Ryback Talks Kenny Omega Being Ranked No. 1 On The PWI 500 List
As previously noted, IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega topped this year's annual PWI 500 list, as voted on by the editors and writers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated. It's the first time in the 28-year history of the list that non-WWE wrestlers have claimed the No. 1 spot in consecutive years, with Kazuchika Okada topping last year's list. On a recent episode of his Conversation With The Big Guy podcast, Ryback gave his opinion on the list.
"Honestly, it's just a person or a group of people's opinion [on the list] and that's fine, Ryback said. "For as bad as people say that I am I was #13 one year I believe, so it means nothing. That is good that they made their list; it is their list."
Ryback went on to say that he believes the top spot should go to a WWE superstar because of the demanding schedule they have to endure as opposed to independent wrestlers who can pick and choose their own schedule. Omega is one of the most popular wrestlers in the world and he works a lot of shows, but it still isn't as hectic as what WWE wrestlers go through.
"My opinion, and only my opinion is that they should always have a WWE guy at the top of their list. I say that because of the schedule. A guy like AJ Styles is going out there 4 nights a week, week after week, big time TV matches and pay per view matches, which is an entire different ballgame than anything else," he said. "Not to discredit anyone else but they are the most notable professional wrestling company in the world and the schedule, there is no other schedule like, so that has to be factored in, which it probably is to a certain degree, but again, all great names on the list, but if you take a group of 20 people they can have 20 different choices for who is number one, as I told you my reasons why I think it should be WWE guys at the top of the list because of the schedule and the demands."
Ryback offered congratulations to Omega. Thanks to his brilliant in-ring work and his impeccable storytelling and mic skills, Omega is definitely deserving of the honor.
"But again, I don't know all the factors that go into it, but congratulations to Kenny Omega," Ryback said. "I have never met him I don't believe, but everyone that I know has known him and says nothing but good things to say about him. He has had many good matches, so you can't argue in that standpoint, but I just think that from the schedule standpoint WWE guys have it a little bit harder."
If you use any portion of the quotes in this article please credit Conversation With The Big Guy with a H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.
Source: Conversation With The Big Guy
Peter Bahi contributed to this article.