Unpopular Opinion: Why the rise of women's wrestling has made the 2019 PWI rankings a wide open contest
When the annual Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500 issue comes out in the fall, it is usually dominated by male wrestlers who perform at an elite level throughout the year - whether it's Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Triple H, Randy Orton or A.J. Styles (during his tenure with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling at the time). However, this year was very different despite Seth Rollins topping the PWI 500 for the second time in his career.
Also making the top ten this year are WWE Superstars Kofi Kingston and Daniel Bryan, as well as NJPW stars Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi. But in 2019, in my opinion, the men did not fare so well; women's wrestling has overshadowed the accomplishments that the men have made so far this year - which will be apparent when the PWI Female 100 comes out.
It all started when former UFC star Ronda Rousey joined the WWE early last year and Becky Lynch became The Man. Lynch's tough-as-nails attitude has resonated with the WWE Universe who were evidently waiting for edgier characters in the Women's Division, similar to some gimmicks of the male Superstars. These two women, as well as The Queen, Charlotte Flair, made history last April when they became the first women to main event WrestleMania. During the Divas Era, the women of WWE operated under the shadow of the male roster due in large part to the company prioritizing glamour and feminine looks over in-ring talent; but these days it's the other way around. This can be attributed to the persistent efforts of Triple H and trainer Sara Amato, among other factors and contributors.
When the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Female 100 becomes available on October 31, 2019, we are sure to have an undisputed female wrestler who emerges as the cream of the crop (it was renamed from the PWI Female 50 in order to accommodate the growth in women's wrestling last year). The field is still wide open with The Queen and The Man vying for superiority. and competitors like Bayley gaining traction during the latter stages of the year.