Pro Wrestling Illustrated Explained

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Editor Title:Publisher
Frequency:Monthly
Category:Sports
Publisher:Kappa Publishing Group
Firstdate:September 1979
Country:United States
Language:English
Website:www.pwi-online.com
Issn:1043-7576

Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston.[1] PWI is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The magazine is the longest published English language wrestling magazine still in production. PWI publishes bi-monthly issues and annual special issues such as their "Almanac and Book of Facts". The magazine recognizes various world championships as legitimate, similar to The Ring in boxing.

PWI is often referred to as an "Apter Mag", named after its long-time photographer Bill Apter, a term used for wrestling magazines that keep kayfabe. In recent years, the PWI has moved away from reporting on storylines as actual news and mixed in editorial comments on the behind-the-scenes workings of wrestling.

Since 1991, PWI has been publishing its annual "Top 500 Wrestlers" listing the top male wrestlers in the world. In 2008, they added an annual "Top 50 Female Wrestlers" list, which was later expanded and renamed to the "Top 100 Female Wrestlers" list in 2018 and then again in 2021 as the "Top 150 Female Wrestlers." In 2020, they added an annual "Top 50 Tag Teams" listing the top tag teams in the world.

History

The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) was released in 1979. The magazine soon became known for not breaking kayfabe in its articles as it traditionally treated all "angles", or storylines, as real. However, in more recent years the magazine has taken an editorial approach between kayfabe and "shoot" writing, differentiating between on-screen feuds and controversies behind the scenes. PWI is not limited to covering only prominent professional wrestling promotions, as it also covers multiple independent promotions in the United States. PWI also published other special issues, which included: PWI Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts since 1996, Women of Wrestling, and a weekly newsletter entitled PWI Weekly from 1989 to 2000.

Yearly awards

See main article: List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards. PWI has given out annual awards and recognitions since its inception. These awards had previously been given out by another Victory Sports Magazine property, Sports Review Wrestling. PWI has also given out monthly rankings for big promotions, some select independent promotions, and overall rankings in singles and tag teams divisions. Additionally, readers are given the ability to vote for the winners of the year-end awards with ballots being included in special year-end issues. A special PWI Awards Magazine is issued annually, which reveals winners and the number of votes counted. The following is a list of categories in which PWI has issued awards.

World championship status

Historical recognition

Although many wrestling organizations promote their lead title as a world heavyweight championship, Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) has only recognized a few championships as valid world titles at any one time. PWI has also generally recognized the main tag team title from any promotion with a recognized world heavyweight championship as being a world tag team championship (unless named otherwise by the promotion) and certain other select titles from those promotions as world championships.

In 1983, PWI withdrew world title recognition from the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, citing how champion Bob Backlund was not facing contenders from outside the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) territory and was only facing rulebreakers.[2] This coincided with the WWF's withdrawal from the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in summer 1983. PWI reinstated the WWF's world title recognition retroactively in 1985[3] on account of the WWF's massive mainstream media profile.

The AWA World Heavyweight Championship was stripped of its world title status in January 1991 when the American Wrestling Association (AWA) was in its final days.[4] By this time, the championship was vacant and would remain so until the promotion's closure.[5]

Until March 1991, PWI and its sister publications steadfastly referred to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as "the NWA" despite WCW having increasingly phased out the latter name in the preceding months. In spring 1991, the family of magazines adopted a new policy of referring to the current promotion and its champions as WCW and the promotion's pre-1991 past as the NWA. The magazine also announced it would refer to the overall history of the promotion's world title as the "NWA/WCW World Championship" (and likewise with other WCW championships).[6] PWI generally traced the lineage of the NWA/WCW World Championship back to George Hackenschmidt's title victory in 1905, rather than the creation of the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship in 1948.[7] Subsequently, after Ric Flair left WCW and was stripped of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in July 1991, PWI and its sister publications nonetheless continued to recognize the WCW title as held by Lex Luger, Sting, Vader, and Ron Simmons as the rightful continuation of the historic NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship. When Masa Chono won an NWA world title tournament in Japan in August 1992, PWI and its sister publications only recognized Chono's title as the "NWA Championship" and rejected it as a world title or as a continuation of the historic NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship.[8]

PWI initially did not recognize the ECW World Heavyweight Championship as a world title but granted the championship and the promotion world title status in 1999.

