Since our first publication hit stands in 1979, Pro Wrestling Illustrated has stood as a reflection of where the wrestling industry is at a given time period. Unfortunately, in the early years of our existence that meant very limited coverage of women’s wrestling.
Thankfully, times have changed. As women’s wrestling grew in popularity in the ensuing decades, so did our coverage of it. We would even like to think that in recent years we have helped play a part in informing readers about the vast amounts of quality women’s wrestling going on around the world.
With that in mind, this edition of the PWI Weekly once again focuses on some of those grapplers who are currently grabbing our attention .
WOMAN OF THE WEEK
After a 180-day reign as WWE women’s World champion, “Mami” is no longer on top of the division.
With the announcement that she had suffered a shoulder injury, Rhea Ripley was forced to relinquish her coveted championship on the April 15 episode of Raw. The belt that her opponents had been unable to wrest from her grasp for over a year has now been taken away by injury—a cruel reality of the sport of professional wrestling. All too easily, we can forget that the people performing in the ring are not the superhuman specimens we often view them as; but, rather, are regular (albeit, highly athletic) people like you and I. They have bodies that get sick and hurt just like our own.
“The Eradicator” has held such court over the Raw women’s scene for so long now that her presence on WWE programming will be misses. But it gives us a huge return to look forward to somewhere down the line. Here’s hoping that the talented Miss Ripley will come back sooner than expected, better than ever.
A QUICK WORD ABOUT …
One of the more popular stars on the WWE women’s roster, Liv Morgan has recently returned with a very visible chip on her shoulder. And, blaming Rhea Ripley for the months she recently spent on the sidelines, the New Jersey native launched a ruthless attack on the Judgment Day’s most dominant member.
Morgan justified the act, which quickly put Ripley on the injured list, by calling it part of her “Revenge Tour.” Tonight, with the vacant World Women’s title up for grabs in a battle royal, there is an opening for vindication. And we certainly wouldn’t be shocked to see Liv Morgan end up with the gold around her waist.
Of course, if and when that happens, the chip on Morgan’s shoulder will be accompanied by a giant target on her back. And we’d bank on Rhea Ripley coming after Morgan the second she receives medical clearance to compete.
TERRITORIAL DISSINGS
“Timeless” Toni Storm is one of AEW’s most entertaining promos. But the shoe-throwing starlet also has a knack for bringing out the best in her opponents on the microphone as well, as evidenced here when Thunder Rosa laid out her challenge to the AEW Women’s World champion ahead of last night’s Dynasty pay-per-view.
In this heartfelt interview, Rosa speaks of the physical challenges that wrestlers often face, as well as the mental weight of what it means being a champion.
FROM THE VAULT
PHOTO COURTESY OF TNA WRESTLING
Chelsea Green and Deonna Purrazzo may currently be plying their trade in WWE and AEW, respectively, but both of them had quite the run in TNA Wrestling. The erstwhile IMPACT was a place where both had the chance to reboot their careers after being released by WWE previously.
As former TNA Knockouts, Green & Purrazzo raised the Knockouts World tag team belts at Emergence in 2022, during their short-lived but memorable time teaming as VXT. The real-life friends have spoken of what it meant to them to have the opportunity to team together. And they have gone on record saying how important the Knockouts division was for them personally—and for women’s professional wrestling as a whole.