrestling.
Includes: PWI year by year, PWI top 25 (plus
5), readers poll, PWI 500 of the PWI years,
PWI 100 tag teams.
April 2000: Stone-Cold vs. The Rock: Lets Set-
tle It At WrestleMania! Centerfold: Chris Benoit.
Plus: Dallas Page, Goldberg-Vicious, more Un-
official awards.
July 2000: Call It A Wrap, Jack! Youve Done
Your Share Go Home! Centerfold: Sid Vi-
cious. Plus: Dusty Rhodes, Disco Inferno, DDP,
Dudleys-Hardys.
Sum. 2000 (116-Page Special): The Greats
Of The Game. Relive the careers of: Goldberg,
Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, Mick Foley, Hulk
Hogan, Madusa, Kevin Nash.
Fall 2000: PWI Interview Special: Memorable in-
terviews with: Ric Flair, Steve Austin & Brian Pill-
man, Jim Ross, Rick Steamboat, Terry Funk, Bret
Hart, Scott Steiner, Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, more.
[FULL-COLOR BEGINNING WITH HOLIDAY 2000]
Jan. 2001: Who Does He Really Hate? Some-
one Will Pay For Austins Pain! Plus: Steven
Richards, Justin Credible, Gordon Solie, Jeff
Jarrett, Arn-Sid.
March 2001: Hulk Hogan: WWF Fans Want Him
Back! Plus: Mike Awesome, Rikishi, Jerry Lynn,
Elix Skipper, Triple-H.
May 2001: The WrestleMania Curse! Will The
Great One Ever Win The Big One? Plus: Vince
McMahon, William Regal, Page & Nash, Ivory,
Lance Storm, ECW.
July 2001: Womens Work! It Aint What It
Used To Be! Plus: Dudleys, Chavo Guerrero Jr.,
Justin Credible, Francine, Scott Steiner.
Mid-Year Report. Top
tions. Plus: Perry Saturn, Dallas Page, Terri.
Feb. 2002: A New Era For Wrestling. Plus:
Goldberg, State of the Game.
March 2002: No More Joking, No More Chok-
ing: Y2J Takes A Serious Stab At Superstar-
dom! Plus: Test, The Rock, Eric Bischoff, Brad-
shaw, Foley vs. Regal.
May 2002: The Mania To End All Manias! What
Will Wrestling Look Like By WrestleMania
X-9? Plus: Trish Stratus, RVD, Russ Haas, Big
Bossman, WWF comedy.
June 2002: 2002 Insiders Poll: 50 Red-Hot Ques-
tions Answered! Plus: NWO, Steve Austin, Ric Flair.
Jan. 2003: Brock Aftershock: How Lesnar
Changed The Future Of WWE. Plus: Chris
Benoit, Low-Ki, Jericho-Flair, Rey Mysterio Jr.,
SummerSlam at 15.
Spring 2003 (180-Page Special): Wrestling
Annual. A month-by-month Recap of 2002.
Sum. 2003 (Special Edition): WWE at 40! (Dig-
ital only; visit pwi-online.comCover History)
Sept. 2003: Guardian Angle: The One Superstar
WWE Couldnt Afford To Lose. Plus: The Hurri-
cane, Sting, Kazarian-Sabin, Jeff Jarrett, Booker T.
Jan. 2004: All Fired Up! Can Kane Blaze A Trail
To The Raw Title? Plus: John Cena, Samoa Joe,
Flair-Goldberg, Christian, ugliest wrestlers.
Oct. 2004: Eugene, The Impossible Dream:
When Will His Opponents Wake Up? Plus: Vic-
toria, Edge, Dudleys, AJ Styles, six-sided ring.
Fall 2004: Women Of Wrestling. 164 pages of
wrestlings hottest stars. (Also available in dig-
ital format.)
Feb. 2005: A Yes Man? No Way! Ric Flairs Se-
cret Plan Will Ruin Triple-H! Plus: Y2J, The Natu-
rals, Luther Reigns, WrestleMania 21 countdown.
March 2005: 2004The Year In Wrestling.
Plus: 2004 In Review, Achievement 05 awards,
Unofficial/Official, phantastic photos of 2004,
predictions for 2005.
April 2005: Batista: Can He Steal Wrestle-
Manias Future From Orton? Plus: Jeff Hardy,
Eugene, Undertaker, JBL.
June 2005: Our Challenge To John Cena: Dom-
inate 2005 Or We Dont Want To See You!
Plus: Steve Austin, Austin Aries, Big Show, AMW.
July 2005: Gold Strike! Cena & Batista Change
The Face Of Wrestling! Plus: Kevin Nash, Chris
Benoit, Heartbreakers, all-time WrestleMania
roster, the state of the game.
Aug. 2005: Kurt Angle: The 10 Reasons Hes
The Best Ever. Plus: Edge, Alex Shelley, Christy
Hemme, DDP, WWE Hall of Fame.
