Let's talk your favorite in the pro-wrestler in the world right now! (and Why it should be Cody)

Seriously though, if we get our own forum, why not diversify the topics! This seems like as good a silly but worthwhile ranting topic as any. So, who's your favorite wrestler going right now? In terms of promo skill, in terms of match quality, in terms of just who you want to pay money to see preform?

The last bit of the title is a bit of a goof in that I'm not expecting everyone to agree with me. But It's certainly my answer. Bryan comes in at a close second in that I've enjoyed most of everything he has done in WWE, and he seems to have the right amount of creative control of his content to not all be white-washed. But for my money (and legit given I have yet to not pay full price to watch these AEW PPVs by myself) Cody's matches and segments have been what's sold me on AEW's PPVs so far. His match with his Brother did it, his Match with Jericho did it, the beating I wanna see him give MJF is gonna be doing it this Saturday.

So what says you Giant Bomb Wrestling nerds? Who is your favorite wrestler going right now?

I'm not a huge fan of Cody, but I respect the hell out of him for not holding back anything for the sake of AEW. He's done some great stuff recently so the guy's been winning me over.

Favorite wrestler? Still Asuka. Since her NXT debut she's felt like such a larger than life, dangerous threat. And her pairing now with Kairi Sane has her more unhinged and chaotic than ever. She's put on so many amazing matches, with some of her Charlotte fights in the past year being some of the best for both of them. Her Youtube stuff is wonderful, too, but in a completely different manner (i.e. that Kirby surgery episode).

I know people complain anytime Asuka isn't fighting for a top championship, but she seems to be having a great time now so that's been fun to see.

@csl316: Having fun, when it comes to WWE seems to be the best you can hope for. Just look at Nakamura, no one I recall is happy with his performance or thinks he is nearly as good in WWE as he was in New Japan? But all reports I've heard are that he himself is quite happy surfing and living a semi-retired easier life while getting paid. I'd bet Asuka is nearly the same.

This is hard. Bryan Danielson is my all-time favourite wrestler. I love the dude, he was a pivotal part of my reconnecting with wrestling in the mid-00s after several years only really following it through reading webforums. But I can't say his my favourite right now because he's stuck in a company I don't watch.

I dunno, I think we're talking about a wrestler who I will go out of my way to watch every single match of there's several names worth mentioning. Masaaki Mochizuki is an old dude who has been around since Wrestle & Romance in the mid-90s, and he's been around the Toryumon/Dragon Gate system since the beginning in 1999. He's probably the best wrestler in the world over 50 now, he's just a grumpy old kick man and I do love grumpy old guys who just kick the ever-loving-shit out of young punks. Had so many amazing matches over the years, and still having them today (see his Open The Dream Gate title challenge last October against Ben-K). He's also been working a bit more outside of DG the past year with them being a little less isolationist. In 2018 he was in the All Japan Jr Tag tournament with rising young star Shun Skywalker & in 2019 he was in the N1, Pro Wrestling NOAH's big G1 style tournament. He's currently one half of NOAH's Tag Team Champions along with Naomichi Marufuji & that's been great, really recommend the title match where they won the belt from AXIZ (Go Shiozaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima).

Sticking Dragon Gate guys, Susumu Yokosuka is a Toryumon original as part of M2K (Mochizuki, Mochizuki & Kanda because Susumu was originally Susumu Mochizuki. He later lost the rights to the last name in a match with Masaaki Mochizuki. Wrestling is good because it is silly), who were a heel stable who would intentionally get double count-outs to deprive the fans of clean finishes. I know it sounds odd but it worked. He's been a consistent workhorse through the years of Toryumon & Dragon Gate & had a low-key amazing 2019 where he won their secondary singles belt the Open The Brave Gate title & every match he had elevated his opponent (especially the matches with U-T & Jason Lee) before finally dropping the belt to Kaito Ishida in another great match. This year he turned up in All Japan in their Jr Heavyweight Title tournament & he won that against Hikaru Sato & then a defence against the very young but promising Akira Francesco. For the first time in years the AJPW Jr division actually feels like it matters & is exciting & a lot of that is down to Susumu being such a great hand at helping build up the people he wrestles.