Current recognition

Since 2023, Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) recognizes the WWE Championship, WWE Universal Championship, World Heavyweight Championship, AEW World Championship, Impact World Championship, ROH World Championship, MLW World Heavyweight Championship, and NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship from the United States, the AAA Mega Championship and CMLL World Heavyweight Championship from Mexico, as well as the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, World of Stardom Championship, and GHC Heavyweight Championship from Japan as world heavyweight championships.[9] [10] [11] [12] [13] PWI later additionally recognized the independent wrestling titles the Independent Wrestling World Championship and the Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora Wrestling Championship as world championships.[14]

List of all recognized world heavyweight championships

Date of recognition ChampionshipPromotionCountry
July 14, 1948 – January 11, 1991
May 8, 2006 – May 13, 2007
January 1, 2021 – present		NWA Worlds Heavyweight ChampionshipNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA)
May 18, 1960 – December 12, 1990AWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipAmerican Wrestling Association (AWA)
April 25, 1963 – presentWWE ChampionshipWWE


SmackDown

January 11, 1991 – December 9, 2001WCW World Heavyweight ChampionshipWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) World Wrestling Federation
August 27, 1994 – April 11, 2001ECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipExtreme Championship Wrestling (ECW)
September 2, 2002 – December 15, 2013World Heavyweight ChampionshipWWE
May 13, 2007 – June 29, 2015
January 1, 2021 – present		TNA World ChampionshipTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA)
August 21, 2016 – presentWWE Universal ChampionshipWWE


SmackDown

August 31, 2019 – presentAEW World ChampionshipAll Elite Wrestling (AEW)
April 3, 2020 – March 4, 2021IWGP Heavyweight ChampionshipNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW)
January 1, 2021 – presentAAA Mega ChampionshipLucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA)
January 1, 2021 – presentROH World ChampionshipRing of Honor (ROH)
January 1, 2021 – presentCMLL World Heavyweight ChampionshipConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL)
January 1, 2021 – presentTriple Crown Heavyweight ChampionshipAll Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW)
January 1, 2021 – presentMLW World Heavyweight ChampionshipMajor League Wrestling (MLW)
January 1, 2021 – presentWorld of Stardom ChampionshipWorld Wonder Ring Stardom (Stardom)
February 12, 2021 – presentGHC Heavyweight ChampionshipCyberFight (CF)


Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah)

March 4, 2021 – presentIWGP World Heavyweight ChampionshipNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW)
August 8, 2021 – presentIndependent Wrestling World Championship[15] IndependentWrestling.tv (IWTV)
August 8, 2021 – presentPan-Afrikan World Diaspora Wrestling Championship[16] PAWDWC Presents F1ght Club Pro Wrestling (F1ght Club)
May 27, 2023 – presentWorld Heavyweight ChampionshipWWE


Raw

According to the annual PWI almanac, PWI still recognizes select world title reigns from May 4, 1905 – January 28, 1946, before the formation of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in July 1948.

Rankings

PWI 500

PWI has published the list of the top 500 professional wrestlers each year since 1991 in an annual special edition magazine, the PWI 500. PWI writers choose the position of the wrestler following a designated evaluation period starting from mid-June; anything a wrestler accomplished before or after that period is not considered. They follow a criterion that includes win–loss record, championships won, quality of competition, major feuds, prominence within a wrestler's promotion(s), and overall wrestling ability.[17] [18], L. A. Park has been ranked in the most editions of the PWI 500, with 30 appearances.[19] John Cena and Seth Rollins have the most appearances at number one, with three. John Cena has the most appearances in the top 10, with 13. In 1993, Miss Texas (Jacqueline Moore) became the first woman to be ranked in the list, at number 249.[20] Since 2008, men and women have had separate lists.

