GWE 2026 Reaction Thread

[Control21]

2 minutes ago, El Dragon said:

I legitimately do not understand this one at all. Darby is one of the most easy to understand wrestlers of all time. His character is that he’s undersized, but tough as nails and will beat you through a combination of force of will and using anything he can think of to gain the upper hand. To illustrate that, he takes massive bumps that illustrate how tough he is, and uses his own body as a projectile because it’s the best way to do damage when you are under sized as he is. He wrestles in a way that is specifically perfect to get over his character. 
 

Almost all the AEW guys in the running for this at this point I have some problems with their cases personally, but Darby is just pretty clearly to me a great underdog babyface that’s building up a hell of a resume of matches on his scoresheet. 

I think there are ways to underscore an undersized, tough-as-nails archetype without indulging in an offense that sometimes feels like the designs of someone who wanted to be a stuntman instead of a pro wrestler. The table spot during the Fairway to Hell match was kinda the epitome of my complaints with Allin. That spot was designed for Allin to take a cool bump for TikTok. It felt so detached from everything else in the match that I really just rolled my eyes. And then there's the Sammy Guevara match from last week, where he kinda bounced around needlessly at times after taking a simple bump. I love guys like Spike Dudley, but his role was much more centered around the match itself than TV. I don't know, it just all feels silly to me. All I can say is, to quote Liam Gallagher, "not for me, mate." 

[oldcasper]

21 minutes ago, Matt D said:

I have a whole 50% of my list gone. No regrets though. It's just funny compared to some people with 85% or whatever left.

I had a lot go quite early (but not counting now).  Seeing some people say 'hey I haven't lost anyone yet' as we get into the last 200 doesn't necessarily mean they have impeccable taste and insight.  Neither does it mean the list is predictable.  It does suggest that there is a 'changing canon' even if it is never expressed consciously.

[HeadCheese]

5 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

It's weird that Fuchi finished so much higher than Kikuchi, but I guess those two aren't joined at the hip.

I like Kikuchi (ranked him 49), I think Kikuchi case kind of struggles because a big showcase lack of footage only having a maybe 12 year very good to great period 1990 to 2003 (I could be wrong).

I ranked Fuchi at 22, I think depending on someones enjoyment for the AJPW dad tags (which I really enjoy). There's a case that Fuchi was fun to great+ 1981 (him in CWA) to 2024 (having the great match vs. Yuma Anzai) with those matches being more accessible  with AJPW streaming and coming thanks to the GAORA youtube channel 

I also think Fuchi's presentation made him easier to lift opponents I find less interesting to stuff I enjoy (Misawa and big match Kaz Hayashi) and also got more opportunities.

Kikuchi does peak higher though with the Ken Ohka bread match, the 6/1/91, and 5/25/92 with Kobashi vs. CanAm matches but, he is also with one the greatest wrestlers ever es I especially in tag matches. I might to check out more Kikuchi's work try to close the gap. 

[ohtani's jacket]

DiBiase did better than expected given there were people who actively wanted him to fall. I don't think Pirata could have done much better, either, even if talent-wise he was probably a top 100 worker during his peak.

Jake Robert and Ultimo Dragon are the type of workers who seem to show up no matter what. 

I thought Reigns would make the top 100, but I guess the voting base leans more toward AEW. Don't see an issue with anyone voting him number one. You should be able to vote whoever you want as number one based on the anyone can vote ethos. 

[HeadCheese]

I still have 57 wrestlers left on my list. I'm suprised, I was only the high vote on 5 people and I didn't get any only votes.

[Boss Rock]

I'm starting to think I'm only going to be the high vote on my number 1, and I certainly won't be the only person who votes for them either.

[Reel]

So Garvin was the highest guy with no Top 25 votes, and I'm pretty sure everyone in my top 25 will be somebody's number 1, so there's a pretty good chance my 1 will be my only high vote also. 

[El-P]

12 minutes ago, Tetsujin said:

Being able to identify that process happening in front of your eyes, and not some time after, might be recency bias, but I also think it's kinda fair. 

This.

[El McKell]

7 minutes ago, ohtani's jacket said:

Don't see an issue with anyone voting him number one. You should be able to vote whoever you want as number one based on the anyone can vote ethos. 

I don’t have a problem with someone voting him number one. But the blurb that TribalCheifofRhodeIsland literally makes it sound like he put him number 1 for his kayfabe achievements. I don’t know if this person understood the point of the project or was trolling or what.

