Kevin Knight Tops 2026 Black Wrecellence 500
Kevin Knight takes the top spot.
Fightful’s own Righteous Reg took to social media on November 5 this year’s BW500 list, an annual tradition that highlights and celebrates 500 different black wrestlers from around the globe. Kevin Knight takes over the #1 spot from Mercedes Mone, who topped the list in both 2025 and 2020.
Mone didn’t fall far, taking up the #2 spot instead. Swerve Strickland, Oba Femi, Willow Nightingale, Athena, Lee Moriarty, Leon Slater, Michael Oku, and Royce Keys round out the top ten.
The 2026 #BW500. 500 of the BEST BLACK wrestlers in the WORLD. It’s about representation. It’s about culture. Discover some new talent. Share. pic.twitter.com/AQ4Z7qhHSU
— Righteous Reg (@RighteousReg) November 5, 2026
In 2024, Swerve Strickland topped the list. In 2023, that spot belonged to Bryan Keith. Bianca Belair had top honors in 2022, while Trish Adora was the top dog in 2021. As previously mentioned, Mercedes Mone/Sasha Banks topped the list in 2020, which was the first year that featured 500 names instead of 250. Kofi Kingston claimed the top spot in 2019, the first year when the list was introduced.
Fans can check out Righteous Reg on Grapsody, which airs every Saturday on YouTube. The show’s latest episode can be watched by clicking here.
