Tag Archives: Mia Yim

The Greatest Wrestlers of 2015

In route to putting 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 put together a list for 1985, 1990, and 1997. You can listen to those here. 1993, 2004, & 2010 are on the blog.

2015

Personally, an important year for my fandom, as it was the year I embraced women’s wrestling. This year started me down a path to where I am now in what I get out of wrestling. Watching the footage now, it is a great year too. NXT gave WWE a new edge and the Indies were running high. Lucha Libre was at a great level too. Joshi was starting to come out of death but was filled with great workers. 2015 turned out to be a great year.

Process

I have a master list of everyone I have considered for each of these top 25 lists and how many matches they worked on each year. I see who worked in 2015 and start watching the footage. I take suggestions and look at other lists to see who needs to be explored.

After watching a ton of footage I start to make a list and cut anyone who either I can’t find 3 matches of their worth recommending or I don’t care to find that many. From there it’s a matter of finding an order that I feel comfortable with based on the quality of output, versatility, and whatever qualities make a great wrestler.

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.

The matches listed are all 7/10 or higher; if they are bolded, they are 8/10 or higher.

Honourable Mentions

  • Amazing Kong
  • Jimmy Rave
  • Kamaitachi
  • Kaori Yoneyama
  • Kofi Kingston
  • Nikki Bella

#25
Mia Yim
aka Jade

Matches: 50
Places Worked: SHIMMER, TNA, SHINE, AIW, WWN, WSU, Stardom, CZW, HOH, SWE, AAW, EWO, & FIP
Title Held: SHINE Championship
Tournaments: SHIMMER ChickFight Tournament (semi-finals) & SHINE Tag Team Title Tournament with Leva Bates (finals)

Although Mia Yim was great in the Indies and particularly in SHIMMER, it was her TNA work that got her onto the list. The Doll House was not given opportunities to have great matches, but Yim was amazing in the chances she got.

Recommended Matches:

  • vs Athena, SHIMMER Volume 71, March 28
  • vs Athena, SHIMMER Volume 72, April 11
  • vs Eddie Kingston, AIW Battle of the Sexes 2, August 14

#24
Kagetsu

Matches: 81
Places Worked: Oz Academy, FMW, BJW, JWP, WAVE, Osaka Joshi-Pro, REINA, Stardom, KAGEKI, FREEDOMS, Gatoh Move, Diana, Sportiva, & Kirakira Taiyo Project
Titles Held: Oz Academy Tag Team Championship with Kaho Kobayashi (twice)

Kagetsu brought another element to the matches he was involved in. It’s like the intensity was automatically upped the moment he entered the ring.

Recommended Matches:

  • vs Tsubasa Kuragaki, Oz Academy The Wizard of Oz, January 11
  • with Kaho Kobayashi vs Kana & Konami, Oz Academy/WAVE ZABUN Joint Event, May 10
  • with Leon vs Command Bolshoi & Sawako Shinomo, JWP, October 20

#23
Athena
aka Adrienne Reese

Matches: 52
Places Worked: WWE, AIW, MPX, IPW, WSU, ACW, SHIMMER, SHINE, WWN, ROW, AAW, IHWE, Remix Pro, & VIP
Titles Held: AIW Women’s Championship (twice) & ACW American Joshi Championship
Tournaments: SHIMMER ChickFight Tournament, WSU Spirit Title Tournament (semi-finals), & AIW JT Lightning Invitational Tournament

Athena worked so well in 2015, she got herself a WWE contract by the end of it. She had a subtle heel situation going on in SHIMMER which really played to her advantage.

