FSM 50 2021: The 50 Best Wrestlers in the World (2024)

The PS50 produced every year by Power Slam Magazine was the trendsetter for what became Fighting Spirit Magazine’s FSM50. That is now Voices of Wrestling’s FSM50 (2019 & 2020) and it strives to keep the spirit of its predecessors alive.

The goal of the list is to be as well-informed and wide-ranging as possible. Our panelists, take it all much too seriously – just as the great Mo Chatra and others did 18 years ago when they were mulling over decisions like where to place YOSSINO in the 2003 PS50, or 24 years ago when deciding who should get the final top ten spot for 1997 – DDP or El Samurai?? Decisions, decisions.

2021 was another strange year for wrestling, but it did feel more “normal” than last year. There was no extended hiatus like we had pretty much worldwide when the pandemic started, and the number of empty arena shows was minimal. In the US, the major companies started touring again in front of some hot crowds, and the indies have rebounded far better than many would have anticipated. Japan still suffers from the strange atmosphere of clap crowds but there is some incredible talent emerging nonetheless, and they made their impact felt. Mexico and Europe still have a lot of repairing to do with companies like CMLL and PROGRESS having zero momentum. Those scenes may improve next year but it remains to be seen how much of a factor they’ll be on future lists.

We hope you enjoy this breakdown of all 50 wrestlers (and some honorable mentions) with some short blurbs about each of their years. I know it’s tempting to skip straight to the list, but there are some sneaky match recommendations and other pearls of wisdom you’ll miss out on, so do so at your peril!

Thanks for reading!

Your panelists: Seven brave men & women of mystery! (You can try to figure them out based on our initials but we can’t confirm nor deny!).

Yours sincerely,

SF, JL, JG, CL, RK, AC and IH.

The 2021 FSM 50

50. Kota Minoura

Ever since Dragongate resumed running after their initial pandemic pause, Kota Minoura has defeated every big name that the company has thrown his way. As the #2 in Masquerade, Minoura has brought out the best in the roster whether it be in singles or trios matches this year. (CL)

49. Serena Deeb

The comeback that nobody saw coming. The Woman Of 1,000 Holds rarely put them to use in the six years before joining AEW in 2020, but she has quickly established herself as one of the elite wrestlers in the world. Her 2021 matches with Riho and Hikaru Shida in particular showed how talented she is at using her technical skills to tell some brilliant stories in the ring. (AC)

48. Kento Miyahara

Times are tough for All Japan Pro Wrestling, but you wouldn’t know it watching one of the most energetic and charismatic stars in the business. Miyahara has continued to be every bit the Ace his promotion needs. Whether it’s his big singles matches or his great tag team with Yuma Aoyagi, AJPW would be lost without him. (AC)

47. Britt Baker

Baker went from strength to strength in 2021, winning the AEW Women’s title from Hikaru Shida in May. She had an incredible series of matches with Thunder Rosa, most notably the Lights Out match on 11th March on Dynamite, and also had a number of strong defenses of her title against the likes of Kris Statlander, Tay Conti and Ruby Soho (SF)

46. Miro

What a difference a year makes, as once Miro dumped Kip Sabian and went solo he turned into a different beast. His run with the TNT title was one of the highlights of 2021. Delivered in every title match he had, bringing something different to AEW’s roster. His title defense against Eddie Kingston at All Out was the standout of the reign. Miro lost the title prematurely to Sammy Guevara, but still had one last great match to cap off his year against Bryan Danielson. You would expect 2022 to be a huge year for the ultimate wife guy. (SF)

45. Tom Lawlor

“Filthy” Tom is the backbone of New Japan Strong. The Strong Openweight Champion made that belt feel instantly credible with his war against Chris Dickinson in May. He topped that with his intense feud with Fred Rosser culminating in one the year’s best matches in December – a must-watch for fans of classic hate-filled professional wrestling. (AC)

44. Syuri

Bringing her legitimate MMA background (which includes three UFC fights) to the Stardom ring, the former freelancer is now locked in as one of the group’s biggest stars & most unique wrestlers. Was a key player in both the tag scene with Giulia, and as a main event singles act. Her grueling bouts with Utami Hayashish*ta and Maika were must-see. (AC)

