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Women's wrestling, both in WWE and around the world, has evolved considerably over the past 20 years. At one point, most promotions, especially those in the United States, treated their Women's division as a sideshow at best.
Nowadays, it is not unusual for women to headline major events or for the bulk of a show to feature female stars. For instance, next week's episode of NXT is set to feature five matches with female superstars involved. It is indeed a different era.
With these changes, there arrived a notable change in media as well. Beginning in 2008, Pro Wrestling Illustrated began listing a PWI 50, celebrating the 50 best female stars. Over time, that number has grown, and today, the list ranks the top 250 women in wrestling.
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While numerous stars from World Wrestling Entertainment made it onto the list, only a few were in the top 10. That is certainly surprising, especially provided the fact that some of the stars were left out of the top spots in the list. This article will highlight some of those particular superstars.
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Below are four WWE Superstars who missed the top 10 of the PWI Women's 250.
#4. Asuka was just shy of the Top 10
Asuka is known as one of the greatest female wrestlers of all time. She found great success in Japan even prior to joining WWE. Since being signed by Triple H and World Wrestling Entertainment, Asuka went on to win gold on all three brands. She has also been involved in numerous main events.
Over the past year or so, The Empress of Tomorrow has certainly found a fair amount of success. She managed to capture both the WWE Women's Championship and the Women's Tag Team Titles.
Despite her accolades and immense skill, Asuka missed out on the top 10, albeit just barely. She was ranked #11 in the PWI Women's 250 list. It could certainly be argued that she belongs in the top 10, potentially even the top five.
#3. The WWE Women's Champion was far from the Top 10
IYO SKY is one of the most talented performers in World Wrestling Entertainment. She started her career in Japan and became an international sensation before joining NXT. She joined the main roster last year as part of Damage CTRL.
The past year or so has been a big one for SKY. She won the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles on two separate occasions alongside Dakota Kai. She has since gone on to win the WWE Women's Championship.
Despite being the reigning champion, IYO was listed at a low #24 on the PWI Women's 250. A lot of this likely has to do with timing, as she won her coveted title in August, which is right around the cut-off period. She will more than likely rank far higher in 2024.
#2. Becky Lynch had a surprisingly low spot
Becky Lynch is an all-time great. She has broken down barriers and become one of the biggest stars, regardless of gender, in the past 20 years. Her success even led The Man to headline WrestleMania 35, where she stood tall in the main event.
The Man has had quite the year or so. She lost to Bianca Belair at SummerSlam 2022 and turned babyface. She then had a long and engaging feud with Damage CTRL. Lynch went on to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles, NXT Women's Championship, and even feuded with Trish Stratus.
Out of everybody on the list, Becky's position is the most puzzling. Despite main eventing RAW many times and eventually winning the NXT Women's Championship, The Man was listed as #29 on the PWI Women's 250. Even excluding the late title win, she also had a few major feuds and won tag team gold. Due to these reasons, The Man's position is quite baffling.
#1. Charlotte Flair did not make the Top 10
Charlotte Flair is the most decorated female superstar in WWE history. She is a 14-time World Champion. In addition to those impressive accolades, Flair has also captured tag team gold and the NXT Women's Championship twice.
Flair has had a mixed year. On one hand, she won the SmackDown Women's Championship and held it until WrestleMania 39, where she had an epic bout with Rhea Ripley. On the other hand, Charlotte missed a lot of time.
The Queen is another major star who did not make the Top 10 in the list or even the Top 20. She ranked as #21 on the PWI Women's 250 despite holding a top title earlier this year and being in a major match at WrestleMania. There is a chance that her time off in WWE could have impacted her spot.
Which superstar deserved a place in the Top 10 of the PWI Women's 250 list? Sound off in the comments section below!
