90. Hiromu Takahashi (15 ballots, 642 points) – HIGHEST RANKED 15 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 81
High Vote: Jacob Shearin (5)
Average Rank: 41.93
21.74% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. YOH (NJPW, 2/5)
– vs. AMAKUSA (NOAH, 2/21)
– vs. DOUKI (NJPW, 5/13)
– vs. Lio Rush (NJPW, 5/14)
– vs. KUSHIDA (NJPW, 5/15)
– vs. Titan (NJPW, 5/23)
– w/ Soberano Jr. & Titan vs. Atlantis Jr., Mistico & Volador Jr. (CMLL, 8/25)
– vs. Mistico (CMLL, 8/27)
– vs. Fujita Hayato (Michinoku Pro, 10/15)
– vs. Taiji Ishimori (NJPW, 11/4)

“Hiromu at age 34 with the mileage he’s had on his body isn’t quite the explosive, ace-level junior that he was a decade ago when he was maybe the best junior in the world. Yet as exciting new blood has poured into the NJPW juniors division the past few years, Hiromu’s made sure he isn’t forgotten. His run in Best of the Super Juniors was dynamite, having killer bouts up and down his block, including a phenomenal Lio Rush match and a brawl with KUSHIDA reminiscent of their heated feud years ago. Add a memorable return to Mexico as well as excursions to NOAH, GLEAT, Michinoku Pro, FREEDOMS and more and you’ve got another feather year in one of best modern junior’s cap.” ~ chris

89. Syuri (17 ballots, 650 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 113
High Vote: pto (10)
Average Rank: 51.06
24.64% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– w/ Mayu Iwatani vs. Maika & Utami Hayashishita (Stardom, 1/8)
– w/ Giulia vs. Himeka & Maika (Stardom, 4/14)
– vs. Konami (Stardom, 4/15)
– vs. Chihiro Hashimoto (Stardom, 4/23)
– w/ ASUKA & Natsupoi vs. Death Yama-san, Konami & Rina (Hana Kimura Memorial, 5/23)
– vs. Suzu Suzuki (Stardom, 7/23)
– vs. Natsuko Tora (Stardom, 8/6)
– vs. Hazuki (Stardom, 8/15)
– vs. Mayu Iwatani (Stardom, 9/3)
– vs. Tam Nakano (Stardom, 9/20)

88. Chris Brookes (12 ballots, 658 points) – HIGHEST RANKED 12 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 320
High Vote: Cody Milkman (6)
Average Rank: 38.17
17.39% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Maya Yukihi (Baka Gaijin + Friends, 3/7)
– w/ Masahiro Takanashi vs. Chie Koshikawa & Sayaka (Gatoh Move, 3/11)
– w/ Masahiro Takanashi vs. Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku (DPW, 4/25)
– vs. HARASHIMA (DDT, 5/6)
– vs. Jun Akiyama (DDT, 5/21)
– vs. Kazusada Higuchi (DDT, 5/21)
– vs. Yuji Hino (DDT, 7/23)
– vs. Shigehiro Irie (DDT, 9/9)
– w/ Masahiro Takanashi vs. Baliyan Akki & Mei Suruga (Gatoh Move, 11/20)
– vs. MAO (DDT, 12/3)

“One of Chris Brookes biggest strengths for me is his explorations, creating, and participating in avant-garde pro wrestling. The heart, creativity, and joy he haas doing these as radiates through. He continued that this year 2023. Chris Brookes had some fun and really unique no ring matches in a bar in on the Baka Gajin and Friends shows too. Using the bar and scenary in cool, unexpected ways.
My 2023 match of the year is Chris Brookes and Yoshihiko vs. MAO and Shunma Katsumata. It is maybe my favorite match I have seen live.
He had some good showings wrestling in more traditional matches pulling emotional/technical strings strings in the King of DDT/calamari catch King of DDT tornament tornament and vs. Saki Akai for the DDT Champion.” ~Henry/HeadCheese

87. Wotan (13 ballots, 664 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 751
High Vote: jon, jom (6)
Average Rank: 35.23
18.84% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Demus (Zona 23, 3/26)
– vs. Angel Dorado Jr. vs. Difunto I vs. Mini Difunto vs. Pedro Navajas vs. Ultimo Demonio (The Syndicate, 6/11)
– w/ Impulso & Obscuro vs. Brazo Celestial, Brazo Cibernetico & Brazo de Oro Jr. (AVE, 6/17)
– vs. Ursus (LDLJ, 6/18)
– w/ Impulso & Obscuro vs. Brazo Celestial, Brazo Cibernetico & Brazo de Oro Jr. (AVE, 7/22)
– w/ Aeroboy, Ciclope & Miedo Extremo vs. Atomic Star, Demonio Infernal, Trauma I & Trauma II (AVE, 8/26)
– w/ Ciclope & Miedo Extremo vs. Fresero Jr., Trauma I & Trauma II (AVE, 9/30)
– w/ Aeroboy vs. Trauma I & Trauma II (AVE, 11/4)
– vs. Ciclope vs. Fresero Jr. vs. Miedo Extremo vs. Trauma I vs. Trauma II (AVE, 12/25)

