30. Samoa Joe (38 ballots, 1894 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 63
High Vote: HD (13)

Recommended Matches

• w/ Katsuyori Shibata & Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta (AEW, 4/16)
• vs. Claudio Castagnoli (AEW, 5/7)
• vs. Jon Moxley (AEW, 5/14)
• w/ Powerhouse Hobbs & Swerve Strickland vs. Jon Moxley, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (AEW, 5/21)
• w/ Katsuyori Shibata, Kenny Omega, Powerhouse Hobbs, Swerve Strickland & Willow Nightingale vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley, Marina Shafir, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson & Wheeler Yuta (AEW, 5/25)
• w/ Katsuyori Shibata & Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Bishop Kaun, Ricochet & Toa Liona (AEW, 8/27)
• w/ Bandido, Brody King, Katsuyori Shibata & Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson & Wheeler Yuta (AEW, 9/10)
• w/ Adam Page & Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia & Jon Moxley (AEW, 10/1)
• w/ Katsuyori Shibata, Powerhouse Hobbs, Swerve Strickland & Will Ospreay vs. The Beast Mortos, Jon Moxley, Matt Jackson, NIck Jackson & Wheeler Yuta (AEW, 6/18)
• vs. Adam Page (AEW, 10/18)
• vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Hook vs. Ricochet (AEW, 10/29)
• w/ Katsuyori Shibata & Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Adam Page, Eddie Kingston & Hook (AEW, 11/5)
• vs. Adam Page (AEW, 11/22)
• vs. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 12/10)
• vs. Adam Page vs. MJF vs. Swerve Strickland (AEW, 12/27)

“We probably don’t have that many years of Joe left, so let’s appreciate what we get. And what we got is the great work we’ve come to expect from AEW Joe, just the perfect upper midcard guy you can slot in anywhere, either in face or heel roles with the Opps or as a transition guy with the world title.” ~ Padraig

“A relatively pedestrian year for Joe compared to others, but gets high on the list because he’s simply great at what he does. Whether he’s anchoring The Opps (never lacking) as the best trio in AEW or Tony needs someone with legitimacy as a transition champ, Joe makes it work despite the thousands of matches and the obvious wear on his body. Joe can work as the baddest heel in town or the respected veteran hero. He’ll elevate guys like Hook just by tagging with them, and he’ll help someone like Eddie Kingston have his best post-injury match. Legend shit.” ~ chris

29. Zandokan Jr. (32 ballots, 1926 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 123
High Vote: FUJIWARASMIRK (3)

Recommended Matches

• w/ Barbaro Cavernario & Hechicero vs. Mascara Dorada, Mistico & Star Jr. (CMLL, 1/18)
• w/ Soberano Jr. vs. Mascara Dorada & Templario (CMLL, 2/14)
• vs. Neon (NJPW, 2/27)
• vs. Star Jr. (CMLL, 3/21)
• w/ Barboza & Difunto vs. Mascara Dorada, Neon & Star Jr. (CMLL, 3/28)
• w/ Titan vs. Hechicero & Templario (CMLL, 4/15)
• vs. Atlantis Jr. (CMLL, ⅚)
• vs. Angel de Oro vs. Atlantis Jr. vs. Mascara Dorada vs. Mistico vs. Niebla Roja vs. Star Jr. vs. Volador Jr. (CMLL, 5/23)
• vs. Mascara Dorada (CMLL, 5/30)
• w/ Difunto, Magnus & Rugido vs. Action Andretti, Lio Rush, Robbie X & Rocky Romero (CMLL, 6/20)
• w/ Barboza & Difunto vs. Atlantis Jr., Bandido & Mistico (CMLL, 7/18)
• vs. Judas el Traidor (Lucha Memes, 7/19)
• vs. MJF (CMLL, 8/15)
• w/ Angel de Oro, Atlantis Jr., Difunto, Mascara Dorada, Mistico, Neon, Templario, Titan & Volador Jr. vs. Action Andretti, The Beast Mortos, Donovan Dijak, Lio Rush, Michael Oku, Mike Bailey, Robbie X, Rocky Romero, Taiji Ishimori & TJP (CMLL, 8/29)
• w/ Hechicero & Volador Jr. vs. Atlantis Jr., Mascara Dorada & Neon (CMLL, 9/19)

““The King of the World” looks destined to be a massive star in CMLL. His matches with Star Jr. showed he has the composure to anchor a main-event program. Hopefully that success doesn’t keep him locked entirely within the CMLL style, because his Lucha Memes match with Judas El Traidor proved he could be a world-class, wild brawler if he ever felt like leaning into that.” ~ Nick Yeoman

“In 2025 Zandokan Jr became CMLL’s best rudo. Often teaming as part Galeon Fantasma, he would put in great performances especially when facing off against El Sky Team. He really showed what he’s got in the apuesta against Star Jr – all the charisma in the world but brutal in his action. What a year.” ~ Padraig

“I’ll be honest, if it wasn’t for injury this guy would probably be my wrestler of the year. He was that good. It was shocking even how good he was this year, and I voted for him in the last poll! He brings such a dangerous and cruelty to his work in CMLL that transforms the standard trios matches you expect to be fun and entertaining into something so much more special. The Star Jr. mask match fucking RULES. The singles matches with every top CMLL tecnico all hit the mark for me. The Galeon Fantasma trios and tag matches delivered week in and week out, but the crown jewel of his case is definitely the Lucha Memes singles match against Judas el Traidor; free from the usual limitations of the CMLL style, he beats the shit out of this old guy and busts him wide open, and it is GLORIOUS. Some of the most cathartic wrestling possible both in the sense of seeing the kind of lucha brawling I love the most from a CMLL guy and also seeing Traidor really take it to him in the comeback, just so great. “ ~ FUJIWARASMIRK

“I legitimately cannot believe Zandokan Jr. is only 26. With how essential he feels to CMLL’s stable of rudos, you already get the feeling he’s been around forever. As much as I love Barboza and Difunto, Zandokan is the guy in that stable. When CMLL needed a heel to ground one of their younger technicos like Atlantis Jr. and Mascara Dorada, they called Zandokan. Worked brilliantly for one night as the good guy against MJF. Given how much I adored the Judas el Traidor match, I would be over the moon if he gets more opportunities like that in outside promotions. Come back soon king.” ~ chris

28. Kenny Omega (35 ballots, 2015 points)
Last Year’s Rank: NR
High Vote: JML, Jonas G. (2)

Recommended Matches

• vs. Gabe Kidd (NJPW, 1/5)
• vs. Brian Cage (AEW, 1/15)
• w/ Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher (AEW, 2/15)
• vs. Konosuke Takeshita (AEW, 3/9)
• vs. Mike Bailey vs. Ricochet (AEW, 4/6)
• w/ Kevin Knight, Mark Briscoe & Mike Bailey vs. Kazuchika Okada, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson & Ricochet (AEW, 4/30)
• w/ Katsuyori Shibata, Powerhouse Hobbs, Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland & Willow Nightingale vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley, Marina Shafir, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson & Wheeler Yuta (AEW, 5/25)
• vs. Brody King vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Mascara Dorada (AEW, 6/4)
• vs. Kazuchika Okada (AEW, 7/12)
• w/ Darby Allin, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi & Will Ospreay vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Gabe Kidd, Jon Moxley, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (AEW, 8/24)
• w/ Adam Page, Kevin Knight & Mike Bailey vs. Josh Alexander, Kyle Fletcher, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (AEW, 9/3)
• w/ Bandido & Brody King vs. Josh Alexander, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (AEW, 9/3)
• w/ Bandido & Brody King vs. Josh Alexander, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (AEW, 10/1)
• w/ Jack Perry & Luchasaurus vs. Hechicero, Josh Alexander & Mark Davis (AEW, 10/15)
• w/ Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson vs. Hechicero, Kazuchika Okada & Konosuke Takeshita (AEW, 12/17)

