The Complete A-Z Of Wrestling In 2018
16. K - Kenny Omega
'The Best Bout Machine' courted controversy at times in 2018 as many ardent NJPW observers argued the decline of the product at large under his occasionally-absent stewardship, but few - if any - can still lay claim to his hit rate bell-to-bell.
His Golden Lovers partnership with Kota Ibushi yielded three five-star ratings from Wrestling Observer scribe Dave Meltzer, but those pale in comparisons to the solo efforts he put forth at Wrestle Kingdom, Dominion and during the G1 Climax. He was at times mesmerising in the tournament against Tomohiro Ishii, Tetsuya Naito and others, whilst his big show battles with Chris Jericho and Kazuchika Okada were - albeit in very different ways - era-defining.
The latter with 'The Rainmaker' was for many long-standing fans the greatest pro wrestling match of all time. These aren't plaudits taken lightly by those offering them either. Omega, despite valid concerns, is still a worthy wearer of the world's most prestigious prize.