“Wotan is one of my biggest appointment viewing wrestlers. He may only wrestle a dozen or so matches per year with fewer making tape, but even a grainy clip of Wotan from the grimiest indie lucha promotion is worth seeking out. He got to run back his heated feud with Demus in the Zona 23 junkyard before throttling Los Bad Boys and Negocio Traumado in AVE. His interactions with Trauma I were lightning as they feuded into this year. The most bang for your buck wrestler in the world if you love bloody brawls as much as I do.” ~ chris

“Wotan vs Demus was easily my match of the year. Exactly the blood filled brawl I’m looking for in wrestling/ Wotan puts the “Violent” in Violent People. He manages to fill every match with hate and chaos. Wotan has an undeniable charisma that makes it impossible to look away”~ Dan Rice

86. Juice Robinson (24 ballots, 677 points) – LOWEST RANKED 24 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 127
High Vote: matt bracket (13)
Average Rank: 51.96
34.78% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Darby Allin (AEW, 1/11)
– vs. Fred Rosser (NJPW, 5/21)
– w/ Jay White & Samoa Joe vs. Cash Wheeler, CM Punk & Dax Harwood (AEW, 6/17)
– w/ Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn & Jay White vs. Cash Wheeler, CM Punk, Dax Harwood & Ricky Starks (AEW, 6/24)
– vs. Ricky Starks (AEW, 6/29)
– w/ Jay White vs. Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood (AEW, 7/8)
– w/ Jay White vs. Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood (AEW, 7/15)
– w/ Jay White & Konosuke Takeshita vs. Adam Page, Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi (AEW, 8/27)
– w/ Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn & Jay White vs. Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (AEW, 9/3)
– vs. Andrade El Idolo (AEW, 9/30)

“While Jay White came into AEW with ‘Hottest Free Agent In The World’ type hype, his Bullet Club Gold stablemate Juice Robinson had much more tempered expectations. Juice seemed to do all he could in New Japan a while ago and joined AEW with many thinking he was well past his prime. And while White’s flashier offense made him the star of the tag team, it was Juice’s classic heeling in the ring that was the glue to the heel side of the Bullet Club Gold vs. CM Punk and FTR feud. There are few in that company I love seeing get steamrolled during a babyface comeback like Juice Robinson, and that’s a testament to his stellar heel work.” ~ chris

85. Andrade El Idolo (23 ballots, 709 points) – LOWEST RANKED 23 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 72
High Vote: Joe (12)
Average Rank: 54.96
33.33% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Buddy Matthews (AEW, 6/17)
– vs. Buddy Matthews (AEW, 7/29)
– vs. Jay White (AEW, 9/23)
– vs. Juice Robinson (AEW, 9/30)
– vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW, 10/21)
– vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW, 12/5)
– vs. Brody King (AEW, 12/13)
– w/ Angel de Oro & Soberano Jr. vs. Atlantis Jr., Mistico & Star Jr. (CMLL, 12/15)
– vs. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 12/23)
– vs. Volador Jr. (CMLL, 12/29)

“Andrade’s final year (or more accurately, final six months) in AEW reflected his run as a whole, having start-stop pushes in feuds against the House of Black, Bullet Club Gold and eventually one final run in the Continental Classic before leaving town. When Andrade was healthy and featured, he showed why he can be such a big deal. His CC run was way better than you might expect from a reportedly disgruntled wrestler who’s about to sign with a rival company. You just end up wishing you got more of that over the past few years.” ~ chris

“Andrade didn’t wrestle like a man who wanted out of AEW. He seized every opportunity he was given in AEW. He was an integral part of the CC. In his brief stop back in CMLL he felt like a genuine star. I’m sure he’s going to steal the show in whatever important Wrestlemania match he is in this weekend” ~ Dan Rice

84. Jun Kasai (17 ballots, 724 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 66
High Vote: Bucky (9)
Average Rank: 46.76
24.64% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– vs. Masashi Takeda (FREEDOMS, 1/3)
– w/ Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Mayumi Ozaki & Takashi Sasaki (Sendai Girls, 1/15)
– w/ Masashi Takeda vs. Abdullah Kobayashi & Drew Parker (FREEDOMS, 3/23)
– w/ El Desperado vs. Homicide & Jon Moxley (NJPW, 7/3)
– w/ El Desperado vs. Masashi Takeda & Rina Yamashita (FREEDOMS, 8/11)
– vs. Masashi Takeda (FREEDOMS, 8/28)
– vs. Matt Tremont (GCW, 10/8)
– vs. Toru Sugiura (FREEDOMS, 11/5)
– vs. Jun Masaoka (FREEDOMS, 12/25)
– vs. Nick Gage (GCW, 12/31)