“There wouldn’t be much to say about one of the most divisive wrestlers of his generation if he hadn’t spent 2025 coming back from a life-altering surgery that led to about 8 inches of his butthole being removed. The glass-half-full view of Kenny Omega’s 2025 is that he came back in spectacular fashion, giving Gabe Kidd the best match of his young, stupid life at Wrestle Kingdom by both showing he still has a lot of athleticism left in the tank and that he still has the wherewithal to read a crowd and shift a match to best meet the arena’s emotional tone. Some were disappointed by his All In match against Okada and while I admit that the constant abdomen selling really got….taxing throughout the year, I found this one to be a perfect encapsulation of the wrestler Kenny Omega will be moving forward: reckless, somewhat athletic, and incredibly limited. Incredibly impressive that I’m able to say this about a dude who seems significantly more interested in cosplaying 30 year old video game characters than he does stepping in a wrestling ring, and I’m really looking forward to what could be a legacy-defining 2026: can he finally reel in the high spots and focus on what he’s best at (being a white meat babyface), or will he always be the wrestler his detractors have said he is?” ~ Orchid

“It’s so cool that Kenny Omega is back!

He was out for over a year with diverticulitis and it felt like he mostly has not missed step and sometimes where it felt like a ‘missed step’ might be a character beat.

The best, most rootable work of Kenny Omega’s career especially with the targeted stomach and his great selling of it. Omega went leaning into vulnerabilities pretty well (especially in the Konosuke Takeshita – Revolution and Kazuchika Okada – All In Texas matches).

Even with him being more vulnerable, he still had consistently great matches even against wrestlers who I think are very inconsistent (Gabe Kidd). His additions to the party match/All Star tag/money tag universe was really fun too specifically against the Young Bucks.” ~ Henry/HeadCheese

27. Ultimo Guerrero (31 ballots, 2033 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 45
High Vote: Corwo, Simon, Marilyn (3)

Recommended Matches

• w/ Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr. vs. Mascara Dorada, Mistico & Neon (CMLL, 1/31)
• vs. Hechicero (CMLL, 2/14)
• vs. Atlantis Jr. (NJPW, 2/27)
• w/ Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr. vs. Blue Panther, Mascara Dorada & Neon (CMLL, 4/18)
• vs. KUSHIDA (CMLL, 4/25)
• vs. Yota (CMLL, 6/20)
• w/ Averno & The Beast Mortos vs. Esfinge, Mascara Dorada & Templario (CMLL, 7/4)
• vs. Blue Panther (CMLL, 8/8)
• w/ The Beast Mortos & Volador Jr. vs. Hologram, Mistico & Templario (CMLL, 8/16)
• w/ Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr. vs. Mistico, Neon & Titan (CMLL, 8/22)
• vs. Blue Panther (CMLL, 9/21)
• w/ Difunto & Okumura vs. Atlantis, Atlantis Jr. & Templario (CMLL, 10/3)
• vs. Mistico (MLW, 10/4)
• vs. Angel de Oro vs. Euforia vs. Hechicero vs. Soberano Jr. (CMLL, 11/21)
• w/ Difunto & Esfinge vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia & Wheeler Yuta (CMLL, 11/29)

“The matches with Blue panther in various tag and singles encounters are what will get the most attention for Ultimo Guerrero’s 2025 but lets talk about what really matters. He was a participant in Battle Riot VII!!! And you know what they say, 7th time’s the charm. He was at an unfair disadvantage going in the Battle Riot since he must have been tired from having already wrestled earlier that night in the first match of the show. But that didn’t stop him from eliminating longtime rival Atlantis. Unfairly, he was then eliminated by that scoundrel Blue Panthe! But don’t worry, he was avenged when Blue Panther was eliminated by Hechicero. What a time to be alive” ~ Padraig

“The most reliable wrestler in a unit that is the safest bet, night in and night out. The man delivers exactly what the match needs. One of my favorite things all year was Ultimo starting one of the Panther singles by falling on his ass. No one is doing it like this.” ~ Stevan S.

26. Kevin Knight (38 ballots, 2036 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 300
High Vote: Andrew 911)

Recommended Matches

• vs. Will Ospreay (AEW, 4/6)
• w/ Mark Briscoe, Mike Bailey & Will Ospreay vs. Action Andretti, The Beast Mortos, Lio Rush & Ricochet
• w/ Mike Bailey vs. Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (AEW, 4/23)
• w/ Kenny Omega, Mark Briscoe & Mike Bailey vs. Kazuchika Okada, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson & Ricochet (AEW, 4/30)
• vs. Robbie Eagles (NJPW, 5/14)
• w/ Komander & Mike Bailey vs. The Beast Mortos, Dralistico & Rush (AEW, 6/4)
• w/ Mike Bailey vs. Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta (AEW, 8/14)
• w/ Mike Bailey vs. Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood (AEW, 10/29)
• w/ Adam Page, Kenny Omega & Mike Bailey vs. Josh Alexander, Kyle Fletcher, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (AEW, 9/3)
• w/ Mike Bailey vs. Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood (AEW, 10/18)
• w/ Mike Bailey vs. Mascara Dorada & Neon (CMLL, 11/21)
• vs. Darby Allin (AEW, 11/26)
• vs. Kyle Fletcher (AEW, 12/3)
• vs. Mike Bailey (AEW, 12/13)
• vs. Kazuchika Okada (AEW, 12/17)

“A wrestler who I was vaguely familiar with before joining AEW and he really impressed me. He has a seemingly effortlessly cool charm to him.

JetSpeed (Him and Mike Bailey) are my tag team of the year. I really liked his work outside the tag team too. 

Excited to see him get more opportunities, he seems like he is going to keep going higher and higher in my eyes to maybe one of my favorites soon. Kevin Knight is great.” ~ Henry/HeadCheese

“Came out of nowhere for me from a guy I paid passing attention to in New Japan to a wrestler I’ll watch anything of in AEW. He just gets wrestling in a way you wouldn’t expect from someone of his age and surrounded by the bad influences that he is. The high spots are obviously impressive, but it’s the in-between stuff with him that makes me a dedicated fan.” ~ FUJIWARASMIRK

“Not all too different from his tag partner, a change of scenery was the right move for The Jet. A promotion with no weight classes removed any ceiling placed on Knight, and all of that potential paid off in dividends. Scary to think he’s only getting started.” ~ Stevan S.

“Kevin Knight has been good. The issue is people have been down on New Japan’s junior division and nobody outside of true Impact soldiers watched TNA. But even as someone bullish on Knight’s potential from his tag work with KUSHIDA and occasional singles showcases, I was surprised by how quickly he made it work in AEW. He almost immediately eclipsed a better-known commodity in Mike Bailey and became the star of JetSpeed. Knight was brilliant in singles matches against the Okadas and Ospreays of the world. He had standout work in both the C2 and BOSJ. Knight is getting chances to prove himself all around the world every single week, and then he does it. It will be hard for him to top his 2025, but he has all the talent to do it.” ~ chris

25. Meiko Satomura (36 ballots, 2099 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 53
High Vote: xiomax (3)

Recommended Matches

• w/ YUNA vs. Nanae Takahashi & Nao Ishikawa (Marigold, 1/3)
• vs. Manami (Sendai Girls, 1/5)
• vs. Stephanie Maze (wXw, 1/18)
• vs. Saree (Sareee-ism, 1/23)
• vs. Nanae Takahashi (Fumihito Kihara Produce, 1/31)
• vs. Unagi Sayaka (Unagi Sayaka Produce, 2/16)
• vs. Rhio (PROGRESS, 2/23)
• w/ Rayne Leverkusen vs. Millie McKenzie & Nina Samuels (ICHIBAN, 2/24)
• vs. Yuki Arai (TJPW, 3/16)
• vs. Chihiro Hashimoto (Sendai Girls, 3/19)
• vs. Minoru Suzuki (Sendai Girls, 4/3)
• vs. Takumi Iroha (Marvelous, 4/10)
• w/ Ryo Mizunami vs. Manami & Yurika OKa (Sendai Girls, 4/12)
• w/ Sonoko Kato vs. Chikayo Nagashima & Mayumi Ozaki (OZ Academy, 4/13)
• w/ Sareee vs. Chihiro Hashimoto & Yuu (Fortune Dream, 4/16)
• w/ Chigusa Nagayo vs. Senka Akatsuki & YUNA (Tenryu Project, 4/25)
• w/ DASH Chisako vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto & Ryo Mizunami (Sendai Girls, 4/26)
• w/ Mika Iwata & YUNA vs. Aya Sakura, Natsupoi & Saori Anou (Stardom, 4/27)
• w/ Manami vs. Aja Kong & Chihiro Hashimoto (Sendai Girls, 4/29)
• w/ Aja Kong vs. Chihiro Hashimoto, Mika Iwata, Senka Akatsuki, Takumi Iroha & YUNA (Sendai Girls, 4/29)

