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Wrestling fans love to debate topics, whether it be the greatest era, match, performer and so on. Due to personal opinion, few will agree on everything, so today we decided to put forth our opinion to get a fun, light-hearted debate started.
As we mentioned, there are many different categories to debate, but the best is debating which wrestler is best, and with so many thriving promotions and wrestlers around the world, it's a tough one to agree on. From aging veterans to rising stars to females at the head of the women's revolution, there are likely upwards of 30-40 wrestlers we could consider for this list today, but we've done our best to narrow it down to the top 10 wrestlers in the world today.
Honorable mentions: Roman Reigns, Pete Du Kota Ibushi, Becky Lynch, Andrade, Kofi Kingston, PAC, Io Shirai, Ricochet, Jay Lethal, Zack Sabre Jr.
#10 Hiroshi Tanahashi
In the early 2000s, New Japan Pro Wrestling were struggling mightily, but it was due to the work of people like Tanahashi that they've now become the second biggest wrestling company in the world. From his world famous air guitar to his colourful look to his amazing in-ring work, Tanahashi is one of the biggest stars the company has ever had, and his longevity proves that he deserves a spot on our list.
His rivalry with Okada is arguably the best in wrestling history, as they managed to main event three straight Wrestle Kingdom shows, and even at his advanced age, The Ace can still get it done. It's only a matter of time until he walks away from wrestling, but after classics against the likes of Jay White and Kenny Omega already in 2019, it's clear that he's still got a lot left to give to the company that made him a star.
#9 Tetsuya Naito
When people think of top stars in New Japan, they often forget Tetsuya Naito, but when looking at his body of work over the past few years, it's impossible to deny him a place on this list. Tranquillo is a way of life for Naito, and when watching New Japan, it's impossible to not be drawn to Naito's charisma, unique personality and in-ring style, and it's made him one of the biggest stars that the company has ever created.
Sure, he's often been overshadowed by the likes of Okada, Omega, Styles, Nakamura and Tanahashi, but Naito has carved out a great career for himself, and will be the main event in Japan for years to come. He's been with New Japan since 2004, and while he's only been to the top of the mountain once, Naito is everything that professional wrestling is supposed to be, and whether he achieves Championship success or not, he'll always find a place on this list.
#8 Johnny Gargano
A few years ago, Johnny Gargano was considered one of the best independent wrestlers in the world, but given what an incredible run he's been on in NXT, there's no denying him a place on this list. In his 4 years with NXT, he's won the Tag Team, North American and NXT Championship, as well as Rivalry of the Year, Match of the Year, several Takeover main events and an incredible list of fantastic matches.
He may be small, but the likes of Shawn Michaels, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk and others have all overcome that, and given how good he is at connecting with the WWE Universe, there's no doubting that the sky is the limit for Johnny Wrestling. If you haven't seen much of him, you need to seek out his matches with Velveteen Dream, Tomasso Ciampa, Andrade, Ricochet, Aleister Black, The Revival and so many more, because he's done so much against so many different opponents to earn this spot.
#7 Will Ospreay
A few years ago, Will Ospreay was nothing but a fantastic high-flier, but over his time in New Japan, he's developed as an overall performer, and the run he's been on over the past 2 years shows that he is the future of that company. The Aerial Assassin is now a great striker, grappler as well as continuing to elevate his aerial arsenal, and as New Japan continues to grow across the globe, Will's star continues to rise.
Ospreay has had a great match with just about every big name in wrestling right now, and given that he's still in his mid 20's, it's likely we'll see him at the top of this list in no time. A lot of people dislike Will's style, and that's understandable. High-flying isn't for everyone, but Will has adapted and improved a lot, and in 2-3 years, there's no doubting that he will be the best professional wrestler on the planet
#6 Charlotte
The Women's Revolution has been fantastic for the WWE, as it has helped improve the product immensely (there's still problems, but this has been a great area of improvement), and the star of that is no doubt Charlotte. Sure, The Man has come on strong over the past year, but Charlotte has been stealing the show since she arrived on the main roster, and she's undoubtedly the best female wrestler in the world.
