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WWE has a long history of securing some of the greatest in-ring technicians in the business. Dating back to the beginning of the promotion, men and women who were proficient in technical wrestling have come in and perfected the craft.
Whether it be submissions or a wide variety of suplexes, these grapplers have shown the world why they are so talented.
Bret "The Hitman" Hart is still known to this day as the Excellence of Execution for his expert technical wrestling ability. After becoming one of the greatest cruiserweights ever, the Man of 1,000 Holds, Dean Malenko, made his way to the WWE to prove himself.
Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle and Daniel Bryan were all considered the best in the world for what they achieved inside the squared circle.
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With many superstars having retired or moved on from the company, there is a brand new era of grapplers who have staked a claim to the crown as the best technical wrestler in the world. In this article, let's take a look at the five best in-ring technicians in WWE today.
Honorable mentions
- Drew Gulak
- Cesaro
- Natalya
- Tyler Bate
- KUSHIDA
#5 Timothy Thatcher - WWE NXT
Upon his arrival in WWE, Timothy Thatcher was widely regarded as an exceptional grappler on the independent scene. With an array of submissions at his disposal, the former EVOLVE Champion put on technical wrestling classics against the likes of Chris Hero, Zack Sabre Jr. and Riddle.
During his first year in NXT, he has shown glimpses of the ability he possesses.
Thatcher quickly aligned himself with Riddle and helped one half of the Broserweights retain the NXT Tag Team Championships. The alliance proved to be brief when Timothy Thatcher turned on Riddle.
The two men would battle in the singles competition, but this was a prelude to a stipulation that truly showcased the submission expertise that Thatcher was capable of.
Timothy Thatcher had his first breakout moment in WWE in a match concept known as "The Fight Pit". With one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time, Kurt Angle, looking on, Thatcher survived Riddle's onslaught and choked him out using a rear naked choke.
He has gone on to win yet another "Fight Pit" against Tommaso Ciampa as well, which has led to the two men becoming a tag team.
These weren't the only matches that have shown what Timothy Thatcher is capable of. He has had bangers against Finn Balor and Pete Dunne. He has also shown that he can teach his "Thatch-As-Thatch-Can" style to willing students.
It doesn't matter if it's as a trainer or competitor, Thatcher has shown the world that he stands among the best grapplers in the WWE today.
#4 Chad Gable - WWE SmackDown
Sometimes, WWE doesn't do the best job of giving their best in-ring specialists the platform to perform all the time. For the longest time, one of the most under-utilized superstars has been Chad Gable. The former Olympian has sadly been underrated since early on, even in his NXT run.
However, he got a chance to shine in the tag team division.
Alongside Jason Jordan, Chad Gable was given his first true chance at superstardom in the WWE with the American Alpha tag team in NXT. The two amateur wrestlers showed a great deal of chemistry in backstage segments and then inside the squared circle.
Their Grand Ampititude finisher popped the crowds and gave them momentum.
American Alpha won the NXT Tag Team Championships and had a quality rivalry against The Revival during their time there. After that successful run, they moved on to the WWE main roster, being drafted to SmackDown in 2016. It didn't take long before the two men won tag team gold there as well, winning the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
Since splitting from American Alpha, Chad Gable has gone on to win the Raw Tag Team Championships with Bobby Roode. Despite a lackluster period being known as Shorty G, Gable still maintains an arsenal of suplexes, smooth footwork in the ring and submissions at the ready.
He is considered a technical wrestling magician in the ring, even though he doesn't always get the chance to show that.
#3 Johnny Gargano - WWE NXT
If this was a list of the greatest WWE NXT performers of all time, Johnny Gargano would be at the top of the list. The Way's leader has proven time and time again that on the biggest stages he always steps up and shows out. This is included in the technical wrestling department.
