40. Giulia (24 ballots, 1393 points) – HIGHEST 24 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 133
High Vote: Steven Graham (4)
Average Rank: 35.04
34.78% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Suzu Suzuki (Stardom, 2/4)
– vs. Maya Yuki (Stardom, 3/4)
– vs. Himeka (Stardom, 3/16)
– w/ Syuri vs. Himeka & Maika (Stardom, 4/14)
– vs. Willow Nightingale (NJPW, 7/5)
– vs. Saori Anou (Stardom, 7/23)
– vs. Yuu (Stardom, 8/13)
– vs. Momo Watanabe (Stardom, 9/2)
– vs. AZM (Stardom, 12/2)
– vs. Megan Bayne (Stardom, 12/29)

“In what looks like their final full year in Japan, Giulia started as World Champion but moved on to the NJPW title by the end of the year. They had some really high highs but always delivered even when they were pushed down the card.” ~ Steven Graham

39. Kento Miyahara (25 ballots, 1399 points) – ONLY 25 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 190
High Vote: Jacob Shearin (1)
Average Rank: 29.6
36.23% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Takuya Nomura (AJPW, 1/3)
– w/ Takuya Nomura vs. Naoya Nomura & Yuma Aoyagi (AJPW, 1/22)
– vs. Yuma Aoyagi (AJPW, 2/4)
– vs. Yuji Nagata (AJPW, 2/19)
– w/ Suwama & Yuma Aoyagi vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima, Kenoh & Manabu Soya (NOAH, 2/21)
– vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima (NOAH, 7/15)
– vs. Yuma Anzai (AJPW, 9/9)
– w/ Yuma Aoyagi vs. Jun Saito & Rei Saito (AJPW, 10/9)
– vs. Yuma Aoyagi (AJPW, 10/21)
– vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima (AJPW, 12/31)

“If you would have told me after what I thought was a stinker of a Triple Crown match with Takuya Nomura that he would bounce back and have his best year this decade, I wouldn’t have believed you. Insane CC and RWTL runs as well as just staying away from the general main event scene in All Japan after dropping the Triple Crown to Nagata made for Miyahara’s most interesting year in ages.” ~ Tanner

“Kento Miyahara is the probably most extra, self absorbed wrestler in the world but, is also maybe the best tag team wrestler in the world at the same time! It’s amazing!” ~ Henry/HeadCheese

38. Jay White (36 ballots, 1439 points)
Last Year’s Rank 152
High Vote: MC (5)
Average Rank 37.75
52.17% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Kazuchika Okada (NJPW, 1/4)
– vs. Eddie Kingston (NJPW, 2/18)
– w/ Juice Robinson & Samoa Joe vs. Cash Wheeler, CM Punk & Dax Harwood (AEW, 6/17)
– w/ Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn & Juice Robinson vs. Cash Wheeler, CM Punk, Dax Harwood & Ricky STarks (AEW, 6/25)
– w/ Juice Robinson vs. Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood (AEW, 7/8)
– w/ Juice Robinson vs. Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood (AEW, 7/15)
– vs. Andrade El Idolo (AEW, 9/23)
– vs. Mark Briscoe (AEW, 11/8)
– vs. Rush (AEW, 11/22)
– vs. Swerve Strickland (AEW, 11/29)

“Had great matches on his way out of Japan being tossed out of the country by Hikuleo and out of New Japan period by Kingston. Great in showcase matches like the Komander or Andrade matches as well as a tag guy in the FTR/Punk feud. Very consistent in the Continental Classic. Feels like AEW still doesn’t know what to do with the guy but he makes the most of the screentime he gets.”

37. Anthony Henry (30 ballots, 1486 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 97
High Vote: Cake (8)
Average Rank: 33.17
43.48% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Adam Priest (ACTION, 1/20)
– vs. Kzy (Garden State, 2/3)
– w/ JD Drake vs. Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku (DPW, 3/26)
– w/ JD Drake vs. Alex Coughlin & Katsuyori Shibata (ROH, 4/7)
– vs. AR Fox (ROH, 5/7)
– w/ JD Drake vs. Dustin Waller & Kylon King (DPW, 5/21)
– vs. Mark Briscoe (ROH, 6/4)
– w/ JD Drake vs. Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood (AEW, 9/23)
– w/ JD Drake vs. Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin (DPW, 12/10)
– vs. Eddie Kingston (ROH, 12/15)

“Living the dream. Hurts to write this blurb when he got injured recently but in 2023 he got to be it all. Wrestled a violent, bump-filled indie title bout with Adam Priest, wrestled as the Greatest Team On The Indies, and then took that same team to be level setters in ROH. Went back and forth who was the better of The Workhorsemen on a given night when together but was sort of shocked how the act could move from indies to ROH where the reverence for them shifted dramatically. Possibly a career year for Henry where he got to show that he can do just fine when the handcuffs are off or the guardrails are up” ~ Sam DiMascio

36. Wheeler Yuta (34 ballots, 1488 points) – HIGHEST RANKED 34 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 37
High Vote: Camrod (13)
Average Rank: 39.59
49.28% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Adam Page (AEW, 1/25)
– vs. Orange Cassidy (AEW, 2/22)
– vs. Timothy Thatcher (ROH, 2/25)
– vs. Clark Connors (ROH, 2/26)
– vs. Katsuyori Shibata (ROH, 3/31)
– w/ Jon Moxley & Shota Umino vs. Kazuchika Okada, Rocky Romero & Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW, 5/21)
– w/ Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley vs. Adam Page, Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (AEW, 5/28)
– w/ Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley, Konosuke Takeshita & Shota Umino vs. Adam Page, Eddie Kingston, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson & Tomohiro Ishii (AEW/NJPW, 6/25)
– vs. Kenny Omega (AEW, 7/5)
– w/ Claudio Castagnoli vs. Eddie Kingston & Katsuyori Shibata (AEW, 9/3)

