Earlier this year, the good ship Fighting Spirit Magazine sailed by Captain Brian Elliott had to dock up for a final time. It left behind a legacy of well over a decade of great articles, insights and interviews. We at FSM were also proud to continue on a legacy that was built by those that came before us. In the 90s, Powerslam magazine debuted the PS 50 – their (far more accurate and thoughtful) version of lists such as the PWI 500. The likes of Fin Martin and Mo Chatra put their heads together every annum to produce a year-end list celebrating the best it had to offer.
For me (Alan4L), it was the list where I read names such as KENTA, Naomichi Marufuji and CIMA for some of the first times. It was a list that influenced me as a wrestling fan in so many ways, and it was a list that I was more than happy to carry on the torch for after Powerslam folded. Since 2014, we have deliberated over the FSM 50 and I can promise you I give it more thought than is healthy every time out.
Up until last year, the top spot was dominated by AJ Styles and Kazuchika Okada, but The Ring General WALTER snatched #1 away from them with his blow-away 2018. A year later and we have another first-time winner, and we finally say goodbye to our inaugural winner Styles. We hope you enjoy this countdown from 50 to 1 with some short blurbs about all the men and women included. I know it’s tempting to skip straight to the list, but there are some sneaky match recommendations and other pearls of wisdom you’ll miss out on, so do so at your peril!
Thanks for reading!
THE FSM 50
Your panelists: Six brave men & women of mystery!
Your write-ups: Sarah Flann (@SarahFlann), Case Lowe (@_InYourCase) and Alan4L (@Alan4L)
50. El Hijo Del Vikingo
A breakthrough year for the most talented young flyer in Mexico has drawn comparisons to early-career Rey Misterio Jr., and it’s not been undeserved. Vikingo is a fountain of creativity, seemingly fearless and as fluid on the ropes as anyone. If you only watch one lucha match this year make it Vikingo vs. Laredo Kid from AAA’s June 9th Monterrey show.
49. Jungle Kyona
The glue to Stardom’s talented young roster, Kyona has stepped up with some great main event level performances recently. Her title challenges against Momo Watanabe in March and Arisa Hoshiki in August produced outstanding matches, arguably the best of each opponent’s respective title reigns. With a new era of Stardom beckoning, this is a wrestler that new fans should watch out for.
48. Io Shirai
Her heel turn ended up being the spark needed to turn Shirai into one of NXT’s most entertaining acts. Io has been a revelation since she attacked former ally Candice LeRae in June, immediately finding comfort in her new character, presentation and wrestling style. She was a star performer throughout the Autumn with an outstanding Takeover bout vs. LeRae, the 4 Way on the USA Network debut, her ladder match against Mia Yim and a great showing in the Women’s WarGames.
47. Chris Dickinson
The most compelling story on the US indy scene this year was a very simple one. Chris Dickinson had three months to prepare for Daisuke Sekimoto, so he tested himself every week on Beyond’s Uncharted Territory show against the biggest, baddest & meanest dudes around. This series of excellent matches were all topped by the dramatic conclusion which saw The Dirty Daddy and the Big Japan star tear the house down at Americanrana in an unforgettable war.
46. Shuji Ishikawa
One-half of The Violent Giants with Suwama, the former death-matcher turned AJPW heavyweight cemented his brand of violence on the All Japan product once again this year. As a singles he had excellent Champion Carnival showings against Okabayashi, Miyahara & Zeus. VG bouts against Strong BJ were the highlight of his year though.
45. Kaito Kiyomiya
Occupies one of the toughest spots in wrestling right now. Even though there have been some struggles, NOAH’s GHC Heavyweight Champion can hold his head up high for the efforts he’s put forth in his 12-month reign. His defense against Takashi Sugiura in June at Korakuen sums up his year – he took a licking and kept on ticking!
44. Bandido
The newly crowned PWG Champion & BOLA winner started showing up on everyone’s radar in 2018. With his 1st BOSJ appearance and 5-star matches galore, he showed no signs of slowing down in 2019. The world has been this charismatic luchador’s oyster with performances all across North America, Japan and Europe, a must watch performer.
43. KENTA
Left a world of frustration and disappointment behind him when he got his WWE release. Since debuting in NJPW in June, he’s been one of the focal points of the company. His G1 highlights were his matches with Okada and ZSJ, but it was his heel turn on the last night of the tour that everyone will remember. Is so much more comfortable as a bad guy.
42. Nick Jackson
Nick edges out his brother Matt thanks to his terrific singles match against Rey Fenix. Nick seems to steal the show in every tag match he’s in, whether it be by taunting his opponent or nearly dying on a ladder spot gone wrong. There’s no telling what Nick Jackson will do next.
41. Shotaro Ashino
Before the bell even rings, his aura makes any match worth watching. As good as he is in WRESTLE-1 (check out his match with Seigo Tachibana on June 2nd), it’s time for him to expand his horizons and mix it up with some other companies in 2020. He has the skills and attitude to make anything work.
40. Jonathan Gresham
Another consistent year for The Octopus, which saw him continue to prove what a technical marvel he is. Gresham made his New Japan debut at Honor Rising in February, and earned a spot in the Best Of The Super Juniors after a strong showing. Arguably the PWG MVP off the back of his great matches against Jeff Cobb, Robbie Eagles and David Starr.
39. SHO
SHO had another banger of a BOSJ, his match with Shingo being the talk of the town for days after it took place. We really saw him come into his own during this singles run but still had great tag matches along with YOH, especially throughout the Jr Tag Tournament against the likes of Suzuki-Gun and Coach Rocky and Taguchi. 2020 will be an interesting year for SHO, pending on if we see the break-up of Roppongi 3K.
38. Johnny Gargano
Johnny “Wrestling” didn’t get to do that much of it in 2019. Only 33 matches, 17 which made tape. That said, at this point in his career he’s a quality over quantity guy. The quality was certainly there in his series with Adam Cole which most NXT fans consider epic. Stole Royal Rumble weekend with his insane bout vs. old rival Ricochet.
37. Lance Archer
He’s about to turn 43. He’s a 6ft8 guy who just recently broke his back. He didn’t have a cemented spot in wrestling 12 months ago. Yet here we are and The Murderhawk Monster has just had his career-defining year. A revelation since he became a singles wrestler in NJPW. Killed it with Will Ospreay twice, kicked ass in the G1 and won the US title in October!
36. Takuya Nomura
One of Japan’s rising stars for the past few years finally cracks the list on the strength of his sensational rivalry with Yuji Okabayashi which saw the pair face off in a classic for BJW’s Strong Heavyweight Title. They were also on opposite sides of one of the best tag matches anywhere in the world this year – Nomura & Fuminori Abe vs. Okabayashi & Shigehiro Irie.
35. Shun Skywalker
Started the year with flames in his shoes, winning Dragon Gate’s Young Dragons tournament after a series of killer bouts. No one in professional wrestling can do what he does. The masked man blends drama, flying, and striking in a way that is so unique to him. Skywalker has transitioned from a fun undercard act to a credible main eventer in one year. All eyes should be on him in 2020.
34. Takashi Sugiura
He’ll turn 50 next year and is still one of the most terrifying wrestlers out there. Looking at his physique and the way he still wrestles, it’s becoming harder & harder to disregard claims that he’s a killer cyborg created by the Japanese military. Reach the final of the first-ever N-1 Victory and looked great in doing so.
33. Robbie Eagles
Brought his outstanding rivalry with Ospreay to a close in Australia, where it started. This time it was a New Japan show, and it lead to them joining forces with Eagles taking a spot next to Will in CHAOS. The Birds Of Prey were a breath of fresh air to the junior tag division in the second half of the year.
32. Kzy
Nothing could stop Kzy’s path to greatness in 2019, not even a top rope tombstone piledriver from PAC. The leader of the Natural Vibes unit in Dragon Gate continued to build an impressive portfolio with a number of high-end singles matches. He’s become one of the brightest stars DG has.
31. El Phantasmo
Many were surprised by the push given to ELP right out of the gate in New Japan, but he’s proved himself worthy as one of the promotion’s most effective heels. Had Korakuen Hall in the palm of his hand against Ospreay & Rocky Romero during BOSJ. Won the first-ever Super J Cup to take place in the US.
30. Adam Cole
With many powerful supporters behind the scenes, the current NXT kingpin started to hit a new level of stardom this year. His epics with Gargano were plotted out to perfection, but when he had to go at it in a pinch with Daniel Bryan on Smackdown – he showed he was just as capable in more spontaneous situations.
29. T-Hawk
When T-Hawk split from Dragon Gate in mid-2017, he was looked at as a failure. He never accomplished what was expected of him. He spent most of 2019 holding WRESTLE-1’s top championship, and looked more confident than ever before. 2019 was a year of growth and maturity for T-Hawk as he traveled the wrestling world with Stronghearts.
28. Cody
After a couple of years plying his trade in nearly every promotion in the world, Cody has settled down at home – his home of AEW. The results have been better than anyone could have expected. He has been electrified as an in-ring performer and the battle of the brothers at Double Or Nothing will be remembered long into wrestling’s future.
27. Sareee
A breakthrough 2019 for one of Joshi’s best. The 23-year-old may be a lock for WWE, but she made the most of what could be her final her year in Japan. Twice delivered spectacular matches against the always impressive Chihiro Hashimoto in Sendai Girls, and put on a show in Ice Ribbon against Tsukasa Fujimoto. Watch out for the Uranage!!!
26. Chris Jericho
“Le Champion” has re-invented himself once again in AEW. Has been the perfect choice for the inaugural champ, and has looked great in both his TV and PPV matches against the likes of Cody and Darby Allin. Not to be forgotten is his Tokyo Dome classic with Tetsuya Naito back in January.
25. Kenny Omega
A surprising drop down the list but Omega hangs on to a spot in the top half. There’s undoubtedly something missing with Kenny this year but his bouts with Tanahashi, PAC, Jericho and Moxley can’t be denied especially in terms of his effort. Ventured to AAA for impressive bouts with Fenix & Dragon Lee and back to his old stomping grounds of DDT for some laughs with Antonio Honda.
24. Timothy Thatcher
Thatcher’s 2019 may be his best year yet with quite an eclectic mix of opponents ranging from Yuji Ishikawa to David Arquette. With an excellent wXw title win against Bobby Gunns, an AMBITION Superfight against old foe Oney Lorcan and a superb 3rd bout against new rival Daniel Makabe in 3-2-1 Battle, Tim’s big matches were nothing short of excellent. Has recently hooked up with MLW who seems intent on giving him some spotlight.
23. Jon Moxley
The chains came off and Mox backed up some big words after leaving WWE. Made an instant impact in New Japan, winning the US title in a wild fight at Sumo Hall with Juice Robinson. That momentum continued with a strong showing amongst the best in the world during the G1, including two must-see bouts with Shingo and Ishii. On the other side of the ocean, Moxley has a ton of momentum as he enters into a feud with Jericho.
22. Naoya Nomura
A huge year for the second Nomura on our list! The All Japan version was a man possessed in both his challenges of Triple Crown champ Kento Miyahara. He proved in those bouts that he has championship potential and can be a flag bearer for the historic company. Tore the house down on multiple occasions during the Champion Carnival and the Real World Tag League where he teamed with Jake Lee to make it to the final.
21. Masaaki Mochizuki
Masaaki Mochizuki does not age. At 49-years-old, Dragon Gate’s ironman showed no signs of slowing down. Mochizuki started the year slugging away with Shuji Kondo to honor Dragon Gate’s 20th anniversary, and the hits only continued to come after that. Mochizuki stepped up to Dragon Gate’s newest generation and delivered classics against Shun Skywalker and Ben-K this year. He’s as good as anyone this century. Mochizuki is a special wrestler still capable of producing greatness.
20. Dragon Lee
Was the happiest wrestler on earth whilst holding the IWGP Junior Title in New Japan during the Spring, and it showed in his performances. The talented luchador had the opportunity to main event Wrestling Dontaku in May, and he made the most of it, defending his belt against Taiji Ishimori in a great match. Was one of the star performers of the Best Of Super Juniors, blowing the roof off Korakuen Hall in a MOTYC with Shingo. Dropped his gold to Will Ospreay in Osaka at Dominion and left it all in the ring.
19. SANADA
A big year of elevation for the LIJ man saw him challenge for the IWGP title twice against Kazuchika Okada. Both title matches were very good, but topped by their NJ Cup final and G1 bout which saw SANADA get his lone victory of the rivalry. On the tag front, SANADA & EVIL lost their titles early in the year but they were still one of the key teams in World Tag League where they had the best two bouts of the series against Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI and the final against FinJuice.
