ON THIS DAY 34 years ago—April 8, 1990—the first episode of Twin Peaks aired on television. The critically acclaimed show gained a cult following as hooked viewers followed the exploits of Agent Dale Cooper and his attempts at solving the murder of Laura Palmer.
Between its unique narrative, surreal tone, and often strange characters, Twin Peaks shares much with the world of professional wrestling. So for this edition of the PWI Weekly, noted Peaks fans Kevin McElvaney and Jason McVeigh do their best “Coop” and Sheriff Truman, exploring some of wrestling’s great mysteries.
So, pour yourself a damn fine cup of coffee and read on.
DWELLER ON THE THRESHOLD
In one of the spookier moments from the finale of Twin Peaks’ original run, Dale Cooper is forced to confront his “shadow self”—the “Dweller On The Threshold,” as explained to him by Deputy Tommy “Hawk” Hill. From cult TV thrillers to works of wildly imaginative science fiction and fantasy, doppelgangers typically mean nothing good for the “originals” they are meant to copy. Just ask The Undertaker and Kane.
So, to borrow from The Rock, what in the blue hell is happening in the Women’s division at All Elite Wrestling?
Despite all the signs pointing to future chaos, “Timeless” Toni Storm has opted to embrace the sycophantic Mariah May, whose obsession with her has only gotten weirder with each passing week. “The Glamour” of AEW has continued her in-ring success while competing in full cosplay as an earlier incarnation of the Women’s World champion.
Storm—who seems unfamiliar with the classic films All About Eve and Single White Female—is too taken with May’s “tribute” to see through the blatant appeals to the champ’s well-documented vanity. Suffice it to say, we don’t predict a happy ending here for the “Timeless” one. On the contrary, this may turn into a star-making moment for her understudy.
UNDER THE SYCAMORE TREES
While the likes of Minneapolis, Mexico City, and Tokyo have always proven to be fertile grounds for producing wrestling talent, perhaps there is no more esteemed stomping grounds than the mysterious Parts Unknown.
Boasting such native sons as The Ultimate Warrior, The Missing Link, and Battle Kat among many, many others, Parts Unknown has long been a wrestling hotbed with shadowy fingerprints all over the business. Little is known about the mysterious locale, but one can reasonably assume it hosts one of the most prolific (albeit unusual) wrestling schools around.
Long-time PWI contributor Matt Brock claims to know the secret location of Parts Unknown. However, true to form, he tells us he has been sworn to secrecy on its exact whereabouts. That’s just as well. Given the oft-bizarre people who tend to hail from Parts Unknown, we aren’t sure we’d want to visit anytime soon.
A BLUE ROSE CASE
During his heated feud with The Four Horsemen in 1988, Dusty Rhodes found himself on the receiving end of a 120-day suspension courtesy of the NWA board. The reason: A baseball bat-wielding “American Dream” had attacked Tully Blanchard and others within the Horsemen stable. Unfortunately for Rhodes, during the attack, JCP head honcho Jim Crockett Jr. found himself inadvertently struck with the bat. In the aftermath, a remorseful Rhodes apologized to the Crockett family—but refused to say sorry to the hated horsemen.
With Rhodes suspended, the NWA lost one of its top stars, while those opposed to the Horsemen’s shenanigans lost a key ally in their fight. But they did not have to worry for long because help soon arrived in the form of The Midnight Rider. Claiming to be a friend of Dusty, Rider made it clear that he was there to continue the war Rhodes had been waging against Ric Flair, et al. … at least, until Rhodes’ suspension was over.
Though a lot of questions were raised as to the identity of the masked Midnight Rider, it’s almost impossible to say for sure who he was. Right?
FROM THE VAULT
From the April 2024 edition of PWI, Matt Cardona poses with his “Indie Wrestler Of The Year” plaque, his second consecutive award in this category. Given that the former NWA World heavyweight champ goes so far out of his way to antagonize fans and opponents alike, why does Cardona continue to rack up so many reader votes?
Attitude aside, there is no denying Cardona’s hustle. The man remarked in his November 2023 PWI “Hotseat” interview that his “Alwayz Ready” catchphrase is far more than a gimmick. And with all the frequent flyer miles he collects making towns for the world’s top promotions—independent and major alike—we would be hard-pressed to argue.
With recent TV appearances for AEW and TNA, alongside numerous other promotions, the Long Island native is positioning himself nicely to make a run for his third straight “Indie Wrestler” award. More than any other unsigned wrestler, perhaps the biggest obstacle to Cardona’s third PWI plaque is his resolve to remain independent. After all, with the right offer in place, even a world-traveler like Matt Cardona would consider settling down.