10 Most Underrated Wrestlers In The World Today
2. Tomohiro Ishii
Anyone with their finger on the pulse of what's going on in NJPW knows that Tomohiro Ishii is incredible. His big singles matches are always a highlight, and Ishii is universally beloved among the promotion's hardcore fanbase, but he still doesn't get the recognition he deserves outside New Japan's core audience.
Ask the average wrestling fan who the best wrestler in the world is, and depending on their preferences, they'll probably say AJ Styles or Kazuchika Okada, but if we're basing it on match quality, Ishii needs to be in the conversation. The 'Stone Pitbull' has been as good as anyone over the past four years, putting on flawless bouts with guys like Kenny Omega, Tetsuya Naito, and Katsuyori Shibata, stealing the show on a regular basis.
What makes him so great? His arsenal is stiff, brutal, and nasty, and he's one of the best brawlers of his generation. This is only a fraction of Ishii's appeal, however. He's an expert seller who conveys just how much pain he's in better than anyone else on the planet, which makes it extremely easy to get wrapped up in his struggle, and impossible to root against him.
He'll never leave for WWE, and he'll probably never be IWGP Heavyweight Champion, but it's about time the mainstream wrestling world woke up to the sport's gruffest underdog.