10 best non-WWE wrestlers in the world
When working on my article “PWI 500 reveals top ten wrestlers of 2017”, I realised something - eight out of the ten wrestlers were from WWE. This raised an important question - who is the best non-WWE wrestler in the world?
We've had some epic clashes that set the wrestling world abuzz this year. Bouts like Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega, Tetsuya Naito vs. Kenny Omega, Marty Scurll vs. Will Ospreay and more, showed us what professional wrestling is all about - in-ring talent. Professional wrestling has risen to a whole new level. The wrestlers mentioned in this list are some of the most talented wrestlers in the world.
This purpose of this list is to showcase the top ten wrestlers in the world who don't work for WWE. This list takes into account accomplishments and championships, in-ring performance, mic skills, and gimmicks.
Since the list is limited to just ten wrestlers, many wrestlers like Hiromu Takahashi, Marty Scurll, Tomohiro Ishii, and Katsuyori Shibata just missed the list by a narrow margin.
If you feel a wrestler who should have made the list has been neglected, then let your voice be heard in the comment section below.
#10 Cody
Cody - formerly known as Cody Rhodes in WWE - has really come into his own ever since he won the ROH World Title. In a way, WWE releasing Cody is the best thing that ever happened to him. To be honest, he was one of the most underrated guys on the roster, but looking at the incredible work he has done since his release, I just had to include him in this list.
He just makes this list at number 10 because he just started to reach his peak. The son of Dusty Rhodes is definitely someone to look out for in the coming years.
Since his WWE release, he has gained the biggest win of his career when he defeated Kurt Angle on two separate occasions. He then went on to debut for Ring of Honor (ROH) under the ring name Cody. His debut was memorable; he defeated Jay Lethal following a low blow, taunted ROH fans and shoved ROH commentator Steve Corino, turning him heel in the process. 'The American Nightmare', then went on to win the ROH World title from Christopher Daniels.
Cody, who is now a member of The Bullet Club in New Japan Pro Wrestling, has improved his in-ring abilities. He has put on some impressive matches and gained a lot of buzz among hardcore wrestling fans. He was already a good talker on the mic when he worked for WWE, but he has now developed himself into a solid character who can hold his own in the ring.
Cody has also stated that he has no plans to return to WWE in the near future and to be honest, I’m really glad to hear that. WWE didn’t know what to do with him, and that resulted in the really stale gimmick known as Stardust.
For now, the ROH World Champion remains at number 10, but if he keeps this up, he could be in the top 5 next year. He certainly has the potential.