18. Jay White
*breathes in, breathes out* Yes, time to breathe with the Switchblade. Whether you like him or not, Jay White had a stellar 2019 and kicked it off with a bang against Okada at the Dome and followed that up with an IWGP title win against Tanahashi in an underrated bout in February. He added more stellar matches to his resumé throughout 2019 against the likes of Okada, Ibushi and Naito, proving he’s one of the top performers in NJPW and at only 27 years old, it seems he will be for a very long time.
17. WALTER
2018’s number 1 drops out of the top 10 but with a severely decreased schedule (136 matches down to 67) that is hardly surprising. The great matches he did have clearly showed there has been no regression when it comes to his skill and ability to tell a great story. He had classics with old rivals Jordan Devlin and David Starr, and showed the NXT world what he was all about in his Takeover match with Tyler Bate in Cardiff. Made the most of his Sumo Hall experience with Big Japan too.
16. Ben-K
Dragon Gate’s chosen one finally ascended to the top of the throne this year. After an undefeated King of Gate tournament, handing PAC his first singles loss in nearly two years, and two MOTYC’s at the end of the calendar year with Masaaki Mochizuki and Naruki Doi, Ben-K firmly established himself as a prized commodity. One could argue he’s not even in his prime, yet he’s already accomplished more than what most wrestlers can dream of.
15. David Starr
In his third appearance on the list, Starr cracks the top 20 and he did so in style. A masterful year of storytelling which saw him ply his trade all over the independent landscape. He’s become one of the most controversial wrestlers in the sport, but nobody can deny that he’s also one of the hardest workers. He gave his all whether it was in an Ironman war with Joey Janela at Americanrana for Beyond, or in his crowning moment at OTT when he defeated Devlin in an unforgettable classic. As much as Starr as worked to cement his legacy, he’s done just as much to bring others up with him – the most recent example being his incredible performance with the inexperienced, but ridiculously talented Leyla Hirsch.
14. Fenix
The high flying half of the Lucha Brothers keeps a firm grasp on his top 20 spot from last year. One of the most eye-catching wrestlers in the world and now as one of the most showcased talents on AEW, he’s getting to display his talents to a much wider audience. Tore the house down on TV against Nick Jackson and Private Party, and blew everyone’s mind on PPV with the jaw-dropping Ladder Match blow-off against The Bucks.
13. Zack Sabre Jr.
After four top 10 finishes in a row, ZSJ finally drops a few steps in a quiet year by his glorious standards. He still racked up more than his fair share of excellent bouts with his rivalries against Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi being a focal point of his year. He may not be to happy with the political climate of his home nation, but he had the opportunity to show the Best Of Britain in an outstanding G1 Climax bout against Will Ospreay.
12. Jordan Devlin
Once again knocking on the door of the top 10 is The Irish Ace who regained his OTT title in a thriller at The National Stadium. After conquering WALTER, his feud with former partner David Starr took center stage but Jordan had other notable performances against young Calum Black on an OTT Contenders show, and on NXT UK against A-Kid. It will be very interesting to see what 2020 holds for Jordan now that he’s gone from OTT (for how long?).
11. Tetsuya Naito
An up and down year for Naito. Mostly that was in terms of his character progression, but there were some disappointing in-ring performances too. When you take a step back though and look at all the insanely great matches he still had, it tells the story of a guy who can still deliver with the best of them. All three matches with Kota Ibushi, his G1 masterclass with Shingo and his Dome match with Jericho were of the highest order.
10. Daisuke Sekimoto
Just wow. This man seems like he can barely move at times, and then the bell rings and Jesus Christ he’s just amazing. He’s spent the last decade proving himself to be world-class, but this past year was when he made himself a true legend. 166 matches (among the highest number in the world) on a set of tyres that are worn ragged, all over the globe including wXw, Fight Club Pro, Beyond, PWG BOLA, AIW and GCW. At home in Japan, he was his usual great self in Big Japan where he celebrated his 20th Anniversary, but also in Zero 1 and All Japan where he held singles and tag gold respectively. A true warrior.
9. Hiroshi Tanahashi
From one legend to another. It’s the same old story with Tanahashi – we’re all writing him off and saying “this year, this is the year he can’t go anymore” and then he makes us look like idiots. Was at the top of the world when he defeated Kenny at Wrestle Kingdom in a legendary Tokyo Dome main event, and whilst he lost it in his first defense Tana still packed a ton of quality into his year. KUSHIDA’s going away match was perfect, the tags with old rival Okada by his side were a ton of fun and in the G1 he put over Ospreay in a glorious bout at Budokan Hall.
8. Yuji Okabayashi
Just as he did in 2015, Yuji Okabayashi comes back from a year-long injury hiatus and immediately puts himself firmly back in contention as the best wrestler in the world. Nobody carries the fire and emotion into the ring that this man does. It’s a quality that makes a good match great, and a great match a MOTYC – and boy did he have plenty of those. Back to back five-star matches in a random hotel in Sapporo during the Champion Carnival against Dylan James & Zeus, a belter with Miyahara in Korakuen, the Nomura title defense in Big Japan and his sensational performances alongside Irie in the BJW tag league. What a portfolio he put together.
7. PAC
As so many wrestlers continue to present themselves as hobbyists and amateurs, PAC’s first full year away from WWE restrainment was a year of professionalism and excellence. The Bastard dominated on three continents, with great matches in the UK for RevPro and OTT, a strong showing in All Elite Wrestling, and an old school, dominant world title reign in Japan’s #2 company, Dragon Gate. PAC flew into the top tier of greatness with his 2019. If you haven’t seen his bout from Riptide with Cara Noir, you need to change that stat! (it’s free on Youtube).
6. Tomohiro Ishii
The gift that just keeps on giving. Another year in the books and another year of Tomohiro Ishii making a serious case for himself as the ultimate “workrate candidate” in the WON Hall Of Fame. Helped elevate Taichi with their excellent three-match program and had another MOTYC with Okada, but the highlights of the Stone Pitbull’s year were clashes with two new foes in Jon Moxley and Shingo. Those two bouts were two of the gems of this year’s G1.
5. Kota Ibushi
Seemingly at a loose end in his career following his Tokyo Dome loss to Will Ospreay, Ibushi left his fans wondering what his future held. However, in February all became abundantly clear as he made an emphatic declaration that he would be NJPW until the end. Ever since then he’s been unstoppable, winning the IC title in Madison Square Garden and the G1 Climax for the first time. 2019 was an amazing year for the Golden Star but in may have just been a precursor for what’s around the corner.
4. Kazuchika Okada
Okada gets right back into the top 5 after falling just outside in 2018. In a year where attention was spread in many directions, The Rainmaker quietly had himself another terrific annum. His Wrestle Kingdom and MSG bouts with Jay White were awesome (and very different), he elevated SANADA in a major way and he has a pair of barnburners in the G1 with Ospreay and Ibushi. Felt like the King Of The World at Royal Quest when he held court in the Copper Box after defeating Minoru Suzuki in one of the best matches ever on British soil.
3. Kento Miyahara
Triple Crown champion all year long, and what a reign he’s had. Kento’s been The King Of Korakuen with most of his stellar defenses happening in that historic building. There was the blistering battle with KAI in January, Nomura in March and September, Ishikawa in May, Yoshitatsu in June, Jake Lee in October and that’s just the title matches. He also had MOTYC’s there during the Champion Carnival against Okabayashi & Lee, and a couple of bangers with his partner Yuma Aoyagi during Real World Tag League.
2. Shingo Takagi
Nobody could have envisioned Takagi’s move to New Japan working out so well …. even his biggest supporters (cough). However 2019 has seen the 37-year-old prove that he was never a big fish in a small pond – he was, and is someone that can go anywhere in the world and elevate the standard. Shingo Takagi is a guy that raises bars. He makes his opponents better, he makes shows better and he puts his heart and soul into every match he has. We saw the best ever BOSJ, and arguably the best ever G1 – both in large part due to The Dragon. An incredibly satisfying year for those of us who have been championing this man for nearly 15 years.
1. Will Ospreay
It really is poetic. The very first FSM 50 in 2014 saw young Will Ospreay grab the bottom spot on the list. From 50 he climbed…..