43. Davey Richards

It was hard to know what to expect after a four-year layoff, but the return of Davey Richards proved to be a pleasant surprise in more ways than one (who saw that shockingly good Twitter game coming?) for a depleted American indie scene that desperately needed a workhorse. Richards traveled coast to coast, often putting over local champions, and raising the game of anyone he stepped into the ring with, with crisp work and logical match structures, all while training a new crop of killers in his St Louis gym. (JL)

42. Ricky Knight

“It’s dead,” they declared. While the British scene is clearly rebuilding, RKJ is certainly the guy worthy of Rev Pro hanging their hat on. RKJ won the vacant Southside title on the first show back with fans and has been intrinsically linked with Will Ospreay throughout 2021. Britain’s next international star? When borders open, probably… (IH)

41. Utami Hayashish*ta

One of the most prodigious talents to come into wrestling in the past decade. 2021 was the year Utami went to the next level, very much in sync with the tremendous growth of Stardom as a company. The Queens Quest leader isn’t known for one specific strength in terms of in-ring style, but she has the confidence & aura that only embodies true main event talents. (AC)

40. Takashi Sugiura

The sun comes up, the sun comes down, and Takashi Sugiura will keep doing what he does. Maybe the most consistent wrestler on the planet, defying the aging process and still churning out world-class performances. His tag team with Sakuraba is shockingly enjoyable, and their title match with The Aggression was a must-see. (AC)

39. Adam Cole

If years of NXT had led to you forgetting that Adam Cole was great, his jump to AEW was the perfect wake-up call. In a more natural pro wrestling environment, Cole immediately thrived and has been one of the promotion’s best all-rounders since September. On the packed chess board that is the AEW roster, he has the potential to be one of the most impactful pieces. (AC)

38. Robbie Eagles

Robbie Eagles was one of the bright lights in NJPW this year. Had a huge win against El Desperado at the Tokyo Dome in July, winning his first IWGP Jr title. He defended that title against the star of the division, Hiromu Takahashi, before dropping it back to El Desperado in November. You could now consider him one of the workhorses of the division, putting in consistently great matches, and he can slot anywhere on the card. (SF)

37. Christian Cage

Christian may not have outworked EVERYONE as his shirt and catchphrase may say, but given his seven-year layoff, Cage’s 2021 was awfully impressive. His two featured singles matches with Kenny Omega stand out, but Cage had some impressive matches against the likes of Ace Austin and Josh Alexander in Impact Wrestling and was able to adapt to a role as the sixth or eighth guy in several AEW multi-man matches. (RK)

36. Kota Ibushi

Ibushi’s year started out brilliantly with him standing tall after Wrestle Kingdom, defeating both Tetsuya Naito and Jay White over the two nights. After he dropped the title to Will Ospreay, for most of the rest of the year Ibushi was plagued with illness before returning at the G1 Climax. He spent most of that tournament getting back to fighting shape, and delivering a great bout with Shingo before an unfortunate injury caused him to forfeit the final to Okada. Still though, Ibushi’s top matches warrant his inclusion on this list. (SF)

35. Kaito Kiyomiya

Kiyomiya dragged everything he could out of Keji Muto when they faced off for the GHC title in March 2021, which he really should’ve won. He shined bright during Cyberfest in the incredible cross-promotion tag match along with Yoshiki Inamura against DDT’s Konosuke Takesh*ta and Yuki Ueno. Kiyomiya went through a sort of reinvention in the second half of 2021, with a fresh look and even more tenacity in-ring which has proven to be a good move for him – having a strong N-1 against the likes of Kenoh and Takashi Sugiura. (SF)

34. Yuji Okabayashi

With Big Japan not getting many eyeballs these days, Okabayashi’s typically excellent performances were in danger of going under the radar. His inclusion in DDT’s Grand Prix changed all that, as he lit the tournament up with fantastic bouts against the likes of Kazusada Higuchi, Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA. He snuck in with one of the matches of the year on December 26th when he challenged DDT’s champ Konosuke Takesh*ta in an absolute barnburner. (AC)

33. Masaaki Mochizuki

With Dragongate putting their focus on their young stars, 51-year-old Mocchy is allowed to put his feet up when he’s in his home ring. But the man loves pro wrestling way too much for that and supplemented his busy DG schedule with another strong year in NOAH where he again competed in the N-1, and even won the GHC National Title in a fierce match with Sugiura. (AC)