Matsunaga also received a number 1 vote and I think he’s not as good as Reigns but the person who put Matsunaga first wrote something that made it sound like they understood what we’re doing here.

[ohtani's jacket]

9 minutes ago, HeadCheese said:

I like Kikuchi (ranked him 49), I think Kikuchi case kind of struggles because a big showcase lack of footage only having a maybe 12 year very good to great period 1990 to 2003 (I could be wrong).

I ranked Fuchi at 22, I think depending on someones enjoyment for the AJPW dad tags (which I really enjoy). There's a case that Fuchi was fun to great+ 1981 (him in CWA) to 2024 (having the great match vs. Yuma Anzai) with those matches being more accessible  with AJPW streaming and coming thanks to the GAORA youtube channel 

I also think Fuchi's presentation made him easier to lift opponents I find less interesting to stuff I enjoy (Misawa and big match Kaz Hayashi) and also got more opportunities.

Kikuchi does peak higher though with the Ken Ohka bread match, the 6/1/91, and 5/25/92 with Kobashi vs. CanAm matches but, he is also with one the greatest wrestlers ever es I especially in tag matches. I might to check out more Kikuchi's work try to close the gap. 

To be honest, I'm not sure that Kikuchi was great for 12 straight years. I can't even remember what he did between those early 90s six-mans, his matches against the CanAm and his feud with Liger. Likewise there were a lot of years where Fuchi didn't do much. It reminds me a bit of the argument people used to make that Casas was one of the best in the world from 1987 to 20-and whatever. I think there is a lot more ebb and flow to most people's careers with purple patches and pockets of greatness. Unless you're Devil Masami, who I think was legitimately great from 1977-1997. 

[El-P]

14 minutes ago, ohtani's jacket said:

DiBiase did better than expected given there were people who actively wanted him to fall.

Like, the Mississippi Department of Justice ?

8 minutes ago, El McKell said:

But the blurb that TribalCheifofRhodeIsland literally makes it sound like he put him number 1 for his kayfabe achievements. I don’t know if this person understood the point of the project or was trolling or what.

I wonder what the rest of his list looks like. If it's only post 2000 WWE guys, well. 

[ohtani's jacket]

4 minutes ago, El McKell said:

I don’t have a problem with someone voting him number one. But the blurb that TribalCheifofRhodeIsland literally makes it sound like he put him number 1 for his kayfabe achievements. I don’t know if this person understood the point of the project or was trolling or what.

Matsunaga also received a number 1 vote and I think he’s not as good as Reigns but the person who put Matsunaga first wrote something that made it sound like they understood what we’re doing here.

Maybe he likes Reigns' star power. Just like some people are gonna vote for the Undertaker because he was the phenom. These things matter more than people give them credit for. 

[Microstatistics]

#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.

[BackToBionic]

16 minutes ago, El-P said:

I wonder what the rest of his list looks like. If it's only post 2000 WWE guys, well. 

He was high voter on quite a few of the WWE Samoans so yeah. 

 

Again, if everyone had the same list or only slight variants, this would be pretty boring so I get it. I mean we've had the Lulu Pencil and a Russian backyard death match guy as number ones so it's not mind-blowing that someone would select the guy that has been at the center of the largest company in the world for the last decade as their number one. I just find the reasoning to be strange but who am I to doubt TribalCheifofRhodeIsland?

 

I've had about a quarter of my list gone already, unsurprisingly. This 120-250 range was where I lost a lot of guys last time too and looking at my list I'm just wondering how many I'll take into the top 100. 30-40 I'd assume. I also won't be having any high votes, bar my number one.

[Matt D]

So, AEW wrestlers left.

PAC, Claudio, Omega, Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson, Christian, Hangman Page, Danielson, Moxley, MJF, Mercedes, Mark Briscoe, Chris Jericho, Darby, CM Punk, Okada, Eddie, Dustin, Shibata, Roddy Strong, Samoa Joe, Sting, Turbo Floyd, Will Ospreay.

Did I miss anyone?

[ohtani's jacket]

Interesting that MJF dropped. The plot thickens.

90s Juniors aren't doing as badly as predicted. 

[El-P]

24 minutes ago, BackToBionic said:

He was high voter on quite a few of the WWE Samoans so yeah.