“Meiko ONLY wrestled for 4 months out of last year yet nevertheless has a spot because she’s just that good at what she does. She had I would say a pretty fantastic final run despite the occasional filler “greatest hits” match where she more or less worked her cold bully figure to perfection, focusing a lot on very much meat and potatoes wrestling; a lot of stiff strikes, comeback spots, a couple of big moments and then big conclusive finishes. The occasional match where she intentionally drops that to showcase the sheer threat of her opponent (like with Hashimoto or whatnot) and eases up is where her real best material comes from, however; at the heart of it she’s still that same fiery upstart she was in GAEA and those same incredible babyface instincts still shine through very well under the spotlight. Her retirement match is also probably one of the all-timers ever with some stellar interactions with Aja Kong (actual crime she’s not on here btw) as they bring out all the old tricks one last time. A deserved spot for a legendary figure of the sport.” ~ Stump H. Puller

“in a year of let’s say disappointing retirement runs – looking at you Cena and Tanahashi – Meiko’s last run is everything you would have wanted. The two stand out singles matches against Sareee and Hashimoto, plenty of fun tag matches and a retirement match that left me teary eyes. As a side not during this Meiko retirement run she came to London to have a match against Rhio in PROGRESS no one remembers but also attend a screening of the documentary ‘Gaea Girls.’ After the film ended had an Q&A with both Meiko and the films director Kim Longinotto. During the whole Q&A Meiko was just saying ‘Hey I also think this is all fucking crazy and its not like this anymore’ and i found that very amusing. “ ~ Padraig

“Meiko retired in April but she was almost certainly my wrestler of the year up until that point. In those 4 months Meiko gave us a series of VERY strong performances against Joshi’s past(singles match against Nanae Takahashi and tags against Mayumi Ozaki) present(giving Sareee one of her 5 best matches of the year in January and dropping the belt to Chihiro Hashimoto in one of my favorite matches of the year) and future(singles matches against Yuka Arai and Tomoka Inoba that were almost certainly the highlight of both wrestlers career up until today and tag matches featuring the likes of Senka, YUNA, and Manami). And then she capped her career off with an absolutely fantastic “never say die” performance against the team of her biggest career rival (Aja) and her star protege (Chihiro Hashimoto)” ~ Dokomoy

“The thing that sets Meiko apart from every retirement tour in recent memory (even Sting’s, which I’m sure is a contentious statement) is that she left the game as genuinely one of the very best wrestlers on the entire planet, with zero qualifiers. It’s only fitting that one of the most consistent wrestlers of the century goes out with her head held high like that.” ~ FUJIWARASMIRK

“Of all the retirement runs in recent years, this one has to be near the top. Rarely does one nail the feeling of going out at the peak of their powers, but Meiko managed to do so. She will be sorely missed. “ ~ Stevan S.