Fall 2005 (164-Page Special): Wrestling Year-
book. Insider scouting reports on 50 top stars.
Oct. 2005: Whole Lita Love: How Many Men
Can One Woman Ruin? Plus: John Cena, CM
Punk, McMahon-Bischoff-Paul E., AJ Styles.
Dec. 2005: Triple-H: Which H Fits? Hated?
Hero? Hypocrite? Plus: Guerrero-Mysterio,
Dixie Carter.
Jan. 2006: Special ReportWWE vs. TNA: Let
The War Begin! Plus: Dudleys vs. Hardy & Rhi-
no, Orton-Orton, Bryan Danielson, report cards.
Feb. 2006: Losing Street Cred? The Time Is
Now For Cena To Get Tough. Plus: Jerry Lawler,
Eddie Guerrero, Austin-Hogan.
March 2006: 2005The Year In Wrestling.
Plus: 2005 In Review, Achievement 2005
awards, Unofficial/Official awards, phantastic
photos of 2005, predictions for 2006.
July 2006: WM 22: Magic Mania Moments!
Plus: The State of the Game, Abyss & Mitchell,
Davey Richards, Christian Cage.
Aug. 2006: Exclusive! Edge Comes Out Swing-
ing! Plus: Brother Runt, Benoit & Lashley, Mila-
no Collection AT.
Sept. 2006: The Triple-H Paradox: What He Needs
He Cannot Keep. Plus: Mid-year report, Shawn
Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Chris Daniels, Summer-
Slams top 25 matches, ECW years1992-2001.
Oct. 2006 (164-Page Special): Report Cards Of
The Stars. PWI grades the sports top 50 stars.
Dec. 2006: The Angry Young Man! CM Punk
Leads The New ECW Revolution. Also: Tri-
ple-H, Christian, Batista.
Jan. 2007: Sudden Impact! Can Kurt Angle Do
For TNA What Hulk Hogan Did For WCW? Plus:
Raw vs. Smackdown vs. TNA vs. ECW, Big Show,
Orton-Masters-Carlito-Nitro, Matches of the Year.
Feb. 2007: Hollywood Ending: Cenas Pumped
For A Year Of Wrestling Only! Also: Randy Or-
ton, Hardcore Holly, Booker-Batista, Kurt Angle.
March 2007: 2006The Year In Wrestling.
Plus: 2006 In Review, Achievement 2006
awards, Unofficial/Official awards, phantastic
photos of 2006, predictions for 2007.
April 2007 (164-Page Special): Wrestling An-
nual. A month-by-month recap of 2006.
May 2007: The 2007 PWI Poll. Plus: Batista,
AMW, CM Punk, Bam Bam Bigelow, Flair-Dyk-
stra, Chris Sabin.
July 2007: Mania Madness: Exclusive WM 23
Coverage. Plus: The State of the Game, Samoa
Joe, wrestling deaths, global wrestling.
Sum. 2007: The Match Vince Let Get Away
And The Title He Wouldnt! Also: Hogan-Big
Show, Team 3-D, WrestleMania 23 weekend, ECW.
Sept. 2007: Orton Pays The Price In The Ring
And Earns The Fans Respect. Plus: Mid-
year report, Edge, MVP, Jay Lethal, Great Khali.
Oct. 2007 (164-Page Special): Report Cards Of
The Stars. PWI grades the sports top 50 stars.
Nov. 2007: The PWI 500. Plus: John Cena, TNA,
WWE draft, TNA analysis.
Dec. 2007: Triple-H Disses The Champ: Ce-
nas Disrespect Is A Sign Of Fear. Plus: Kurt
& Karen Angle, McMahons-Hornswoggle, Batis-
ta-Khali, Raw vs. Smackdown vs. TNA vs. ECW,
90 minutes with Chris Jericho.
Jan. 2008 (164-Page Special): The Greats Of
The Game. Relive the careers of: Triple-H, Kurt
Angle, John Cena, Batista, Sting, Edge.
Feb. 2008: HBK: If You Ask Me, Im Younger
Than Randy Orton. Plus: Kurt Angle, Nigel Mc-
Guiness, Gail Kim, Royal Rumble at 20, sleaziest
sluts & slimeballs.
March 2008: 2007The Year In Wrestling.
Plus: 2007 In Review, Achievement 2007
awards, Unofficial/Official awards, phantastic
photos of 2007, predictions for 2008.
June 2008: Special Tribute To Ric Flair: His
25 Greatest Covers Of All-Time. Plus: Y2J-
JBL, Christian Cage, NWA, Brock Lesnar, Vickie
Guerrero, John Morrison.
July 2008 (164-Page Special): Report Cards Of
50 stories, grades, half-year awards, predic-
Oct. 2001 (116 Pages):
The Total Package Wrapped Up The NWA
Lugers Holiday Gift For Flair: Has Feb. 1990:

The Stars. PWI grades the sports top 50 stars.
