10 Best Wrestlers Of 2023 (So Far)

3. Bryan Danielson

Sami Zayn
AEW

Bryan Danielson took a short sabbatical after Revolution 2023 (and barely took a bump upon his return until Anarchy In The Arena 2), but as usual, Bryan remains a gift to any promotion he works for and any professional wrestler he shares the ring with.

When this year draws to a close, his Iron Man Match with MJF will likely still be the headline, but he's already worked matches that would steal anybody else's best-ofs and - as of writing - hasn't yet locked up with Kazuchika Okada at Forbidden Door.

Getting the best out of a tired trope, the 'American Dragon' was breathing fire during a gauntlet run before his shot at the 'Salt Of The Earth'. His matches with Konosuke Takeshita, Bandido, Brian Cage, Timothy Thatcher and Rush were individually sensational while simultaneously telling one larger singular story, and his subsequent heartbreak after losing to MJF has informed a quietly psychotic heel turn alongside the Blackpool Combat Club.

With Bryan Danielson, when it seems like it can get no better, it does. He may well be working his way into a Wembley rematch with Nigel McGuinness, satisfying the whims of a relatively niche Ring Of Honor diehard crowd in front of one of the biggest paid attendances in wrestling history. Even without that, he'll deliver on that stage as he does every one he steps out on.

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