PWI Awards Issue Ready For Downloading!

The official on-sale date of our 2011 Achievement Awards issue is January 30. But I'm happy to let you know that we reached our goal of making it available in digital format a month earlier.

I'm not going to tell you who won the all awards; that much you can see without even having to buy the issue for $4.99. I will say this: If you voted for CM Punk, your voice has been heard!

Click here to sample PWI's annual Year-End issue.

Stu Saks
Publisher

Looking Ahead To The Best Of 2012

As 2011 draws to a close, all of us here on the staff of the Kappa Publishing family of wrestling magazines would like to sincerely thank you for your loyalty and support over this past year. And what a year it’s been.

The Rock made his triumphant return to WWE. CM Punk became the most talked-about superstar in the sport. Homegrown TNA stars Robert Roode and James Storm eclipsed legends like Hulk Hogan and Sting. And ROH took its biggest step to date toward becoming a national force with its sale to Sinclair Broadcasting Group.

In the coming weeks, you’ll find out who you chose as the winners of the PWI Year in Wrestling Awards for 2011. But, looking even further ahead, I thought I’d give you a very early look at who might be in the running when we’re counting ballots this time next year.

I’ll leave out some categories that are particularly difficult to predict, including Comeback of the Year, Inspirational Wrestler of the Year, and Rookie of the Year. And, just please, don’t hold me to any of this. A year ago, I predicted John Morrison could contend for 2011’s Wrestler of the Year award. How could I have known?

2012’s Tag Team of the Year: Unless TNA or WWE radically changes its approach toward tag team wrestling, it’s likely that the crop of candidates for this award will remain slim pickings a year from now. Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne have a lot going for them—youth, excitement, popularity—but with little competition to speak of, it’s unlikely that Air Boom will be featured in many meaningful tag team matches in 2012. TNA’s best hope for a standout tag team in 2012 will depend on whether Chris Sabin heals from an ACL injury and can reunite with Alex Shelley in The Motor City Machine Guns. With far more visibility than ever before, there’s a strong possibility that a duo out of ROH’s deep tag team roster finally takes home this prize in 2012. And they don’t come any tougher or more polished than the now-seven time ROH tag team champions, Mark & Jay Briscoe.

2012’s Woman of the Year: Although the best women’s wrestling in the U.S. is likely taking place in independent promotions like SHIMMER and Women Superstars Uncensored, the reality is that, with their huge audiences, WWE and TNA will once again dominate voting come next year. WWE’s best hope for winning the award may rest with a returning Diva, such as Layla El or Karma, if she’s feeling up for returning to the ring soon after giving birth to her child. TNA’s women’s division is still head and shoulders above WWE’s, and veterans like Mickie James, Gail Kim and Tara can always be counted on to deliver a quality effort. If TNA or WWE would wise up and hire some of the sport’s most talented ladies, such as Madison Eagles or Mercedes Martinez, they’d all but be guaranteed this award.

2012’s Match of the Year: If one match in particular isn’t at or near the top of the vote tally next year, WWE will have some serious egg on its face. I’m speaking, of course, of The Rock vs. Cena. This generation’s version of Hulk vs. Andre will have a full year of build, a gigantic audience, and a hot Miami crowd undoubtedly cheering on “the Great One.” What’s more, there will have been plenty of time to lay out as perfect a match as possible between the two stars, and also to ensure that both men are healthy and in shape going in. If rumors of Chris Jericho’s return to WWE pan out, he would instantly top the list of WWE wrestlers capable of having a 5-star match, particularly if he’s in the ring with someone along the lines of CM Punk or Daniel Bryan. Speaking of which, Punk and Bryan would be guaranteed to have blockbuster affair if given the proper stage. Similarly, if built up the right way, the next clash between former tag team partners James Storm and Bobby Roode could have the emotion and gravitas to deliver a MOTY contender. And ROH is always good for some incredible matches each year. I’m thinking a Davey Richards vs. Shelton Benjamin heavyweight title bout could be something special.

