IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega has landed the top spot in this year’s installment of Pro Wrestling Illustrated famed PWI 500 list.
It is the first time Omega has topped the list and the second straight year a wrestler from New Japan Pro Wrestling has earned the distinction. Prior to 2017, the last time a non-WWE wrestler earned the top spot was 2010 – when AJ Styles did so while a member of TNA. Prior to 2010, then-WCW Cruiserweight Dean Malenko topped the list in 1997.
PWI 500 2018 Top 10
The Top 10 wrestlers on the 2018 PWI 500 were revealed on the latest episode of The Jim Ross Report podcast. (Previous ranking in brackets)
- Kenny Omega (#5)
- AJ Styles (#2)
- Kazuchika Okada (#1)
- Brock Lesnar (#25)
- Seth Rollins (#16)
- Braun Strowman (#34)
- Roman Reigns (#4)
- Cody (#33)
- Tetsuya Naito (#12)
- The Miz (#10)
PWI Top 500 Explained
While often controversial, the PWI 500 could use some explaining. Pro Wrestling Illustrated used to be one of the only ways for fans to follow promotions outside of their local territory. The magazine was, at one point (and might still be), based in kayfabe. The PWI 500 is then based on who were the most successful wrestlers of the year if wrestling was a real sport.
Omega won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and beat the greatest champion in the title’s lineage to do so. Styles has been the WWE Champion since November. Okada completed the greatest reign in IWGP Heavyweight title history this year.
Brock Lesnar won the main event of WrestleMania and held the Universal title for almost the entire year in which the PWI 500 capsules.
Spots 11-500 are available through the PWI-Online or the magazine itself.
