To put together my top 100 list of the greatest wrestlers ever, I am going through each year and putting together a list for that particular year. Previously, on the podcast “Maybe Not Taue,” I compiled a list for 1985, 1990, 1997, & 2021. You can listen to those here. 1983, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015, 2019, & 2022 are on the blog.
2023
A weird year, but lots of great wrestlers, just maybe not many elite ones. I put together a list that I am satisfied with, though!
The List
All of the below stats are from Cagematch. Yes, they are not perfect.
The recommended matches are not a definitive list. It’s a list of matches I have watched for this process, plus matches on my spreadsheet from before. Each wrestler probably had more matches I could recommend, but I limited it to keep this cleaner.
The matches listed are all 7/10 or higher; if they are bolded, they are 8/10 or higher.
Honourable Mentions
I had to have 10 honourable mentions this year because there were so many at the cusp that needed shootouts. Sadly, a lot of these hurt were hurt by injuries or just a lack of televised matches.
- CM Punk
- KAIRI
- Mariah May
- Mercedes Mone’
- Momo Watanabe
- Nanae Takahashi
- Roman Reigns
- Starlight Kid
- Suzu Suzuki
- VENY
#25
Unagi Sayaka
(Dark Unagi & Ichigo Sayaka)
Previous Ranking: unranked
Years Unranked: 2019, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 101
Places Worked: Marvelous, GLEAT, ZERO1, Diana, SSPW, AJPW, GCW, JTO, West Coast Pro, Ganbare Pro, Sendai Girls, PWR, Sukeban, RCW, LLPW-X, COLOR’S, Kitsune, Prestige, & OSW
Title Won: Kitsune World Championship
Tournaments: Queen of Indies, SSPW Strong Style Women’s Tag Team Title Tournament w/ Dark Tiger, & ZERO1 Fire Festival
Sayaka has spent her time after leaving Stardom very well, traveling all over Japan and parts of America, and has become an even bigger star. She is always a highlight, and her star appeal makes every match feel important, even on the undercard of Marvelous.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Takumi Orha, Marvelous, May 3
- w/ Sareee vs KAIRI & Saori Anou, AJPW, September 8
- vs Masha Slamovich, GCW, October 10
#24
Miyu Yamashita
Previous Ranking: 2021 (14th) & 2022 (8th)
Years Unranked: 2015 & 2019
Matches: 91
Places Worked: TJPW, EVE, Prestige, SPARK Joshi, DREAMWAVE, LLL, DPW, CCW, ROH, Impact, MLW, DDT, OTT, Gatoh Move, Enjoy, SLA, Inspire, BLP, Ladies Night Out, Glory Pro, AIW, HOG, MAW, New Texas Pro, ROL, BCP, DEFY, West Coast Pro, REVOLVER, NJPW, NEW, & NOAH
Titles Won: TJPW Princess Tag Team Championship w/ Maki Itoh, CCW Network Championship, CCW Championship, SPARK Joshi World Championship, EVE Championship, & TJPW Princess of Princess Championship
Tournaments: TJPW Futari Wa Princess Max Heart Tournament w/ Maki Itoh (winner), TJPW Princess of The Decade, & TJPW Tokyo Princess Cup (winner)
One of the best aces in wrestling who always delivered when called upon. Her kicks and attitude help her stand out among many of the great Joshi wrestlers.
