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.
1. Ronda Rousey
The WWE Raw Women's Champion has always been a controversial figure, but this week, she took it to the next level, decimating Nikki and Brie Bella during a promo on Monday Night Raw. Invoking her past DNB mantra designed to inspire women to step forward, Rousey vivisected the Bellas and their claim of moving WWE's Women's Evolution forward in a stirring, passionate segment. The segment was so great, it immediately raised interest in the WWE Evolution PPV and created a more bitter rivalry between the two stars. Rousey has always courted controversy, now she's going to use it make a lot of cash as she steps into the Evolution PPV main event.
2.Johnny Impact
At Bound for Glory this past Sunday, John Hennigan stepped into the ring for what had evolved into one of the most personal matches of his career against Austin Aries. In defending his wife's honor, Impact also captured one of the biggest wins of his career, walking out the new Impact Wrestling Champion. While Austin Aries' status with the company is questionable going forward, Impact made a big statement on Impact TV, promising to defend the title against all comers, setting the stage for Rey Fenix to become the first. Impact has always been one of the most athletically gifted talents to ever compete in professional wrestling, but now he gets to showcase himself as the centerpiece for Impact Wrestling.
3. Cody
The NWA Champion will defend his title this Sunday on FITE against former Champion Nick Aldis in a Best of Three Falls encounter live from Nashville, TN, but the son of Dusty Rhodes rocked the professional wrestling world this week when he took to Twitter bemoaning the state of those running professional wrestling. With his ROH contract running out, that's an interesting, aggressive statement to make when one considers Cody has to be deciding what the next step of his career will be. As is the norm with his career, Rhodes is swinging for the fences and that creates a lot of interest for his title bout this Sunday.
4. Drew Mcinytyre
The Angry Scottsman has had enough. Since returning to the WWE's main roster, Drew McIntyre has been on a tear, destroying opponents, but he's also been the support for Dolph Ziggler and now Braun Strowman. On Monday Night Raw this week, the storyline that ran the length of the broadcast revolved around Dean Ambrose's standing with the Shield. By the end of the night, it was McIntyre who ended up laying out Strowman with the Claymore Kick and leaving Ziggler abandoned in the ring. Has Drew finally broken off? Is he on the verge of becoming a hero for the company? Will all be illogically forgotten in a week? There's been a lot of momentum behind McIntyre's intense work in WWE and now there's a lot of speculation about his direction moving forward. All of this makes McIntyre climb the FITE rankings.
5. Tessa Blanchard
Impact Wrestling's Bound for Glory is always a platform for talents to rise to occasion, but when the second-generation star took to the ring against Taya Valkyrie in New York City, Blanchard ascended to the heavens. Whether it was her ring entrance or her cunning victory over Taya, Blanchard commanded the attention of the room and ended up stealing the show away on a loaded PPV broadcast. As her war with Taya rages on, Blanchard has already scored the victory that comes with establishing herself as one of the best in the world.
6. Becky Lynch
If there is a better villain in World Wrestling Entertainment then Becky Lynch, FITE would like to hear that argument. Once again, Lynch makes the most of every appearance and opportunity, as she did on the WWE Smackdown 1000 broadcast this week, going as far as to mock WWE Hall of Famer Adam "Edge" Copeland's career-ending neck issues. As she charges into her Last Woman Standing match at WWE Evolution against Charlotte Flair, Lynch has become not just the definitive female talent, but the definitive villain in all of WWE.
7. Braun Strowman
He's not finished with you yet! This past week on Monday Night Raw, Braun continued his reign of destruction against The Shield leading into his title bout against Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman. He was the centerpiece of multiple segments and main evented Raw in a six-man tag team bout. By the end, the cliffhanger wasn't just what would happen next against Roman but what would Strowman's response to being hit with the Claymore Kick by Drew McIntyre. As fans wait with baited breath, Strowman continues to stand tall as one of the top performers in professional wrestling.
8. Rey Mysterio
It probably wasn't as long or as impactful as he would have preferred, but Rey Mysterio officially returned to World Wrestling Entertainment this week, defeating United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura to quality for the company's World Cup tournament. It was a moment fans have been waiting for since the master of the 619 shocked the world with a Royal Rumble appearance this past January. Now that he's back in the loving arms of WWE, what will the next move be for the most celebrated luchador of this era? That's what fans are waiting to see next.
9. Nick Aldis
When it comes to the National Wrestling Alliance, all the attention has been on Cody. He was the man victorious at All In. He is the one who's future has been the subject of debate and speculation. He's the one causing massive ripple effects with each Twitter bomb. He's the one on CW's Arrow. However, like every great villain, Nick Aldis has been silent, plotting, waiting. Like every great movie monster, he's lurking in the shadows, waiting for that moment to strike and slash down the hero. This Sunday in Nashville, Aldis should not be discounted. He's had a career of surprising and shocking moments and FITE viewers may stand witness to the latest when he challenges Cody in a Best of Three Falls match.
10. Sami Callihan
It's the season of the witch and if there is one Impact Wrestling talent who generates pure evil from every pore of his body, it's Sami Callihan. At Bound for Glory, FITE viewers saw firsthand how Callihan shockingly defeated X-Division Champion Brian Cage during the OVE Rules six-man tag team war. Now, Callihan is gunning for that championship gold himself. He's left blood and entrails behind in every step since coming to Impact a year ago and now he has a title in his sights. These are the moments that change a career trajectory forever. We haven't seen the last of Callihan climbing the FITE rankings, leaving blood splatters in his wake.
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.
