10 Best Wrestlers In NJPW (Right Now)

For a while, it seemed like Hiroshi Tanahashi was going to start fading more into the background once he lost his status as top guy in New Japan. However, like Suzuki, the Ace is proving that age is just a number. At 41 years of age, Tanahashi may have lost a step physically due to mounting injuries, but that's merely another obstacle he's able to seamlessly leap past.

In contrast to the over-the-top styles of Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi, Tanahashi is able to get his matches over more by doing less. With an intense focus on body psychology and selling, Tanahashi's matches maintain simple, but effective stories that are logical, but emotionally enthralling at the same time. In that sense, he's very much New Japan's version of Bret Hart in the '90s. Go watch his match with Okada this past May (5.5 stars from the Wrestling Observer). It's totally unlike the stiff or insane New Japan masterpieces like Takahashi-Ishimori, but it's every bit as exhilarating. Very likely the most low-key masterpiece Dave Meltzer will ever break his rating system for.

Tanahashi may no longer be the top guy, but he's still a top wrestler.