Nominees

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Microstatistics: Up there with Darby Allin as one of the best post-2015 debutantes. At first glance, he seems like purely a mic guy with limited chops in the ring. Until you actually watch the big matches, which deliver in spades. He does well to combine old-school psychology with hyper-modern offense. Charismatic, particularly as the heel, though his unshakable kayfabe bit could be over-the-top. His commitment to long-term limb selling is also admirable, even if not everyone is going to be a fan of that particular style of selling I suspect. vs. Darby Allin (AEW, 11/13/2021) vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW, 3/5/2023) vs. Jay White (AEW, 11/18/2023)

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Richeyedwards said: "Someone primarily known as a deathmatch guy this student of jun kasai, while excellent at that has also had good runs as a straight laced jr heavyweight in both singles and tag in all japan from around 2015-2018. He also in more recent years gained some measure of notoriety among watchers of American indie wrestling where he took part in a couple of bloodsport shows, where he had the opportunity to show off his background of a 16-4 MMA record. His 2017/2018 is a truly exceptional one for a deathmatch wrestler where he held the BJW and Freedoms titles the two main deathmatch titles in Japan at the same time, was BJWs biggest draw, main eventing multipl…

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GOTNW said: "I'm reserving judgement on what caliber of a worker he was in a comparative and historical sense, but I can say he is an absolute lock for my list. If you like workers in the Choshu tradition (like Kensuke Sasaki, Ishii or the BJW strong guys), Tenryu and the W.A.R. style, Fit Finlay, or even older workers Johnny Valentine and Wahoo McDaniel, I think you absolutely owe it to yourself to check out his work and give him a shot. His tight style and brawling attract immediate attention, but he is a skilled matworker too. Plus, how can you dislike a wrestler who worked a gimmick based on how hard his head was?"

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Jetlag said: "Obscenely underrated worker who is like an almagation of all my favourite wrestling tropes. Hard headded, lithe agile grappler with innovative offense and a knack for cool moments. She has some impressive singles matches in many different promotions and I'm down to do a deeper dive into her work."

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highflyflow: Admittedly I'm not too familiar with her work pre-NXT, but she had great matches there with the likes of Asuka, then signed with AEW and became the centerpiece of Khan's ROH. She was one of the best wrestlers anywhere in the world last year; she was able to be a dominating heel, a sympathetic heel, a stooging heel, able to work straight matches, able to work plunder brawls, able to work long matches and absolutely killed it in squash matches. If she keeps up the pace she's been at, in 2026 I think her resume will undoubtedly be strong enough to merit consideration. vs. Mercedes Martinez (SHIMMER 3/17/12) as Ember Moon vs. Asuka (WWE 4/1/17) …

Grimmas: This is a candidate based on a very short run, but what a run. I had her as #2 WOTY for 2019 as almost a rookie. She only had a few years, but all those years she was elite. She is the best kicker in the history of wrestling, with such variety and speed. She was an amazing babyface and in such a short career had a great White Title run and an all-time feud with Tam Nakano vs Tam Nakano, Stardom on 2019-06-16 vs Jungle Kyona, Stardom on 2019-08-10 w/ Tam Nakano vs Jungle Kyona & Konami, Stardom on 2019-11-24

Grimmas: The ace of Stardom during the pandemic and someone who was great from their very first match. She's an amazing power wrestler, and although she is stoic, she rules in big matches. She also plays a great role in tag teams. Her series with Syuri are some of the best matches of the 2020s. Starting anew in Marigold after a few years of being downplayed in Stardom, she probably will get a lot more opportunities to add to her case now. vs Syuri, Stardom on 2021-12-29 vs Mayu Iwatani, Stardom on 2022-10-23 w/ Giulia vs Sareee & Bozila, Marigold on 2024-05-20

Microstatistics: Contender for best WWE/US women's wrestler. Very reliable worker who was effective both as a fighting, sympathetic underdog and a vicious, underhanded heel. Bought a lot of intensity and aggression to her matches, which was particularly impressive in an environment of sub-10 minute matches and cringy commentary. Even with the supposed revolution of 2014-15, the I Quit match vs. Beth Phoenix still might hold up as the best women's match in the history of the company. vs. Mickie James (WWE, 4/29/2007) vs. Beth Phoenix (WWE, 6/1/2008) vs. Michelle McCool (WWE, 7/26/2009)

GOTNW: Sonnenberg is someone who became one of my favourites almost instantaneously. Football player turned pro wrestler is a well known trope well alive to this day, and here is one of the first guys to have done it. Like many of his stylistic descendants, his special technique is something between a Running Tackle and a blast Double Leg. It's absolutely beautiful, I could watch him just tackle someone forever. But it's not just the execution. When you watch his matches, it's treated as a big deal - the threat of it is sold huge by his opponents, and the quick nature of it allows him to constantly threaten it, adding another dynamic of excitement to the matches. How…

highflyflow: It's always been somewhat baffling to me that Dax Harwood is nominated but not his tag partner, so I'll seek to rectify that now. Cash Wheeler has been a part of one of the most popular tag teams in the world over the last decade, and arguably THE best tag team over the same timespan. Wheeler admittedly hasn't gotten the same singles opportunities as Harwood, but he's consistently brung it in their tag team epics, and input wise I think he may be the best member of the unit over the past couple years. as Dash Wilder w/ Scott Dawson vs. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa (WWE 11/19/16) w/ Dax Harwood vs. Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe (ROH 4/1/…