The Top 20 Wrestlers of the Last 20 Years (According to the PWI 500)

For 20 years, the PWI 500 has provided wrestling fans with an annual list of the top 500 pro wrestlers in the world. Here I present the top 20 wrestlers of the past 20 years, based on a point system I devised from their ranking each year they were listed. Hope you enjoy!

Note: the point system I used assigns points for every time a wrestler is ranked in the PWI 500.

The formula I used is: 1  /  (1 + ranking).

For example, a #1 ranking gets 1/2 a point, #2 gets 1/3 of a point, #3 gets 1/4 of a point, etc., all the way to #500 gets 1/501th of a point.

20. Vader

Total number of appearances: 12
Number of top 10 rankings: 3
Highest ranking: No. 2 (1993)

Although Vader is not brought up much in conversation these days, he was dominant in pre-Hogan WCW during the early 90s, winning the WCW Championship three times.

Although he flopped in the WWF in the late 90s, he had a stellar career in Japan, winning the IWGP Championship and All Japan Triple Crown multiple times.

19. A.J. Styles

Total number of appearances: 11
Number of top 10 rankings: 3
Highest ranking: No. 1 (2010)

This year's No. 1 is considered the face of TNA and has been one of its top stars since its inception in 2002.

Hopefully he won't be overshadowed by the influx of former WWE stars over the last few months, and will continue to shine in TNA for years to come.

18. Kenta Kobashi

Total number of appearances: 14
Number of top 10 rankings: 6
Highest ranking: No. 4 (1996, 2000, 2004)

Although he has only wrestled a handful of matches in the United States (including a 5-star match against Samoa Joe in Ring of Honor in 2005), Kenta Kobashi was one of the top Japanese wrestlers of the late 90s and early 2000s, holding the All Japan Triple Crown three times. Kobashi could be considered Japan's answer to Shawn Michaels for the quality of his matches, having earned 23 five-star matches from the Wrestling Observer newsletter.

17. Randy Orton

Total number of appearances: 10
Number of top 10 rankings: 4
Highest ranking: No. 1 (2008)

Orton has created his own "legacy" in WWE over the past eight years.

From a vanilla third-generation rookie in 2002 to a member of Evolution to the WWE's "Apex Predator," Orton has evolved with a killer instinct and is at his peak, where at age 30, he is likely to remain for many years.

16. Rob Van Dam

Total number of appearances: 17
Number of top 10 rankings: 3
Highest ranking: No. 1 (2002)

Although many feel he was held back from his full potential in WWE, Van Dam has long been considered one of the top performers in the sport, and is the highest-ranking wrestler ECW ever had in the PWI 500 (No. 2 in 1999). Coming in at No. 15 this year is impressive, considering he spent most of the year on the sidelines.

Expect to see him back in the top 10 on next year's list.

15. Ric Flair

Total number of appearances: 17
Number of top 10 rankings: 5
Highest ranking: No. 3 (1991, 1992, 1994)

Although most of his best years came before the PWI 500 started in 1991, Flair was still considered the best wrestler in the world by many in the early 90s, winning two WWF Championships in 1992 and seven WCW Championships between 1991 and 1999.

14. Hulk Hogan

Total number of appearances: 11
Number of top 10 rankings: 4
Highest ranking: No. 1 (1991)

Like Flair, Hogan's best days were in the 80s, but he dominated the world title in WCW between 1994 and 1998 and, of course, was the centerpiece of the NWO.

13. Keiji Muto (The Great Muta)

Total number of appearances: 20
Number of top 10 rankings: 4
Highest ranking: No. 3 (2002)

Primarily known to American fans as the Great Muta in WCW in the early 90s, Muto also led the Japanese version of the NWO and has won the All Japan Triple Crown three times and the IWGP title four times.

In 2002, Muto became the president and owner of All Japan. He is also one of only two men to be listed in every PWI 500 (the other is Jushin Liger, who didn't make this top 20 list).

12. Mitsuharu Misawa

Total number of appearances: 18
Number of top 10 rankings: 5
Highest ranking: No. 2 (1997)

Often considered the Hulk Hogan of Japan, Misawa was the top star of All Japan throughout the 1990s, and won the Triple Crown three times. A year after becoming president of All Japan in 1999, he left and founded his own promotion, Pro Wrestling Noah.

Misawa is as renowned a performer as any in Japanese wrestling history, having earned 24 five-star matches from the Wrestling Observer newsletter.

Tragically, Misawa died during a match on June 13, 2009.

11. Edge

Total number of appearances: 14
Number of top 10 rankings: 6
Highest ranking: No. 2 (2007)

Edge spent many years as a mid-carder in WWE before finally winning his first world title in January 2006. Since then, he has won and lost the title many times, and has certainly lived up to his "Ultimate Opportunist" moniker.

10. Chris Jericho

Total number of appearances: 13
Number of top 10 rankings: 8
Highest ranking: No. 2 (2009)

If he's not "the best in the world at what he does," he's certainly still one of the best. A four-time world champion in WWE, Jericho shows no signs of slowing down, and has one of the most impressive résumés of any wrestler not just today, but ever.

9. Chris Benoit

Total number of appearances: 15
Number of top 10 rankings: 4
Highest ranking: No. 1 (2004)

Although WWE has done their best to erase Benoit from memory, I prefer to remember him for the many outstanding matches he had both in WCW and WWE.

When he won the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania XX, few argued that he didn't deserve it.

8. Bret Hart

Total number of appearances: 9
Number of top 10 rankings: 4
Highest ranking: No. 1 (1993, 1994)

Bret is one of the most respected ring technicians of all time, and won the WWF Championship five times between 1992 and 1997.

