The 2026 GWE Reveal Thread!

[Grimmas]

#26

Shinya Hashimoto

 

 

2016 Ranking: 23 [-3]

2006 Ranking: 24 [-2]

 

Points: 21808

Points per Vote: 72.5

Votes: 301, 62.84% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 7-59-148

Standard Deviation: 22.9

Nomination Thread: Shinya Hashimoto

High Vote: 1

High Voter: Brock Obama, Ryuma Go, Olivia

 

 

"Lucky for us, pro wrestling comes in all shapes and sizes. Slick indie spotfests up and down the American East Coast, seedy brawls in the back alleys of Mexico City, sporting contests in every concert hall across England—the list goes ever on. For me, though, nothing compares to the cacophonous roar of a crowd of thousands whose earnest, undivided attention is fixed on the ring before them. And no one engrossed their record-setting audiences, wrangling these roiling seas of humanity and turning their tides to his own ends, quite as well as Shinya Hashimoto. From the inaugural wrestling show in the Tokyo Dome to his stunning G1 upsets (and eventual triumph) to his devastating defeats at the hands of Naoya Ogawa, Hashimoto instilled soaring emotion in the hearts of countless thousands unlike any wrestler I've ever seen. When I think of pro wrestling, its idealized form taking shape in my mind's eye, I picture a spotlit ring surrounded by a massive crowd chanting a single name over and over again. When I think of pro wrestling, I think of Shinya Hashimoto." Brock Obama

 

"I've debated a lot about every single placement on this list, with the exception of #1. Shinya Hashimoto is god and him being the greatest wrestler of all time is the most obvious choice I can make with this list. He's got everything one can want from a #1 contender, a long excellent career, an evangelion of great matches under his belt, including several in which he has given his opponent their best match ever, the fact he had probably the most believable offense in all of pro wrestling history, the fact that he could do it all from being a terrifying monster in the ring to the greatest hard fighting babyface you've ever seen, the fact he could do excellent mat wrestling as well as hard hitting heavyweight slugfests and intense chess matches, the way he would bring the Tokyo Dome to a boil. All while always being unmistakably Shinya Hashimoto. I love every part of his career from his early days where he emerged like a folk here to his gritty last days. To put it simply, Shinya Hashimoto is the greatest and there will never be another wrestler like him." Ryuma Go

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[Grimmas]

#25

Jushin "Thunder" Liger

 

 

2016 Ranking: 6 [-19]

2006 Ranking: 4 [-21]

 

Points: 21952

Points per Vote: 63.6

Votes: 345, 72.03% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 8-32-131

Standard Deviation: 24.8

Nomination Thread: Jushin Liger

High Vote: 1

High Voter: Satanic Boho, JML

 

 

"Most versatile wrestler in the history of pro wrestling. Liger can work babyface, heel, junior heavyweight, heavyweight, underdog, bully, veteran, plucky youngster, masked, unmasked, full body suit, brawler, ground work, etc. All while doing this in Japan, Mexico, Europe and America." JML

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[Grimmas]

#24

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

"lowest ranked on 3/4 of the ballots"

 

 

2016 Ranking: 15 [-9]

2006 Ranking: 13 [-11]

 

Points: 23242

Points per Vote: 63.5

Votes: 366, 76.41% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 1-19-129

Standard Deviation: 21.9

Nomination Thread: Ricky Steamboat

High Vote: 3

High Voter: Rafa

 

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[Grimmas]

#23

CM Punk

 

 

2016 Ranking: 46 [+23]

2006 Ranking: 425 [+402]

 

Points: 24064

Points per Vote: 69.1

Votes: 348, 72.65% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 19-70-164

Standard Deviation: 27.8

Nomination Thread: CM Punk

High Vote: 1

High Voter: Ben, Maxwell Tidball, Tommy, Dalton Mack, jadeee, Logan

 

 

"Simply put, he gets the best out of everyone he faces. He’s put on matches with some guys that wouldn’t even be top 10,000 that were instant classics." Maxwell Tidball

 

"Extremely high peaks from the 2000s to the early 2020s, best return/debut of all time in AEW followed by a fantastic run of in-ring performances, brought the best work out of a lot of lesser wrestlers and the soulmate of a lot of all-time wrestlers like Samoa Joe and Cena. Makes you feel strongly or negatively and in the camp of feeling extremely strong about his work I have him at #1." Tommy

 

"I want to care. Like too many other people, I've found my attention slipping and going to my phone or something else while wrestling is on. When Punk is on TV, cutting a promo or wrestling a match, my attention stays on what he's doing. He talks like a human being, his athleticism (while far from elite) has always been good enough for his age at the time, and his selling is probably the most realistic I've seen since I began watching wrestling. You can make a strong case he gave the following excellent wrestlers the best match of their career: John Cena, Jeff Hardy, Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker, Samoa Joe, Drew McIntyre, Roman Reigns, Eddie Kingston, MJF, Raven, Chris Hero and Austin Aries. I understand he is polarizing, as may be this pick. But isn't that what you want a wrestler to do: generate feelings in the viewer, positive or negative?" Dalton Mack

 

 

"I think CM Punk has one of the most complex GWE cases to discuss - the most "your mileage may vary" contender because, as much as you may try, it is impossible to ignore the outside of the ring controversies. They're too prevalent, shoved down every online wrestling fan's throats both by himself and others, and obviously because they're married to his work. I say this because I'm sure a lot of people try to be fair and take an "objective" stance, to try and view his work as it is, maybe from the lens of somebody in thirty years who doesn't have the option of living through each and every CM Punk controversy in real time and is viewing *purely* the work. Whether he's high, low or in the middle of your list, you cannot deny that witnessing all of it firsthand has impacted where you put him - whether that impact is small or major is what differs, but I have to believe it exists for everyone. All this to say, I'm very interested in where he'll rank.

