With numerous major championships on the line and scores to settle (The Bloodline, Seth Rollins & Finn Balor, and more), SummerSlam 2023 was sure to be an eventful return to Detroit, Michigan for WWE. TEXT BY JASON McVEIGH / PHOTOS BY JERRY VILLAGRANA THE LAST TIME WWE held a SummerSlam in the greater Detroit, Michigan, […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

From on the ground in Japan, here’s a special preview of the second produce show promoted by Sareee, complete with words from the joshi superstar herself. TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY ISSA MARIE [except for official show graphics] Following the success of Sareee-ISM Chapter 1, a complete sellout with a high streaming rate, Sareee is ready […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

Beyond the pages of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, here is the extended version of our written conversation with freelance joshi standout Miyuki Takase, which formed the basis of our “One To Watch” feature in the October 2023 edition of PWI magazine. Our special thanks to Mr. Haku for his assistance with conducting and translating the interview. […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

How Actwres girl’Z Continues To Shape Joshi Pro Wrestling TEXT & PHOTOS* BY ISSA MARIE (*except where noted) IN PRO WRESTLING, the desire for viewing alternatives may be at an all-time high. Fans and analysts consistently speak on the need for promoters and wrestlers to provide something truly different. And yet, in Japan, you will […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

ALTHOUGH WE ARE not always able to react to such sad events so soon after they occur, we felt it was important to commemorate the late “Superstar” Billy Graham, who passed away yesterday, May 17, 2023, at the age of 79. Standing at 6’5” tall and weighing in at a muscular 275 pounds, Graham profoundly […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

Following her stay in WWE NXT, “Sarray” is gone … but Sareee has returned to Japan to rejoin the fight! TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY ISSA MARIE IN MARCH 2023, Sareee confirmed her departure from WWE, where she had competed on the NXT brand for the better part of three years under the name of “Sarray.” […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

Over WrestleMania Weekend, DDT Pro Wrestlers Battle Big Names From Game Changer Wrestling Here’s What You Can Expect (In The Words Of The DDT Stars, Themselves!) TEXT BY ISSA MARIE FOUR YEARS AFTER taking over NYC and its streets, DDT Pro Wrestling does Hollywood in the only way it can. As part of The Collective, […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

#DGinSingapore Will See Dragongate Wrestlers vs. Singapore All Stars TEXT BY ISSA MARIE THE GODFATHER OF South Asian pro wrestling, Ho Ho Lun, is bringing Dragongate back to Singapore after a lengthy absence—continuing in his quest to show the beauty of pro wrestling across Asia! This latest outing comes on the heels of an action-packed […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

Dragongate’s BIG BOSS Shimuzu Tours The U.S. TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY ISSA MARIE NATURAL VIBES POWERHOUSE, BIG BOSS Shimizu, is on his first U.S. tour. Dragongate’s chameleon, due to his ability to transform and embody every personality he has been given since his debut, is hoping to show the new fans who are getting to […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

Pandemonium Pro Wrestling’s Exciting Evolution TEXT BY JASON McVEIGH “IT’S PANDEMONIUM!” THESE were the iconic words often uttered by the late, great Gorilla Monsoon when things on WWF television kicked up a notch. And while Gorilla, sadly, isn’t with us any longer, “Pandemonium” can still be found in the wrestling business. In particular, we see […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

IT IS KZY TIME … AND THE U.S. IS ABOUT TO GO CRAZY! TEXT & PHOTOS BY ISSA MARIE DURING THE MONTH of February, the leader of Dragongate’s NATURAL VIBES, Kzy, and the unit’s powerhouse, BIG BOSS Shimizu, will be wrestling throughout the U.S.—East to West Coast and some in between! When I was still […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

F****D UP WRESTLING AND A HAPPY BOY:DDT Pro’s MAO and Shunma Katsumata Come To Prestige Wrestling TEXT & PHOTOS BY ISSA MARIE IT HAS BEEN (almost) four years since Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) last came to America. Now that travel bans have been lifted, and DDT Pro is set to “Go Hollywood” over WrestleMania Weekend., […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

From NATURAL VIBES To Kung Fu Masters The Two Faces Of Jason Lee & Jacky Funky Kamei TEXT & PHOTOS BY ISSA MARIE IN PRO WRESTLING, one needs to develop a character or persona that resonates with an audience. This is no easy task to accomplish merely once—just ask any wrestler who has cycled through […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

DRAGONGATE Fan Appreciation Night (Shingo Takagi Returns!) PWI’s Ringside Report (12.06.22) TEXT & PHOTOS BY ISSA MARIE THE FIRST OF hopefully many DRAGONGATE Fan Appreciation Nights gave us a glimpse of what’s to come on the road to FinalGate2022, offered an impressive rookie debut, solidified the greatness of Masaaki Mochizuki, and gave us the return […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

Is This What’s N(e)XT For ROH? TEXT BY JASON McVEIGH ONCE UPON A time, the case could easily have been made that Ring of Honor was the legitimate number two wrestling promotion in the world after WWE. Indeed, such was the growth of the company from its inception in 2002—and such was the quality of […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

