Best Professional Wrestlers In Terms Of Pure Skill

Every wrestling fan has a list of their own favorite wrestlers and who they believe to be the best of all time. A handful of names might pop up on quite a few different people's lists, but no one person's picks are identical to another. Looking over the vast history of professional wrestling, there have been countless names that rank among the best in the industry based on the level of their skill between the ropes.

They range from athletes who are technical wizards with 1000 different maneuvers or skilled grapplers who can suplex, throw, and stretch their opponent any way they want. Let's go through the years and take a look at some of the best wrestlers (based on their skill alone) who have graced wrestling rings for companies like WWE, WCW, NJPW, AEW, and fans' televisions.

Charlotte Flair Has Taken The Crown

Famous For Her Work In The WWE

Much like her father before her, Charlotte Flair seems to have a natural ability in the ring that many wrestlers do not. Whether you believe every title reign she has had was warranted, she is the most decorated women's champion in the history of the WWE.

Her stints in the promotion have simmered down a bit, seeing her return for a few matches at a time before taking a break once again. It was at her peak though that fans got to see a glimpse of the skill and talent that Charlotte holds.

Rey Mysterio Is The Greatest Underdog

Still Is Considered The Best Cruiserweight Of All Time

With a career spanning four decades, Rey Mysterio has proven that he is without a doubt one of the greatest cruiserweight wrestlers. His skill and popularity saw him break out of that division and become a constant challenger in the World Title division in the WWE.

During his time away from the WWE, Mysterio showcased his worth by appearing in New Japan, Lucha Underground, and AAA, where he was treated as a legend. This culminated with Mysterio finally being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2023 while remaining an active wrestler.

Owen Hart Was Taken Far Too Soon

Owen Hart Is Arguably The Most Talented Wrestler In The Hart Family

One of the best wrestlers to have ever come out of the infamous Hart Dungeon, Owen Hart was a once-in-a-lifetime performer that many have compared to his brother Bret. Some argue that Owen was better all-around due to his mic abilities, an aspect of the business Bret has often been criticized for, and in-ring performances.

Owen sadly never reached the same heights his brother would in wrestling in terms of championship success and overall legacy. The King of Harts is fondly remembered for his amazing matches in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and the WWE before his untimely passing.

Nigel McGuinness Deserved So Much More

Famous For His Work In Ring Of Honor

If given more time to be a professional wrestler, Nigel McGuinness would have easily cracked the top ten of best of all time. His in-ring skill is comparable with names like Bryan Danielson and Bret Hart, but Nigel sadly never got the chance to reach the same heights that those other two legends did.

McGuinness' reign with the ROH Pure Championship alone made him stand among the greatest of that promotion, with a total of 17 title defenses against names such as Claudio Castagnoli, Samoa Joe, and Roderick Strong.

Chris Jericho Is A Living Legend

Famous For His Work In Multiple Promotions

Chris Jericho has been everywhere and done almost everything possible. His time as a cruiserweight in WCW made that division as important as it ever got. He went to WWE and immediately stood toe to toe with greats such as The Rock and Steve Austin, and he even ventured to Japan and had a massively popular feud against Kenny Omega.

Continuing to work under the AEW brand, where he became their inaugural World Champion at All Out in 2020. Since working with AEW, Jericho also had the chance to work for the Ring of Honor promotion, where he also captured their World Championship.

The Great Muta Invented Countless Moves

Became One Of The First Big Japanese Wrestlers In The US

Keiji Muto, best known as The Great Muta, has worked almost everywhere possible during his career, including runs at the top of New Japan, All Japan, and Pro Wrestling Noah. Despite the success in his native Japan, Muta decided to venture to the United States where he had a working relationship with WCW and was able to feud with some of their top names, such as Sting, Ric Flair, and Lex Luger.

Not settling on just being a top talent wherever he worked, Muta also invented a lot of wrestling moves that are commonly used today, like the Muta Lock and the Shining Wizard. His career was so impressive that he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame despite never working with the promotion.