“Did you know his real name is Paul Gruber?” ~ Bucky

35. Rocky Romero (35 ballots, 1504 points) – ONLY 35 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 485
High Vote: Puroluchitas, João (3)
Average Rank: 39.09
50.72% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Volador Jr. (CMLL, 1/20)
– vs. Volador Jr. (CMLL, 3/17)
– vs Zack Sabre Jr. (ROH, 5/24)
– vs. Volador Jr. (CMLL, 6/30)
– w/ YOH vs. Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney (NJPW, 7/5)
– vs. Mascara Dorada (CMLL, 7/28)
– vs. Claudio Castagnoli (ROH, 9/9)
– vs. Mistico (AEW, 10/18)
– vs. Mascara Dorada (CMLL, 12/15)

“One of the biggest risers on the list this year for good reason. Rocky Romero has been putting up strong work in various promotions for the past few years but the hot Volador feud just as people were starting to pay strong attention to CMLL again made him impossible to avoid. A joy to watch whether he’s in CMLL, AEW, NJPW or on the indies.

34. Mark Briscoe (40 ballots, 1566 points) – HIGHEST 40 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 11
High Vote: pto (6)
Average Rank: 42.05
57.97% of ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Jay Lethal (AEW, 1/25)
– vs. Samoa Joe (ROH, 3/31)
– vs. Shane Taylor (ROH, 5/6)
– vs. JD Drake (ROH, 5/7)
– vs. Jeff Jarrett (AEW, 6/21)
– vs. Jay White (AEW, 11/8)
– vs. Jon Moxley (AEW, 11/22)
– vs. Rush (AEW, 11/29)
– vs. Swerve Strickland (AEW, 12/6)
– w/ Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood vs. Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley (ROH, 12/15)

“The tribute match to his late brother against Jay Lethal made me bawl like a baby. Mark Briscoe kicks ass. Nothing else to say. Great year. Briscoes forever.” ~ chris

33. El Hijo del Vikingo (28 ballots, 1588 points) – HIGHEST 28 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 70
High Vote: KungFu Grip (1)
Average Rank: 28.46
40.58% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Kenny Omega (AEW, 3/22)
– vs. Black Taurus vs. Komander (WrestleCon, 3/30)
– vs. Komander (ROH, 3/31)
– vs. Laredo Kid (GCW, 4/1)
– vs. Gringo Loco (ROH, 4/12)
– w/ Pentagon Jr. vs. Dralistico & Gringo Loco (AAA, 5/20)
– vs. Kenny Omega (AAA, 7/15)
– w/ Komander vs. Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood (AEW, 11/10)
– vs. Black Taurus (ROH, 12/15)
– vs. Black Taurus (AEW, 12/20)

“I have seen a lot of great wrestlers live but I don’t think one has floored me seeing them like El Hijo del Vikingo. I don’t know how he does what he does. I sat through an hours long AEW/ROH taping and he wrestled Gringo Loco after 70% of the crowd left and at least four hours had passed. His offense was so exciting that it jolted me awake like I just got to the building. I almost forgot that Tony Khan made me sit through an Aussie Open match just an hour before. Can’t think of higher praise than that.” ~ chris

32. Chihiro Hashimoto (31 ballots, 1683 points) – LOWEST 31 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 161
High Vote: Danny (1)
Average Rank: 34.19
44.93% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– w/ Yuu vs. ASUKA & Saori Anou (Sendai Girls, 1/8)
– vs. MIRAI (Stardom, 2/4)
– vs. Himeka (Stardom, 3/4)
– vs. Mio Momono (Marvelous, 3/15)
– w/ Yuu vs. Mio Momono & Yurika Oka (Sendai Girls, 4/16)
– vs. Syuri (Stardom, 4/23)
– vs. Sareee (Sareee Produce, 5/16)
– w/ Yuu vs. Mika Iwata & Miyuki Takase (Sendai Girls, 6/11)
– vs. Natsupoi (Sendai Girls, 7/16)
– w/ Yuu vs. Saori Anou & Sareee (Sendai Girls, 9/18)

31. Mio Momono (30 ballots, 1724 points)
Last Year’s Rank: NR
High Vote: roach/brennan, Parm Mann (3)
Average Rank: 28.47
43.48% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Arisa Nakajima (Marvelous, 2/21)
– vs. Chihiro Hashimoto (Marvelous, 3/15)
– w/ Yurika Oka vs. Chihiro Hashimoto & Yuu (Sendai Girls, 4/16)
– vs. Chikayo Nagashima (Marvelous, 5/3)
– vs. Masha Slamovich (WCPW, 5/13)
– w/ Mika Iwata vs. Aja Kong & Sareee (Hana Kimura Memorial, 5/23)
– w/ Takumi Iroha vs. Tomoka Inaba & YuuRI (Ganbare Pro, 7/9)
– vs. Mayumi Ozaki (Mavelous, 8/7)
– vs. Masha Slamovich vs. Takumi Iroha (DPW, 10/15)
– vs. VENY (11/24)

“The whole AAAW Championship run in Marvelous was absolutely great. She is one of the best underdog wrestlers in the world today!” ~ Steven Graham