10 Best Wrestlers Of 2023
5. Swerve Strickland
Swerve Strickland's victories over Hangman Page at WrestleDream and Full Gear proved the spirit of All Elite Wrestling to be alive, if not particularly well.
What was once the place that sought to make top stars the right way has lost its focus a little in 2023, but Swerve showing that cream still does rise to the top has at very least helped refresh the idea of a meritocracy in an era without rankings. The aforementioned clashes with Page and a Title Tuesday Dynamite match against Bryan Danielson were exceptional recent examples, but Strickland's been at this all year.
Trudging through the sludge of the bad stables he was wedged into before Mogul Embassy finally came good, he worked a mesmerising mini-match with Orange Cassidy at the climax of Double Or Nothing's International Championship battle royal then doubled down on that with an electrifying singles shot at the gold a fortnight later.
He smashed through Darby Allin and Nick Wayne in gripping bouts before simultaneously showing ass and enormous star power during an All In coffin match. Years of buzz and potential were finally acknowledged this year, so much so that the top of the card feels like the only natural destination in 2024.