He was also the first man to top the PWI 500 twice. After suffering a career-ending concussion at the hands of Goldberg in 2000, Bret spent many years out of the limelight before making his shocking return to WWE in 2010.

7. The Undertaker

Total number of appearances: 18
Number of top 10 rankings: 7
Highest ranking: No. 2 (2002)

Although the Deadman has never been No. 1, he has been a headliner in WWE for almost 20 consecutive years, an unequaled accomplishment. A seven-time world champion, the Undertaker will likely headline every Wrestlemania until he decides to retire.

6. Sting

Total number of appearances: 14
Number of top 10 rankings: 7
Highest ranking: No. 1 (1992)

Sting was the face of WCW for many years, and is undoubtedly the most famous and successful wrestler of the past 20 years that never competed in WWE. He returned to the top 10 in 2009 for the first time since 1996, and continues to make waves in TNA.

5. Shawn Michaels

Total number of appearances: 15
Number of top 10 rankings: 8
Highest ranking: No. 1 (1996)

Generally considered the greatest performer of this generation, Michaels has had a career that few will ever match. He has received an unbelievable 10 Match of the Year awards (1993-1996 and 2004-2009), and will probably win an eleventh for his final match at Wrestlemania 26 with the Undertaker.

Shawn Michaels can never be replaced.

4. Steve Austin

Total number of appearances: 11
Number of top 10 rankings: 6
Highest ranking: No. 1 (1998, 1999)

Vince McMahon calls Stone Cold the greatest WWE superstar of all-time, and although he only wrestled in WWE for five years, he was the face of the company during wrestling's biggest boom period.

Nagging injuries forced his retirement in 2003, but fans are always glad to see Austin when he occasionally comes back to WWE to raise hell.

3. Kurt Angle

Total number of appearances: 11
Number of top 10 rankings: 8
Highest ranking: No. 1 (2001)

The fact that Angle was ranked No. 1 after only two years in the business is an amazing feat itself. Hopefully, Angle's career can be extended by his lighter schedule in TNA, because as a performer and athlete, he has no equal in a wrestling ring.

2. John Cena

Total number of appearances: 10
Number of top 10 rankings: 7
Highest ranking: No. 1 (2006, 2007)

Spare me the boos, Cena haters. It's based on a point system. There is no denying, however, that Cena is the face of WWE, and has been its top star since 2005 when he moved to Raw and Batista went to Smackdown.

Since then, Cena has always been in the main event picture, and he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

1. Triple H

Total number of appearances: 17
Number of top 10 rankings: 8
Highest ranking: No. 1 (2000, 2009)

Since rising to the top of WWE in 1999, Triple H has been near the top of the heap more than anyone else. Hopefully, when he returns from his recent injury, he can stay healthy and help build up rising stars like Sheamus and Drew McIntyre before he retires and takes control of the company as a member of the McMahon family.

The Top 100 of the Past 20 Years

Here are the top 100 based on my point system:

1. Triple-H
2. John Cena
3. Kurt Angle
4. Steve Austin
5. Shawn Michaels
6. Sting
7. The Undertaker
8. Bret Hart
9. Chris Benoit
10. Chris Jericho
11. Edge
12. Mitsuharu Misawa
13. Keiji Muto
14. Hulk Hogan
15. Ric Flair
16. Rob Van Dam
17. Randy Orton
18. Kenta Kobashi
19. A.J. Styles
20. Vader
21. Jeff Jarrett
22. Batista
23. The Big Show
24. Kevin Nash
25. Scott Steiner
26. Eddie Guerrero
27. Rey Mysterio
28. Randy Savage
29. Lex Luger
30. Booker T
31. Jushin Liger
32. The Rock
33. Dean Malenko
34. Brock Lesnar
35. Diamond Dallas Page
36. Samoa Joe
37. El Hijo del Santo
38. Mistico
39. Sabu
40. Christian
41. Toshiaki Kawada
42. Kane
43. CM Punk
44. Bill Goldberg
45. Ultimo Guerrero
46. Satoshi Kojima
47. Jerry Lawler
48. Kensuke Sasaki
49. Rick Steiner
50. Rick Rude
51. Rick Steamboat
52. Dr. Wagner Jr.
53. Goldust
54. Scott Hall
55. John Bradshaw Layfield
56. Jeff Hardy
57. Shinya Hashimoto
58. Owen Hart
59. Desmond Wolfe / Nigel McGuinness
60. Christopher Daniels
61. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
62. Yuji Nagata
63. Matt Hardy
64. Yokozuna
65. William Regal
66. Steve Williams
67. Shelton Benjamin
68. Bryan Danielson
69. Mick Foley
70. Arn Anderson
71. Genichiro Tenryu
72. Tazz
73. Jun Akiyama
74. Sean Waltman
75. Raven
76. Shinsuke Nakamura
77. Perro Aguayo Jr.
78. Rhino
79. Masa Chono
80. Sid Vicious
81. Barry Windham
82. Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
83. Ultimo Dragon
84. Brother Ray / Bubba Ray Dudley
85. Hiroshi Tanahashi
86. Negro Casas
87. Davey Boy Smith
88. Shane Douglas
89. Curt Hennig
90. Hector Garza
91. Justin Credible
92. Koji Kanemoto
93. Ron Simmons
94. La Parka (original)
95. Tajiri
96. Bam Bam Bigelow
97. Road Warrior Hawk
98. Shocker
99. Takeshi Morishima
100. Psicosis

Please leave comments!