As we talked about in the honourable mentions, Io Shirai is a superstar, but her past few months haven't done much for her, as she's very early in her WWE career, so the only woman deserving of a spot on this list right now is The Queen. Charlotte has the look, the pedigree, the athleticism and the in-ring work to back up her status on this list, and out of anyone in the current women's division, Charlotte is the most likely to see the main event of WrestleMania again.
#5 Daniel Bryan
Throughout his time on the independent scene, Daniel Bryan was the best technical wrestler in the world, and one of the worlds best, and his time in WWE has done nothing to diminish that standing. Sure, he's been overtaken by Zack Sabre Jr. in the technical wizardry department, but Bryan has added some fantastic characters to his resume, and despite injuries, he's become one of the biggest names in the entire business.
His rise to the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 30 will never be forgotten, but his run as a heel from late 2018 to now has been incredible, and it shows just how much depth and range this man has as a performer. Bryan is certainly coming towards the end of his career, but as he proved at WrestleMania 35 with Kofi Kingston, he can still go and is capable of telling great stories, so it's safe to say that he'll be on this list until the day he retires.
#4 Seth Rollins
Ever since his debut in Ring of Honor all those years ago, Seth Rollins has been proclaimed as a future star in wrestling, and as he stands atop the wrestling world right now, it's hard to deny that the hype was definitely worth it. The Beast Slayer just dethroned Brock Lesnar on the grandest stage that wrestling has to offer, and after his run over the past 4-5 years, he will no doubt go down as one of the best from this entire generation.
Rollins has held every title that the WWE have to offer (that he's eligible for), including being the first man to hold the WWE and United States title at the same time, and it's hard to argue about his place on this list. Sure, he's not doing some of the crazy things he did early in his carer, but he has perfected the main event style, and with his Universal Championship reign just beginning, he could climb this list in the years to come.
#3 AJ Styles
AJ Styles has been long considered the best wrestler in the world, and while he has been surpassed by two younger performers, The Phenomenal One can still get it done at an elite level. 20 years into his career, Styles has taken some of the greatest risks we've ever seen in wrestling, and with his combination of innovative high-flying and technical mastery, there's no way anyone can argue having AJ this high on our list.
Many were worried that coming to the WWE would hurt AJ's legacy or his in-ring work, but it's done just the opposite. While he hasn't gotten much better from a wrestling perspective, AJ's matches mean more due to his character work and story telling, and with a much broader audience, AJ takes his deserved place on this list, and one day, we will be debating where The Phenomenal One belongs on an all-time list.
#2 Kenny Omega
While this is always going to be a fun debate, most people within the wrestling community can agree that Omega and Okada had arguably the best rivalry in New Japan history, and are the standout picks for #1 and #2 on this list. Whether you like the theatrics and athleticism that Omega brings or the pure striking and psychology of Okada, there's no denying their greatness, but today, we have Omega being edged out for #1.
Kenny is still an incredible performer, and the list of fantastic matches the Best Bout Machine has had over the past 3 years are as long as anyone in the business, and with AEW's beginning on the horizon, he will keep that going. Wrestling is all about getting fans to react, and whether that's through his breathtaking aerial offence or his sometimes over the top personality, Omega lays it all on the line every time he steps foot inside the ring, and it's garnered him universal respect from wrestling fans around the world.
#1 Kazuchika Okada
While Kenny Omega possesses the over the top theatrics inside the ring, Kazuchika Okada is a classic main event star in Japan, with striking, storytelling and flashy entrances making him a top star. Combine all this with a great look, believability in the main event slot and the amount of incredible bouts with the likes of Omega, Tanahashi, Naito and others, and you've got yourself the best wrestler on the planet today.
The Rainmaker has been the main event at several Wrestle Kingdom events already, and given how much better he continues to get each year, there's no way he will slide off this list anytime soon. Working primarily for New Japan, there's a lot of wrestling fans out there who wouldn't have seen him, but with his classics against Tanahashi and Omega over the past few years, he's got enough great matches to span an entire career, and he's got plenty of time left to improve on that.
