Cody Rhodes WWE

Cody Rhodes Becomes Just 4th Wrestler To Achieve Rare Feat With PWI No. 1 Ranking

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI | By Jon Alba | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 11:58 AM ET

The annual Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500 rankings dropped on Tuesday, and while the list often results in controversy among wrestling fans, there was a consensus No. 1 for the second year in a row.

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes was revealed as the man on top of the rankings once again, making it the second consecutive year he has earned the honor. While earning the top spot is often a career highlight for many, this particular distinction puts Rhodes in special company.

With the reveal, Rhodes now becomes just the fourth man in wrestling history to earn the No. 1 spot in back-to-back years. He joins 17-time world champion John Cena and WWE Hall of Famers "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Bret Hart in successfully doing so. Cena was the most recent to accomplish the feat, winning in 2006 and 2007.

The evaluation period for this year's rankings was from Aug. 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025, a period during which Rhodes was WWE Champion the entire time. The rankings are determined by in-ring achievement, influence, technical ability, competition, and activity throughout the timeframe.

Rhodes won the Undisputed WWE Championship for the first time at WrestleMania XL, defeating Roman Reigns and ending his historic run with the belt. Rhodes would then spend the evaluation period feuding with the likes of AJ Styles, Solo Sikoa, Kevin Owens, and Cena.

While he would lose the title to Cena at WrestleMania in controversial fashion, he would win it back at SummerSlam (just after the evaluation period closed).

The Top 10

All Elite Wrestling

This year's PWI Top 10 features a balance of talent from WWE, AEW, and beyond. Former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley comes in at No. 2. Moxley held the world title for most of the evaluation period, and while his run at the top with the Death Riders was controversial, a widely-acclaimed death match with "Hangman" Adam Page at AEW All In: Texas saw his reign come to a close in electric style.

The entire Top 10 is as follows:

With this year's rankings, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso cracks the Top 10 for the first time in his career.

Of note, Joe Hendry, who is expected to sign with WWE going into 2026 and will be featured more on NXT TV going forward, had one of the biggest climbs of U.S. TV talent. Hendry jumped from 51 last year to just outside the Top 10 at No. 12 this year.

This article first appeared on Wrestling on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: