Tag: AJ Styles

This is entries 5-1 of our Best Wrestlers of 2018 series. Make sure to check out 6-10 and 11-18 and join the conversation afterwards!

5. Cody

Not that I’m one to speak for Cody Rhodes, but I’m almost positive that even he could not have expected how much of a success All In was. Setting records for attendance and merchandise sales while generating buzz rarely seen outside of a WWE event, being one of the masterminds behind the largest non-WWE show since WCW died in the US was only one of his accomplishments this year. Being the catalyst behind both the Golden Lovers reuniting and the Bullet Club breakup storyline when it was at its peak, Cody found himself in the IWGP Heavyweight Championship hunt more often than anyone else in 2018. But what really tops off his year in the ring was his historic win over Nick Aldis at All In, winning the title that his father held so many years ago and bringing more eyes to the NWA than anyone else has in decades. With All Elite Wrestling on the horizon, Cody’s looking to change the wrestling world for the better, and none of that would be possible without 2018 putting him in a position to do so.

4. Daniel Bryan

At this time last year, most of us assumed we’d never see Daniel Bryan wrestle again. However, the impossible happened when rumors of him coming out of retirement became reality. The leader of the Yes Movement was finally cleared to wrestle after years of therapy and second opinions, returning with Shane McMahon against Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Then… Nothing. A nowhere feud with Big Cass, a throwaway return of Team Hell No so they could lose to the Bludgeon Brothers and a long-awaited clash against The Miz that was bogged down by bad finishes and unnecessary inclusion of their less-than-stellar wives made it feel like clearing Bryan was more about keeping him away from other companies than it was about using him in any meaningful way.

That changed when Bryan went for AJ Styles’ kryptonite and kicked him straight in the balls to suddenly win the WWE Championship, ending AJ’s 371 day reign. This was the moment the Yes Movement died and “The New” Daniel Bryan blessed our screens. As an aggressively environment friendly wrestler who makes us feel bad for buying his merchandise rather than thrift, he has somehow went from one of the most loved figures in wrestling history to a rare heel who actually gets boo’d by most crowds. Alongside his blow away heel work, Bryan also reminded us that he’s one of the best wrestlers of all time, managing to look terrifying against Brock Lesnar, an opponent that towers over him, and making the most out of his feud with Styles by putting on some of the WWE main roster’s best performances. I’m hoping Bryan holds the title until at least Wrestlemania, He’s a case of a wrestler firing on all cylinders right before our eyes.

3. Hiroshi Tanahashi

The joke I kept hearing throughout 2017 was that Tanahashi was being held together by heart and duct tape. For the uninitiated, the best way to describe Hiroshi Tanahashi is the John Cena of NJPW. When the company was in bad shape, Tanahashi carried the company through the mid 2000’s onward to become “The Ace” of the company. Over the course of his time on top, NJPW rose to prominance once again thanks to his unmatched ring work, off the charts charisma and a look that screams “rock star”. And let’s face it, you’d have to be all of those things to make air guitar look good. To continue the Cena parallels, Tanahashi has taken a backseat in recent years as Okada stepped up and took his place as the top star despite still being universally loved. No one would have blamed him if he took time off throughout 2017 and 2018 as he nursed a multitude of injuries, including a torn bicep. But despite this, he pressed on.

At first, 2018 seemed like it would continue to see Tana in a supporting role. He started the year against Jay White, failed at the finish line against Zack Sabre Jr. at the New Japan Cup and falling to Okada once again, losing his record of the most successive title defenses in the process. Then, the G1 happened. In a tournament that many figured would be a sure thing for Kota Ibushi, when the finals arrived, a spark of hope for The Ace set off an unstoppable flame, shocking viewers around the world and defeating Ibushi to win his third G1 11 years after his first victory in the annual tournament. Proving that he never lost his greatness in thrilling matches against a variety of rivals, The Ace closes 2018 on his way to a Tokyo Dome main event against Kenny Omega where he hopes to find himself on the top of the mountain for what could be the last time.

But what makes his journey especially intriguing is the dichotomy between him and Omega, representing different philosophies on how NJPW should move forward. On one side is the brash, arrogant foreigner who wants to “Change the World” by guiding the company towards a worldwide expansion on his shoulders with a Western influence. On the other is the traditionalist, the man who has carried the banner of NJPW through its darkest days for over a decade who knows that NJPW can reach greater heights worldwide by being true to itself instead of becoming something its not. It’s an incredibly compelling story that has dragged fans along for the ride, with people taking sides and arguing over who’s philosophy is right in real life. Win or lose, Tanahashi has managed to capture the hearts and minds of fans around the world years after we thought his time on top was up. That alone deserves all the praise we can muster, and even as a big Omega fan, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t pulling for Tanahashi come January 4.

2. Becky Lynch

The Man comes around…

In a year where the biggest female combat athlete came to WWE, it’s almost impossible to imagine that the Irish Lass Kicker, the same star who had been the designated pin eater in nothing tag matches, would become the most compelling character in the largest wrestling company in the world. Starting during a redemption storyline that carried her through the Summer, Becky racked up some much needed victories on her way to earning a title shot against Carmella at Summerslam. Unfortunately for her, her best friend, Charlotte Flair, was given a title shot after only one non-title win against the champion. She would make the most of that chance by hitting Becky from behind when Lynch would have otherwise won the match if it was a one-on-one match as originally scheduled. Seeing the chance she fought for crumble as her friend celebrated, she assaulted Charlotte in brutal fashion, all with the fan’s full support behind her after they had stuck by her through her uneventful months prior.

As with Daniel Bryan’s original WWE Championship run, the best storylines often come out of WWE when the company itself is fighting tooth and nail against what the fans want. Despite trying to portray Becky as a jealous heel, (the complete opposite of how the storyline played out), the fans only cheered louder, forcing the company to acknowledge Lynch’s popularity after weeks of trying to ignore or spin it. After coming out victorious against Charlotte and ultimately ending up as Smackdown Women’s Champion, “The Man” rose to even greater heights after targeting Ronda Rousey both on TV and through some compelling Twitter interactions, being the clear choice of the people even when up against one of the company’s most popular stars.

An unexpected punch to the face put the ice on the Ronda vs. Becky match at Survivor Series. What we got instead was one of the most iconic wrestling images to come out of the WWE in a long time as a defiant, (and apparently unconscious), Becky stood in the crowd to survey the chaos she brought to Raw. What was supposed to be a one-off feud on the way to Charlotte vs Ronda at Wrestlemania, there’s a very real possibility that Becky vs. Ronda could main event the biggest show of the year as a result of becoming the hottest feud in the company. This would be a first for women in the WWE, and even the speculation can be directly attributed to how Becky has taken the opportunity she found herself with in 2018 and did more with it than anyone could have ever imagined. The Man is here, and this run may ensure that her spot in wrestling history is firmly cemented.

1. Kenny Omega

G1 B Block Finalist. A half-dozen match of the year candidates to his name. IWGP US Champion. Closing out the year as the first gaijin (or foreigner), to head into the following Wrestle Kingdom as IWGP Heavyweight Champion. All of these accolades are more than enough to earn a spot on anyone’s best wrestler of the year list. But one victory in particular sets Kenny Omega apart from the rest of the pack when it comes to being the best wrestler in a very crowded field in 2018. That victory was against Kazuchika Okada on June 9 to win his first IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, ending the legendary 720 day reign at 12 defenses. Serving as the current cap on a year and a half long chase, the former junior heavyweight finally reached the top of the mountain against an unbeatable foe.

If that wasn’t enough of a reason to show how 2018 was the year of Omega, Kenny found himself at the center of some of the best and most talked about events and storylines of the year. Reuniting with Kota Ibushi, the distension and re-uniting of The Elite, All In, AEW, the feud with Chris Jericho, the Jericho Cruise, the split from the Bullet Club, (at least the start of it), and even E3 had Omega’s name all over them. Even then, all of this ignores a G1 run that’s in the discussion for the best of the year. When your competition consists of Ibushi, Naito, Tanahashi, Okada and Ishii among many other standouts, that’s noteworth in itself. Its especially noteworthy when you do it with a broken heel, which no one would be able to see if it wasn’t widely reported. Outside of the ring, Kenny was the subject of an upcoming HBO documentary that should be airing in a matter of months. To put it bluntly, Kenny Omega is easily the most covered wrestler that’s not in the WWE. Even then, he has more buzz around him now than anyone that’s not at the absolute top of the biggest wrestling company in the world.

Kenny’s ultimate goal in wrestling is to “Change the World” by helping expand NJPW for a worldwide audience. His clash of ideologies with Tanahashi that was mentioned before tops off what has been one of the greatest single years a wrestler has ever had in the near 30 years I’ve been watching from all angles. From match performance to big wins, storylines to accomplishments and character work, there was not a better professional wrestler all around than Kenny Omega. In a year that saw women’s wrestling rise to new heights in the US, stars of old return to prominence, new wrestling companies being born before our eyes and the conclusion of the one of the greatest title reigns of all time, it’s a reminder of how lucky we are to be able to experience history as it happens.

What are your thoughts on wrestling in 2018? What sections did you agree or disagree with? Any glaring omissions? Let us know in the comments, and here’s to another legendary year in the squared circle come 2019!

These are entries 6-10  of our Best Wrestlers of 2018 series. Make sure to check out 11-18, and join the conversation afterwards!

10. AJ Styles

Only in WWE could a wrestler hold their main title for nearly the entire year and still feel underwhelming. On paper, AJ Styles should be one of the top wrestlers of the year, becoming one of the longest reigning WWE champions in history while feuding with some of the best wrestlers in the world. Considering his feuds were against longtime rivals like Shinsuke Nakamura, Samoa Joe and Daniel Bryan, and what we should have had was one of the best championship runs in years. Instead, these feuds were bogged down by months of repetitive rematches, stipulations that made no sense, matches revolving around dick kicks, screwy finishes and family stalking. Still, AJ remains a top tier wrestler who carried Smackdown as well as he could throughout the year, which is an accomplishment that bad booking can’t take away from him.

9. Kazuchika Okada

The Rainmaker had so much to gain at the start of the year, and so much to lose in the back half. Okada managed to continue his legendary IWGP Heavyweight Championship run through June, fighting off a very game Tetsuya Naito, Sanada, Zack Sabre Jr. and his longtime rival, Hiroshi Tanahashi. The latter defense was the twelfth defense that broke The Ace’s own defense record of eleven, cementing Okada as possibly the greatest NJPW champion of all time. The rest of his year was the story of his own overconfidence getting the best of him, losing the title to Kenny Omega after challenging him to a 2-out-of-3 falls that favored the challenger, and being double-crossed by his stable-mate who promised to stab him in the back as he was accepted into Chaos. The Rainmaker then became affectionately known by some as the “Baloonmaker”, shedding his robe, blonde hair and motivation in favor of balloons and a string of losses. Now on his way to rehabilitate his win-loss ratio with his longtime manager, Gedo, in the corner of the “Switchblade” that stabbed him in the back, expect a return to form in 2019.

8. Jay White

It’s clear that NJPW has a ton of faith in Jay White considering how big of a year he had right out of the gate. Re-debuting after excursion at Wrestle Kingdom 12 as “Switchblade”, the New Zealander wrestled one of the company’s biggest stars in Hiroshi Tanahashi on January 4th. From there, he would join Bullet Club, double cross Kenny Omega in favor of joining Chaos, become the second ever US Champion after defeating Omega soon after, and finally becoming the new “leader” of the Bullet Club after The Elite left the group. Oh, and he has Okada’s longtime manager / real life booker, Gedo, at his side. Finding ways to get the best of Tanahashi and Okada at almost every turn, White is one of the few heels that manages to get near universal hate when he walks through the curtain. After a shaky start, he’s grown quickly into the Switchblade character, stepping into the new year as one of the biggest foreign stars in the company. Not bad for a 12 month period.

7. Ronda Rousey

I mentioned Utami Hayashishita having an incredible rookie year, but Ronda Rousey managed to take the WWE by storm over the span of nine months. The UFC hall of famer managed to have one of the best matches at Wrestlemania in a bout that few expected anything from against Stephanie McMahon of all people. It was only up from there, having great match after great match against Raw’s top women’s stars until she managed to win the Raw Women’s Title after only a handful of matches under her belt. From there, she would become a fighting champion, taking on all comers until she eventually crossed paths with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, setting off what many feel is the hottest feud in the WWE right now. With rumors of Becky versus Ronda headlining Wrestlemania in 2019, The Baddest Woman on the Planet has been undeniable throughout her entire run so far. The only thing that hurts her is that she’s able to rehearse her matches far more than the rest of the roster, which I see as an unfair advantage. Then again, getting a good match out of Nia Jax not once, but twice is an accomplishment in itself.

6. Tommaso Ciampa

Ciampa is like multiplying with a negative. He was so hated throughout the year and reveled in it so well that his heat wrapped around to make him one of the most popular wrestlers in NXT. After making his presence known by screwing his former tag team partner, Johnny Gargano, out of title shots and even his career at one point, the Blackheart of NXT seemingly got his just desserts when he lost an unsanctioned match against his former DIY teammate in one of the best matches of the year at Takeover New Orleans. As the champ will often remind you on Twitter however, that didn’t count. What did count was every match afterwards, winning the NXT Championship and holding it with an iron grip, having incredible matches with a wide variety of opponents along the way. From Aleister Black to The Velveteen Dream and Otis Dozovic, Ciampa has proven that he’s one of the best WWE has to offer. Still, let’s hope he finally gets what’s coming to him in 2019 after Johnny finds his redemption.

We’re at the home stretch! Click here for our five best wrestlers of 2018!

2018 will go down as one of the greatest years in professional wrestling history. Companies and performers around the world were reaching peaks that would have been hard to imagine even a year ago; redemption, rebirth, history, heartbreak and betrayal ran their course from beginning to end in the wrestling world this year, with exciting changes and a potential new company rising from the foundation created by this unbelievable spin around the sun. None of it would be possible without these influential performers and the impact they’ve left behind. Here’s our list of the top 18 wrestlers of 2018 based on match performance, storylines, win/loss records and overall influence throughout the year.

Honorable Mentions

2018 was one of the most historic years in modern wrestling history, with so many performers who would have been locks for a top 10 spot being shut out this year because of it. Even then, we can’t talk about 2018 without mentioning wrestlers like The Lucha Brothers (Rey Fenix and Pentagon Jr), who continued to travel the world and win championships across multiple promotions both together and individually. Jeff Cobb making multiple appearances for NJPW, winning the ROH TV Title, the PWG Battle for Los Angeles and wrapping up his arc as Matanza for Lucha Underground was also notable, while Chris Jericho had yet another career resurgence after having an early match of the year candidate with Kenny Omega before winning the IWGP Intercontinental Title and hosting his own wrestling cruise. Despite a rough year overall, Tetsuya Naito can’t be forgotten either after headlining Wrestle Kingdom 12 and having an incredible G1. Utami Hayashishita had one of the best rookie years ever in Stardom, performing at a standard years beyond her experience level. Seth Rollins carried WWE on the wrestling side of things before being thrown back into The SHIELD, and Roman Reigns finally conquered The Beast after literally years of trying. Finally, the most difficult exclusion on this list was Johnny Gargano, who put on match of the year candidates in NXT from beginning to end. However, he was hit with the one-two punch of constantly losing, then turning heel, only to continue to lose big matches. Unfortunately, great matches alone aren’t enough in a year like this.

With that said, we can’t talk forever. Well, we could, but we only have so much time! Here are the stars that made the cut:

18. PCO

No matter how long one has been following wrestling, no one could have predicted how much we’d all be talking about Pierre Carl Ouellet. When you hear about how someone has run roughshod through the indies to the point where they close out the year with a big Sinclair backed contract with ROH, the first thing that would come to mind is a hot, young star. Yet, after a brutal showing against WALTER at Joey Janela’s Spring Break 2, the former Quebecer, who was arguably most prominent in 1994 WWF, has remained in high demand around the world. Now as a member of Marty Skurll’s new post Bullet Club stable, we’re eager to see where the year’s second best comeback story goes through 2019.

17. LA Park

Known to most US fans as “The Chairman” back in WCW, the former La Parka had a similar career resurgence through 2018 as PCO. The difference is that LA Park never really stopped working. First impressions (and a couple dozen pounds) might lead you to think that Park is over the hill and reaching for one last shot at glory, not arguably the biggest star in Mexico right now. At age 53, the 36 year veteran is having the biggest run of his career, thanks largely to a high profile hair vs. mask feud with current Los Ingobernables leader, RUSH. Despite that match getting cancelled due to some muddied politics, it hasn’t stopped LA Park’s rise through the Mexican wrestling scene and beyond, having recently appeared for Impact and MLW. If the RUSH feud would have materialized, the luchador may have made the top 10, but the limited scope of his run hurts him.