32. MJF

MJF’s reputation as one of wrestling’s great talkers obscures the fact that MJF is also one of the sport’s best wrestlers. Plain and simple, MJF just gets it. From the moment the bell rings, the 25-year-old controls the ring and is a throwback to a time when less was more and an economy of moves and spots told the story of the match. You need to update your talking points if you’re still saying MJF is a great talker but not a great in-ring worker. You’re just flat-out wrong. (RK)

31. Zack Sabre Jr.

His G1 may have fizzled out, but ZSJ reminded us all that he’s not just a tag guy. Taking the credit for Tetsuya Naito’s G1 exit, ZSJ also earned himself a shot at Shingo Takagi – but weirdly the most notable thing in his 2021 may well be that surprise exhibition with Shibata at the Tag League finals. (IH)

30. Jason Lee

Dragongate’s glue guy. Jason Lee might never be put in a position to challenge for the top spot in the company, but Lee is as good as anyone on the roster. I made the claim this year that he is the best junior heavyweight in Japan right now and I stand by it. (CL)

29. Jungle Boy

It’s been nothing but upward momentum for the 24-year-old since he joined AEW at the outset of the company, and 2021 was his best year yet. Whether it was a main event World Title match with Omega, a crazy tag against The Bucks, or having a showcase squash on Dark, JB always delivered and is firmly established as one of AEW’s “Four Pillars”. (AC)

28. El Desperado

El Desperado really rose to the occasion, becoming the face of the Jr division with Hiromu out with injury for the first half of the year. Despy really delivered in every singles match he was presented with, most notably his special anniversary match with Ibushi, a BOSJ tournament match with Hiromu and the Dome match with Robbie Eagles. Expect Despy to continue to be the glue that holds the NJPW Jr division together. (SF)

27. Tomohiro Ishii

Ishii every year is a sure bet to deliver consistently good to great matches, and 2021 was no different for the Stone Pitbull. Along with Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI, he brought excitement (maybe for the first time ever) to the NEVER Six-Man titles and delivered great performances in yet another G1 Climax, most notably against Shingo Takagi, arguably the best match of the tournament. (SF)

26. WALTER

A quiet 2021 saw WALTER wrestle just eleven matches – and almost half of them on house shows. As you’d expect, what did make tape was excellent – from the highs of the Ilja Dragunov match at Takeover, while outings vs. A-Kid and Cara Noir for NXT UK and wXw also impressed. (IH)

25. Jeff Cobb

His G1 run will be in almost all the headlines – being the first man to score 16 points in a modern G1 perhaps softened the blow that was losing to Kazuchika Okada. 2022 will be interesting if Ospreay returns to Japan – will Cobb be pushed into the tag title picture for the United Empire? (IH)

24. Konosuke Takesh*ta

Takesh*ta really went on a journey throughout 2021, featuring a (too) short of a stint in AEW at the beginning of the year, a short-lived tag title run with stable mate Shunma Katsumata, and finally got the better of new rival Jun Akiyama to win the KO-D Openweight title at Peter Pan. Takesh*ta has really come into his own, growing even more versatile than he was in 2020, showcasing this against the likes of Yuji Okabayashi, Yuki Ueno and Chris Brookes. (SF)

23. Josh Alexander

Josh Alexander should be a lot higher on this list. There’s no other way to put it. One of the best bell-to-bell wrestlers in the world in 2021, the bulk of Alexander’s work took place in relative obscurity with most of his highlights being in Impact Wrestling, AAW and New Japan Strong. Ask anyone who is a regular viewer of those shows and they’ll tell you: Alexander is one of, if not, the best wrestler in the world. (RK)

22. Kzy

What started as a novel string of great matches in 2017 and 2018 has turned into consistent greatness from one of the world’s best. Few wrestlers elicit the reactions that Kzy gets out of his fanbase. He is a reckless bumper, a thrilling babyface, and a certified ring general. Kzy’s 15th year in the industry was highlighted by his Dream Gate challenge against Shun Skywalker in July, Kzy’s biggest and arguably best match yet.

