PWI Weekly for March 25, 2024
It's A Look: Mercedes Mone Is Big Business, Flashy Moves At 16 Carat Gold, & More!
FOR ALL THE admonishments given against judging a book by its cover, it’s an undisputed truth that first impressions do matter. If not, we wouldn’t devote such significant time to putting together the cover of our magazine! We’d simply let the inside of the issue speak for itself.
Pro wrestling, like most other industries, depends heavily on presentation. Perceptions inform reality. And so, this Weekly is all about looks, vibes, and the intense imagery of the squared circle.
LOOK OF THE WEEK
The staff of PWI has always revered professional wrestling for the great sporting endeavor it rightly is. These in-ring performers risk life and limb to entertain fans, and they train countless hours to ensure they can do so at the highest level. Of course, in the contemporary pro wrestling climate, presentation and persona are equally important factors on the path to success.
Enter the newly “All Elite” Mercedes Mone … and wow, does she know how to make an entrance! Even the most fashion-challenged among us at Pro Wrestling Illustrated can’t help but marvel at the runway-ready looks the former Sasha Banks offers with each subsequent appearance. And, during her debut at AEW’s “Big Business,” she delivered at least two!
Yet, for all the style “The CEO” brings to the entrance ramp and ring canvas, she is full of substance. Mone easily numbers among the most accomplished, acclaimed, and adored wrestlers of her generation. By signing the multi-time world champ to a lucrative contract with All Elite Wrestling, Chairman Tony Khan has made a huge investment in the future of his company. Bank on it!
A QUICK WORD ABOUT
Whether it be the classic diamond plate aesthetic of WCW Monday Nitro, the iconic “fist” bursting through the entrance of early-Smackdown, or the broken brick wall that ECW wrestlers emerged through, the sets for wrestling television shows play a big role in how we perceive and ultimately remember certain times and places in our wrestling fandom.
Just this year, AEW and TNA debuted revamped entrance stages alongside new graphics that have served to freshen up the appearance of the two promotions. And while it’s true that not all companies—particularly independent ones—are financially able to invest heavily in their staging, even a cheaper, quirky-looking setup can go a long way in making a show feel memorable.
What are some of your favorite wrestling stage setups? Paid subscribers, let us know in the comments. Or anyone can email us at pwi@kappapublishing.com.
TERRITORIAL DISSINGS
Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura were a couple of pro wrestlers who knew a thing or two about personal presentation. Throughout their careers, each man was aided by the extra effort he put into his appearance. Whether it was makeup, feather boas, leather, or denim, Adonis and Ventura cut some striking visuals to go along with their equally striking promo work. In this AWA gem from 1980, the duo known as The East-West Connection lay their claim to being the team of the ’80s.
PWI ON LOCATION
In the above photo, French luchador Aigle Blanc hoists Hungarian high-flyer Peter Tihanyi up for a tombstone piledriver—a move that, on this occasion, he would not be able to land. The March 10 bout between Blanc and Tihanyi emanated during the semifinal round of this year’s wXw 16 Carat Gold tournament, replete with hard-hitting strikes, slams, and flying attacks aplenty.
An early favorite to win the tourney, Tihanyi would squeak past the “White Eagle” in this round before dropping a hard-fought final to Laurance Roman—a shocking finish that led Tihanyi and Roman to change allegiances, as the former refused the latter’s sportsmanlike post-match handshake (pictured below). Looks to us like the face of Westside Xtreme Wrestling may be changing …
Adonis was tremendous. Maybe even the best.