Year1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1991[21] Rick Steiner
1992[22] Stunning Steve Austin
1993[23] Scott Steiner
1994[24] Owen Hart
1995[25] Mitsuharu Misawa
1996[26] Ric Flair
1997[27] Chris Benoit
1998[28] Chris Jericho
1999[29] Taz
2000[30] Kensuke Sasaki
2001[31] Rhyno
2002[32] Triple H
2003[33] Rob Van Dam
2004[34] Chris Jericho
2005[35] Hiroyoshi Tenzan
2006[36] Jeff Jarrett
2007[37] Takeshi Morishima
2008[38] Shinsuke Nakamura
2009[39] Último Guerrero
2010[40] Sheamus
2011[41] CM Punk
2012[42] Alberto Del Rio
2013[43] Kevin Steen
2014[44] Bully Ray
2015[45] Kevin Owens
2016[46] John Cena
2017[47] The Miz
2018[48] Tetsuya Naito
2019[49] Will Ospreay
2020[50] Jon MoxleyAdam ColeChris JerichoDrew McIntyreTetsuya NaitoKazuchika OkadaCody RhodesSeth RollinsKofi KingstonAJ Styles
2021[51] Rich Swann
2022[52] Jonathan Gresham
2023[53] Cody Rhodes

PWI Women's 250

PWI has published a list of the top female professional wrestlers each year since 2008 in a special edition magazine. As with the list of male professional wrestlers, PWI writers choose the position of the wrestler following a designated evaluation period starting from mid-June; anything a wrestler accomplished before or after that period is not considered. The list was originally limited to 50 wrestlers and was referred to as the Female 50. It has since been expanded and renamed, to Women's 100 in 2018 and Women's 150 in 2021. It was expanded and renamed again to Women's 250 in 2023.[54] [55]

Year1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PWI Female 50
2008[56] Candice Michelle
2009[57] Taylor Wilde
2010[58] Maryse
2011[59] Sara Del Rey
2012[60] Tara
2013[61] Mercedes Martinez
2014[62] Charlotte
2015[63] Taryn Terrell
2016[64] NatalyaSienna
2017[65] Kairi Sane
PWI Women's 100
2018[66] Ronda RouseyKairi Sane
2019[67] Nicole Savoy
2020[68] Mayu Iwatani
PWI Women's 150
2021[69]
2022[70] Taya Valkyrie
PWI Women's 250
2023[71] Jordynne Grace

PWI Tag Team 100

PWI has published a list of the top tag teams since 2020. PWI writers ranks the wrestlers following a designated evaluation period starting from October; a minimum of 10 matches or 4 months as a tag team is required.[72] [73] The ranking included both male and female tag teams.

Year1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2020[74] FTR
Bayley & Sasha BanksThe North
The Street Profits
Guerrillas of Destiny
Lucha Bros
The New Day
The Kabuki Warriors
Roppongi 3K
2021[75] The Young Bucks
Lucha Bros
Dangerous Tekkers
The Usos
FTR
Alto Livello Kabaliwan
Guerrillas of Destiny
The New Day
The Good Brothers
2022[76] The Usos
FTR
The Briscoes
Death Triangle
FWC
RK-Bro
The Good Brothers
The Young Bucks
The Hex
Violence is Forever
2023[77] FTR
Aussie Open
Kevin Owens & Sami ZaynBishamon
The Motor City Machine Guns
ABC
The Acclaimed
The Judgment Day
Damage CTRL
7Upp