Recommended Matches:
- w/ Maki Itoh vs Mizuki & Yuka Sakazaki, TJPW, March 31
- vs Mizuki, TJPW, October 9
- w/ Mizuki, Rika Tatsumi, Shoko Nakajima, & Yuka Sakazaki vs Arisa Endo, Miu Watanabe, Moka Miyamoto, Suzume, & Yuki Arai, TJPW, December 1
#23
Bianca Belair
Previous Ranking: 2021 (9th) & 2022 (3rd)
Years Unranked: 2019
Matches: 64
Place Worked: WWE
Title Won: WWE Women’s Championship
We may have to start calling her Mr. WrestleMania, because she delivers every year. She was tremendous all year, but it felt like she didn’t have a long run of chances to prove she belonged in the upper half of the list.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Asuka, WWE, April 2
- vs IYO SKY, WWE, May 6
- vs Bayley, WWE, October 27
#22
Titan
Previous Ranking: none
Years Unranked: 2010, 2015, 2019, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 144
Places Worked: CMLL, NJPW, RevPro, & CWE
Tournaments: CMLL Torneo Incredible De Parejas w/ Dragon Rojo Jr., Campeon Universal Del CMLL, NJPW Best of the Super Junior 30 (finals), CMLL Torneo La Leyenda De Plata, NJPW Super Junior Tag League w/ BUSHI
He was always a really good luchador for me, putting together great matches when given the chance. He probably would have been ranked before if I had watched more Lucha.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Mistico, CMLL, June 16
- w/ Soberano Jr. vs Lince Dorada & Samuray del So, CMLL, September 16
- vs Mascara Dorada 2.0, CMLL, September 29 (#8 MOTY)
#21
Maki Itoh
Previous Ranking: 2021 (8th) & 2022 (17th)
Years Unranked: 2019
Matches: 83
Places Worked: TJPW, GCW, ROW, AEW, MLW, LLL, Hoodslam, DREAMWAVE, SPARK Joshi, DDT, NOAH, BLP, Mystery Wrestling, PWG, DEFY, Prestige, Smash, IWS, Pandemonium, & NEW
Title Won: TJPW Princess Tag Team Championships w/ Miyua Yamashita
Tournaments: TJPW Futari Wa Princess Max Heart Tournament w/ Miyu Yamashita (winners), TJPW Princess of The Decade, & TJPW Shinagawa Three Woman Festival w/ Haru Kazashiro and Runa Okubo
It was fun watching her take her unique style to America and become the star of GCW. Of course that didn’t stop her from being great in Japan as well. Her character is one of the best in the world today.
Recommended Matches:
- w/ Miyu Yamashita vs Mizuki & Yuka Sakazaki, TJPW, March 31
- vs Mizuki, TJPW, July 8
- vs Billie Starkz, GCW, July 14
#20
Jey Uso
Previous Ranking: 2022 (21st)
Years Unranked: 2010, 2015, 2019, & 2021
Matches: 73
Place Worked: WWE
Title Won: WWE Unified Tag Team Championships w/ Cody Rhodes
After a fantastic run with his brother and having to two ten matches of the year with him, he ventured into a very over singles act and even had a really good match with Seth Rollins.
Recommended Matches:
- w/ Jimmy Uso vs Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn, WWE, April 1 (#9 MOTY)
- w/ Jimmy Uso vs Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa, WWE, July 1 (#5 MOTY)
- vs Seth Rollins, WWE, December 4
#19
IYO SKY
Previous Ranking: 2015 (7th) & 2019 (16th)
Years Unranked: 2010, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 85
Place Worked: WWE
Title Won: WWE Women’s Championship
Tournaments: WWE Royal Rumble
Io Shirai being given the title and having big matches finally enabled her to live up to her actual skill level.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Becky Lynch, WWE, March 27
- vs Bianca Belair, WWE, May 6
- vs Asuka, WWE, September 22
#18
Sareee
Previous Ranking: 2019 (11th)
Years Unranked: 2015, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 25
Places Worked: SEAdLINNNG, Sendai Girls, Sukeban, Land’s End, AJPW, Diana, SSPW, & Evolution
Title Won: SEAdLINNNG Beyond The Sea Championship
Sareee’s return to Joshi after doing nothing in NXT for years was one of the year’s highlights. She worked around the indies, ran her own shows, and was always the highlight! With a more full year next year, she should be higher.
