Hello and welcome to the WrestleTalk News - I’m Oli Davis.
PWI 500 Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional
wrestling magazine even older the Big Dave Meltzer’s illustrious Wrestling Observer
Newsletter, founded almost a decade before in 1972.
It’s the longest running English language publication devoted to playfighting, and even
now - in a world proliferated by list articles about absolutely anything (make sure to tune
into our 5 Botched NXT Call-Ups this weekend) - their annual ranking of the top 500 wrestlers
in the world is still considered a pro wrestling event.
For the first time in the list’s history, a Japanese wrestler topped the poll, with
Kazuchika Okada being named the best in the world since July 2016.
Which is probably well deserved, considering Dave Meltzer believes all three of his matches
with Kenny Omega this year are the best in wrestling history.
In his interview with the magazine, Okada spoke about a future move to the United States:
“[Going to WWE is] not something I think about.
New Japan is far superior to WWE when it comes to the quality of the roster and the quality
of the matches.”
Rainmaker!
...I’ve only got coins.
Just as traditional as the annual PWI 500, is the accompanying debate and moaning over
which wrestlers should be ranked higher or lower.
For those people, Samoa Joe wants to hurt you.
“If in the biz & upset about your PWI ranking, schedule permitting I'll stop by & toss a
brick at your head to justify your boo boo face”
To which The Young Bucks retorted: “Yeah, easy for you to say, Mr. #8!”
Okada was joined in the top five by AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns and Kenny Omega
- in descending order.
In celebration of the list, I’ve actually compiled my own rankings - which is mainly
dominated by Smackdown referee Rudy Charles.
You’re the best Rudy!
Maybe in a few years time...
Triple H Offers Ronda Rousey WWE Move ...Ronda Rousey will be cracking the top 10.
Fightful reported last month that the UFC star had “expressed interest in a pro wrestling
run, even going so far as to learn some of the basics from a current WWE wrestler”
- training with Brian Kendrick in Southern California.
This was around the time Rousey visited the WWE Performance Center to watch her fellow
Four Horsewoman Shayna Baszler compete in the Mae Young Classic, prompting Triple H
to post a photo of the two on Twitter.
While promoting the WWE Network tournament on ESPN’s First Take, Triple H made Ronda
a very public offer to join WWE: "Ronda has been a huge fan of WWE her whole
life...
I think it's something that she's definitely interested in and I'll throw it out right
now: if she's interested I'll give her the opportunity.
We're all about personalities and that's what she brings to the table.”
Triple H’s comments could just be a way to promote a public narrative of Ronda coming
to WWE - with an agreement for her to wrestle already in place backstage.
Along with the Fightful report that Rousey has started training, the Wrestling Observer
Newsletter recently claimed WWE are “very high on the Horsewoman vs. Horsewoman idea”
- pitting Ronda, Baszler and their other MMA Horsewomen Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke,
against their WWE counterparts Charlotte, Bayley, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch.
Ronda is still under contract with the UFC, but she hasn’t fought since last December
and has no fights booked on the horizon.
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Batista is rumoured for a Hall of Fame induction next year!
And which two WWE wrestlers are returning next year?
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I’ve been Oli Davis, and that was wrestling.