PWI Weekly for August 26, 2021
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Hi there! First of all, two quick (and embarrassing) spelling corrections to last week’s intro. The readers who gave their feedback on the TV wrestling landscape were Thomas Thacker and Javier Ojst. My sincere apologies, gentlemen!
Since last week, quite a bit has happened in the wrestling world—and we’ll address much of it in this edition of the Weekly. However, I think it’s safe to say the headline is CM Punk’s return to professional wrestling, by way of his much-anticipated debut on last week’s episode of AEW Rampage.
Punk’s return inspired 1.13 million TV people to hunker down with All Elite Wrestling on a Friday night at 10 p.m. Eastern. And, statistically, it’s safe to say that many viewers were watching AEW for only the first or second time. (The only AEW show to garner a higher TV viewership was the October 2019 series premiere of Dynamite.)
Now that Punk is back, his first order of business is to tangle with Darby Allin at this year’s All Out event. What would you like to see next from the self-proclaimed “Best In The World?” Drop me a line and let me know. —KM
Wrestler Of The Week
She wrestled for less than 30 seconds in total. But Becky Lynch’s surprise return at SummerSlam easily earns her Wrestler of the Week honors. With Sasha Banks unable to compete last Saturday night, “The Man” stepped in to challenge Smackdown Women’s champ Bianca Belair for her title. Before fans could even stop cheering at the prospect of this match, it was over, with Lynch summarily pinning Belair after connecting with the Manhandle spinebuster. While onlookers were happy to see PWI’s 2019 Woman of the Year back in the ring, the short contest provoked intense debate as soon as it concluded. Understandably, many were disappointed to see “The EST’s” championship reign come to such an abrupt end. Nevertheless, with the Smackdown Women’s title belt around her waist, Becky Lynch is making headlines once again.
This Week In Headlines
From The Vault
This week, we’ve got another Vault entry from the legendary Bill Apter, taken for our rival publication, the late WOW Magazine. This photo captures ECW’s Danny Doring being accompanied to the ring by Miss Congeniality, who is now better known as WWE Hall-of-Famer Lita.
NEW EPISODE: The PWI Podcast (08-23-2021)
In this timely edition of the PWI Podcast, Al Castle and Brian Solomon discuss the events of last weekend, including CM Punk's AEW debut, WWE SummerSlam, a very unusual NXT TakeOver, and the implications of all these events. Don't miss this one!
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
IN STORES NOW: Our November 2021 Issue
Have you ordered the latest edition of Wrestling’s #1 Magazine? Our November issue is jam-packed with coverage of the world’s hottest wrestlers and promotions.
It includes:
The 2021 PWI Readers’ Poll—you and your fellow readers weigh in on the state of the wrestling industry and single out the best competitors of the moment.
Spotlight On Japan: Feature stories, columns, and photos spotlighting talent from New Japan, All Japan, Stardom, and more!
Feature stories/interviews with Powerhouse Hobbs, Brian Johnson, and more.
A rare, in-depth interview with the industry’s most influential journalist (and creator of the Wrestling Observer) Dave Meltzer.
This latest edition of The World’s #1 Wrestling Magazine is available now in stores, or you can grab your copy from the link below.
ORDER YOUR COPY NOW
NEW BLOG: What’s N(E)XT for WWE?
With big changes looming for NXT—including a new look, recently teased by WWE President Nick Khan—what exactly does the future hold for WWE’s third brand? PWI Contributing Writer Jason McVeigh mulls it over in his new blog entry.
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