WWE’s Rhea Ripley tops the 2023 Pro Wrestling Illustrated Women’s 250 - who is the current Women's Champion?

WWE star Rhea Ripley is having an incredible 2023 so far; one of the hottest draws in the company with incredible chemistry alongside her Judgement Day cohorts of Finn Balor, Damian Priest and, of course, Dirty Dominik Mysterio and current Women’s Champion, the Australia born athlete has now topped the ranking in the 2023 PWI Women’s 250. 

The PWI Women's 250 is an annual list created by Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI), a renowned professional wrestling magazine. The list ranks the top 250 female professional wrestlers from various wrestling promotions worldwide. 

PWI compiles the rankings based on several criteria, including in-ring performance, championship victories, influence in the wrestling industry, and overall impact across the time period of July 1 2022 to July 1 2023 with Ripley (real name Demi Bennett) by and large the front runner during this time period.

Elsewhere in the top ten, fellow WWE superstar Bianca Belair ended up taking the third position on the rankings, with Jamie Hayter and Willow Nightingale taking up positions for All Elite Wrestling. Two female wrestlers from Canadian promotion Impact Wrestling also made it into the top ten, with Deonna Purrazzo and Jordynne Grace at numbers seven and ten respectively. 

Only two wrestlers from the acclaim Joshi promotion STARDOM made it into the top ten, which is interesting considering how big the promotion is in Japan; Giulia and Tam Nakano both ranked second and fifth respectively - but it is important to know that, much like the men’s 500, the list is considered by some to be within the remit of kayfabe (storyline).

The PWI Women’s 250 top ten

1. Rhea Ripley (WWE)
2. Giulia (Stardom)
3. Bianca Belair (WWE)
4. Jamie Hayter (AEW)
5. Tam Nakano (Stardom)
6. Athena (ROH)
7. Deonna Purrazzo (Impact)
8. Willow Nightingale (AEW)
9. Kamille (NWA)
10. Jordynne Grace (Impact)

Who is Rhea Ripley?

Demi Bennett, born on October 11, 1996, in Adelaide, South Australia, embarked on her professional wrestling journey under the moniker Rhea Ripley - a name she took from both a goddess and the last name from Ellen Ripley, one of the first female action heroes portrayed by Sigourney Weaver in the ‘Alien’ franchise. 

Her early days in the wrestling industry saw her training and competing in various promotions, including Riot City Wrestling and New Horizon Pro Wrestling. During her time with RCW, she secured the RCW Women's Championship twice, solidifying her reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the ring.

In 2017, Rhea Ripley's talents caught the attention of WWE, leading to her participation in the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament. Displaying her formidable skills, she made a strong impression despite not clinching the top spot. Her journey with WWE continued as she transitioned to the NXT UK brand, ultimately winning the NXT UK Women's Championship and becoming the first female Australian champion in WWE history. Ripley's ascension continued as she transitioned back to the main NXT roster, eventually claiming the NXT Women's Championship.

Her trailblazing career in WWE was marked by notable feuds and victories, including high-profile matches against notable wrestlers such as Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair - her match against Charlotte Flair at Wrestlemania 39 earned an impressive 4.75 stars from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, higher than the main event of the weekend between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes. In winning that match, she became the WWE Women's World Champion once again.