Rankong season continues with the second of Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine’s 3 annual year-end rankings lists, the Women’s 250. This one is a women-only ranking of the top 250 female wrestlers in the world based on their criteria, most significantly at least 10 single matches over the last year, between 10/1/2025-9/30/2026.
Because only the digital version is out now and the print version is 3-4 weeks away, this will contain SPOILERS for those waiting for the latter (I get digital, faster and much cheaper). So only click below if you don’t want to wait to know the results!
First, the overall top 10 (#1 is on the cover) then notable Japanese or mainly-Japan-based wrestlers after that:
1-Stephanie Vaquer (WWE)
2-Willow Nightingale (All Elite Wrestling)
3-Thekla (AEW)
4-Mercedes Mone (AEW) (last year’s #1)
5-Saya Kamitani (Stardom)
6-Liv Morgan (WWE)
7-Persephone (CMLL)
8-Syuri (Stardom) (#1 in 2022)
9-Rhea Ripley (WWE)
10-Kris Statlander (AEW)
The rest:
15-Suzu Suzuki (Stardom)
21-Miu Watanabe (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
22-Chihiro Hashimoto (Sendai Girls)
24-Hanan (Stardom)
25-Iyo Sky (WWE)
29-Rina (Stardom)
35-Konami (Stardom)
36-Yuki Arai (Tokyo Joshi Pro) (Obviously VERY HAPPY with this, she moved up 111 spots over last year)
39-Miku Aono (Marigold)
44-Suzume (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
45-Sareee (Independent/Freelancer)
48-Takumi Iroha (Marvelous)
52-Sayaka Kurara (Stardom)
54-MIRAI (Michinoku Pro)
56-Starlight Kid (Stardom)
62-Hikaru Shida (AEW)
63-Mayu Iwatani (Independent/Freelancer)
65-Victoria Yuzuki (Marigold)
71-Miyu Yamashita (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
76-Utami Hayashishita (Stardom)
79-Mina Shirakawa (AEW)
81-Hazuki (Stardom)
85-Haruka Umesaki (Diana)
87-Sena Akatsuki (Sendai Girls)
91-Natsupoi (Stardom)
96-Mei Seira (Stardom)
99-Maika (Stardom)
101-Shoko Nakajima (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
103-Arisu Endo (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
105-AZM (Stardom)
112-Maki Itoh (Stardom)
117-Yuna Mizumori (Stardom)
129-Hiroyo Matsumoto (Independent/Freelancer)
135-Itsuki Aoki (Stardom)
139-Seri Yamaoka (Marigold)
141-Ayami Sasamura (Independent/Freelancer)
144-Spike Nishimura (Sendai Girls)
148-Azusa Inaba (Stardom, JTO)
152-Tomoka Inaba (Stardom, JTO)
154-Rina Yamashita (Stardom)
164-Mio Momomo (Sendai Girls)
168-Sayaka Unagi (Independent/Freelancer)
171-Saori Anou (Stardom)
184-Mika Iwata (Sendai Girls)
188-Rika Tatsumi (Tokyo Joshi Pro)
191-Ranna Yagami (Stardom)
193-Veny (Independent/Freelancer)
201-Emi Sakura (AEW)
203-HANAKO (Stardom)
Also worth shouting out: Natalya/Nattie Neidhart, who keeps her Jushin Liger run going as the only woman to be ranked in all 19 editions so far.
And there you have it! Congrats to all who were ranked this year! And to once again the top Japanese wrestler, our PHENEX QUEEN at #5! (She was #3 last year)
Next up: The Tag Team 100!