We are nearing the end of the shortest month on the Roman calendar. Here at the PWI offices, that means we’re getting closer to the departure of cold weather and the looming threat of snow and ice. With our apologies to Glacier and Lady Frost, we are looking forward to the increased temperatures—and potential outdoor wrestling events!—promised in the months ahead.

Whatever the weather is looking like near you, we hope this edition of the PWI Weekly finds you cozy, comfortable, and ready for a bit of sunny reminiscing!

TAG TEAM OF THE WEEK

Tay Melo & Anna Jay make mocking gestures at the Washington D.C. crowd, October 2022 — PHOTO BY JAYLEE MEDIA

Considering they suffered a tough, no-holds-barred loss to Willow Nightingale & Ruby Soho on the January 13 edition of Rampage, we wanted to take a moment here to appreciate TayJay AS (Tay Melo & Anna Jay) for their solid work ethic and continued improvement. With a shared history dating back to July 2020, these two members of the Jericho Appreciation Society have the distinction of being the most senior team in the AEW Women’s division. From their popular run with The Dark Order to their more detestable current incarnations, Jay and Melo have grown together as friends and as performers. If All Elite Wrestling ever introduces a Women’s tag team title, we would have to consider these two early contenders for such a prize.

SPOTLIGHT ON …

Yuya Uemura enters the ring at IMPACT Wrestling Hard to Kill 2023 — PHOTO BY ALLIE McPHETRIDGE

Japanese wrestling promotions have long believed that sending their young wrestlers overseas to hone their craft is an integral part of developing the stars of tomorrow. These “excursions” usually see a young talent spend an extended period of time in Mexico, Great Britain, or the United States, where they can create some buzz and test themselves before returning to their home country. The latest New Japan talent creating a buzz stateside is Yuya Uemura: an NJPW grad currently residing in IMPACT Wrestling. While Uemura may not be on everyone’s radar yet, he is starting to make some waves in IMPACT. And, given the success of previous NJPW wrestlers on excursion—Kazuchika Okada, for one, notably competed in TNA earlier in his career—we at PWI are keeping a close eye on this one.

A QUICK WORD ABOUT …

Held on February 20, 1989, Chi-Town Rumble was the first pay-per-view offering from World Championship Wrestling in what would turn out to be a seminal year for the company’s in-ring product. While the WWF was giving us the explosion of the Mega Powers, WCW served up a scintillating feud between Ric Flair and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. Here, “The Dragon” drew first blood by dethroning Flair for the NWA World heavyweight title belt in a highly regarded contest (the first match of what would be an epic trilogy between the two). In other happenings from Chi-Town Rumble, Lex Luger downed Barry Windham for the United States strap and Jim Cornette’s Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane) proved to be the “real” Express after beating Paul E. Dangerously’s Midnights (Jack Victory & Randy Rose) in a Loser Leaves NWA match.

FROM THE VAULT

Dynamite Kid catches Harley Race in the ring ropes, circa 1987

Hung up like a bat in a cave, 1986 King of the Ring Harley Race holds onto the ropes for dear life while the Dynamite Kid ponders his next move. To paraphrase Race’s fellow 1970s icon, Mel Brooks, it’s good to be the king … until it isn’t.

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PWI Weekly for February 20, 2023