Recommended Matches:
- w/ Aja Kong vs Mika Iwata & Mio Momono, Hanak Kimura Memorial Produce, May 23
- vs Arisa Nakajima, SEAdLINNNG, August 25 (#6 MOTY)
- w/ Unagi Sayaka vs KAIRI & Saori Anou, AJPW, September 8
#17
AZM
Previous Ranking: 2021 (24th) & 2022 (11th)
Years Unranked: 2015 & 2019
Matches: 120
Places Worked: Stardom, GP MAX, & NJPW
Tournaments: Stardom Triangle Derby I w/ Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita, Stardom Cinderella Tournament, & Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
AZM seemed to venture higher than the High Speed level this year and had some big matches. She just keeps getting better and better each year, and who knows how high she’ll be when she hits her peak.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Hazuki vs Mercedes Mone’, NJPW, April 8
- w/ Queen’s Quest vs Oedi Tai, Stardom, June 25 (#4 MOTY)
- vs Utami Hayashishita, Stardom, August 15
#16
Mayu Iwatani
Previous Ranking: 2015 (12th), 2019 (5th), 2021 (10th), & 2022 (5th)
Years Unranked: none
Matches: 109
Places Worked: Stardom & NJPW
Title Won: IWGP Women’s Championship
Tournaments: Stardom Triangle Derby I w/ Hanan and Momo Kohgo, Stardom Cinderella Tournament, & Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
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.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Mercedes Mone’, Stardom, April 23
- vs Utami Hayashishita, Stardom, August 13
- vs AZM, Stardom, October 1
#15
Orange Cassidy
Previous Ranking: 2019 (12th)
Years Unranked: 2004, 2010, 2015, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 63
Places Worked: AEW, NJPW, & Mystery Wrestling
Title Won: AEW International Championship
Tournaments: AEW Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament w/ Darby Allin
Nobody plays their character like Orange Cassidy, and they are one of the true highlights of AEW. Someone I can watch any match of, and it will make me happy.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Wheeler Yuta, AEW, February 22
- vs Jeff Jarrett, AEW, March 15
- vs Swerve Strickland, AEW, June 7
#14
Mina Shirakawa
Previous Ranking: none
Years Unranked: 2019, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 126
Places Worked: Stardom & GP MAX
Titles Won: Wonder of Stardom Championship & Goddesses of Stardom Championship w/ Mariah May
Tournaments: Stardom Triangle Derby I w/ Mariah May and Xia Brookside, Stardom Cinderella Tournament, & Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
Near the end of 2022, Shirakawa started to really put it together, working the leg great and developing great match story telling skills. In early 2023, she continued that, and her Wonder of Stardom win was one of the best moments of the year. Sadly, she got injured and missed a bunch of time, which kept her outside the top ten.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Saya Kamitani, Stardom, April 23
- vs Natsupoi, Stardom, May 4
- vs Tam Nakano, May 27
#13
MIRAI
Previous Ranking: 2022 (19th)
Years Unranked: 2019 & 2021
Matches: 127
Place Worked: Stardom
Titles Won: Goddesses of Stardom Championship w/ Ami Sourei & Wonder of Stardom Championship
Tournaments: Stardom Triangle Derby I w/ Ami Sourei and Syrui (finals), Stardom Cinderella Tournament (winner), & Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix
She is slowly becoming one of my favourites and her Wonder of Stardom Championship run was really good. I love her lariats and the great arsenal she unleashes to try to end a match. She also has an undeniable charisma, which makes each of her matches have something extra.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Tam Nakano, Stardom, July 2
- vs Maika, Stardom, September 30
- vs Momo Watanabe, Stardom, October 9
#12
Bryan Danielson
Previous Ranking: 2004 (18th), 2010 (12th), 2019 (13th), & 2021 (18th)
Years Unranked: 2001, 2015, & 2022
Matches: 29
Places Worked: AEW, ROH, & NJPW
Tournaments: AEW Continental Classic
Some people will think this is crazy low for Danielson, but he is a guy who doesn’t really do it for me, even though I recognize he is really good. This place seems perfect for me.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Rush, AEW, February 8
- vs Ricky Starks, AEW, September 3
- vs Swerve Strickland, AEW, October 10
#11
Mio Momono
Previous Ranking: 2021 (19th)
Years Unranked: 2022
Matches: 66
Places Worked: Marvelous, Sendai Girls, West Coast Pro, SEAdLINNNG, Oz Academy, PWR, RCW, LLPW-X, DPW, Prestige, NOAH, Ganbare Pro, Ice Ribbon, & GPS
Title Won: AAAW Championship
Tournaments: Queen of Indies (finals)
The whole AAAW Championship run in Marvelous was absolutely great. She is one of the best underdog wrestlers in the world today!
