As a longtime fan and reader of Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine, I was excited to get my digital new issue today because it features the second list of their ranking season, the PWI Women’s 250. Whereas the prior PWI 500 features all wrestlers but focuses on men (women are ranked though), this one is just for the ladies. As with the 500, this post focuses on spotlighting where women from and who compete mainly in Japan are ranked, plus the overall top 10.
Because the print edition does not come out for another 3 weeks, be advised that if you are waiting for that version and if you want to avoid SPOILERS until then DO NOT click below! (Be careful browsing online and on Zinio as the cover gives away the top 2)
This isn’t just any top 10, they have criteria. First, wrestlers must have competed in at least 10 single matches over the ranking period or 6 matches in 6 different months. Priority is given to single matches. There are other factors too but this is the key for eligibility. The evaluation period was 10/1/2024-9/30/2025.
First, the overall top 10:
1-Mercedes Mone (fka Sasha Banks) (All Elite Wrestling)
2-Toni Storm (AEW)
3-Saya Kamitani (Stardom)
4-Tiffany Stratton (WWE)
5-Stephanie Vaquer (WWE)
6-Iyo Sky (WWE)
7-Athena (AEW/Ring Of Honor)
8-Sareee (Independent/Freelancer)
9-Naomi (WWE)
10-Rhea Ripley (WWE)
My thoughts: Mone at #1 was pretty much the biggest possible no-brainer. She won everything except the AEW Women’s Championship and that seems to be imminent, plus she went out and won a literal ton of independent titles all over the world. Storm at #2 was mainly for what she has done in AEW, which despite her playing her persona incredibly well (and turning it into a movie role) is one of many things that in recent years has turned me away from the promotion. Kamitani is the highest ranked Japan wrestler at #3 and I had her at #2 because she has become the face-and heel-of Stardom and easily the top women’s wrestler in all Japan in my eyes. And while it won’t count for this year’s rankings she’s earned perhaps the biggest spot a woman in Japan can earn there-a match at New Japan’s 1/4 Tokyo Dome event, the biggest in all Japan and maybe biggest in the world after WWE WrestleMania. Not notably in the top 10, or in the rankings at all due to being forced to retire in April, is Tam Nakano. Those who retire or are out long-term due to injuries or other issues are not ranked (which also explains why notable names such as Masha Slamovich and Meiko Satomura aren’t ranked). The matches requirement is the only reason fellow Stardom wrestler Maika is not ranked-she needed one more single match per their criteria. Elsewhere, I think Stratton is overranked at #4 but it helps she is/was on WWE TV almost every week, Vaquer could have been a spot or two higher because of her meteoric rise to the top of WWE. Sky is the second of 3 Japanese women in the top 10 followed by Sareee at #8, probably in part due to her IWGP Women’s Championship reign.
The rest of the Japan/Japanese women rankings:
14-Starlight Kid (Stardom)
18-Mayu Iwatani (Stardom/Marigold)
19-Mizuki (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
21-Giulia (Stardom/WWE)
24-Momo Watanabe (Stardom)
26-Mina Shirakawa (AEW)
31-AZM (Stardom)
33-Megan Bayne (Stardom/AEW)
36-Takumi Iroha (Independent/Freelancer)
37-Utami Hayashishita (Marigold)
39-Syuri (Stardom)
42-Miu Watanabe (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
44-Natsupoi (Stardom)
46-Thekla (Stardom/AEW)
55-Suzume (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
57-Jada Stone (Tokyo Joshi Pro/TNA Wrestling)
59-Miku Aono (Marigold)
61-Shoko Nakajima (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
62-Rina (Stardom)
65-Mei Seira (Stardom)
72-Miyu Yamashita (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
75-Chihiro Hashimoto (Sendai Girls)
78-Bozilla (Marigold/Stardom)
83-Hazuki (Stardom)
85-Victoria Yuzuki (Marigold)
90-Mika Iwata (Sendai Girls)
93-Hina (Stardom)
95-Natsumi Showzuki (Marigold)
100-Hanan (Stardom)
101-Mai Sakurai (Marigold)
104-ChiChi (Sendai Girls, Evolution)
110-Koguma (Stardom)
112-Arisu Endo (Stardom)
115-Kairi Sane (WWE)
118-Miyu Amasaki (Stardom)
120-Miyuki Takase (Sendai Girls)
122-Hiroyo Matsumoto (Independent/Freelancer)
124-Saori Anou (Stardom)
126-Manami Katsu (Ice Ribbon)
129-Tomoka Inaba (JTO/Stardom)
130-Azusa Inaba (JTO/Stardom)
132-Dash Chisako (Sendai Girls)
133-MIRAI (Marigold/Michinoku Pro)
136-Kouki Amarei (Marigold)
139-Haruka Umesaki (Diana)
141-Misa Matsui (Marigold)
142-Natsuko Tora (Stardom)
143-Suzu Suzuki (Stardom)
147-Yuki Arai (Tokyo Joshi Pro) (Obviously makes me incredibly happy)
150-Senka Akatsuki (Independent/Freelancer)
151-Aya Sakura (Stardom)
153-Mei Suruga (Chocolate Pro Wrestling)
156-Seri Yamaoka (Marigold)
159-Moka Miyamoto (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
163-Yuu (Sendai Girls)
164-SAKI (Independent/Freelancer)
168-Makoto (Independent/Freelancer)
169-Risa Sera (Independent/Freelancer)
171-Sayaka Unagi (Independent/Freelancer)
173-Veny (Independent/Freelancer)
180-Yuki Kamifuku (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
181-Bea Priestley (WWE/Stardom)
183-Rina Yamashita (Stardom)
190-Yuuki Mashiro (Ice Ribbon)
193-Rika Tatsumi )Tokyo Joshi Pro)
195-Wakana Uehara (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
196-Aja Kong (OZ Academy)
198-HANAKO (Stardom)
202-Cohaku (WAVE)
208-Ryo Mizunami (Independent/Freelancer)
230-Viva Van (New Japan/Tokyo Joshi Pro/etc)
241-Maki Itoh (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
250-Manami (Diana)
Not Ranked But #1 In Our Hearts-Pom Harajuku )Tokyo Joshi Pro)