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About Us. Pro Wrestling Illustrated. June 23, 2022. August 7, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220807010322/https://pwi-online.com/about/. live.
  2. Item: "Those Samoans Are Tough – Especially The Fourteenth Time!" 1983 Year In Review. Pro Wrestling Illustrated March 1984
  3. Web site: "1985 ... July 2: Pro Wrestling Illustrated reinstates world title recognition for the WWF heavyweight title after more than two years of viewing it as a regional championship." Wrestling History, Pro Wrestling Illustrated Online, retrieved March 14, 2018. March 14, 2018. September 24, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924083400/http://www.pwi-online.com/pages/wrestlingyears.html. dead.
  4. Pro Wrestling Illustrated strips the AWA of World Title Recognition – Pro Wrestling Illustrated May 1991
  5. Web site: AWA World Heavyweight Title. March 16, 2018. February 22, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110222123139/http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-h.html. live.
  6. Editorial, Wrestling '91, Spring 1991 edition
  7. "The NWA was formed in 1948 but the NWA World Heavyweight Championship is traditionally traced back to the World Heavyweight Championship that was created in 1905." = WWF vs NWA: Who's Better? Pro Wrestling Illustrated January 1991
  8. "The NWA World champion became the WCW World champion when the federation changed initials ... The initials may have changed, but Ron Simmons wears the same belt (figuratively, at least) in 1992 that Lou Thesz wore in 1952. Given that, Chono cannot be considered the NWA World champion in the historical sense ... We'll call him NWA champion because that is the title he won. But this article will be the last time we'll call him NWA World champion"
    – "Who Needs The Confusion? Why Reviving The NWA Title Was A Bad Idea." Inside Wrestling December 1992 edition, pages 38–41
  9. Web site: The New PWI. December 4, 2009. Pro Wrestling Illustrated. August 16, 2012. March 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304204315/http://prowrestlingillustrated.blogspot.com/2009/12/new-pwi-blog.html. dead.
  10. Web site: PWI Will No Longer Recognize TNA World Heavyweight Championship. wrestlingnewsworld.com. July 27, 2016. April 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160404235042/http://www.wrestlingnewsworld.com/pwi-will-no-longer-recognize-tna-world-heavyweight-championship/. live.
  11. 1246087446091182080. OfficialPWI. For those who are wondering, PWI currently recognizes four championships as legitimate World titles: WWE champions…. April 3, 2020. April 3, 2020.
  12. Web site: PWI Announces World Title Recognition For Several Promotions In Its Publication. PWI. March 6, 2021. Bodyslam.net. March 6, 2021. April 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210420185031/https://www.bodyslam.net/2021/03/06/pwi-announces-world-title-recognition-for-several-promotions-in-its-publication/. live.
  13. Web site: IMPACT, MLW & ROH Among Championships Given 'World Title' Status By Pro Wrestling Illustrated. PWI. February 26, 2021. Mandatory.com. February 26, 2021. February 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210227031251/https://www.mandatory.com/wrestlezone/news/1224350-pro-wrestling-illustrated-impact-mlw-roh. live.
  14. Web site: PWI Recognizes the IWTV & PAWD Titles as World Championships. IWTV. August 8, 2021 . IWTV. August 8, 2021. August 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210808161404/https://independentwrestling.tv/news/pwi-iwtv-pawd. live.
  15. Web site: IWTV Independent Wrestling World Championship. CAGEMATCH. CAGEMATCH. September 17, 2021. February 3, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210203162747/https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=3532. live.
  16. Web site: Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora Wrestling World Championship. CAGEMATCH. CAGEMATCH. September 17, 2021. September 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210917014359/https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=4658. live.
  17. Web site: PWI 500: 1–100. August 9, 2011. August 9, 2011. Pro Wrestling Illustrated. August 10, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170810052238/http://prowrestlingillustrated.blogspot.com/2011/08/pwi-500-1-100.html. live.
  18. Web site: PWI Senior Writer responds to 'Women’s 100' reactions – Diva Dirt. November 7, 2018 . November 12, 2018. November 13, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181113025603/http://www.diva-dirt.com/152283/pwi-responds-womens-100-reactions/. live.
  19. Web site: Wrestlers with Most PWI 500 entries. Internet Wrestling Database. March 31, 2023.
  20. Web site: Jackie Moore: Equal Opportunity Ass-Kicker. Wagner. Brandi. February 9, 2019. Last Word on Sports. April 1, 2023.
  21. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1991. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. November 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161106134017/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/1991.html. live.
  22. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1992. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. March 7, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160307001934/http://profightdb.com/pwi-500/1992.html. live.
  23. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1993. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. December 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161214081123/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/1993.html. live.
  24. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1994. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. March 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160306180649/http://profightdb.com/pwi-500/1994.html. live.
  25. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1995. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. March 25, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160325022716/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/1995.html. live.
