From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Randy Orton on the October 2008 cover Publisher Frequency Publisher First issue Company Country Language Website ISSN Stu Saks Monthly Golden Boy Enterprises September 1979 Sports and Entertainment Publications United States English www.pwi-online.com 1043-7576
Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Golden Boy Enterprises.
History
The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979. The magazine soon became known for not breaking kayfabe in its articles as it traditionally treated all "angles", or storylines, as real. However, in more recent years, the magazine has taken an editorial approach between kayfabe and "Shoot" writing, differentiating between on-screen feuds and controversies behind the scenes. PWI is not limited to covering only prominent professional wrestling promotions, as it also covers multiple independent promotions in the United States. PWI also publishes other special issues, which include: Pro Wrestling Illustrated Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts since 1996, Women of Wrestling, and a weekly newsletter entitled PWI Weekly from 1989 to 2000. PWI has given out annual awards and recognitions since 1972 and has also given out
monthly rankings for the big promotions, some select independents, and an overall rankings in singles and tag teams. Additionally, readers are given the ability vote for the winners of the year-end awards with ballots being included in special year-end issues. A special PWI Awards magazine is issued annually, which reveals winners and the number of votes counted. The following is a list of categories in which PWI has issued awards. • Wrestler of the Year (since 1972) • Tag Team of the Year (since 1972) • Match of the Year (since 1972) • Feud of the Year (since 1986) • Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (since 1972) • Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (since 1972) • Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (since 1978) • Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (since 1972) • Rookie of the Year (since 1972) • Stanley Weston Award (since 1981) • Comeback of the Year (since 1992) • Woman of the Year (since 1999) • Manager of the Year (1972 to 1999) • Girl Wrestler of the Year (1972 to 1976) • Midget Wrestler of the Year (1972 to 1976) • Announcer of the Year (1977)
PWI 500
PWI has published its list of the top 500 professional wrestlers each year since 1991, in an annual special edition magazine called the PWI 500.[1] Here are the top ten ranked wrestlers for each year:
PWI Top 50 Females All-Time Top Fives
Recorded accomplishments
Pro Wrestling Illustrated has recognized select singles and tag team championships of six professional wrestling promotions as
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Year 1 1991 Hulk Hogan 1992 Sting 1993 Bret Hart 1994 Bret Hart 1995 Diesel 2 Lex Luger Randy Savage Big Van Vader Hulk Hogan Shawn Michaels 3 Ric Flair Ric Flair Shawn Michaels Ric Flair Sting Sting Steve Austin 4 Randy Savage Rick Rude Sting Big Van Vader Bret Hart 5 Sting Bret Hart Yokozuna Shawn Michaels Sabu 6
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
7 8 9
Scott Steiner
Ricky Steve Steamboat Williams Scott Steiner
Arn Ander
Ricky Jerry Steamboat Lawler Ric Flair Steve Austin Hulk Hogan
Ultima Warrio
Lex Luger Rick Rude Razor Ramon Big Van Vader Sting Randy Savage Hulk Hogan
Mr. Perfec
Ricky Steam
Razor Ramon Sabu
1996 Shawn The Giant Michaels 1997 Dean Mitsuharu Malenko Misawa 1998 Steve Austin 1999 Steve Austin Goldberg
Kenta Ahmed Kobashi Johnson Diamond Lex Luger Dallas Page
Kevin Nash Rey Misterio, Jr.
Undertaker Shinya The Giant Hashimoto Booker T Ken Shamrock
Jushin Liger
Mitsuharu Diamond Undertaker Kenta Misawa Dallas Kobashi Page Mitsuharu Rey Mis- The Rock Misawa terio, Jr. Chris Benoit Chris Benoit Diamond Dallas Page
Jushin Liger
Rob Van Dam
Keiji Mutoh Mike Awesome Scott Steiner
Undertaker Goldbe
2000 Triple H The Rock 2001 Kurt Angle Steve Austin
Kenta Jeff Jarrett Justin Kobashi Credible Keiji Mutoh Chris Jericho Keiji Mutoh Booker T Eddie Guerrero Chris Jericho Triple H
Jushin Liger Mitsuharu Misawa Yuji Nagata Kenta Kobashi
Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
2002 Rob Van Undertaker Keiji Mutoh Dam 2003 Brock Lesnar 2004 Chris Benoit 2005 Batista 2006 John Cena 2007 John Cena 2008 Randy Orton Year 1 Triple H Eddie Guerrero John Cena Kurt Angle Triple H Satoshi Kojima
Kurt Angle Edge Big Show Toshiaki Kawada Booker T
The Ro
Eddie Guerre
Kenta Randy Kobashi Orton Triple H JBL Samoa Joe Kurt Angle Samoa Joe 5 Místico
John Cena A.J. Styles
Shawn Micha
Kurt Angle A.J. Styles Edge Rey Mysterio Brock Lesnar Christian Cage Kenta Kobashi
Shelto Benjam
Kurt Angle Edge Edge Mistico
Shawn Micha
Undertaker Shawn Michaels Edge
Perro Bobby Aguayo, Jr. Lashle
Kurt Angle Triple H
Undertaker Shawn Michaels 7 8 9
Nigel John C McGuiness 10
2
3
4
6
2008 Awesome Beth Gail Phoenix Kim Kong
Mickie MsChif Sara James Del Rey (NWA), (WWE),
Roxxi Melina Michelle Candice Laveaux McCool Michelle
"world" level accomplishments, which include those of the National Wrestling Alliance
World Wrestling Entertainment Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1 Wrestlers Hulk Hogan Tag Teams The Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal) 2 Ric Flair Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott Steiner) 3 André the Giant Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes, Buddy Roberts & Terry Gordy) • • • • • • • • • • 4
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
5 Antonio Inoki British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & Dynamite Kid)
Bret Hart The Rock ’n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson)
(TNA), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Of the six entities, only WWE, TNA, and the NWA remain as active organizations. Though different championships within these promotions have been recognized by the magazine, its criteria for selection remains unexplained. As there is no actual method of determining what constitutes a "world" level accomplishment in professional wrestling, or World Championship/World Tag Team Championship, it should be noted that the views presented in the following list are solely those of Pro Wrestling Illustrated and are not authoritative. The following championships are listed by what they are currently referred to in Pro Wrestling Illustrated and currently are or previously were recognized by the magazine. • AWA Heavyweight Championship • AWA Tag Team Championship • ECW Heavyweight Championship • ECW Tag Team Championship
NWA Heavyweight Championship NWA Tag Team Championship TNA World Championship TNA World Tag Team Championship WCW Heavyweight Championship WCW Tag Team Championship WWE Heavyweight Championship WWE Tag Team Championship WWE World Championship WWE World Tag Team Championship
References
[1] "Pro-Wrestling Edge - Pro-Wrestling Illustrated 500 History", http://www.wwe-zone.com/other/pwi/ 500/index.htm, retrieved on 2008-11-19. • 2005 Pro Wrestling Illustrated Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts.
External links
• Official site • Online Resource for PWI 500
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_Wrestling_Illustrated" Categories: Pro Wrestling Illustrated, American magazines, Publications established in 1979 This page was last modified on 23 May 2009, at 17:46 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
3