PWI Top 500 Wrestlers Of 2019 - Top 10 Names REVEALED

4. Kofi Kingston

This time last year, Kofi Kingston was 82nd in the PWI500, having slid from 69 (nice) the year prior. Nobody, in this sport or on this planet, has gotten what they deserve in life as richly as Kofi Kingston has these past 12 months.

It was never supposed to be this way though. Kingston, for all his years of loyal service in WWE, was never somebody the company was going to place their main-event spotlight on. He was a comedy act, a tag team wrestler, a steady hand who had a handful of single's runs long in has past and would, presumably, be happy with his lot and collect a Hall of Fame ring a few years down the line.

Fans though, as they so often do, stepped in. With no logical challenger at WrestleMania 35 (a fact that, in itself, is scarcely believable) they demanded that Kofi finally be given the opportunity. A brief flirtation with Bryan in the winter unearthed some brilliant natural chemistry and, by the time the show of shows rolled around, it genuinely felt like the biggest thing in wrestling.

His run since has underwhelmed, but the current angle with Randy Orton is finally allowing him to carry the belt like he's earned it. This may be his only year in the top 5, but by god has he earned it.