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Despite what WWE may say, there is more wrestling in the world than WWE. Over the last few years, the independents have grown so much compared to 10-15 years ago.
Promotions like New Japan, Ring of Honor and even Impact have done well. These promotions are succeeding because of the talent on their rosters.
Stars like Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada have flourished over the last few years. They are all in a league of their own and deserve to be.
Let's take a look at some of the best Non-WWE wrestlers in the world today.
#5 Jay Lethal (ROH)
While in TNA, Jay Lethal had an average run. Stuck with the 'Black Machismo' at first, he was stuck with a parody of Macho Man Randy Savage and wasn't able to do much else. Lethal did make the gimmick work, but it didn't help build him up as a serious competitor. A brief feud with Ric Flair was entertaining, but the same as before.
Lethal would have to wait until he returned to Ring of Honor in 2011 for his career to really take off. He would end up winning the ROH T.V Championship multiple times and the first man to ever hold both the World and T.V Titles at the same time.
Lethal is one of the best Ring of Honor wrestlers today and it's a shame that he isn't bigger than he is. The man is very underrated and deserves a run in WWE.
#4 Cody(Rhodes) (ROH/NJPW)
It's crazy to see how much success Cody has had since leaving WWE in 2016. He won a lot of titles during his run on the independents and those include the Ring of Honor World Championship.
He's made a name for himself in promotions like Ring of Honor and New Japan. As of the last few months, he's been in a feud with former Bullet Club member Kenny Omega. As result of that, Cody is now or he claims to be the new leader of the Bullet Club.
Without a doubt, he is a much bigger star then he was when WWE saddled him with the 'Stardust' gimmick. He keeps the Rhodes name alive as the 'American Nightmare' continues to dominant pro wrestling.
#3 Will Ospreay
It's crazy to think about how much Will Ospreay has accomplished in his career. He's only been wrestling since 2012 and has earned some of the highest honours during that time.
He is considered one of the best the U.K has to offer when it comes to wrestling. The rest of the world has grown to see this man as he puts on memorable matches anytime he's in the ring.
His infamous match with Ricochet during the 'Best of the Super Juniors' tournament two years ago broke the internet. That same tournament, he would win it to become the first ever wrestler from England to win it.
He continues to dominate in New Japan whenever he's booked. He's had dream match encounters with wrestlers such as Rey Mysterio and Kazuchika Okada. He's only been competing for about six years, but he's got an entire career ahead of him.
#2 Kenny Omega (NJPW)
Every Generation of wrestling has one wrestler that stands out above everyone and this time it's Kenny Omega. 2017 by far was the biggest year of his career.
He would have six-star matches after six-star matches with Kazuchika Okada last year that had Dave Meltzer throwing six-star ratings out left and right. His popularity is so strong now that fans everywhere want to see him jump to WWE.
There's a high chance of that not happening anytime soon. Omega is comfortable where he's at currently and we respect him for that. He continues to make history as he faced Chris Jericho at New Japan's Wrestle Kingdom back in January.
#1 Kazuchika Okada(NJPW)
A much obvious choice for number one, but no one can top Okada right now. Kenny Omega comes close, but not close enough.
He's been wrestling for over 13 years and in that time he's had classic with wrestlers such as Kenny Omega, Hiroshi Tanahashi and recently Will Ospreay. He's a six-star match machine and continues to be the best.
Okada continues to make history as he was named the longest reigning IWGP World champion of all time. His multiple title reigns have him over a thousand days as champion and have been impressive every single time.
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