10 Most Improved Wrestlers On The Planet Today
3. Joe Hendry
Like EC3 before him, Hendry has undergone a physical transformation in order to boost his prospects and strive for improvement in every area of his game.
But unlike, say, Naito, Hendry didn't have to develop his personality. He for a while has arguably been the most colourful personality in all of wrestling. He is certainly the most unique; nobody else on the planet has the musical talent or comedic chops to re-contextualise naff pop music into hilarious pre-match hype videos, which are often so funny his opponents have been known to corpse in the ring at the sight of them.
Where Hendry has improved is between the ropes. Hendry hasn't been wrestling for very long, but if his work in 2016 is any indication, he may well become more than just a legend in his own mind.
He transposes his accomplished amateur background to augment the realism of his matches, which are gripping even during the quieter stretches. His "Joe Hendry - Local Hero!" call and response act is a veritable heat generator, and his oblivious jacka** schtick is so endearing that he has cemented himself as the sentimental favourite of the British scene.
He has drawn ire for his use of the fallaway slam as his finisher, but it's fair to say that the point may have been missed by some - he makes such exquisite use of the space between that an over-reliance on flashy moves is not required.