PWI Wrestler of the Year

The PWI Wrestler of the Year Award, given yearly since 1972 by professional wrestling magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated, recognizes the best professional wrestler of the year as voted by readers of the magazine. Ric Flair has been voted wrestler of the year a record 6 times.
==Award winners and runners-up==
Year	Winner 	First runner-up 	Second runner-up 	Third runner-up
1972	Pedro Morales 	. 	. 	.
1973	Jack Brisco 	. 	. 	.
1974	Bruno Sammartino	. 	. 	.
1975	Mr. Wrestling II	. 	. 	.
1976	Terry Funk 	Bruno Sammartino	Nick Bockwinkel 	Paul Jones
1977	Dusty Rhodes 	Billy Graham 	Bob Backlund 	Harley Race
1978	Dusty Rhodes 	Bob Backlund 	Ricky Steamboat 	Harley Race
1979	Harley Race 	Dusty Rhodes 	Jimmy Snuka 	Bob Backlund
1980	Bob Backlund 	Harley Race 	Verne Gagne 	The Iron Sheik
1981	Ric Flair 	Bob Backlund 	Tommy Rich 	Dusty Rhodes
1982	Bob Backlund 	Ric Flair 	Hulk Hogan 	Jimmy Snuka
1983	Harley Race 	Nick Bockwinkel 	André the Giant 	Bob Backlund
1984	Ric Flair 	Hulk Hogan 	Kerry Von Erich 	Rick Martel
1985	Ric Flair 	Hulk Hogan 	Rick Martel 	Sgt. Slaughter
1986	Ric Flair 	Hulk Hogan 	Randy Savage 	Nikita Koloff
1987	Hulk Hogan 	Ric Flair 	Randy Savage 	Steve Williams
1988	Randy Savage 	Jerry Lawler 	Lex Luger 	Ric Flair
1989	Ric Flair 	Hulk Hogan 	Lex Luger 	Ricky Steamboat
1990	Sting 	Ultimate Warrior	Hulk Hogan 	Lex Luger
1991	Hulk Hogan 	Lex Luger 	Bret Hart 	Sting
1992	Ric Flair 	Ron Simmons 	Rick Rude 	Bret Hart
1993	Vader 	Bret Hart 	Shawn Michaels 	Yokozuna
1994	Hulk Hogan 	Bret Hart 	Razor Ramon 	Ric Flair
1995	Diesel 	Shawn Michaels 	Sting 	Hulk Hogan
1996	The Giant 	Shawn Michaels 	Ric Flair 	Ahmed Johnson
1997	Lex Luger 	Steve Austin 	The Undertaker 	Diamond Dallas Page
1998	Steve Austin 	Goldberg 	Diamond Dallas Page	The Rock
1999	Steve Austin 	The Rock 	Sting 	Tazz
2000	The Rock 	Triple H 	Booker T 	Kurt Angle
2001	Steve Austin 	Kurt Angle 	The Rock 	Rob Van Dam
2002	Brock Lesnar 	Rob Van Dam 	Triple H 	The Undertaker
2003	Kurt Angle 	Brock Lesnar 	Triple H 	A.J. Styles
2004	Chris Benoit 	Randy Orton 	Eddie Guerrero 	A.J. Styles
2005	Batista 	John Cena 	A.J. Styles 	Samoa Joe
2006	John Cena 	Samoa Joe 	Rey Mysterio 	Edge
2007	John Cena 	Kurt Angle 	Batista 	Randy Orton
2008	Triple H 	Kurt Angle 	Randy Orton 	Samoa Joe
2009	Randy Orton 	John Cena 	Chris Jericho 	Kurt Angle
2010	Randy Orton 	Rob Van Dam 	John Cena 	Sheamus
2011	CM Punk 	John Cena 	Davey Richards 	Bobby Roode
2012	CM Punk 	Sheamus 	Austin Aries 	John Cena
2013	Daniel Bryan 	John Cena 	Bully Ray 	Randy Orton
2014	Brock Lesnar 	Daniel Bryan 	A.J. Styles 	John Cena
2015	Seth Rollins 	Jay Lethal 	Roman Reigns 	John Cena
2016	A.J. Styles 	Roman Reigns 	Kevin Owens 	Dean Ambrose
2017	A.J. Styles 	Kazuchika Okada 	Kenny Omega 	Cody
2018	A.J. Styles 	Kenny Omega 	Cody 	Seth Rollins
2019	Adam Cole 	Chris Jericho 	Seth Rollins 	Kofi Kingston
2020	Jon Moxley 	Bayley 	Chris Jericho 	Sasha Banks
2021	Kenny Omega 	Roman Reigns 	Bianca Belair 	Big E
2022	Roman Reigns 	Jon Moxley 	Bianca Belair 	Cody Rhodes
2023	Seth Rollins 	Gunther 	Will Ospreay 	MJF
==Year by Year Top 500==
==See also==
*Pro Wrestling Illustrated
*WWE
==External links and references==
*PWI 500 from Wrestling Information Archive
Category:Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Category:Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards
Category:PWI Top Lists