 

For me, those controversies amplify even the work I don't enjoy as much as his prime work - most notably his current WWE run. As much as I love him, I can't really stand to watch his stuff now, but even despite it not really being for me, I cannot deny that he hasn't lost his magic, and I doubt he ever will. Even now, he still makes people believe this is real, and it very much does translate to his ring work and the reactions and heat he can generate. It's the kind of magic I feel grateful to be alive to witness. I can't say for sure, but I really doubt there'll ever be somebody who can make people believe quite like he can ever again.

 

That magic that has been ever present is what made me fall head over heels in love with pro wrestling at the age of 5. CM Punk was not my *first* favorite wrestler (though he was my first favorite active wrestler), but I think even a young me who was obviously too young to understand the intricacies of what I was watching knew that the way he spoke and the way he acted was not like anybody else on TV. The funny thing is, I didn't see the Pipebomb until like half a year after it happened and even when I saw it, I didn't know what the fuck he was talking about. I can't credit that, or any specific promo, it was literally just a feeling in the air when I saw him, especially given that he main evented the first live show I went to (against Triple H, but still).

 

When I was young, I felt a lot of "magic", but at age 19, I can say a lot of it has worn off. The magic of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has turned to apathy for me. The same goes for Star Wars, Harry Potter, Seth Rollins, you name it - yet, still, the magic of CM Punk still moves me, and he has multiple all-time matches in three different decades across several different companies in so many different stages of his life - of my top twenty favorite matches ever, Punk has five (Cena MITB, Joe 2 & 3, Rave cage, Aries title match) and I just cannot name a wrestler who moves me even close to this level other than my #2, Akira Hokuto.

 

If you talk about JUST the work? CM Punk is my #1. But when you factor in everything else? All the drama, the fact I'm straight edge because of him, the fact that, for better or worse he's morphed like, 60% of my personality? He's #1 with a bullet. There is no doubt in my mind that now and forever, in my heart, CM Punk is the greatest professional wrestler to ever live." jadeee

 

 

"CM Punk is the greatest wrestler ever because he blends elite in ring skill with unmatched mic ability. He makes every match feel real, every promo matter, and connects with fans on a level few ever have. His authenticity and storytelling set him apart from everyone else." Logan

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[Grimmas]

#22

El Hijo del Santo

 

 

2016 Ranking: 29 [+7]

2006 Ranking: 20 [-2]

 

Points: 24335

Points per Vote: 85.7

Votes: 284, 59.29% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 28-103-195

Standard Deviation: 21.7

Nomination Thread: El Hijo del Santo

High Vote: 1

High Voter: JM, Jose, cad, Tawren/Neil, Reel, Felipe Oliveira

 

 

"My ballot prioritizes bell-to-bell action since I only speak one language. That being said, everything that a wrestler could be good at, Santito is great at. Grappling, brawling, flying, grounding, bravery, cowardice, confidence, cruelty... El Hijo Del Santo has not only done it all, he's excelled at it all." JM

 

"His presence, his grace, his longevity, his greatness from day 1. His ability to star in huge arenas, be a hero to children, live a legacy but also appear in grimy bloody mask ripping brawls while traveling across European museums. I will always adore his dives. Easy pick for me." Tawren/Neil

 

"Everytime I watch Hijo del Santo, I'm struck by how good his offense looks. I'm struck by how well he sells and his ability to emote in a mask. I'm struck by his ability to carry on perhaps the biggest legacy in all of wrestling, and at the same time his willingness to turn on Negro Casas and have a great heel run. I'm struck by his willingness to brawl and bleed, to take it to the mat, to hit an incredible tope. He has the list of great matches, he has adaptability, and his stuff always looks good. He was the only answer for number 1 for me." Reel

 

"Perfect as a face but his best match (which is also my GME) is as a heel against Negro Casas in 97. Huge draw and an extraordinary, flawless wrestler who´s able to connect with every audience. A cultural hero in Mexico with a legendary mask and match catalogue, and he´s also the son of Mexico´s biggest star ever, El Santo. His career lasted 43 years and he has incredible matches in three different decades, which gives him a lot of points. He´s also incredibly versatile, he can put together awesome bouts against any opponent or style. High-flying, scientific wrestling and lucha bloody-brawls, he can produce gold in all of them. I just can not think of a better pro-wrestler than him. If he exists, I don´t know the guy yet lol." Felipe Oliveira

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[Grimmas]

#21

Randy "Macho Man" Savage

 

 

2016 Ranking: 18 [-3]

2006 Ranking: 44 [+23]

 

Points: 24912

Points per Vote: 69.6

Votes: 358, 74.74% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 15-63-156

Standard Deviation: 25.0

Nomination Thread: Randy Savage

High Vote: 1

High Voter: Adam, Doug Edwards, Charles, Woebegone Jabroni, The Idiot King

 

 

"Ringwork is still some of the greatest of all time. Both pioneered and perfected modern television wrestling with his long term booking centered on Ms Elizabeth.

