PWI Weekly for May 4, 2026
The Force Is Strong In These Ones
IF STAR WARS TAUGHT us anything, it’s the power of believing in oneself. In fact, from the days of prime George Lucas to the admittedly checkered era of Bob Iger, this is a trait the expansive narrative universe shares with pro wrestling.
A quick scan of the wrestling landscape on this “May The 4th” suggests we might be entering a bold, new period—one in which self-belief propels atypical or even unassuming wrestlers toward superstardom.
Sure, there are alpha athletes (ahem, Roman Reigns) who are currently riding high. But this edition of the PWI Weekly is for the others: the scrappy underdogs and misfits who are finding success despite the overwhelming odds.
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
We gave him a brief shoutout last week. Truth be told, though, people can’t get enough of WWE’s latest unlikely fan favorite.
It shouldn’t work. In what has traditionally been the land of the giants—a place where machismo and muscle are usually the top traits of the biggest stars—he shouldn’t be soaring in popularity like he is. And yet, Danhausen is one of the hottest acts in World Wrestling Entertainment.
The lukewarm reaction that greeted him upon his WWE debut at Elimination Chamber now seems like an aberration. Credit to the company and the ghoulish grappler himself for not taking the poor start to heart and sticking to the greater plan. Now, Danhausen generally receives some of the biggest ovations from crowds in any city he visits.
Did we mention he is also undefeated in WWE competition?
Could a Goldberg-esque undefeated streak be possible? With his demands for myriad merchandise and blimps full of cash, the “very nice, very evil” one probably thinks so. (In reality, we wouldn’t hold our collective breath.)
Regardless, Danhausen has made a home for himself in WWE—one that we assume provides lots of “human monies”—and wrestling is a brighter (or should that be darker?) place for it.
A QUICK WORD ABOUT …
Maybe it was the unceremonious manner in which Darby Allin became AEW Men’s World champion. Maybe it was the fact that, in doing so, he spoiled MJF’s PWI cover that was barely a week old. Either way, we were as taken aback as anybody else by the shocking turn of events! But then, Allin has made a career out of shocking people.
Whether it’s with his crazy stunts, his ascent of Mount Everest, or the success he has attained in a wrestling ring, the diminutive grappler is all heart. And it’s that heart that now sees him at the summit of AEW.
SPOTLIGHT ON …
After a 483-day reign as the World of Stardom champion, it seemed as if no one would ever be able to topple Saya Kamitani for her crown. Some of joshi’s best athletes had given it their all and still come up short.
When it came time for a relative up-and-comer, Sayaka Kurara, to take her crack at it, many analysts rolled their eyes. By the time the opening bell rang at Stardom All Star Grand Queendom, most of them had written off the match outcome—a presumed successful title defense for Kamitani—as academic.
How foolish those folks were.
After a war that was waged for close to half an hour, it was Kurara who was finally able to come out on top, ending the epic reign of Kamitani.
The prestigious “Red Belt” is the first singles strap Kurara has claimed in her young career. The fact that she won it at the hands of a potential future hall-of-famer? That’s an underdog story worth celebrating.
AND ANOTHER THING …
When any wrestling promotion goes through a series of layoffs or talent releases, such as WWE did on April 24, it’s a sad time. For many of those impacted, it can feel like the end of a dream they have been working toward their entire careers. It also carries very real financial implications for them on a personal level.
While we won’t ever try to say that losing one’s job is a cause for celebration, it can also be seen as a tremendous opportunity. The likes of Matt Cardona can attest to that. So, too, would those who have regained their financial and creative footing in AEW, TNA, or elsewhere.
Right now, the men and women who WWE released might be feeling like some have counted them out. However, if history has shown us anything, it’s that this doesn’t have to be the end. We hope they all know we are rooting for them.
WELCOME BACK
Is there a bigger underdog story than when someone returns from the dead? Not for our money! Regular viewers of TNA Wrestling recently bore witness to such a miraculous event when Rosemary “resurrected” her good friend Allie (AEW’s The Bunny) from the Undead Realm.
While not your typical pro wrestling fodder, the vignettes leading up to the moment were a treat—even offering up a cameo from TNA Hall-of-Famer Abyss. Glad to have you back, Allie.