2012’s Feud of the Year: The most obvious pick for this category would be The Rock vs. John Cena. But given The Rock’s Hollywood commitments, it’s likely that his wrestling return will be short-lived, and won’t include many, if any, rematches with Cena. As I touched on earlier, Chris Jericho has been taking some jabs at CM Punk in recent months, perhaps hinting to a possible feud upon his return. If anyone knows what it takes to inject passion and intensity into a wrestling feud, it’s Jericho—and Punk might be a close second. In TNA, there are still plenty of unsettled issues between Storm and Roode that could take several months, and hopefully several quality matches, to play out. And, even in its third year, there are few wrestling rivalries more volatile than that between Kevin Steen and El Generico. You have to think those two will spill some serious blood in 2012.

2012’s Most Popular Wrestler of the Year: Having been in Madison Square Garden when  he won his latest world title, I must say that I’ve heard few pops louder than the one CM Punk received that night. Punk may not be the kind of wrestler who will expand WWE’s universe of fans, but he is the kind of wrestler who can win over nearly every fan in that universe. And Punk’s booming popularity should only grow in 2012. Fans who only know Daniel Bryan from his WWE body of work may be slow to warm up to him. But he has much the same charisma and talent as Punk, and could similarly win over fans in 2012. Over in TNA, James Storm has been showing the kind of charm and toughness that made Steve Austin one of the biggest stars ever in the sport. He, too, could make a run for Most Popular Wrestler in the New Year.

2012’s Most Hated Wrestler of the Year: One name in particular comes to mind: John Cena. With each year that passes, Cena’s jeering section has overtaken more and more of his cheering section. These days, it’s tough to make out a single, discernable clap among the chorus of boos every time Cena takes the stage. There have been hints dropped about Cena finally making his “turn” official in the coming months (perhaps leading up to or immediately following his WrestleMania match against The Rock.) But even if he doesn’t formally embrace his dark side, there’s a strong chance of Cena earning the top spot in this category next year. Other candidates could include a returning Jericho, for whom heeldome is something of an art form, Bobby Roode, who is off to a good start as a bad guy world champ in TNA, and Kevin Steen, who is officially back in ROH and is about as evil as they come.

2012’s Wrestler of the Year: It’s so hard to predict a year ahead of time who will dominate the sport in 2012. But certainly some wrestlers will be off to better starts than others. At the top of those lists are the sport’s reigning world champions—CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and Bobby Roode. In many ways, all three men exemplify what pro wrestling could, and should be in the modern era. They are relatively young, fresh, charismatic, athletic and passionate about their professions. Much the same could be said for several top contenders for their respective titles, including James Storm, The Miz, and Dolph Ziggler. One thing seems likely: After dominating the top tier for most of the last decade, established acts like John Cena, Randy Orton, Kurt Angle, and Jeff Hardy will become far less relevant in 2012 than they have been in a long, long time.

That’s it for me. On behalf of everyone at Pro Wrestling Illustrated, The Wrestler and Inside Wrestling magazines, I’d like to wish everyone reading this a very happy New Year. See you in 2012.

Al Castle

Senior Writer

Women Of Wrestling Lives Digitally!

I can't begin to tell you how many letters of regret our Customer Service department has had to write to people requesting back issues of our Women of Wrestling specials. Unfortunately, all of these issues sold out years ago.

Well, the rule of magazine publishing is you never go back for a second printing, but now, our new digital capabilities have enabled us to make the Fall 2004 issue available once again. For $4.99 the issue featuring 160 pages and more than 300 color photos of stars, from Stacy Keibler to Trish Stratus, is available by clicking here. Sample a few pages for free and see if you can resist!

Another in-house note: If print magazines is your thing, I urge you to take advantage of the sale we're running at www.pwi-online.com. Current issues that would cost $9.95 at the newsstand are on sale for $5.95 plus $2 for postage and handling in the U.S.

Stu Saks
Publisher

PWI Goes Digital!

I am so pleased to let you all know that the digital edition of Pro Wrestling Illustrated launched at just about the same time that idiot in Los Angeles pepper-sprayed her fellow Black Friday bargain-hunters at Walmart in an effort to get a competitive shopping edge. You can sample PWI Digital from the comfort (and safety) of your own home. Just click here.

I'm very excited about this new direction for PWI. Working in conjunction with Zinio, the world's largest electronic newsstand, we will now be able to deliver PWI weeks faster and at about half the newsstand price for a single issue. A subscription costs only $3.33 an issue, two-thirds off the newsstand price!

