4 AEW stars crack the PWI 500 Top 10, Jon Moxley ranks above WWE’s Gunther

AEW and WWE fans are buzzing in a major way today after Pro Wrestling Illustrated released its annual list of the top 500 pro wrestlers. The rankings of Gunther and Jon Moxley seem to be two of the most discussed, but All Elite Wrestling's top ten rankings are also a trending topic.

PWI's 34th annual list of the top 500 male wrestlers in the world covers an evaluation period of August 1, 2023 - July 31, 2024. The primary criteria are in-ring achievements: win-loss records, championships, tournaments won. Additional primary criteria are influence, technical ability, competition, and activity. To rank, a wrestler must have a minimum of ten singles matches in the period, or six such matches in separate months, which is why Roman Reigns was not included. PWI noted that the list prioritizes success in singles competition, and in competing for heavyweight singles accolades.

AEW has four wrestlers in the top ten. Swerve Strickland ranked the highest at #2, behind the top-ranked Cody Rhodes. Will Ospreay ranked #3, while MJF came in at #7, and Moxley at #8.

Seth Rollins took the #4 spot, while Tetsuya Naito ranked #5, Damian Priest came in at #6, Gunther at #9, and Mistico rounded out the top ten. There's been fan chatter over Moxley ranking above the current World Heavyweight Champion.

To compare, the top ten from 2023 featured the following wrestlers: Seth Rollins at #1, Roman Reigns, Jon Moxley, Gunther, El Hijo del Vikingo, MJF, Kazuchika Okada, Orange Cassidy, Josh Alexander, Cody Rhodes at #10.

Jon Moxley to address controversy on AEW Dynamite

Jon Moxley is finally set to speak on his recent heel antics, including how he turned on Bryan Danielson at All Out. The former Dean Ambrose has been building his own faction in AEW as of late, teasing a takeover.

AEW has confirmed that Moxley will speak live on Wednesday's Dynamite. Below is the updated lineup:

1. Fallout from All Out, build begins for WrestleDream
2. Jon Moxley will speak live
3. Eliminator Match: Women's World Champion Mariah May vs. Queen Aminata

All Elite Wrestling will return to Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky for Wednesday's Dynamite and Rampage tapings. Saturday's Collision will air live from the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio.

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