10 Best Male Wrestlers of 2018
This article is based on my personal opinion. Please keep in mind that i currently do not have the time to watch all of the wrestling there is. This list will consider all of WWE's (including NXT's), WOS' and WXW's output and everything i was able to watch from Progress Wrestling, Defiant, ICW, New Japan, NWA, Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling. This does not guarantee their content will be included.
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10. Ilja Dragunov (WXW, PROGESS Wrestling)
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| Me with Dragunov at the WXW WTTL 2018 |
9. The Velveteen Dream (WWE NXT)
Already making waves in 2017, the Dream took the ball in 2018 and ran with it, ending his last major appearance at NXT Takeover: WarGames with a shot at the NXT Championship. After defeating Kassius Ohno, wrestling for the the NXT North American Championship in April and having great matches against the likes of Ricochet and EC3, Dream has showed everyone that he his here to stay and is well on his way to become one of the greats, despite still being very young. Watch out for the Dream next year, because (as his leggins once said) Vince might call him up. This guy has everything and might just become my favourite wrestler of all time in the future.
8. AJ Styles (WWE)
AJ Styles would have been my number one in 2017 probably. He is still one of the best wrestlers in the entire world. He has his peers, the fans and the WWE office behind him. He truely his phenomenal. Styles carried the WWE Championship for over one year, before it was Daniel Bryan who stopped him. Unfortunatley he suffered from lackluster Championship feuds and matches. AJ Styles was booked in fine, but never great matches. He mostly feuded with Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe (and now Daniel Bryan) this year, but he had his best match with Andrade Cien Almas on a SmackDown episode. I am sure that AJ take some steps back in 2019 to make room for others and to rest just a little bit after some strong years on top of New Japan and the WWE. Well deserved. Enjoy your retro video games, AJ. I am looking forward to see you strike back when you are ready.
7. Mustafa Ali (WWE)
Ali was flying under the radar a little bit for the most part of 2018, as WWE was 'hiding' him on 205live. But on that show, Ali became a star. His feud and match with Credric Alexander at WrestleMania still give me chills. His drive to push back in his storyline with Hideo Itami shook me and his awesome match with Buddy Murphy at this years Survivor Series made me demand more of him. Mustafa Ali is more than the heart of 205live, he worked really hard to imrpove and turn from Cruiserweight Classic filler into a massive star. Right now i believe that WWE is telling the story of Ali constantly loosing his big matches, but having the best wrestling fights of them all. I can see Ali finally winning the title next year, but 2018 has been the year of the rise of Ali and it has been a while that a wrestler put everyone on notice against all odds.
6. Aleister Black (WWE NXT)
The root of all evil lies within Aleister Black's deep and dark soul. But despite that he had got the right mindset. He wants to be the best and he is already one of them. A smooth and impactful moveset round up the great character that Black is. Black startet out 2018 by setting his sights on the NXT Title and eventually won it in April against Andrade Cien Almas.
After stopping Almas and chopping down Lars Sullivan, he lost his title by the hands of Johnny Gargano, who cost him the title and resutled in Tomasso Ciampa becoming the new champion. Shortly after that Black suffered an injury which kept him out for a couple of weeks, only to return to action in epcu fashion, because in storyline NXT span around an attack that caused this injury ti happen and nobody knew accept for Nikki Cross. When Cross finally revealed who it was, johnny Garango emerged and declared himself the attacker. In this epic piece of storytelling Black was the focal point and delviered on every level, closing out his NXT year by ripping Gargano apart at NXT Takeover WarGames. Black is set to become a megastar.
5. Pete Dunne (WWE NXT, WWE NXT UK)
Pete Dunne is the 2nd ever WWE United Kingdom Champion. His reign spans over 500 days, which in itself is incredilbe. Dunne has appeared on Progress, WXW, WWE, WWE NXT and WWE NXT UK over the span of one year. Mostly all of his matches were killers. Joined by fellow British Strong Style members Tyler Bate and Trent Seven he is an unstoppable force that everyone from Cruiserweight Champion, to NXT North American Champion, to the United Kingdom's best competitors failed to stop. I have never seen such a long and dominant path of destruction. This is a glimpse of what Bruno Sammartino's reign must have been liked all these years ago. Pete Dunne is a hero to the british wrestling scene and he had perfect year. With NXT Takeover United Kingdom approaching in 2019, will there be a stop to that gigantic title reign?
