10 Best Sellers In Wrestling Today
Take note Seth Rollins...
Perhaps the most underappreciated aspect of being a professional wrestler is the ability to sell.
"Selling" in professional wrestling refers to the ability to make the action look realistic. This can be by reacting to something said in a promo or the damage that is taken during a match. It's a crucial aspect of a wrestling match that can often be overlooked for flashier elements.
In recent years, selling has become inconsequential in WWE. A particular example of WWE lacking the finesse to do selling properly comes in the form of Seth Rollins. During his run as Universal Champion, Rollins would often come out with taped ribs and not act like they hurt at all. This could be during his entrance or in the tedious Baron Corbin matches.
Promotions like New Japan and AEW often work selling into their storylines. Matt Jackson has seemingly been selling his back injuries for years and manages to incorporate these into his matches. Bryan Danielson also does this to perfection, selling his dead and neck during his matches which leaves the audience incredibly tense, knowing Danielson's history with neck injuries.
Selling is one of the most important aspects of wrestling, and there are some performers who just nail it...
10. Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano is arguably the most decorated superstar in NXT. He has won the NXT Championship, the NXT North American Championship and the NXT Tag Team Championships. He has had numerous five-star matches within the promotion and has cemented himself as one of the best wrestlers in the company.
The former NXT Champion utilises a lot of high spots within his matches, and this can often overshadow his ability to sell. Gargano is terrific at selling hard-hitting offense.
One of the best examples of this is in his TakeOver match with Andrade. Andrade hits Johnny with a Double Knee Strike against the ring post leaving Gargano in a dazed state. The way in which Gargano alters his breathing and his eyes to give that woozy effect is second to none.
The same happened during his match with Aleister Black at TakeOver: War Games. When Black connected with the first Black Mass, Gargano goes limp. His legs wobble and he collapses into the chest of Black. Gargano made the move look devastating and genuine, something that can be lacking in WWE.