Dante Chen has had quite the year in professional wrestling.

The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar, who performs for their NXT brand, made his debut in the top 500 list of Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI), a huge achievement for anyone in the industry.

Dante Chen's debut

Singapore's very own Dante Chen appeared in the 2024 PWI list of the top 500 male wrestlers in the world, coming in at 377.

The current WWE champion Cody Rhodes claimed the top spot.

Chen, the first Singaporean to ever compete in the WWE, had an entry that listed his accomplishments.

"Hometown: Singapore. NXT talent makes PWI 500 debut after a strong year in the ring. Defeated Tavion Heights on WWE Main Event. Fared well at house shows, defeating the likes of SCRYPTS, Lexis King, Myles Borne, and Javier Bernal. Fell to Bron Breakker in tough Smackdown loss."

Chen's PWI entry noted his good performance at house shows (non-televised events) and his narrow defeat to Bron Breakker on Smackdown, which is one of the WWE's two main televised events.

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Chen said he was "manifesting" a stronger year ahead.

3️⃣7️⃣7️⃣

Manifesting a stronger upcoming year. 🌠

📸: Leo#PWI500 #DanteChen #ChenNowForeverTogether #ChenUp pic.twitter.com/rA6VXdaUvH

— Dante Chen (@DanteChenWWE) September 12, 2024

PWI's history

PWI was started in 1979 and is the longest-running English-language publication about pro wrestling. It includes coverage of storylines and also behind-the-scenes news and developments.

In 1991, PWI introduced an annual list of the top 500 professional wrestlers in the world. It covers a certain time frame and PWI writers take into account a wrestler's accomplishments, including winning championships, defeating prominent opponents and appearing at big events.

The PWI list is one of the most prestigious in the industry, with wrestlers considering it an honour just to be included in the top 500, as it covers promotions from around the world, including North America, Mexico and Japan.

The coveted number one spot is treated akin to winning an Academy Award for film or an Emmy for television. Some of the biggest names in wrestling have been awarded the number one spot, including Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart and John Cena.

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Top image from Dante Chen's Facebook.