  26. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1996. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. June 2, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160602005108/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/1996.html. live.
  27. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1997. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. June 2, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160602005527/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/1997.html. live.
  28. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1998. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. March 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160306131525/http://profightdb.com/pwi-500/1998.html. live.
  29. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1999. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. July 4, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170704133153/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/1999.html. live.
  30. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2000. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. February 3, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190203044516/http://profightdb.com/pwi-500/2000.html. live.
  31. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2001. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. June 2, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160602003524/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2001.html. live.
  32. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2002. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. March 31, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160331011115/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2002.html. live.
  33. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2003. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. June 2, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160602003528/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2003.html. live.
  34. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2004. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. March 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304115551/http://profightdb.com/pwi-500/2004.html. live.
  35. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2005. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. February 1, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090201175443/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2005.html. live.
  36. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2006. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. March 23, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160323212140/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2006.html. live.
  37. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2007. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. May 4, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150504111520/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2007.html. live.
  38. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2008. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. May 4, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150504111300/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2008.html. live.
  39. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2009. Internet Wrestling Database. September 10, 2010. July 1, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170701065717/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2009.html. live.
  40. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2010. April 3, 2014. The Internet Wrestling Database. August 8, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160808204026/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2010.html. live.
  41. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2011. April 3, 2014. The Internet Wrestling Database. August 8, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160808204659/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2011.html. live.
  42. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2012. April 3, 2014. The Internet Wrestling Database. March 8, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160308020220/http://profightdb.com/pwi-500/2012.html. live.
  43. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2013. August 22, 2013. The Internet Wrestling Database. March 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304191648/http://profightdb.com/pwi-500/2013.html. live.
  44. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2014. September 26, 2014. The Internet Wrestling Database. November 8, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151108085214/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2014.html. live.
  45. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2015. October 5, 2015. The Internet Wrestling Database. October 21, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151021012452/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2015.html. live.
  46. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2016. September 1, 2016. The Internet Wrestling Database. July 31, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170731200620/http://profightdb.com/pwi-500/2016.html. live.
  47. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2017. August 30, 2017. The Internet Wrestling Database. October 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181020132616/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2017.html. live.
  48. Web site: PWI 500 2018: Kenny Omega is the second straight non-WWE wrestler named #1 in the world. August 29, 2018. Cageside Seats. August 29, 2018. August 29, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180829214718/https://www.cagesideseats.com/2018/8/29/17796130/pwi-500-2018-kenny-omega-top-wrestler-second-straight-non-wwe-wrestler-named-number-one. live.
  49. Web site: Seth Rollins Tops Annual PWI 500. Lambert. Jeremy. Fightful. August 29, 2019. August 29, 2019. August 29, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190829153711/https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/seth-rollins-tops-2019-pwi-500. live.