 

A bona fide draw in the territories, 80s wwf and 90s wcw.

 

Passes the "mom" test with ease. Nearly 50 years after his prime he is still one of the everlasting avatars of the sport." Doug Edwards

 

"One day, Randy Savage stopped speaking with the voice that God gave him and just started talking 'like that' and never used his 'real' voice again. He is the Platonic form of the pro wrestler." Woebegone Jabroni

 

 

"One of the only people to truly "get it." Unhinged, idiosyncratic, larger than life, flamboyant and was innovating things bell to bell. Never an underdog, really but also an underdog for his whole career. Terrifying but also beloved by children. An icon by being himself -- drug-addled, paranoid, scary. Could improv like a trained actor and then run around in his underwear like a maniac. Committed to the bit." The Idiot King

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[Grimmas]

#20

Samoa Joe

 

 

2016 Ranking: 59 [+39]

2006 Ranking: 116 [+96]

 

Points: 26113

Points per Vote: 66.8

Votes: 391, 81.63% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 9-40-150

Standard Deviation: 22.7

Nomination Thread: Samoa Joe

High Vote: 2

High Voter: Basterd, Lukas Edmundson, Karlsruhe00, Rhys Withhisspoon

 

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[Grimmas]

#19

Jumbo Tsuruta

 

 

2016 Ranking: 11 [-8]

2006 Ranking: 1 [-18]

 

Points: 26387

Points per Vote: 77.8

Votes: 339, 70.77% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 19-74-192

Standard Deviation: 22.0

Nomination Thread: Jumbo Tsuruta

High Vote: 1

High Voter: Samuel, Nick Casaccio, Dylan Fox

 

 

"Greatest ace a wrestling company has ever seen, best big match wrestler of all time, has the best matches with all of the best wrestlers. No one better." Nick Casaccio

 

"The best match and among the best wrestlers in 3 different decades, no one can match his peak and longevity combined as an all time great worker. In addition whether it was through his athletic ability, timing, realistic striking or his excellent fundamental psychology, he also may be among the most versatile to ever do it as well. He also excelled in big matches in particular despite not indulging in excess as a rule. His matches with the likes of Tenryu and Misawa, as well as his late stage run as a ring general in several classic Multiman tags don't just hold up, they'd be considered the match of the year if they happened nearly 40 years after they happened. He was my #1 choice in 2016 and he hasn't been replaced. Maybe he never will." Dylan Fox

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[Grimmas]

#18

Mick Foley

Cactus Jack, Mankind, Dudley Love

 

 

2016 Ranking: 38 [+20]

2006 Ranking: 70 [+52]

 

Points: 26539

Points per Vote: 66.2

Votes: 401, 83.72% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 10-60-161

Standard Deviation: 25.2

Nomination Thread: Mick Foley

High Vote: 1

High Voter: Fluegel, Morgan, Lance, Jack

 

 

"I feel like Foley does almost everything to a high degree. He's a phenomenal brawler. He can wrestle grounded and more technically driven styles. He's funny and can do comedy wrestling. One of the best deathmatch wrestlers ever. He consistently raised the ceiling of the younger guys he wrestled and helped to get over. He was great solo and as a tag wrestler. An amazing storyteller who could use as these different styles to get the most engagement out of the crowd and his opponents. Foley is Go(o)d." Lance

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[Grimmas]

#17

AJ Styles

 

 

2016 Ranking: 39 [+22]

2006 Ranking: 301 [+284]

 

Points: 26551

Points per Vote: 71.0

Votes: 374, 78.08% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 14-54-174

Standard Deviation: 21.9

Nomination Thread: AJ Styles

High Vote: 1

High Voter: John , Jonathan Guevara

 

 

"• AJ Styles is the FIRST one to win The WWE World Title outside of North America

• ONLY ONE to win a singles Championship at a WWF House Show in the last 25 years

• THE ONLY ONE who held IWGP, WWE, NWA, TNA WORLD TITLES **2X EACH**

• The Inaugural ROH PURE Champion

 

AJ Styles is the *only* professional wrestler in the history of the business to have won the IWGP,WWE,NWA and TNA World Titles. He is the first* western wrestler to win the IWGP title Twice* and the only American wrestler to win it twice

 

He is the only wrestler of the 2010s who Main Evented The Tokyo Dome and Madison Square Garden while competing for the World Title

 

The influence behind the best current young wrestlers. Drew McIntyre, Will Ospreay, Adam Cole, Kenny Omega, Pete Dunne , Seth Rollins etc

 

No one truly equaled him. There's nuance even in the way he sells and bumps.

 

There's a nuanced ferocity in his style.

Just consider his last match against Gunther, the way he controled and measured every story beat of thag match, punctuated by his skill and arsenal of moves that could be executed with an array of emotions that he so expertly displayed is genuinely unmatched.

 

Even Vince noticed that according to Road Dogg. That "AJ wrestles like everything that's happening is...

for real".

 

From Ric Flair, Taker, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle and Tanahashi, Paul Heyman etc they all have the same opinion that Styles is one of, if not the best of his generation." John

 

 

"I was 10 years old when i was introduced to AJ Styles; that was when he first debuted in the 2016 Royal Rumble and he's been my guy since then. I followed his wwe career from beginning to end, from having that great extreme rules match against Roman Reigns and that amazing trilogy with John Cena that was capped off with my favorite match of all time in the Royal Rumble 2017. Since announcing his retirement i decided to skim through his career and it's safe to say that he easily has one of the best wrestling careers to date. AJ’s longevity is one of none. AJ was THE guy in three separate companies (TNA, NJPW, and WWE) even his stint in ROH he produced some of the best matches in that company (vs Adam Cole, vs Danielson, vs Paul London, etc.) He delivered classic matches for over 20 years with almost no major drop in quality. That level of sustained excellence is rare.

 

All in all, AJ Styles is the most complete wrestler and that is why, to me, he's my number one ballot for the greatest wrestler ever." Jonathan Guevara

 

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[Grimmas]

#16

"The Dangerous Queen" Akira Hokuto

"lowest ranked with over 200 top 25 votes"

 

 

2016 Ranking: 52 [+38]

2006 Ranking: 15 [-1]

 

Points: 27013

Points per Vote: 81.6

Votes: 331, 69.10% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 27-95-214

Standard Deviation: 21.6

Nomination Thread: Akira Hokuto

High Vote: 1

High Voters:  Grimmas, Mike, Kappel Roan, Jennifer, IrelandForDevilMasami, Lespeckly/Speckles, Dylan J. Murray, Rana

 

 

"Hokuto is undeniable. The greatest matches. The greatest presence. The best offense of anybody and the best defense. Wild brawls, great technical matches, blood, drama, fighting through injuries. She had EVERYTHING!" Grimmas

 

"She was fantastic in the ring but also effortlessly charismatic, could talk, made everything she did believable, was utterly fearless and left a lasting impression. She was damn near perfect." Jennifer

 

"A force of nature that bended wrestling around her. An early 90s peak that will never be bettered. Insane big match catalogue, and quite a varied career for her era. Nobody makes you feel like Hokuto. Nobody made it more real than Hokuto. Nobody better than Hokuto." IrelandForDevilMasami

 

 

"Akira Hokuto is a wrestler who works in any setting. Undercard tags, gritty blood feuds, sprints, even Stalker Ichikawa matches. To me, she perfectly embodies what wrestling is all about, intensity. You see it in every movement she makes, every bump she takes, the way she sells, her willingness to get covered in her own blood just to draw some of her opponent's blood is unmatched. In addition to having several of my favorite matches ever, she has one of my favorite feuds ever, the Shinobu Kandori feud. On top of all of that, she has what I believe to be the single greatest calendar year ever in wrestling, 1993. Hokuto works well with all of AJW top talents and even the ladies not directly in that company. Although she never held the red belt, she didn't need it. Akira Hokuto is the greatest wrestler of all time." Lespeckly/Speckles

 

"While many (correctly) believe that Akira Hokuto had the greatest peak of any wrestler ever in 1993, the amount of gems she produced outside of that single year could stand up to most wrestlers' catalogs all on their own. Her output in 1990, 1991, and 1992 was deeply underrated at the time and remains that way now. In fact, from the time she formed Marine Wolves alongside Suzuka Minami in 1989 until her retirement in 2001, she was among the strongest tag team wrestlers in the world. Plus, even while her deteriorating health did impact her offensive ability over time, Hokuto remained an unparalleled seller and even delivered a few legendary singles performances in the twilight years of her career; her stint in the 1999 GAEA vs. Nostradamus Gauntlet match and her all-time great match against Meiko Satomura in 2001 being the two most notable examples. For me, the best peak of anyone ever and better down years than most gives her a pretty strong case for being the greatest wrestler ever in my eyes." Dylan J. Murray

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[Grimmas]

#15

Vader

"highest rated without a #1 vote"

 

 

2016 Ranking: 14 [-1]

2006 Ranking: 17 [+2]

 

Points: 27648

Points per Vote: 67.9

Votes: 407, 84.97% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 6-45-160

Standard Deviation: 21.8

Nomination Thread: Vader

High Vote: 2

High Voters: Robert Scoville, Rex

 

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[Grimmas]

#14

Toshiaki Kawada

 

 

2016 Ranking: 9 [-5]

2006 Ranking: 2 [-12]

 

Points: 27978

Points per Vote: 77.9

Votes: 359, 74.95% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 18-88-199

Standard Deviation: 21.8

Nomination Thread: Toshiaki Kawada

High Vote: 1

High Voters: Kris, @GeneBlastKyodai, Pyrochi, k-punk, Gerard Di Trolio, AndyLFC

 

 

"No one in the sport performed at such a raw, intense, visceral, and authentic level like Kawada did from the early 90s to the mid 2000s. There is something to be said about the relentless desire of Kawada’s in-ring work that very few have ever come close to replicating. Stiff, hard-hitting offense along with perhaps the best selling the game has ever seen makes him a timeless performer that exemplifies what makes this fine sport great." Kris

 

"I feel like I can’t put into words why Toshiaki Kawada is so good, I’ll try here though. I think he’s arguably the best seller in pro wrestling history, I think he’s the best striker in wrestling history, I don’t think I’ve ever come out of a Kawada match and not enjoyed it. His longevity is insane and even at the tail end of his career he was still an incredibly good wrestler and yet it still feels like he could’ve gone on longer, he was able to get the best out of workers I wouldn’t consider to be even close to his level and was the bright spot in all Japan for years. Just an absolutely immense talent and a huge draw in his prime years too." @GeneBlastKyodai

 

"Kawada is the ultimate representation of a performer who always wanted to improve his craft. He was perhaps the largest part of the Kings Road style evolving into what it was, with him always feeling the need to outdo himself and try things that hadn't been done in prior kings road matches. Alongside that same vein his athleticism and stamina were fantastic, able to have classics last nearly an hour without getting dull the way through. I also personally believe there is no greater seller than Kawada, and often do people try to imitate the way he would act against moves, and fail to do so because they just don't have the same skillset that Kawada did. When I see a Kawada match, I only get the feeling I'm watching someone who wanted to show the best wrestling there is to the crowd." Pyrochi

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[Grimmas]

#13

Hiroshi Tanahashi

 

 

2016 Ranking: 86 [+73]

2006 Ranking: 370 [+357]

 

Points: 28702

Points per Vote: 82.7

Votes: 347, 72.44% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 31-123-216

Standard Deviation: 23.7

Nomination Thread: Hiroshi Tanahashi

High Vote: 1

High Voters: Karl, Ashutosh, Michael Zidek, SoundwaveAU, Jamie Ross, Mike T., Maaz Waseem, Rhys Withhisspoon, Maaz Waseem, ThiccFlair

 

 

"Greatest babyface, arguably greatest in ring performer, greatest champion of the decade, master promo worker, saved new japan pro wrestling, maintained his level amongst the younger generation to be the pinnacle of the highest peak ever in inring main event action. The ace of wrestling. And also the greatest sendoff ever." Karl

 

"2.5 decades of work to pick from. So many roles. The fiery upstart, the newly crowned ace, the undisputed top guy, a villainous outsider, the old hero still trying to push past the limits of a broken body. And he was great at every single thing. Spending much of the career as the best wrestler in the world. #1 was not even close to a hard pick for me." Ashutosh

 

"Overall match catalogue, adaptability & diversity of structure/styles in his best matches, catalyst of the both the recovery of New Japan and the 2010s boom period, able to work as both an outstanding face and heel when the situation called for it, ability to work with just about any opponent, ability to elevate wrestlers, able to carry weaker wrestlers to their best matches, the prototypical & ideal ace figure for a promotion." Michael Zidek

 

 

"The greatest babyface of all time, able to effortlessly immerse the crowd and the viewer in his matches. A man who wears his emotions and struggles on his sleeve. A pinnacle of consistency who can bring greatness out of anybody. Him having one of the best retirement matches ever just recently only adds to his greatness. That entire last run was miraculous. Nobody else could have given us matches on that level with such a broken body." SoundwaveAU

 

"The saviour of the King of Sports. I could write a full feature article on why he’s the greatest but truly I think his retirement run captured it perfectly. His body had broken down, yet he still had the magic of capturing a crowd on any given night and elevating a match beyond belief. Many wrestlers have been a promotion's Ace but none will ever embody that quite like Hiroshi Tanahashi did." Jamie Ross

 

"Hiroshi Tanahashi is the greatest professional wrestler of all time. I think we’re all biased towards the eras that we watched live, and the wrestlers that made those eras special. 2010s New Japan is my favorite era of any wrestling promotion ever. Experiencing that week after week month after month year after year, I’ve never enjoyed wrestling quite like I did during that time. And Tanahashi was a significant part of that. Consistent MOTY contenders for damn near 20 years straight. Some of the single greatest wrestling matches ever with the likes of Okada, Omega, Naito, Suzuki, Shibata, Ishii the list goes on. No one can control the tempo of a match quite like him. No one ever had the crowd in the palm of their hand quite like him. No one ever made me feel like he did. The motherfucking ace of the universe. The greatest professional wrestler of all time." Rhys Withhisspoon

 

"This man brought NJPW back from the Inokism doldrums and proceeded to carry it into and through it's a golden period with some of the greatest matches and performances and rivalries of all time.

I love my Ace, that is all ♥️" Maaz Waseem

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[Grimmas]

#12

Eddie Guerrero

 

 

2016 Ranking: 12 [-]

2006 Ranking: 6 [-6]

 

Points: 29403

Points per Vote: 69.8

Votes: 421, 87.89% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 10-55-194

Standard Deviation: 22.9

Nomination Thread: Eddie Guerrero

High Vote: 1

High Voters: Cool Nakano, Joe B, Asukalock47 , NasirSenpai, Vince 

 

 

"Most versatile wrestler I´ve ever seen. Able to wrestle any style, against any opponent, anywhere in the world, without it affecting his performance." Cool Nakano

 

"Perfect timing, perfect heel or babyface, nobody has ever made it feel realer for me." Joe B

 

"The ability to perfectly wrestle any style against any opponent in a way that nobody else can quite live up to." Asukalock47

 

"Eddie excelled at every aspect of pro wrestling. Intensity, ability, believability, he had it all in spades." NasirSenpai

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[Grimmas]

#11

Aja Kong

 

 

2016 Ranking: 49 [+38]

2006 Ranking: 18 [+7]

 

Points: 30915

Points per Vote: 83.3

Votes: 371, 77.45% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 30-131-239

Standard Deviation: 22.6

Nomination Thread: Aja Kong

High Vote: 1

High Voters: Mxtt, Alex Richards, Justice, Gin Malkavar, Fritts 

 

 

""Aja Kong was a physical specime, capable of moving as fast as any of her cohorts while being as strong and monsterous as any of the heavyweights. Her physical attributes mixed with an in-ring IQ that allowed her to craft excellent matches no matter the opponent, era, or house style limitations. Whether asked to work on the ground in ARSION, to go broadway in 95, or to be a violent brawler against Bull Nakano in 91/92 she was able to have strong performances. Even as age has sloweed her down she's remained a wrestler capable of producing excellence as evidenced by the match with Senka Akatsuki." Alex Richards

 

"Two of my favourite matches ever vs Hotta and KAORU, and countless classics otherwise. Insanely consistently great, wrestles my favourite style, and has an incredible longevity." Justice

Edited 13 hours ago by Grimmas
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[Grimmas]

#10

Mitsuharu Misawa

 

 

2016 Ranking: 4 [-6]

2006 Ranking: 7 [-3]

 

Points: 31217

Points per Vote: 81.9

Votes: 381, 79.54% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 40-122-235

Standard Deviation: 23.8

Nomination Thread: Mitsuharu Misawa

High Vote: 1

High Voters: Zak, Madness, Jesse Collings, Vittero, Dylan, Will, Wrestling Colin, Joe M 

 

 

" Consistent bangers in single and tag matches between 1990-2003, reached a level no one else has imo, someone who understood how to make me emotionally invested in wrestling." Zak

 

" Was consistently involved in GME contenders throughout his prime, giving other ATG wrestlers their best matched in the process. Still capable of doing incredible work before and after his prime. Got crowds reacting however he wanted them to with his wrestling alone. Wrestled a style that perfectly fit his character and role he was given within his company, a style that many ATG wrestlers that came after him would draw inspiration from." Madness

 

" Mitsuharu Misawa exists in the sweet spot between the athleticism and effort that goes into modern wrestling, with the reverence and glamour that comes from wrestling's past. Misawa was not just a god to tape traders and the puro deep-divers of today, he was a deity to the All Japan fans, a heir to the titans that came before him in Giant Baba, Jumbo Tsuruta and Genichiro Tenryu. Subsequent generations of wrestlers may have become more athletic and more cerebral with their work, but something has always been missing with their connection with the audience--the enthusiasm that fans of a bygone era felt for the top star that isn't coming back, and thus Misawa's presence cannot be recreated."  Jesse Collings

 

 

" I thought about this for a long time (like 15 minutes) and I think it is amazing that he transitioned from a 2nd hand Tiger Mask (with great matches) to a decent right hand man to the most dominant champion of the 90s. Then he gets pissed at the company and starts his own company and is such an imposing figure that nobody can succeed him as ace. Then he dies in the ring of a broken neck. Tragic... but apropos. All Japan is my favorite company and the pillars are the reason. Kawada is my favorite but Misawa is the best" Will

 

" Misawa was a man who could have a sold out Budokan in tears and hysterics without changing his facial expression once. Who led the greatest sellout streak of all time, and a company that produced some of the greatest wrestling matches of all time. A man changed the business landscape of pro wrestling Japan forever and gave everything to wrestling -- including his life.
 

His work is thrilling, brutal, emotional, exciting and timeless."  Wrestling Colin

 

" I will sometimes go months+ without watching one of his matches and will be watching dragon gate or Ajw or 70s Backlund wwwf defences. Then I will throw on a Misawa match maybe one of the big ones or maybe a smaller cc match or an old man tag. It doesn't matter I will watch how he plays his role in the match and just left in awe of how much he embodies his role for the match, most famously as an Ace but could be big brother in a tag, underdog against larger bully, jr partner or old man legend. His offense, bumping, selling and most of all knowledge of how to construct a match and the timings of transitions have been central to my favourite matches and styles of wrestling. You will be able to see from the rest of my list that I am drawn to 90s wrestling and Japanese wrestling the most and the biggest hook there for me is him. He was my favourite from the first none wwe match I ever saw him Vs Kobashi in 2003 and even without any idea of the backstory or even which guy was which from maybe 2 mins in he became the best wrestler I had ever seen and that has never changed. He is not perfect, nobody is but he remains the best wrestler I have ever seen." Joe M

 

 

 

[Grimmas]

#9

Bret "Hitman" Hart

 

 

2016 Ranking: 17 [+8]

2006 Ranking: 9 [-]

 

Points: 31324

Points per Vote: 77.3

Votes: 405, 84.55% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 27-101-214

Standard Deviation: 23.0

Nomination Thread: Bret Hart

High Vote: 1

High Voters: Andrew Lacelle, Jake Mook, George Kaplan, Rex, Eric T., Peter Tomlinson, NotJayTabb, Benjamin Conor, Rob Finlay, TheBestThereNeverWillBe, Bobby C, Frankensteiner, Perhaps

 

 

" The son of a regional promoter, rising up through the dying days of the territory era, Bret was perhaps never destined to attain the stardom that he did - and least of all in Vince McMahon's 'Land of Giants' in New England. But Bret took the path less chosen, and across his 14 year career in the WWF (now WWE) he charted a career second to none. Alongside Jim Neidhart, Bret twice won tag-team gold as the Hart Foundation - besting no less than the British Bulldogs and Demolition in the process. Striking out as a singles wrestler, Bret would add his name to the list of luminaries who held the Intercontinental Title (back in those days) - again besting no less than Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig, and then Rowdy Roddy Piper (he of seldom doing a job fame). In October of 1992, a fortuitous series of events dictated that Bret would be crowned the world champion - and he would do so by going over the 16x Worlds Champion, Ric Flair. From there Bret would stand astride the New Generation era as its predominant figure and champion. He (alongside Undertaker and Shawn) would keep the ship afloat until the days of the Attitude Era could bring the WWE to higher heights. In his era Bret would win the WWF Heavyweight title 5x, tying the record of his predecessor Hulk Hogan - in an era when the world title wasn't just hot potatoed constantly. What lingers most though is Bret's artistry in the ring - a true mat technician, operating within McMahon's outlandish world was an auspicious pairing. But it generated magic in such classics as v Perfect (Summerslam 91; King of the Ring 93); Davey (Summerslam 92; IYH 95); Diesel (Survivor Series 95); Owen (WM X; Summerslam 94 in the cage); Piper (WM VIII); Shawn (WM XII); Austin (Survivor Series 96; WM 13); Taker (One Night Only 97) to mention only the most noteworthy. Bret is cited for not being a great promo, even by himself. But what he achieved was an honest, forthright connection with the audience (not something that can be compared to anyone of today's era) such that when he turned heel, the effect was substantive. Bret may well have had the greatest heel turn of all time. It happened not too far on the heels of Hogan's even-more famous turn in '96 in WCW. And yet, as momentous as that was, I recall reading one time someone posing 'what was really Hogan's motivation to turn heel?' - that was really something that was kind of just swept over. Whereas with Bret, near Shakespearean levels were plumbed in fomenting Bret's growing disgust over the 'heel turn' the American audience was making. He and Shawn engaged in what could almost be described as a first amendment debate on Raw in 97 - the two sides being essentially 'the right to be crass' versus 'the responsibility (if it exists) to rise above that'. Quiet heady for professional wrestling in the late 90s. Speaking of arch--rival Shawn, they of course had an unmatched professional, and personal rivalry - but Bret had nearly equally amazing rivalries with Owen and Austin that I would rank among the top 10 in WWE history. The Hart Foundation (the 97 group) remains one of the great unsung stables ever. The shades; the pink; the sharpshooter; 'the best there is, the best there was...' - Everyone has their favorites - part of what makes being a wrestling fan a great experience is getting to debate all those points out with others. For me, Bret hasn't been matched."  George Kaplan

 

" Bret Hart had a fundamental quality in the ring that was undeniable from the beginning of his career. While it took a few years for him to start coming into his own, once he got there, it was like a train that couldn’t be stopped. He just kept getting better and better, not only as a tag team wrestler, but as a singles wrestler as well. Bret Hart had close competition from Volk Han for the #1 spot, and what put him over the top was his ability to make the WWF feel “real” in the context of the style at the time. He wasn’t Akira Maeda or anything, but when American wrestling was feeling increasingly cartoonish and superfluous, Bret was able to mold an audience around the idea that a match could feel “real” in the sense of struggle, emotion, and personal stake while not going against the grain too much (which was probably needed to keep himself at the top of the card). Bret’s ability to do this week in and week out, especially from 1991 to 1997, is remarkable. I fell in love with him as a kid, and that love and belief that he is absolutely the best there ever was never went away despite my evolving tastes in wrestling, especially for wrestling that was even more realistic than what Bret had in mind. Bret Hart has remained the standard I have measured everyone else against. His matches continue to resonate with me, not only for their technical craft but for the emotional weight he brought to the ring. To me, Bret’s legacy as a wrestler and storyteller has only become more impressive in hindsight. I suppose the big ding against Bret would be his post-WWF run, but I don't hold that against him too much, and even in WCW, he still managed to find ways to turn shit into diamonds." Eric T

 

" My absolute boy. Everything he did in ring made sense. I think I’ve watched everything he’s ever done and honestly so little wasted motion. He always cared about making his opponents look good, THE “match with a broom” guy."  Peter Tomlinson

 

 

" Bret is everything I look for in a pro wrestler. Execution looks great, yet is incredibly safe. Everything he does is logical, both in the confines of the match and in the larger picture. He's great at finishes, at callbacks to previous matches, he's a committed seller, very giving to the right opponent and has given a lot of wrestlers their career match. Most importantly for me, he's the wrestler I want to watch the most, and I'm yet to see a wrestler where I think "OK, he's better than Bret""  NotJayTabb

 

" Blended art, pure sports, and the over-the-top characteristics of wrestling to a perfect balance. Never felt unauthentic with anything he did in the ring."  Frankensteiner

 

[Grimmas]

#8

Rey Mysterio Jr.

 

 

2016 Ranking: 7 [-1]

2006 Ranking: 22 [+14]

 

Points: 31689

Points per Vote: 73.7

Votes: 430, 89.77% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 16-72-216

Standard Deviation: 22.2

Nomination Thread: Rey Mysterio Jr.

High Vote: 1

High Voters: James Christian, Nick Cavallaro, Stephen G., Mrzfn, Robert Wescott, Connor, Brandon Machado

 

 

" The first time I saw Rey's work in WCW I literally did not think it was even possible to do things like that with a human body. His contributions to popularising Lucha Libre and it's customs outside of Mexico go without saying but I also think he's a huge, and slightly unspoken, influence on the 'hybrid style' which became the lingua franca of global wrestling in the 2010s and 2020s. Simply put wrestling as we know it today would just not exist without Rey Mysterio Jr.

On a personal level it was a tough choice choosing between Rey and Bret for my number one; Bret was the first wrestler I ever loved, the man who introduced me to the entire form and informed much of what I think about it to this day. But Rey ultimately just never fails to *thrill* me, even in his later career (his 2020s WWE run at it's heights is among the lower tier of best stuff he did in his whole career IMHO) His 90s work in AAA, ECW and WCW is tier of the Gods stuff and even if he was never *quite* the same in WWE he was easily among the top five wrestlers in that company for all of the 00s and his matches with Angle, Eddie, Benoit and Edge specifically are among the very best the 'Ruthless Agression era' had to offer. Simply put, he's my favourite wrestler and I think he always will be!" James Christian

 

 

" From the mid 90s to at least the late 10s, except for that brief period before he got his knees pumped full of stem cells, Mysterio in my view has been consistently one of the very best in the world almost every single year. My pick for the very best in the world in 1996, 2002, and 2009. Like many of the best wrestlers ever, he is extremely adaptable to any opponent and any style, easily mastering WWE style like very few others ever have but also showing an intense level of skill in virtually every major promotion in North America for the past 30 years at one time or another, and even making it over to Japan more than a few times. A trailblazer both in terms of size and in terms of integrating traditional lucha libre with American style, his classic matches and feuds are too numerous to mention, and whether WWE liked to admit it or not a critical part of upholding the good parts of their brand during many low periods. Insane longevity, insane peaks, insane global success despite starting out with what appeared on paper as steep barriers to success, specifically his size and race. A true shining star in every respect, Mysterio is #1."  Mrzfn

 

" Real life superhero. Was the coolest dude as a kid in the WWE, felt like a giant when he left the WWE and was traveling the world during my teenage years and still going strong today. Years of being great before I was even born. It’s Rey all day."  Robert Wescott

 

" Innovative career spanning 4 decades, impactful during every stage of his career, and continuously showcased a style never before seen to American audiences." Connor

 

" Few wrestlers have maintained the consistency that Rey has, in addition to being an icon that transgressed pretty much every crossover hurdle that one could have endured during the past 35+ years of this wonderful art/sport. Rey in and outside of the ring is the embodiment of determination, heart, and perseverance, and the ultimate babyface."  Brandon Machado

 

[Grimmas]

#7

Stan Hansen

 

 

2016 Ranking: 3 [-4]

2006 Ranking: 10 [+3]

 

Points: 32866

Points per Vote: 81.6

Votes: 403, 84.13% of Ballots

Top 3-10-25 Votes: 22-115-258

Standard Deviation: 22.3

Nomination Thread: Stan Hansen

High Vote: 1

High Voters: JB, Steven X, Lê Hữu Quân, Johnny Waltom, KFG

 

 

" Beautiful violence. Every time I've ever seen Stan Hansen work, I've been captivated. He seems simultaneously out of control and completely logical within the structure of a match. He does exactly what he should do in most matches. His exhaustion and brutality are unmatched. Every match he's in feels like a fight to the end without looking ridiculous or overbooked. There is no wrestler in history that I could watch on replay without getting bored more consistently than the #1: Stan Hansen." JB

 

" Incredible number of high level performances, incredible sense of Actual Danger, multiple decades as one of the biggest stars, blah blah blah. Anyway, ha ha ha lariat go brrr." Steven X

 

 

" A young fan like myself watching the more modern wrestling always wondered how it was like back in the day. I found myself digging through old All Japan matches with whatever I could find, and that’s where I ran into Stan Hansen. At first I didn’t get it. He looked wild, almost sloppy, like he was swinging too hard and barely in control, but the more I watched, the more it clicked that he wasn’t sloppy, he was dangerous. Every time he winds up that lariat it doesn’t feel like a move, it feels like something could genuinely go wrong, like the other guy is bracing for impact instead of cooperating, and that’s when it hit me that this doesn’t feel like performance, it feels like survival. Hansen doesn’t try to look good, he doesn’t smooth things out, he just feels real in a way that almost nobody I’ve watched since does, and even in that chaos the matches still build and pull you in until you’re not watching spots anymore, you’re watching someone try to endure him."  Lê Hữu Quân

 

" He's just the greatest wrestler ever."  Johnny Waltom

 

" Stan Hansen is still pro wrestling at its core. He's not doing worked MMA grappling or death match weapons galore, he's just a big tough bastard of a man who seems like a nonstop bull of fury hitting people as hard as he can no matter how tired how beat down he gets. He's normally constant and consistent violence in a match that makes its feel like a struggle for his opponents but still in the tapings and showmanship of pro wrestling at its biggest and loudest." KFG