PWI Weekly for November 17, 2025
You CAN C Us: Cena, Chelsea, Cornette, & Championships
TO STEAL A PHRASE from Sesame Street, this edition of the PWI Weekly is brought to you by the letter “C.” We didn’t set out to make each of our topics this week all revolve around people or things that begin with the same consonant, but we enjoy the happy coincidence all the same.
In fact, only Matt Brock strayed from the format. Then again, if we label Mr. Brock’s entry as “complaining,” he is very much on board with the theme this week.
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
It seems that “Big Match John” still had more than one big match left—even an impromptu one. Fans in attendance at the TD Garden in Boston last week expected John Cena to appear one last time, say a few words, and leave. That was, after all, what had been advertised.
What they got instead—to their delight—was Cena opening up Raw in an unscheduled Intercontinental championship bout. Incumbent titleholder Dominik Mysterio did his best to ruin Cena’s homecoming by interrupting the Massachusetts man’s farewell speech to the crowd. But, as is often the case, Mysterio’s mouth ended up dragging him into a situation he wasn’t prepared to gracefully exit. In this case, it meant defending his Intercontinental title without preparation.
A short time later, Mysterio had lost his coveted gold—and Cena stood before a rapturous crowd as the new champion. While his reign likely won’t be a long one, Cena finally added the one championship to his haul that has eluded him throughout his illustrious career. It seems that there can still be a first time for something, even if the last time is now.
A QUICK WORD ABOUT …
Someone else in WWE who recently grabbed gold: Chelsea Green. The Canadian won the United States for a second time after defeating Giulia on November 7. The victory comes hot on the heels of “The Hot Mess” claiming the AAA Mixed tag team championship alongside fellow Canadian Ethan Page. While we can question Green’s methods—“cheating” is another topic that starts with a “C”—there’s no questioning her talent or the entertainment she brings. We look forward to seeing what Smackdown’s self-appointed “Madam President” has in store for her second term as U.S. champion.
MUSINGS, WITH MATT BROCK
I will be the first to admit that I’m an old curmudgeon. But there is a good reason for that: because I have standards.
There are some situations in my life where I have come to expect a certain level of quality, consistency, and rigor—and one of those is when I’m watching professional wrestling. Consider the issue of tag team competition. The PWI staff is currently hard at work on the annual “Tag Team 100” list. And all I can say is that they’re lucky they don’t ask me to get involved. If they did, there’d be a lot fewer teams meeting my criteria for inclusion.
What’s my criteria, you ask?
All groups should have a proper team name. No, sorry, Brodido: Meshing two people’s names together just won’t cut it. Demolition, The Road Warriors, The Powers of Pain … those weren’t just proper team names; they were descriptors. It seems that young teams these days simply lack the desire (or the creativity) to adhere to this golden rule.
All teams should wear matching ring gear. If you are meant to be a unit, dress like it. And don’t give me that bull about members wanting to be “individuals.” The whole concept behind forming a tag team is that you’re sacrificing individual ambitions for the sake of the group. If you’re serious about being viewed as a pair, then you need to present yourselves as a unified front. Just think of how ridiculous it would be if the New York Yankees all took to the field wearing uniforms with different designs. Unacceptable!
All tag teams should employ a tandem finisher. The “Hart Attack,” the “Veg-O-Matic,” and “Total Elimination” are all fine examples. Not only do double-team moves look impressive, but they also show cohesiveness. Sure, these offensive maneuvers might technically break the rules a little, but we dare any fan to complain to an official about The Dudley Boyz hitting a “3D” on an opponent.
There are other issues I could quibble with. However, if a team can nail the three rules above, that’s a good start. I’ll be keeping a close eye on that tag team list when it finally comes out. And you can believe me on this point: If the top teams don’t tick my boxes, that kid in the editor’s chair will hear about it.
TERRITORIAL DISSINGS
Twenty-seven years ago this month, fans got to witness a rare sight—Jim Cornette as an actual fan favorite. During his feud with Paul E. Dangerously over who was the leader of the “real” Midnight Express, “The Louisville Lip” unleashed this class tirade against the would-be ECW leader.
HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT OUR PODCAST?
On a recent PWI Weekly, we pondered whether there were too many titles in the sport of wrestling. It was a topic that carried over to a recent edition of the PWI Podcast, where Pro Wrestling Illustrated writers Al Castle and Brian Solomon gave their takes.
Looking forward to RAW tonight! We'll be there live and in living color!