  50. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2020. The Internet Wrestling Database. November 13, 2020. November 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101020100/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-500/2020.html. live.
  51. Web site: Kenny Omega Tops PWI 500 In 2021, Second Time Ranked Number One Fightful News. September 8, 2021. www.fightful.com. en. September 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210909023805/https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/kenny-omega-tops-pwi-500-2021-second-time-ranked-number-one. live.
  52. Web site: Roman Reigns Tops 2022 PWI 500, Second Time At Number One. September 14, 2022. www.fightful.com. en. September 14, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220914142227/https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/roman-reigns-tops-2022-pwi-500-second-time-number-one. live.
  53. Web site: Seth Rollins Tops The 2023 PWI 500, Roman Reigns Places Second; Gunther, Moxley, More Round Out Top 10. September 14, 2023. www.fightful.com. en. September 14, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220914142227/https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/seth-rollins-tops-2023-pwi-500-roman-reigns-places-second-gunther-moxley-more-round-out-top-10. live.
  54. Web site: Various News: PWI Female 50 Expanding to 100, Mikey Whipwreck Partners With Indy Promotion. August 9, 2018. August 9, 2018. 411 Mania. August 13, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180813175555/https://411mania.com/wrestling/various-news-pwi-female-50-expanding-100-mikey-whipwreck-partners-indy-promotion/. live.
  55. Web site: PWI Women's 100 will increase to PWI Women's 150 in 2021. September 13, 2021. September 21, 2021. September 21, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210921024612/https://belltobelles.com/pwi-womens-100-will-increase-to-pwi-womens-150-in-2021/. live.
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  57. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) Female 50 for 2009. April 3, 2014. The Internet Wrestling Database. January 30, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170130194135/http://profightdb.com/pwi-female-50/2009.html. live.
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  62. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) Female 50 for 2014. December 22, 2014. The Internet Wrestling Database. January 5, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160105000448/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-female-50/2014.html. live.
  63. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) Female 50 for 2015. November 4, 2015. The Internet Wrestling Database. December 31, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151231190933/http://www.profightdb.com/pwi-female-50/2015.html. live.
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  65. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) Female 50 for 2017. November 2, 2017. The Internet Wrestling Database. November 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201128135842/http://profightdb.com/pwi-female-50/2017.html. live.
  66. Web site: Various News: Ronda Rousey Tops The PWI Women's 100 List, WWE Free Match, Today's Wrestling Birthdays. November 1, 2018. 411 Mania. February 4, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190204065859/https://411mania.com/wrestling/ronda-rousey-tops-pwi-womens-100-list/. live.
  67. Web site: Becky Lynch tops PWI Women's 100 list. October 31, 2019. October 31, 2019. Diva Dirt. November 2, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191102075727/http://www.diva-dirt.com/2019/10/31/becky-lynch-tops-pwi-womens-100-list/. dead.
  68. Web site: October 15, 2020. 2020 PWI Women's 100: Top 10 reveal and full ranking details. October 15, 2020. Bell To Belles. en-US. October 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201018171701/https://belltobelles.com/pwi-womens-100-reveal-ranking-details/. live.
  69. Web site: Bianca Belair Tops the PWI Women's Top 150 List. October 21, 2021. November 2, 2021. November 2, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211102041109/https://www.sescoops.com/2021/10/bianca-belair-tops-pwi-womens-top-150-list/. live.
  70. Web site: Syuri Tops 2022 PWI Women's 150 List. diva-dirt.com. Nick. Wilkinson. October 27, 2022. October 27, 2022. October 27, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221027152747/https://www.diva-dirt.com/syuri-tops-2022-pwi-womens-150-list/. live.
  71. Web site: Rhea Ripley Tops 2023 PWI Women's 250. fightful.com. Jeremy. Lambert. October 18, 2023. October 18, 2023.
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  74. Web site: Middleton. Marc. FTR Takes Top Spot On The Inaugural PWI Tag Team 50 List. Wrestling Inc.. November 18, 2020. November 23, 2020. April 22, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210422105723/https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2020/11/ftr-takes-top-spot-on-the-inaugural-pwi-tag-team-50-list-677076/. live.
  75. Web site: Martínez. Sebastián. The Young Bucks se afianzan el primer puesto de los Top 50 Tag Team de PWI. Solowrestling.com. December 2, 2021. Spanish. December 2, 2021. December 2, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211202180354/https://solowrestling.mundodeportivo.com/new/103912-young-bucks-numeros-1-pwi-tag-teams-2021. live.
  76. Web site: The Usos Top 2022 PWI Tag Team 100. Jeremy. Lambert. Fightful. December 6, 2022. December 7, 2022. December 7, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221207052913/https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/usos-top-2022-pwi-tag-team-100. live.
  77. Web site: FTR Tops The 2023 PWI Tag Team 100, Aussie Open, Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn, More Round Out The Top Ten. Skylar. Russell. Fightful. November 22, 2023. November 22, 2023. November 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231122052913/https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/ftr-tops-2023-pwi-tag-team-100-aussie-open-kevin-owenssami-zayn-more-round-out-top-ten. live.

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