PWI Weekly for April 29, 2024
World Champion Becky Lynch, GOAT Matches?, ODB & EY, Jack Perry Seethes
ON THIS DAY IN 2011, Prince William of Wales, second in line to the British throne, married his long-time girlfriend, Kate Middleton, in a royal wedding broadcast to millions of television viewers around the world. While they don’t usually have the same pomp and circumstance, wrestling weddings are a staple of the beloved industry we cover.
This edition of the PWI Weekly features a look back at one of our all-time favorite exchanges of vows … along with some other commitments more recently withdrawn.
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
With Rhea Ripley sidelined by an injury and the WWE Women’s World championship vacant, WWE turned someone who can now safely be viewed as their go-to woman when in need.
After failing to dethrone Ripley for the championship at WrestleMania, Becky Lynch returned on this past Monday’s Raw and won a battle royal to become the new titleholder. Some argued that WWE could have—and, perhaps, should have—used the opportunity to take a chance on pushing a new face into the championship ranks. (Chelsea Green, anyone?) Yet, Lynch is a respected and reliable option, capable of carrying the division on such short notice.
Though she was reportedly planning to take some time off, the Irishwoman didn’t hesitate after being called back into the line of duty. Couple this with reports that she worked her ’Mania match while feeling the effects of illness, and it’s easy to see why WWE returns to “The Man” time and again. In this case, she has been rewarded with championship gold for her willingness to keep going. And going … and going …
A QUICK WORD ABOUT
When WrestleMania 40 ended, some wrestling fans on social media lauded the main event of night two between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes as the greatest wrestling match they had ever seen. Two weeks later, other fans took to social media to proclaim that the AEW Dynasty clash between Will Ospreay and Bryan Danielson was, in fact, the greatest match ever. Then, the inevitable X arguments ensued.
If you believe either match to be “the greatest ever,” then you are entitled to that opinion. Wrestling is a highly subjective thing, and the real beauty of it is to be found in the variety of what it can offer. If it’s a character and storyline-driven match built upon a dramatic plot that you are after, there will be something for you. If it’s a highly athletic, sports-based contest you want, you can readily find that, too.
One style or presentation of wrestling isn’t necessarily better than another. Find what you enjoy and enjoy it … there’s plenty out there to love.
REMEMBER THIS?
Some pro wrestling wedding segments are relatively tame and sweet—or, if nothing else, they begin as such before eventually crumbling apart. Nearly right out of the gate, the on-screen nuptials between Eric Young and ODB are wild, unhinged, and quite possibly unsuitable for general consumption.
In other words: If you’re in a public place, maybe reconsider pressing play on the video clip below!
FROM THE VAULT
In the above shot, captured at NJPW’s January 2024 Battle in the Valley event, Jack Perry tears up his contract with AEW—an act that, while not legally binding, projected Perry’s frustrations with his aggrieved employer. After last week’s Dynamite, which saw the former Jungle Boy and his new allies in The Elite decimate company owner Tony Khan, this image from New Japan looks that much more ominous.
Perry and company have drawn battle lines against their boss, effectively launching an unpredictable new chapter in the story of All Elite Wrestling.