80. Komander (18 ballots, 766 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 153
High Vote: Stardy (10)
Average Rank: 47.33
26.09% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Bandido (PWG, 1/8)
– vs. Konosuke Takeshita (PWG, 1/8)
– vs. Lio Rush (GCW, 2/18)
– vs. Arez (wXw, 3/10)
– vs. Black Taurus vs. El Hijo del Vikingo (WrestleCon, 3/30)
– vs. Jay White (AEW, 4/19)
– vs. Claudio Castagnoli (AEW, 6/28)
– vs. Gringo Loco (ROH, 6/29)
– w/ El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood (AEW, 11/10)
– vs. Roderick Strong (AEW, 12/20)

“I am still not sure sure how Komander can walk those ropes so well, he is so good at it. He’s also rocks in and is very root forable fighting from underneath in the underdog dog role.” ~ Henry/HeadCheese

“Overshadowed by the Vikingo signing quickly after him, Komander is still a fantastic highspots wrestler. Phenomenal dives and his ability to walk the ropes is mind-boggling. Seeing him live was a highlight for me. Great plug and play TV midcard and indie wrestler.” ~ chris

79. Masha Slamovich (18 ballots, 775 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 128
High Vote: Cake (32)
Average Rank: 52.39
26.09% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Bryan Keith (PWG, 1/8)
– vs. Mickie James (Impact, 2/24)
– vs. Mike Bailey (GCW, 3/19)
– vs. Miyu Yamashita (WCPW, 4/7)
– vs. Mio Momono (WCPW, 5/13)
– vs. Blake Christian vs. Rina Yamashita (GCW, 6/4)
– vs. Masashi Takeda (GCW, 7/19)
– vs. Rina Yamashita (GCW, 10/12)
– vs. Emi Sakura (DPW, 11/12)
– w/ Killer Kelly vs. Maki Itoh & Miyu Yamashita (Prestige/TJPW, 12/14)

“Masha’s steady rise as one of the top indie talents continues as she’s also become one of the only wrestlers I’ll watch Impact to see. She’s been great as a hardcore wrestler but I think 2023 is when she really started to pop for me in more standard singles matches.” ~ chris

78. Tam Nakano (13 ballots, 777 points) – HIGHEST RANKED 13 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 193
High Vote: Steven Graham (7)
Average Rank: 41.46
18.84% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– w/ Natsupoi vs. Hazuki & Mayu Iwatani (Stardom, 3/15)
– w/ Waka Tsukiyama vs. KAIRI & Nanae Takahashi (Stardom, 3/25)
– vs. Giulia (Stardom, 4/23)
– vs. MIRAI (Stardom, 7/2)
– vs. Hazuki (Stardom, 8/6)
– vs. Megan Bayne (Stardom, 8/13)
– vs. Mayu Iwatani (Stardom, 8/15)
– vs. Starlight Kid (Stardom, 9/3)
– vs. Suzu Suzuki (Stardom, 9/9)
– vs. Syuri (Stardom, 9/20)

“It was shaping up to be a year where she could have been in the top spot, but she got injured and had to vacate the World of Stardom Championship and miss a lot of time. Still, the title win at the biggest show ever may be my favourite Stardom moment ever.” ~Steven Graham

77. Yota Tsuji (21 ballots, 808 points) – LOWEST RANKED 21 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 678
High Vote: JML (7)
Average Rank: 43.57
30.43% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– w/ Barbaro Carvernario & Niebla Roja vs. Atlantis Jr., Soberano Jr. & Titan (CMLL, 3/24)
– vs. Gran Guerrero (CMLL, 5/14)
– vs. SANADA (NJPW, 6/4)
– vs. Kaito Kiyomiya (NJPW, 7/15)
– vs. Ren Narita (NJPW, 7/18)
– vs. SANADA (NJPW, 7/21)
– vs. Hikuleo (NJPW, 7/27)
– vs. Shota Umino (NJPW, 8/1)
– vs. Gabe Kidd (NJPW, 8/5)
– vs. Will Ospreay (NJPW, 9/24)

“Tsuji surprised me a lot coming back to New Japan following his excursion. He shows an in-ring confidence and star presence that makes him far and away the most promising of the new generation of New Japan main eventers. He has shown he can wrestle big matches and looks like a mainstay for years to come.” ~ stephen malkmus

“His gimmick has something to do with cum. I’m not 100% sure what his deal is but I cannot look away. Utter magnetism.” ~ Bucky

“Great presence, great smile, amazing spear. He had matches that were really fun this year. You could even say Yota Tsuji is blast to watch wrestle.” ~ Henry/HeadCheese

“He’s not quite best in the world level, but he’s getting there with stunning quickness. Yota Tsuji was the breakout star of the year with a bullet. Probably the best run anyone had in the G1, and had absolutely brilliant performances against SANADA and Ospreay He was promising as a Young Lion and on excursion but the pace he’s getting better is ridiculous” ~ chris

76. Suzu Suzuki (19 ballots, 816 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 125
High Vote: Maxi (14)
Average Rank: 47.53
27.54% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Toshiyuki Sakuda (Prominence, 1/9)
– vs. Giulia (Stardom, 2/4)
– vs. Masashi Takeda (Prominence, 3/18)
– w/ Hiragi Kurumi & Risa Sera vs. KARI, Natsupoi & Saori Anou (Stardom, 4/23)
– vs. Syuri (Stardom, 7/23)
– w/ Mei Seira vs. Natsupoi & Saori Anou (Stardom, 9/3)
– vs. Tam Nakano (Stardom, 9/9)
– w/ Giulia vs. Maika & Utami Hayashishita (Stardom, 9/10)
– vs. Maika (Stardom, 9/30)
– vs. Maika (Stardom, 12/29)

75. Alex Shelley (22 ballots, 821 points) – LOWEST RANKED 22 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 167
High Vote: Austin Shermer (10)
Average Rank: 45.05
31.88% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Masha Slamovich (PWG, 1/7)
– w/ Chris Sabin vs. Jonathan Gresham & Mike Bailey (Impact, 1/21)
– w/ KUSHIDA vs. Jordan Oliver & Mike Bailey (GCW, 3/17)
– w/ Chris Sabin vs. Jordan Oliver Nick Wayne (GCW, 3/31)
– vs. Steve Maclin (Impact, 6/9)
– w/ Chris Sabin vs. Lio Rush & Nick Aldis (Impact, 6/23)
– vs. Jonathan Gresham (Prestige, 7/23)
– w/ Chris Sabin vs. Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku (DPW, 8/13)
– vs. Jonathan Gresham (Impact, 10/22)
– w/ Chris Sabin vs. Josh Alexander & Zack Sabre Jr. (Impact, 12/9)
– w/ Chris Sabin vs. Anthony Henry & JD Drake (DPW, 12/10)

“The rate that Alex Shelley is still going at is simply remarkable. He turned 40 last May, and worked 96 matches per Cagematch. That’s easily the most he’s worked in a calendar year in at least 15 years, only a few matches short of what he was doing at his peak in the early-mid 2000s in TNA and ROH. And with that many matches, with the miles he’s put on his body in a 22 year career, with plenty of injuries along the way, he’s putting out the best work of his career since he was tagging with KUSHIDA in New Japan. That’s bonkers. He was a welcome addition to any card he worked whether he was doing a singles or with Sabin. With so many of his contemporaries slowing down or outright retiring, Shelley feels like he’s just getting started with a new chapter of his career.” ~ chris

74. Miyu Yamashita (17 ballots, 845 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 45
High Vote: Álvaro Merino (4)
Average Rank: 49.18
24.64% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Yuka Sakazaki (TJPW, 1/4)
– vs. Athena (Prestige, 1/21)
– w/ Maki Itoh vs. Mizuki & Yuka Sakazaki (3/31)
– vs. Athena (ROH, 4/5)
– vs. Masha Slamovich (WCPW, 4/7)
– vs. Yuki Kamifuku (TJPW, 8/13)
– vs. Shoko Nakajima (TJPW, 8/17)
– w/ Maki Itoh vs. Mizuki & Shoko Nakajima (TJPW, 9/18)
– vs. Mizuki (TJPW, 10/9)
– vs. Shoko Nakajima vs. Yuka Sakazaki (TJPW, 12/6)

