My Take On 4.24.13: My Top 10 Favorite Performers (Currently)

WELCOME!
Welcome back to another edition of My Take On! Yeah, I’m back again. Basically I am covering some columns for Gavin Napier as he takes some personal time away from 411. We hope to have Gavin back soon and writing his usual top 10 column. But until that time, I will be covering for him with my own version of the top 10 column. I previously covered the the top 10 matches from the WrestleMania 29 weekend as well as the top 10 disappointments from the WrestleMania 29 weekend. This week I will keep it simple, and list the top 10 wrestlers I currently enjoy watching the most. It is simple, and I hope that you take the time to share the performers you currently enjoy the most. Keep in mind I said “performers,” not wrestlers.

BY THE WAY: I will take suggestions for future top 10 lists, so leave suggestions in the comments section.

AND NOW….

My Top 10 Favorite Performers at This Time

#10. Mark Henry

I start off the list with Mr. Mark Henry. Now I will be the first to admit that I have not always been the biggest fan of Mr. Mark Henry. He has had a long career, with many ups and downs, embarrassing bookings, demotions to developmental, and sometimes uninspired work. But in 2011 I became a big fan of Mr. Mark Henry. Always use Mr. when referring to him, ask Sheamus what will happen if you do not. In 2011, Henry was one of the best-booked wrestlers in the industry. When WWE was getting ready to “shake up the rosters,” they decided to make Mr. Mark Henry a heel and they decided that he would get a big push on Smackdown. But instead of being cute and coming up with an overly contrived angle, they kept things simple. They took a guy that was once recognized as the strongest man in the world, and they had him destroy low-level guys. They then had him “injure” two established, fan favorite wrestlers that were perceived as monsters in Kane and Big Show. And since that time, when Mr. Mark Henry walks onto my TV screen, I know that he will talk shit, asses will be kicked and wigs will be split. Mr. Mark Henry isn’t fancy, his matches aren’t pretty and he sure the hell doesn’t do a bunch of “flippity doos” in the ring. But the man is booked like a monster, and is entertaining as hell.

#9. Cheerleader Melissa

Cheerleader Melissa is absolutely my favorite female performer in all of wrestling. She is beautiful, she is charismatic and she is great in the ring. While her parting ways with TNA was great for fans of wresting, due to the variety of opponents that she has been able to work with in SHIMMER, it still amazes me that TNA dropped the ball with her during her run there. To be honest, when SHIMMER announces their lineups, I am always anticipating her matches being announced, and most times, they are the reason that I buy the DVD. Again, while TNA really missed with her while they had her under contract, it was the gain of wrestling fans. Simply watching her matches in SHIMMER has been worth it, and at this time, there is no doubt in my mind that she is my favorite female performer in all of wrestling as well as the best all around female performer in all of wrestling. And now she had turned heel in SHIMMER, and a whole new world of possibilities have presented themselves, and I for one cannot wait to watch.

#8. Ricochet

Ricochet made my 2012 list of top PPV performers, and he is already off to a good start in 2013 to make that list again. Ricochet is a guy that I have followed for some time, but hadn’t always been able to see a ton of his in ring work, and when I did, it was on a very delayed basis. But in 2012, thanks to Dragon Gate USA and EVOLVE iPPV, I got to see him on a consistent basis. And that has continued in 2013. At this time, he is my favorite high flyer in the business. During the WrestleMania 29 weekend, he had a good match with AR Fox at EVOLVE 19, he was an important part of the Dragon Gate six-man and also had an awesome singles match with Akira Tozowa that was one of the top matches of that weekend. The man is amazing to watch, is only getting better and is ONLY 25 years old. I know that when I watch a Ricochet match, I will see something amazing athletically, and that he may very well steal the show. The guy is simply fun to watch.

#7. Kevin Steen

One thing that you may notice on this list is that these performers are largely very different in look and styles. Take Kevin Steen, the man doesn’t “look” like a champion, he doesn’t “look” like a man that would be on top in any company and he doesn’t “look” like he is a great performer. And Kevin Steen will tell you that himself if you listen to any if his shoot interviews. He admits that he could and should be in better shape and that is the reason why he is not in WWE. But with all of that being said, Kevin Steen is a tremendous performer. His feud with El Generico was one of my favorite feuds over the last few years, his run as ROH Champion was very good and the man delivers on the mic and in the ring. Again, the guy “doesn’t look” like he can go, but as far as performing in the ring, the man is a truly great performer. The man worked well with a wide variety of opponents, not only in ROH, but also in PWG. I know that Steen isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but when he is in on a wrestling show, it is pretty much a guarantee I will be watching.

#6. AJ Styles

For the past 10-years I have known certain things are certain in life. They are death, taxes and the fact that AJ Styles has been the shining light of TNA. Now don’t get me wrong, over the years Daniels, Aries, Joe, Roode, Angle and others have all been great for the company and have provided me with great moments, but AJ Styles has been the guy that has always been there. From the beginning when he was failing at being an effective heel, but still delivering the best matches all the way through the Claire Lynch angle, where he was still delivering some of the best matches in the company, AJ has always been there and has always been great. The best thing about AJ is one of those guys that if you have followed his whole career has really improved. He went from a guy that heavily relied on “spots” to a guy that realized what spots were over, and learned when to use them for the maximum effect. AJ Styles, whether he wanted to be or not, is Mr. TNA. From the early das in the X-Division and being NWA Champion to his fun as hell tag team run with Daniels, his feud with Daniels, and even through the silly shit like Prince AJ; he has always busted his ass and has always been one of if not the very best part of TNA.