16. The Young Bucks

Like Cody, The Young Bucks WERE All In. When they weren’t wrestling in high profile matches against the Golden Lovers, the Gorillas of Destiny or EVIL and Sanada, often for the IWGP Heavyweight Titles after jumping over from the Junior division, they were masterminding what would become the biggest American non-WWE show in decades. Unfortunately for Matt and Nick however, they were often on the losing end of their bouts. Between that, the botched Bullet Club Civil War storyline and missing out on the World Tag League tournament, their contributions to All In weren’t enough to be higher on the list.

15. Tomohiro Ishii

As far as I’m concerned, Ishii has been one of the best wrestlers in the world for years. If one ever needed any proof of that, all you need to do is look at his 2018. Considered by many to be the MVP of the G1 based on match performance, the Stone Pitbull proved to be an incredibly versatile wrestler, putting on dynamic matches with Kenny Omega, epic brawls with Minoru Suzuki and even comedy matches with Toru Yano in a short span of time. Holding a rare win over Kenny Omega this year, the current Revolution Pro Wrestling British Heavyweight Champion is poised to ride his momentum into 2019 in a potential show stealing match at Wrestle Kingdom 13 against the next entry on this list.

14. Zack Sabre Jr.

Just! Tap! Out!

Considering how great of a year ZSJ had this year, him being out of the top 10 really shows how legendary this year was thorough the wrestling world. The protege of Minoru Suzuki has carved his own niche as someone who can believably beat NJPW’s top stars, moving him up significantly throughout 2018. The New Japan Cup tournament saw him running through the best the company has to offer, defeating Tetsuya Naito, Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi before putting up a strong showing against the nearly unbeatable Kazuchika Okada. After closing out the year with some fun, yet uneventful matches against his own Suzuki Gun teammates during the 2018 World Tag League tournament, the submission master is looking to get back to his winning ways against Ishii for the Rev Pro title.

13. Kota Ibushi

Ibushi’s year was one of ups and downs. Almost always hovering near the NJPW main event scene in one way or another, the Golden Star started off his year against Cody before getting sucked into the implosion of The Elite. Reuniting with his DDT soulmate, Kenny Omega, Ibushi’s guidance led to Kenny finally defeating Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Not one to solely play the supporting role, Ibushi was one of the best performers when it came to match quality all year, having classic matches against Naito, Ishii, and Omega himself, defeating the other half of the Golden Lovers in the G1. However, it was his unforgettable match against Hiroshi Tanahashi in the G1 finals that served as Ibushi’s highlight this year, even if he lost. Now, Kota is the NEVER Openweight Champion and on a collision course against Will Ospreay, but the looming doubt of whether or not Kenny’s partnership is holding him back leaves us intrigued on where he goes from here.

12. Asuka

The fact that Asuka had two historic firsts and is only number 12 on the list says so much about how WWE booked her from Wrestlemania to TLC. Starting off the year as the undefeated juggernaut who struck fear into her opponents, The Empress of Tomorrow went from winning the first ever women’s Royal Rumble, (an accomplishment that was quickly overshadowed by the arrival of Ronda Rousey), to tapping out in short fashion in a good, but quick match at Wrestlemania against Charlotte. After declaring that her opponent “was ready for Asuka”, it was all downhill from there, being directionless for months except for two embarrassing title match losses in a row to Carmella. Despite this, her popularity remained high, leading to her finally winning the Smackdown Women’s Championship in the first ever women’s TLC match, (while ironically being overshadowed by Rousey once again). Despite the best efforts of WWE’s writing, Asuka managed to remain a force throughout with two massive wins to bookend her year.

11. Hiromu Takahashi

As what might be the biggest tragedy of the year, Hiromu’s run was cut short in July when Los Ingobernables de Japon’s Ticking Time Bomb broke his neck in a match against Dragon Lee at NJPW’s San Francisco show. Up until that point though, Takahashi had a strong case for one of the best wrestlers in the world with an incredible run to match. After being one of the best parts in the highlight reel of a four way match from Wrestle Kingdom 12, Hiromu won both the Best of Super Jr’s tournament in one of the most insane matches I’ve ever seen against Taiji Ishimori and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship soon after. If his year wasn’t cut short, I have no doubt that Hiromu would have been a top five wrestler this year, but for now, all we can do is hope for a speedy recovery for one of the most gifted young stars in the world today. Oh, and we can buy his hand drawn calendar too.

That’s it for the beginning of our Best Wrestlers of 2018 list! Click here to crack the top 10!