10 Best Wrestlers Of 2018

The Best In The World At What They Do.

Seth Rollins Ic Title
WWE.com

It is once again a year of honourable mentions.

In WWE, AJ Styles held a top title for 371 days and offered select magic moments along the way. Samoa Joe was his best opponent, but was neglected by creative despite his ability to get anything over. Becky Lynch became 'The Man' as 2018 drew to a close, but her post-SummerSlam turn was almost entirely in response to the career in stasis that immediately preceded it.

Across multiple brands and the thriving UK independent scene, Pete Dunne contributed more than the booking of his dormant UK Championship deserved. NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa reframed what it is to be a contemporary heel in the modern age. Adam Cole is a Sports Entertainment megastar in waiting. Velveteen Dream is TWENTY-THREE YEARS OLD.

New Japan Pro Wrestling was lit up by invader-like heels Chris Jericho and Jay White. Tetsuya Naito recovered a flailing year in the G1 Climax, but lost too often elsewhere. Minoru Suzuki started and celebrated his 30th year in the industry in incredible fashion. Will Ospreay's selling still irked at times, though perhaps he was actually just feeling the pain he so often screamed out.

On the indies, WALTER continued to bruise and beat chests, whilst Joey Janela's grasp of selling people something they didn't even know they wanted made himself and others more money than they'd have once earned from less-polished nostalgia.

It was a very good year, and the above were all very good. But not the best...

10. Ronda Rousey

Seth Rollins Ic Title
WWE.com

The best real and kayfabe WWE rookie year since Kurt Angle's between 1999 and 2000, Ronda Rousey's ascent to the top of the Raw Women's Division has matched her rapid grasp of every necessary skill to believably carry the belt.

Her WrestleMania debut may have been expertly engineered by her partners and opponents to maximise her minutes, but Rousey herself was incandescent throughout, making "Moments" that didn't require the endless effort and exposition WWE ordinarily apply. Her array of punches caved in Triple H's chest, and simultaneously took millions of audience breaths away. Her emphatic arm-bar victory over Stephanie McMahon completed

Singles matches proved the debut was no well-choreographed fluke.

She gave Nia Jax her best singles match of the year, worked out the minimal kinks in her act with two stellar efforts against Alexa Bliss, and sold like she'd be doing it a decade in a hugely enjoyable Evolution pay-per-view main event against Nikki Bella.

A Survivor Series screamer against Charlotte Flair confirmed her status as a fiercely reliable all-rounder, which may sound like damning with faint praise but is genuinely remarkable considering her inexperience level. She sold 'The Queen's kicking like the pro she's quickly become, and the boos she received in the aftermath may expedite a heel turn that'll help her own 2019, too.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett