Advertisement
2026 PWI Top 500 Full List: MJF, Cody Rhodes & CM Punk claim top spots; Roman Reigns misses out once again
Abhijit has been telling sports stories through his words at Khel Now since 2024. He covers Pro wrestling, MMA, Boxing & Formula 1.
Published at :September 25, 2026 at 12:44 PM
Modified at :September 25, 2026 at 12:44 PM
(Courtesy : AEW/WWE)
AEW’s MJF claims the top spot in the PWI Top 500 list.
Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s 36th annual PWI Top 500 list is out. The list is a ranking of the 500 best wrestlers in the world. After Cody Rhodes topped the list for two years, in 2026 AEW’s MJF has claimed the top spot; in 2026, Cody Rhodes and CM Punk are in the second and third spots.
The top ten includes five WWE names, four from AEW, and one each from New Japan and CMLL. Místico has secured the fourth spot, while Konosuke Takeshita and “Hangman” Adam Page are in the fifth and sixth spots, respectively, and Yota Tsuji, Trick Williams, Oba Femi, and Gunther close out the top 10.
The list is based entirely on kayfabe & takes the following factors into account:
Catch Every Update, Anytime, Anywhere
- In-ring accomplishments: Win-loss record, championships won, tournament victories, and notable wins.
- Influence: Level of visibility, recognition, and prestige within a promotion and the wider industry.
- Technical skill: Quality of performances, matches, moves, and in-ring storytelling over a given period.
- Strength of competition: Success against a diverse range of high-caliber opponents.
- Activity: At least 10 singles matches overall, or, if that threshold is not met, six singles matches held across separate months.
Additionally, the evaluation period is from August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026.
Roman Reigns exclusion from the list once again is due to his inactivity as he only has had seven singles matches in the evaluation time period, while the requrement criteria is for at least 10 signles matches.
PWI’s ranking of the top 500 wrestlers in the world: Full list
- MJF
- Cody Rhodes
- CM Punk
- Místico
- Konosuke Takeshita
- “Hangman” Adam Page
- Yota Tsuji
- Trick Williams
- Oba Femi
- Gunther
- Bandido
- Darby Allin
- Cruz Montana
- Callum Newman
- Kenny Omega
- Will Ospreay
- Kazuchika Okada
- Dominik Mysterio
- Jon Moxley
- Seth Rollins
- Kyle Fletcher
- Sami Zayn
- Penta
- Kevin Knight
- Swerve Strickland
- Zack Sabre Jr.
- Drew McIntyre
- Samoa Joe
- Leon Slater
- Killer Kross
- Yoshiki Inamura
- Silas Mason
- Kento Miyahara
- Claudio Castagnoli
- Lee Moriarty
- El Hijo Del Vikingo
- Andrade El Ídolo
- Atticus Cogar
- Ricky Saints
- Nic Nemeth
- Je’Von Evans
- LA Knight
- El Grande Americano
- Frankie Kazarian
- Jey Uso
- Mark Briscoe
- Tony D’Angelo
- Carmelo Hayes
- Hechicero
- Jacob Fatu
- Yoh
- Mance Warner
- Bron Breakker
- Mascara Dorada
- Mustafa Ali
- Michael Oku
- Ricochet
- Rey Fenix
- Shane Haste
- Man Like DeReiss
- Hirooki Goto
- Ilja Dragunov
- Brody King
- Damian Priest
- Tommaso Ciampa
- “Jungle” Jack Perry
- KENTA
- Templario
- Danhausen
- Charles Mason
- Gabe Kidd
- EFFY
- El Desperado
- Mark Davis
- Cedric Alexander
- Joe Hendry
- Laredo Kid
- Madoka Kikuta
- Neon
- Yuki Ueno
- “Speedball” Mike Bailey
- Ethan Page
- Ren Narita
- Soberano Jr.
- Steve Maclin
- Chad Gable
- Bear Bronson
- Blue Panther
- Shota Umino
- El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr.
- Oleg Boltin
- Trey Miguel
- Masa Kitamiya
- Moose
- Jay Joshua
- Krule
- Yuya Uemura
- Ryan Clancy
- Allie Katch
- Myles Borne
- Marcus Mathers
- Jun Saito
- Shingo Takagi
- Nick Wayne
- 1 Called Manders
- Matt Riddle
- Darius Carter
- Hideki Suzuki
- Joey Janela
- Naraku
- Thom Latimer
- Averno
- Elijah Blum
- Shun Skywalker
- Otis Cogar
- Shinya Aoki
- Luke Jacobs
- Bryan Idol
- Ahura
- Go Shiozaki
- Suge D
- Joshua Bishop
- Billie Starkz
- Orange Cassidy
- Peter Tihanyi
- Myron Reed
- Adam Brooks
- Solo Sikoa
- Jason Hotch
- Royce Keys
- Aaron Rourke
- Isiah Broner
- AR Fox
- Atlantis Jr.
