20 Absolute Best Wrestlers In The World Right Now
8. Tommaso Ciampa
A domineering alpha-bully and WWE's most compelling heel character, Tommaso Ciampa reached supervillain status in 2018. Now, walking into the new year, he stands on the precipice of something truly special... provided WWE don't botch his inevitable main roster elevation.
The current NXT Champion has all the tools required to be a mainstream success story. He's a heat magnet par excellence, compelling every crowd he performs in front of to jeer themselves hoarse, to the benefit of both Ciampa and his opponent. His projection and personality create the kind of atmosphere usually reserved for the sport's highest-stakes match-ups, and while Ciampa is an excellent promo and an outstanding in-ring performer, his crowd control mastery is such that all he needs to do is gaze at his championship belt to convince audiences he's the most magnificent bastard in the sport.
The tangled whodunit saga did Ciampa few favours creatively, but he emerged smelling like roses. He always does. Coming off the best 12-month period of his career, he is the most interesting NXT Champion in years, and a more compelling character than any main roster male not named Daniel Bryan.
2018 ranking: n/a.