Asuka Outworks Her Peers

Has Become One Of The Greatest Women's Wrestlers Ever

There are not many wrestlers that can compare to Asuka. Starting her career in 2004, Asuka has managed to become one of the most decorated wrestlers in the industry, having captured titles in Japan and the US. Her work in WWE alone proves why she is one of the greatest, with her time in NXT being a particular highlight.

Her work has drawn praise from names like Dave Meltzer, who said in 2015 that she may be the best worker in the WWE, man or woman. In 2021, WWE themselves declared that she is one of the top 5 greatest female superstars of all time.

Dean Malenko Is Vastly Underrated

Famous For His Work In WCW, ECW & WWE

Another name that should have achieved so much more during his time. Dean Malenko put on some of the best matches in the 90s while working in promotions like WCW, ECW, and the WWE. Malenko never became a World Champion in any promotion he worked for but was ranked as the Pro Wrestling Illustrated number one wrestler for 1997, beating names like Steve Austin and Mitsuharu Misawa.

Malenko also served as an inspiration for names that would later become amazing performers in their own right. After retiring from wrestling, Malenko joined WWE as a road agent where he worked for 18 years before joining All Elite Wrestling, where he currently works as a senior producer.

Shawn Michaels Was A Workhorse In His Prime

Had Two Legendary Runs In The WWE

The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels, is a legend beyond most. His work in WWE eclipses many others who have worked in multiple promotions as the company was heavily invested in him due to his popularity and incredible in-ring performances. PWI gave him Match of the Year eleven times between 1993 & 2010, plus Match of the Decade twice for WrestleMania 24 and 26.

As noted above, Shawn Michaels was also the first wrestler to achieve the Grand Slam in WWE and the fourth to achieve the Triple Crown. HBK has been noted as having one of the best retirements in wrestling, even if that didn't technically stick. His return match against The Undertaker & Kane at Crown Jewel 2018 was awful, but the retired Michaels still ended up being the best worker in the match that night.

El Santo Is Still Worshipped In Mexico

Not Just A Wrestler, But A Pop Culture Icon

A name that fans that aren't super familiar with Lucha Libre might not hear often, El Santo, the biggest star in Mexico for quite some time. The legend was far from just a wrestler, however, he would star in 54 movies ranging from 1958 to 1982.

His actual in-ring skill was something to be admired as well. The man wrestled like no one else around him and performed as he would have fit in a more modern era. El Santo held countless championships during his time, including the NWA World Middleweight Championship and the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship.

William Regal Is Cunning, Technical, And Hilarious

Famous For His Work In WCW & WWE

William Regal is easily one of the most underrated performers in all of wrestling as his in-ring skills surpassed most of his fellow superstars, but the man also was a comedic genius and could captivate audiences with his words.

Regal famously worked with WWE after leaving in-ring competition behind, helping run the WWE Performance Center and working with the younger talent coming into the company and the NXT brand. He also briefly helped All Elite Wrestling, where he worked on-screen with Jon Moxley to create the Blackpool Combat Club.

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat Deserves More Credit

His Work In WWF And WCW Were Beyond Great

It is highly likely that if you were not someone who grew up in the era when Steamboat was wrestling, and you wanted to check out some matches from that period, someone has steered you toward a Steamboat match or two. His feuds with the likes of Rick Rude, Randy Savage, and Ric Flair have become the stuff of legend due to how amazing these matches were.

Steamboat is a name that often gets overlooked due to mostly only holding mid-card championships during his career, despite making those belts credible and often feuding for the top prize.

Manami Toyota Elevated Joshi Puroresu

Has Become Considered The Greatest Women's Wrestler

Without Manami Toyota having the career she did, it is highly unlikely that the world would have been introduced to many Japanese women's wrestlers. Companies like World Wonder Ring Stardom and Dream Star Fighting Marigold would not be what they are now without Toyota becoming a legend.

Her work with legends like Akira Hokuto, Aja Kong, and Toshiyo Yamada makes up one of the greatest bodies of work that the wrestling world has ever seen.

