20 Absolute Best Wrestlers In The World Right Now
10. Tomohiro Ishii
This is the time of year when things typically calm down for Tomohiro Ishii. A stunning big-mach wrestler, 'The Stone Pitbull' isn't always given many opportunities to shine through late winter and spring, but give this man a notable one-on-one clash and he'll absolutely deliver, regardless of the situation.
Nobody sells like Ishii, whose mastery of the defensive arts makes him the most sympathetic wrestler on the planet. His work doesn't tell you he's going through physical hell; he makes you feel every last drop of his pain, drawing you into the struggle. Then, when he digs deep and mounts his inevitable fighting spirit comebacks, he'll have you leaping from your seat, willing the ultimate underdog to prevail through insurmountable odds.
2018's back-and-forth with Minoru Suzuki was a low-key 'Feud Of The Year' contender, and Ishii and Zack Sabre Jr. somehow crammed a 25-minute bout into an 11-minute runtime at Wrestle Kingdom 13. His G1 Climax run is always stunning, too. It'll take him a while to get going in 2019, but there's no doubt Ishii will shine once the booking shackles are pulled away, compiling another astounding 12 months to strengthen his growing best in the world case.
2018 ranking: 7.