“In just 4 active months Meiko has a better resume that almost every other active wrestler this year. She took her last year as a wrestler and showed off why she’s considered one of the best of all time. Doing a small tour in the UK, visiting a bunch of japanese companies and always putting a memorable performance, be that against Sareee, Kenoh or Sakura Hirota. The majority of her work occured in her home promotion, and it was were she shined the most: a last hurrah as Sendai Girls Champion before putting over the next in command in Chihiro Hashimoto, matches against most of the roster and a retirement tag team match that tops my list for match of the year. Wrestling has not been the same since Meiko’s hung up her boots.” ~ xiomax

24. Ricochet (45 ballots, 2359 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 152
High Vote: Kelly S. (9)

Recommended Matches

• vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (NJPW, 1/5)
• vs. Swerve Strickland (AEW, ⅖)
• vs. Swerve Strickland (AEW, 3/9)
• vs. Katsuyori Shibata (AEW, 3/15)
• w/ Action Andretti, The Beast Mortos & Lio Rush vs. Kevin Knight, Mark BRiscoe, Mike Bailey & Will Ospreay (AEW, 4/9)
• vs. Mark Briscoe (AEW, 4/23)
• w/ Kazuchika Okada, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson vs. Kenny Omega, Kevin Knight, Mark Briscoe & Mike Bailey (AEW, 4/30)
• w/ Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson vs. Mark Briscoe, Mike Bailey & Swerve Strickland (AEW, 5/7)
• vs. Zach Gowen (AEW, 5/14)
• vs. Mark Briscoe (AEW, 5/25)
• vs. Hologram vs. Lio Rush vs. Mascara Dorada (AEW, 6/18)
• w/ AR Fox vs. Kevin Knight & Mike Bailey (AEW, 6/25)
• vs. AR Fox (AEW, 7/17)
• vs. Mark Briscoe (AEW, 7/30)
• vs. Shelton Benjamin (AEW, 9/10)
• w/ Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona vs. Bobby Lashley, MVP & Shelton Benjamin (AEW, 9/20)
• w/ Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona vs. Bobby Lashley, MVP & Shelton Benjamin (AEW, 10/7)
• w/ Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona vs. Bobby Lashley, MVP & BShelton Benjamin (AEW, 10/18)
• vs. Dalton Castle (ROH, 12/5)
• vs. Bandido (AEW, 12/20)

“It’s kind of funny that the likes of  Jim Cornette still insists Ricochet belongs in Cirque du Soleil, because he’s not even been subtle about changing himself from being that guy. Gone is most of the “future of flight” flashiness; what’s left is his athleticism paired with an aggression rarely seen before 2025. Proof that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.” ~ Nick Yeoman

“When you find out your GOAT still has it. Ricochet is back and better than ever. After years of middling work lost in the WWE midcard and a rocky start to his AEW career, Ricochet finally found a character that works for him. Something true to life, being an annoying guy. He perfectly blended this new heel persona with his high octane offense to produce great matches. The highlight of it all being his work with Mark Briscoe who he had perfect chemistry with. “ ~ Padraig

“A renaissance year achieved through vulnerability. Something that most heels in major promotions could learn from.” ~ Stevan S.

23. Yuya Uemura (41 ballots, 2460 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 64
High Vote: musashibo benkei (1)

Recommended Matches

• vs. YOSHI-HASHI (NJPW, 3/11)
• vs. David Finlay (NJPW, 3/15)
• vs. Yota Tsuji (NJPW, 5/4)
• vs. Oleg Boltin (NJPW, 7/19)
• vs. Taichi (NJPW, 7/20)
• vs. Yota Tsuji (NJPW, 7/22)
• vs. Callum Newman (NJPW, 7/25)
• vs. EVIL (NJPW, 7/27)
• vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW, 8/1)
• vs. Ryohei Oiwa (NJPW, 8/7)
• vs. David Finlay (NJPW, 8/10)
• w/ El Desperado, Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong vs. Action Andretti, Hechicero, Josh Alexander & Lio Rush (AEW, 8/24)
• w/ Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa & Shota Umino vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Taichi, Tomohiro Ishii & Zack Sabre Jr. (NJPW, 9/12)
• vs. Yuto-Ice (NJPW, 10/6)
• vs. Daiki Nagai (NJPW, 10/9)
• w/ Shota Umino vs. OSKAR & Yuto-Ice (NJPW, 10/13)
• w/ Shota Umino vs. Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. (NJPW, 11/25)
• w/ Shota Umino vs. Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan 9NJPW, 11/28)
• w/ Shota Umino vs. David Finlay & Hiromu Takahashi (NJPW, 12/3)
• w/ Shota Umino vs. OSKAR & Yuto-Ice (NJPW, 12/9)