Aug. 2008: Was Shawn Wrong? Former World
Champions Speak Loudly And Unanimous-
ly! Plus: Angle-Joe, Undertaker, CM Punk, Aus-
tin Aries, State of the Game.
Sept. 2008: Take It Like A Man, Orton! A Real
Champion Knows How To Lose. Plus: Lance
Cade, McChif, general managers, guide to inde-
pendents, Mid-Year Report.
Oct. 2008: PWI 500. Ranking the top 500 stars
in the sport.
Nov. 2008: PWI Female 50. Plus: Beer Mon-
ey-Cornette, Triple-H, Shelton Benjamin, Mark
Henry, womens wrestling, ROH-NWA, Kevin
Nash.
Dec. 2008: Five-Way Faceoff: Raw vs. Smack-
down vs. ECW vs. ROH. Plus: Michelle McCool,
JBL, Jake Hager, Shawn Michaels, Angle-Styles,
Ric Flair.
Jan. 2009 (164-Page Special): The Greats Of
The Game: Relive the careers of: The Under-
taker, Randy Orton, Booker T, Shawn Michaels,
Samoa Joe, Rey Mysterio Jr.
Feb. 2009: Annoying? Si Successful? Si
But Is Santino A Worthy Champ? Plus: Sheik
Abdul Bashir, TNA Wars, Hardys, Super 8, Bryan
Danielson, second-generations stars vs. dads,
20 matches that changed wrestling.
March 2009: 2008The Year In Wrestling.
Plus: 2008 In Review, Achievement 2008 awards,
Unofficial/Official awards, phantastic photos of
2008, predictions for 2009.
June 2009: The PWI Poll. Plus: Hardy vs.
Hardy, Christian, Team 3-D, Kelly Kelly, CZW,
Shawn Michaels, greatest wrestlers never to win
world title.
July 2009 (164-Page Special): Report Cards Of
The Stars. PWI grades the sports top 50 stars.
August 2009: Jacked Up! Old Pro, New Era For
TNA. Plus: Batista, FCW prospects, MVP, Homi-
cide, State of the Game.
Sept. 2009: Mid-Year Report. Plus: Angelina
Love, MVP, Evan Bourne, PWIs 30th anniversary.
Oct. 2009: PWI 500. Ranking the top 500 stars
in the sport.
Nov. 2009: CM Skunk: The Stench Of Tainted
Success. Plus: Mickie James, Tommy Dreamer,
Kurt Angle, Francine, Chris Jericho, DiBiase Sr.
& Jr., PWI Female 50.
Dec. 2009: Five-Way Faceoff: Raw vs. Smack-
down vs. ECW vs. ROH. Plus: ODB-Cody, Or-
ton-Cena, American Wolves, Dolph Ziggler, an-
ti-Americanism, Gabe Sapolsky.
Jan. 2010 (164-Page Special): The Greats Of
The Game: Relive the careers of: Chris Jericho, AJ
Styles, CM Punk, Team 3-D, Big Show, Kevin Nash.
Feb. 2010: Triple-HWrestler Of The Decade.
Plus: The Decade In Review, Desmond Wolfe,
Super 8, John Cena, Hulk Hogan, Capt. Lou by
Paul Heyman.
March 2010: 2009The Year In Wrestling. Plus:
2009 In Review, Achievement 2009 awards, Un-
official/Official awards, phantastic photos of 2009.
July 2010 (164-Page Special): Report Cards Of
The Stars. PWI grades the sports top 50 stars,
plus Shawn Michaels career grades.
Aug. 2010: The Bell Tolls For HBK: Team Cov-
erage Of WrestleMania 26. Plus: Adam Pearce,
Amazing Red, Briscoes, State of the Game.
Sept. 2010: Cena (2010), Kobashi (2010), Flair
(1990), Race (1980)Who Would Win The
Battle Of The Decades? Plus: Vince McMahon,
Jack Swagger, Abyss, Edge, collectibles, Mid-
Year Report.
Oct. 2010: PWI 500. Ranking the top 500 stars
in the sport.
Nov. 2010: The NXT Invasion: 5 Doomsday
Scenarios For WWE. Plus: Flair-Styles-Kazari-
an-Wolfe, Austin Creed, Mickie James, Michelle
McCool, PWI Female 50.
Dec. 2010: Cenas Suicide Mission: Theres
No Winning And Theres No Way Out! Plus:
Danielson-Shingo, Kane-Undertaker, Hardcore
Justice, Motor City Machine Guns, secondary
titles, four-way faceoff.
Jan. 2011 (164-Page Special): The Greats Of
The Game. Relive the careers of: Chris Jericho, AJ
Styles, CM Punk, Team 3-D, Big Show, Kevin Nash.