Recommended Matches:

  • vs Mia Yim, SHIMMER Volume 71, March 28
  • vs Mia Him, SHIMMER Volume 72, April 11
  • vs Hania the Howling Huntress, Uncensored, WSU Excellence, September 12

#22
Dragon Lee

Matches: 114
Places Worked: CMLL, LLE, Promociones Tragedias, Lucha Memes, Chilanga Mask, Promociones El Cholo de Tijuana, & Cara Lucha
Title Held: CMLL World Lightweight Championship
Tournaments: CMLL Torneo De Parejas Increibles with Kamaitachi, CMLL Reyes del Aire, CMLL Leyenda de Plata (finals), & Campeon Universal Del CMLL 2015 Tournament

The Kamaitachi feud was a come-out party for Dragon Lee, but there is more to his great year than that. A tremendous flyer and técnico!

Recommended Matches:

  • vs Kamaitachi, CMLL Super Viernes, January 9
  • vs Virus, CMLL Titanes del Ring, April 5
  • vs Kamaitachi, CMLL Lunes Arena Puebla, July 13
  • vs Kamaitachi, CMLL Domingos Arena Mexico, August 30 (#9 MOTY)
  • vs Kamaitachi, CMLL Super Viernes, December 4

#21
John Cena

Previous Ranking: 2010 (#11)
Matches: 136
Places Worked: WWE
Titles Held: WWE United States Championship (twice)

After a pretty good feud with Rusev and winning the WWE US Title, John Cena reinvented himself into PWG Cena by doing open challenges for the United States Championship. Week in and week out Cena was trying to put on good matches no matter the opponent. Not the best year of Cena’s career, especially if you aren’t fond of his PWG offence, but he still upped his game when he needed to.

Recommended Matches:

  • vs Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins, WWE Royal Rumble, January 25
  • vs Rusev, WWE WrestleManix XXXI, March 29
  • vs Sami Zayn, WWE Raw, May 4
  • vs Kevin Owens, WWE Elimination Chamber, May 31

#20
Penatgon, Jr.

Matches: 76
Places Worked: AAA, Lucha Underground, The Crash, Producciones Sanchez, GoMask!, Invasion RCH, AAW, 3 Bat Productions, UWE, MaxProad, Producciones AGZA, Lucha Future, Promociones Kdna, Promociones Juniors, Fusion Ichiban, & Cara Lucha
Titles Held: The Crash Cruiserweight Championship, AAA World Tag Team Championship with Joe Lider, & AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship with Sexy Star
Tournaments: Lucha Underground Trios Title Tournament with Sexy Star & Super Fly & PWG The Battle of Los Angeles

Pentagon, Jr. was a revelation in Lucha Underground with his presence and intense style. The miracle match he pulled out of Vampiro is enough to get anyone onto a list like this.

Recommended Matches:

  • with Perro Aguayo, Jr. vs Myzteziz & Rey Mysterio, Jr., AAA Rey de Reyes, March 18 
  • vs Vampiro, “Cero Miedo”, Lucha Underground Ultimo Lucha, taped April 19 and aired August 5
  • vs Chris Hero, AAW Windy City Classic XI, November 28

#19
Arisa Nakajima

Matches: 97
Places Worked: JWP, Ice Ribbon, Oz Academy, REINA, BJW, SEAdLINNNING, Dotonbori Pro, Diana, Sendai Girls, FREEDOMS, Osaka Joshi-Pro, Marvelous, & Kirakira Taiyo Project
Titles Held: REINA World Tag Team Championship with Kana, JWP Openweight Championship, JWP Daily Sports Tag Team Championship with Tsukasa Fujimoto, JWP Tag Team Championship with Tsukasa Fujimoto, & International Ribbon Tag Team Championship with Tsukasa Fujitomo

Arisa Nakajima is a force in the ring with an extra level of viciousness. The Best Friends with Tsukasa Fujimoto is an all-time great time.