“Maybe I was just late getting on board with Yuya, but for a long time he felt like a wrestler to admire rather than love. The matches were well structured, technically excellent—yet something was missing. Then, towards the end of the year, along came a chubby reprobate yelling “bumbleclart,” and suddenly the fire and grit were impossible to miss. Now he has the technique, the passion and the perfect rival. He should be leading New Japan” ~ Nick Yeoman

“Gedo look at me, look at me! This is your guy right here, this is your rock that you can use to rebuild this promotion back to what it was. While Umerua might not have it all together right now, he is the guy who is showing the sparks of potential to be New Japan’s next ace. Do not be tricked by Yota Tsuji! He is just a mirage distracting you from Uemura. His team with Shota Umino is making Shota not look like a loss cause, he’s had one of the better G1 runs this year and his rivalry with Yuto-Ice is already producing great matches. Buy Uemura stocks now and you will end up very very wealthy.” ~ Padraig

“Babyface of a generation. Built perfectly on the foundation that he laid with his 2024 G1 campaign, proving himself to be if not the best worker in the company, then quickly knocking at the door. There are few wrestlers anywhere in the world I’m more invested in right now than Yuya Uemura, and even if his push doesn’t match his talent yet, I’m certain that sooner or later he’ll make himself undeniable like the New Japan greats of yesteryear all did.” ~ FUJIWARA

“it is not hyperbole to say uemura will remain at the very top of any wrestler of the year list until his career ends. the armdrag hails back to ricky steamboat, his understanding of match structure and gaining sympathy from an audience displays tactical awareness on the lines of takeda shingen (in terms of studying the terrain) and uesugi kenshin (in terms of when to push an attack)” ~ musashibo benkei

“Honestly shocked he’s not higher. It’s so difficult for someone in current New Japan, especially a younger talent, to just get everyone on board and say, ‘Yeah, this is the guy.’ Bushiroad’s strongest warriors and biggest detractors basically all agree that Yuya Uemura is the future of the promotion. Brilliant in the New Japan Cup, the G1 and the World Tag League. Maybe cracks top 15 if he’s around during Wrestle Kingdom.” ~ chris

“Best wrestler in the world? Probably, but he’s no Uncle Money.” ~ Sol

22. Toni Storm (46 ballots, 2535 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 103
High Vote: Monch (1)

Recommended Matches

• vs. Mariah May (AEW, 2/15)
• vs. Mariah May (AEW, 3/9)
• vs. Megan Bayne (AEW, 4/6)
• vs. Queen Aminata (AEW, 4/23)
• vs. Miyu Yamashita (AEW, 4/30)
• vs. AZM vs. Mina Shirakawa vs. Skye Blue (AEW, 5/14)
• vs. Mina Shirakawa (AEW, 5/25)
• vs. Mercedes Mone (AEW, 7/12)
• w/ Alex Windsor vs. Athena & Billie Starkz (AEW, 7/30)
• w/ Alex Windsor vs. Athena & Mercedes Mone (AEW, 8/20)
• vs. Athena (AEW, 8/24)
• w/ Harley Cameron, Kris Statlander & Mina Shirakawa vs. Julia Hart, Megan Bayne, Skye Blue & Thekla (AEW, 9/6)
• vs. Skye Blue (AEW, 9/10)
• vs. Jamie Hayter vs. Kris Statlander vs. Thekla (AEW, 9/20)
• vs. Kris Statlander (AEW, 10/18)
• w/ Harley Cameron, Jamie Hayter, Kris Statlander, Mina Shirakawa & Willow Nightingale vs. Julia Hart, Marina Shafir, Megan Bayne, Mercedes Mone, Skye Blue & Thekla (AEW, 11/12)
• w/ Mina Shirakwa vs. Alex Windsor & Riho (AEW, 11/19)
• w/ Mina Shirakawa vs. Harley Cameron & Willow Nightingale (AEW, 12/10)
• w/ Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy & Roderick Strong vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, Marina Shafir & Wheeler Yuta (AEW, 12/27)
• w/ Orange Cassidy & Roderick Strong vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia & Marina Shafir (AEW, 12/31)

