This morning on Busted Open Radio, Al Castle of Pro Wrestling Illustrated revealed that AEW World Champion Kenny Omega placed number one on the 2021 PWI 500.
While there will obviously be fan arguments about whether Kenny Omega or WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns deserved this year’s top spot, the fact that Omega held three company’s world championships simultaneously could be considered a valid reason for his place in the rankings.
As just announced by @AlCastlePWI on @BustedOpenRadio: Congrats to @KennyOmegamanX, who ranks #1 in the 2021 #PWI500—his second time topping the list.
Preorder your copy of our 31st annual "500" issue at https://t.co/EuUXs75XJB pic.twitter.com/pJ5JhImsvn
— PWI (Pro Wrestling Illustrated) (@OfficialPWI) September 8, 2021
Kenny Omega hasn’t responded to this honor as of this writing, but he could easily mention it tonight on AEW Dynamite.
With Omega’s ranking, 2021 marks the second consecutive year that the AEW World Champion has had the honor of the top spot. In 2020, Jon Moxley, the reigning champion at the time, ranked first overall, and Omega ranked 13th. Omega previously ranked first overall in 2018, when he was regularly stealing the show in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Following the Omega reveal on Busted Open Radio, Pro Wrestling Illustrated unveiled the top 10 spots for this year’s PWI 500:
1.) Kenny Omega (AEW)
2.) Roman Reigns (WWE)
3.) Bobby Lashley (WWE)
4.) Drew McIntyre (WWE)
5.) Kota Ibushi (NJPW)
6.) Jon Moxley (AEW)
7.) Will Ospreay (NJPW)
8.) Finn Balor (WWE)
9.) Shingo Takagi (NJPW)
10.) Rich Swann (IMPACT)
READ MORE: Adam Cole And Bryan Danielson Debut At AEW All Out, Kenny Omega Retains Title Over Christian Cage
Do you agree with Kenny Omega in the top spot on this year’s PWI 500? Do you think it should have been Roman Reigns instead? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
