"Attributes such as charisma, promo skills and in-ring ability were not taken into account."

Yeah.. what else is interesting in PW?
On the other hand are you going to make a list taking them into account?

Hey Kev, I agree with the list almost 100%, but why did you rank the Miz so low?

RESPONSE FROM KE: Every guy above him (except Kingston) wrestled in at least one PPV main event or PPV world title match. Miz's programs were mid-card.

I bet you wouldn't have thought two years ago that you would have The Miz on this list. LOL Oh how times have changed.

The Miz at 23??!?!?! How?? he has had at least 1 title or a briefcase for months, and months.. I dont get that one... And how is Matt Morgan even in the top 35???? Besides those 2, everything else is on point.... good job...

Where's Bret Hart!?

HBK at 11?? Really?? I'd expect higher, especially from you. Good Stuff doing the DX thing, nice feud with Legacy and JeriShow as Unified Tag Champs. He headlined along with Cena and Tripple H in December. Great match with Taker at Mania, almost as good as the prior year, and may have been if given more time. Obviously he wasn't on the air after Mania, but either was Taker and you have him at 3.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I love this -- a complaint about Michaels not being high enough! I didn't expect that. Every guy in the top 10 held a world title at some point. Michaels is No. 11 (a pretty good spot) for all the reasons you said. He did not have a lot of major programs as a singles wrestler (really, it was just The Undertaker match so that's why he wasn't higher). And Undertaker did appear after Mania.

As much as I love Jericho (and I love Jericho), I can't see how he is top-ten. Has he even won five televised or PPV matches over the past year?

How many times have we seen him pinned? Hell, he got pinned by a rookie on NXT!

RESPONSE FROM KE: He and Big Show won three PPV matches as a tag team; Jericho also was part of winning Smackdown team at Bragging Rights; and he won the world title at Elimination Chamber and successfully defended it against Edge at WrestleMania.

Wasn't Kingston in one of the Elimination Chambers at, well, Elimination Chamber (what a stupid name) ... that's a PPV title match.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Yes, he was. In fact, that's one of the reasons why I had him a notch above Miz (also his program with Orton). Thanks.

OK, I agree with much of what you say, but no Kane? You have the retired Michaels and MIA Batista but not a current champ????

RESPONSE FROM KE: For most of the grading period Kane was not a major player. He won the title a couple weeks before the deadline. The rankings reflect the past year as a whole; not right this second. Batista and Michaels were much more prominent than Kane during that span. Still, Kane just mssed making this list. BTW, PWI kad Kane at No. 79.

Hey, agree with everything except for one.

"RESPONSE FROM KE: Every guy above him (except Kingston) wrestled in at least one PPV main event or PPV world title match. Miz's programs were mid-card."

So why is Miz ranked one below Kingston? Surely he should atleast be above Kofi Kingston.

RESPONSE FROM KE: When I resoponded I had forgotten that Kingston did participate in an elimination chamber match for the title. Plus, he was involved in a feud with Randy Orton, which is about as high proifile as you can get.

Not to be picky but, why are you starting the grading period starting in August....I would think using a wrestiling calender year (from wrestlemania on) would be a better way to go, just my opinion

RESPONSE FROM KE: Because this is when the PWI 500 hits newsstands and I wanted to cover roughly the saem period as them. They did June 1, 2009 to May 31, 2010.

Given your criteria, can't really complain about the rankings. Perhaps Shawn Michaels would have ranked higher if he held a world title?

No way Anderson, Big Show, or Morgan should be ahead of The Miz. In addition to being Mr. MITB and US Champ, he also held tag titles on different occassions (one of which he was also US Champ) and he single handedly makes WWE's newest show worth watching. WWE used Big Show to help Miz's push and Show's title program was a complete sham because there was no way he was ever going to win. Anderson and Morgan are certainly talented but Miz has been MUCH more successful on the bigger stage.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Miz went long stretches without defending U.S. title. His lack of a main event program hurt him as well,

Seems fair given the criteria, but I've always felt the PWI rankings were nonsense. It essentially is a list of who was pushed hardest for a year, and Cena has pretty much been force fed to us for 5 years now so its not much of a contest.

