With the first half of 2025 in the rearview mirror, it’s time to reflect on professional wrestling’s greatest triumphs over the past six months.
Yesterday, we examined the 20 best matches of 2025, so far. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the 10 best wrestlers. Before we begin though, we have to establish a few ground rules:
In Bret Hart’s estimation, professional wrestlers can be holistically evaluated based on three criteria: how good they look, how well they wrestle, and how well they talk. For years, I ascribed to his system of evaluation, while additionally weighing factors like championships won, strength of title reign, and drawing ability in these sorts of rankings.
However, I’ve found that there’s an intellectual dishonesty in those arguments—that are often made in bad faith. For example, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre doesn’t emphasize championships, as the fulcrum of its creative decisions.
Then, there’s the matter of how well a pro-wrestler can talk. Claudio Castagnoli has often said that he speaks six languages: English, French, Italian, German, Swiss German, and wrestling. That’s because the latter is a universal language. Whether a wrestler is performing an interview or a headlock, it’s all in service of telling a story. However, the latter can be judged unilaterally—whereas I don’t speak Japanese or fluent Spanish.
So, the basis of this list will be the performer’s body of work in the ring. There’s a difference between input and output, though. While the output is important, it’s their individual input that truly determines their value.
So, without further ado, here are the 10 best wrestlers of 2025, so far…
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Kyle Fletcher
Recommended matches
– vs. Mark Briscoe (2/8)
– w/ Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kenny Omega & Will Ospreay (2/15)
– vs. Will Ospreay (3/9)
– vs. Mark Briscoe (4/6)
– vs. Hangman Page (4/30)
Last year at “WrestleDream,” Kyle Fletcher tragically betrayed his former friend, Will Ospreay—reaffirming his commitment to the Don Callis Family. The moment proved to be an inflection point in Fletcher’s career. Visually, he shaved his long hair and exchanged his crop tops for a more ostentatious wardrobe. In the ring, the “Protostar’s” forgone the super-junior style he developed in RevPro and NJPW for something far more robust.
Fletcher carried his new persona into 2025 with a force, continuing to further distinguish himself as both a heel and rising star. His pair of matches against Mark Briscoe and war with “Hangman” Adam Page were both tremendous single’s performances. He shined alongside Konosuke Takeshita at “Grand Slam: Australia,” against Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega. However, it was his instant classic against Ospreay at “Revolution,” that really separated Fletcher as one of the 10 best wrestlers of 2025.
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Mercedes Moné
Recommended matches
– vs. Mina Shirakawa (1/5)
– vs. Harley Cameron (2/15)
– vs, Momo Watanabe (3/9)
– vs. Athena (4/16)
Mercedes Moné’s 2024 campaign finally gained a little traction towards the tail end of the year, thanks to a pair of matches in AEW against Kris Statlander and her match in NJPW against Hazuki. Moné carried that momentum into 2025 and hit the ground running with a match against Mina Shirakawa at “Wrestle Dynasty.”
From there, Moné’s had a series of entertaining matches against the likes of Harley Cameron, Momo Watanabe, Athena, Kanji, Jamie Hayter, and La Catalina. While the high-points of Moné’s year haven’t quite reached the heights of a Kyle Fletcher, she’s assembled an impressive body of work—proving her eminence against a myriad of opponents.
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Mistico
Recommended matches
– w/ Titan & Atlantis Jr. vs. El Barbaro Cavernario, Hechicero, & Soberano Jr. (2/7)
– vs. Averno (2/28)
– vs. Averno (5/27)
– vs. MJF (6/18)
Mistico is one of the most beloved babyfaces in all of professional wrestling, having forged an unbreakable bond with CMLL’s faithful. And, despite being 42-years-old with over 27 years of in-ring experience, Mistico is still one of lucha libre’s greatest performers.
Much of that can be attributed to Mistico’s self-awareness and keen understanding of his own gravity. It’s the same quality that Dusty Rhodes or Hulk Hogan possessed, at the peak of their powers. Mistico knows that his presence has weight, so he doesn’t indulge in repetition. Whether he’s the recipient of a hot tag in a trios match or selling the effects of an armbar—there’s no wasted energy. Whether it’s the myriad of phenomenal tag team matches that he’s competed in or his single’s work against El Barbaro Cavernario, Averno, and MJF—Mistico’s 2025 campaign has been delightful.
