WWE Superstar Stephanie Vaquer has earned the No. 1 spot on the 2026 Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) Women’s 250 list, topping the publication’s annual ranking of the world’s leading female professional wrestlers.
Vaquer claimed the top position ahead of AEW’s Willow Nightingale, who finished second, while Thekla secured third place. Mercedes Moné and Saya Kamitani rounded out the top five.
The rankings recognize wrestlers from promotions around the world, with WWE, AEW, and Japanese wrestling all represented among the highest-ranked competitors.
The complete top 10 for the 2026 PWI Women’s 250 is as follows:
- Stephanie Vaquer (WWE)
- Willow Nightingale (AEW)
- Thekla (AEW)
- Mercedes Moné (AEW)
- Saya Kamitani (STARDOM)
- Liv Morgan (WWE)
- Persephone (CMLL)
- Syuri (STARDOM)
- Rhea Ripley (WWE)
- Kris Statlander (AEW)
Vaquer’s first-place finish represents another significant milestone in her wrestling career, placing her ahead of several established champions and prominent names from across the industry.
The list also highlights the international depth of women’s professional wrestling, with performers from the United States, Mexico, and Japan earning recognition in the top 10.
Unlike rankings determined solely by popularity or fan voting, PWI evaluates performers using five specific criteria: in-ring achievement, influence, technical ability, competition, and activity.
In-ring achievement considers win-loss records, championship success, and tournament victories. Influence measures a wrestler’s visibility and standing within their promotion and the wider industry, while technical ability evaluates move variety, match quality, and in-ring storytelling.
The competition category examines success against a diverse range of high-quality opponents. To qualify under the activity requirement, wrestlers must have competed in at least 10 singles matches or, alternatively, six singles matches across separate months.
The annual PWI Women’s 250 has become one of professional wrestling’s most widely discussed rankings, recognizing performers across major promotions and the independent scene.
With Vaquer taking the top spot and nine other prominent competitors completing the top 10, the 2026 rankings reflect the continued prominence of women’s wrestling across multiple international promotions.
#andNEW: Congratulations to “La Primera” @Steph_Vaquer, the number-one wrestler on our annual #Womens250 ranking. Find the full top 10 (along with links to buy the digital/print mag) in the comments 👇 https://t.co/x8YVAoqYwR
— PWI (Pro Wrestling Illustrated) (@OfficialPWI) November 12, 2026