Recommended Matches:

  • with Kana vs Hikaru Shida & Syuri, KanaPro Promania, February 25
  • vs Risa Sera, Ice Ribbon New Ice Ribbon #675 ~ Ice In Wonderland, August 30
  • with Tsukasa Fujitomo vs Kayoko Haruyama & Tsubasa Kuragaki, JWP Recapture in Shinjuku, October 25

#18
LA Park

Previous Rankings: 2004 (#9) & 2010 (#5)
Matches: 57
Places Worked: FULL, Lucha Libre Boom, UWE, MDA, Promociones Kdna, Producciones Sanchez, AULL, IWRG, CMLL, FMLL, Promociones Contreras, LLE, LEGEND, MaxProad, Lucha Libre Profesional NET, El Club Producciones, Todo X El Todo, Cara Lucha, Evolucion, XWW, FSW, & Vamper Revolution
Title Held: XWW Universal Championship

The evil dancing skeleton had another tremendous year, although it was lacking in some great showcase matches. He worked a lot of places in 2015, bringing his chaotic madness with him wherever he went.

Recommended Matches:

  • with Volador, Jr. vs Dr. Wagner, Jr. & La Sombra, LLE All Elite Liga Elite, February 8
  • with El Hiijo de LA Park vs Mr. Niebla & Rush, Lucha Libre Boom, June 27
  • with Atlantis & Volador Jr. vs Dr. Wagner, Jr., Rush, & La Sombra, CMLL Super Viernes, August 28

#17
El Mesias
aka
Mil Muertes & Ricky Banderas

Matches: 43
Places Worked: AAA, Lucha Underground, WWL, The Crash, Promociones Kdna, Promociones Juniors, & Producciones Sanchez
Title Held: Lucha Underground Championship
Tournaments: AAA Rey de Reyes (finals) & AAA Victoria Lucha Libre World Cup with Angelico & Drew Galloway

El Mesias was always a cool badass monster brawler, but his stock rose to another level under the Mil Muertes gimmick in Lucha Underground. His aura was something else and his performances were perfect in that role.

Recommended Matches:

  • vs Fenix, “Grave Consequences”, Lucha Underground, taped January 25 and aired March 18 (#5 MOTY)
  • Aero Star vs Psycho Clown vs El Texano, Jr., AAA Rey de Reyes, March 18
  • vs Drago, Lucha Underground, taped March 22 aired June 24

#16
Becky Lynch

Matches: 131
Places Worked: WWE

The first of the Horsewomen to appear on the list, Becky Lynch was limited by having few opportunities, but did deliver when given the chance.

Recommended Matches:

  • Bayley vs Charlotte vs Sasha Banks, NXT TakeOver: Rival, February 11
  • vs Sasha Banks, NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable, May 20 (#3 MOTY)
  • vs Sasha Banks, WWE TLC, December 13

#15
Big E

Matches: 183
Place Worked: WWE
Titles Held: WWE Tag Team Championship with Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods & WWE Raw Tag Team Championship with Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods
Tournament: WWE Royal Rumble

The New Day was fantastic throughout the year and Big E was a huge part of that. He had an amazing knack for knowing when to interject a huge spot and that helped make all of the tag matches memorable.

Recommended Matches:

  • with Kofi Kingston vs Cesaro & Tyson Kidd, WWE Extreme Rules, April 26
  • with Kofi Kingston vs Cesaro & Tyson Kidd, “2/3 Falls”, WWE Payback, May 17 (#6 MOTY)
  • with Kofi Kingston vs Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso vs Kalisto & Sin Cara, “Ladder”, WWE TLC, December 13

#14
Atlantis

Matches: 173
Places Worked: CMLL, NJPW, LLE, FULL, MDA, Toryumon Mexico, Lucha Memes,
Promociones Kdna, LyC, ERLL, PWR, LLA, Producciones Sanchez, MaxProad, Cara Lucha, Lucha Libre Boom, Promociones HUMO, & FMLL
Titles Held: Mexican National Trios Championship with Delta & Guerrero Maya Jr., Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship, Azteca Championship, & WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship
Tournaments: NJPW Fantastica Mania Tag Tournament with Mascara Dorada (winner), CMLL Torneo De Parejas Increibles with Ultimo Guerrero (semi-finals), NWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Title Tournament (semi-finals), & Campeon Universal Del CMLL Tournament (winner)

The legendary Atlantis finally makes a list, because ultimately there was the right amount of showcase matches and footage. Any year he has a big Anniversario Mask match he’s had a good year.

Recommended Matches:

  • vs Ultimo Guerrero, NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania, January 18
  • with LA Park, & Volador, Jr. vs Dr. Wagner Jr., Rush, & La Sombra, CMLL Super Viernes, August 28
  • vs La Sombra, “Mascara vs Mascara”, CMLL Anniversario, September 18 (#8 MOTY)

#13
Cesaro

Previous Ranking: 2010 (#16)
Matches: 187
Places Worked: WWE
Title Held: WWE Tag Team Championship with Tyson Kidd
Tournaments: WWE Royal Rumble & WWE World Heavyweight Title Tournament

Cesaro spent the majority of hte year teaming with Tyson Kidd and they were a tremendous team. After Kidd’s retirement, Cesaro continued being his awesome self.

Recommended Matches:

  • with Tyson Kidd vs Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso, WWE Fast Lane, February 22
  • with Tyson Kidd vs Big E & Kofi Kingston, WWE Extreme Rules, April 26
  • with Tyson Kidd vs Big E & Kofi Kingston, “2/3 Falls”, WWE Payback, May 17 (#6 MOTY)
  • vs Kevin Owens, WWE SummerSlam, August 23

#12
Mayu Iwatani

Previous Rankings: 2021 (#10)
Matches: 68
Places Worked: Stardom, Sendai Girls, & Toryumon Mexico
Titles Held: Artist of Stardom with Io Shirai & Takuma Iroha & Goddesses of Stardom with Io Shirai
Tournaments: Stardom Cinderella Champions Fiesta (winner), Stardom 5Star Grand Prix (semi-finals), & Goddesses of Stardom Tag League with Io Shirai (winner)

The first of the Stardom workers to make the list. By 2015, Mayu is already the loveable wrestler we all know.

Recommended Matches:

  • vs Kairi Hojo, Stardom Gold May, May 14
  • vs Io Shirai, Stardom 5Star Grand Prix, August 23
  • with Hiromi Mimura, Io Shirai, Kairi Hojo, Kris Wolf, & Momo Watanabe vs Cassandra Miyagi, Chihiro Hashimoto, DASH Chisako, Meiko Satomura, Mika Iwata, & Sendai Sachiko, “Gauntlet”, Sendai Girls vs Stardom, November 12

#11
Chris Hero

Previous Rankings: 2004 (#17) & 2010 (#1)
Matches: 119
Places Worked: NOAH, SMASH, PWG, WWN, Beyond, IWA Mid-South, AAW, HOH, ESW, SWE, 2CW, IWF, AIW, WrestleJam, QPW, APW, Freelance, PWL, PWP, PWC, Discovery, JCW, FIP, ICW, RPW, JAPW, Vintage, FWE, SSW, & RPW
Tournaments: IWF World Title Tournament (finals), NOAH Global Tag League with Colt Cabana (semi-finals), PWG The Battle of Los Angeles (finals), NOAH Global League, & IWA Mid-South Ted Petty Invitational (finals)

The king of the indies, Hero had another great year working all over the world.

Recommended Matches:

  • vs Chris Hero, EVOLVE 40, March 27
  • vs Samoa Joe, SMASH Kicks ALS, June 6
  • vs Pentagon, Jr., AAW Windy City Classic XI, November 28
  • vs Donovan Dijack, Beyond Tournament for Tomorrow, November 29

#10
Kana
aka
Asuka

Previous Ranking: 20210 (#3)
Matches: 96
Places Worked: WAVE, WWE, REINA, JWP, Osaka Joshi-Pro, Oz Academy, Ice Ribbon, NOAH, & DDT
Titles Held: REINA World Tag Team Championship with Arisa Nakajima & REINA World Women’s Championship
Tournament: Catch the WAVE (semi-finals)

The last year of Kana on the joshi scene and she made the most of it working all over the place facing everyone. She followed that up by going to NXT and instantly feeling like the most special wrestler there.

