10 Best Wrestlers Of 2023

9. Kenny Omega

Gunther Cody Rhodes Bryan Danielson
AEW

If it's a year with Kenny Omega matches in it, it's likely that Kenny Omega will be one of the best wrestlers of the 12-month period. He's peaked high, but standards and expectations for the former AEW Champion have remained so high that Omega fans are still calling for more.

2023 was just four days old when he came through with the best of what he does - his Wrestle Kingdom 17 return to New Japan Pro Wrestling and bout with Will Ospreay surpassed sky-high hopes. It informed a Forbidden Door rematch that was almost as critically acclaimed as elusive singles offerings against MJF, El Hijo del Vikingo, Jon Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita. They were all in the company's top tier.

Elsewhere, his trios sprints alongside The Young Bucks against AR Fox & Top Flight were a riot, and the title loss to The House Of Black at Revolution 2023 and follow-up three-way with The Jericho Appreciation Society represented a peak for the three-man division thus far. The more he's paired with others rather than going it alone, the lower he ranks, but even with fewer classics to choose from, his unique brilliance is undeniable.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 almost 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 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL 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