The 2025 PWI 500 is live and it’s the debate topic of the day. Fans and critics are arguing if Cody Rhodes and Jon Moxley deserve their places at the top, or if someone like Mistico and Will Ospreay should have been higher. Those arguments are always fun, but there is never a clear answer. However, there are still some surprising outcomes on the PWI 500 this year and here are a few spots that stood out.
Number 6: Jey Uso
Ok, so this was the first surprising ranking on the list. Jey Uso’s 2025 has been all about vibes, but the substance just isn’t there. This isn’t the same character who became “Main Event” Jey Uso during the early Tribal Chief angle. What fans are getting today is mostly an experience based in a theme song and the word “Yeet.” That works for WWE and its focus on sports entertainment but is lacking in a major point that makes this list “special.” Look at the other names in the top ten. Jey Uso certainly stands out and not in a good way.
Number 14: Oba Femi
This was an interesting spot for Oba Femi. Femi is the current WWE NXT Champion and has held that title for 259 days as of this writing. He won that title two months after dropping the NXT North American Championship, a title he held for 273 days. Want to know how much push is being put behind Femi? Since 2024, his Win-Loss record in singles matches is 52-2. October 8 will be the one-year mark since Femi’s last defeat in a singles match. That’s something worth noting and keeping an eye on because if this type of push continues, Femi will find himself in the top ten in 2026.
Number 17: Konosuke Takeshita
Konosuke Takeshita is one of the best professional wrestlers in the world. Easily one of the top five if someone takes full stock of his resume. Any performer who wins the G1 Climax deserves to be a top ten consideration on this list. There’s a strong push to see Takeshita win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, and with the run he’s had this year, no one would be surprised. Takeshita had a year worthy of the top ten, and in 2026, he’ll be up there with the best.
Number 63: Shinsuke Nakamura
This is an unfortunate surprise to point out, and it is not because of Shinsuke Nakamura. Alas, this is simply because he is a contracted WWE performer. From 2024 to 2025, Nakamura had 71 total matches according to Cagematch. His Win-Loss record is 6-65 during that run. When breaking that out into singles matches, his run is 5-49. That’s a horrible record, not because of Nakamura’s skill, but because of Triple H’s unwillingness to book Asian and Black male performers well on the main roster. It is an issue that has been pointed out time and time again, yet it is one that will not change any time soon. Sure, someone will point to his 95-day reign as WWE United States Champion. But it was a reign that included one title defense, which he lost by DQ. A horrible run for someone of Nakamura’s ability and stature in the business.
Number 141: Jasper Troy
Jasper Troy is a name that may require you to look twice. Why? Because he’s a new face in the business. So new, that he’s had only 46 matches so far since making his debut back in 2023. It is hard to see why he’s ranked so high on this list compared to some of his peers who are near him in the rankings. For example, how is Jasper Troy ranked higher than Mustafa Ali, Shelton Benjamin, Brody King, Kevin Knight, and others?
PWI 500 release day will always be a fun moment in wrestling because it brings out the most rabid fans to debate about who was placed where. These are some surprising placements on the list, and readers can expect more when the women’s list drops and the 2026 edition comes next year.