Welcome to the VP2010s where voters submitted ballots of the best in-ring wrestlers of the 2010s. To learn more about the scoring and how the list came together go to the intro-post. If you would like to review the honorable mentions click the category. Without further ado, the list continues. Also want to thank Chris G for the recommended matches on this post

80. Blue Panther (7 ballots, 343 points, Average Rank 44.86)

High Voter: Ed (17)
Previous Rankings: 22 (2010), 5 (2011), 5 (2012), 7 (2013), 28 (2014)

Recommended Matches:
vs. Negro Casas (CMLL, 3/2/12)
w/ Mascara Dorada & Rey Cometa vs. Puma King, Sangre Azteca & Vangelis (CMLL, 9/28/12)
vs. Virus (CMLL, 5/12/13)
vs. Averno (CMLL, 9/13/13)
vs. Averno (CMLL, 12/9/13)
vs. Satanico (Cara Lucha, 7/25/15)
vs. Solar I (CMLL, 12/20/15)
w/ Negro Casas vs. Black Terry & Solar I (Elite, 2/28/16)
vs. Sam Adonis (CMLL, 8/4/17)
w/ Black Panther & Blue Panther Jr. vs. Misterioso Jr., Puma & Tiger (CMLL, 7/10/18)

If you’ve recently gotten into Lucha, you know Blue Panther is having an incredible run this decade. He was arguably even better in the 2010s. In big matches he puts on a masterclass in pacing and psychology. His apuestas match against Negro Casas is a contender for match of the decade. On the strength of that alone he belongs on the list. – Dan Rice

79. Daisuke Ikeda (9 ballots, 351 points, Average Rank 62.00)

High Voter: Squill (33)
Previous Rankings: 7 (2010), 15 (2011), 40 (2012)

Recommended Matches
w/ Brahman Kei & Brahman Shu vs. Hajime Moriyama, Manabu Suruga & Takeshi Ono (Fu-Ten, 4/24/10)
vs. Hajime Moriyama (Fu-Ten, 6/27/10)
w/ Takahiro Oba vs. Kengo Mashimo & Makoto Hashi (Fu-Ten, 10/24/10)
w/ Yuki Ishikawa vs. Kengo Mashimo & Makoto Hashi (Fu-Ten, 1/30/11)
w/ Super Tiger vs. Hideki Suzuki & Yuki Ishikawa (Battlarts, 2/27/11)
vs. Yuki Ishikawa (Batltarts, 11/5/11)
w/ Syuri vs. Kana & Kenichi Yamamoto (Kana Pro, 6/17/12)
w/ Mohammed Yone vs. Masato Tanaka & Takashi Sugiura (NOAH, 8/2/14)
vs. Keisuke Goto (GPS, 12/19/18)
w/ Alexander Otsuka vs. Mohammed Yone & Yuki Ishikawa (Ikeda 25th Anniverary, 4/7/19)

Nuts that Ikeda can be an all-time shoot-adjacent wrestler and a pretty darn good pro-style wrestler to boot. His NOAH stuff is wildly underrated. The narrative I always heard was it was hot trash, a travesty against Ikeda and won’t he’s capable of. And then I watched him and Yone against Dangaan Yankee in a series of matches and Ikeda is kicking 6-tons of ass. What were people smoking? – Sam

Few wrestlers embodied raw physicality in the 2010s like Daisuke Ikeda. The Battlarts legend continued to deliver some of the hardest-hitting matches of the decade, particularly in FUTEN. His clashes with Yuki Ishikawa were brutal epics, combining stiff strikes with intense grappling. Ikeda may have the best punches in the history of wrestling. That is not at all hyperbole. – Dan Rice

78. Samoa Joe (9 ballots, 358 points, Average Rank 55.67)

High Voter: jon (27)
Previous Rankings: 76 (2016), 27 (2017), 89 (2018)

Recommended Matches
vs. AJ Styles (TNA, 2/14/10)
vs. Kurt Angle (TNA, 7/8/12)
vs. Kaz Hayashi vs. Low Ki (TNA, 10/12/14)
vs. Chris Dickinson (Beyond, 5/31/15)
vs. Chris Hero (SMASH, 6/6/15)
vs. Finn Balor (WWE, 12/16/15)
vs. Sami Zayn (WWE, 1/27/16)
vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE, 11/19/16)
vs. Braun Strowman vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns (WWE, 8/20/17)
w/ Andrade Almas vs. Mustafa Ali & Rey Mysterio (WWE, 1/8/19)

A lot of people had largely written Joe off in the early 2010s, either because of physical decline or the toxic miasma that was Hogan and Bischoff TNA. But when the big man showed up in NXT, he made it clear that the reports of Samoa Joe’s demise had been greatly exaggerated. What’s especially worth noting is Joe’s promos, which reached a new level in WWE previously unseen on the indies or TNA. His highlight of the decade were his interactions and matches with Brock Lesnar, where his charisma and impeccable physical presence made him feel like one of the few wrestlers on the level of Lesnar. – EAMONN

