Favorite Wrestlers
Excessively detailed list of my favorite wrestlers.
- Introduction
- Methodology
- Tier 1: Core
- Tier 2: Secondary
- Tier 3: Pinging Radar
- Tier 4: Radar
- Tier 5: Tracking
- Changelog
Introduction
I judge wrestlers for this list based entirely on their in-ring performance.
There are wrestlers I like for non-ring aspects (such as, and primarily, Brody King), but they are not on this list, because that does not motivate me to track down their matches.
There are also wrestlers who I’ve enjoyed watching that don’t make this list because I do not actively seek out their matches.
Note on promotion badges: Wrestlers in Tier 1 and Tier 2 have badges displaying which promotions they are currently signed to (displayed first) and/or additional promotions that they make regular appearances on. Tier 3 onward only has badges for the promotion a wrestler is signed to.
Methodology
I do not have a rigorous quantification method for how I rank wrestlers. This is mostly vibes-based. However, I do have several dimensions that I am conscious of when evaluating wrestlers, each with differing levels of relative importance:
- Aura 🔴 most important
- The undefinable essence of a person, including my general impression of how they move and command themself.
- Strength 🔵 low importance
- Physical power. Useful for basing and holds.
- Agility 🟠 medium importance
- Speed and ability to maneuver deftly.
- Flight 🟢 high importance
- Aerial ability.
- Endurance 🔵 low importance
- Fighting spirit.
- Strategy ⚫️ marginal
- An intelligence measure applying to technique and use of technique, most visible in holds and hold escapes.
- Aesthetic 🟢 high importance
- External presentation, such as costumes and makeup.
- Charisma 🔴 most important
- Ability to command a crowd and express internal landscape, including selling.
Tier 1: Core
I am actively tracking down archived matches and will plan around watching their new matches live.
Bandido
MY KING: the one who sparked it all
- Favorite Elements
- hair, aura, mask, entrance costumes, gimmick, representation of his heritage, theme music (“Los Más Buscados”), bright sunshine personality, enthusiasm, smile (yes you can tell even with the mask on), voice, giving back to community
- Favorite Match
-
- Bandido vs. Jon Moxley (review)
- AEW/CMLL/NJPW/Stardom Forbidden Door 2026 • June 28, 2026
- Favorite Move
- throwing someone down so hard that he pops several feet into the air
Titán
MY DEMON!!!
- Favorite Elements
- mask designs, scar, aura, intensity, screaming, the red and yellow contacts, the way he yells —¡¡¡ME ENCANTA LA COMIDA!!!— as the first thing he always says about Japan
- Favorite Match
-
- Titán vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (review)
- NJPW Capital Collision 2024 • August 30, 2024
- Favorite Move
- when he grabs the ropes and hauls himself up onto the turnbuckles by flipping up in one go, but also, llave inmortal finisher
Komander
my BABBY!!!
- Favorite Elements
- mask, entrance costumes (especially the fact that the Virgen de Guadalupe is always on his back), theme music (“Master And…” ft. True God & R8ed R), aerial ability, soft chill personality
- Favorite Match
-
- Komander vs. El Hijo del Vikingo (review)
- ROH Supercard of Honor 2023 • March 31, 2023
- Favorite Move
- springboard tijeras to poisonrana
Templario
my steadfast knight ♡
- Favorite Elements
- tattoos, theme music (“Guerrero Templario” by Rapthor Boys, remixed), entrance costumes, gimmick, calm aura, kind eyes, base skills, giving back to community
- Favorite Match
-
-
Serious answer:
Templario vs. Bandido (review) - CMLL Fin de Semana Internacional, Day 3 • January 18, 2026
-
Silly answer:
Templario vs. Hechicero vs. Soberano Jr. (review) - NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2026, Day 3 • February 22, 2026
-
Serious answer:
- Favorite Move
- doing a b-boy windmill to get back onto his feet
Zandokan Jr.
mi ¡¡¡REY DEL MUNDO!!!
- Favorite Elements
- gimmick, mask, theme music (the one that begins “yo soy el rey del mundo”), fringe pants, huge aura and charisma, loudest slappiest chops
- Favorite Match
-
- Just 5 Guys (Taichi & Yuya Uemura) vs. Yota Tsuji & Zandokan Jr. (review)
- NJPW World Tag League 2023, Day 2 • November 21, 2023
- Favorite Move
- spitting into his palm before absolutely slapping the shit out of someone
Tier 2: Secondary
I am tracking down their matches, but at a more moderate pace than for core favorites. I will also usually stay tuned for live matches they’re in.
Kavuky
independent 
- Favorite Elements
- mask, aerial ability, ring presence
- Favorite Match
-
- Angelux, Lobo de Oro & Máscara De Hierro vs. Kavuky, Maying Fly & X Devil (review)
- IWRG Thursday Night Wrestling Va X Ti Spider Fly • September 3, 2026
- Favorite Move
- tornillo to tijeras
Spider Fly
independent
- Favorite Elements
- aerial ability, athleticism, ring presence
- Favorite Match
-
- 10,000 Pesos Match: Bandido, Mexa Boy’s (Noisy Boy & Spider Fly) & Zonik vs. Gringo Loco, Iron Kid, Turbo & Vengador (review)
- RIOT Lo Mismo Pero Sin Cambios • May 29, 2026
- Favorite Move
- flippy shit to scarlett johansson black widow pose
Starlight Kid
スターライト・キッド
- Favorite Elements
- mask, bouncy energy, elegance, ring presence, being 4 ft 11 in with the presence of someone 6 ft tall
- Favorite Match
-
- Starlight Kid vs. Thekla (review)
- AEW/CMLL/NJPW/Stardom Forbidden Door 2026 • June 28, 2026
- Favorite Move
- grandstanding during her entrances
Bishop Kaun
- Favorite Elements
- ring presence, aura, sadism, best thighs in the entire pro wrestling business
- Favorite Match
-
- Lee Johnson (with EJ Nduka) vs. Bishop Kaun (with Toa Liona) (review)
- ROH on HonorClub #95 • December 12, 2024
- Favorite Move
- any time they let bishop kaun go solo and he goes to town working limbs
Soleil
independent
- Favorite Elements
- FLIPPY SHIT.
- Favorite Match
-
- AR Fox & Soleil vs. Bandido & Komander (review)
- ROH on HonorClub #184 • September 17, 2026
- Favorite Move
- doing multiple handsprings in the same place
Kevin Knight
- Favorite Elements
- having legs made out of vibranium springs (look at his jumping avalanche hurricanrana), theme music ( “Final Approach” ft. Sayitainttone), cockiness, voice
- Favorite Match
-
- Kevin Knight vs. Titán (review)
- Best of the Super Junior 31, Day 7 • May 21, 2024
- Favorite Move
- UFO splash
Xelhua
- Favorite Elements
- old-school aztec-inspired mask, power, precision, contorting people into obscene holds
- Favorite Match
-
- Xelhua vs. Lee Moriarty (review)
- ROH Death Before Dishonor 2025 • August 29, 2025
- Favorite Move
- cualquiera llave tbh
The New Level
(Austin Creed & Kofi)
- Favorite Elements
- enthusiasm, huge aura on entrance, athleticism, coordination & cooperation
- Favorite Match
-
- Swerve Strickland & The New Level (Austin Creed & Kofi) (with Prince Nana) (c) vs. Adam Page & Brodido (Bandido & Brody King) (review)
- AEW All Out 2026 • September 25, 2026
- Favorite Move
- tbh their entrance energy is just unreal and hypes me up like no other
Francesco Akira
- Favorite Elements
- big shitheel energy in NJPW yet super over babyface energy in AEW, sweetest lil puppy dog energy, my new smol italian child
- Favorite Match
-
- Francesco Akira vs. Titán (review)
- NJPW Best of the Super Junior 33, Day 12 • June 3, 2026
- Favorite Move
- anything where he’s so smol and so getting beaten up
El Hijo del Vikingo
- Favorite Elements
- sheer athleticism
- Favorite Match
-
- Komander vs. El Hijo del Vikingo (review)
- ROH Supercard of Honor 2023 • March 31, 2023
- Favorite Move
- tornillo to tijeras; also, cascading out of the ring
The Invisible Man
independent
- Favorite Elements
- versatility, ingenuity, endurance
- Favorite Match
-
- Invisible Stan vs. The Invisible Man(review)
- GCW Joey Janela’s Spring Break 3, Part 1 • April 5, 2019
- Favorite Move
- jumping off the damn balcony to the floor below
Tier 3: Pinging Radar
Wrestlers newly on my radar who I have more prominent interest in. They will be bumped up either to secondary or dropped down to radar once I watch more of their matches.
