Cody Rhodes Tops The PWI 500 For Second Consecutive Year
For the second straight year, “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes has been ranked number one on the prestigious Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500 list. The official announcement from the magazine confirms that the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion has once again been selected as the top male professional wrestler in the world.
The achievement places Rhodes in truly elite company, as he becomes only the fourth wrestler in the history of the PWI 500 to top the list in back-to-back years, joining a group that includes Bret “The Hitman” Hart, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and John Cena. The evaluation period for this year’s list ran from August 1, 2024, through July 31, 2025. During that time, Rhodes had one of the most dominant years of any superstar, holding the Undisputed WWE Championship for the entire period.
His reign included numerous championship defenses, a main event victory at WrestleMania 41, and wins over top competitors such as Kevin Owens, GUNTHER, and Solo Sikoa. The PWI 500 criteria for ranking includes a wrestler’s win-loss record, influence on the sport, and success against the highest level of competition, all areas where Rhodes excelled during the evaluation period.
The rest of the top ten was a mix of stars from WWE, AEW, and CMLL. The top ten for the 2025 PWI 500 is below:
- Cody Rhodes
- Jon Moxley
- GUNTHER
- “Hangman” Adam Page
- Hirooki Goto
- Jey Uso
- Swerve Strickland
- Seth Rollins
- Místico
- Will Ospreay