DRAGONGATE’s Braveheart: A Candid Conversation With U-T Text & Photos by Issa Marie IN ALL ASPECTS of life, representation matters! Imagine being a nine-year-old child attending a pro wrestling event and seeing a wrestler who personifies who you are in size and stature—inspiring a small fan to become the athlete they believed they could never […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

STRONG MACHINE J: Opening The Twin Gate With Breakdancing Aggression Text & Photos by Issa Marie WHEN YOU ARE a second-generation wrestler, there is often undue expectation placed on you to carry the family legacy … or even exceed it. This also creates an excess level of stress for such an individual to show that […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

ALTERNATE “WOMEN’S 150” COVER: Hyper Misao PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED recently unveiled the cover of our January 2023 “Women’s 150” issue, which features the top three Stardom wrestlers on our annual list, with a video announcement hosted by our friends at Church of Joshi. In the past, we have created several alternate covers that we’ve released […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

Ho Ho Lun’s Mission To Show The Beauty Of Wrestling Across Asia Text & Photos by Issa Marie HONG KONG NATIVE Ho Ho Lun began wrestling in 2009 … as a hobby! It wasn’t until a visit to the UK, two years later, that he made the decision to make it a career. Unlike most […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

ON HEELS: Zicky Dice, Silas Mason, Dominik Mysterio TEXT BY POLLO DEL MAR SOMETIMES IT’S BEST to recognize you’re fighting a losing battle. Zicky Dice should have remembered this when our paths crossed recently in Connecticut. On Sept. 22, Best Trivia Ever collected a mixture of today’s brightest talent and legends like Scott Steiner and […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

U.S. FANS WILL BE STANDING WITH THEIR YAMATO SPIRIT Text & Photos by Issa Marie DRAGON GATE’S ACE, the record-setting five-time former Open the Dream Gate champion, and certified food coordinator, YAMATO will be making his GCW, AAW, Garden State ProWrestling, and Prestige Wrestling debuts, as the“Gates” have now been opened. Recently, I had the […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

DIAMANTE: “El Original” Is Home In Japan (Part 1) Text & Photos by Issa Marie WHEN WE LOOK back at the last calendar year, Diamante’s dominance in the ring cannot go unnoticed: key victories over Shun Skywalker and Dragon Kid; unmasking Dragon Dia and becoming one-half of the toughest, pound-for-pound, Twin Gate champions with the […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

SB KENTo’s BRAND NEW WORLD: Dragon Gate Prodigy Prepares To Impress Fans In U.S. & Mexico Text & Photos by Issa Marie IT’S A BRAND NEW WORLD FOR SB KENTo! AMAZING TECHNIQUE, AN impressive body of work, presence, charisma, and confidence—these are qualities rarely found in rookies. Early on, Dragon Gate’s SB KENTo had all […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

CRAZY & BEAUTIFUL: Dragon Gate Star Shun Skywalker Begins Ambitious Tour Of The U.S. Text & Photos by Issa Marie THE (DRAGON) GATES have been opened. And fans worldwide—most notably in the United States—will be awed by the “unprecedented impact and strength” of Shun Skywalker during his upcoming tour. I had an opportunity to sit […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

Why Kamille Must Defeat Taya Valkyrie at NWA 74 By Paul E. Pratt “TO BE THE best, you’ve got to beat the best.” These are words one might expect from a challenger looking to fulfill championship destiny. Coming from Kamille, though, they hint at a National Wrestling Alliance Women’s World champion with something to prove. […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

REMEMBERING SUMMERSLAM 1992WWF’s Historic Wembley Stadium Event, 30 Years Later THE YEAR WAS 1992. Batman Returns was pulling people into movie theaters, Grunge superstars like Nirvana and Pearl Jam were all over the music charts. And, on The Simpsons, Homer’s half-brother Herb had just invented a machine that translated “baby-talk” and restored his fortune in […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

CFF22 Special Interview DDT Dramatic Dream Team’s Yuki Ueno and Naomi Yoshimura are leading the charge in the battle for DDT supremacy at CyberFight Festival. This DDT Pro eight-person match will feature some of the biggest names and most wildly popular wrestlers on the company’s roster. With a mixture of power, speed, high-flying acumen, and […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

CFF22 Special Interview with Go Shiozaki Ahead of CyberFight Festival 2022, several wrestlers from the CyberFight promotions are inviting everyone reading PWI to watch this special showcase event! After an outstanding run throughout 2020 and into early-2021 as GHC champion, Go Shiozaki would miss the inaugural CyberFight Festival as he required surgery. On November 28, […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

CFF22 Special Interview DDT vs. GanPro Ahead of CyberFight Festival 2022, several wrestlers from CyberFight are inviting everyone reading PWI to watch this special showcase event. As Dramatic Dream Team’s (DDT) Hideki Okatani and Ganbare Pro-Wrestling’s (Gan☆Pro) Yuna Manase prepare to square off in a clash for company pride, they took some time to sit […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

