PWI Weekly for July 7, 2025
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE: Swerve & Ospreay, Street Profits, Bad Guy Beatdowns, FTR
JUST A FEW DAYS removed from Independence Day in the U.S., the subjects of loyalty and allegiance remain on our minds here at PWI HQ. Specifically, we are thinking about how alliances in pro wrestling are forged, maintained, and, in many cases, cruelly discarded.
This edition of the PWI Weekly looks at some recent examples of each.
DUO OF THE WEEK
Heading into AEW All In, there is quite a bit of pressure on the makeshift tandem of Swerve Strickland & Will Ospreay. In their challenge of The Young Bucks, Matthew & Nicholas Jackson, Strickland and Ospreay have also called upon the “Founding Fathers” to wager their positions as executive vice presidents of All Elite Wrestling. Given the myriad abuses of power by the Jacksons over the last two years, this marks a chance for two of AEW’s top fan favorites to right the ship.
Without the behind-the-scenes meddling and in-ring interference of the Californian brothers, deserving wrestlers would once again be able to stand up for themselves—to pursue championship glory and actually have fair chances at achieving it. Of course, for that to happen, Strickland and Ospreay must defeat one of the most dominant and unpredictable tag teams of this century. Will their recent alliance, which began from a place of intense head-to-head competition, withstand such an incredible test?
A QUICK WORD ABOUT …
The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) have been impressive in their latest reign as WWE tag team champions. The veteran duo has withstood challenges from the likes of #DIY, Fraxiom, and The Motor City Machine Guns. And, along the way, the pair has displayed exemplary chemistry both within and outside of the squared circle.
On a recent episode of The PWI Podcast, Pro Wrestling Illustrated contributors Al Castle, Brian R. Solomon, and Cameron Hawkins discussed Ford’s potential as a breakout singles star, as well as persistent rumors that his allegiance to Dawkins is to blame for his lack of solo success to date. Check out that conversation in the video below.
MUSINGS, WITH MATT BROCK
Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age, but I find myself feeling increasingly sorry for the poor saps who are caught unaware and without allies. Practically every time I tune in to a cable TV wrestling program, I see at least one hapless athlete get the snot kicked out of them by a gang of ne’er-do-wells.
Sometimes, respite eventually appears in the form of another wrestler—usually, someone who has been feuding with one of the aforementioned gang members. Just as often, the only assistance comes from poorly trained security officers or declawed backstage personnel. And, other times still, no help shows up at all. The outnumbered wrestler (or wrestlers) must simply wait until the rulebreakers have grown tired of the prolonged beatdown.
What gives? Even as recently as the mid-1990s, the knowledge of a four-on-one attack would be enough to clear out most any locker room, with all of the available fan favorites running to the aid of the wrestler(s) in peril. And sure, there are a few folks who can still be relied upon to help their colleagues in such situations. But I swear, every week it seems to take longer for the help to arrive.
I could hazard a few guesses as to why this is. Cynically, I do believe that there is little honor in playing the hero nowadays. “Cool points” (or whatever they might be called this week) are continually at stake. More realistically, though, I think the problem runs deeper than that.
Bluntly: People are less community-minded these days. Individual achievement is deemed far more important than the success of the group. And in a sport like wrestling, where the winner takes home the bigger share of the purse, this at least makes some sense. That doesn’t mean I have to like it.
SPOTLIGHT PHOTO
FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) turn their backs on Adam Copeland at AEW Dynasty, laying out Cope with a spike piledriver. While this marked the disappointing end of Rated FTR, it has also jumpstarted a resurgence—or, if you will, a revival—in the careers of Harwood and Wheeler.