20 Absolute Best Wrestlers In The World Right Now

18. Johnny Gargano

Tetsuya Naito
WWE.com

There's no better babyface in professional wrestling than Johnny Gargano.

The former DIY man has mastered the arts of bumping, selling, and drawing crowd sympathy. He excels when working from beneath, and has successfully adapted the classic face-in-peril role he worked as a tag wrestler, bringing it to a singles setting. This makes Gargano the easiest NXT wrestlers to root for, and he'll draw a huge reaction when he steps out for his big title shot at TakeOver: Philadelphia.

'Johnny Wrestling' connects with people. He's an elite athlete and a well-rounded wrestler, but his underdog charisma and in-ring storytelling take him to the next level. WWE, to their credit, have nailed everything from his split with Tommaso Ciampa to his anthemic entrance music, and he's set to break out in a major way in 2018.

The Ciampa rivalry will come, and when it does, it's going to rule. The quality of their long-form story arc suggests an instant 'Feud Of The Year' contender. Their split was 2017's most gut-wrenching moment, and their years' of experience working together as both partners and opponents guarantees greatness, and multiple show-stopping matches.

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Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.