21. Thunder Rosa

2021 was the year everyone finally became aware of one of the best women’s wrestlers in the world: Thunder Rosa. Her entrance into AEW and Lights Out match against Dr. Britt Baker DMD in March finally put Rosa on the global map. One of the pillars of AEW’s growing women’s division, Rosa’s 2021 opened people’s eyes to just how talented she could be and set the stage for what should be an even-better 2022. (RK)

20. Hiroshi Tanahashi

The Ace will always be the Ace, but Tanahashi’s 2021 surprisingly saw him flirt with titles. Starting his 2021 by dethroning Shingo for the NEVER title in Nagoya, Tanahashi would go on to drop the belt to Jay White in May, before winning the IWGP US title from Lance Archer at Resurgence in August. Tanahashi’s year ended with him losing the U.S. belt to KENTA and having an upper mid-table finish in World Tag League, as the slow wind-down continues. (IH)

19. Eddie Kingston

2021 was the year that saw Eddie Kingston really become the heart and soul of AEW. Every single feud or even one-off match that Eddie touched, turned to gold. Singles matches against Miro, CM Punk and Bryan Danielson really showed no matter who the opponent is, Kingston could easily get any crowd to root for him, or the reverse. You can’t mention Kingston’s 2021 without the tag title match with himself/Moxley vs the Young Bucks – a match showcasing Kingston at his best. (SF)

18. PAC

Efficiency is the name of the game for PAC. Wrestling only 29 times this year, Death Triangle’s leader continues to push his aerial attacks forward while honing his technique like a modern-day Bret Hart. No one has a better understanding of their character when they’re in the ring. With PAC, there is no wasted movement and no down time. He was so good that he possibly saved Andrade’s AEW career with their series of matches. (CL)

17. YAMATO

Despite horrible booking patterns that hindered the second half of his year, YAMATO returned to the top step of Dragongate and reminded us that he can be an elite worker. I was so in love with the first half of his year as he returned to his Pancrase-inspired grappling roots. After August, he resumed wrestling in high-level Dream Gate-style matches, including a MOTYC against Kota Minoura. At their peak, few were better than YAMATO this year. (CL)

16. CM Punk

Shame on anyone who doubted whether or not Punk would be great in his pro wrestling return. His old-school, less-is-more approach has been a breath of fresh air in AEW. He is finally getting a chance to wrestle the way he wants to, breaking away from the chains of the rudimentary WWE match structure that is ultimately beneath him. Hopefully, after this year, history books will be far more kind to CM Punk. (CL)

15. Hangman Page

This anxious millennial had everyone rooting for him when he finally got the opportunity to wrestle Kenny Omega for the AEW title and delivered in spades when the time came. Page followed this up immediately with the incredible time limit draw against Bryan Danielson a month later. Even with time off during the year, Page’s quality over quantity really stands for him, as he became one of the biggest names in wrestling. If Page continues to deliver like he did in the backend of 2021, you would imagine that he will place even higher on next year’s list. (SF)

14. Rey Fenix

Arguably one of pro wrestling’s most underrated workers, Rey Fenix had perhaps his best in-ring year ever in 2021. Fenix began the year with a bang in a singles match with Kenny Omega on AEW Dynamite and continued his stellar tag teamwork with brother Penta El Zero Miedo. The duo faced The Young Bucks in a pair of awesome matches including a legit Match of the Year contender at September’s AEW All Out. For better or worse, Fenix is always going to be linked with his brother but a prolonged singles run may finally open people’s eyes to just how great he is. (RK)

13. SB KENTo

Barring any catastrophe, SBK will be a mortal lock for this list every year going forward. At 21-years-old, he has all of the poise and talent that the biggest stars in this industry possess. He can work in any setting that Dragongate throws his way. He can talk, he can brawl, and he can wrestle any type of match. We’re watching a legend being born right in front of our eyes. (CL)

12. Daniel Garcia

There is breaking through, and then there’s doing what Daniel Garcia did this year. After spending the first half of the year having killer matches on the US indies (and giving that scene some much needed intensity & realism), Garcia was presented with the opportunity to show his wares to a bigger audience in AEW. He blew everyone away with every chance he got, and was rightly rewarded with more. He basically wrestled everyone of note on the indies this year, but some highlights were vs. Wheeler Yuta in August for IWTV, vs. J.D. Drake in Limitless and vs. Alex Shelley in Beyond. (AC)

11. Shun Skywalker

At 25-years-old, Shun Skywalker is carrying himself like an industry veteran. He’s far surpassed his role of being a “fun” wrestler on the undercard. Holding Dragongate’s top crown for most of the year, Skywalker ran through the roster producing classics against Kaito Ishida, Kazma Sakamoto, Kzy, and YAMATO. Skywalker even ended the year doing the best character work in the company. He’s on another level right now. Everything he does is must-watch. (CL)

10. Kenoh

The Kongo leader who knows what he is, and stays true to the style of main event wrestling that he has spear-headed in NOAH. With some of the most lethal strikes in the game, Kenoh’s matches are not for the faint of heart. He was rock solid all year but if there was one night that showed what he’s all about it was October 3rd in Korakuen where he faced perennial rivals Kaito Kiyomiya & Katsuhiko Nakajima in the semi-finals and final of the N-1. Both matches were ferocious and produced the most energetic “clap crowd” atmospheres of the year. (AC)

9. Kazuchika Okada

For the most part, 2021 has been a low-key year for Okada. He’s not been fannying around with balloons, but a first-round New Japan Cup loss to Shingo Takagi put him well out of the title picture, only to be pulled back in June when he lost to Shingo for the vacated IWGP title. Winning the G1 thrust Okada back into the main event scene – and with 2022 looking optimistic for some, Okada may well be on top as things open up again. (IH)

8. Jon Moxley

One of one. There just isn’t anyone else in wrestling quite like Jon Moxley. From his promos to his persona to his entrance to his matches, Mox is one of a kind. Moxley had a stellar in-ring year including a Match of the Year contender tag match with partner Eddie Kingston against The Young Bucks, one of the best deathmatches of the year against Nick Gage, an Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match (finish aside) against Kenny Omega and hell, even a Bloodsport match against Josh Barnett. Search all you want but you will not find a wrestler this year with a more varied resume than Moxley. (RK)

7. Will Ospreay

Ospreay, who was arguably the best wrestler in the world in 2019 and 2020, made a strong case for a three-peat with a split 2021 that began by tearing up New Japan over the first half of the year against Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom, vs Satoshi Kojima in a bonkers No DQ match at New Beginning, a killer New Japan Cup match against Zack Sabre Jr, and two instant classic bonafide Match of the Year contenders vs Shingo. After vacating the IWGP World Title and resting up over the summer, Ospreay crushed it in RevPro against the likes of RKJ and Shota Umino, popped up all over New Japan Strong, and had a 5-star match against Amazing Red for HOG. (JL)

6. Darby Allin

Darby Allin has quietly amassed a tremendous in-ring career for someone who will turn 29 at the beginning of 2022. A standout on the independent scene before joining AEW, Allin put together his best year yet with several standout singles matches against the likes of MJF and CM Punk. What’s more, Allin still has a lot left in the tank, likely including a bonafide main event run, so don’t be surprised to see him higher on this list soon. (RK)

5. The Young Bucks

The Young Bucks continued to carve out their case as the greatest tag team to ever do it. As if nearly 15 years of domination wasn’t enough, they arguably had their best match ever this year at All Out against the Lucha Brothers. They also routinely were the highlight of Dynamite, pumping out another all-time classic against PAC & Ren Fenix on free television this year. These guys are the Michael Jordan’s of tag team wrestling. (CL)

4. Katsuhiko Nakajima

Amazingly still only 33, with 18 years of experience behind him. He has been molded by the best, has learned from wrestling the best, and has sharpened every tool in his arsenal in that time. The result is what we saw this year, Katsuhiko Nakajima hitting new heights and truly becoming “the guy” in NOAH. After winning the GHC Heavyweight Title on October 10th from Naomichi Marufuji in a gripping bout, he would go on to defeat Masato Tanaka in his V1 and then produce a MOTYC with his team-mate Kenoh in their 60 minute title unification epic. The champ gets more confident by the day, and is posed for an even bigger 2022. (AC)

