10 Best Non-WWE Wrestlers Of 2017

8. Will Ospreay

Kazuchika Okada Kenny Omega
NJPW1972.com

Staunch wrestling traditionalists with their feet stuck in cement will never warm to Will Ospreay's style, but that's their loss. Yes, the young English is a human highlight reel, but to call him (and others of his ilk) a 'spot monkey' is misguided at best, and knowingly ignorant at worst.

The English flier is about to conclude the most impressive in-ring year of his career. This is no small feat, as the former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion has never been anything less than spectacular, but he has taken his game to a new level in 2017, engaging in classic bouts all across the globe.

His clashes with Ricochet and KUSHIDA stand as the most notable. While previous bouts against the former drew an exorbitant amount of criticism, the duo slowed things down in this year's BOSJ, showcasing their versatility by delivering a flawless rendition of the slow, methodical NJPW main event style. Ospreay and KUSHIDA killed it in the Best Of The Super Juniors final, too, with their bout drawing a five-star rating from Dave Meltzer.

Ospreay's New Japan booking is the one major slight against him, as he has never been presented as the guy for a prolonged period. Regardless, his in-ring offerings have been world class.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.