- Kosei Fujita
- Darian Bengston
- Titan
- PAC
- Tyler Stevens
- Adam Priest
- Kyoki
- Lio Rush
- Finn Bálor
- Devon Monroe
- Richard Holliday
- Ryoya Tanaka
- Sha Samuels
- El Phantasmo
- Volador Jr.
- Bronson Reed
- KUSHIDA
- Naomichi Marufuji
- Spencer Slade
- Ultimo Guerrero
- Matt Cardona
- Kenoh
- Komander
- Eita
- Drill Moloney
- Ace Austin
- Aleister Black
- Alec Price
- Mao
- Yamato
- Daniel Garcia
- Kaito Kiyomiya
- Jackson Drake
- Katsuyori Shibata
- Kerry Morton
- Chris Brookes
- Lexis King
- Rey Mysterio
- Carson Drake
- Robbie Eagles
- Sheamus
- Jordan Oliver
- Mike Mondo
- Mad Dog Connelly
- Jake Doyl
- Channing Lorenzo
- Alex Taylor
- Ryohei Oiwa
- Sean Legacy
- Wheeler Yuta
- KC Navarro
- Stu Grayson
- Shuji Ishikawa
- Dragon Lee
- Rush
- Donovan Dijak
- Daisuke Sasaki
- Tim Bosby
- John Wayne Murdoch
- Psycho Mike
- Jasper Troy
- Eddie Kingston
- Akira
- Junior Benito
- Austin Aries
- AJ Francis
- Chazz Hall
- Elio LeFleur
- Robbie Thorpe
- Rhio
- Trevor Lee
- EK Prosper
- Rohan Raja
- Jun Kasai
- Hammerstone
- Robbie X
- Drew Parker
- Roderick Strong
- TJP
- Kazuki Hirata
- Nino Bryant
- Psycho Clown
- Kzy
- Kuro
- Galeno
- Big Fudge
- Talos
- Eddie Edwards
- Amakusa
- El Clon
- Kristara
- Will Kiedis
- Caleb Conley
- Brick Savage
- Royce Isaacs
- Sho
- Vipress
- Eric Young
- Master Wato
- LaBron Kozone
- Zilla Fatu
- The Tuckman
- Channing Thomas
- Francesco Akira
- El Lindaman
- Jay Lethal
- Kody Lane
- The Beast Mortos
- Ozawa
- Titus Alexander
- La Parka
- Jimmy Uso
- Rei Saito
- Gringo Loco
- Sammy Diaz
- Minoru Suzuki
- Blake Christian
- Esfinge
- Dorian Van Dux
- Flip Gordon
- So Daimonji
- Sanada
- Ben Braxton
- Pretty Boy Smooth
- Dustin Jackson
- 2 Tuff Tony
- Bryan Keith
- Mason Rook
- Ren Ayabe
- Megan Bayne
- Kosuke Sato
- BRG
- Vaughn Vertigo
- Talla Tonga
- KJ Orso
- Xelhua
- Lee Johnson
- Big Damo
- Ricky Knight Jr.
- Octagon Jr.
- Katsuhiko Nakajima
- Josh Woods
- Wes Barkley
- Gianni Valletta
- Taiji Ishimori
- Kazuma Sumi
- Davey Boy Smith Jr.
