PWI Top 500 Wrestlers Of 2019 - Top 10 Names REVEALED

9. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Hiroshi Tanahashi is, simply put, a master storyteller. His experience, skill, and downright popularity with the fans has helped propel him to the status of New Japan Ace and, watching him in the ring, you would have absolutely no idea that he was the wrong side of 40.

And yet, at a time in his career when he should be slowing down, he's posting some of the greatest wrestling matches of his entire career. A 5.75 once-in-a-lifetime clash against Kenny Omega at WrestleKingdom 13 might well go down as the best in his career, but against other 2019 clashes with Ospreay, EVIL and Kota Ibushi, you could even argue they weren't even his best this year.

The punishing in-ring style of New Japan means that every additional year Tanahashi pulls out these quality matches is to be savoured, but there is still so, so, so much money on the table for him in the company. He isn't done yet, not by a long shot, and it would be no surprise to see him maintain his top 10 spot come the 2020 edition.