Roman Reigns did not make the 2026 PWI 500, even though he spent part of the evaluation period as a WWE World Heavyweight Champion. MJF took the top spot on this year’s list, followed by Cody Rhodes and CM Punk.
“Pro Wrestling Illustrated” released the rankings on September 24, with the voting period running from August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026. MJF jumped from No. 30 last year to No. 1 after a year that included two reigns as AEW World Champion.
“The American Nightmare” finished second after spending the previous two years at No. 1. CM Punk followed at No. 3, while Mistico, Konosuke Takeshita, “Hangman” Adam Page, Yota Tsuji, Trick Williams, Oba Femi and Gunther completed the top 10.
Reigns’ absence had nothing to do with where he stood in WWE. PWI’s rules required wrestlers to have at least 10 singles matches during the evaluation period, although six matches held across six different months also qualified.
The WWE star wrestled five singles matches during that stretch. He faced Bronson Reed twice, CM Punk once, and Jacob Fatu twice, but his limited schedule kept him out of the rankings.
“The OTC” still had some major moments during those months. He defeated “The Second City Saint” at WrestleMania 42 to win the World Heavyweight Championship and later retained the title twice against Fatu.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman, meanwhile, reached the top of the PWI 500 for the first time in his career. He became the third AEW wrestler to finish No. 1, joining Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega.
Cody Rhodes also missed out on making history. Had he finished first again, he would have become the first wrestler to top the PWI 500 in three straight years.
Roman Reigns Has Been Much More Active Since the PWI Cutoff
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The numbers look different for Roman Reigns since the evaluation period ended. He returned to WWE television later in the summer and has become a regular part of the World Heavyweight Championship picture, including a title defense against Seth Rollins at SummerSlam and then Penta in Mexico City on September 14. “The OTC” defeated Penta to retain the championship.
His current run also includes a scheduled title defense against LA Knight at Money in the Bank on October 10. WWE made the match official after Knight confronted Reigns following the Penta match and hit him with a BFT.
The timing matters because none of those matches count toward the 2026 PWI 500. They happened after the July 31 cutoff, meaning Reigns’ recent run will instead fall into consideration for the next edition.
For this year’s list, the top 10 instead reflects the wrestlers whose records, championships, activity, and other PWI criteria were measured during that specific 12-month window. Reigns’ absence is therefore as much about when he wrestled as what he accomplished once he returned to a heavier schedule.
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