Makai Club #1

AJ is an interesting wrestler. He was a late edition to my top 100 and it was largely due to the last two matches he had with Gunther which put him on my mind. Otherwise, he's someone I don't really connect with nor think about. He's got tons of quality work out there, but I struggle to really love any of it. The obvious examples would be the Suzuki match and even the Ibushi match. He was also a really awkward Okada opponent in an era where he had great matches with everyone. So yeah I think he belongs, but 18 is very high. Good for him though. As for the blurbs? It's a strange one. Very TribalChief of Rhodes coded. Half the stuff isn't even true, first of all.

Steamboat had great match with Rick Rude, Randy Savage, Steve Austin, Regal, was apart of War Games 92 and had a classic tag match at the 91 Clash return. But it's reliant on Ric Flair? Those Flair matches are certainly his best but he's got the body of work to back up the praise. Edit: and Luger! Forgot about that match. Plus I love the Halloween Havoc 93 match with Orndorff.

We should agree not to mention wrestlers we don't want to drop next. It's a curse

Oh yeah I certainly agree there. The Omega praise was pretty mythic. Even die-hard WWE fans had him as their canon non-WWE choice for best wrestler. But I think with a long reflection (almost 8-9 years now), people may have softened on that praise as such.

Okada was better for longer. Okada has the Tanahashi feud as well as the Omega feud, two feuds that are both untouchable for that era of fans. Plus Okada has the 700+ days title reign where every match was a mile high MOTYC or just shy of it. And until Okada went to AEW, he was still producing better work than Omega even in his money clip days.

Omega at 29 is interesting. I thought he'd be higher. I had him at 27, so I wasn't far off. I could've gone higher, but I think the AEW run has largely been dissapointing and in someways underwelming. Very few times has he come even a smidge close to his peak run in New Japan. The Bryan match is the only match that comes to mind to the level Kenny should be working at. Honestly, the DDT run was much better and had plenty of better matches than what the AEW run has offered. Obviously, Kenny's case lives with the 2016-2018 peak where he probably couldn't do anything wrong (until the post G1 run to the Dome in 2018). Incredible matches, the best character work he's ever done, great feuds, a star so unique and almost mythic in how everyone saw him. Could've been higher. But this is a good spot for him.

Most of this is extremely accurrate lol and yet I think Cena was pretty awesome anyway. Except the hypotheticals. It's all if buts and maybes. To quote Gino D'Acampo: If my Grandmother had wheels, she would've been a bike. You can't blame Cena for getting the chances.

You mean MJF, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara and Jack Perry?

I think Moxley is a bit too high. I didn't rank him in my top 100, although I get those who did. But I really didn't think of him at all when it came to GWE. I thought he was terrible in WWE - absolutely dreadful. And Moxley agrees given how he completely reinvented himself. And while that's all great for him and his perception, I still find him a little too uneven and inconsistent in terms of presentation in what he wants to be and match quality. Even though Moxley still brings more gritt than most of his AEW peers, he still falls into the manufactured drama that plauges modern wrestling to me, which is unneccesary nearfalls, excessive finishers and a lot of sag in his matches. Often times, he's good. With Darby, he's excellent. And I thought him vs Fletcher at the C2 Semi Finals was excellent. But he'll often just miss the mark for me in terms of greatness - which we are judging here. Even in recent times, the matches with Kyle O'Reilly are better on paper than they are in reality. Moxley is a quality wrestler. I just don't see him as on this specific level.

"Sounds cool. How do I watch him?" You'll at least get a positive response.

I thin I think that's it. Han is more aesthetically pleasing with his tricks. Easy to gif and get a curiously eye towards RINGS.

Glad Fujiwara ranked pretty high this time as well, particularly with the influx of newer voters such as myself. Absolutely deserved. Great wrestler. So charismatic in the ring too. Really the complete worker in that sense. Has the technique, ability to tell a compelling story even with his style and could potray any sense of emotion you'd want.

This is getting quite long now: 79-67

I dunno about that. AEW fans appreciate a lot of things, but a submission heavy style is still a stretch too far for those fans to invest in.

I've never been so happy for someone's success as Gunther's. Even with the weight loss, WWE could've botched him completely but clearly everyone in that company loves him and his work and pushed him too the moon and he produced the goods in the ring to reward it.