3. Shingo Takagi

It’s well documented that NJPW lost a lot of steam in 2021. But it’s terrifying to think how much worse things would have looked if they didn’t have Shingo Takagi. The safest pair of hands in pro wrestling were the only ones capable of carrying the cursed aberration of a title that was the new unified IWGP World Championship. But Takagi did just that – he carried with credibility, effort and consistency. He steadied the ship. After his MOTYC’s early in the year with Jeff Cobb and Hiroshi Tanahashi for the NEVER Openweight Title, he was clearly the best option when Gedo & co. turned to him. It’s the smartest thing they’ve done in a while. (AC)

2. Kenny Omega

Omega opened 2021 with a banger against Fenix at New Year’s Smash, ended the year with a Match of the Year contender against Hangman Page, and in between held the AEW title for 11 months, carried Impact to Anthem era record PPV business and ratings, successfully defended the AAA Mega Heavyweight title against Andrade, held and defended three world titles at the same time all while headlining two American promotions as the key main eventer, and doing all of this while working through major injuries that nobody knew he even had because his work never showed a hint of decline. He’s got arguably the best Wrestler of the Year case no matter how you define the award, whether it be strictly bell to bell ring work, Wrestling Observer Flair/Thesz MVP, or even Pro Wrestling Illustrated style kayfabe. I’m not sure anyone in the world worked harder or delivered more consistently. (JL)

1. Bryan Danielson

Daniel Bryan put forth some quality work this year while with WWE, but make no mistake, he doesn’t sniff the top of this list without the eye-opening return of Bryan Danielson. After a decade of working the restrictive WWE house style, the return of the American Dragon shined an impossible to ignore light on what we were denied during his WWE run. It’s not that the Daniel Bryan-era of his career was bad. Far from it. But the return of Danielson showed us that Daniel Bryan was a watered-down caricature of the best wrestler on Earth, a decade lost to Flying Goat’s and tag teams with Kane and a regimented house style built around Pavlonian crowd responses and formulaic match structures, a style that Danielson still managed to be the best at even if it didn’t allow him to be his best. We somehow forgot how great this man was until he was able to wrestle *his* way, and he proved in three months that he was not only the best wrestler in the world, but probably has been all along. An absolute shame he wasn’t allowed to show it. (JL)

Honorable Mentions:

Hiromu Takahashi

Even with months missing due to a horrible shoulder injury, Hiromu proved that nothing could set him back in 2021. His return after six months proved that, firing on all cylinders against Douki in what should’ve been a rapturous Korakuen Hall. He continued his amazing feud against El Desperado in the BOSJ tournament, and then defeated YOH for his third BOSJ trophy, and second in a row. With an injury-free 2022, you would assume Hiromu will return to the Top 50 after finishing 2nd in 2020. (SF)

Matt Sydal

Matt Sydal wrestled 2021 like a consummate professional. Against big names like Kenny Omega, CM Punk, and the Young Bucks, Sydal wrestled on their level. When his focus shifted to mentoring the new generation of flyers, he crushed it in that role as well. This was my favorite year of Sydal’s that he’s ever had. (CL)

Fast Time Moodo

If the eyes haven’t been on the British scene in 2021, then even fewer feel like they’ve been watching mainland Europe. Fast Time Moodo is a name that – outside of Europe – would only have been known by those scouring Cagematch before this year. Compared to Mike Bailey by some, Moodo’s a name to keep an eye on as the world creeps out of this pandemic. (IH)

King Shimizu

With his career progression stalling somewhat due to the grimey heel and comedy characters he portrayed in recent years, the former “Big R” was reborn in 2021 and returned to being one of the best wrestlers on a supremely talented roster. His Twin Gate championship pairing with the ultra reliable Susumu Yokosuka was where Shimizu did his best work and was a key part of some of the year’s best tag matches. Maintains his light-hearted side for less serious situations, allowing him to be a ton of fun on DG’s touring shows. An endlessly entertaining wrestler. (AC)

Roman Reigns

A dearth of high end, Match of the Year quality matches is what likely kept Reigns off of some ballots, but he was consistently good against the likes of Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, Cesaro, and John Cena, and while his methodical match structures may have lacked the flash and punch of the main eventers ranked ahead of him, I thought he worked to his gimmick very well, earning him a middle spot on my ballot. (JL)

Takuya Nomura

Finally given the ball by Big Japan, but unfortunately for the babyface assassin it was at a point where the company is really struggling. That didn’t stop the 28 year old delivering the goods in the ring however. He made three successful defenses of the Strong World Heavyweight Title after dethroning Yasufumi Nakanoue in September. The most brutal of which saw him conquer BJW legend Daisuke Sekimoto in a match that’s not for the faint of heart. Continued his popular Astronauts duo with Fuminori Abe, which saw them reign as BJW tag champs for half the year and also as BASARA’s Iron Fist champions. (AC)

Chris Dickinson

The most consistent unsigned wrestler in the world this past year. Dickinson was everywhere that mattered in the US outside the big two. His best work in Beyond was during the Signature Series round-robin against Tony Deppen, Wheeler Yuta and Matt Makowski, and he didn’t look out of place whatsoever against Minoru Suzuki in their Bloodsport main event. With the Dirty Daddy you’re never getting anything less than 3.5 stars and a bag of excitement. Hoping he comes back from injury stronger and finally gets a shot on the main New Japan roster if he gets that chance he’s a sure thing for the top 50 next year. (S4L – Special Guest!)

FSM 50 2021 Final Ranking

1. Bryan Danielson
2. Kenny Omega
3. Shingo Takagi
4. Katsuhiko Nakajima
5. Young Bucks
6. Darby Allin
7. Will Ospreay
8. Jon Moxley
9. Kazuchika Okada
10. Kenoh
11. Shun Skywalker
12. Daniel Garcia
13. SB Kento
14. Rey Fenix
15. Hangman Page
16. CM Punk
17. YAMATO
18. PAC
19. Eddie Kingston
20. Hiroshi Tanahashi
21. Thunder Rosa
22. KZY
23. Josh Alexander
24. Konosuke Takesh*ta
25. Jeff Cobb
26. WALTER
27. Tomohiro Ishii
28. El Desperado
29. Jungle Boy
30. Jason Lee
31. Zack Sabre
32. MJF
33. Masaaki Mochizuki
34. Yuji Okabayashi
35. Kaito Kiyomiya
36. Kota Ibushi
37. Christian Cage
38. Robbie Eagles
39. Adam Cole
40. Takashi Sugiura
41. Utami Hayashish*ta
42. Ricky Knight
43. Davey Richards
44. Syuri
45. Tom Lawlor
46. Miro
47. Britt Baker
48. Kento Miyahara
49. Serena Deeb
50. Kota Minoura

All other wrestlers receiving at least one vote:

• Adam Brooks
• Adam Priest
• A-Kid
• Alex Kane
• Alex Shelley
• Anthony Henry
• Arez
• Bandido
• Bianca Belair
• Bobby Fish
• Bobby Gunns
• Chris Dickinson
• Chris Ridgeway
• CIMA
• Cody Rhodes
• Daisuke Harada
• Daniel Makabe
• Dante Martin
• Dax Harwood
• Diamante
• Dragon Dia
• Drew Parker
• Eita
• El Lindaman
• Fast Time Moodo
• Finn Balor
• Fred Rosser
• Fred Yehi
• Great-O-Khan
• HARASHIMA
• Hiromu Takahashi
• Hirooki Goto
• Ilja Dragunov
• Jake Lee
• Jeff Cobb
• Jonathan Gresham
• Jun Akiyama
• Kaito Ishida
• Kazusada Higuchi
• Kevin Ku
• King Shimizu
• Kyle O’Reilly
• Laredo Kid
• Lee Moriarty
• Luke Jacobs
• Maki Itoh
• Malakai Black
• Marius Al-Ani
• Mark Davis
• Masato Tanaka
• Masha Slamovich
• Mat Fitchett
• Matt Makowski
• Matt Sydal
• Michael Oku
• Mike Bailey
• Minoru Suzuki
• Miyu Yamash*ta
• Momo Watanabe
• Pentagon Jr.
• Roman Reigns
• Sammy Guevara
• Sheamus
• Shigehiro Irie
• Susumu Yokosuka
• SUWAMA
• Takuya Nomura
• Tetsuya Endo
• Tetsuya Naito
• TJP
• Wheeler Yuta
• Yuki Ueno
• Yuma Aoyagi

FSM 50 All-Time Rankings (2021-2014)