Kento Miyahara is the ace of All Japan and he is head & shoulders above everyone else on their roster. He's arrogant as hell but he backs it up. The major knock is that AJPW aren't really overflowing with contenders & in his current run he's beaten every Heavyweight they have. He's currently one win away from beating Toshiaki Kawada's record run as Triple Crown champ. But all that aside, Kento is amazing. Without him I really don't know if All Japan would even exist any more, he's such a huge draw for them.

But I guess my favourite guy, the guy I look forward to the most is Tomohiro Ishii. He's short & beefy & he's never going to hold a top title belt but every time he goes out & runs into his opponent & just has a war & it rules. He's consistently been one of the best wrestlers in the world since his break through in New Japan in 2013. (It kills me that he had been wrestling since 1996 & yet did almost nothing of note until his NEVER Openweight title match against Masato Tanaka in February 2013 & then suddenly he's having multiple MOTY calibre matches a year). There's not much fancy about the Stone Pitbull. He just fights.

Honourable mentions go to Hiromu Takahashi, I would write about him being the best but y'know, this is already too long & self indulgent. Also Shingo Takagi & Zack Sabre Jr are big personal favourites in New Japan.

There is only one answer to this question

He is gods perfect wrestler, he wrestles exactly like you think he does from this picture.

If we are talking favourite active wrestler right now mine would have to be AJ Styles though Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega quickly becoming competition for that spot.

My all time favorite has been Chris Hero for some time now. He had some amazingly underrated matches with Danielson, several great runs with Claudio in Kings of Wrestling and even lead a for it's time entertaining heel stable. I know he is mostly a trainer for WWE now, so much like another great William Regal will likely be one of the more underrated ring workers. Hero could take though man, and play face/heel all sorts of shit.

As for my favorite wrestler right now, I'd say Hangman Page. He's the act I'm the hottest for at the moment. He can work so many different match styles, he cuts a good short babyface promo something that seems a lost art these days. He also just has the energy of a star in general. I think being able to see how fast he's grown and evolved on the fly as he's gotten less green too shows you what your in store for long term.

Mine is Jericho.

The strange part is he was never one my favorites when he was in his prime. I liked him, but he wasn't at the top of my list.

His in ring performance isn't what it was 20 years ago, or even 2 years ago, but I am just amazed by how he continues to re-invent himself and contribute in other ways. With his work over the past several years, I think he has solidified himself somewhere in the Top 5 of all time greatest wrestlers.

Right now, I'm not sure. I've been out of pro wrestling for so long now.

I mean it's Naito right?

@forkboy: What a great writeup. Mochi really needs more respect, dude is still wrestling at a pace and with skill most wrestlers in their prime are unable to keep up with.

KEITH LEE

(woop woop)

I don't think I'd call myself a wrestling fan, but I do know Rock will always be my fav. Speaking about current wrestlers it's probably Kenny. His match with Kota vs the Young Bucks is my favorite match of all time. I watched BTE every week and seeing that story unfold made me genuinely emotional. I also just love his personality outside the ropes. He is just a nice nerdy dude and I love it. Same with Xavier Woods, Aj and Samoa Joe. Wish all of them could collab more with Giant Bomb.

Cody is a funny way to spell Shingo.

Of those no longer actively working, Austin and CM Punk. Of those that currently are working, Omega, Pete Dunne, all 4 of the UE, Ibushi, Kevin Owens/Steen, Sami Zayn/El Generico, Danial Bryan/Bryan Danielson, and the Bucks. Cesaro/Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero (FKA Kassius Ohno), along with Zayn, I feel are/have been the three most criminally underused talents of a modern wrestling promotion in the last 2-3 decades (which may sound hyperbolic, but all 3 of those dudes could do amazing things if given a real shot...). Matt Hardy deserves a special mention for the ways he has reinvented himself to make himself relevant, particularly in his Broken personas...