- Elijah
- Kuma Arashi
- Ricky South
- Rafael Quintero
- Hook
- Alex Kane
- Axiom
- Shiloh Hill
- Barbaro Cavernario
- Shotzi Blackheart
- Scott Green
- Keanu Carver
- Rusev
- Seigo Tachibana
- Charles Crowley
- Jonathan Gresham
- Tetsuya Endo
- Dustin Waller
- Charli Evans
- Ichiban
- Michel Plante
- Trevor Outlaw
- Mr. Danger
- Ishin
- Brian Cage
- Travis Williams
- Dr. Redacted
- Jack Morris
- John Hawking
- Cara Noir
- Ricky Sosa
- Violento Jack
- Brian Myers
- Charlie Dempsey
- DMT Azul
- Alex Misery
- Camaro Jackson
- Cokane
- Hell Boy
- EC Brownie
- Joe Alonzo
- Sam Holloway
- Kanji
- PCO
- Jimmy Lloyd
- Baron Corbin
- Judas Icarus
- Sam Stackhouse
- Ryuki Honda
- Axel Tischer
- Carlie Bravo
- Rich Swann
- Yuma Aoyagi
- Josh Crane
- Leyton Buzzard
- Danny Orion
- Zcion RT1
- Masashi Takeda
- Bryce Donovan
- Niko Vance
- Alan Angels
- Dennis Dullnig
- Oddyssey
- Cody Deaner
- Gene Munny
- Bobby Orlando
- Big Dave
- Hayata
- Tavion Heights
- Michael Allen Richard Clark
- Kuroshio Tokyo Japan
- Renzo Rose
- Joe Lando
- Amira
- Ikuro Kwon
- Hektor Invictus
- Dan Tamura
- Toru Sugiura
- Laurance Roman
- Josh Briggs
- Cappuccino Jones
- Daisuke Sekimoto
- Tate Mayfairs
- Yuma Anzai
- Facade
- Saxon Huxley
- Jordan Cruz
- Ryan O’Neill
- Terry Yaki
- O’Shay Edwards
- Harlem Lewis
- Connor Mills
- Paul Walter Hauser
- Daichi Hashimoto
- Manu
- Brooks Jensen
- Lance Archer
- Anakin Murphy
- Shotaro Ashino
- Dezmond Cole
- Jake Crist
- Mini Vikingo
- Manabu Soya
- Zoltan
- Kazumasa Yoshida
- Rachel Armstrong
- Alexander Lev
- Noah Veil
- LJ Cleary
- Izzy James
- Diego Hill
- Gabby Forza
- Kenny Williams
- Dominic Garrini
- Jack Cartwheel
- Ben Bishop
- J Boujii
- Aaron Solo
- Daga
- Christian Napier
- Ninja Mack
- Toxin
- Dark Sheik
- Danny Limelight
- Casey Ferreira
- Hoodfoot
- Bad Dude Tito
- Grayson Waller
- Action Andretti
- Pedro Portillo III
- Vinnie Massaro
- Eran Ashe
- Tyler Bateman
- Calvin Tankman
- Daron Richardson
- Katsuya Murashima
- MV Young
- Marshe Rockett
- Jake Parnell
- Max Abrams
- To-y
- Rhino
- Matt Mako
- Duke Davis
- Andrew Cass
- Hideki Okatani
- Hunter James
- London Lightning
- Steven Borden
- Jamesen Shook
- Vito Fratelli
- Steve Corino
- Kazuyuki Fujita
- JD McDonagh
- Mikey Montgomery
- Gangrel
- Trent Seven
- Scotty Rawk
- G. Sharpe
- Ashton Adonis
- Masato Tanaka
- Tre’ Lamar
- Alpha Zo
- Kouga
- QT Marshall
- Xay Garcia
- Erik Surge
- Abdullah Kobayashi
- Leo Sparrow
- Charlie Sterling
- Mat Fitchett
- Mark Coffey
- Flamita
- David Ali
- August Artois
- Michael Richards
- Dani Luna
- Evan Daniels
- Andino
- Hayden Backlund
- Bill Collier
- Dante Casanova
- Lou Nixon
- Anthony Greene
- Shaq Jordan
- Beastman
- Solomon Tupu
- Bam Bam Quaade
- Domino
- Gary Jay
- Horus
- CPA
- Mike Skyros
- Shane Mercer
- Mecca
- Sam Adonis
- Johnny TV
- Jesse Funaki
- Jeffrey John
- Colby Carter
- Chad Daniels
- Juni Underwood
- Thomas DuBois
- Sam Beale
- Jay
- Hunter Drake
- Johnnie Robbie
- Kristian Robinson
- Steven Crowe
- Kaitlyn Marie
- Gaia Hox
- Joe Black
- Joseph Keys
- Mr. Elegance
- Oldman Youngboy
- Rhys Maddox
- Mullet Man
- Matt Griffin
- Sidney Bakabella
Who topped the PWI 500 list in 2026?
Former AEW World Champion MJF topped the list in 2026, breaking Cody Rhodes’ streak of topping the chart for the third year in a row. Cody Rhodes secured the second spot while CM Punk bagged the third.
Which promotions were represented in the top 10?
The top ten includes five WWE names, four from AEW, and one each from New Japan and CMLL.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Wrestling on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram & Whatsapp.