10 Best Wrestlers Of 2023 (So Far)

9. Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn
WWE.com

During their various topline guest spots or high-profile singles matches against one another, it used to be said that Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens had gamed the WWE system. At long last, it might be time to admit that they've actually changed it.

Zayn informed arguably the most successful of Triple H's localised B-Show strategy, setting Montreal ablaze over two incredible nights in February for an Elimination Chamber title shot. His run against Roman Reigns convinced enough people that he should have been cast as 'The Tribal Chief's final boss over WrestleMania weekend, but WWE used his incredible momentum to book him and Owens to dethrone The Usos in the first Tag Team Championship main event in WrestleMania history.

As Champions, they've been the only act credited with leaving a permanent scar on The Bloodline, and Zayn working babyface again (old music included) feels like a reward for the incredibly hard yards he ran as a heel for the better part of five years. That sort of promotional malpractice shouldn't happen again.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett