PWI Weekly for November 4, 2024
PWI Weekly for November 4, 2024
The Reality Of Wrestling (And The People Who Take Part In It)
If you were a wrestling fan growing up, then the chances are that someone felt the need to point out to you that “wrestling is fake.” Maybe people still point it out to you.
And sure … while what is being staged in the ring might be considered “choreographed,” it’s anything but fake. Just ask any veteran wrestler about their injuries and they’ll be quick to prove that point.
This edition of the PWI Weekly looks at a few of the very real people and things happening in wrestling right now (and a few decades ago) extending far beyond what we see between the ropes.
WRESTLERS OF THE WEEK
Normally, we use this space to highlight people who have been doing something special on the mat. But this week, we’ve chosen some folks for a different reason.
In wrestling, we too often forget that the people performing for our entertainment are real humans just like you and I. And just like you and I, wrestlers get hurt. And they get sick. Sometimes, they choose to step away (or are forced to step away) from doing the thing that entertains us.
Recently, Chris Bey suffered a very serious injury while he was competing at a post-Bound for Glory TV taping—one that resulted in him having emergency neck surgery. Around the same time, El Phantasmo announced on social media that he had been diagnosed with a tumor; and Maria Kanellis was in the hospital dealing with the fallout from surgery related to a mass on her adrenal gland.
Wrestlers are not superhuman, despite what we may think. Sometimes, though, the will to fight—and to overcome illness and injury—is superhuman. We have no doubt that Chris, ELP, and Maria will take the fight to their situations in a manner befitting their on-screen characters. PWI wishes them the best in their recovery. And this week, all three get the nod as our Wrestlers of the Week.
A QUICK WORD ABOUT …
On October 29, WWE announced that it was launching a new initiative to help independent wrestlers find a more direct pathway to working for them.
Similar to the “Next In Line” system, which helps student athletes transition from college to WWE, the new Independent Development program (WWE ID) will see the company partner with select training schools and indie wrestlers to establish a pipeline to WWE. The news was met with a mostly positive reaction online and should, in theory, provide more opportunities for independent wrestlers to carve out successful careers for themselves.
In a press release, WWE stated:
“WWE ID will identify top independent wrestling prospects with an official WWE ID ‘prospect’ designation and support their developmental journey by providing financial opportunity and assisting with training, mentorship and development, including access to world-class facilities, best-in-class ring training, athletic trainers and more. WWE ID will give fans the opportunity to follow the paths of these standout prospects on the independent wrestling scene through curated, behind-the-scenes content, as well as highlights and matches showcased across WWE’s social platforms.”
Some schools already tabbed as being part of this new initiative are Cody Rhodes’ Nightmare Factory and Booker T’s Reality Of Wrestling.
REMEMBER WHEN …
On this day in 1986, They Live was released in cinemas.
The John Carpenter-directed cult classic starred “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in the lead role. Piper portrays a drifter who discovers that when he wears special sunglasses, he can see the ruling human class on Earth are actually aliens, concealing their appearance and manipulating people into consuming and conforming.
Today, it’s not uncommon to see wrestlers turning their focus to acting. Yet, in 1988, it was still a bit of a novelty. Thanks to the likes of “Hot Rod,” many grapplers have discovered that there are careers to be had away from the ropes and canvas. We hear that Dwayne Johnson guy did pretty well for himself following the same path.
FROM THE VAULT
Jacob Fatu poses backstage at MLW’s Battle Riot III in the summer of 2021. “The Samoan Werewolf” was then in the midst of his incredible 819-day reign with the Major League Wrestling World heavyweight championship.
Fatu has made no secret that as a younger man, he was less than a model citizen, and was arrested when he was 18 years old. The Samoan descendant has credited watching his cousins The Usos on a jailhouse TV as the motivation to turn his life around and pursue a career as a wrestler. Proof that it is never too late to change your life trajectory, Fatu now wrestles those same cousins on worldwide television.
Great read this AM, and thank you for reminding readers, especially those who maybe unaware- of the road Jacob Fatu traveled to get to the spot he's in. It's a tremendous story.
The Samoan Werewolf!