Published: 3 seconds ago by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: 3 seconds ago by Dave Adamson
Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.
AEW
The latest PWI 500 lists MJF in the number one spot, being one of just three AEW stars to make the top ten rankings.
With Konosuke Takeshita and Hangman Adam Page ranked as number 5 and 6 respectively, the rest of the Top 10 list can be found here.
The kayfabe list takes into account championship reigns, win/loss records, feuds and other elements, with last year’s ranking being topped by Cody Rhodes, who was also number one in 2024.
MJF is the first AEW star to be in the number one spot since Kenny Omega in 2021, but who would replace him in the coming years?
Will Ospreay
When it comes to the PWI 500, Will Ospreay has been in the Top 10 rankings four times, with his highest entry being number three in 2024, behind Cody Rhodes and Swerve Strickland.
Now very much back from injury and AEW World Champion, a strong year ahead would no doubt see Ospreay back in the Top 10 (being number 16 this year) and potentially at the top of the ranking. The feuds will be there in AEW and, potentially, in NJPW, and a reign that takes him well into 2027 will surely cement the top spot.
Kyle Fletcher
Yet to break the Top 10, Kyle Fletcher sits at number 21 in this year’s listing and arguably deserves a higher spot on the list.
A former AEW International Champion, two-time TNT Champion and World Trios Champion, the time may come for Fletcher to stake a claim for the World Championship, reigniting a feud with Will Ospreay that defined him as a star in his own right (and led to him shaving his own head).
Fletcher is clearly having the time of his life in AEW and stands a good chance of being the top star in the years to come.
Adam Page
“Hangman” Adam Page has made three appearances in the Top 10, with his highest ranking being number four in 2022 and 2025.
This year, he’s dropped to number 6, behind Konosuke Takeshita, but still has the years ahead to make an appearance in the top spot.
A two-time AEW World Champion, former World Tag Team Champion and two-time World Trios Champion, Page is the second star to be a Triple Crown Champion, with Kenny Omega being the first.
For the PWI 500, it’s a testament to the strength of those who ranked above Page when it comes to his position, and it’s something that could easily be remedied when the star returns to the championship picture with all the impact of past runs.
Do The Rankings Matter?
At the end of the day, rankings, very much like match ratings, are just a matter of opinion, with the PWI 500 being openly a kayfabe list built on what’s happening across shows.
While it would be easy to dismiss the list, it’s also telling of the popularity of any star featured, particularly for those on the independent scene, recognizing what they’re doing even if that product may not be carried by a major network or have an international following.
Wrestling companies big and small don’t just put the title on any star who happens to be nearby, nor do they put them into feuds for the sake of it, or have them win every match at a whim (or at least, in all these cases, the promoters shouldn’t). Pushing a star, whether in a major company or an independent, is an undertaking and a demonstration of the quality that the booker sees.
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