Recommended Matches:
- vs Chihiro Hashimoto, Marvelous, March 15
- vs Chikayo Nagashima, Marvelous, May 3
- vs Mayumi Ozaki, Marvelous, August 7
#10
Mascara Dorada 2.0
(Panterita del Ring Jr.)
Previous Ranking: none
Years Unranked: 2021 & 2022
Matches: 141
Places Worked: CMLL, RevPro, Lucha Libre Radioactiva, MLW, NEW, NJPW, ANLL, GALLI, IWC, & The Wolf King
Title Won: World Historic Welterweight Championship
Tournaments: CMLL Rey Del Aire VIP, Campeon Universal Del CMLL, CMLL Copa Jr. VIP, CMLL Copa Dinastia w/ Pantereitta del Ring, & Torneo La Leyenda De Plata (winner)
This is the most excited I’ve been about a young wrestler in maybe a decade. Dorada wrestles way beyound his years. Not only is his flying at another level, but his psychology is great, and everything he does makes sense. He does the little things so well for someone only a few years into their career.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Titan, CMLL, September 29 (#8 MOTY)
- w/ Mistico y Titan vs Angel de Oro y Niebla Roja y Templario, CMLL, October 6
- vs Rocky Romero, CMLL, December 15
#9
Maika
Previous Ranking: 2021 (22nd)
Years Unranked: 2019 & 2022
Matches: 130
Place Worked: Stardom
Title Won: World of Stardom Championship
Tournaments: Stardom Triangle Derby I w/ Himeka and Lady C, Stardom Cinderella Tournament, & Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix (winner)
After a hot start of the year teaming and then helping to end her best friend Himeka’s career, Maika did kind of blend into the crowd until the 5STAR Grand Prix, where she really took off. Her run to the title was very satisfying.
Recommended Matches:
- w/ Himeka vs Nanae Takahashi & Yuu, Stardom, February 4
- vs Himeka, Stardom, April 23
- vs Suzu Suzuki, Stardom, September 30
#8
Sami Zayn
Previous Ranking: 2010 (9th), 2022 (15th)
Years Unranked: 2004, 2015, 2019, & 2021
Matches: 94
Place Worked: WWE
Title Won: WWE Unified Tag Team Championships w/ Kevin Owens
If they decided to give Zayn the title, like they should have, this could have been an even better year. However, they moved him into a tag team for most of the year. That said, he fucking delivered there, and it was great to see him back as the great babyface he is.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Roman Reigns, WWE, February 18
- w/ Kevin Owens vs The Usos, WWE, April 1 (#9 MOTY)
- w/ Kevin Owens vs Damian Priest & Finn Balor, WWE, September 2
#7
Tam Nakano
Previous Ranking: 2019 (10th), 2021 (4th), & 2022 (7th)
Years Unranked: none
Matches: 98
Places Worked: Stardom & NJPW
Titles Won: World of Stardom Championship & Wonder of Stardom Championship
Tournaments: Stardom Triangle Derby w/ Natsupoi and SAKI & Stardom Cinderella Tournament
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.
