Thursday, January 14, 2016

ESO-PRO presents the Wrestling Weekday Top 10 Wrestlers of 2015: Honorable Mentions Part 6

As we prepare to reveal the wrestlers at number one and two later today and tomorrow, it is time to look at the final five wrestlers that didn't quite make it into our Top 10. These names might serve to throw a few people's guesses for those top two positions into disarray.

Image credit: NJPW.
15. Shinsuke Nakamura: I was the sole voter for Nakamura, but I strongly suspect that won't be the case in 2016. Easily one of the most gifted in ring competitors in the world today, he has a natural charisma that breaks all language barriers as well. The King of Strong Style has one of the fastest, hardest hitting styles in pro wrestling and matches between him and the likes of Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins would be dreams come true.


Image credit: WWE.com.
14. Brock Lesnar: I have heard more than one person guess his name as one of the final two names for this list, but Lesnar's votes were only a bit higher than his Wrestlemania opponent Roman Reigns. Despite having a pair of stellar matches to kick off the year at the aformentioned Wrestlemania and before that at Royal Rumble (in my personal choice for second best match of the year), the non-finish against Seth Rollins hurt him, as I suspect did the two matches against Undertaker that were more about hype than great quality. Lesnar still probably has the best match quality of anyone on the planet, but that's helped by only wrestling a handful of matches in 2015.

Image credit: AAA.
13. Angelico: I hoped that the South African high flyer would find his way into the Top 10, but he couldn't quite score the traction Pentagon Jr or Prince Puma did. Easily the most death defying high flyer on television today, Angelico wowed fans as a third of the Trios Champions with his uncanny jumps off higher and higher parts of the Temple. Joe Crowe succinctly sums it up: “The Lucha Underground temple is a playable environment. Angelico's crazy dives from the office to the ring were mind-blowing.”

Image credit: WWE.com.
12. Charlotte: While she had a great 2014 in NXT, Charlotte floundered through the first half of the year as part of that roster, even if she was a part of some truly great matches. Her call up to WWE seemed to crown her automatically as the next in line for the title, more because of her lineage than any skills that placed her above Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks. The heel turn as the year ended has helped her gain back some of the traction she's lost in the last few months, which should help move her back higher in these ranks next year.

Image credit: NJPW.
11. Kazuchika Okada: If there's one wrestler in the world I believe more people should seek out and watch, it is Okada. The reigning IWGP Heavyweight champion has been on fire throughout 2015 and has put on great match after great match against Tanahashi, Styles and about half of the rest of the New Japan roster. His Rainmaker clothesline makes a simple short-arm clothesline look like the most devastating move in the world. He certainly has came along way since TNA wasted him for years on Xplosion and later as "Okato".

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