WWE is the king of all pro-wrestling companies and as such, should have the world’s best talent. That’s not always been the case, of course, as top stars have come and gone over the past several years. Names like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels and Edge have all moved on and left WWE behind.
The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar are part-time attractions now, while Triple H and The Rock are less than part-time. Even John Cena is transitioning his career into mainstream Hollywood projects and is not around for the long haul, as he always has been.
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But that does not mean that Vince McMahon’s company is in trouble. Indeed, the rosters of Monday Night Raw, SmackDown Live and NXT are all rife with some of the best talents from around the world. Many are veterans, and some are new faces, but in every instance, it’s obvious that WWE is rebuilding its locker room.
It could very well be said that WWE is enjoying a rebirth, thanks to that locker room, and to the new direction that the company is taking. The Reality Era has become The New Era, and WWE is trusting this next generation of stars to carry the company forward.
Of course merely filing a locker room full of talent is not enough. WWE has handpicked some of the biggest stars the business has seen in the past ten years, and that’s surely been done by design. It’s no mystery that those workers have ascended to the top; the cream always rises, after all.
WWE should feature the best pro wrestlers in the industry, and these five stars are arguably the best in the world.
#5 Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens has the body of an old school pro-wrestler and the mouth of an old school heel. He is a throwback to the days when movie star good looks came in second to overall toughness, and he is more than capable of roughhousing with the best of them.
But he’s also very good in the ring. Owens has an explosiveness about him that belies his apparent physical limitations. He can bounce up off the mat, and he can go airborne better than any man his size, and he can do it with a massive dose of realism.
Owens just looks as though he’s always upset. Whereas other guys seem to be having fun in the ring, KO seems to hate his opponent genuinely. He stops during his matches to work the crowd, which is something the majority of heels really don’t do anymore. He also mocks and ridicules his opponent, which does nothing but draws the ire of the fans.
The crowd wants to love him, but Owens is having no part of it. He is fully immersed in his character, and that character is believably punishing guys in the ring. His contempt for those around him paired with his ring skills; make him one of the best overall talents in WWE.
He can have a five-star match with anyone on the card, which is exactly what the best always do. He can mix it up with guys bigger or smaller than he is, and still make it look good. He’s the WWE Universal champion because of his ability, and the best part is that he’s barely scratched the surface of what he can do.
Owens is better than most because he wants it more. He’s higher on the food chain than most because he’s just that much better. Talent and dedication win out in the end, and those are two traits that KO definitely possesses.
#4 Seth Rollins
When Seth Rollins debuted with The Shield, he was an unknown commodity to mainstream WWE fans. His past as Tyler Black in Ring of Honor was occasionally hinted at, but the focus was primarily on his new faction.
But as The Shield morphed from a heat-seeking trio to a group of next gen main event stars, fans began to see Rollins, the wrestler. He was the go-to performer of the group, the one that carried the match and sold for a bevy of WWE’s heavy hitters.
When The Shield disbanded, fans finally saw Rollins as the wrestler of the future. He became more than just a solid hand; he became the standard for The New Era. He was the example that everyone else followed, as his frenetic pace became the norm for the company.
He took an old school style and translated into a style that suited his strong points. While other Superstars attempt to match him move for move, Rollins has mastered his way of working in the ring. Though some fans have called him dangerous, the fact is that Seth has the respect of his peers, who are going through WWE’s evolution with him.
Rollins calls himself The Man in WWE, and with very good reason. He is the one that the company has invested in, because he has staying power, and because he’s one of the best on the roster.
While WWE booked Roman Reigns as the embattled champion that fought for respect, Rollins was instead entrusted with carrying the strap because he could make it work.The best part about Rollins is that he’s only going to get better, and his best years are ahead of him.
WWE belongs to him and The New Era, but he will surely be the one at the forefront of it all.
#3 Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho is the best all-around talent in WWE because he can do anything. He can change direction and go left when he was initially supposed to go right. He can be the villainous devil that would betray his own mother for a nickel, or he can be the valiant hero that will fight his heart out until he just can’t go anymore.
He can be a fun rock and roller, or he can be a soulless bluesman with revenge on his mind. He can make the fans love him or hate him, with just one promo. Y2J can do all of these things because he’s not only good at what he does; he also understands it better than everyone else.
Jericho gets it. He knows how the game is played and is extremely good at playing it. After a career that has spanned 26 years, six world championships, and main event matches all over the world, it’s understandable if Jericho was not as good as he once was. Time does indeed take its toll on the best of Superstars.
But in Jericho’s case, he’s only gotten better. Instead of trying to fly around like a 20-year-old cruiserweight, Jericho has built his ring work on a foundation of pro-wrestling fundamentals. He is a ring technician that can work a great match with guys half his age, and teach them something at the same time.
Jericho is so good that WWE can suddenly put one of the two major Championships on him at any time and the majority of fans would likely take no issue with it. That’s how much he’s respected for what he’s done and what he can do. Jericho is one of the best of all-time, and he’s still getting it done on a very high-level today.
When the time comes for Y2J to hang up his boots, he definitely has a career waiting for him behind the scenes. He’s too good and much too knowledgeable, not to pass it on to the next generation. Jericho is one of the best of not only yesterday but today and tomorrow as well.
#2 Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura may be the NXT Champion, but many fans desperately want to see him on WWE’s main roster. The reason for that is not just because he’s entertaining, but because he’s one of the best in the world.
His years in New Japan are well documented, and he built a future hall of fame career on his time alone in that company. He fought some of the most skilled wrestlers the industry has ever seen, and he improved with each match.
The Nakamura that fans see before them now is a man that’s already travelled the world. He’s already built his reputation. This Nakamura wants to make history in WWE because he’s got nothing left to prove to anyone. He wants this because he knows he can.
The King of Strong Style is a WrestleMania main event just waiting to happen. He is more than capable of not only bringing the style and flash; he will also bring the skill and the wrestling acumen as well. Nakamura is better than the majority of wrestlers in NXT, and he’s better than a good number of those on the main roster.
All he needs is a chance to show what he can do on the worldwide stage. His time is coming, and when it does, he will show exactly why the industry already considers him to be a mega star. He has everything it takes to succeed, and he will do just that.
#1 AJ Styles
AJ Styles spent an entire career outside of WWE and built himself as the man to beat in the business. Working with him meant working with an artist, and no one would pass up the opportunity to have his name on the marquee next to that of The Phenomenal One.
Now that he’s conquered WWE, that has never been truer. Though it seemed impossible, Styles may actually be better now than he’s ever been before. His work in the ring is poetry in motion, as there is no wasted movement, and everything is done with a purpose.
His style works in any environment because it’s a plausible one; when fans watch him, they feel as though he’s actually trying to win the match. Taking unnecessary risks is not needed, working too fast for fans to keep up is unwarranted, and no amount of sizzle is a substitute for his skill.
AJ Styles is the real deal. Though a generation of fans are and will be inspired by him, no one will ever be like him because he understands the subtle nuances of the game like no one else. He doesn’t see pro wrestling as sports entertainment; he sees it as competition.
Right now, he has no competition. AJ Styles’ championship says he is the best in the world. Fans know him to be the best in the world because that’s exactly what he is.
Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Sportskeeda. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.
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