Top 5 Wrestlers Today

[Joey]

In your opinion, who's got it all? Who has the edge in Pro Wrestling?

My Top 5
1) Undertaker
2) Kurt Angle
3) CM Punk
4) Daniel Bryan
5) Dolph Ziggler


1) The Undertaker. Arguably the best Wrestler/Performer of all time. Although he only Wrestles once a year, he is still a part of the WWE active roster, and for that, I count him as an active Wrestler. Not only has this man left gigantic footprints in the WWE/F, he has lived a legacy of awesome and breathtaking matches. Until he retires, this guy is No. 1.

2) Kurt Angle. In his years in professional wrestling, he has grasped gold in 2 Major Promotions, as well as The Gold Medal in the Olympics. In a technical perspective, Kurt Angle is, and probably always will be the best Wrestler ever.

3) CM Punk. The Cult of Personality has come a long way from his roots in OVW, and he's proven many skeptics wrong. With his awesome ability on the microphone, and technique in the ring, Punk has been able to captivate audiences since 1999. He continues to impress the Wrestling Universe, and there is plenty more to come.

4) Daniel Bryan. Boy is this dude over with the fans. His energy, and unique in ring style has provoked entire arenas to stand on their feet, and chant "YES". Over a small period of time, Daniel Bryan has climbed the ladder of success, and he's still climbing. In a way, he reminds me of Steve Austin (with the fans), and I can see a bright future ahead for the American Dragon.

5) Dolph Ziggler. Remember the spirit squad? Yeah, I do. Well, would you believe it If I told you that Dolph Ziggler, was Nicky? Yep, its the truth. He's gone from Jobber Cheerleader, to Show Off, and things are going pretty smoothly in the life of DZ. He's shown us all, that he has the skill to embody, and portray a character, while captivating fans all around the world. He's here to show the world, and he's not done showing.

So, what are you guys's Top Fives?

 

[Sabretooth]

1. Kurt Angle
2. CM Punk
3. Daniel Bryan
4. Chris Jericho
5. Dolph Ziggler

 

[Hoss]

Ok while I am a huge fan of Kurt Angle, he isn't what he once was. Does he still promise a stellar performance when needed? Definitely. But imo his better days are behind him so him being 1 or 2 is a little extreme. His pace is slower and his finishers have lost all their mystique because of how often they're kicked out of. Plus he hasn't really had a big high profile match at all this year that I can remember so we don't know if he can still go quite like he did in his Samoa Joe rivalry days. So here are mine, based on ability to play the crowd and get reactions as well as structure a match and sell and tell a story. Plus they gotta have moves. Those are very important. So here we go:

1. Daniel Bryan - Has the crowd eating out of the palm of his hands every time he goes out there. He is the hottest thing going in wrestling, not only just because of his gimmick and mic work but also because he brings it in the ring. He has that chaotic style and goes the extra mile to add excitement by chanting before, during and after his match. It's the little things like roaring while rushing at an opponent in the corner and gritting your teeth when you slap on a submission that put you above everyone else.

2. CM Punk - His hype has settled down now that he hasn't been the centerpiece of shows for a couple of months now but let's not forget that he is still The Best In Thee World At What He Does. His mic work is unmatched and the "heart" he displays in the ring gets the crowd really motivated to cheer for him. Coming off a classic with Taker at WM and a great showdown with Jericho at Payback, he constantly reminds us why he is in fact the best.

3. Austin Aries - The machismo and charisma set him apart from the entire TNA roster. And in case that wasn't enough, he backs it up with out-of-this-world wrestling skills. Whether he's main eventing PPVs or opening Impacts, he's going to bring his A-game with lots of flashy moves and is one of those wrestlers like Daniel Bryan who enhances his matches with little taunts or jeers to the audience that add the extra edge to his matches that make them so much more watchable. I have to say I miss his World Championship days when he was at the top of his game though.

4. Chris Jericho - The beauty of Y2J's game is that no one has ever made their opponents look better imo. Even in defeat, he looks like a warrior and one of the best there is in the business, which translates to his opponent's who beat him looking extra good. He may have peaked long ago but his game has not dropped off since he re-invented himself. He is one of the most consistent wrestlers that the business has ever seen... ever.

5. Randy Orton - This is a pretty out there choice but Orton is a fantastic wrestler. Here's why: he platys his character beautifully inside the ring and out. Few guys really translate their character into their wrestling game but Randy does it perfectly. All the aggressive, sadistic, venomous aspects he portrays on the microphone and brings it out through his arsenal. There are a lot of folks like John Cena and Austin Aries who do play their role in matches but Orton's arsenal is specifically designed to be Viper-like. Nothing about Cena's move set screams hustle, loyalty, respect. Especially not something like the 5 Knuckle Shuffle... a very disrespectful move. Orton entertains me on the mic and in the ring and delivers in big match environments like with Punk at Mania and with Christian on all those PPVs in 2011.

