20 Absolute Best Wrestlers In The World Right Now

20. Kazuchika Okada

Kazuchika Okada dropping as low as 20th would be unthinkable in other years. A first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and genuine Greatest of All Time candidate at just 33 years old, he is a mesmerising professional wrestler whose big match record speaks for itself. When put in an important spot, Okada invariably delivers, and his ability to transcend potentially samey match layouts and formulae puts him in the same pantheon as Ric Flair. A lesser performer would bomb.

Current form is what prevents Okada from placing higher. His heart-in-mouth Wrestle Kingdom 15 epic with Will Ospreay aside, Little Kazu has been tasked with playing a secondary role for much of the past year. He has played it well, admittedly, but his Money Clip run isn't what will land him in the Hall of Fame and isn't conducive to great output.

This is all by design. Similar to Kenny Omega's early AEW booking, Okada will soon break free of his storyline shackles and roar back to the top of the card, shooting him up lists like this. He isn't in decline; he's being booked underneath for a change, and that's fine.