Best of the rest: top 7 non-WWE wrestlers today

When it comes to the sport of professional wrestling, there are too many fans today who only know of who and what they see on Monday and Tuesday nights. While I'll agree that the top company in all of sports entertainment is and always will be WWE, it is important to understand that there is indeed some stellar performers working in other promotions, all around the world.

Pro Wrestling Illustrated recently released this year's edition of PWI 500, which is an annual publication that ranks the top 500 professional wrestlers in the world. Pretty much each and every single active WWE main roster Superstar and nearly all active NXT Superstars were all listed somewhere on that list. AJ Styles came in with the highest WWE ranking at number two. However, New Japan Pro Wrestling's mega-star Kazuchika Okada finished the list with the number one ranking. In fact, six of the top 20 included names that were not affiliated with WWE or NXT.

With this in mind, today we will take a look at seven of the best wrestlers in the world, that are not on any WWE roster.

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#7 Eli Drake (GFW Impact)

Current GFW Champion Eli Drake

2017 has been a year of drastic change for the Impact Wrestling family. In January, Jeff Jarrett returned to the scene and at that point, everything changed....for the better. Not only did Double J bring a renewed sense of enthusiasm to the company, but he also brought along an entire roster of stars from his upstart promotion Global Force Wrestling. When the dust settled, GFW was adopted as the new name promotional name for Impact Wrestling, which allowed for a break away from the seemingly doomed TNA brand name.

In 2015, Eli Drake made his way to TNA after not having much luck elsewhere. In fact, Drake even had a brief stint with WWE prior to joining the Impact roster as well. For whatever reason, no one was taking Drake as seriously as he truly deserved. Well, the tables have certainly turned and all it took was one opportunity to prove his worth and he has indeed done that.

Eli Drake is now at the top of the GFW ladder, as the current GFW Global Champion. Eli has also been the TNA King of The Mountain Champion.

#6 Jay Lethal (ROH)

One of the most underrated vets in the business!

He's the pride of Elizabeth, New Jersey and according to himself, he's the greatest first-generation wrestler of all-time. He's good, just ask him!

Jay Lethal got his start in the wrestling business by entering a contest at the age of 16. The contest was held by Jersey All-Pro Wrestling and ultimately, the winner would win a lifetime of free training at the JAPW School. Lethal went to win that contest and spent the next 6 months training at the school, but in the end, the school ended up closing down. Jay then chose to finish his training with ECW legend Mikey Whipwreck.

Throughout Jay's career, he has accumulated a significant number of title victories, including championships in Ring of Honor, TNA and JAPW.

Lethal has a dynamite personality, combined with an abundance of raw charisma and superior in-ring abilities, which definitely makes him an attractive prospect if he becomes available.

#5 Ethan Carter III (GFW Impact)

2-time TNA Champ EC3!

This will forever be one of those prospects that WWE officials let get away. Michael Hutter is someone who got noticed by WWE talent scouts early on in his career and was eventually sent through what was then the WWE developmental system known back then as "Florida Championship Wrestling."

After spending a few years bouncing around in WWE's developmental system, EC3 was released from his WWE contract in 2013. Soon after being released from WWE, Hutter was signed by TNA and the prodigy was born....Ethan Carter III.

EC3 has since been one of Impact Wrestlings top stars on a consistent basis. Carter is a 2-time TNA Heavyweight Champion and is currently the Impact Grand Champion.

At 34 years of age, there is still a possibility that EC3 could land back in WWE, but that's if he even wants to do so. As of now, it appears he is doing just fine and enjoying the creative freedom this situation gives him.

#4 Ricochet (NJPW)

Half man, half amazing....

There's a term that is used amongst wrestling fans and experts alike -- "indie darling." An indie darling is someone who has a huge independent following, as well as a lot of success throughout his or her journey. Guys like Colt Cabana, Matt Sydal, and Chris Hero were all prime examples of what a true indie darling is. Ricochet is also someone who I would consider an indie darling.

Better known by many of his opponents and fans by his alias, which is "The Future of Flight," Ricochet is indeed half-man, half-amazing as he has done things inside a wrestling ring that seem impossible. Ricochet has had significant success in major indie promotions such as Chikara, Dragon Gate USA, and PWG just to name a few. Not to mention his championship run as Prince Puma with Lucha Underground.

It's also worth noting that Ricochet is currently dating second-generation star, Tessa Blanchard. Tessa is the daughter of legendary Four Horsman Tully Blanchard. Her stepfather is another legend we all know as Magnum T.A.

#3 Cody Rhodes (ROH/NJPW)

"The American Nightmare."

His father was a common man, his brother is a bizarre one and he....well, he is just a man who is finally finding his way in this insane world of professional wrestling.

Cody Rhodes shocked fans everywhere when he requested a release from his WWE contract in mid-2016. However, since leaving the company, Cody appears to have finally found his place in the business where he can perform at a high level and still enjoy entertaining his fans without feeling the pressure of the machine known as WWE.

Since leaving Vince and crew, Cody has gone on to win championships with GFW, as well as a couple of smaller independent promotions. The biggest win of his post-WWE career, which may very well be his biggest victory of his entire career, came on June 23 when he defeated Christopher Daniels at the ROH Best in the World pay-per-view to claim the Ring of Honor World Championship. As of this writing, Cody still holds the ROH title.

#2 Kenny Omega (NJPW)

Current IWGP U.S. Champ Kenn Omega.

Every once in a while, a star comes along in another promotion that WWE fans can only dream of seeing on Monday nights. Kenny Omega is currently that guy.

Omega is a flawless performer who has had a plethora of top-tier bouts with the likes of Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito, just to name a couple. Like Okada, Kenny Omega has several 5-star bouts under his belt, as well as a 6-star match and the infamous 6 1/4-star match against Kazuchika Okada, which took place just a few months ago.

While many fans recognize him best by his association with the Bullet Club, Omega has proved himself to be much more than the frontman of the worlds most notorious faction.

#1 Kazuchika Okada(NJPW)

"The Rainmaker" Kauchika Okada

At 29, Kazuchika Okada has over 13 years of professional wrestling experience to his credit. For a long time now, Okada has been regarded as Japans top wrestler, but things have changed in recent years. Now, Okada is considered by many, including this writer, to be the best professional wrestler on the planet. This is a sentiment shared by many of those who follow New Japan Pro Wrestling even on a casual basis.

Okada is currently the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, a title which he has carried 4 times total, for nearly 1300 combined days. In the storied history of the title, only Hiroshi Tanahashi has held the belt longer.

Okada was also recognized by Pro Wrestling Illustrated as the number 1 overall wrestler in the 2017 PWI 500 ranking. Another incredible statistic is the number of 5-star matches that 'The Rainmaker' has competed in. Till date, Kazuchika Okada has competed in five 5-star matches, one 6-star match and one 6 1/4-star match. These are numbers that will be tough to duplicate by others.