Recommended Matches:
- w/ Waka Tsukiyama vs KAIRI & Nana Takahashi, Stardom, March 25
- vs Giulia, Stardom, April 23 (#1 MOTY)
- vs Natsupoi, Stardom, September 30
#6
Becky Lynch
Previous Ranking: 2015 (16th) & 2019 (3rd)
Years Unranked: 2021 & 2022
Matches: 69
Place Worked: WWE
Titles Won: WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship w/ Lita & NXT Women’s Championship
Tournament: WWE Royal Rumble
Lynch was called upon to have a different year this year, but she really excelled in it. From working with the part-timer legend Trish to working with NXT, she ruled and put on great performances weekly.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Trish Stratus, WWE, September 2 (#7 MOTY)
- vs Tiffany Stratton, NXT, September 30
- vs Lyra Valkyria, NXT, October 24
#5
Athena
Previous Ranking: 2015 (23rd)
Years Unranked: 2010, 2019, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 55
Places Worked: ROH, AEW, MPX, REVOLVER, NJPW, & Prestige
Tournaments: AEW Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament
The ace of ROH had a great year dominating that company on their TV and occasional big events.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Willow Nightingale, ROH, February 25
- vs Kiera Hogan, ROH, June 17
- vs Mercedes Martinez, ROH, October 28
- vs Billie Starkz, ROH, December 15
#4
Giulia
Previous Ranking: 2021 (16th) & 2022 (1st)
Years Unranked: 2019
Matches: 127
Places Worked: Stardom & NJPW
Titles Won: Artist of Stardom Championship w/ Mai Sakurai and Thekla, & NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship
Tournament: Stardom Cinderella Tournament
In what looks like their final full year in Japan, Giulia started as World Champion but moved on to the NJPW title by the end of the year. They had some really high highs but always delivered even when they were pushed down the card.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Suzu Suzuki, Stardom, February 4
- vs Tam Nakano, Stardom, April 23 (#1 MOTY)
- vs Willow Nightingale, NJPW, July 5
- vs Megan Bayne, Stardom, December 29
#3
Swerve Strickland
Previous Ranking: unranked
Years Unranked: 2015, 2019, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 40
Places Worked: AEW, DEFY, Jericho Cruise, HOG, NJPW, & AAA
Tournaments: AEW Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament w/ Keith Lee & AEW Continental Classic
The best heel in wrestling had some of the greatest matches of the year. Playing into that role allowed Swerve to have the breakout year they have deserved for a long time now. It’s great to see when such a talent finally gets the spotlight. Here’s hoping they win the title in 2024.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Nick Wayne, DEFY, April 8 (#10 MOTY)
- vs Orange Cassidy, AEW, June 7
- vs Bryan Danielson, AEW, October 10
- vs Adam Page, AEW, November 18 (#2 MOTY)
- vs Jay White, AEW, November 29
#2
Mistico
Previous Ranking: unranked
Years Unranked: 2004, 2010, 2015, 2019, 2021, & 2022
Matches: 165
Places Worked: CMLL & Producciones TC
Tournaments: CMLL Rey Del Aire VIP, CMLL Torneo Incredible De Parejas w/ Averno (winners), Campeon Universal Del CMLL, CMLL Copa Jr. VIP, CMLL Copa Dinastia w/ Dr. Karonte (winners), & CMLL
Torneo La Leyenda De Plata
Mistico in CMLL in the mid to late 2000s was one of the best wrestlers in the world. Then he went to WWE and was missed, and his return to Mexico, mostly in AAA, made him feel like a huge deal but never an elite worker. However, here in 2023, Mistico looks not only like the biggest star in the world but one of the best workers. His connection to the crowd is a huge aspect of it, but he is smart in timing his spots, hope spots, and comebacks. He gathers so much sympathy and support in the ring. Watching him weekly just feels special.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Titan, CMLL, June 16
- vs Soberano Jr., CMLL, September 1
- vs Virus, CMLL, September 29
- vs Templario, CMLL, October 13
- w/ Atlantis Jr. & Star Jr. vs Andrade el Idolo & Angelo de Oro & Soberano Jr., CMLL, December 15
#1
Gunther
Previous Ranking: 2019 (17th) & 2022 (2nd)
Years Unranked: 2010, 2015, & 2021
Matches: 96
Place Worked: WWE
Tournament: WWE Royal Rumble
The best Intercontinental Champion in WWE, which is saying a lot for this worker’s title. He delivered in big matches, he delivered in TV matches, in tags, and in every situation he was in. Having the elite matches he had with The Miz and Chad Gable in 2023 would almost be enough to give him the nod, but his consistent ability to get great performances each and every match was unmatched.
Recommended Matches:
- vs Drew McIntyre & Sheamus, WWE, April 2
- vs Chad Gable, WWE, August 21
- vs Chad Gable, WWE, September 4 (#3 MOTY)
- vs Bronson Reed, WWE, October 16
- vs The Miz, WWE, December 18
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