FROM THE DESK OF ...

"Missing"; first published in the Holiday 2025 issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated

WITH THE RELEASE OF this edition of PWI, we are officially two-thirds of the way through our annual ranking season. The “Women’s 250” section is, once again, bookended by our “PWI 500” issue (December 2025) and the one featuring our yearly “Tag Team 100” list (February 2026).

At the risk of repeating a sentiment I find myself expressing most years, this “250” may have been our most competitive to date. Some significant names either saw big drops or did not appear at all. This was, in part, due to the increasing number of competitors whose body of work over the last 12 months has been undeniable. In other cases, though, there were more circumstantial factors at work—factors that have led to some notable omissions I will address in this space.

In this month’s “W Column,” guest columnist Lyric Swinton—filling in for Kristen Ashly—reflects on the 2025 “250” and draws attention to some major joshi stars (Tam Nakano and Meiko Satomura among them) who formally retired during the evaluation period. As is customary with our annual lists, we do not rank these wrestlers, leaving their presumed spots open for their peers who remain active.

Similarly, as we have done in the past, we opted to omit certain wrestlers who stopped competing for various reasons—voluntarily or otherwise—and who, while perhaps not officially retired, are no longer considered active. One of those is Masha Slamovich. Following allegations of domestic abuse against her former partner, Slamovich’s independent bookings were broadly canceled, as were her scheduled appearances for TNA Wrestling. TNA released a statement that it would be investigating the claims. And, according to a report from Fightful Select, Slamovich’s contract with the company—which was purportedly about to expire—was not expected to be renewed.

Former TNA Knockouts champion Ash By Elegance, previously set to defend her title against Slamovich before the allegations surfaced, announced at the company’s Victory Road event that she was vacating the championship. In an emotional speech, the Ohio native revealed she would be leaving the ring indefinitely, alluding to “curveballs” that were later revealed to be a private medical issue. “I’m no longer able to compete and do what I love to do,” Ash told fans at the Edmonton Expo Centre in Alberta. “I’m stepping away from in-ring competition. And, with a heavy heart, I have to forfeit this title. But I am confident in that locker room. And whichever woman holds this title up high, they will elevate it just like I had planned to.”

Back in July, Elayna Black (formerly NXT’s Cora Jade) announced her own hiatus from wrestling “for the foreseeable future,” canceling all her bookings amidst mental health concerns, and, as it turned out, a dwindling passion for her craft. “I have a toxic relationship with wrestling right now,” she told TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast in an interview the following month. “It was just so draining. I wasn’t sleeping, I wasn’t eating, I wasn’t working out. I was so depressed. I got to such a low, low point.”

Black, who took on a slew of indie commitments following her WWE release earlier this year, told TMZ that she was already noticing an improvement in her well-being.

Then, of course, we have the wrestlers who did not meet the minimum activity requirement (10 singles matches, or six matches in six separate months) for the “Women’s 250.” Those included: WWE megastar Becky Lynch and former Stardom World champ Maika (both of whom fell just one match short); AEW’s Kamille, Yuka Sakazaki, and Skye Blue; TNA Knockout Killer Kelly; and NXT’s Brinley Reece and Jazmyn Nyx.

As always, we will keep a close eye on women’s wrestling over the next 12 months—the unexpected retirements, returns, and turns of events that will shape the “250” in 2026.

Kevin McElvaney
Editor-in-Chief