Briyante RB
independent
a sweetie!!
El Elemental
king of slutty pants
La Fashion
independent
incredible exótico work mixed with pure power
Futuro
Kensei
independent
Layla Wilde
Mustafa Ali
Rey Pegasus
Star Black
Tempestad Guerrero Jr.
independent
Xanti Li
independent
Yuya Uemura
上村優也
Tier 4: Radar
I don’t actively seek out these wrestlers’ matches, but I will stick around for them when I come across them.
Arez
independent
not particularly interested in his work as El Clon though
The Beast Mortos
Capitán Suicida
Claudio Castagnoli
I love watching luchadores climb on claudio like he’s a cat tree
El Desperado
エル・デスペラード
Fuego
it’ll be a deliciously slutty time if fuego’s there
Gringo Loco
independent
guaranteed solid match if it’s gringo loco vs. luchadores
Hechicero
HENARE
we love a gremlin
Hiromu Takahashi
高橋 ヒロム
Kemalito
Máscara Dorada II
the ace of CMLL is incapable of putting on a bad match
Mercedes Moné
“Speedball”
Mike Bailey
Mina Shirakawa
白川未奈
Nick Wayne
I fear the size nick wayne’s aura will be when he enters his 30s
Penta El Zero Miedo
Persephone
Queen Aminata
Rey Fénix
Soberano Jr.
the man’s ability to strut is unreal
Swerve Strickland
guaranteed incredible ring presence
Thekla
incredible heel work tbh
VENY
independent
Viva Van
we stan a local legend
Yota Tsuji
辻 陽太
Yutani
Tier 5: Tracking
I am curious about these wrestlers, but have not yet had the time to track down more of their matches to evaluate their performance. If/when I do, they will either be bumped into a higher tier or removed from this list.
Candela
Garra Negra
Hyo
豹
IYO SKY
イヨ・スカイ
Janai Kai
independent
La Catalina
Mia Friday
independent
Rohan Raja
Changelog
View updates
- 2026-09-30
-
- Added El Elemental to pinging radar tier, though at this rate (he’s adorable on Instagram) he’s gonna move up quickly.
- 2026-09-28
-
- Zandokan Jr. now officially a Lil Guy. Bienvenidos, mi rey.
- Added Kemalito to favorites.
- Bumped Mustafa Ali to pinging radar.
- 2026-09-27
-
- Re-weighed rubric and radar chart to increase the importance of charisma by two steps, increase endurance by one step, and decrease strength, agility, and strategy by one step each.
- Removed Access Barrier section now that I have discovered a lot of stuff is free on YouTube. Moved Starlight Kid and El Hijo del Vikingo into secondary tier and moved Penta and Fénix into radar tier.
- Dropped Hechicero, Yota Tsuji, and Yutani down from secondary to radar.
- Added Zandokan Jr., Kavuky, Spider Fly, Bishop Kaun, Soleil, New Level, Francesco Akira, and Invisible Man to secondary tier.
- Added new Pinging Radar tier with Briyante RB, La Fashion, Futuro, Kensei, Layla Wilde, Rey Pegasus, Star Black, Tempestad Guerrero Jr., Xanti Li, and Yuya Uemura.
- Added Arez, Capitán Suicida, El Desperado, HENARE, Hiromu Takahashi, Mercedes Moné, and Thekla to radar. Bumped Nick Wayne, Soberano Jr., and Swerve Strickland from peripheral to radar. Removed Andrade El Ídolo and Maya World from radar (I think it was actually Mercedes Moné’s presence that elevated Maya for me; in other matches I haven’t been as enthusiastic about her). Andrade’s good but his gimmick isn’t doing it for me and his performance in-ring isn’t enough to overcome the gimmick.