“What more can be said about Jun Kasai? A 49 year old wrestler who’s endured about 249 years worth of punishment on his body, Kasai’s dedication to both receiving and doling out pain is remarkable. The Jun Kasai Deathmatch might be a well worn formula at this point, but it’s one that works, and when the Crazy Monkey dials into that extra gear for a big deathmatch it hits like few things can.” ~ chris

“Somehow Jun Kasai’s body has not crumbled so we will continue to be gifted with years like this. It is not his most illustrious, his dial has a harder time getting to 11 but the presence he brings certainly hasn’t gone away. I love the tag he has against Takeda and Rina, even when he isn’t the A or B side of the match, he brings certain Something Something that can’t be matched” ~Sam DiMascio

83. Mayu Iwatani (14 ballots, 731 points) – HIGHEST RANKED 14 BALLOT WRESTLER
Last Year’s Rank: 253
High Vote: Danny (13)
Average Rank: 41.64
20.29% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– w/ Syuri vs. Maika & Utami Hayashishita (Stardom, 1/8)
– w/ Hazuki vs. Natsupoi & Tam Nakano (Stardom, 3/15)
– vs. Mercedes Mone (Stardom, 4/23)
– vs. Hazuki (Stardom, 7/23)
– vs. Suzu Suzuki (Stardom, 8/8)
– vs. Natsupoi (Stardom, 8/10)
– vs. Utami Hayashishita (Stardom, 8/13)
– vs. Syuri (Stardom, 9/3)
– vs. AZM (Stardom, 10/1)
– vs. Stephanie Vaquer (NJPW, 11/10)

“The legendary Iwatani is not slowing down anytime soon. Every big match feels like a huge spectacle, which she hopefully gets more of a chance to show off in 2024.” ~Steven Graham

82. Madoka Kikuta (13 ballots, 741 points)
Last Year’s Rank: NR
High Vote: Raiden, Simon (8)
Average Rank: 24.92
18.84% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– w/ Yuki Yoshioka vs. Big Boss Shimizu & Kzy (DG, 3/5)
– vs. Kota Minoura (DG, 4/5)
– vs. Shun Skywalker (DG, 5/5)
– w/ Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka vs. Big Boss Shimizu, Jacky “Funky” Kamei & Kzy (DG, 5/24)
– w/ Yuki Yoshioka vs. Jacky “Funky” Kamei & Jason Lee (DG, 6/10)
– vs. Masaaki Mochizuki (DG, 7/7)
– w/ Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka vs. Big Boss Shimizu, Kzy & U-T (DG, 7/17)
– vs. Big Boss Shimizu (DG, 8/3)
– vs. Big Boss Shimizu (DG, 11/5)
– w/ Ryoya Tanaka vs. Naruki Doi & YAMATO (DG, 12/5)

“Dragongate, for all the fast fun, can often seem floaty and weightless, but with Kikuta and his literal big ass, that isn’t the case. Kikuta continued to emerge this year as one of the most purely watchable wrestlers to come from there in some time, responsible for a majority of both the most enjoyable regular wrestling as well as most of the company’s highs in 2023. Hips don’t lie.” ~Simon

81. Titan (16 ballots, 748 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 149
High Vote: Puroluchitas (5)
Average Rank: 45.31
23.19% of Ballots Made

Recommended Matches
– w/ Esfinge & Mistico vs. Euforia, Hechicero & Mephisto (CMLL, 1/29)
– vs. Soberano Jr. (NJPW/CMLL, 2/27)
– vs. Virus (CMLL, 3/17)
– vs. Hiromu Takahashi (NJPW, 5/23)
– vs. El Desperado (NJPW, 5/26)
– vs. Master Wato (NJPW, 5/28)
– vs Mistico (CMLL, 6/16)
– w/ Hiromu Takahashi & Soberano Jr. vs. Atlantis Jr., Mistico & Volador Jr. (CMLL, 8/25)
– vs. Mascara Dorada (CMLL, 9/29)
– w/ Mascara Dorada & Mistico vs. Angel de Oro, Niebla Roja & Templario (CMLL, 10/6)

“Titan was one of the best juniors in two different promotions in two different continents. Whether he was working a lightning match or trios on Super Viernes or working a tournament tour in New Japan, Titan can conquer any arena between Arena Mexico and Korakuen Hall. He’s wrestled for over 15 years and has become a symbol of consistency in that time, yet shows no signs of slowing down.” ~ chris

“In the second tier of “dudes who can GO in a trios” but in CMLL that ain’t so bad. Not someone I go out of my way to watch alone but is that extra nudge for an otherwise OK looking grouping of wrestlers” ~ Sam DiMascio

“Titan had a great BOSJ. He managed to always feel important in a division that is usually very unimportant, New Japan Juniors. Combine that with fitting right in with the surging CMLL and he deserves a spot high on everyone’s list.” ~ Dan Rice