Of those I’ve seen only limited amounts of, Shingo, Will Ospreay, and Naruki Doi are the 3 that impressed me the most in the limited matches I've seen of them. Jeff Cobb and Tetsuya Naito are 2 more that are pretty great, but I've seen even less of them...

Resurrecting this thread to say Jon Moxley is actually my current favorite though Shingo and Adam Page are tied for second.

Moxley is one of the babyface promos out there today. Easily the best brawler in North America who can still hold his own with the likes of Ishii, Suzuki, and even my boy Shingo. Seems like AEW at this time slowly building towards him finally losing the title to Kenny Omega who in turn will have a kickass feud with my other boy Adam Page.

Doesn't hurt Mox is also from Cincinnati so hometown boy done good.

Kenny Omega is the GOAT, in my opinion. There's literally nothing he CAN'T do, as he's shown on consecutive commentary spots (the elusive 3rd skill, behind mic and in-ring), and his comedy chops can be seen on this very website. To say nothing of the fact that he's a gifted storyteller in the ring, somehow playing to the cheap seats without ever seeming histrionic or over-the-top. He's technical with a DASH of high-flying and has literally wrestled a blowup doll and a 9 year old to a 5-star classic. All that and he still apparently isn't a total politicking prick backstage (Hell, he recently got shit online for letting a jobber kick out of the V-Trigger, which...like...do you fuckers WANT another Hogan? Cause complaining about shit like that is how ya get Hogans).

BUT!...But if we're talking FAVES and not GREATEST...at this point Mankind's in the HoF forever for being the guy who REALLY got me into wrestling in the first place, but we're talking currently active? Luchasaurus. Killer gimmick that he leans into JUST enough to be delightful without becoming insufferable, big man body with flippy energy, and AWESOME tag-team moves (The Extinction Event, COME ON!). I love Jurassic Express overall, but he is the linchpin.

Hikaru Shida's my honorable mention. She absolutely rules the ring and has that awesome x-factor, I just need MORE.

@not_a_bumblebee: Mox has been incredible since becoming AEW champ. That MJF build/match was goddamn perfect, and I love that he's gathering a faction of wanderers with Darby Allin and Will Hobbs. If they ever pull the trigger on becoming a full-faction, they are going to be BADASS.

@jordanarama:Anyone with TWO Dragonball Z-named finishers is A-OK in my book.

Omega has been DOA since leaving NJPW. Back there, he was doing some of the absolute best wrestling of all time, but now it's just....doing stuff with the Bucks- the absolute biggest geeks in pro wrestling

For me btw, it's Ishii. He's the whole package

@sombre: I really loved the tag with Page and it seems like he is going to be the one to take the belt off Moxley.

I also totally agree Ishii rules!

I'm a big fan of Starlight Kid from Stardom at the moment. No particular reason why. She just appeals to me and seems like a lot of fun.

@sombre: No one goes full-throttle their whole career, Omega's just doing what ALL the greats SHOULD do and actually letting younger talent get over instead of clinging to the spotlight well after his sell-by date (which he hasn't even come close to yet). But losing speed/momentum is a natural course for a healthy career, and every single time he's in the ring, he shows he's still got it. From little things like letting Page fall to the mat instead of catching him after they lost, to absolutely owning the ring whenever he's in it, the guy's still got it.

So while I admit: it ain't the Golden Lovers anymore, that doesn't exactly erase it retroactively. Greatest of all time means ALL time, not just 'what's he done for me lately?'

@not_a_bumblebee: The storytelling and psychology they're STILL doing is an absolute delight.

His three match series with Okada is up there with Misawa/Kobashi's best

@sombre: To say nothing of his longtime comedy chops...

@sombre: Agree with you on Omega. NJPW made him the hottest thing in wrestling since Daniel Bryan and his initial run in AEW was pretty underwhelming given the massive hype he had.