10 Best Wrestlers Of 2018
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi
When Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jay White had a Wrestle Kingdom snoozer that did little to help the returning heel and even less for the legendary hero, it seemed certain that 2018 would be the year 'The Ace' formally abdicated his throne to the man that had already taken it.
A Dontaku showdown with then-IWGP Champion Kazuchika Okada was tragically beautiful, presenting the narrative in all its grizzly glory. Though gutsy and competitive throughout, Tanahashi was well-beaten by the better man in Okada's record-breaking (and last) title defence. In the year's most pleasant booking surprise, it was the first of a brand new (and same old amazing) trilogy between the company's greatest contemporary rivals.
The old Tanahashi was brought back to life in his first G1 Climax encounter. Absorbing an ungodly sh*tkicking against Minoru Suzuki for almost the entire match, Tanahashi played through the pain to claim his first points, selling as if he was actually trying to force the agony from his body via screaming and his sweat glands. His lone tournament loss to Jay White made amends for their middling Tokyo Dome tussle, and from there 'The Ace Of The Universe' took back the respect and honour of his peers with match after match that rolled the clock back to the form that saved the entire company a decade earlier.
His Wrestle Kingdom 13 battle with Kenny Omega will reflect a complex philosophical impasse the pair find themselves gridlocked at, but Tanahashi's 2018 proved one of the most tired sporting idioms still true - form is temporary, class is permanent.