PWI 500

[Deleted]

Aug 19, 2009 14:04:50 GMT -5 talison said:

This is the first year I can remember a US Indie guy, a Luchador, and a Japanese guy all in the top 10.

It's happened a few times, depending on who you consider an indy guy.
1996: Sabu, Kobashi, Mysterio
1999: Taz, Mysterio, Misawa. (Muto as well)
2006. Samoa Joe (He was still active on the indies) Mistico, and Kobashi.

Fun fact: RVD was #2 in 1999.

[talison]

I was thinking about 06, but couldn't quite remember who all was there. Wouldn't count 99, didn't so much mean Luchador as Luchador competing primarily in Mexico. 97 was the first year I bought the issue.

RVD also was #1 in 02

[Gunslinger]

If there's sufficient interest, I'll go down into my basement and get 1993 and 1995. Wasn't Sabu in the top 5 in 97?

[Gunslinger]

Turns out I was fairly interested. Here are the top tens from each year.

1993:

• Bret Hart
  
• Vader
  
• Shawn Michaels
  
• Sting
  
• Yokozuna
  
• Ric Flair
  
• Lex Luger
  
• Rick Rude
  
• Curt Hennig
  
• Scott Steiner
  

1995:

• Diesel
  
• Shawn Michaels
  
• Sting
  
• Bret Hart
  
• Sabu
  
• Hulk Hogan
  
• Vader
  
• Randy Savage
  
• Razor Ramon
  
• Mitsuharu Misawa
  

[talison]

They put these in the Almanac so I have access to them. Just never really studied the lists before I started buying in 97.

[Deleted]

Aug 19, 2009 17:16:41 GMT -5 Gunslinger said:

If there's sufficient interest, I'll go down into my basement and get 1993 and 1995. Wasn't Sabu in the top 5 in 97?

Nope. Top 10 was, in this order: Malenko, Misawa, Austin, DDP, Luger, Undertaker, Hashimoto, The Giant, Jushin Liger, Chris Benoit.

[Gunslinger]

Aug 19, 2009 19:34:55 GMT -5 @switchfoot said:

Aug 19, 2009 17:16:41 GMT -5 Gunslinger said:

If there's sufficient interest, I'll go down into my basement and get 1993 and 1995. Wasn't Sabu in the top 5 in 97?

Nope. Top 10 was, in this order: Malenko, Misawa, Austin, DDP, Luger, Undertaker, Hashimoto, The Giant, Jushin Liger, Chris Benoit.

I was thinking of 95. The PWI Top 500 was a big event for me pre-internet.

[Deleted]

Aug 19, 2009 20:04:16 GMT -5 Gunslinger said:

Aug 19, 2009 19:34:55 GMT -5 @switchfoot said:

Nope. Top 10 was, in this order: Malenko, Misawa, Austin, DDP, Luger, Undertaker, Hashimoto, The Giant, Jushin Liger, Chris Benoit.

I was thinking of 95. The PWI Top 500 was a big event for me pre-internet.

Same here, it gave fans a chance to learn about guys they'd likely never have discovered without it. I loved the 97 PWI 500, though. I'm not sure why, but I remember seeing Malenko on the cover (he was my favorite at the time, slightly ahead of Undertaker and Sting), and like flipping out. I wish I knew what happened to it, I think it got thrown away some years ago. Sucks, really.

[Gunslinger]

Aug 19, 2009 23:02:02 GMT -5 @switchfoot said:

Aug 19, 2009 20:04:16 GMT -5 Gunslinger said:

I was thinking of 95. The PWI Top 500 was a big event for me pre-internet.

Same here, it gave fans a chance to learn about guys they'd likely never have discovered without it. I loved the 97 PWI 500, though. I'm not sure why, but I remember seeing Malenko on the cover (he was my favorite at the time, slightly ahead of Undertaker and Sting), and like flipping out. I wish I knew what happened to it, I think it got thrown away some years ago. Sucks, really.

Do you remember what 97's cover looked like? I'm pretty sure it's still in my big box of wrestling magazines from the 80's and 90's.

[talison]

I still have mine, I can dig it out after work.