80. Jay Briscoe I’m not a big ROH guy, so I probably haven’t seen as much as I should have, particularly his 00s matches. But any Briscoe (or Briscoes) matches I‘ve seen, I really like. Probably not the personal connect needed to make a top 100, but he’s someone on the list of a full devoted project 79. Jaguar Yokota Jaguar is someone I forget how much I like until I see her. Such a trailblazer and an outstanding wrestler for her era. Imagine her 10 years later with the 90s era of Joshi? Damn 78. Bobby Eaton A favourite of mine. Unassuming until the bell rings and then watch the magic happen. Had him #89 77. Brock Lesnar Brock Lesnar might have spent the last 10 years phoning his way through matches. But for every match he spends suplexing people like they are jobbers, is a match where he goes for it and shines. Him and Balor was a wonderful match and showed a glimpse of what Brock can do. And then I watch his early run and fall in love. If I ranked WWE matches, he’d be in the majority of the top 20. Had him #18 76. Yoshihiro Takayama Any big fan of Takayama, I ask you to watch the UWFI run. You’ll gain a further appreciation for Takayama. Had him #59 75. Will Ospreay While I’ve cared for very little of his work since he made the jump to AEW, I think he’s still a pretty good wrestler. I voted for him. Would’ve been higher, but he sells like he’s in an anime and I will never soften on that dislike of that style. Had him at #80

I'll say this, it's not a boring list. It has a healthy number of surprises as well as scares. And it showcases that not everything is so uniformed to that one point of view. Just because the leading journalist say one thing, it doesn't mean it reflects on the wider audience. And whether or not you agree on the specific examples, it's no doubt healthy in combating echo chambers and unproductive discussions.

84. Dustin Rhodes Like Barry Windham, he’s a case of high peak with a lot of underwhelming work. But I find his work in WCW up-to his firing in 1995 endlessly watchable and full of tremendous performances. And even as Goldust, if you can get past all the gay panic stuff, I think he’s got some really good work in there. I didn’t vote for him, but I’ll always be a champion of his. 83. Minoru Suzuki I thought he had come and gone already, but I’m grateful he has not. For me, it was really tough to Minoru Suzuki with him being in his old man phase, where he travels, does a lazy strike exchange and leaves. But then I remember a time where Suzuki was one of the most entertaining, charismatic and unique performers in New Japan where everyone wrestled a similar style. Long are the days when Suzuki would break down an opponent limb by limb, but I’ll remember the matches against Saburaba, AJ Styles, Okada and Tanahashi. Voted him at #64. 82. Sabu Should’ve voted for him, but I couldn’t find a place for him. Sabu is a special breed of wrestler, who I always find myself mesmerized by when I watch him. You’d think that 30 years later that the appeal might wear off, and yet… Even with all the over exposure of table spots and dives to the floor, nobody can do it as dangerously as Sabu. 81. Kevin Owens The funniest part about Owens was everyone panicking about him being not only this high, but potentially higher. No, he is not a top 100 wrestler. But he does have quality work (mostly built around Sami Zayn) and is a great character worker on his day.

87. Ricky Morton I’m glad he hasn’t been forgotten. His record is quite pristine despite being a big tag team guy and not really venturing outside of that. I’m glad he has the Flair and Bockwinkel matches just to showcase. Not many tag wrestlers make the transition. It’s hard to really capture what Morton is great at. Great seller, great timing on offence and all those things. But he’s like lighting in a bottle. Him and Gibson really. Magic. 86. Tetsuya Naito Other than a strong two year period where Naito hit on all cylinders, not surprisingly when he faced Tanahashi in their extended feud in 2017, Naito has always been hit or miss. Great one match, rudderless in the next. And fortunately for him, he has enough quality matches to be called a great wrestler. And while I’m not a big Naito fan, which might have something to do with my non-vote, I think history will look kindly upon him as things become the canon classics for later generations. But I think the consistency puts him behind the other top wrestlers of his era of New Japan. Just lacks the details, the quality offence and the intensity. But not star power and charisma, certainly not. I am not surprised that he made it. I’m surprised he wasn’t higher actually. 85. Chris Benoit An awkward one, for obvious reasons. I don’t think anyone wants to hear how great he was, but I think his work speaks for itself. I said that I wasn’t going to consider personal and real life thoughts in regards to rankings and that remains for everyone. Voted for him #14. Yeah…

I don't want to say everyone because Naito was pretty much the most popular guy with fans, but Naito praise as a worker could be hit or miss depending on the fan, more so than Okada or Tanahashi.

90. El Dandy Incredible luchador. A complete eye opener when you actually watch him in his element and you can see what he can do. He’s got a talent for great drama, great offence and just making matches work, particularly apuestas. His performance in the three way with Santito and Casas is splendid. Voted for him at #55. 89. Roderick Strong Not my favourite, but he is always gonna be one of the most solid additions to a card that he’s on. I can name only a few classics he’s had, but if you want someone to have a really good match on the undercard, he’s your guy. Plus he and Kyle O’Reilly carried NXT for years as a team. Didn’t vote for him. And he’s a little too high, but I can’t hate it too much. 88. Bruno Sammartino I’m not really on the bandwagon of Bruno is great. He was decent enough and full of charisma and star power. He’s incredibly watchable when he’s got heated feuds and either a big bumper against him or a monster like Hansen. But I do think it’s impressive for someone of his era making it to the top 100 in a clear modern heavy list.

92. Mayumi Ozaki Not many words on Ozaki, other than she's a cool wrestler. Loads of personality, a great contrast to the more straighter characters of her era. And she’s a key part in some of the best tag team matches of all time. 91. Shinsuke Nakamura Nakamura getting a higher spot in spite of his last decade is more evidence of the newer fans, who watched 2010s New Japan, that took part in this project, including myself. Nakamura’s best work is truly the early 2010s, rather than his more famous period that fans might be familiar with. He is much less charismatic, but more serious, focused and ultimately dangerous. Although it’s hard not to be enamoured with Nakamura in the 2014-16 run. Nakamura has benefited and been hurt from his early pushes - being exposed that early meant that his roughness is on display but he was always full of potential and quality which shone through on occasion until it clicked, and boy did it click. Voted for him #56

95. Eddie Kingston More interesting than great. Although I haven’t really explored his years in CZW or CHIKARA, so I’m still sort of unfamiliar with Peak Kingston. However, in recent years I’m not that big of a fan. He has charm and a bit of an edge to him, but the Pillar Cosplay routine runs thin with me. It’s endearing to an extent, but Kingston’s physically pretty shot. But to keep this positive, I think Kingston is capable of still having really strong performances with the right opponents, such as Danielson and Moxley. And he essentially worked himself into a job in AEW when he was in his last months before he was set to retire, so all’s credit to him. 94. Claudio Castagnoli I wasn’t going to vote for him, largely because I don’t really connect with him as a wrestler and think he, like Roderick Strong, can just get by with being pushed while being strong bell to bell. However, he does has a sneakily great resume against a wide variety of opponents. He’s got some absurdly quality bouts against Kofi Kingston, which is crazy. I guess I felt that I couldn’t ignore him further, so I voted for him. And he isn’t undeserved to be fair. Voted him #74. Maybe too high. 93. Necro Butcher What can I say about the legend that is Necro Butcher? I believe I have seen him have a toaster thrown at him in a match. A unique moment in my fandom. And Necro is one of the few wrestlers to have multiple MOTYCs on one night, but usually they are in tournament format, but not Necro. On the same night as the famed Samoa Joe classic, he’d have another classic teaming with Toby Klein against the H8 Club, which is just as equally sick. Whatever you say about Necro, you can’t take that away from him. - Is this the 2000s Indie section for GWE?

98. Daisuke Ikeada Not my favourite shoot style wrestler, nor my go-to, but I always enjoy him when I watch his matches. He’s got a roughness to him that makes him stand out. And he was a solid undercard pick on the NOAH and All Japan shows. But I need to seek out more Battlarts to really get a handle on him. 97. Barry Windham It’s hard to really appreciate where Windham lands on the all time scale because his peaks were so tremendous and among the best any US wrestler has seen. However, he falls off several times, doing almost nothing substantial for months on end, sometimes years, only to show himself still to be a quality wrestler for brief glimpses. Maybe he just got bored or made the incorrect choices in his career, but I always have to hold myself back on praising him too much even though I love his mid to late 80s run. Voted for him as my #86. 96. Shinobu Kandori At one point, I had a phase of considering Kandori to be the best joshi. It’s hard to deny her aura and her uniqueness. She stands out among the pack as somehow totally different, which accentuates her skills. And her matches with Hokuto are the cannon classics of the era. I love the match against Hotta where she won the 3WA World title. But the depth perhaps isn’t there compared to her peers. Just missed the cut.

99. Tully Blanchard My 100th pick. I almost forgot about him, but after deep consideration, I had to vote for him. He is everything I think works as a wrestler. As a character, he completely and utterly commits to the gimmick and it never feels like a performance, but rather it IS Tully Blanchard. Tully is also a tremendous TV worker, capable of stepping up to bigger matches, including an all time TV match against Ron Garvin. Him as part of the Brain Busters with Arn is also tremendous stuff. Some of the most compelling tag wrestling stuff of the era - during the peak of tag team wrestling! And even in his older phases, I really like the match with Terry Funk at Slamboree 1994. It’s awesome. Super underrated show as well as match.