The release of the 35th annual Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500 on September 23 has become a major point of discussion. The rankings evaluate top performers from promotions including WWE, AEW, NJPW, and CMLL, with the placement of major stars always under scrutiny. This year, however, conversation has centered as much on a shocking omission as on the top spots, with new details explaining why a dominant former champion was deemed ineligible.
Roman Reigns, The Tribal Chief, is absent from the 2025 PWI 500. His exclusion is not a reflection of star power but the result of failing to meet the publication’s strict activity criteria. PWI requires every performer to have competed in at least ten singles matches during the evaluation period of August 1, 2024, through July 31, 2025.
Reigns wrestled only eight matches in that span, with just two being one-on-one contests. Falling short of the threshold, he was disqualified from this year’s list.
While his absence dominated debate, the top of the rankings saw Cody Rhodes claim the number one spot for the second consecutive year. The achievement places him alongside Bret Hart, Steve Austin, and John Cena as the only wrestlers to hold back-to-back number one positions. The rest of the top ten featured a mix of global talent, with AEW’s Jon Moxley at number two and WWE’s GUNTHER at number three, followed by Swerve Strickland, Jey Uso, and Will Ospreay.