Pro Wrestling Illustrated has released its annual “PWI 500” list, and WWE star Roman Reigns has taken the top spot based on his three World Title wins. The following is an excerpt from the PWI article, which features comments from Reigns:

Roman Reigns has been selected as number one in the 26th annual “PWI 500.” And while Reigns has elicited mixed reactions from fans over the past two years, he proved to be an easy choice for the editorial staff of Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

During the evaluation period (July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016), he won the WWE championship three times. He headlined the biggest WrestleMania of all-time, defeating Triple-H. From November 2015 through June 2016, Reigns was unquestionably WWE’s top star and most consistent headliner. Very simply put, by the criteria used to rank the “PWI 500,” no one in the world had a better year.

We informed Reigns of his ranking in a phone interview (full interview available for free on The PWI Podcast at the iTunes Store), and it was apparent he took the honor to heart.

http://www.pwi-online.com/pages/readastoryleft.html

“Thank you, man. It’s crazy. Last year, was I what, three or four? (Ed. Note: he was number four) To just remain in that same company, to be in that class with those guys, it’s world class,” he said.

I guess they don't wanna sell no magazines

I don't understand why people even care about this list. I guess I can understand the wrestlers caring to some degree but its not like this list means anything. I mean if the number 1 spot got like a cash prize I could understand.

and the reason they pick Roman to be number 1 is to get people talking. they know how easily people get all pissy whenever he is brought up and so they used this. Make Roman Reigns number 1, make people pissy, which makes people talk about PWI.

I get why he's number one. It's a kayfabe list.

I buy the PWI 500 every year but I'm going to pass this year

In all fairness, if you're going by accomplishments and the like, Roman deserved to be number one on this list. Three World title wins and winning the main event of the biggest WM of all time kinda warrant that.

Although, saying he's still the top name in WWE by June is wrong. He hasn't felt like the top name (even from a booking stand-point) since he lost the Shield Triple Threat. That was his second PPV in a row getting pinned clean (and it followed his suspension) and then he lost clean to Finn on the very next show and dropped out of the World title picture.

I honestly don't get why Reigns gets so much hate when Finn Balor gets a lot of praise. I see no difference between the two besides the fact that one has a really cool entrance.

Roman was pushed to the top in a stupid way. They should have just kept him undefeated and people would have been interested in him. He shouldn't have had his first loss to The Big Show

Yeah, but Roman catches a lot of heat from the "You can't wrestle" crowd also when he is a very good wrestler.

I just think the fanboys will go crazy for anyone who has wrestled in Japan or any other significant Indy place.

Bad Luck Fale is the best

Still unwarranted hate.

I get it: people don't like Reigns and the fact he was pushed to the moon but for fuck's sake enjoy wrestling, which he's good at! Hell, Lex Luger was way less talented than anyone else and still people liked him, and by god if he wasn't fed to everyone like Reigns was lol I think the only issue was that Reigns' push happened at the same time WWE fucked over with the "Universe" about Daniel Bryan's push/situation.

Seriously: people, this is wrestling. They do what they're paid to do because they fucking love what they do Don't be butthurt because you don't like X or Y.

Lex had better matches than Roman

MooseNugget wrote:

Lex had better matches than Roman

Imo the only things he had that gave him a pop:
- him Bodyslamming Yokozuna, making him a face for a while because he was wearing an american flag as wrestling gear;
- him showing up at the first WCW Nitro Episode;

Other than that, he was...very meh.

Roman had many more and better matches than Luger

Idk man, Lex was man enough to admit when he has half the brains of someone else. That's pretty cool.

Giggity Gopher™ wrote:

Idk man, Lex was man enough to admit when he has half the brains of someone else. That's pretty cool.

Um, that was Sid ._.

Sid did the brain thing

Luger did this

Jimin MarvinLuder wrote:

Sid did the brain thing

Luger did this

Yep xD Loved that one tbh.
Still, Luger isn't a good guy. He isn't a bad guy. But he isn't "The Guy" either.

Zanon wrote:

Giggity Gopher™ wrote:

Idk man, Lex was man enough to admit when he has half the brains of someone else. That's pretty cool.

Um, that was Sid ._.

Oh, right.

Well then. I have been foiled again.

Zanon wrote:

MooseNugget wrote:

Lex had better matches than Roman

Imo the only things he had that gave him a pop:
- him Bodyslamming Yokozuna, making him a face for a while because he was wearing an american flag as wrestling gear;
- him showing up at the first WCW Nitro Episode;

Other than that, he was...very meh.

Roman had many more and better matches than Luger

This clown must have missed out on 1989 WCW

Yeah, 80s Luger was a fairly good wrestler from what I've seen.

You think he was better than Reigns is, I think it's the other way around. As for actual good matches, no, in my opinion, Luger's matches weren't as good as the ones Reigns' has put on so far.

MooseNugget wrote:

Zanon wrote:

MooseNugget wrote:

Stuff

More stuff

This clown must have missed out on 1989 WCW

The moment someone prefers to go all the way to call someone a "clown" for having an opinion, yet they show no argument other than "Oh the 89 Luger!!"

I get why saying Lex was better than Roman is right now is controversial. Lex's WWE run was pretty shit.

Lex worked and learned with the best workers from the 80s. His selling is superior than what anyone dies in WWE right now.

totally