Top 100 Wrestlers Of 2018: 60-41
If you competed in MLW this year, chances are you made this list.
In honor of the PWI 500, we’ve decided to present our own ranking of the greatest wrestlers over the past year.
(Full disclosure: Juan Bautista suggested compiling a list of 500 wrestlers by himself, but we can’t afford to lose any more writers to death.)
Our ranking differs from the PWI 500 because we use math. Well, at least we try to. Sam Gladen pitched the idea that we all submit our own list of the top 100 wrestlers of 2018, and each ranking represents points. For example, #1 = 100 points, #2 = 99 points, etc.
At the end, we’d calculate who had the most points and assign ranking from there.
Find 100-81 here.
Find 80-61 here.
So, without further ado, here are 60-41.
60. Christopher Daniels (140 points) / Kofi Kingston (140 points)
The Fallen Angel focused less on his single’s career and more on SoCalUncensored this year, which certainly isn’t a bad thing considering he already won the ROH World Title in 2017. As a result of he and his teammates winning the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Titles at the 16th Anniversary Show, Daniels became the first Grand Slam Champion in company history. – John Corrigan
He’s one-third of the winningest tag team in the modern era and the man with more days as Tag Team Champion than anyone in WWE history. He is the highflier with the fly kicks and he knows it. – Sam Gladen
59. Big E (141 points)
He’s one-third of the winningest tag team in the modern era. Big E takes the strongman shtick and isn’t afraid to have a little fun with it. Plus, as a former Big Ten champion wrestler, the guy knows his stuff. – Sam Gladen
58. Jeff Cobb (142 points)
Flying under some people’s radars, Jeff Cobb made a statement in 2018. The current ROH TV Champion had a coming out party and looks to cement his place among the best in 2019. – Juan Bautista
57. Su Yung (149 points)
Since invading Impact Wrestling in March, Su Yung has redefined what a woman’s wrestler is supposed to look like on national television. Despite her brief title reign, she has remained one of the highlights of Impact with her supernatural vignettes and sinister actions. – John Corrigan
56. Drew McIntyre (153 points)
You could make the argument that Drew McIntyre had a better 2017 from a critical standpoint, but after a rough injury ended the prior year, McIntyre returned in even better shape than he left as Dolph Ziggler’s insurance policy. The two did great work together as a tag team, but eventually split as McIntyre’s destiny is to be a top-four competitor on either main roster show. He checks every box, and then some. – Jack Goodwillie
55. Willie Mack (155 points)
A veteran of the independent wrestling scene, Willie Mack finally received his due this year. He became the first House of Hardcore Television Champion, won the NWA National Heavyweight Champion and debuted with Impact Wrestling. – John Corrigan
54. Bandido (160 points) / Shinsuke Nakamura (160 points)
Bandido first came to my attention during last year’s Triplemania and has since become one of, if not my favorite, luchador. His style is grounded and severe while still being as highflying and death-defying as any other young luchador from Mexico. – Sam Gladen
On paper, Nakamura’s 2018 has been great. He won the 2018 Royal Rumble. He had multiple WWE Championship matches and has had a U.S. Title reign. – Juan Bautista
53. Aleister Black (162 points)
It was a great year to be Aleister Black, who won the NXT Championship over WrestleMania weekend, then married Zelina Vega later in the year (kayfabe, pal!). Plus, his match with Johnny Gargano at Takeover LA set the Staples Center on fire. Lately, you’ve seen him be more of a party to the PWG-style of antics at NXT house shows, so I’d just encourage Black to keep his eye on the ball, as he has a real chance to garner mainstream appeal one day ala an Undertaker or CM Punk. – Jack Goodwillie
52. Tessa Blanchard (163 points)
I thought Tessa had one of the standout years in women’s wrestling, and that’s certainly the case for women outside of WWE. I’ve always liked her look, but as she’s gained experience, she’s learned how it can contribute to her work in the ring. That’s one thing that Triple H never really grasped. He had this incredible physique, but didn’t really have a ton of power moves in his arsenal. Not so for Tessa, the third-generation star. She is in complete control of her likeness and the off intergender match aside, she doesn’t have a ceiling. – Jack Goodwillie
51. Finn Balor (164 points)
An up-and-down year that has been salvaged by big marquee wins over Drew McIntyre at TLC and Raw. – Juan Bautista
50. Trent Seven (166 points)
One-third of British Strong Style and one half of Mustache Mountain, Trent Seven is probably the most technically sound wrestler on my list. He is methodical in his dismemberment of his foes both in and out of tag team competition. – Sam Gladen
49. Tetsuya Naito (167 points)
NJPW’s resident cool dude. Always the bridesmaid but never the bride, and even better for it. Crisp, flawless and innovative. – Steven Jackson
48. Xavier Woods (169 points)
He’s one-third of the winningest tag team in the modern era. Xavier started it all and pulls triple duty running a successful YouTube channel UpUpDwnDwn and being the KindaFunny Commish. – Sam Gladen
47. Tom Lawlor (171 points)
“Filthy” Tom Lawlor’s UFC career might have come to its tragic, anticlimactic end in 2018, but his career as a pro wrestler has blossomed with the emergence of MLW. While Lawlor doesn’t have Brock Lesnar’s size or Ronda Rousey’s game-changing star power, he has UFC legitimacy, a wanna-punch-him-in-the-face-or-see-him-punch-someone-else-in-the-face swagger, and he seems to look better each time he’s in an important match. His world title shot on February 2 could be the turning point in his ascension as a pro wrestling star. – David Gibb
46. Hiroshi Tanahashi (172 points)
The Ace of NJPW is a record-breaking 7-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion as well as a 2-time IWGP Intercontinental champion, 2-time IWGP Tag Team Champion and 2-time IWGP NEVER Openweight Champion. He has also been CMLL World Tag Team Champion, Trios Champion and Universal Champion. – Sam Gladen
45. Low Ki (174 points) / Joey Janela (174 points)
The MLW World Heavyweight Champion has undeniably travelled one of the longest and most complex career paths of any current wrestling title holder. At 39 years of age, Low Ki finds himself as the man to knock off the throne in one of the business’ fastest-growing organizations. He’s a true heel whose act is impossible to see through. – David Gibb
A year he got lost in New York and confidential in L.A., Joey Janela has dominated the 2018 headlines in Game Changer Wrestling (GCW). He looks to steal the show once he returns to wrestling. – Juan Bautista
44. Io Shirai (178 points)
I don’t watch STARDOM. In fact, I’ve never seen it. It’s not because I don’t like it – it all comes down to time. I’m not one of these Twitter fools who make accounts posing as the wrestlers, tweet mean shit at people and ship romances like Seth Rollins and Sasha Banks or Dean Ambrose and Bayley. I digress, but Io Shiari’s name preceded her and she rocked our worlds in the MYC. I see her as a more aggressive, less character-driven Kairi Sane. Which one you prefer is all about taste, but Shirai does have the best moonsault in wrestling in her back pocket. – Jack Goodwillie
43. Joey Ryan (184 points)
Jim Cornette’s favorite wrestler. He may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but he’s just himself. He personifies what wrestling is because wrestling can be anything you want it be. – Juan Bautista
42. PCO (186 points)
Although the French-Canadian Frankenstein doesn’t have the big-money potential of Daniel Bryan or the sheer car wreck appeal of L.A. Park, he has to be a candidate for 2018 Comeback of the Year. An unlikely culture hero in the era of social media, PCO essentially parlayed a WrestleMania weekend freak show and a few crowd-popping appearances on MLW Fusion into a full-fledged career resurgence, complete with an exclusive contract with Ring of Honor. – David Gibb
41. Andrade Cien Almas (192 points)
Talk about maximizing your minutes. The little I have seen from Andrade Cien Almas in meaningful matches this year on Smackdown has returned positive results. – Jack Goodwillie
About Author
