Table of contents for December 2021 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated

#1. KENNY OMEGA  YEARS PRO: 21 2020 RANK: 13 SECRET WEAPON: “V-TRIGGER” RUNNING KNEE STRIKES TOP FIVE MOMENTS DURING EVALUATION PERIOD: 1. Defeated Jon Moxley on the December 2 edition of Dynamite to capture his first AEW World championship. 2. Beat Rich Swann in the main event of the April 25 Rebellion pay-per-view to win the IMPACT World championship. 3. Hit Laredo Kid with his One-Winged Angel finisher from the second rope to retain his AAA Mega championship in the main event of Triplemania 28 in Mexico City on December 12. 4. Retained his AEW World title in a three-way match against Orange Cassidy and PAC at Double or Nothing on May 30. 5. Beat Moxley again in a wild Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match in the main event of…

HEAVYWEIGHT 1 KENNY OMEGA 203, Winnipeg, MB (2) AEW/AAA champ 2 SHINGO TAKAGI 212, Yamanashi, Japan (1) IWGP World champion 3 NAOMICHI MARUFUJI 198, Saitama, Japan (5) GHC heavyweight champion 4 BOBBY LASHLEY 273, Colorado Springs, CO (4) WWE World champion 5 ROMAN REIGNS 265, Pensacola, FL (3) WWE Universal champion 6 CHRISTIAN CAGE 212, Toronto, ON (–) IMPACT World champion 7 BANDIDO 183, Torreon, Mexico (7) ROH World champion 8 MIRO 304, Plovdiv, Bulgaria (8) AEW TNT champion 9 WHEELER YUTA 190, Philadelphia, PA (–) IWTV World champion 10 TRISH ADORA 175, Washington, D.C. (–) PAWD champion WOMEN 1 BIANCA BELAIR 134, Knoxville, TN (2) Smackdown Women’s champion 2 BRITT BAKER 135, Pittsburgh, PA (4) AEW Women’s champion 3 DEONNA PURRAZZO 112, Livingston, NJ (6) Knockouts champion 4 UTAMI…

WHAT IS THE future of NXT as WWE approaches the final few months of 2021? Will most of the black-and-gold brand’s headliners be elevated to Raw or Smackdown? Will free agent Adam Cole remain in NXT … or even with WWE? Can NXT survive such a depletion of its roster and remain destination programming on USA? All these questions arose after WWE implemented yet another round of talent cuts this summer, this one specifically targeting NXT. Ex-North American champ Bronson Reed, perennial favorite Bobby Fish, and the respected Mercedes Martinez were the most prominent names among the dozen dismissed performers that also included Jake Atlas, Asher Hale, Kona Reeves, Leon Ruff, Tyler Rust, Stephon Smith, Zechariah Smith, Ari Sterling, and Giant Zanjeer. While it was widely reported that WWE Chairman…

DURING THIS EVALUATION period, Japanese pro wrestling was heavily impacted by political decisions and the management of the COVID-19 situation that tripped from one state of emergency into the next without a clear vision—even less than in other nations. In these circumstances, New Japan remained on the top of the food chain, while smaller groups struggled hard to survive. Looking at the PWI “500,” it’s no surprise that NJPW is represented by Ibushi, Ospreay, and Takagi in the top 10, while the first non-NJPW name is now-former Triple Crown champion Suwama (#18). Ibushi started the year with the proclamation of ascending to the levels of a god, after uniting the IWGP heavyweight & Intercontinental championships into the new IWGP World heavyweight title. But it seemed he flew too close to…

FOR 15 OF the 30 years that the PWI “500” has been around, I’ve had the privilege of putting together the write-ups for the top 10. And so, I’ve gained a unique appreciation for what it takes to make it to the top 2% of a list that many gifted wrestlers never make it onto at all. As the premier brand in all of pro wrestling, WWE has always been well-represented in the top 10. After the fall of its closest competitor, WCW, in 2001, WWE held on to 8 of the top 10 spots for two consecutive years. This year, WWE boasts four wrestlers in the top 10, and three in the top 5. On the surface, that seems impressive. But here’s another metric for promoters: How well do…

THOUGH UNPRECEDENTED STRUGGLES due to the COVID pandemic created strain on the wrestling industry over the last year and a half, hope can be found among the wreckage. The PWI “500” ranking, acting as a snapshot of the best wrestling has to offer during a particular year, reveals that glimpse of hope in the form of inclusivity. The 2021 edition of the list is the most female-inclusive “500” ranking since its birth in 1991. As a list that places high value on world/heavyweight titles, historically, women were not often a part of the PWI “500.” They typically didn’t fight their male counterparts, especially in the larger promotions. There also weren’t many titles that could be held by any wrestler, regardless of gender. And, at least in North America, women’s wrestling…