Recommended Matches:

  • with Arisa Nakajima vs Hikaru Shida & Syuri, Kana Pro Promania, February 25
  • with Konami vs Command Bolshoi & Meiko Satomura, JWP MANIA-X, April 5
  • vs Hikaru Shida, Oz Academy/WAVE ZABUN Joint Event, May 10
  • with Konami vs Kagestu & Kaho Kobayashi, Oz Academy/WAVE ZABUN Joint Event, May 10
  • vs Emma, NXT TakeOver: London, December 16

#9
Command Bolshoi

Previous Rankings: 2004 (#19) & 2010 (#14)
Matches: 81
Places Worked: JWP, Oz Academy, Diana, REINA, Marvelous, Dotonbori Pro, Sendai Girls, Gatoh Move, FMW, & BJW
Title Held: JWP Openweight Championship
Tournaments: JWP Tag Leauge The Best with Kyoko Kimura

I’ve written much about Bolshoi over the last year, even here on this blog. She was her regular great technician, great comedian, and great flyer self in 2015.

Recommended Matches:

  • with Meiko Satomura vs Kana & Konami, JWP MANIA-X, April 5
  • with Sawako Shimono vs Kagetsu & Leon, JWP, October 20
  • vs Leon, JWP, October 25

#8
Rush

Matches: 103
Places Worked: CMLL, LLE, Cara Lucha, Producciones Sanchez, Lucha Libre Boom, FULL, MDA, PROLLM, LLA, Promociones Tragedias, Evoucion, Lucha Libre VIP, & Promociones Kdna
Tournaments: CMLL Torneo De Parejas Increibles with Shocker

A rudo Rush is always a site to see. No matter the opponent he brought a brawling style to CMLL that they vastly need sometimes.

Recommended Matches:

  • with Mr. Niebla vs El Hiijo de LA Park & LA Park, Lucha Libre Boom, June 27
  • with Dr. Wagner, Jr. & La Sombra vs Atlantis, LA Park, & Volador, Jr., CMLL Super Viernes, August 28
  • vs La Sombra, CMLL Super Viernes, November 13

#7
Io Shirai

Matches: 72
Places Worked: Stardom, Sendai Girls, DDT, Toryumon Mexico, & Ice Ribbon
Titles Held: Stardom High Speed Championship, Artist of Stardom with Mayu Iwatani & Takuma Iroha, Wonder of Stardom, & Goddesses of Stardom with Mayu Iwatani
Tournaments: World of Stardom Title Tournament (finals), Stardom Cinderella Champions Fiesta (semi-finals), Stardom 5Star Grand Prix (semi-finals), & Goddesses of Stardom Tag League with Mayu Iwatani (winner)

The ace of Stardom, Io Shirai delivered in that role. Although her moves are quite modern, the way she works as a babyface or subtle heel depending on the opponents feels very old school.

Recommended Matches:

  • vs Kairi Hojo, Stardom The Highest, March 29
  • vs Mayu Iwatani, Stardom 5Star Grand Prix, August 23
  • vs Kaori Yoneyama, Stardom 5Star Grand Prix, September 4
  • with Hiromi Mimura, Kairi Hojo, Kris Wolf, Mayu Iwatani, & Momo Watanabe vs Cassandra Miyagi, Chihiro Hashimoto, DASH Chisako, Meiko Satomura, Mika Iwata, & Sendai Sachiko, “Gauntlet”, Sendai Girls vs Stardom, November 12
  • vs Meiko Satomura, Stardom Year-End Climax, December 23

#6
Bayley

Matches: 119
Places Worked: WWE
Title Held: NXT Women’s Championship

The feud with Sasha Banks is an all-time elite feud where Bayley showed she was an amazing babyface. In 2015 WWE it is hard to be a great babyface, but Bayley delivered.