#5. CM Punk

It’s funny to me, CM Punk was a guy that people rooted for when he was an Indy guy and they wanted him in the WWE, and he finally got the WWE call. And then they said he was wasted in developmental and that he was great and that he would never get a real shot in WWE. And then he got a real shot and people said he could do better and that WWE was failing. AND THEN he held the WWE Title for over 400 days, had some great matches, cut good promos and was paired with Paul Heyman and they got everything that they wanted; and now he sucks. I always think that it is funny when that happens, and it happens all the time when someone gets popular. Call me a Paul Heyman guy; call me a CM Punk guy; but he is one of my favorite guys going today. I like Punk because he is different; he succeeds in the land of the giants when he was supposed to fail. The man has proven himself time and time again, and the bottom line is that he entertains me. Again, I know that it is cool for some to rebel against the guy, and for those saying he doesn’t deliver and is stale, just look at WrestleMania. Punk vs. Undertaker was the only thing that really delivered on that show. I don’t get the whole “hate the guy you’re supported for years” thing, but to each their own; CM Punk is still very entertaining to me.

#4. Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano is a guy that I have followed for some time, and he went from a guy most thought was just a comedy guy to an excellent tag team performer; but in 2012, he really blossomed as a singles worker, and the top act for EVOLVE and Dragon Gate USA. He has been the Open the Freedom Gate champion for 500 days now, and is the man in the EVOLVE-DGUSA Universe. I think as a wrestling fan it is always an awesome thing to watch a guy that you are a fan of grow as a performer and truly become a great professional wrestler. I know when ever I see Gargano, whether it be in a wacky tag team match as part of F.I.S.T. in CHIKARA, or as the newly minted heel of Dragon Gate USA; I know that I will be entertained, and that I will likely be seeing one of the best matches of the show.

#3. Bully Ray

Do you know who he is? I think people finally do by now, and that is a great thing. I have been a fan of Bully Ray’s singles run for some time, and while many mocked it because, “they didn’t buy a Dudley boy as a singles guy,” the fact is that he has been delivering for some time. Go all the way back to when Jeff Hardy came out fucked up on PPV and Bully was added to Immortal, and that is where it started. The guy has gotten himself into the best shape of his life, he cuts great promos and he has been very good in the ring. But most importantly, he is a REAL heel. He is an unlikable asshole with no redeeming values, and that is why it works. Many times you hear guys like Mick Foley and others say that the best heels are the ones that believe that they are 100% justified in all of their actions, and that is Bully Ray. And thankfully people are finally seeing this, and appreciating the work the man is doing at the age of 41. Add in the fact that he almost single handedly has made the Aces and 8s angle watchable and even enjoyable, and it is hard not to like this man as a performer.

#2. Paul Heyman

If you noticed above, I stressed that this list was “performers,” and not just wrestlers. And that is where Paul Heyman comes in. Sine his return to WWE, he has been nothing but spectacular. He’ll take a beating, he’ll cut a great promo, and he is simply always on. Just look at last week’s Raw, where is did a classic old school sell for a basic cage match. Most people will shit on a basic cage match these days, but Paul Heyman was able to whip the fans into a frenzy in one short promo. The man is so insanely talented, and whenever he is on TV, that segment becomes must see TV for me. But it is not just the promos and such that he is so great at, but his actions at ringside are second to none. First of all, Heyman never takes away from the matches; no sir, he adds to them. From his verbiage to his facial expressions and reactions, Paul Heyman has become a valuable asset to the company outside the ring during matches with Punk and Lesnar. While I have liked Brock Lesnar’s return to a degree, the best thing that happened with his return is that he got Paul Heyman to come with him.

#1. Hiroshi Tanahashi

This is where I get shit because “I picked a Japanese guy” for the top spot, but the honest truth is that Hiroshi Tanahashi is easily the guy I enjoy watching the most these days. The guy is the definition of “can’t miss,” because when the man main events, he always delivers the best match on the card. Tanahashi has worked the main event of three NJPW iPPV events this year (against Kazuchika Okada x2 and Karl Anderson) and all three of these matches have been match of the year candidates. If you go back to last year’s iPPVs, Tanahashi was doing this then as well. I say again, without hesitation, that Hiroshi Tanahashi is the best professional wrestler on the planet Earth at this time. It has been so long since someone has not only delivered at a main event level like this, but he is also a major reason for the rejuvenation of the New Japan product. If you’re a fan of just great wrestling matches, I cannot suggest Hiroshi Tanahashi enough. Take some time, hit up Youtube, buy a NJPW iPPV; you will not be sorry.

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BONUS COVERAGE

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Larry Csonka is a Pisces and enjoys rolling at jiu jitsu class with Hotty McBrownbelt, cooking, long walks on the beach, Slingo and the occasional trip to Jack in the Box. He is married to a soulless ginger and has two beautiful daughters who are thankfully not soulless gingers; and is legally allowed to marry people in 35 states. He has been a wrestling fan since 1982 and has been writing for 411 since May 24th, 2004; contributing over 3,000 columns, TV reports and video reviews to the site.