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Zack Sabre Jr.
Recommended matches
– vs. Ricochet (1/5)
– vs. Hechicero (1/11)
– vs. Hirooki Goto (2/11)
– vs. Jonathan Gresham (4/17)
Zack Sabre Jr. is one of the most unique performers in all of professional wrestling, whose flexibility and aptitude for grappling is second to none. And, there’s something about his style that tickles an itch in my brain. Not only do I find it aesthetically pleasing, but his ability to constantly exchange holds is suffocating—constantly applying pressure to his opponents in a way that offers little-relief.
Sabre began the year as the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion; the culmination of nearly a decade’s worth of work in New Japan Pro Wrestling. His 2025 campaign began with a pair of main-event matches in the Tokyo Dome, against Shota Umino and Ricochet. Less than a week later, he faced Hechicero at Battle in the Valley. The highlight of his year came at The New Beginning in Osaka, where he played the role of antagonist against Hirooki Goto.
Sabre hasn’t slowed down since losing the IWGP title, though. He had a remarkable pair of matches with Jonathan Gresham at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport and Maple Leaf Pro; a standout against Timothy Thatcher for DEFY Wrestling; and strong performances against Ryohei Oiwa, Taichi, and David Finlay in the New Japan Cup.
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Ricochet
Recommended matches
– vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (1/5)
– vs. Swerve Strickland (3/9)
– vs. Kenny Omega and “Speedball” Mike Bailey (4/6)
– vs. Mark Briscoe (5/25)
No performer has defied my expectations in 2025 more than Ricochet. When the “Highlight of the Night” arrived in AEW at last year’s “All In London,” his presence felt rather redundant—when compared to the likes of other junior-heavyweight phenoms like PAC or Will Ospreay. However, during the Continental Classic, Ricochet’s failures began to mount—until something snapped.
Today, many heels suffer from an unwillingness to be embarrassed. Ricochet has rejected modernity and chosen to embrace tradition—suffering from the same grand delusion that all the great heels of antiquity have. In the ring, he’s willing to show vulnerability and allow his opponents to embarrass him—despite all of his athletic gifts and supposed-bravado.
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Chihiro Hashimoto
Recommended matches
– Meiko Satomura (3/19)
– Maika (4/27)
– w/ Aja Kong vs. Meiko Satomura & Manami (4/29)
– w/ Mika Iwata vs. Cosmic Angels (5/31)
Chihiro Hashimoto is the daughter of New Japan legend Shinya Hashimoto and current-ace of Sendai Girls, a joshi promotion founded in 2005 by pro-wrestling legends Meiko Satomura and Jinsei Shinzaki. Trained by Satomura, Hashimoto has become the centrifugal force of Sendai Girls—constantly in command of its top single’s title, the Sendai Girls World Championship.
While Sendai Girls doesn’t have the same foothold in the western world that STARDOM or Marigold have, the consistency of the promotion’s in-ring product is undeniable. And, much of their success this year can be attributed to Hashimoto—who’s had great performances, both in single’s competition and in tag team action.
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Konosuke Takeshita
Recommended matches
– w/ Kyle Fletcher vs. Kenny Omega & Will Ospreay (2/15)
– vs. Kenny Omega (3/9)
– vs. Will Ospreay (4/16)
– vs. Oleg Boltin (6/15)
Konosuke Takeshita’s case is two-fold:
The first, is how expansive his body of work has been. Takeshita has already competed in 44 matches this year, which is absurd for an AEW star. Then again, Takeshita is also signed to New Japan and DDT, so it’s no surprise that he’s worked at a breakneck pace.
The second are the incredible heights he’s reached. Takeshita has had standout performances against Shingo Takagi, Tomohiro Ishii, Orange Cassidy, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Oleg Boltin. However, it was his herculean efforts against Kenny Omega at “Revolution” and Will Ospreay at “Spring BreakThru” that propelled Takeshita into the upper-echelon—proving that the “Alpha” has ascended to pro-wrestling’s elite.