Feb. 2011: John Cena vs. Randy Orton: PWIs
Special 50-Category Analysis. Plus: Daniel Bry-
an, Jeff Hardy, Phill Shatter, Big Show, ROH, CM
Punk, Whats Ahead in 2011?
March 2011: 2010The Year In Wrestling.
Plus: 2010 In Review, Achievement 2010
awards, Unofficial/Official awards, phantastic
photos of 2010.
June 2011: CM Punk: Is He Destined To Let
History Destroy Him? Plus: The Hardys, Edge,
Sheamus-Morrison, Winter, all-time Wrestle-
Mania roster, PWI Poll.
July 2011 (164-Page Special): Report Cards Of
The Stars. PWI grades the sports top 50 stars,
plus Undertakers career grades.
Aug. 2011: Rock vs. Cena: Cant Bring It Soon
Enough! Plus: Sin Cara, Matt Morgan, Wrestle-
Mania 27, pay-per-view piracy, State of the Game.
Sept. 2011: Can Cena Stay On Top With Rock
In His Head? Plus: Randy Savage, RVD-Hulk,
Christian, Brie Bella, Super 8, Mid-Year Report.
Oct. 2011: PWI 500. (Digital only; visit pwi-on-
line.comCover History)
Nov. 2011: Memo To Triple-H: Dont Fire Vince
Avenge Him! Plus: Ezekiel Jackson, Madison
Eagles, Brian Kendrick, ROH-Sinclair, PWI Fe-
male 50. (Also available in digital format.)
Jan. 2012: What The H Is He Doing? Five Di-
rections Hunter Can Take WWE. Plus: Kelly
Kelly, Beer Money Inc., Jay Lethal, Hulk Hogan,
Raw vs. Smackdown vs. TNA vs. ROH. (Also
available in digital format.)
Feb. 2012: Whats Ahead In 2012 For Wres-
tlings Top Stars? Plus: Sting-Dixie-Hulk, John
Laurinaitis, future stars, Cena vs. all-time greats,
Davey Richards. (Also available in digital format.)
March 2012: 2011The Year In Wrestling.
Plus: 2011 In Review, Achievement 2011
awards, Unofficial/Official awards, Dolph Zig-
gler. (Also available in digital format.)
May 2012: Rock vs. Cena: Our 11-Page Report
On The Match Of The Century. Plus: Austin Ar-
ies, R-Truth, TNA-OVW, WWE injuries, Report
Cards. (Also available in digital format.)
July 2012: The PWI Poll. Plus: Jeff Jarrett, Har-
dy-Angle, Daniel Bryan, Raquel Diaz, Gunner,
bounties. (Also available in digital format.)
Sept. 2012: What The Brock! How Lesnar Ru-
ined His Own WWE Return. Plus: Kevin Steen,
Beth Phoenix, Stanley Weston-WWE, streaks,
Raw vs. Smackdown vs. TNA vs. ROH. (Also
available in digital format.)
Nov. 2012: (Digital only; visit pwi-online.com
Cover History)
Jan. 2013: The Anti-Punk: Why Sheamus Is So
Comfortable In His Pale Skin: Plus: Antonio Ce-
saro, Miz, Magnus-Joe, the PWI Female 50.
March 2013: 2012The Year In Wrestling.
Plus: 2012 In Review, Achievement 2012
awards, Unofficial/Official awards. (Also avail-
able in digital format.)
May 2013: Finally! The WWE Title Has Come Back
To The Rock: What To Expect From Mania And
Beyond. Plus: All-Time WrestleMania show-steal-
ers, Kevin Steen, Bully Ray, report cards.
July 2013: Redemption, Thy Name Is Cena.
Plus: WrestleMania 29 Winners & Losers, WWE
Hall of Fame, Jesse Sorensen, Matt Taven, Dev-
on, PWI Poll.
Sept. 2013: Our Annual WWE vs. TNA vs. ROH
Face-Offs. Plus: Ryback, Mark Henry, Curtis
Axel, Chris Sabin, Briscoes, MITB.
