MJF sits atop the 2026 PWI 500, and he had nothing but praise for two WWE stars who cracked the top 10 behind him.
Speaking with Pro Wrestling Illustrated, the AEW star was asked about the rest of the top 10. Trick Williams landed at No. 8, with Oba Femi right behind him at No. 9.
MJF started with Williams.
Trick Williams at the No. 8 spot, talk about a guy who has only been on national television for a very short period of time.
He then explained how the two got to know each other.
I got to meet Trick at LaGuardia Airport, in my opinion the best airport in New York state, and we chopped it up a little bit. Got to hang out with him again recently at my friend Dip’s [Bryan Diperstein] party. He’s just a good guy. I like him. Great guy. Boatload of potential… Nothing bad to say there.
His take on Femi was shorter.
Great dude and very large. A very large man and another guy with a boatload of potential.
MJF also weighed in on Gunther, who rounded out the top 10. Gunther made John Cena tap out in Cena’s final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in December 2025, and MJF has not gotten over it.
Great guy. Pretty upset about the John Cena match, still am. John Cena is the second greatest professional wrestler behind me. And to just see John go out like that it was really upsetting.
He still gave Gunther his due, with one condition.
I mean Gunther [is] probably the hardest hitting professional wrestler in the game besides me of course. Really talented. Tough SOB. In the words of AEW commentator extraordinaire Jim Ross ‘he’s tougher than a $2 steak.'
Williams and Femi both made the top 10 for the first time. Williams beat Sami Zayn for the United States Championship at WrestleMania 42. Femi went 2-1 against Brock Lesnar in a three-match series, finishing with a Hell in a Cell win at SummerSlam.
Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Místico, Konosuke Takeshita, “Hangman” Adam Page and Yota Tsuji filled spots two through seven.