JUNE 2022 ALTERNATE COVER #2: Matt Cardona The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) figures prominently into the June 2022 issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated—on newsstands now—with a feature story on reigning NWA World champion Matt Cardona and a special “12 Questions” feature with NWA World Women’s champions The Hex (Allysin Kay & Marti Belle). The magazine, […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

JUNE 2022 ALTERNATE COVER #1: THE HEX The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) figures prominently into the June 2022 issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated—on newsstands nows—with a feature story on reigning NWA World champion Matt Cardona and a special “12 Questions” feature with NWA World Women’s champions The Hex (Allysin Kay & Marti Belle). The magazine, […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

PWI’S CANDACE CORDELIA TO PRESENT NETWORK CHAMPIONSHIP BELT AT CAPITAL CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING: GLORY THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, March 26, Capital Championship Wrestling returns with a huge night of action in Houston, Delaware, with a show called “Glory.” On a night full of huge women’s matches, all eyes will be on the CCW Network championship bout, where […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

The Mother of Chaos (And Reinvention) UNLESS YOU FOLLOW the U.K. and Irish wrestling scenes, chances are that the name Kasey Owens may not be on the tip of your tongue. But that all soon may be about to change. A contemporary of current WWE stars like Doudrop and Kay Lee Ray, Owens has worked […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

Corrections for PWI April 2022 We have a few relatively minor, yet regrettable corrections to report for the latest issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Missing photo credits on page 60 and 61, respectively: Good Brothers & Brandon Cutler (Lee South/AEW) Second Gear Crew (Earl Gardner) Author byline on page 39: Terry Funk (Brian R. Solomon); […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

FROM THE DESK OF … [April 2022 PWI; A Plea To MJF] TEMPTING AS IT is to use this space to reminisce about 2021, that’s not what I’m going to do here. At the risk of seeming biased, I’ve instead got some things I’d like to say about Maxwell Jacob Friedman. This year, MJF took […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

2021 Stanley Weston Award Recipients Revealed Every year, the Editor and Senior Writers of PWI bestow upon one or more individuals the Stanley Weston Award for Lifetime Achievement in professional wrestling. Last year, Pro Wrestling Illustrated chose to honor Madusa Miceli and longtime PWI Editor/Publisher Stu Saks for their contributions to the sport. This year, […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

The Five Syllables or Less Review #2 Subject: The Marine 2. WWE Studios, 2009. The Five Syllables or Less Review: Excerpt Source: Ramien, Jeffrey. “Moral Philosophy: The Critique of Capitalism and the Problem of Ideology.” Cambridge Companions to Philosophy: The Cambridge Companion to Marx. Ed. Terrell Carver. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1991. 151. Print. Continue reading at the publisher's website.

Eight Ice Ribbon Departures Have Big Implications for Joshi Promotion WHAT A DIFFERENCE a couple weeks make! Wow! Ice Ribbon, a joshi promotion based out of Tokyo, Japan, looks like it’ll be going through a bit of a restructure in the new year with the departures of some of its top talent.  First reported by […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

The Five Syllables or Less Review #1 Subject: TNA Wrestling: The Best of the X Division Volume 1 The Five Syllables or Less Review: Excerpt Source: More, Thomas. Utopia (Norton Critical Editions). Second Edition, W. W. Norton & Company, 1992, p. 81. Continue reading at the publisher's website.

FROM THE VAULT: Baba and Vince Open the Forbidden Door (updated 11/19/21) VINCE MCMAHON. GIANT Baba. Together in the same ring. The 2,350 FANS in attendance at Korakuen Hall on January 28, 1990, were in for a big surprise. As recently as the early-1980s, McMahon’s WWF had enjoyed a solid relationship with All Japan’s biggest […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

In the wake of last week’s news that Ring of Honor would be going on hiatus following the December 11 Final Battle PPV and releasing all contracted performers, an outpouring of love and support went out to those affected by the news. Many current ROH wrestlers took to social media to thank the promotion for giving them an opportunity, but to also discuss their future. Surely Brian Johnson, perhaps ROH’s most outspoken performer would have much to say about this, right? Continue reading at the publisher's website.

The Return of Alex Shelley TO SAY THAT Alex Shelley has been everywhere and done almost everything in wrestling is an understatement. The Detroit, Michigan, native has plied his trade in Ring of Honor, IMPACT Wrestling, and New Japan to much success—and even cropped up in NXT for a brief time in early-2020. Away from […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

ALTERNATE PWI “500” COVER: Lulu Pencil While our December 2021 PWI “500” issue is already printed, we were recently given an interesting suggestion by indie powerhouse Parrow: Parrow suggested that the 500th best wrestler in Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s celebrated annual ranking be given their very own cover variant. And, honestly? This sounded like a terrific […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.

From The Desk Of … (April ’21) By the time you read this, 2020 will officially be in the rearview mirror. This was a difficult year for wrestling. Government-mandated shutdowns led promotions around the world to shutter their doors … some never to reopen. Economic concerns forced reliable venues to close, as well as some […] Continue reading at the publisher's website.