Recommended Matches:

  • vs Becky Lynch vs Charlotte vs Sasha Banks, NXT TakeOver: Rival, February 11
  • vs Charlotte, NXT TV, taped July 16 aired August 5
  • vs Sasha Banks, NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, August 22 (#1 MOTY)
  • vs Sasha Banks, Iron Man, NXT TakeOver: Respect, October 7 (#4 MOTY)

#5
La Sombra

Matches: 119
Places Worked: CMLL, NJPW, LLE, Cara Lucha, AULL, Lucha Libre Boom, FULL, MDA, LLA, Promociones Tragedias, Evolucion, & Producciones Sanchez
Title Held: NWA World Historic Middleweight Championship
Tournaments: NJPW Fantastica Mania Tag Tournament with Tetsuya Naito, CMLL Torneo de Parejas Increibles with Negro Casas, NWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Title Tournament (finals), CMLL Reyes del Aire (winner)

The top luchador of 2015, La Sombra (the future Andrade) was pushed into a top role with CMLL and delivered. Him losing his mask to Atlantis at the Anniversario was a huge moment. He also had great highlights in Japan. His charisma is unreal, his ability to be a jerk is amazing, and he just knows exactly what to do in a lucha match.

Recommended Matches:

  • vs Mascara Dorada, NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania, January 19
  • with Dr. Wagner, Jr. vs LA Park & Volador Jr., LLE All Elite Liga Elite, February 8
  • with Dr. Wagner, Jr. & Rush vs Atlantis, LA Park, & Volador, Jr., CMLL Super Viernes, August 28
  • vs Atlantis, Mascara vs Mascara, CMLL Anniversario, September 18 (#8 MOTY)
  • vs Rush, CMLL Super Viernes, November 13

#4
Roman Reigns

Previous Ranking: 2021 (#7)
Matches: 213
Place Worked: WWE
Title Held: WWE World Heavyweight Championship (twice)
Tournaments: WWE Royal Rumble (winner) & WWE World Heavyweight Title Tournament (winner)

The breakout year for Roman Reigns, but a fascinating one. It felt like they wanted to make Reigns the ace of the company, but kept fucking it up all year. He really proved he could hang with anyone, but he had not found his true role quite yet.

Recommended Matches:

  • vs Bryan Danielson, WWE Fast Lane, February 11
  • vs Brock Lesnar, WWE WrestleMania XXXI, March 29 (#10 MOTY)
  • vs Dean Ambrose, WWE Survivor Series, November 22
  • vs Sheamus, “TLC”, WWE TLC, December 13

#3
Meiko Satomura

Previous Rankings: 2004 (#10) & 2010 (#6)
Matches: 46
Places Worked: Sendai Girls, Stardom, Marvelous, WAVE, Oz Academy, Tenryu Project, SEAdLINNNG, DDT, Diana, & JWP
Titles Held: World of Stardom & Sendai Girls World Championship

Meiko Satomura working with Stardom gave her a whole new crew to have amazing matches with. Picking up the role of the legend invading gave her year a lot of depth! As always she is a beast in the ring who feels like an unstoppable force.

