PWI Weekly for May 25, 2026
Groundbreaking Feats: Earth Shakers And Record Breakers
ON THIS DAY IN 1935—at a track and field meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan—Jesse Owens set three world records and tied a fourth. Even more impressively, he did it all within a span of 45 minutes. That very same day, Babe Ruth hit the 714th (and final) home run of his illustrious career. While they remain undisputed legends, the accolades of Owens and Ruth would eventually be matched. Such is the nature of competitive sports. Wrestling is no different. In this edition of the PWI Weekly, we’re taking a look at some heavy hitters who have been chasing historic feats and breaking new ground of their own.
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
With her victory at Supercard of Honor on May 15, Athena extended her time as ROH Women’s World champion to 1,252 days. What’s more, it seems like there is no end in sight. “The Forever Champion” outlasted Billie Starkz, Maya World, Trish Adora, Yuka Sakazaki, and Zayda Steel in a grueling Survival of the Fittest match at the tentpole ROH event. Athena long ago surpassed the record Samoa Joe previously held for the longest title run (of any gender) in Ring of Honor history. In fact, she has now almost doubled the 645 days that Joe spent as champ. Nothing lasts forever, but it seems Athena may very well reign for as long as she likes.
A QUICK WORD ABOUT …
Roman Reigns’ epic WWE championship run between 2020 and 2024 redefined contemporary wrestling. While his current World heavyweight title reign is going well so far, replicating his previous dominance may be practically impossible. Already, “The Tribal Chief” has been pushed hard by Jacob Fatu—both in sanctioned combat and pull-apart brawls. Reigns would be wise not to worry about equaling his previous championship stint and instead focus on surviving “The Samoan Werewolf” at Clash in Italy. Then, perhaps he can think about a lengthier reign. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither was the legacy of Roman.
SPOTLIGHT ON …
Leon Slater has now firmly cemented his place in the TNA history books. The young Englishman held the X division title for an impressive 298 days—matching the record previously set by Austin Aries. Slater made no bones about how badly he wanted to break the record. Unfortunately for him, that dream ended just one day short at the hands of Cedric Alexander. Check out the video below for a heartbreaking look into how Slater processed the loss of the coveted championship.
AND ANOTHER THING …
The National Wrestling Alliance made its triumphant return to broadcast television on May 1, when NWA Powerrr debuted on Comet TV. The move has proven to be an early success, bringing the legendary promotion to free, over-the-air television for the first time in years. The debut episode drew a reported 275,000 overnight viewers, which, if accurate, bettered the viewing figures of rival promotion TNA. We are delighted to see the storied brand doing so well.
Fans can catch NWA Powerrr every Saturday on Comet TV.
SPOTLIGHT PHOTO
While the WWE Women’s Intercontinental title is a relatively young championship, Becky Lynch is already setting records with it that will be difficult to overcome. At WrestleMania, the Dubliner became a three-time champion by defeating rival AJ Lee. And that’s not just her saying it …. everyone’s saying it! Pro Wrestling Illustrated is saying it … etc., etc.
TERRITORIAL DISSINGS
When people talk about record-breaking titleholders, Jerry Lawler often seems to get overlooked. “The King” held court as USWA champion a mind-boggling 27 times in his career. In this classic promo, a confident Lawler explains just what it means to be a “true” champion.
I forgot Athena was ROH women's champion. If Tony Khan isn't doing anything to get ROH TV in the same if not more homes than TNA and the NWA then give. "ROH" a decent funeral ala ECW in 2010.