“Appointment viewing whether she’s working a midcard tag, a main event in TJPW or working a tour in the States. Beautiful offense and incredible charisma. One of the best in the world multiple years running.” ~ chris

73. Emi Sakura (21 ballots, 845 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 281
High Vote: Olly Armstrong (9)
Average Rank: 51.22
30.43% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Jamie Hayter (AEW, 1/25)
– vs. Billie Starkz (AEW, 1/28)
– vs. Riho (AEW, 3/3)
– vs. Athena (ROH, 3/29)
– w/ Kaori Yoneyama vs. Haruka Umesaki & Miyuki Takase (DPW, 4/25)
– vs. Miyuki Takase (DPW, 4/27)
– vs. Willow Nightingale (AEW, 5/31)
– vs. Hagane Shinnou (Gatoh Move, 7/5)
– vs. Nicole Matthews (DPW, 9/17)
– vs. Masha Slamovich (DPW, 11/12)

“She’s been signed forever and it never stops baffling me how few TV showcases one of the best female wrestlers in AEW gets. The Hayter, Athena and Willow matches were awesome. At least she gets to crush it in DPW and her trips back home when she’s not being used on TV.” ~ chris

72. Fujita “Jr.” Hayato (21 ballots, 870 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 251
High Vote: CFOS (4)
Average Rank: 36.33
30.43% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– w/ AMAKUSA & Hiromu Takahashi vs. HAYATA, Kazuki Hashimoto & YAMATO (All Star Junior Festival, 3/1)
– vs. MUSASHI (Michinoku Pro, 3/18)
– w/ Strong Machine J & Taro Nohashi vs. LEONA, Masaaki Mochizuki & Mochizuki Jr. (DG/Mochizuki Produce, 4/4)
– w/ Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Fuminori Abe & Ikuto Hidaka (Michinoku Pro, 6/30)
– vs. Takanori Ito (GLEAT, 7/1)
– w/ Yu Iizuka vs. Minoru Suzuki & Shinya Aoki (GLEAT, 8/4)
– vs. YAMATO (DG, 8/20)
– w/ Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Dragon Kid & Masato Tanaka (DG/Mochizuki Produce, 10/5)
– vs. Hiromu Takahashi (Michinoku Pro, 10/15)
– vs. YAMATO (Michinoku Pro, 11/18)

“In 2022, Hayato comes back after beating cancer to have the match of the decade against MUSASHI. 2023 was his year because he had a lot of taped matches compared to 2022 and almost everything he did was worth watching. He went pretty much everywhere and it was just all hit and no miss.”~CFOS

71. Dominic Garrini (21 ballots, 873 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 103
High Vote: Eamonn Bell (17)
Average Rank: 52.29
30.43% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– w/ Kevin Ku vs. Dustin Waller & Kylon King (Beyond, 2/26)
– vs. Timothy Thatcher (AIW, 3/24)
– w/ Kevin Ku vs. Anthony Henry & JD Drake (DPW, 3/26)
– w/ Kevin Ku vs. Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs (Winner’s Circle, 4/21)
– w/ Kevin Ku vs. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (DPW, 4/25)
– w/ Kevin Ku vs. Dustin Waller & Kylon King (DPW, 6/18)
– vs. Mad Dog Connelly (BLP, 7/22)
– w/ Kevin Ku vs. Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin (DPW, 8/13)
– vs. Kevin Ku (BLP, 9/23)
– vs. Matt Makowski (ICW NHB, 12/30)

“Always a joy either as half of the aces of the indie tag scene or when he gets to really cook in a singles in BLP or AIW. One of the most unique guys on the indies of the last decade. I will always ride for the Bone Crusher.” ~ chris