It’s WrestleMania season. And, for PWI, it’s also “Supercards” season, with our next edition of the popular concept appearing in our August issue.

We’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves, though. For one, there’s the upcoming June 2023 issue, which you can claim by subscribing now. It’s a jam-packed, bright, and colorful edition of your favorite wrestling mag … and surely not one to be missed!

However, before any of that, we’ve got more pressing business in the way of the latest PWI Weekly. Enjoy!

WRESTLER OF THE WEEK

After coming out on the wrong end of a “Loser Leaves Japan” match to Hikuleo and then following it up by falling to Eddie Kingston in a match where the loser was then forced to leave New Japan Pro-Wrestling altogether, it might, on the surface seem like an odd choice on our part to give Jay White the nod as our Wrestler of the Week. But it’s precisely those losses—and White’s newfound status as a free agent—that make him so. Currently “Switchblade” is the talk of the industry, with pundits and fans alike all wondering where the New Zealander will head next—with WWE and AEW being the obvious and most likely suitors. Wherever he lands, expect the former IWGP World champ to carve his name into more history books.

TERRITORIAL DISSINGS

Fashion trends come and go, but something that’s always stylist is the mic work of Dusty Rhodes. In this classic promo from Georgia Championship Wrestling, “The American Dream” shows every bit of the personality that made him one of the most memorable talkers in wrestling history. Taking aim at the likes of Ric Flair, Tommy Rich, and Harley Race, Rhodes (then NWA World heavyweight champion) welcomes all challengers. He also states his case for being many things before they were “fashionable,” including the, erm … greatest lover in the world.

A QUICK WORD ABOUT …

As WWE gears up to negotiate its next television rights deal in the U.S., things have taken a curious turn across the pond. BT Sport, the channel that the promotion currently calls home in the U.K. and Ireland, announced that thanks to a recent merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, its line-up of BT Sports channels would be rebranded as TNT Sports this coming summer. Of course, Warner Bros. Discovery and its TNT and TBS networks are currently the home of AEW in the United States. To make things a little more confusing, in the U.K. and Ireland, AEW is currently shown on a network called ITV—which has no affiliation with Warner Bros. Discovery.

So, what does it all mean? For the moment, nothing … besides the fact that WWE and AEW are being shown by the same broadcast partner (albeit in different parts of the world). But what it could mean going forward, is a real shakeup in the TV rights landscape. Watch this space.

FROM THE VAULT

The year 2000 in World Championship Wrestling was, at times, a strange and confusing place. So, too, were many of the characters that made it to WCW television during that time. While it’s hard to say what Alan Funk was trying to get across here during his run as Kwee Wee, his brief flourish with the gimmick certainly added some color to the promotion. It also helped a future Queen Sharmell (then known as Paisley) hone her managerial skills, which she would later use to help guide her husband Booker T to the WWE World heavyweight championship.

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

PWI Weekly for March 6, 2023