AEW Angle SCRAPPED Because Wrestler Didn't Top PWI 500

One AEW talent had a "whole angle" planned around topping the PWI 500.

by Andrew Pollard
AEW Roster
AEW.com

It takes a bold, bold person to make tentative wrestling plans based on themselves topping the PWI 500 later in the year, but that was seemingly indeed the case for one AEW talent.

The most recent episode of Talk Is Jericho saw the titular Le Champion joined by Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Al Castle and Kevin McElvaney to discuss, amongst other things, putting together the annual PWI 500 and debating whether Kenny Omega or Roman Reigns deserved to nab the top spot in the men's list this year.

Once the PWI guys got going with their discussion, they made mention that a "co-worker" of Jericho's had a "whole angle planned around being #1, and he wasn't". While the co-worker in question wasn't named, it was said that this was a couple of years ago.

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Since AEW formed, the PWI 500 has been headed up by Jon Moxley in 2020 and Kenny Omega in 2021. In terms of who this mystery person could be, it's maybe safe to rule both Mox and Omega out. It's also likely wise to rule out any recent AEW arrivals, as these loose plans seem to have been laid down by someone who has been in AEW for the past few years.

Of course, one name that immediately springs to mind when weighing up who Jericho's miffed co-worker could be, is Cody Rhodes. Rhodes himself admitted last year that he was, as he put it at the time, "pissed" that he didn't top the PWI 500. For what it's worth, Cody ranked #7 in 2020.

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Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.