Honorable mention: Antonio Cesaro, Bobby Roode, John Cena, Dolph Ziggler and AJ Styles

 

[Joey]

Ok while I am a huge fan of Kurt Angle, he isn't what he once was. Does he still promise a stellar performance when needed? Definitely. But imo his better days are behind him so him being 1 or 2 is a little extreme. His pace is slower and his finishers have lost all their mystique because of how often they're kicked out of. Plus he hasn't really had a big high profile match at all this year that I can remember so we don't know if he can still go quite like he did in his Samoa Joe rivalry days. So here are mine, based on ability to play the crowd and get reactions as well as structure a match and sell and tell a story. Plus they gotta have moves. Those are very important. So here we go:

1. Daniel Bryan - Has the crowd eating out of the palm of his hands every time he goes out there. He is the hottest thing going in wrestling, not only just because of his gimmick and mic work but also because he brings it in the ring. He has that chaotic style and goes the extra mile to add excitement by chanting before, during and after his match. It's the little things like roaring while rushing at an opponent in the corner and gritting your teeth when you slap on a submission that put you above everyone else.

2. CM Punk - His hype has settled down now that he hasn't been the centerpiece of shows for a couple of months now but let's not forget that he is still The Best In Thee World At What He Does. His mic work is unmatched and the "heart" he displays in the ring gets the crowd really motivated to cheer for him. Coming off a classic with Taker at WM and a great showdown with Jericho at Payback, he constantly reminds us why he is in fact the best.

3. Austin Aries - The machismo and charisma set him apart from the entire TNA roster. And in case that wasn't enough, he backs it up with out-of-this-world wrestling skills. Whether he's main eventing PPVs or opening Impacts, he's going to bring his A-game with lots of flashy moves and is one of those wrestlers like Daniel Bryan who enhances his matches with little taunts or jeers to the audience that add the extra edge to his matches that make them so much more watchable. I have to say I miss his World Championship days when he was at the top of his game though.

4. Chris Jericho - The beauty of Y2J's game is that no one has ever made their opponents look better imo. Even in defeat, he looks like a warrior and one of the best there is in the business, which translates to his opponent's who beat him looking extra good. He may have peaked long ago but his game has not dropped off since he re-invented himself. He is one of the most consistent wrestlers that the business has ever seen... ever.

5. Randy Orton - This is a pretty out there choice but Orton is a fantastic wrestler. Here's why: he platys his character beautifully inside the ring and out. Few guys really translate their character into their wrestling game but Randy does it perfectly. All the aggressive, sadistic, venomous aspects he portrays on the microphone and brings it out through his arsenal. There are a lot of folks like John Cena and Austin Aries who do play their role in matches but Orton's arsenal is specifically designed to be Viper-like. Nothing about Cena's move set screams hustle, loyalty, respect. Especially not something like the 5 Knuckle Shuffle... a very disrespectful move. Orton entertains me on the mic and in the ring and delivers in big match environments like with Punk at Mania and with Christian on all those PPVs in 2011.

Honorable mention: Antonio Cesaro, Bobby Roode, John Cena, Dolph Ziggler and AJ Styles

Nice.

I forgot Orton to tell you the truth.

 

[Bad News Booty]

1. CM Punk
2. Daniel Bryan
3. Austin Aries
4. Antonio Cesaro
5. Seth Rollins

 

[Jimmy King]

1. Daniel Bryan
2. CM Punk
3. John Cena
4. Austin Aries
5. Antonio Cesaro

Honorable mentiones: Christian, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Bobby Roode, and Kevin Steen

 

[Fuji Vice]

I'm honestly amazed at the love for Ziggler, the dude would barely make my top 10 WWE wrestlers, let alone a top 5 best in the world today. Also, as much as Undertaker's one match a year rules, there's no way I'd put him on a list of top 5 wrestlers "today". Anyhow, here's mine...

5. Prince Devitt
4. Kazuchika Okada
3. CM Punk
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi
1. Daniel Bryan

 

[Postman Dave]

CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Austin Aries & Bully Ray for all being the MVP's of their respective companies. For being able to take everything attached to them and turn it into something watchable.

5th would be a close battle between a load of guys, such as Antonio Cesaro, Kevin Steen, El Generico/Sami Zayn, Sheamus & Michael Elgin.

 

[Fuji Vice]

Forgot about Ray for some reason, he'd definitely be an HM for me.

 

[Hoss]

If we're including indy guys (which I forgot to do, evidently) I'm going to give a shout out to Michael Elgin, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Okada, AR Fox and Adam Cole deserve shouts for the work they've done in the past couple of months. Don't know if any would make my personal top 5 but they deserve a mention if nothing else.

 

[Fuji Vice]

Along with AR Fox, I'd also give an HM to Johnny Gargano, who has seriously been busting his ass in the past year and a half. I love both guys but think they can get even better and potentially make my top 5 in the next couple of years.

Another guy that I think deserves mention is Sami Callihan, who seemingly puts on great matches with just about everyone.

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