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Meiko Satomura
Recommended matches
– vs. Sareee (1/23)
– vs. Chihiro Hashimoto (3/19)
– w/ Sareee vs. Chihiro Hashimoto & Yuu (4/16)
– w/ Manami vs. Aja Kong & Chihiro Hashimoto (4/29)
“A flame burns brightest just before it goes out.”
In Sumo, the rank of yokozuna is the highest honor that a rikishi can obtain. In professional wrestling, Meiko Satomura is known as the “Yokozuna of the Women’s Wrestling World.” For three decades, she shed blood, sweat, and tears—becoming one of the preeminent stars of the 21st century. However, in 2024, Satomura announced that her career was nearing its end, and she would be retiring in spring 2025.
Spring has great significance in Japanese culture. The cherry blossom is the country’s national flower, blooming in early April and lasting only two weeks. Their beauty is a reminder of the impermanence of all things.
Satomura’s career ended on April 29 in Korakuen Hall, where she had gone to war so many times before. She was joined by her protege, Manami, in a tag team match against her longtime rivals, Aja Kong and Chihiro Hashimoto. The match was a poignant end to the “Yokozuna’s” storied career: surrounded by the past, present, and future of joshi that Satomura is entrenched in.
Satomura didn’t coast to the finish line though. Instead, she sprinted—staging an epic battle with Sareee at “Sareee-ISM: Chapter VI” and Chihiro Hashimoto, for the Sendai Girls World Championship.
It’s hard to imagine that Meiko Satomura will still be eligible for this list, by the end of 2025. Here at the halfway point though, it’s hard to deny Satomura’s oeuvre.
Long live the “Final Boss.”
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Sareee
Recommended matches
– vs. Utami Hayashishita (1/3)
– vs. VENY (1/17)
– vs. Meiko Satomura (1/23)
– vs. Syuri (3/10)
– vs. w/ Meiko Satomura vs. Chihiro Hashimoto & Yuu (4/16)
Sareee is a freelance wrestler, who self-promotes and produces her own events, known as Sareee-ISM. This year, she’s held two Sareee-ISM events—delivering two incredible performances against Meiko Satomura and Syuri.
Sareee has also been afforded the opportunity to wrestle for a myriad of other joshi promotions: including Marigold, STARDOM, and Sendai Girls. In fact, she began the year as the Marigold World Champion, losing the title to Utami Hayashishita on January 3. Since then, Sareee won the IWGP Women’s Championship, in a highly anticipated rematch against Syuri. To put that into perspective for American wrestling fans, that feat would be akin to holding the WWE Women’s World Championship and the AEW World Championship within the span of six months.
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Will Ospreay
Recommended matches
– vs. Kyle Fletcher (3/9)
– vs. Konosuke Takeshita (4/16)
– vs. “Hangman” Page (5/25)
– vs. Swerve Strickland (6/11)
Will Ospreay stood at the pinnacle of professional wrestling in 2024, and while his 2025 campaign hasn’t quite reached the heights of last year’s—he’s still head and shoulders above the pro-wrestling world.
Before we begin, though, I admit that Ospreay’s shortcomings aren’t lost on me. His junior-heavyweight style can be repetitive and often requires too much obvious cooperation. That still doesn’t change the fact that Ospreay is simply operating on another level.
His high’s are extraordinarily high, like his performances against Kyle Fletcher, Konosuke Takeshita, and “Hangman” Adam Page. However, it’s the breadth of his catalogue that is so staggering. His single’s encounters against Buddy Matthews, Brian Cage, Bryan Keith, Kevin Knight, and Swerve Strickland were all memorable performances. He’s also been involved in a myriad of fun tag team matches, whether it’s his wars with the Don Callis Family, in the $400,000 eight-man tag team match, or at “Grand Slam: Mexico” against The Death Riders & Young Bucks.
Not only has Will Ospreay been AEW’s uncrowned king, but he’s the best professional wrestler of 2025.
Honorable Mention
- Shinya Aoki
- “Hangman” Adam Page
- Syuri
- Kenny Omega
- Hirooki Goto
- Mark Briscoe
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