Nov. 2013: PWI 500. Ranking the top 500 stars
in the sport
FEB 90
MAY 92
ANN 96
JAN 98
APR 98
AUG 98
MAY 99
JUL 99
OCT 99
WIN 99
APR 00
JUL 00
SUM 00
FAL 00
JAN 01
MAR 01
MAY 01
JUL 01
OCT 01
FEB 02
MAR 02
MAY 02
JUN 02
JAN 03
SPR 03
SEP 03
JAN 04
OCT 04
FAL 04
FEB 05
MAR 05
APR 05
JUN 05
JUL 05
AUG 05
FAL 05
OCT 05
DEC 05
JAN 06
FEB 06
MAR 06
JUL 06
AUG 06
SEP 06
OCT 06
DEC 06
JAN 07
FEB 07
MAR 07
APR 07
MAY 07
JUL 07
SUM 07
SEP 07
OCT 07
NOV 07
DEC 07
JAN 08
FEB 08
MAR 08
JUN 08
JUL 08
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SEP 08
OCT 08
NOV 08
DEC 08
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FEB 09
MAR 09
JUN 09
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SEP 09
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NOV 09
DEC 09
JAN 10
FEB 10
MAR 10
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AUG 10
SEP 10
OCT 10
NOV 10
DEC 10
JAN 11
FEB 11
MAR 11
JUN 11
JULY 11
AUG 11
SEP 11
NOV 11
JAN 12
FEB 12
MAR 12
MAY 12
JUL 12
SEP 12
JAN 13
MAR 13
MAY 13
JULY 13
SEP 13
NOV 13
PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED
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DOLPH OVERRATED
Upon receiving this years PWI
500, I was shocked and dismayed
that Dolph Ziggler was ranked as
high as number nine, ahead of three
of the best wrestlers in the world,
Kevin Steen, Daniel Bryan, and Aus-
tin Aries. I cant understand this.
Yes, the guy is a great athlete, but
he isnt a great wrestler. His finishing
move, the Zig-Zag, is weak, and there
isnt a move he does in the ring that I
couldnt do, except for a dropkick.
Now, I r eal i ze t hat t he suc-
cess that a wrestler has in a given
year factors into their ranking, but
it should also be kept in perspec-
tive. Just because WWE decides
to push a given wrestler, that isnt
necessarily a reflection of how talent-
ed he/she is. Ranking Dolph Ziggler
that high is a travesty of justice.
PETER INGERICK
Woodbridge, VA
HOT ROH ACTION!
ROH is truly the best wrestling on
television. After watching the recent
With the amount of disdain a
large portion of the wrestling com-
munity holds for John Cena, youd
think it was he who married Trish
Stratus and took her away from
us. After the year he had, we
never imagined that even his most
ardent detractors would have an
argument with his third selection to
the number-one spot in the PWI
500. If not Cena, then who?
CM Punk is so much better a
wrestler than Cena, I almost
gagged when I downloaded the
issue from Zinio and saw who
won, said Brad Malone.
Have you guys ever actually
seen Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi
Tanahashi wrestle? asked Paul
Browser. Either one of them would
have been more deserving than
Cena. Your ignorance of Japanese
wrestling knows no bounds.
If people would just take the
time to understand the criteria for
the 500 and what the time
frame for judging was, there
wouldnt be so many complaints,
said Rich Grandazzo.
Amen to that, Rich!
Dolph Ziggler was undeserving of his number nine position in the PWI 500, writes Peter
Ingerick of Woodbridge, Virginia, who doesnt understand what The Showoff did to finish in
front of Kevin Steen, Daniel Bryan, and Austin Aries.
110 PWI
BETWEEN FALLS
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PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED
welcomes readers comments on
any of our stories or columns.
SEND LETTERS TO:
BETWEEN FALLS Box 96, Ft.
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Or you can e-mail your comments to
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PWI 500

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main event between Red Dragon
and Forever Hooligans, I am con-
vinced that WWE and TNA have
nothing on ROH when it comes to
pure competitive wrestling.
In the last several years, I have
not seen such a matchup as com-
pelling as this tag team spectacular.
With Bobby Fish and Kyle OReilly
battling Alex Koslov and Rocky
Romero, it was truly an edge-of-
your seat encounter. Both teams
fought hard and it was impossible
to predict the outcome. But in the
end, the Hooligans trumped Red
Dragon and became the new ROH
tag team champions. Now the Hoo-
ligans are the best tag team in the
world, as they now hold the ROH
tag title and the IWGP junior tag
title. Im looking forward to seeing
what the future holds for ROH and
its tag team division.
JUSTIN WICK
Clintonville, PA
[Editors note: Since this letter
was written, the Ring of Honor tag
team title has passed from Red
Dragon to The American Wolves
and back to Red Dragon.]
NOT WHISTLING DIXIE
An Open Letter To Dixie Carter:
I am a big fan of TNA, which is
why I am writing this little note. You
all at TNA are really dropping the
ball as of late. I just have a few sug-
gestions that I think might help you:
First, get rid of the TNA TV ti-
tle. If youre not going to have the
champion defend it on TV every
week, its a waste of time and en-
ergy to have it.
Second, your Knockouts title is
pitiful. At one point, it was great to
watch. Now you only have Velvet
Sky, Gail Kim, Miss Tessmach-
er, Mickie James, Taryn Terrell,
and ODB. You released Madison
Rayne, Tara, and Taeler Hen-
drix. If youre not going to provide
new faces for women to fight and
keep things fresh, then send your
Knockouts to OVW, where there is
a womens title there they can fight
for and have some competition be-
sides the little circle theyre in now.