Kev whats your thoughts on a seperate list taking into account in ring work, promos, star power etc?

RESPONSE FROM KE: You described the PWI list and this one perfectly: it's ranking who has received the biggest pushes. Probably won't do a second list (but I might).

Not a bad list, Eck.

I'd have Styles a few spots higher, overtaking Batista and Taker.

Edge and Sting are a shadow of their former selves and don't deserve to make the top 25, whilst Anderson should be a little higher.

And one from left field for the last few spots, The Miz.
He hasn't had any major feuds or won any major titles but he's had a huge impact on WWE programming and has become a top tier entertainer in the last 12 months.

Given your criteria and the short 1 year grading period, I appreciate your rankings.

However, for someone who quoted 'My superior genes attributes makes me better than you all...', I expected him to atleast be higher in the ranks especially he won a Wrestlemania main event match. Jericho was right that he wrestled every match within 'your' grading period. I think that the Wrestling time should have been more carefully examined.

As I am getting on this subject, can you explain to me, how Undertaker is at No.3 despite having fight only a mere 5 months.

As much, I can hate Batista, he'd been in so many 'FUTILE' main events that I will not say anything more.

Finally, I thank you to have state clearly your considering attributes which considerably reduced comments from Cena's Detractors. He is at NO.1 deservingly.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Undertaker returned at SummerSlam and was active until WrestleMania. Then he returned briefly before being put in a "vegetative state," so it was longer than five months. When he was active, he was on top. He was world champ from Oct to February and was in eight straight "main event" matches on PPV (and he won six of them). Had he missed a little less time, I probably would have put him above Orton.

I echo the comments of Shammers! No Bret Hart

This is down to your Somewhat irrational hate for the hitman, he's been in some high profile feuds this year just like shawn michaels

Hey Kev I just want to show you a vid that explains why so many people hate characters like John Cena's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxyHABH7DkQ
This Nexus angle may not have turned Cena heel but it may have helped get him over, by showing a more human side to him.
BTW how about that sell on the Spear?

Why is Matt Morgan on the list?

He isn't any better of a wrestler now than he was 6 years ago in OVW.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Well, the list is about his push more than his ability, but with that being said, I do think he is sigificantly better.

I disagree with your #1. The fact that Cena won a PPV by ducting taping his opponent is worth knocking him down a couple of spots. Orton on the other hand is way above the rest. He pulls the crowd in not, by his talk but by his action in the ring.

Where is the love for Drew? Every week you post how well he does, but you don't have in on the list?

RESPONSE FROM KE: I like Drew but it's not a list of my favorites.

I agree with your top twenty, and at the same time disagree. I am a big fan of Samoa Joe, but it seems like TNA has buried him to make way for Jeff Hardy and Ken Anderson.
I am really hoping that with both Roode and Storm in Fortune, maybe both will get a singles push and possibly a singles title for Roode.
You forgot Rob Terry. He moves like refrigorator and has the personality of door knob.
Sting on the list is a great call.

Interesting list - seems quite familiar - but on spot - but 2 quick q's bout this - anyone from Nexus you predict will be on this list next year ?

2nd - the followup to this would be Kev so we know where you are coming from...give us your dream matches for this year - who you would put against each other that would be the best matchups for 2010 - I'd like to know and please no "you vs the beautiful people in a lingere pillow fight"

RESPONSE FROM KE: 1. Wade Barrett; 2. Cena-Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVII is the first thing that comes to mind.

Kevin,

I like the list...I agree with your list for the most part. I do believe AJ Styles should be higher on the list...maybe not above the Undertaker but definitely above Batista. I do think AJ Styles is the one of the top two best wrestlers active today. He is just not being utilized like he should.

Great job, Kevin...love your work!

This is almost as bad as the PWI 500.