10 Most Improved Wrestlers On The Planet Today

The species most responsive to change.

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NJPW

Some wrestlers are just born great - and somehow improve upon that.

WCPW's own Kurt Angle is perhaps the most natural professional wrestler ever. He spent his entire former lifetime doing everything possible to avoid taking bumps, which makes his impossibly quick transition from the amateur ranks all the more awe-inspiring.

Others, like Dolph Ziggler now and X-Pac in 1999, seem to hit a ceiling and remain stagnant, wrestling the same matches and cutting the same promos ad nauseam. Some, like Eva Marie, are so beyond help that they're at their best when they no-show a booking or fail a p*ss test.

Conversely, the men and women on this list had to work incredibly hard - even by wrestling's insane standards - to get to the position they're in today.

Certain aspects of their game did not come as naturally to them. There is no damning these stars with faint praise here - their ability to improve in these areas is as impressive as the quickness with which Angle became one of the premier all-round performers in the history of the industry...

10. Big E

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wwe.com

In late 2012, when Big E debuted in WWE as Big E Langston, Dolph Ziggler's enforcer, he looked like the latest in an endless line of uncharismatic muscle men hired purely for his extraordinary physique.

His still-dubious Big Ending finisher, with which he struck John Cena, didn't assuage those doubts - despite his reasonably promising NXT output.

He quickly made strides in the personality department. His odd, old-timey wrasslin' ring announcer act during Dolph Ziggler's pre-match promo at Royal Rumble 2013 telegraphed the manic comedic stylings he'd soon hone to become one of the most charismatic wrestlers in the world today.

It look longer for him to develop his in-ring game, though; his premature Intercontinental run was plagued by matches that were either dishwater-dull (versus Curtis Axel) or exposed his inability to sell (versus Jack Swagger).

Like several greenhorns before him, he developed within the doubles division, undergoing a veritable transformation in the process.

When The New Day's DOA gimmick was resuscitated with their heel turn, Big E injected his personality into his in-ring performances by spanking his opponents during abdominal stretches. He also diversified his basic, power-oriented repertoire by adding the fearsome splash to the apron, earmarking him as a singles star in waiting.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!