Third, some might agree with
me on this and some might get
ticked off. You need to cut some
wrestlers that will free you up to
bring in sorely needed fresh fac-
es. My suggestions are to release
Hulk Hogan (he doesnt add any-
thing to your show), Brooke Ho-
gan (shes killing the Knockouts
division), Sting (there is nothing
more for him to do; he would be
better off helping out behind the
scenes), Kurt Angle (see Sting),
Aces & Ei ghts (you guys had
something fresh and then you blew
it), and Eric Bischoff (if he is doing
storylines for you, then someone
needs to smack him in the back of
the head and tell him its not 1996
anymore.)
Thanks for your time.
BILL MRKVICKA
Tripleb116@gmail.com
PG = PU
I read the July 2013 issue and
I wanted to comment on a letter in
Between Falls written by Daniel
Worthy titled PG Is Perfectly Good.
I am a big Attitude Era fan. I
even bought the Attitude Era DVD
WWE released last year. I agreed
with everyones comments in their
letters until Worthy said he prefers
PG over the Attitude Era. Thats
his personal preference, but I
would like to let it be known that
the Attitude Era was a revolution
in wrestling. It wasnt just an era,
and it certainly wasnt just a time
when wrestlers cursed and adult
themes were prevalent.
Daniel, I would like to let you
know that a lot, if not all, of the
wrestlers that compete in WWEs
PG environment now were inspired
from times back in the Attitude Era.
You said that you were worried
about watching wrestling at that
time with your kids. WWE let you
know then that their product wasnt
suitable for kids, so that shouldnt
be a complaint.
I went to a CZW event and I
was wearing an NWO shirt. Just
about everyone there was saluting
and was doing the NWO sign back
to me. You wont get that kind of
praise wearing a PG-era shirt.
WWE needs to give the majority
of fans what they want. It doesnt
have to be the Attitude Era again,
but could at least be TV-14.
HAKEEM KATES
Somerdale, NJ
A flashback to the Attitude Era, as Steve Austin throws a trashcan at Billy Gunns head,
1998. Hakeem Kates takes issue with a letter in the July issue that claims the current
PG era is the superior brand of wrestling.
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WWE
WWE Champion:
VACANT
1DANIEL BRYAN
(1) 210, Aberdeen, W
2RANDY ORTON
(3) 235, St. Louis, MO
3CM PUNK
(2) 222, Chicago, IL
4DEAN AMBROSE
(5) 225, Cincinnati, OH
5CURTIS AXEL
(10) 227, Champlin, MN
6BIG SHOW
() 441, Tampa, FL
7ROB VAN DAM
(17) 235, Battle Creek, MI
8RYBACK
(6) 291, Las Vegas, NV
9THE MIZ
(14) 231, Cleveland, OH
10BIG E LANGSTON
(13) 285, Tampa, FL
World Champion:
ALBERTO DEL RIO
(C) 240, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
11TYSON KIDD
() 195, Calgary, AB
12KOFI KINGSTON
() 220 Ghana, West Africa
13DOLPH ZIGGLER
(9) 221 Hollywood, CA
14FANDANGO
(15) 244, Tampa, FL
15ANTONIO CESARO
(16) 232, Lucerne, Switzerland
16SAMI ZAYN
() 193, Montreal, QC
17ZACK RYDER
() 214, Merrick, NY
18WADE BARRETT
(18) 246, Lancashire, England
19R-TRUTH
(19) 220, Charlotte, NC
20BO DALLAS
() 230, Brooksville, FL
TNA
World Champion
BULLY RAY
(3) 275, New York, NY
1AJ STYLES
(2) 215, Gainesville, GA
2MAGNUS
(1) 245, Kings Lynn, England
3AUSTIN ARIES
(6) 210, Minneapolis, MN
4JEFF HARDY
(4) 225, Cameron, NC
5 SAMOA JOE
(9) 280, American Samoa
6BOBBY ROODE
(10) 235, New York, NY
7CHRIS SABIN
(C) 205, Detroit, MI
8KAZARIAN
() 215, Anaheim, CA
9CHRISTOPHER DANIELS
(5) 224, Los Angeles, CA
10MANIK
() 240, Los Angeles, CA
RING OF HONOR
Champion:
ADAM COLE
(4) 205, Panama City, FL
1MICHAEL ELGIN
(1) 265, Toronto, ON
2EDDIE EDWARDS
(5) 214, Boston, MA
3KEVIN STEEN
(3) 238, Marieville, QC
4DAVEY RICHARDS
(8) 208, Othello, WA
5RODERICK STRONG
(7) 215, Tampa, FL
6MATT TAVEN
(2) 215, Los Angeles, CA
7TOMMASO CIAMPA
() 223, Palermo, Sicily
8MICHAEL BENNETT
(6) 225, South Boston, MA
9JAY LETHAL
(9) 225, Elizabeth, NJ
10MARK BRISCOE
() 229, Sandy Fork, DE
DANIEL BRYAN
210, Aberdeen, WA
(3) No. 1 contender WWE heavyweight title
RANDY ORTON
235, St. Louis, MO
(7) No. 2 contender WWE heavyweight title
BULLY RAY
275, New York, NY
() TNA World champion
CM PUNK
222, Chicago, IL
(5) No. 3 contender WWE heavyweight title
AJ STYLES
215, Gainesville, GA
() No. 1 contender TNA World title
ALBERTO DEL RIO
240, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
(2) WWE World champion
KAZUCHIKA OKADA
240, Tokyo, Japan
(4) IWGP heavyweight champion
ADAM COLE
205, Panama City, FL
() Ring of Honor heavyweight champion
MAGNUS
245, Kings Lynn, England
(9) No. 2 contender TNA World title
DEAN AMBROSE
225, Cincinnati, OH
(10) WWE U.S. champion
SETH ROLLINS & ROMAN REIGNS
Combined weight: 482 pounds
(1) WWE tag team champions
HIROYOSHI TENZAN & SATOSHI KOJIMA
Combined weight: 500 pounds
(2) IWGP tag team champions
BOBBY FISH & KYLE OREILLY
Combined weight: 386 pounds
() Ring of Honor tag team champions
JAMES STORM & GUNNER
Combined weight: 483 pounds
(3) TNA World tag team champions
ALEX KOSLOV & ROCKY ROMERO
Combined weight: 363 pounds
(4) IWGP jr. heavyweight; ROH No. 1 contenders
DAVEY RICHARDS & EDDIE EDWARDS
Combined weight: 422 pounds
(5) No. 2 contenders Ring of Honor tag team title
JACK SWAGGER & ANTONIO CESARO
Combined weight: 507 pounds
() No. 1 contenders WWE tag team title
JUN AKIYAMA & GO SHIOZAKI
Combined weight: 480 pounds
(7) All Japan Unified tag team champions
ERICK ROWAN & LUKE HARPER
Combined weight: 580 pounds
(10) No. 2 contenders WWE tag team title
SHANE HASTE & MIKEY NICHOLLS
Combined weight: 447 pounds
() GHC tag team champions
Adam Cole
FOR PERIOD ENDED OCTOBER 1, 2013
TAG TEAMS TOP 10
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JANUARY/2014 113
Top 10 and Tag Team ratings are based on won-lost records for the past month, quality of opposition, and inherent skill
of each wrestler or team. These ratings are compiled by the magazine's editorial board. All other ratings are based on
the official current positions of challengers to the top title in each category. Because of the crossover of talent between
Raw and Smackdown, the two brands are combined into a single 1-20 ranking. The number in parentheses indicates a
wrestler's position in that category last issue; () indicates that the wrestler was not rated in that category last issue,
while (C) indicates the wrestler was champion in that category last issue.
NWA
Champion:
ROB CONWAY
(C) 230, Pittsburgh, PA
1KAHAGAS
(1) 205, Tokyo, Japan
2BYRON WILCOTT
(4) 255, Shreveport, LA
3NITRO
() 305, Jackson, MI
4MICHAEL TARVER
(6) 256, Akron, OH
5DAMIAN WAYNE
(5) 227, Norfolk, VA
6CHARLIE HAAS
() 249, Houston, TX
7JASON KINCAID
(7) 205, Oak Hill, VA
8LOU MARCONI
(8) 233, Cleveland, OH
9CHASE STEVENS
(9) 200, Santa Maria, CA
10JAX DANE
(3) 284, Bakewell, TN
JAPAN
1KAZUCHIKA OKADA
(1) 240, Tokyo, Japan
IWGP heavyweight champion
2KOHEI SUWAMA
(2) 260 Fujisawa, Japan
AJPW Triple Crown champion
3KENTA
(3) 180, Soka, Japan
GHC heavyweight champion
4TETSUYA NAITO
() 225, Tokyo, Japan
5AKEBONO
(10) 514, Waimanalo, HI
6HIROSHI TANAHASHI
(8) 230, Gifu, Japan
7KENSUKE SASAKI
() 254, Fukuoka, Japan
8SHINSUKE NAKAMURA
(5) 230, Kyoto, Japan
9KEIJI MUTO
() 240, Fujiyoshida, Japan
10SATOSHI KOJIMA
() 247, Tokyo, Japan
MEXICO
1EL TERRIBLE
(1) 230, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
CMLL heavyweight champion
2 EL HIJO DEL TEXANO
(2) 220, Mexico City, Mexico
AAA heavyweight champion
3LA SOMBRA
(8) 180, Gomez Palacio, Mex.
4VOLADOR JR.
() 192, Monclova, Mexico
5REY ESCORPION
(4) 200, Sonora, Mexico
6MEPHISTO
() 200, Toluca, Mexico
7DIAMANTE AZUL
(5) 210, Mexico City, Mexico
8BLUE PANTHER
() 216, Gomez Palacio, Mex.
