10 Best NJPW Wrestlers Of 2016
2. Kenny Omega
A year in wrestling rarely starts off with a greater statement of intent than dropping AJ Styles on his head and proclaiming that you are replacing him. This is what Kenny Omega did once Styles decided to finally make the transition to the WWE. It was a serious gamble as he was exclaiming to the wrestling world that he could surpass one of the greatest on the planet today, and before our very eyes he fulfilled that promise.
Moving into the heavyweight division and straight into a feud with Hiroshi Tanahashi was an obvious place to start, becoming IC Champion in the process. As serious as he was about proving his greatness he never shied away from entertaining the fans, competing alongside the Young Bucks in The ELITE and putting his body in serious jeopardy against Elgin in a ladder match.
The crown jewel of Omega's 2016 came in the form of a G1 tour filled with top-level performances against anyone from Yuji Nagata to Yoshi-Hashi, and then taking part in two matches in two days against Naito and Goto that showed his main-event stature in all its glory. Now he is on his way to a showdown with Okada at WK11 with the possibility of becoming the 'Gaijin ACE' after a breathtaking year of wrestling.