- 2015 – 20
- 2016 – 3
- 2017 – 6
- 2018 – 3
And now in 2019, The Aerial Assassin hits number 1. All six of our panelists had Ospreay at the top of their list. It was as clear cut as it could be. No matter how great the other contenders were (and they were great), Ospreay was undeniable. Whether it was against juniors in BOSJ, heavyweights in the G1, or as a tag team with Robbie Eagles, he just kept on racking up the great matches. His level of output was honestly silly, and it’s probably never going to be matched. Ask ten people their favorite Will match of 2019, you could easily get ten different answers. What a special, once in a lifetime wrestler he is.
Honorable Mentions
CIMA: The junior heavyweight legend performed on the biggest stages of his career this year. Between freelancing in Japan, Mexico, and America, most notably for All Elite Wrestling, CIMA bounced around the globe and continued to produce greatness. Even at his age, few are capable of doing what he can do.
Chihiro Hashimoto: The top wrestler in Sendai Girls got to expand her horizons into DDT this year, mixing it up with the men and looking great in doing so. An incredible athlete with a legit badass aura.
Black Taurus: If there is a wrestler with a better look than the human bull lucha rudo, please let us know. As eye-catching as he is, he gets better when the bell rings. A brute of a wrestler who stole the show in countless promotions making his smaller lucha colleagues look incredible as a great base (when he wasn’t obliterating them!).
Rocky Romero: One of NJPW’s most heart-warming stories this year was seeing Rocky prove he still had the goods to go at a high level in the ring. In both BOSJ and Super Junior Tag League, he had fans on the edge of their seats willing him on.
U-T: His year was cut short in May due to an injury, but up to that point he was on track for the top half of this list. His highlight was a dramatic Open The Brave Gate Championship match against Susumu Yokosuka in his hometown at DEAD OR ALIVE.
The FSM50
- Will Ospreay
- Shingo Takagi
- Kento Miyahara
- Kazuchika Okada
- Kota Ibushi
- Tomohiro Ishii
- PAC
- Yuji Okabayashi
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
- Daisuke Sekimoto
- Tetsuya Naito
- Jordan Devlin
- Zack Sabre Jr.
- Fenix
- David Starr
- Ben-K
- WALTER
- Jay White
- SANADA
- Dragon Lee
- Masaaki Mochizuki
- Naoya Nomura
- Jon Moxley
- Timothy Thatcher
- Kenny Omega
- Chris Jericho
- Sareee
- Cody
- T-Hawk
- Adam Cole
- El Phantasmo
- Kzy
- Robbie Eagles
- Takashi Sugiura
- Shun Skywalker
- Takuya Nomura
- Lance Archer
- Johnny Gargano
- SHO
- Jonathan Gresham
- Shotaro Ashino
- Nick Jackson
- KENTA
- Bandido
- Kaito Kiyomiya
- Shuji Ishikawa
- Chris Dickinson
- Io Shirai
- Jungle Kyona
- Hijo Del Vikingo
Honorable Mentions: CIMA, Chihiro Hashimoto, Rocky Romero, Black Taurus, U-T.
ALL THE OTHER VOTE GETTERS!
- A-Kid
- Akira Tozawa
- Arisa Nakajima
- Brandon Thurston
- Cavernario
- Chad Gable
- Chris Brookes
- Daniel Bryan
- Daniel Makabe
- Darby Allin
- Dominic Dijakovic
- Drew Gulak
- El Lindaman
- EVIL
- Fuminori Abe
- Go Shiozaki
- HARASHIMA
- Hirooki Goto
- Isami Kodaka
- J.D. Drake
- Jacob Fatu
- Jake Lee
- Jeff Cobb
- Juice Robinson
- Kaito Ishida
- Kassius Ohno
- Katsuhiko Nakajima
- Keith Lee
- Konosuke Takeshita
- Kris Statlander
- Kyle O’Reilly
- Laredo Kid
- Lucky Kid
- Matt Jackson
- Matt Riddle
- Meiko Satomura
- Minoru Suzuki
- Nick Gage
- Pentagon Jr.
- Ricochet
- Roderick Strong
- Scotty Davis
- Speedball Mike Bailey
- Susumu Yokosuka
- Suwama
- Taichi
- Taiji Ishimori
- YAMATO
- YOH
