GWE 2026 Reaction Thread

[ohtani's jacket]

The list is just trolling now with those fan favorites falling outside the 100. 

[Matt D]

I saw him on a bunch of ballots, but this is the first time where I think that maybe Bock didn’t make the top 50. 

[Tetsujin]

The remaining 100 guys are -mostly- really cool names (Naito and Ishii made it! Mox too! And fucking Takayama and Necro and Jaguar!), but it's the potential ranking what can give me a very bitter taste. I'm not ready to see Omega a lot higher than Bockwinkel, to say two names in a realistic scenario. 

[Boss Rock]

1 hour ago, El Dragon said:

I do think the 2 sub groups that have really pushed this time (other then the obvious Joshi push) are the 00’s Indy boom guys and new Japan diehards.

I have to think this is why Owens made the cut but a lot of contemporary WWE folks didn't. His run, even as solid as it is (or was), has never been stellar. Yet he has all those years in ROH.

[ZubazKid]

Ahh, losing Buddy Rose SUCKS. He was my highest ranking loss at #43 and more importantly he was just such a masterful, great wrestler & I’m glad I got to see a lot of his Portland stuff & look forward to watching more in the future.

I’ve got 76 wrestlers moving onto the list, looking forward to the reveal.

[El-P]

21 minutes ago, Grimmas said:

14 women.

13 minutes ago, ethantyler said:

14 women this year, which is exactly the same number as 2006 but significantly higher than 2016 (4). 

I knew I missed one... Wow, exactly the same number, that's interesting. Considering how much we were a joshi friendly board back at SC, the fact 20 years later there isn't one more, despite US wrestling having made such huge progress in the same time span (mostly in the last 15 years, although Gail vs Kong happened in 2007), isn't exactly that great a result in that front I'd say. It is what it is. I really thought Yoshida and Mayu would make it.

[Boss Rock]

70 of mine have made the cut. Only lost 1 in my top 20 and 7 in my top 50.

[Tetsujin]

I still got 75% of my list alive, so there's that. Buddy Rose was my highest loss at #18, followed by Breaks at #26 and then all the way down to Mark Briscoe at #46. I guess I can't complain.

My guess for the first 10 guys to drop (I'm always wrong): Iyo, Asuka, KENTA, Necro, Eaton, Bockwinkel, Bruno, Owens, Eddie Kingston and Dusty.

[Makai Club #1]

Out of the remaining 100, I'd say the only ones that truly stand out to me as surprising are: Kevin Owens.

KO may have some good will for his recent years in WWE, working against Austin in a matc people loved (I never saw it) and he had a fab match with Zayn at WM against the Uso, who both totally collapsed as workers following that (and maybe even before it). But otherwise, I'm not really see the big change for him since 2016. Do people really LOVE the recent Cody matches? They are alright. I can't recall many great matches he's had in the period. Or any that didn't include Sami Zayn, actually.

[Reel]

Just when I was losing all hope, Jericho missed the Top 100. There is still hope for the young people after all. 

[ohtani's jacket]

The reasons why women’s wrestling took a dip in ‘16 are fairly obvious. It’s nice to see it making a resurgence this tome round. It can only bee viewed as a positive , imo. 

[Matt D]

6 minutes ago, Makai Club #1 said:

Out of the remaining 100, I'd say the only ones that truly stand out to me as surprising are: Kevin Owens.

KO may have some good will for his recent years in WWE, working against Austin in a matc people loved (I never saw it) and he had a fab match with Zayn at WM against the Uso, who both totally collapsed as workers following that (and maybe even before it). But otherwise, I'm not really see the big change for him since 2016. Do people really LOVE the recent Cody matches? They are alright. I can't recall many great matches he's had in the period. Or any that didn't include Sami Zayn, actually.

It’s mostly different people. 

[Monch Wrestling]

GUNTHER is the only wrestler in the top 100 who wasn't ranked at all in 2016.

[Childs]

It's very possible that by the desert island test, I'll prefer 101-150 to 51-100. So many favorites have fallen the last few days. But 10 more women in the top 100 is a win. That was an obvious flaw in 2016 (on my ballot as well). I've only lost two of my top 50, while my second 50 have been largely wiped out, so I do wonder if we'll see something closer to the old consensus near the top. 

[Microstatistics]

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. 

[Tetsujin]

Neither is gonna happen, but all I'm rooting for right now is Kobashi winning and Naito finishing ahead of both Okada and Omega.

[Childs]

54 minutes ago, Makai Club #1 said:

Out of the remaining 100, I'd say the only ones that truly stand out to me as surprising are: Kevin Owens.

KO may have some good will for his recent years in WWE, working against Austin in a matc people loved (I never saw it) and he had a fab match with Zayn at WM against the Uso, who both totally collapsed as workers following that (and maybe even before it). But otherwise, I'm not really see the big change for him since 2016. Do people really LOVE the recent Cody matches? They are alright. I can't recall many great matches he's had in the period. Or any that didn't include Sami Zayn, actually.

I don't get Roderick Strong cracking it. Good worker for a long time, but so much less special than dozens of men and women who have already fallen.