What we have for you right now is the February 2012 issue, which won't be on sale in its print format until the third week of December. Along with that are our last three back issues. One of those is the October 2011 "PWI 500" issue, which is fortunate since the print edition is completely sold out. Another is the January 2012 issue, which is also fortunate because we have a major error in the print edition that has been rectified with an updated page 48.

You will be able to see the cover and table of contents of all four issues. You will also see the remaining pages in thumbnail form, with the ability to enlarge three pages of your choosing before deciding if you would like to make your purchase.

This is just the start for PWI Digital. Beginning with our March 2012 year-end awards issue, we plan to add video links. Check it out now, though. I'd be interested to read your comments.

Stu Saks
PWI Publisher

The Indy Scene Through Fresh Eyes

I tried my best at artfully dodging the question. The thing of it was, Trevor Blanchard, one of the top guys at Purely Obsessed Wrestling World Entertainment, was sitting right across from me waiting for an answer. And it was the second time he’d asked me inside of five minutes. It was still pretty early on a Sunday morning and I was still a little leery of Trevor because he and my wife had teamed up to play a practical joke on me while I was still sleeping off the reverie of the night before. It was a good enough justification to play coy, anyway.

"How many indy shows have you been to?” he’d asked. Here was the guy who – on behalf of Chicago-based POWW – had invited me up to the area and, with POWW’s owner, Jim Blaze, given me the VIP treatment so I could go back and spread the word to PWI faithful far and wide. The truth of it was that I hadn’t seen many indy shows at all … in person, anyway. Counting the ROH show I attended late last year and the Memphis and ICW shows I’d attended back in the territory days, I could pretty well count them all on one hand.  But the POWW roster had given it their all the night before at their biggest show of the year, WrestleRage IX. The last thing I wanted to do was to give Trevor and his crew the impression that I, a dedicated fan of professional wrestling for somewhere around three decades, was some kind of newcomer to the scene.

Yes, I am still a newbie when it comes independent wrestling. I certainly have some found memories of the best territory days of the late-'70s and early-'80s, but when it comes to post Monday Night Wars indy stuff, I am pretty wet behind the ears. But that is, in and of itself, not necessarily a bad thing because the more I see of independent wrestling, the more I like it. In fact, my evening with POWW reminded me about so much of the good stuff in wrestling, including why and how I became a fan in the first place. In short: POWW made a believer out of me, that’s for darn sure.

WrestleRage IX brought some former WWE stars back to the squared circle, including  Scotty 2 Hotty, as well as a “one night only” DX reunion featuring Billy Gunn, Road Dogg. and X-Pac. NWA champ Adam Pearce and TNA’s Robbie E were also on hand for scheduled contests and Lanny Poffo made a memorable appearance representing his late brother, Randy “Macho Man” Savage, for his posthumous induction into POWW’s Hall of Fame. Additionally – and a genuine highlight of the night for my money –  “The Franchise” Shane Douglas made a surprise appearance at the show, cutting a blistering promo that ultimately constituted a broad critique of the current state of this country's two biggest organizations, WWE and TNA. In perfect form and with all the tact of a 10-pound sledgehammer, Douglas let everyone within earshot know what needs to change at the highest echelons of the industry if the business is to survive and stay relevant as a pop culture institution. Most importantly, he put an emphatic exclamation point on the implicit theme of the entire WrestleRage event: Today’s indy scene is wrestling’s wave of the future.

“Big” names from WrestleRage aside, the POWW roster is full of men and women who are so dedicated to professional wrestling and  carry themselves with so much pride that, at first glance, one might well be easily persuaded that they’re already big wheels in the business. Indeed, “The Flyin’ Hawaiian” Kanoa and “Ruthless” Ramon Rodriguez tore down the house with a main event TLC contest that would easily have stood up to any WWE or TNA pay-per-view contest. And at the end of it all, fans received the shock of the evening when all-around bad dude Ruff Crossing crashed the match to cash in his chance at the gold, ultimately scaling the tallest ladder in the building to grab the strap. And all of this came at the end of a card packed with high spots and solid mat work from the likes of wrestlers like Soulbrotha #1, “The Gentleman” John Campbell, Braun the Lumberjack, “Bad Boy” Justin James, SHIMMER’s Sassie Stephie, Nikki St. John, and a host of others. It was certainly a night to remember for everyone who was there.