4. Tommaso Ciampa (WWE NXT)
The Blackheart Tommaso Ciampa has owned everyone in NXT in 2018. The best piece of character developmnent, acting and wrestling skill in WWE since 1997 when Kane arrived in WWE. His feud with Johnny Gargano will go down in history as one of the best told storylines of all time. At one point Ciampa was one of the most hated man in all of wrestling and it was supposed to be this way. Something like this doesn't happen that easy in 2018 anymore, but he managed to do it. In July he won the NXT Title from Aleister Black, winning is beloved 'Goldie', claiming he will never let it go. Ciampa is a guarantee for a great match and a great storyline. He has all the right to walk down the ile with the biggest confidence a man could have.
3. Drew McIntyre (WWE)
McIntyre is a sight. A week after WrestleMania he returned to WWE's Main Roster after a 4 year hiatus. Stronger, better and with one goal in mind: The WWE Universal Championship. On MondayNight RAW Drew McIntyre clearly outshines almost everyone. His presence doesn't go unnoticed by the like of Vince McMahon or WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle. In, whatis thought to be Angles final match ever, he outclassed the Olympic Hero and showed why he is the one everyone has to reckon with when it comes to the top spots at next year's feature events. This Scottish Psychopath can not be stopped. Not even by the hands of Braun Strowman or Brock Lesnar, i suppose. McIntyre has realised that this is second and final shot at glory and he will give everything he has and more to become one of the biggest WWE Superstars there has ever been. In 2018 Big Drew layed the groundwork for this and it was epic to see. He is so good, he made Dolph Ziggler relevant again. All hail the Chosen One.
2. Seth Rollins (WWE)
This will probably surprise many, but in my opinion Seth Rollins earned this spot big time. He holds WWE alive at this point. Every night the overdelivers and carrys the company on his damn back for the second time since 2015. I do not want to imagine a WWE Pay-Per View without him currently. The feeling is 'atleast we can hope for the Rollins match'. The current Intercontinental Champion is the workhorse in this thing and one of the very very few men who enjoys a decent run with credible booking. Right now hes feuding with former friend Dean Ambrose and what should be the main feud of the WWE, but it isn't. Despite that Seth Rollins is giving everything and all to entertain us fans. He's fighting. Constantly, every damn day. You can see it in his eyes. This man, despite many of his peers backstage and in the ring, has not given up. He pushed, scratches and claws to make this ship swim. I can only applaud so much will-power and have to reward it with the No.2 spot.
1. WALTER (WXW, PROGRESS Wrestling, OTT, PWG, EVOLVE, Defiant, RevPro)
He is the current reinging Defiant Internet Champion, OTT World Champion, PWG World Champion and Progress World Champion. He is the Ringgeneral and had the best year between every in-ring talent across the entire globe. He gotso big this year, WWE made him several offerings, he was all able to refuse until he finally signed an exclusive deal with NXT UK, which will start in 2019. With Timothy Thatcher and their team RINGKAMPF aswell as in singles competiton, the Austrian Machine has opened eyes everwhere. Hard work, dedication and extreme professionalism is what defines WALTER. His matches against Will Ospreay both at Defiant and OTT where absolute jaw-droppers. Ringkampf's Matches against the Lucha Bros at the WXW World Tag Team League and Ringkampfs Match against CCK at the Wrestling Media Con also exploded onto the scene this year.
My personal highlight is WALTER vs. Tyler Bate for the PROGRESS World Title at their HELLO WEMBLEY Show in September (Free to Watch: https://demandprogress.pivotshare.com/media/walter-vs-tyler-bate-progress-world-title/79601/feature). WALTER's year was incredible and he ended it big time by signing with WWE. But wait, Walter isn't done: Ringkampf have called their former member Marcel Barthel to join them in an epic match at WXW's 18th Anniversary on December 22nd when they are going to take on Tyler Bate, Trent Seven and WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne in what should be an incredible 6-Men Tag Team Match.
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| Meeting WALTER at the Wrestling Media Con |
Honorable Mentions/Watch out in 2019: Curt Hawkins, Drew Gulak, Ariyah Daivari, Andrade Cien Almas, The Miz, Johnny Gargano, Bobby Gunns, Timothy Thatcher