9ATLANTIS
() 181, Guadalajara, Mexico
10ULTIMO GUERRERO
() 205, Gomez Palacio, Mex.
WOMEN
1AJ LEE
(3) 108, Union City, NJ
WWE Divas champion
2ODB
() 130, Nashville, TN
TNA Knockouts champion
3CHEERLEADER MELISSA
(1) 142, San Francisco, CA
4BRIE BELLA
() 125, Scottsdale, AZ
5JESSICKA HAVOK
(6) 175, Massillon, OH
6KACEE CARLISLE
(5) 155, San Francisco, CA
7NATALYA
() 140, Calgary, AB
8RAIN
(9) 125, St. Paul, MN
9GAIL KIM
(8) 125, Toronto, ON
10PAIGE
(7) 120, Norwich, England
ALL PRO WRESTLING: CHAMPIONAdam Thornstowe; 1Drake Younger;
2J.R. Kratos; 3Jeckles; 4Dylan Drake; 5Willie Mack; 6B-Boy; 7Jeff
Cobb; 8Sir Samurai; 9Levi Shapiro; 10Tim Thatcher
AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING: UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONJamie
Wright; 1Robbie Cruz; 2Bad News Holland; 3Scott Weddle; 4Legendary
Eclipso; 5Rick Kelly; 6Aubrey Wright; 7Jimi Love; 8Jody Osbourn; 9
Jimmy Valiant; 10Rolling Thunder
AMERICAN PREMIER WRESTLING: CHAMPIONJon Malus; 1Cujo LeDuc;
2Jeremy Young; 3Trever Aeon; 4Luke Gallows; 5San Francisco Treat;
6Eric Glamour; 7Psyko Clown; 8Johnny Swinger; 9El Diablo; 10
Hammer Obama
CHICAGO STYLE WRESTLING: CHAMPIONMarshe Rockett; 1Nick Cutler;
2Vic Capri; 3Mojo McQueen; 4Noriega; 5Ruff Crossing; 6Mustafa Ali;
7Nick Brubaker; 8Acid Jazz; 9Sean Mulligan; 10Hunter Paine
EAST COAST WRESTLING ASSOCIATION: CHAMPIONPapadon; 1Ricky
Martinez; 2VsK; 3Kekoa the Flyin Hawaiian; 4Chris Wylde; 5Apollyon; 6
Bobby Shields; 7Matt Saigon; 8Ricky Reyes; 9Breaker Morant; 10Napalm Bomb
ERA WRESTLING: TV CHAMPIONPain; 1Mountain Man; 2Bob O Mac; 3
Funkmaster; 4Noah Richards; 5Draven Lee; 6Dexter York; 7Death
Stalker; 8James Cole; 9Johnny Deacon; 10Tsunami Kid
GALLI LUCHA LIBRE: CHAMPIONBryce Benjamin; 1Pentagono; 2
Fenebre; 3Mojo McQueen; 4Noriega; 5Mustafa Ali; 6Discovery; 7
Mason Conrad; 8Ricky Cruz; 9Acid Jazz; 10Matt Knicks
NATIONAL INDEPENDENT CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING: CHAMPIONCol.
Spud Wade; 1Ken Steel; 2Scott Lee; 3Thunder Morgan; 4Jeff Holland;
5Se7en; 6Dyron Flynn; 7Barry Hardy; 8Jimmy Lee; 9Larry Cooter;
10The Dark Dragon
NXT: CHAMPIONBo Dallas; 1Sami Zayn; 2Leo Kruger; 3Alexander
Rusev; 4Xavier Woods; 5Aiden English; 6Tyler Breeze; 7CJ Parker; 8
Mason Ryan; 9Mojo Rawley; 10 Sawyer Fulton
OHIO VALLEY WRESTLING: CHAMPIONJamin Olivencia; 1Elijah Burke; 2
James Thomas; 3Jay Bradley; 4Marcus Anthony; 5The Assassin; 6Dylan Bostic;
7Flash Flanagan; 8Evan Markopoulos; 9Rockstar Spud; 10Tony Gunn
TENNESSEE WRESTLING ALLIANCE: CHAMPIONOx Harley; 1Issac Cain; 2
Steven Burns; 3Wayne Adkins; 4JT Coalminer; 5Elliot Russell; 6Charles Long;
7Alex Pain Stratton; 8Demitria Kyst; 9Billy Marshall; 10Jim Strickland
UNITED INDEPENDENT WRESTLING ASSOCIATION: CHAMPION Chief
Attakullakulla; 1Diafullah Dobashi; 2Sexy KC; 3Chris Black; 4Keith
Calhoun; 5Intelecto Cinco Estrellas; 6Koko Anderson; 7Super J; 8Steve
Valek; 9Erik Hanson; 10John Campbell

114 PWI