Maybe it's Rikishi himself voting...

Wait, Turbo Floyd was nominated ? What ? 

Hey Masato Tanaka. There's the famous anecdote where in 1996 or so Terry Funk tells Meltzer and JDW while they are in Japan that Masato Tanaka is a better worker than Misawa (Terry was working FMW back then). Of course, it was seen as goofy and laughable. Fast forward 2026. Who is still kicking at 50 + having really good fucking matches and looking good and healthy and who is dead because he enabled a style that required that you got dropped on your neck ? Who's laughing now, uh ?

[El-P]

1 minute ago, ohtani's jacket said:

90s Juniors aren't doing as badly as predicted. 

Really ? Who's left apart from Liger ? 

MJF getting so "high" on the strength of basically the last 4 years of his AEW work is quite something. 

[gungan]

Super Dragon: I had him at 43. All-time great offensive wrestler, surprisingly good at showing vulnerability, surprisingly deep body of work given his lack of longevity, and an insanely great garbage brawler (he lapped everyone in that ROH 100th show match tbh). Plus he made me enjoy tag matches that had Davey Richards in them. If that isn't evidence of greatness, then I don't know what is.

HARASHIMA: I had him at 54. Hypnotically good matworker and super reliable in big title matches. Maybe my favourite post-Misawa ace.

Homicide: I kinda thought about ranking him, but I couldn't get over how often he'd tank matches with frictionless transitions, questionable selling, and unnecessary head drops. Awesome brawler, though.

Orton: I like him and have really enjoyed him at times (love the Christian series, he's a great Rey opponent, that 2007 Cena match is excellent), but someone who has that much footage on tape shouldn't have such a lousy hit-miss ratio.

Matsunaga: he's awesome. I love his FMW stuff and the matches against Ishikawa and Otsuka in Battlarts. In retrospect, I should've ranked him.

Reigns: I liked him in the Shield and his initial singles run. Even though I find both of those runs to be a bit overhyped by Reigns lovers, I probably would've voted for him if he maintained that level of quality throughout his career. However, I'd rather stick skewers in my eyes than watch any of his Tribal Chief stuff.

[ohtani's jacket]

4 minutes ago, El-P said:

Really ? Who's left apart from Liger ? 

MJF getting so "high" on the strength of basically the last 4 years of his AEW work is quite something. 

I don't remember seeing Ohtani yet. 

[El Boricua]

Latest drop has put me at 27 gone from my list. Lucha getting hit hard. 

[Matt D]

13 minutes ago, El-P said:

Wait, Turbo Floyd was nominated ? What ? 

He’s been all over those recent WWE Vault Omni drops from 83-84.

[Mattsdmf]

MJF was #81.  I had thought that MJF might have been too early in his career to vote but I thought about all that he has accomplished in his time, especially in AEW and it was undeniable.   His top matches are amongst the very best matches I've seen in my life.  He's so good at playing different roles but he's the ultimate heel.  Especially nowadays where it's so hard to get genuine heat these days as the crowd so wants to cheer a good heel.  He might get cheered here and there but he always finds a way to turn them against him.

Virus is #53 for me.  He was so amazing as a mini and then went on to have an extended career where he's wrestled a who's who in lucha.  So incredibly sharp and crisp he is in the ring.  An all timer in my book.

[El-P]

17 minutes ago, ohtani's jacket said:

I don't remember seeing Ohtani yet. 

Oh you're right. Ohtani is still there. Poor fellow.

11 minutes ago, Matt D said:

He’s been all over those recent WWE Vault Omni drops from 83-84.

I saw what you did there. Truth Magnum is the better Outrunner though. 

[Tetsujin]

Daisuke Sekimoto man, speaking of underrated (let's add Okabayashi as well). Kings of consistency and meaty fights.

MJF doing this good this early in his career is fascinating, but honestly, he's done a lot of very interesting stuff since AEW started. He's getting better and better each year, too, to the point that I believe we haven't seen his peak yet (although he wouldn't be the first wrestler with that potential and then never peaking higher for the rest of their career, coughcoughOkadaOrtonforexamplecoughcough). He also has a great mind for wrestling and you can tell by his interviews. He's also a huge internet nerd and he's probably reading our posts as we write them (hey Max, hope you get bald on sunday).

I expected Kansai to drop closer to the actual top 100, actually. Don't know what to think about it.