Recommended Matches:

  • with Takako Inoue vs KAORU & Kyoko Kimura, Marvelous, February 8
  • with Command Bolshoi vs Kana & Konami, JWP MANIA-X, April 5
  • vs Kairi Hojo, Stardom Galaxy Stars, June 14 (#2 MOTY)
  • vs Kairi Hojo, Stardom X Stardom, July 26
  • with Cassandra Miyagi, Chihiro Hashimoto, DASH Chisako, Mika Iwata, & Sendai Sachiko vs Hiromi Mimura, Io Shirai, Kairi Hojo, Kris Wolf, Mayu Iwatani, & Momo Watanabe, “Gauntlet”, Sendai Girls vs Stardom, November 12
  • vs Io Shirai, Stardom Year-End Climax, December 23

#2
Kairi Hojo

Matches: 60
Places Worked: Stardom, Sendai Girls, & ZERO1
Titles Held: Goddesses of Stardom with Nane Takahashi, World of Stardom, & Artist of Stardom with Chelsea & Koguma
Tournaments: World of Stardom Title Tournament (winner), Stardom Cinderella Champions Fiesta (semi-finals), Stardom 5Star Grand Prix (winner), & Goddesses of Stardom Tag Leauge Haruka Kato (semi-finals)

Kairi Hojo is an incredible babyface she was unreal in that role in 2015. The undeserving champion who lost the belt to an outsider is a great story to ride out for the year. Her selling, her vicious strikes, her hope spots, and her charisma set her above almost every single wrestler in 2015.

Recommended Matches:

  • with Nanae Takahashi vs Hudson Envy & Kyoko Kimura, Stardom Queen’s Shout, February 22
  • vs Io Shirai, Stardom The Highest, March 29
  • vs Mayu Iwatani, Stardom Gold May, May 14
  • vs Meiko Satomura, Stardom Galaxy Stars, June 14 (#2 MOTY)
  • vs Takuma Iroha, Stardom Galaxy Stars, July 4
  • vs Meiko Satomura, Stardom X Stardom, July 26
  • with Hiromi Mimura, Io Shirai, Kris Wolf, Mayu Iwatani, & Momo Watanabe vs Cassandra Miyagi, Chihiro Hashimoto, DASH Chisako, Meiko Satomura, Mika Iwata, & Sendai Sachiko, “Gauntlet”, Sendai Girls vs Stardom, November 12

#1
Sasha Banks

Previous Ranking: 2021 (#12)
Matches: 151
Places Worked: WWE
Title Held: NXT Women’s Championship

2015 was the year of the women’s wrestling revolution and Sasha Banks was its catalyst. Personally, she changed the way I view pro wrestling. The delivery and big stage presence she had in big matches in 2015 are unmatched in WWE history. She was a star putting on all-time great matches at every opportunity. An all-time great year up there with some of the greatest in history.

Recommended Matches:

  • vs Bayley vs Becky Lynch vs Charlotte, NXT TakeOver: Rival, February 11
  • vs Charlotte, NXT, March 28
  • vs Becky Lynch, NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable, May 20 (#3 MOTY)
  • vs Bayley, NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, August 22 (#1 MOTY)
  • vs Bayley, Iron Man, NXT TakeOver: Respect, October 7 (#4 MOTY)
  • vs Becky Lynch, WWE TLC, December 13

If you want to discuss this you can do it on Twitter:

We also have a lovely discord community to discuss the greatest wrestler ever project. Also every Thursday/Sunday we do watch parties. Join:

https://t.co/0pOARzaXHD

Trans Rights!

It’s a horrible time to be trans right now, so please donate to the lovely folks here, who save lives:

Next, I tackle 1983 and 2022, so expect those to come soon.

Before I go, let’s look at my running top 10 for Greatest Wrestler Ever. This is based on my formula, which includes a weighted average for each of the years I ranked, among other things. Obviously, it favours those who were great in the particular years I ranked and after every list it changes massively.

  1. Akira Hokuto, 166.44 pts
  2. Bret Hart, 162.51 pts
  3. Bull Nakano, 152.30 pts
  4. El Hijo del Santo, 146.80 pts
  5. Aja Kong, 132.82 pts
  6. Meiko Satomura, 130.13 pts
  7. Manami Toyota, 129.22 pts
  8. Chris Hero, 126.95 pts
  9. Kyoko Inoue, 119.97 pts
  10. Sasha Banks, 116.67 pts