“Toni’s year will mostly be remembered for the ‘Hollywood Ending,’ a match that perfectly blended elements of camp, romance and most importantly gushing up blood. The Hollywood Ending did something I didn’t know was possible. It took these long winded ‘cinematic’’ storylines that have become a plague on modern wrestling and concluded it with a match that tied it all together perfectly. Outside of that Toni had a great year even when she wasn’t holding the belt. She is the star the whole AEW women’s division is built around.” ~ Padraig

“A wrestler with true gravity. The work with Mariah May, Megan Bane, Mercedes and Statlander speaks for itself. But for her to still shine through the times she’s in multi-woman tag purgatory and four-way title defenses and cutting silly innuendo promos every week speaks to her level as a worker. One of the most important wrestlers in AEW’s bounce-back year.” ~ chris

21. Claudio Castagnoli (45 ballots, 2676 points)
Last Year’s Rank: 21
High Vote: JML, Andrew Lacelle (4)

Recommended Matches

• w/ Jon Moxley vs. Cope & Jay White (AEW, 2/15)
• w/ PAC & Wheeler Yuta vs. AR Fox, Dante Martin & Darius Martin (AEW, 3/19)
• w/ Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta vs. Katsuyori Shibata, Powerhouse Hobbs & Samoa Joe (AEW, 4/16)
• w/ Jon Moxley, Marina Shafir, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson & Wheeler Yuta vs. Katsuyori Shibata, Kenny Omega, Powerhouse Hobbs, Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland & Willow Nightingale (AEW, 5/25)
• vs. Komander (AEW, 5/28)
• vs. Mark Briscoe (AEW, 7/23)
• w/ Gabe Kidd, Jon Moxley, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson vs. Darby Allin, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi & Will Ospreay (AEW, 8/24)
• vs. Darby Allin (AEW, 8/27)
• w/ Daniel Garcia & Jon Moxley vs. Kyle O’Reilly, Matt Menard & Roderick Strong (AEW, 9/27)
• vs. Roderick Strong (AEW, 10/15)
• vs. Orange Cassidy (AEW, 11/5)
• w/ Daniel Garcia, Jon MOxley, PAC & Wheeler Yuta vs. Darby Allin, Kyle O’Reilly, Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy & Roderick Strong (AEW, 11/12)
• vs. Gran Guerrero (CMLL, 11/28)
• w/ Daniel Garcia & Wheeler Yuta vs. Difunto, Esfinge & Ultimo Guerrero (CMLL, 11/29)
• vs. Jon Moxley (AEW, 12/3)
• vs. Mascara Dorada (AEW, 12/6)
• vs. Konosuke Takeshita (AEW, 12/13)
• vs. Ultimo Guerrero (CMLL, 12/19)
• vs. Roderick Strong (AEW, 12/21)
• w/ Daniel Garcia, Marina Shafir & Wheeler Yuta vs. Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong & Toni Storm (AEW, 12/27)

“Captain consistency Claudio Castagnoli can’t cease creating captivating combat. Say that five times fast. When was the last time you saw a bad Claudio performance? Bet it was a while ago. Give Claudio any opponent in any situation and he’ll make it work. One of the best TV workers going.” ~ Padraig

“There truly isn’t a more consistent worker in the world than Claudio Castagnoli. In fact, I think it’s a damning indictment on any worker that does lackluster work opposite him in AEW…and I’m thinking of a few workers that made this list when I say that.” ~ FUJIWARASMIRK

“Wild to think he is still underappreciated (outside of this bubble). Death Riders Derangement had people calling Claudio “mentally checked out” while he was beginning a stellar catalog of TV matches that would span the entire year. It’s redundant to talk about his consistency, but never once did I find him out of place.  “ ~ Stevan S.