The first half of Joe’s decade is more of what he brought to the table in the 2000s. He overachieved in every situation TNA put him in. The impressive thing for me though is the WWE/NXT run. I thought Joe would never get the opportunities to shine in that dreadful company, but I never should’ve doubted Joe. He has an aura and star power that can’t be stopped. – Dan Rice

77. Negro Navarro (6 ballots, 363 points, Average Rank 33.00)

High Voter: jon (6)
Previous Rankings: 5 (2010), 1 (2011), 10 (2012), 21 (2013), 42 (2014)

Recommended Matches
w/ Black Terry & Dr. Cerebro vs. Solar I, Suicida & Zatura (IWRG, 1/28/10)
vs. Keita Yano (Fuchu Pro, 11/20/11)
w/ Felino & Ultimo Guerrero vs. Atlantis, Blue Panther & Solar I (AULL, 1/14/12)
w/ Trauma II vs. Black Terry & Hechicero (Chilanga Mask, 10/25/14)
vs. Virus (indy, 11/15/14)
vs. Hechicero (Cara Lucha, 12/25/14)
w/ Black Terry vs. Hechicero & Virus (Lucha Memes, 3/26/17)
w/ Black Terry vs. Blue Panther Jr. & The Panther (CMLL, 4/11/17)
vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (Lucha Memes, 4/28/17)
vs. Daniel Makabe (3-2-1 Battle!, 8/24/18)

Navarro’s 2010s were another strong decade of great heel work. He and Solar would regularly put on their llaves classics, but then he would team with his kids and turn into a mean, cheating old pro proudly watching his kids follow in his nasty footsteps. A great run in an all-time great career. – jon

A living legend of lucha libre, Negro Navarro’s mat work ages like a fine wine. Navarro continued to have technical wrestling clinics all over the Mexican indie scene, especially with Solar and other maestros. His battles with his sons, Trauma I and Trauma II, as well as legends like Black Terry, showcased his expertise in brawling. Honestly wish there was room for everyone that wrestled in IWRG in the 2010s, but sadly there’s not so only the cream of the crop like Navarro make it. – Dan Rice

76. AR Fox (9 ballots, 373 points, Average Rank 54.00)

High Voter: chris gibbons (20)
Previous Rankings: 57 (2012), 84 (2014)

Recommended Matches
vs. Alex Colon vs. Andrew Everett vs. Shane Strickland (CZW, 9/14/13)
w/ Rich Swann & Ricochet vs. Kevin Steen, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (PWG, 12/20/13)
vs. Drew Gulak (CZW, 3/8/14)
vs. Shynron (Beyond, 3/1/15)
vs. Paul London (Beyond, 6/28/15)
vs. Killshot (LU, 6/25/16)
vs. Matt Tremont (Beyond, 7/31/16)
vs. Ace Romero (Limitless, 5/13/17)
vs. Darby Allin (Style Battle, 917/17)
vs. Keith Lee (EVOLVE, 2/17/18)

Where other flyers want to be the Harlem Globetrotters, AR Fox is Hakeem Olujawan. His bag of tricks isn’t filled with unnecessary garnish, but that ability to awe is not lost. Always came off as a 1B or at worst an actual 2 for promotions like Beyond, EVOLVE, and CZW. Others worked themselves up the card but Fox could never truly be supplanted. No brought what he could. – Sam

Straight up the most consistent high flyer on the indies for the entire decade. Argue with a wall. – chris gibbons

75. Sami Callihan (6 ballots, 377 points, Average Rank 40.83)

High Voter: Sam (2)
Previous Rankings: 44 (2010), 14 (2011), 11 (2012), 66 (2013), 16 (2016)

Recommended Matches
w/ Jon Moxley vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi (wXw, 3/7/10)
vs. Fit Finlay (EVOLVE, 7/26/11)
vs. Fit Finlay (EVOLVE, 4/13/12)
vs. Drake Younger (CZW, 5/5/12)
vs. AR Fox (EVOLVE, 5/11/12)
vs. El Generico (EVOLVE, 5/12/12)
vs. Drake Younger (PWG, 3/22/13)
vs. John Morrison (2CW, 4/19/13)
vs. Cage vs. Mil Muertes (LU, 6/26/16)
vs. Sami Callihan vs. Donovan Dijak (Beyond, 2/28/16)
vs. Low Ki (AAW, 3/17/17)

There are only two wrestlers I can think of that had all-time peaks going into WWE, being a mostly failure within the House of Paul, and coming back out just as good as ever. If you remove that NXT period, in which there isn’t much meat on the bones, not like he was this heavily booked guy who ended up stinking in the setting. It was mostly a nuttinburger. If you remove that though he’s in elite RMT (Random Match Theory ™) wrestler. You are either going to get something short and good or something that completely knocks your socks off. You might get a little too much spit in there but I am an accepting person and don’t kink shame. – Sam

The 2010s king of the indies. It feels like a fever dream looking at him now, but Sami was truly undeniable. He could and did main event any indie company in the United States. – Dan Rice