- Redefined Peripheral as Tracking. Dropped Athena, Boltin Oleg, Drilla Moloney, El Clon, Hyan, Kazuchika Okada, Kenta Kobashi, Lee Moriarty, Mansoor, Mason Madden, Stephanie Vaquer, Willow Nightingale, and Yuka Sakazaki from peripheral tier. They’re all perfectly good but I haven’t really had the drive to purposely seek their work beyond the matches I’ve already seen.
- 2026-08-31
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- Moved to-be-watched to match log watchlist.
- 2026-08-24
-
- Updated Titán favorite match because HOLY SHIT BRO.
- 2026-08-20
-
- Naaah, moved Templario back to core too. I enjoy his matches too much and I wanna make lil shrine pages for him.
- 2026-08-18
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- Nah, moved Komander back to core. I love him too much. Made a match tracker for him too.
- 2026-08-17
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- Updated review links to internal match log.
- 2026-08-14
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- Updated Titán favorite match to vs. Robbie X because the Francesco Akira one doesn’t hold up as much on a rewatch whereas the Robbie X one just gets better.
- 2026-08-13
-
- Adjusted spacing on changelog for better legibility.
- Added shrine buttons for Bandido and Titán.
- Moved Komander and Templario down to top of secondary tier because clearly I am not so obsessed with them that I would make match tracker pages for them.
- 2026-08-12
-
- Made Stardom logo responsive to dark/light mode.
- Added NJPW badge for Kevin Knight to reflect dual contract.
- Fixed promotion badges for Mina Shirakawa, Queen Aminata, and Viva Van to reflect signings.
- Moved Maya World and Persephone down to radar tier. Have not been as impressed with more recent matches.
- Updated Yutani favorite match because I forgot I watched one with him versus Templario. Yutani vs. Capitán Suicida was my first Yutani match though, and a first match is still special.
- Moved Beast Mortos down to radar because realistically he occupies the same niche as Claudio Castagnoli for me, i.e., I like seeing how their base skills support flyers.
- Moved Máscara Dorada down to radar because I haven’t been actively tracking down his matches, but enjoy matches that he’s in.
- Clarified secondary tier description.
- Bumped Kevin Knight to top of secondary tier because I’m really enjoying his BOSJ matches.
- Updated Komander theme to include featured artists.
- Updated Templario theme song link because I found a Youtube clip that has most of it!
- 2026-08-11
-
- Updated badges for Tier 1 and Tier 2 and included explanatory note in introduction on badging.
- Updated Titán photo to one with even more aura. I do love the yelling photo for capturing his intensity though, so I might change it back eventually.
- Updated Titán favorite elements to include contacts and how much he loves Japanese food.
- Updated Templario favorite move terminology to proper breakdance terminology (windmill).
- Added Hyo after seeing a backstage interview for BOSJ33. What do you mean he’s wearing a collar and has lil arm bands and garter belts and is carrying around a lil leopard plushie and kissed a dude who allegedly matches his freak. Oh my God. I guess I need to watch more of BOSJ33.
- 2026-08-10
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- Bumped Titán up to second in core ranking after watching his Best of the Super Juniors 33 matches. Good lord, NJPW mics up the ring well and he’s a screamer. Really adds to his aura and intensity.
- Updated Titán favorite match from Titán vs. Ricochet (January 16, 2026) to Titán vs. Francesco Akira (June 3, 2026). Titán vs. Ricochet still has a special spot for me because the camera angle and Titán’s gorgeous red and green mask really underscored the “holy shit, that’s my demon” revelation, but Titán vs. Francesco Akira has the same hold and is the better match.
- Removed Wheeler Yuta from peripheral list—watched a couple matches; he’s fine but I just don’t really enjoy his aura or the shapes of his moves.
- Removed Bishop Kaun from peripheral list—I primarily enjoy singles matches, but Bishop Kaun usually does tags and trios, and I don’t particularly enjoy watching Ricochet enough to track down Bishop Kaun.
- Moved Mansoor & Mason down to peripheral, as my primary enjoyment for MxM is their non-ring work and I haven’t actually gone out of my way to track down their matches yet.
- 2026-08-09
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- Added introduction and methodology sections.
- 2026-08-08
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- Page created.