Who will benefit most from 2016-2026?

[highflyflow]

In 2016, wrestlers like Shinsuke Nakamura, Hiroshi Tanahashi, CM Punk, and Bryan Danielson all made it on the top 100 list based predominantly on their work in the ten years since the Smarkschoice poll. Who do you think will be the biggest benefactor of footage from the last 10 years in the 2026 list? Mostly asking for wrestlers that weren't on the list last time, but you think have a good chance at being on next year.

[Boss Rock]

I expect more modern NJPW folks this time around given how hot the product was and how many eyeballs it drew until the post-pandemic doldrums.

[El McKell]

Will Ospreay is my prediction for person who jumps up the most places. 

And I think I’m gonna say Nick Jackson will be the highest ranking person who didn’t get any votes last time (of people who actually made a case since March 2016)

 

[Jetlag]

Probably WALTER, since he went from an outsider indy guy to top guy in the biggest company on earth, I would assume.

For similiar reasons: Eddie Kingston, Hechicero, Samoa Joe, CM Punk, Kana/Asuka, Zack Sabre Jr, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Darby Allin, Bryan Danielson (though his stock was already quite high the last time around).

Darlings outside the biggest feds that I would guess have garnered quite a bit of hype: Sareee, Takumi Iroha, Chihiro Hashimoto, Fuminoru Abe, Takuya Nomura 

In my personal estimation: Yasushi Sato, Blue Panther, Keita Yano, GENTARO, Hiroshi Watanabe (just based on the work they've done in the past 10 years)

 

[El McKell]

How high are you going to go on Blue Panther? You ranked him pretty high last time around and I think you're saying you think he's one of the 5 best workers of the past decade, is Blue Panther a number one contender for you?

[highflyflow]

I’ll have Panther in my top 50. He’s been one of the best wrestlers in the world, in the best promotion in the world, for at least two years now, in his 60s.

In a similar vein, does Akiyama climb into the teens this time around? He’s demonstrably added to his case in the last ten years

[Tetsujin]

It's gonna be Omega. That saddens me, but it is what it is. Ospreay and Okada too, both will make it as well. Maybe ZSJ and (hopefully) Naito, also the Shield guys specially Moxley, but Omega, Okada and Ospreay seem like the three undisputed fan favourites of the last decade. They're the biggest representation of today's canon of what great wrestling is, this late-meltzerism era of workrate and fandom that led to AEW as the first real alternative to WWE's US monopoly since the late 90s. They have the hegemony at the moment and I'm sure they'll rank somewhere between 80-100.

[Ma Stump Puller]

There's going to be a lot of regency bias towards more recent individuals, I can see a lot of the 2016 GWE list not even showing up since a lot of that userbase don't even bother with the Projects anymore (their loss!). Predicting a lot of 80s wrestlers to be either much higher up here or not even there.

17 minutes ago, Tetsujin said:

It's gonna be Omega. That saddens me, but it is what it is. Ospreay and Okada too, both will make it as well. Maybe ZSJ and (hopefully) Naito, also the Shield guys specially Moxley, but Omega, Okada and Ospreay seem like the three undisputed fan favourites of the last decade. They're the biggest representation of today's canon of what great wrestling is, this late-meltzerism era of workrate and fandom that led to AEW as the first real alternative to WWE's US monopoly since the late 90s. They have the hegemony at the moment and I'm sure they'll rank somewhere between 80-100.

Naito/Ospreay/Okada will all be there, though I can also see individuals like Gunther or Sami Zayn getting similar upgrades depending on a few factors. 

 

8 hours ago, highflyflow said:

I’ll have Panther in my top 50. He’s been one of the best wrestlers in the world, in the best promotion in the world, for at least two years now, in his 60s.

In a similar vein, does Akiyama climb into the teens this time around? He’s demonstrably added to his case in the last ten years

I'd hope so, Akiyama even this year has really shone as a very meat and potatoes-style wrestler, no frills but the things he does are very good.

 

[cad]

How has Panther's case changed in the past ten years? He's a mat wizard with extremely good longevity, and he was a mat wizard with extremely good longevity in 2015. It's better to be good for longer, but unless you're just adding up great matches for each candidate I can't imagine what he could have proven in that time span.

[highflyflow]

20 minutes ago, Ma Stump Puller said:

I'd hope so, Akiyama even this year has really shone as a very meat and potatoes-style wrestler, no frills but the things he does are very good.

His title match vs. Higuchi might be my MOTY, I think it’s that good. Hell, as far as this topic goes, Higuchi should be getting good buzz given how great he’s been especially in the 2020s, but I’m not optimistic about that. There’s always 2036, I guess

[HeadCheese]

With non-modern footage I think some French Catch wrestlers might benefit. Indie luchadors will benefit especially so many of the matches being fancammed abd uploaded or going on Mas Lucha in full. Joshi is going to benefit from the amount GAEA archives being uploaded with the ability to watch things in context. 

https://youtube.com/@gaeaism4574?si=6Ky7zqyeyRMrpvVZ

I think Místico could be someone that does well given how well his second CMLL ace is going.

I agree with WALTER and Will Ospreay going up too.

Moxley's has a better case too. 

Swerve Strickland is an interesting case of someone maybe to have the back of my my mind. He has the Dante Fox Hell of War match, very good AEW run, and top runs in DEFY since than.

Mike Bailey who will make my list might be someone who has his case for me aswell.

I think theres also wrestlers who will make my list who didn't debut till after 2016 (Daniel Garcia and Mei Suruga). I can maybe see some making a case for Tam Nakano and Mad Dog Connelly too.