Microstatistics

#62 "The Great Muta" Keiji Muto #61 Hulk Hogan My #69 and #66, respectively. They just HAD to be back-to-back; I actively disliked them a decade ago and while a few flaws persist (idiosyncratic selling and the laziness of the hulk-up, respectively), I've mainly come around based on their distinct charm and great matches across multiple decades.

#70 "Kakumei Senshi" Riki Choshu One of my late cuts. His presence elevated pretty much every feud he was in. #69 Kota Ibushi I do like him but he is comfortably in next tier for modern NJPW greats for me. #68 Yuki Ishikawa Stunned he didn't get a #1 bid. I am a huge exception in that I think Ikeda is multitudes better but can't deny his technical greatness. #67 Tomohiro Ishii I dig his selling but he never really clicked for me on a holistic level. #66 Asuka A late entry for me at #99. Honestly might prefer her 2010s WWE run to the Joshi indies, which was also very good. #65 "Genius of The Sky" IYO SKY My highest modern joshi at #59. The 2016-2017 peak was exceptional, where she was probably a Top 3 wrestler in the world. But there was consistent quality before that in early Stardom and later/now in NXT/WWE. One of the most reliable workers of the modern era. #64 Místico Didn't expect such a great showing. Greatest theme song ever? #63 "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes One I need to check more of.

#77 Brock Lesnar I gotta hit back against the thread here. Put him at #12 and honestly think he is a borderline wrestling genius. 2012-2015 is his monster peak but watching 2002-2004 illustrated how very few wrestlers in history have had a better intuitive grasp of selling and psychology. Quality dipped in 2016-2019 I suppose, though I'm not so sure since there is quite a good amount of output there too, including that Finn Balor gem. His 2020s have been dire but, quite frankly, who cares at this point? A case where the instant ultra-push and uber-protective booking were absolutely justified. #76 Yoshihiro Takayama Did not expect him to place this high. To me, he has always been a "more appealing on paper" case but I do like him and understand the affinity. #75 Will Ospreay My #46. Polarizing to put it mildly and not perfect but I do think he is one of the modern greats. Fundamentally much stronger than you'd expect with effective technical work and stiff strikes. Sure, he has certain routines and can be guilty of falling into modern wrestling traps during big matches, but those flaws don't override the strengths and the output. Dismissing him as a popcorn match guy is exceedingly reductive. I'd recommend the Zack Sabre Jr. match from 3/21/2022 to any stylistic skeptics. #74 "Giant" Shohei Baba My #65. Decent showing, very glad he remained. #73 William Regal Sizable drop from 2016, but maybe that was an inflated placement to begin with? Put him at #52, he was great from pretty much the late 80s to the early 10s, career gaps notwithstanding. #72 "The CEO" Mercedes Mone' Good showing. I thought she was the best horsewoman even before the AEW run, which only widened the career gap. #71 KENTA I've always thought Marufuji was a good bit better but I did consider him. Impressive 2000s peak. Hyper-influential to say the least.

#80 Jay Briscoe The 04 Samoa Joe match is great. Haven't seen any of his 2010s stuff. #79 Jaguar Yokota That #1 blurb is excellent and captures her case well. Her 90s stuff is worth checking out too. #78 "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton Impressive tag specialist. Ahead-of-his-time offense.

#83 Minoru Suzuki Still like him but am no where near as high on him as I was 9/10 years ago, to the point where I didn't even really consider him. But I see the case in between the PWFG, 2000s miscellaneous, and NJPW runs. #82 "The Homicidal Suicidal Genocidal Death-Defying Maniac" Sabu #81 Kevin Owens Fitting that they are back-to-back because I was astounded that they made the main list. But being on ≥ 40% of ballots speaks for itself. Sabu has his death/chaotic-style appeal I suppose and Owens now has the longevity, even if it's largely Sami Zayn-driven.

#87 Ricky Morton My #94. I mean he is synonymous with FIP, that pretty much says it all. The Flair cage classic is more for Flair's case but Morton keeps up with him admirably. #86 Tetsuya Naito Honestly, I'm just happy with the 300+ jump and the main list landing. Aside from maybe Fujiwara, I find no other wrestler more charismatic. Also, I don't care much for reliability/personal investment in wrestling but I find his Stardust Genius to Los Ingoberables leader transformation arc as perhaps the most emotionally stirring in history. Also, I find people underrate his longevity and unfairly penalize him for the toll of injuries took on his working style (something that doesn't extend to someone like Tanahashi). Had him at #23. #85 Chris Benoit Put him at #56 but was considering Top 50 at one point. Darby Allin might give him a run for his money, but no one was better (both peaks & consistency-wise) on free TV. Delivered in pretty much every context and promotion. #84 "Goldust" Dustin Rhodes Never really got the hype around him tbh, even if I do think he is a good worker (especially in the 90s).

#90 El Dandy His decline here mirrors my own list, from Top 10 in 2016 to #75. Still a great, versatile wrestler. The Santo 1996 feud and the famous Azteca bout are career highlights but stuff vs. Pirata Morgan, Javier Illanes, and Negro Navarro are worth checking out as well. #89 Roderick Strong Briefly considered him. Reliable, utility player for 20 years or so, can't argue with the placement. #88 "The Living Legend" Bruno Sammartino Had him around this spot too until he finished at #100 for me prior to submission. His run really does age well.

