10 Best Non-WWE Wrestlers Of 2018 (So Far)
9. Cody
'The American Nightmare' isn't a top 10 wrestler on wrestling ability alone. He has improved greatly since leaving WWE, and had a particularly fantastic match with Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom 12, but it's the other aspects of his game that shine brightest.
Like Joey Janela and All In partners-in-crime The Young Bucks, Cody is an expert marketer who understands exactly how to present himself in order to generate buzz. The 1 September show's 30-minute sellout is largely down to him. Cody bet everything he had on himself when he left WWE: All In's success shows that it is paying off spectacularly, and with every passing month, 'The Nightmare' makes Vince McMahon look increasingly foolish for letting him walk.
On top of this, Cody has played an important role in New Japan's greatest modern storyline - the Bullet Club Civil war. His megalomania was the wedge between Kenny Omega and the rest of the group, and with the splintered stable seemingly pulled back together by 'The Cleaner's' IWGP Heavyweight Title shot and a Cow Palace headlining spot on the horizon, Cody's future is laced with intrigue.
The youngest Rhodes brother is objectively great at what he does. He is a shining example of what can be accomplished away from wrestling's biggest promotion, and deserves every drop of success.