For my part, I was fortunate to spend some time behind the curtain getting to know some of the class acts who put their livelihoods on the line to entertain their fans. Looking around, I was reminded of one of 1989 review for a buzzworthy new band named Nirvana in which the band mates were described as guys who “…wanna rock, who, if they weren't doing this, would be working in a supermarket or lumberyard, or fixing cars.” True enough, for every wrestling fan who complains that he or she isn’t happy with the product offered by the likes of WWE and TNA, there’s a bright-eyed up-and-coming grappler who spends weekends on the road, wrestling in school gymnasiums, meeting halls, and county fairs. In their real lives, they’re laborers, electrical workers, bouncers, and P.E. teachers. And whether they’re from Philly-based ECWA, APW out on the West Coast, or POWW Entertainment, independent wrestlers see a grand vision through all of their worst pain and greatest triumphs: These are the people who want to bring about a new era in the world of professional wrestling. 

Call it a “New Renaissance “of professional wrestling, this fabulous marriage of nostalgia and youthful enthusiasm. This is the era of documentaries like Canvasman and Sadermania, films that unabashedly show the positive side of professional wrestling with tremendous candor and plausibility. It’s the era in which trailblazers like Shane Douglas can speak freely about the need for change in the business and nudge hardcore fans and a confederation of open-minded promoters toward a grassroots movement to reinvent professional wrestling as a powerful and compelling medium that effectively combines athleticism with drama of the highest caliber. It’s the era in which a legion of day laborers and old school veterans compete to earn one of the most coveted of all prizes: respect from peers and fans alike. 

From what I saw at WrestleRage IX, POWW is at the forefront of wrestling’s New Renaissance, that’s for sure.

So Trevor, my friend, if you’re reading this, I suppose it’s time to give you my best answer to your original question: How many indy shows have I been to? Not many at all, but I can now proudly say that’s about to change. Consider me an “indy guy” now.

Mike Bessler

PWI Contributing Writer

Link: PWI Presentation To Madison Eagles

On October 1, I had the opportunity to present Madison Eagles with a plaque to commemorate her earning the top spot of the 2011 "PWI Female 50." Madison was gracious enough, but she had some harsh words for Serena Deeb, which brought the former WWE star out to the ring. Eagles went on to beat Deeb, but she lost the championship to Cheerleader Melissa the following day. As for me, I was just happy I didn't get roughed up the way former Managing Editor Jeff Ruoss was manhandled by Angel Orsini last year ... although being manhandled by Eagles and Deeb is an intriguing prospect.


A youtube link of my presentation just surfaced on youtube, so I thought I'd share the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gmbXCPoBQ8

Dan Murphy
PWI Senior Writer

Bound for Glory 2011: PWI Staffers' Predictions

Choosing which match is the true main event of TNA’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view is may depend on how you like your wrestling served up. If you love nothing more than to watch the legends of the sport relive their glory days, then you probably can’t wait to see the epic “fight” between Hulk Hogan and Sting. On the other hand, if you're hungry for something fresh and exciting, then you should be looking forward to seeing TNA’s newest superhero, Bobby Roode, challenge Kurt Angle for the World title.

In fact, whatever your tastes are, there’s a good chance that the loaded lineup for this Sunday’s show—TNA’s biggest of the year—has something for you. Our senior staffers offer their predictions for each match at Bound for Glor, accompanied by some commentary.

World Tag Team Championship: Mexican American (c) vs. Ink Inc.

Frank Ingiosi: Ink Inc.
Al Castle: Ink Inc.
Dan Murphy: Mexican America
Dave Lenker: Ink Inc.
Frank Krewda: Ink Inc.
Harry Burkett: Ink Inc.
Stu Saks: Mexican America

Commentary: TNA’s tag team division isn’t what it used to be just a few months ago, when the likes of The Motor City Machine Guns, Beer Money Inc., and Team 3-D were all in the title mix. Nevertheless, the team of Jesse Neal and Shannon Moore appear to have more of an upside than that of Hernandez and Anarchia. Whoever comes out on top, here’s hoping TNA finds them some fresh opponents.

Knockouts Championship: Winter(c) vs. Mickie James vs. Velvet Sky vs. Madison Rayne

Frank Ingiosi: Madison Rayne
Al Castle: Mickie James
Dan Murphy: Velvet Sky
Dave Lenker: Madison Rayne
Frank Krewda: Velvet Sky
Harry Burkett: Velvet Sky
Stu Saks: Mickie James

Commentary: It’s looking likely that a new Knockouts champion will be crowned in Philly this Sunday. Velvet Sky is the frontrunner to win the title for the first time, but you can never count out Mickie James. She’s hardcore country, and a multiple-time women’s champ. Whatever the case, if given enough time, this could be one of the better women’s matches by a national promotion this year.

X Division Championship: Austin Aries(c) vs. Brian Kendrick

Frank Ingiosi: Brian Kendrick
Al Castle: Austin Aries
Dan Murphy: Austin Aries
Dave Lenker: Austin Aries
Frank Krewda: Austin Aries
Harry Burkett: Austin Aries
Stu Saks: Austin Aries

Commentary: It’s nearly unanimous. A-Double looks to be a lock to retain the X title at Bound for Glory. Our confidence in Aries is no surprise. He’s a two-time ROH heavyweight champ, and has almost singlehandedly resurrected the X division since his arrival in TNA. We’re looking for some big-time athleticism in this one.

I Quit Match: AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels

Frank Ingiosi: Christopher Daniels
Al Castle: Christopher Daniels
Dan Murphy: AJ Styles
Dave Lenker: Christopher Daniels
Frank Krewda: AJ Styles
Harry Burkett: AJ Styles
Stu Saks: AJ Styles

Commentary: You can expect wrestling magic every time Styles and Daniels step into the ring. And with the “I Quit” stipulation added, the latest battle in the Daniels-Styles war promises to have its drama level turned up to 11. Styles is the favorite to pick up the victory here, and hopefully along the way remind TNA matchmakers how “phenomenal” he really is.

Falls Count Anywhere: Mr. Anderson vs. Bully Ray

Frank Ingiosi: Bully Ray
Al Castle: Bully Ray
Dan Murphy: Bully Ray
Dave Lenker: Anderson
Frank Krewda: Mr. Anderson
Harry Burkett: Bully Ray
Stu Saks: Bully Ray

Commentary: In a race to fill up a swear jar, it would be a close one. But a falls-count-anywhere match looks to favor Bully Ray, who helped put Team 3-D on the map through wild brawls like this one. What’s more, with Ray impressing fans and observers in recent months, it’s a good bet he’ll move into a World title feud before too long.

Full Metal Mayhem: Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn

Frank Ingiosi: Rob Van Dam
Al Castle: Ron Van Dam
Dan Murphy: Rob Van Dam
Dave Lenker: Jerry Lynn
Frank Krewda: Rob Van Dam
Harry Burkett: Jerry Lynn
Stu Saks: Draw

Commentary: It’s the latest chapter in an epic saga that began more than a dozen years ago. But this time, the grace and athleticism you can usually count on with Lynn and Van Dam will be accented by some tables, ladders, and chairs. Eight years younger, and infinitely more valuable to TNA, Van Dam looks to be a favorite here, but not by much.

Hulk Hogan vs. Sting in a “fight”:

Frank Ingiosi: Sting
Al Castle: Sting
Dan Murphy: Sting
Dave Lenker: Hulk Hogan
Frank Krewda: Sting
Harry Burkett: Hulk Hogan
Stu Saks: Sting

Commentary: On this much, we can all agree: Don’t look for Hulk Hogan to be dropping the big leg, or doing much of anything that would require leaving his feet. The toughest thing to predict is exactly what shape this “fight” will take, and what kind of smoke and mirrors TNA will employ to disguise the limitations of Sting, 52, and Hogan, 58. We’re expecting Joker Sting to get the last laugh on Hogan… and, possibly, a return of the red and yellow.

TNA World Heavyweight Championship: Bobby Roode vs. (c) Kurt Angle

Frank Ingiosi: Bobby Roode
Al Castle: Bobby Roode
Dan Murphy: Bobby Roode
Dave Lenker: Kurt Angle
Frank Krewda: Robert Roode
Harry Burkett: Kurt Angle
Stu Saks: Bobby Roode

Commentary: If you told us six months ago that Roode would be headlining TNA’s version of WrestleMania, we would have said you were Totally Not Aware of how this promotion operates. But TNA has done a tremendous job of building up Roode as an inspirational underdog challenger to legendary former Olympic gold medalist. We’re counting on Roode pulling out the victory in this one, but even if he doesn’t, he should be proud that the match happened at all. And so should all of TNA.