PWI Weekly for November 21, 2022
What Should MJF, Mandy Rose, And Matt Cardona Be Thankful For This Year?
This week, we're breaking from our usual format in honor of Thanksgiving. We're handing the reins over, once again, to PWI’s U.K. correspondent—and American cultural enthusiast—Jason McVeigh, who will be sharing what various wrestlers should be thankful for on Turkey Day 2022.
(Stick around till the end for a fun, seasonal photo From The Vault!)
SAMI ZAYN
What He Should Be Thankful For: Being ucey
To the delight of Jimmy Uso, the dismay of Jey, and maybe the bewilderment of Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn has made himself an extremely valuable member of The Bloodline. Tune in to Smackdown any given Friday night, and you can be sure that Zayn will be one of the most entertaining parts of the show. Indeed, fans and analysts around the globe have expressed their pleasant surprise at just how … umm … ucey he has been. Zayn’s position within The Bloodline has got us at PWI wondering just how long it will be before he loses that honorary status and becomes a full-blown uce.
MJF
What He Should Be Thankful For: Winning the genetic and social lotteries
Youth, athleticism, charisma, wealth, social standing … Maxwell Jacob Friedman has much to be thankful for. But who are we kidding? He’s such an ingrate that he’s probably not thankful for anything this time of year (or any other). We’ve also heard a rumor that MJF likes to drive around all the stores in his hometown, buying up every frozen turkey so that the less fortunate can’t get any. Whether or not that’s actually true, it certainly feels like something he’d do.
MATT CARDONA
What He Should Be Thankful For: Being released by WWE in 2020
While it’s never ideal to lose your job, especially with the industry leader in a particular field, Matt Cardona has had the best two years of his career since then. We like to rib the former Zack Ryder, but his contemporary success is, genuinely, a testament to his hard work and considerable abilities. What Cardona has been able to do in places like IMPACT Wrestling, GCW, and the NWA stands as proof that he truly has been “Alwayz Ready.” It’s just that, now, we get to see him deliver on his potential.
MANDY ROSE
What She Should Be Thankful For: Historic reign as NXT Women’s champion
Though her ranking in our annual PWI “Women’s 150” issue may have rubbed some people the wrong way—including the champ herself—there is no denying that Rose’s run as the top lady in NXT has been nothing short of remarkable. Holding back the tide of challengers, the leader of Toxic Attraction has definitively ruled the roost on Tuesday nights. Come to think of it, maybe she should also be thankful that Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne have had her back for most of that time.
THE GREAT MUTA
What We Should Be Thankful For: An Amazing Career
That’s right, I said we—because we should all be thankful that we got to live in the same timeline as the legendary career of The Great Muta. As Keiji Muto readies himself for retirement, he also bids adieu to one of the most lasting and revered characters ever to step into a ring. From Tokyo, Japan, to Atlanta, Georgia, Muta has left an impression on wrestling fans the world over, along with an indelible mark on the sport as a whole. Just keep the Green Mist away from the turkey this week, please.
FROM THE VAULT
For reasons we won’t get into—kayfabe, folks!—Hector Guerrero should be thankful that The Gobbledy Gooker character never took off. Happy Thanksgiving!