74. Isami Kodaka (6 ballots, 384 points, Average Rank 37.00)

High Voter: SolPosting (11)
Previous Rankings: –

Recommended Matches
vs. HARASHIMA vs. Kenny Omega (DDT, 8/17/14)
vs. HARASHIMA (3/21/16)
w/ Yuko Miyamoto vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi (BJW, 10/31/16)
vs. Kankuro Hoshino (BJW, 11/22/16)
vs. Masashi Takeda (BJW, 6/20/18)
vs. Akito (DDT, 8/3/18)
vs. G-Raver (GCW, 9/8/18)
vs. Masashi Takeda (4/14/19)
vs. Fuminori Abe (BASARA, 5/11/19)
vs. Yuko Miyamoto (BJW, 11/4/19)

Kodaka’s reputation as a high-profile deathmatch wrestler in the 2010s undersold his biggest strength. Following the Ogawa-esque trend of scrappy, undersized technicians, Kodaka closed the gulf formed by his lack of physical gifts with practical, understated grappling. He used this to significant effect not only in DDT against opponents like Akito and Daisuke Sasaki but even against BJW’s Strong Division titans as a way of contending with their imposing size. While able to offer moments of levity and humility even in his most brutal matches, Kodaka had just enough natural charisma to somehow pull off wearing a monkey tail in the ring without feeling too ridiculous. It’s no wonder Suda51 managed to put him on a t-shirt and make it work. – Sol

73. Darby Allin (10 ballots, 388 points, Average Rank 57.20)

High Voter: A. BASTARD (24)
Previous Rankings: 41 (2017), 29 (2018), 22 (2019)

Recommended Matches
vs. DUSTIN (EVOLVE, 10/16/16)
w/ AR Fox, Dave Crist & Sami Callihan vs. Dezmond Xavier, Jason Cade, Jason Kincaid & Sammy Guevara (FIP, 1/8/17)
vs. Ethan Page (EVOLVE, 3/31/17)
vs. AR Fox (Style Battle, 9/17/17)
vs. Joey Janela (SCI, 8/4/17)
vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (EVOLVE, 1/13/18)
vs. WALTER (EVOLVE, 6/23/18)
vs. PCO (BLP, 8/18/18)
vs. Fabian Aichner (EVOLVE, 1/18/19)
vs. Cody (AEW, 6/29/19)

Darby was the most can’t-miss new wrestler of the late decade. He had a unique presence as soon as he hit EVOLVE. His daredevil antics got all the Twitter attention, but the way he mastered matwork to support his insane bumps and dives quickly turned him from prospect to watch to straight up best in the world candidate. Who else has ever been able to get that level of match out of Ethan Page once, much less multiple times? – chris gibbons

72. GENTARO (4 ballots, 392 points, Average Rank 12.75)

High Voter: flae (1)
Previous Rankings: –

Recommended Matches
vs. Keita Yano (FREEDOMS, 4/4/10)
vs. Antonio Honda (DDT, 12/26/10)
vs. Kazuhiro Tamura (Mr. Gannosuke Produce, 3/31/11)
vs. SUSUMU (FREEDOMS, 6/25/14)
vs. Mr. Gannosuke (Mr. Gannosuke Produce, 11/18/14)
vs. Miedo Extremo (FREEDOMS, 11/17/16)
vs. Yuko Miyamoto (FREEDOMS, 3/23/17)
vs. Mr. Gannosuke (FREEDOMS, 4/12/18)
vs. TORU (VKF, 5/25/18)
vs. Masashi Takeda (FREEDOMS, 5/2/19)

GENTARO is one of the true students of the game. A grappler who wouldn’t let a stroke suffered in late 2012 prevent him from coming back stronger than ever just over a year later. GENTARO will pull ridiculous transitions in the undercard of a FREEDOMS show for the love of the game. He makes 2AW trainees look like TAKA Michinoku himself. One of the most beautifully unique wrestlers in the world. – chris gibbons

71. Fenix (8 ballots, 393 points, Average Rank 46.38)

High Voter: Henry/HeadCheese (5)
Previous Rankings: 74 (2012), 44 (2016), 42 (2017), 15 (2018), 11 (2019)

Recommended Matches
vs. Mil Muertes (LU, 1/25/15)
vs. Mil Muertes (LU, 11/22/15)
vs. Flamita (The Crash, 11/29/17)
vs. Barbaro Cavernario (CMLL, 6/29/18)
vs. Laredo Kid (MDA, 7/29/18)
w/ Diamante Azul & Penta El 0M vs. Caristico, Hijo de LA Park & LA Park (CMLL, 9/14/18)
vs. Aeroboy (GALLI, 9/23/18)
w/ Pentagon Jr. vs. Ortiz & Santana (TNA, 4/28/19)
vs. Kenny Omega (AAA, 10/19/19)

Maybe the most frustrating wrestler of the decade. The highs Fenix had in the decade in Lucha Underground were some of the best in the 2010s, especially the nasty, bloody brawls with Mil Muertes. However, Fenix spends a lot of the decade in a tag team with his brother, which is one of the biggest examples of a team being less than the sum of it’s part that I’ve ever seen. Fenix is a wrestler who has good firework matches, but he’s shown the capacity for greatness. – EAMONN