Johnny Gargano possesses one of the most effective submission finishers in WWE today. The Gargano Escape has won him many high profile matches and championship gold. It was this submission that earned him and Tommaso Ciampa NXT Tag Team Championships against The Revival back at TakeOver: Toronto.
Gargano used his submission finisher to earn the biggest win of his career when he tapped out Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver: New York to win the NXT Championship.
Johnny Wrestling has a diverse array of manuevers that don't just rely on the Gargano Escape. He is capable of so much more and has shown that he can beat his opponents in many different ways.
Johnny Gargano is an excellent in-ring technician who can go hold-for-hold with anyone in the WWE or in the wrestling business. The first ever NXT triple crown winner can submit his opposition or counter their best moves to achieve victory.
Gargano is someone who has proved that no matter the stature that honing your skills can make you among the best wrestlers in the world.
#2 Kyle O'Reilly - WWE NXT
Before coming to WWE in 2017, Kyle O'Reilly became a household name for his brilliant blend of hard-hitting strikes and submission prowess. He has won singles and tag team gold ahead of his NXT debut.
Since his arrival at the black and gold brand, it has been more of the same. O'Reilly has become a record-breaking three-time NXT Tag Team Champion.
The Undisputed Era was one of the most dominant stables in WWE since their formation. Last year, O'Reilly was finally given the chance to be spotlighted on his own. His series of matches against Finn Balor showed how gifted he was as a grappler and pegged him a future NXT Champion.
Following Adam Cole's superkicking of Kyle O'Reilly and thus breaking up the Undisputed Era at TakeOver: Vengeance Day, it has given Kyle O'Reilly more of a focus in the singles division.
He defeated Cole at TakeOver: Stand and Deliver in an unsanctioned main event and was once again in the main event at TakeOver: In Your House.
Whether it be his heel hook or his superior counters in the ring, Kyle O'Reilly has exhibited all the reasons why he should be considered among the best grapplers in WWE. Now that he is on his own, nothing can overshadow the ring IQ and submission excellence of Kyle O'Reilly.
#1 Pete Dunne - WWE NXT
There have been some terrific grapplers that have made their way to the WWE from the United Kingdom. William Regal was well regarded for his tremendous technical ability, while Fit Finlay was not just a hard-hitting bruiser, but also utilized a great deal of grappling skills.
Following in their footsteps, Pete Dunne is the next evolution of the UK catch as catch style.
The Bruiserweight has produced mat clinics in his time in WWE since arriving in 2017. His joint manipulation is quite unique and helps distinguish himself from other well known technicians.
Dunne used many of the moves that Regal and Finlay were known for, in wearing down his opponents. He does it in a way that is truly brutal to watch as he pretty much tortures competitors.
Pete Dunne has achieved much success in a short time with WWE. He was one of the standouts in the original United Kingdom Championship Tournament. Dunne made it to the finals and put on a brilliant contest against Tyler Bate.
The battle paled in comparison to their all-time classic TakeOver: Chicago encounter, where Dunne defeated Bate to become the WWE United Kingdom Champion.
Pete Dunne went on a fantastic run as the WWE United Kingdom Champion and became the face of the launch of the NXT UK brand. He put on good-to-great matchups against Trent Seven, Johnny Gargano and Roderick Strong.
His outstanding reign ended at 685 days after WALTER defeated Dunne in TakeOver: New York.
The WWE United Kingdom Championship won't be his last title at all. Pete Dunne made the jump to NXT proper and soon found himself aligned with Matt Riddle for the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
The two men became known as "The Broserweights". They defeated the Grizzled Young Veterans to win the tournament and then beat the Undisputed Era to win the NXT Tag Team Championships.
Their reign was short lived due to the pandemic, keeping Dunne in the UK. However, the Bruiserweight made his return and aligned himself with Pat McAfee, Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan.
Through his multiple alliances and incredible battles, Dunne has remained one of the most accomplished competitors today. That's why Pete Dunne is the best in-ring technician on the WWE roster.