"The Nature Boy" Ric Flair Was A Once In A Lifetime Talent

Flawless With A Mic And Between The Ropes

There is not much that needs to be said when speaking about how great and vital Ric Flair is to professional wrestling. The man was the top name in WCW for a vast majority of the promotion's lifespan and has held at least sixteen World Championships.

Not just in-ring but on the microphone, Flair can captivate an audience in a way not many can. Flair's career spans over 50 years and, in that time, the man has proved he deserves to be considered in the top echelon of professional wrestlers.

"Macho Man" Randy Savage Was Far Ahead Of His Time

Could Easily Fit Into Any Era

Becoming one of the biggest names in the sport alongside titans such as Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, and Ric Flair, Randy Savage truly showed that he was a cut above the rest, as he was putting on classics with the likes of Ricky Steamboat and Flair in a company and a time when in-ring quality was not a huge factor.

Savage could easily be placed into any particular era of professional wrestling and any company, and become a top name. His charisma was through the roof and his in-ring skill was non-comparable to his peers.

Kenta Kobashi Could Carry Anyone To A Good Match

Famous For His Work In All Japan & Pro Wrestling Noah

Besides his often partner and rival, Mitsuharu Misawa, one of the greatest talents to ever come from All Japan Pro Wrestling is that of Kenta Kobashi. Kobashi had amazing matches against the rest of the four pillars and traveled outside Japan to wrestle amazing matches against talent like Samoa Joe.

His work in Pro Wrestling Noah also stands out as the most impressive body of work in that promotion. Kenta held the GHC Heavyweight title for 735 days, the longest reign with that belt.

Mitsuharu Misawa Was The Essential Pillar

Famous For His Work In All Japan & Pro Wrestling Noah

One of the greatest to ever do it, Mitsuharu Misawa is considered by many to be the best wrestler ever. The match that Misawa had against Toshiaki Kawada on June 3rd, 1994 has been cited as one of the greatest matches of all time alone.

Misawa only worked for two major promotions, All Japan and Pro Wrestling Noah, and held both company's top prize on multiple occasions. The amount of awards Misawa has from companies like Tokyo Sports, Wrestling Observer Newsletter, and Pro Wrestling Illustrated is countless, just furthering the claim that he might be the greatest to ever lace up a pair of boots.

Kenny Omega Is A Five-Star Machine

Kenny Omega Was Named "The Best Bout Machine" For A Reason

Currently, working today, there are very few wrestlers better than Kenny Omega when he tries his best. His style of wrestling has taken a massive toll on his body, and he has admitted that he can't continue the way he is for much longer, but the body of work he has given fans is impressive, to say the least.

Becoming a major star in promotions like New Japan and AEW, Omega has captured numerous titles and headlined some of those promotions' biggest events.

AJ Styles Is Simply Phenomenal

A Legend Of WWE, TNA & NJPW

For the longest time, AJ Styles was the name that fans wanted to see wrestle in the WWE because of the great matches he had during his time in Impact Wrestling, alongside Christian Cage, Kurt Angle, and Samoa Joe. Styles' accolades outside of championships include titles such as Wrestler Of The Year for PWImultiple times and Wrestlers Of The Decade in 2020.

Styles would also accomplish feats such as becoming a Grand Slam champion in both Impact Wrestling and WWE. Other legends, including Steve Austin and The Undertaker, have given Styles praise, calling him titles such as "the best wrestler on two feet" and "probably the best in the business".

Eddie Guerrero Was Perfect As A Heel And Face

"Latino Heat" Was Taken From The World Too Soon

There aren't many fans that could draw the ire of fans like Guerrero in WCW or the love of an audience like his later work in the WWE and Mexico. Eddie Guerrero has been the inspiration for countless wrestlers, like Mercedes Mone and Cassie Lee.

Much like AJ Styles after him, Guerrero has earned countless amounts of praise from co-workers, such as Ric Flair calling him one of his top 10 opponents or Chris Jericho saying he was the best performer in the world when he was on.