Weekly Pro Wrestling Rankings November 8
1. Brock Lesnar
He was supposed to leave, right? He was moving onto UFC, right? The WWE Universal title belt was going to be back on television on a weekly, consistent basis, right? The Champion was going to headline live events, right? WRONG. Once again, Brock Lesnar proves to be the biggest bully in pro wrestling when it comes to what fans expect and what they actually receive. Lesnar went to the ring at Crown Jewel and, after Baron Corbin attacked Braun Strowman, captured the Universal title with relatively ease. Not only is the Universal title again gone like the wind, but it was a win so one-sided that it may have taken Teflon Braun Strowman and scorched how fans see him going forward. Drop all assumptions. Lesnar defines all expectations.
2. AJ Styles
With a victory over Samoa Joe to retain the WWE Championship in one of the few highlights of an infinitely lackluster WWE Crown Jewel event, Styles is ready for the WWE Survivor Series, where he will defend the honor of Smackdown against Raw's Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. Styles has had a great series of performances and wins in recent weeks and has provided Smackdown with a strong nucleus. He's going to hit the ground running against Lesnar at the Survivor Series, but will Brock be the wall that even the high-flying Styles can't scale? That's what has fans speculating.
3. Drew Mcinytyre
If there is one talent in professional wrestling today who may possess every single attribute necessary to be the man in pro wrestling, it's likely Drew McIntyre. Whether it be intensity, finesse, or all out star power, there is something undeniable about McIntyre. This week, WWE management seemed to get on board with those views, presenting McIntyre as an absolute killer who out-wrestled former gold medalist and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle in every way, shape or form, right down to using his own finishing moves and submission against him to score the victory. McIntyre is not presented as the cowardly villain of old. Instead, he's a modern-day ass-kicker. It suits him well. He's going to be the top talent in WWE one day. There's no denying work ethic and he has it spades.
4. Dean Ambrose
Why Dean, why? That's been the question that WWE announcers, fans and even Ambrose's former Shield brother Seth Rollins continue to ask following Dean's attack several weeks ago? No answers have been forthcoming, adding to the intrigue and interest in the storyline. With yet another attack on Rollins this week as well as Dean's decision to sacrifice the Raw Tag Team Championship, Ambrose continues to stoke the fire. Fans want answers. Instead, Dean is providing violence. That's what a great villain does, and Ambrose appears to be well on his way to a resurrection in the FITE rankings.
5. Becky Lynch
There was a time and place where Becky Lynch was the modern-day equivalent of WWE Hall of Famer Tito Santana. Like Santana, Lynch was a well thought of performer in the locker room who was a respected cog in the machine, but not one of the driving forces. Like Santana, she was there to have competitive, entertaining matches and make others look good. Unlike Santana, however, Lynch broke the mold. Now, she is the straw that stirs the entire drink of the women's division in all of WWE. Raw Champion Ronda Rousey may have the media glory, but Lynch has the street credibility. As the stars come ever closer to colliding at Survivor Series, Lynch has become more of an aggressor than ever before, taking down Rousey verbally and promising to push her like the former UFC star has yet to be tested. Lynch is talking a big game, but the best of part of it is everyone, even Rousey, knows she can back it up tenfold.
6. The Young Bucks.png
With it appearing ever more likely that the Elite era of the Young Bucks in Ring of Honor is coming to a close, every match has become far more important and far more intriguing. The potential farewell tour kicks off this week on FITE with Ring of Honor's Global Wars tour with a series of what has to be looked at as dream matches that might never, ever take place again - battles against Tetsuya Naito & SANADA, Bully Ray & Silas Young, The Kingdom, Jay Lethal & Jonathan Gresham and more. The Superkick Party has always been a major part of the ROH experience here on FITE, but the final hours of that rave may already be in effect as the timer ticks ever closer to January 2019 and a new chapter in the lives of Nick and Matt Jackson.
7. Jay Lethal
With Ring of Honor Final Battle and next year's G1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden on the horizon, ROH World Champion Jay Lethal steps into the Global Wars tour this week on FITE seeking to remind everyone that he is the best pro wrestler in the world. With big matches against Kenny King, The Young Bucks, Chris Sabin, LIJ and more, there has never been a more varied group of talents for Lethal to show his talents with and make a statement over the course of one weekend. Lethal has big tests against him this week and the output of his matches will set the tone for his 2019, which looks to place him on an even grander scale.
8. Mart Scurll
The Villain scored one of the biggest wins of his career over the weekend, capturing the 2018 Ring of Honor Survival of the Fittest on FITE. This has to be seen as placing him in the front runner's position for Jay Lethal's ROH World Championship. With the potential change-over in talents for ROH as contracts become due, Scurll is locked in place well into 2019, making his win even more valuable. He's the type of talent a company builds around and with his eclectic following, he'll be an even bigger force to be reckoned with in the days to come. Be forewarned, there will be lots of broken fingers in the future for Scurll's ROH opponents, live right here on FITE.
9. Nikki Cross
If there is one female star that WWE fans have petitioned to make it to the promotion's main roster, it's the unorthodox madness of Nikki Cross. Tremendously charismatic and engaging in the most twisted ways, Cross has been one of the true standouts for WWE NXT in recent months, even after the departure of the rest of Sanity to the Smackdown brand. Separated, fans bemoaned the fact that Cross was left behind in WWE developmental while also unhappy with how underutilized Sanity had been after their call-up. This week on Smackdown Live, all those criticisms seemed to have been answered when Cross shockingly appeared out of nowhere to confront and challenge Women's Champion Becky Lynch in Manchester, England. While Cross did not achieve victory in her debut on Smackdown, the huge roar she received for her debut is a great consolation prize. Having kicked the door open, Cross is ready to terrify everyone she finds on the other side, making Smackdown an even more interesting show to follow. With Sanity united, anarchy will follow.
10. Nick Aldis
With Cody apparently in the rear-view mirror after their NWA 70 battle here on FITE, NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis is lining up challengers for his throne. At Wrestlecade over Thanksgiving weekend LIVE right here on FITE, Aldis faces the challenge of former WWE World Champion Jack "Jack Swagger" Hager. Beyond that, he has championship defenses against the likes of Billy Gunn, Brandon Scott and more. Aldis has worked to enhance the credibility of the NWA brand with every performance, every interview and every victory. Cunning and impactful, every maneuver, every word has a deeper meaning beneath the surface. Aldis should not be ignored and neither should the NWA.
By: Mike Johnson
Every week here at FITE, we feature the Top Ten ranked personalities in the world of professional wrestling. Unlike other combat sports, pro wrestling cannot be measured in just wins and losses, especially when the drama and excitement of the genre is specifically based around not just the physical performance, but the excitement level created by its combatants. Thus, our top ten measures the most newsworthy performers in the business, who's momentum drives not just their own career paths but the promotions they compete for.
Mike Johnson is the lead reporter for PWInsider.com and has been writing about professional wrestling since 1996. He can be found on Twitter @MikePWInsider and MikeJohnsonWrites.com.