#100 Chris Hero #95 "Last of a Dying Breed" Eddie Kingston Gotta bite my tongue here. Let's just say Regal and Jericho orchestrated their career bouts with them, respectively, so that's something. #99 Tully Blanchard My #98 so pretty spot on. Great territory heel. #98 Daisuke Ikeda I honestly didn't even expect him to remain on the list so the fact that he gained 2 spots is just a bonus. The greatest practitioner of the hybrid style IMO. My #17. #97 Barry Windham Don't really know what to say about him. Very good wrestler. #96 Shinobu Kandori Her case is rather Hokuto-centric for me but still like her a lot. #94 Claudio Castagnoli I thought he'd rise after the AEW run but not bad. #93 Necro Butcher Very compelling 2000s death match brawler. Great punches and psychotic bumping. #92 Mayumi Ozaki Glad she made it this time. #85 for me. #91 Shinsuke Nakamura Him gaining 3 points after the WWE decade is funny. The Sakuraba match is great.

I have 59 left for the main list with 41 from my Top 50. Really glad Ikeda is still there and Inoki and Bruno made it this time. The modern NJPW crew is looking set, I hope Omega, Okada, and Naito overperform. #111 Yuji Nagata Huh, did better than I expected. The 2010s NJPW boost? Made my final cut at #96. #109 Shinjiro Otani Ah, disappointing but expected fall for my #70. Not many people were better than him between 1994-1997, which were literally the best years in wrestling history. #105 Chris Jericho He finished at #25 for me. His much maligned old man run might actually be his best for the grounded psychology and impactful offense. Brilliant career. #103 Mariko Yoshida Huge over-performance IMO so even the cusp of the Top 100 doesn't hurt. My #84. The 2/18/1999 Yagi match is a case in itself.

#118 Megumi Kudo #114 Bob Backlund My #72 and #71, respectively, so amusing they dropped near each other. Yes, I'm stunned Kudo lasted so long. Just a fundamentally great wrestler who translated those elements seamlessly into the death match scene. I don't believe there's a better retirement match in history than the Toyoda one. Shame Backlund couldn't stay in the Top 100. The miscellaneous US guys falling out is sort of understandable, but Backlund was different, the uber-over lynchpin between Bruno and Hogan and a wonderfully versatile and sound worker.

So #150 is the mark after which many of the big names from 2016 are dropping out, not unexpectedly I suppose. #136 Matt Jackson #124 Nick Jackson Didn't rank (or even really consider) them but I do like them. Individually talented and they would have ranked fairly highly on a tag list. #135 Darby Allin My #77. Maybe the best TV worker ever, alongside Chris Benoit. #130 The Undertaker I ending up putting him at #26. Perhaps a little too high, but maybe not since his resume is better than most. #128 Akira Maeda Finished with him at #57 but I think maybe he should have been Top 50. A menace on offense but surprisingly good at working from underneath. #126 The Destroyer At #60, he didn't rank as highly for me as I envisioned, but he was still a maestro. That #1 vote is awesome. #121 Lou Thesz Noo, so close yet so far away from the main list. Underrated him at #49, should probably have been 30s or higher. Probably the wrestler of the 1950s but could go well into the 1970s. #119 Jim Breaks He held out fairly well actually but the fall was inevitable, considering how the other WoS guys have fared. My #47. The 2/12/1972 Adrian Street bout was the match of that decade.

#159 Naomichi Marufuji My #64. Unquestionably one of the most influential wrestlers of modern era. I think the theory is sound that a bunch of modern wrestling (for better or worse) is just attempts to replicate Marufuji and KENTA. His peak was the early 2000s but I have found him compelling pretty much his whole career, including the recent physically broken down performances. #155 Nobuhiko Takada I remember the rabid backlash in 2016 that contributed to him getting catapulted out of the Top 100. I guess his standing has never really recovered since. I thought he was second tier to the absolute greats of his styles (shoot-style/NJPW hybrid) but that doesn't mean he wasn't exceptional. #42 was a reasonable placement I feel.

#167 MJF Speak of the devil. I put him at #68. I agree with the versatility and heel work assessments, moreover the work with Darby, Bryan, and Mistico is some of the most compelling from this decade. I thought his obnoxious heel act worked if incorporated into the in-ring product, otherwise I don't personally care for his promotional work.

#189 Chihiro Hashimoto Was tempted to say she is a contender for the future but she has had a considerable, nearly-a-decade long run already. One to explore further. #187 Randy Orton My #82. A curious case, with a dearth of in-your-face classics but enough high quality output once you dig around. Absolutely polished fundamentals and overlooked charisma. #175 "Timeless" Toni Storm I was the one to nominate her and fairly late in the game (though ended up not voting for her), so am surprised she finished this high. Still like her a good bit, largely on the strength of the Mariah feud, but after watching Mariah in NXT, I am beginning to wonder if she was the better worker and should have been nominated too. Also, to the initial point, nice to see MJF (another of my nominees) still kicking. #174 Pirata Morgan Top 10 wrestler in the world in the late 80s-early 90s, one of the most competitive periods? Put him at #61. #172 Roman Reigns Ah, I was hoping for a Top 100 finish. Two #1 votes are cool though and that description for one of 'em might be tongue-in-cheek. I placed him at #34 before submitting and was wondering if that was too low and he should be in the late 20s or something. One of the best big match workers of the last 15 years with the Shield, Big Dog, and Tribal Chief runs. #178 Jeff Hardy #171 Ultimo Dragon These two finishing exactly at or within a couple of spots of their 2016 placement is funny.

Yes looking at magnitude of the WoS drops, I don't think even Breaks is going to make it at this point. Buddy Rose might be ok based on that clear stand-out of an ecosystem premise (one I largely agree with) but we'll see. The territory guys and US mid-carders are clearly on thin ice. #219 Rey Hechicero My heaviest hitter (#29) to drop yet. Already one of the all time great luchadors. The August 2013 Charles Lucero match is a zenith very few wrestlers have reached. #212 Cody Rhodes Probably better than his dad and definitely better than his brother. My #83. #210 Steve Grey Slotted him at #44 as my highest British wrestler. Contender for best babyface in history. #209 Edge He already had a solid resume by 2005 but that's when he really hit his straps and was one of the better wrestlers in North America for the second half of the decade. Put him at #74 even without getting to practically any of his AEW run.

#223 Tam Nakano Tam getting a #1 vote is something at least. With these placements, Giulia languishing in the 440s is worse. #220 Ron Garvin Another former Top 100 drops off. Another old school territory/US guy.

#232 "Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels #231 Verne Gagne These two were in my 105-101. I might be totally imagining it but they seem to have similar careers with clustered peaks early on but acquired longevity across regions/promotions.

#245 Mima Shimoda I naively thought I was gonna be the high vote for her at #50 until the high vote placement for Mita dropped and knew what was to be. One of the great tag wrestlers AND a solid singles catalog. I think people (including me) voted for Mima but not Etsuko. Probably not fair or accurate but still. #239 Triple H I know he is satan around here but I put him at #54 and was considering the 40s at one point. Fundamentally great wrestler with a rich career.

#295 "Classy" Freddie Blassie Definitely someone I overlooked. The #1 vote is compelling. #259 Koji Kanemoto Polarizing figure to an extent, but I think he is pretty great. #92 for me. #252 Keita Yano Finished much higher than I would have expected, in a good way. Didn't know about him until last year but has been impressive thus far.

#425 Azumi Hyuga Put her at #97. Honestly, if you value enough of her JWP ace run during the Dark Ages of Joshi, those Top 25 votes are sound. #408 Jim Londos Had him at #87. Can't argue with #2 placement on historical importance. #388 Miu Watanabe Best wrestler of 2025? That was enough for a #91 spot for me. One to watch for by 2036 #366 Naoki Sano I'll echo the disappointments of others regarding the fall. My #76 and that's likely an underestimation. #363 Marty Jones My #63. A top 10 vote is awesome.

#449 Dolph Ziggler #446 Giulia #444 Mocho Cota I had them in the 89-93 range so funny they ended up near each other. I'll take a Top 450 finish I suppose.

I don't know, I think Lizmark was one of Satanico's best opponents over the years. I might be the only one super high on it, but the 7/14/1998 title bout is one of the best lucha bouts of the 90s and Lizmark is a beast in it particularly on offense. #664 Melina Glad she got votes, I was nearly one of them. #639 Otto Wanz One of the most effective local aces. #613 Gabe Kidd Huh, interesting one for the recency. The Omega Dome match is a modern classic, but if you value enough of the NJPW run, I could see a case I suppose. #612 Togi Makabe A deceptively comprehensive career. #595 Josh Barnett My #67. Guy had great matches across three decades.

#714 Tamon Honda #693 Brazo de Oro #689 "La Galáctica" Pantera Sureña These dropped surprisingly early. I know Honda has his fans so really thought he'd be closer to the Top 200, but I guess those voices are niche. But Brazo and Sureña falling this soon is disappointing. Brazo was legit one of the best luchadors of the late 80s/early 90s and Sureña's work across AJW and EMLL was substantial. #684 The Miz This is rubbing salt in the wound. #674 Axel Dieter My #86. Glad he got five votes. A European legend, that Morowski LLT is absolute must-see.

#867 Johnny Ace Hmm, only one #100 vote. A harbinger for potential decline of 90s All Japan? #822 Alberto del Rio His offensive performance in the Dolph Ziggler Payback match was a thing of beauty. #810 René Ben Chemoul One of my favorites from the French footage, glad he got votes. #776 Mickie James I like her more than a lot of the newer generation. #730 Seiji Sakaguchi New Japan legend of the 70s and 80s.

Yes, if you value enough of Inoki's catalog from the late 60s to the mid 90s, I think a case for the top spot is pretty straightforward. The "problem" for me was that a number of Inoki matches didn't quite hit the heights I wanted them to, hence he languished relative to other greats. Still had him at #30. Truly a singular pro wrestler.