 |
| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
60. Velveteen Dream
Points: 782
Ballots: 15
Highest Vote: 10th Place (Cosmis)
Last Year's Ranking: 14th Place
 |
| Photo Credit: NJPW1972.com |
Points: 808
Ballots: 11
Highest Vote: 11th Place (Chris Striegel)
Last Year's Ranking: 64th Place
 |
| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Points: 812
Ballots: 13
Highest Vote: 3rd Place (Brandon Kay)
Last Year's Ranking: 11th Place
 |
| Photo Credit: NJPW1972.com |
Points: 830
Ballots: 14
Highest Vote: 17th Place (Chris Striegel)
Last Year's Ranking: Not Ranked
TH: Archer was a revelation this year, especially in the G1 Climax, where he yanked great matches out of guys like Will Ospreay just by being grumpy and stronger than everyone else. His late-career (mid-career?) renaissance has been a sight to behold.
 |
| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Points: 831
Ballots: 16
Highest Vote: 6th Place (Andrew Hewitt)
Last Year's Ranking: 27th Place
 |
| Photo Credit: NJPW1972.com |
Points: 861
Ballots: 11
Highest Vote: 4th Place (Mat Morgan)
Last Year's Ranking: 16th Place
TH: At this point, you know what you're getting with ZSJ, and it's nominally satisfying and entertaining. When you're a fan of the British grappling style like I am, ZSJ is going to be a fixture on ballots until he retires.
 |
| Photo Credit: Grenwail |
Points: 861 (ranked higher than Sabre because of a higher high vote)
Ballots: 10
Highest Vote: 2nd Place (Joshua Browns)
Last Year's Ranking: 88th Place
TH: Dear ol' dad was always a crowd-pleasing babyface wrestler, so when he brought out the vicious game inside the ring to match his character, it was a pleasant surprise at how good he was imposing his presence in the ring and working rudo.
Joshua Browns: My yearly job in the TWB100 is to move Dasher’s ranking up a couple of spots through sheer force of will. I’m running out of things to say about the guy – he’s been Chikara’s ace worker for the last couple of seasons (which is already impressive when you share a promotion with Hallowicked and Fire Ant), but 2019 also saw him almost completely reinvent his in-ring style, cutting out all of the old comedy/lucha stuff that used to be part of his tecnico act and focus more on his technical/base work, which turned out to be also pretty outstanding. His best two matches (the ladder match against Mr. Touchdown at ‘Once Upon a Beginning’ and the Lucha de Apuesta against Boomer at Anniversario) could not have been more different stylistically, but the Grand Champion killed it in both. These might have been the best two Chikara matches of the year – and he was the anchor in both.
Scott Raychel: A bunch of you still aren’t watching Chikara because you still think it’s cool to shit on it for not doing swears or whatever and it shows. Beloved baby face turned Worst Dad Of The Year Dasher Hatfield lost his mask to his own son but kept chugging along as one the secret best wrestlers on the independents. His knack for in-ring storytelling in the aforementioned mask vs mask match and a criminally underrated ladder match with his former tag partner has basically revitalized his career in 2019. Dasher Hatfield deserves to break out and you nerds need to quit acting like you’re above the all-ages label of independent wrestling and start paying attention.
 |
| Photo Credit: NJPW1972.com |
Points: 868
Ballots: 12
Highest Vote: 7th Place (John Pingel)
Last Year's Ranking: Not Ranked
 |
| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Points: 879
Ballots: 13
Highest Vote: 1st Place (Andrew Hewitt)
Last Year's Ranking: 29th Place
 |
| Photo Credit: Grenwail |
Points: 884
Ballots: 13
Highest Vote: 1st Place (Brock Jahnke)
Last Year's Ranking: 53rd Place
TH: Starr's work in 2019 was for the most part good if not great. His match with Mercedes Martinez on Beyond Uncharted Territory is must-watch.
Kirk Dessler: 2019 was a breakout year for David Starr. David Starr grappled, fought, dreamed, freaked out, bled,(even botched),put over, never gave up and fought back for independent wrestling. He pinned WALTER and yet did not defeat him in a 16 Carat Gold classic, lacking a team partner he put over a rookieat tag festival only to start a remarkable series of matches against another wXw crowd favorite: Ilja Dragunov. Nobody combines intensity and passion better in the ring.
 |
| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Points: 886
Ballots: 15
Highest Vote: 4th Place (Rizz)
Last Year's Ranking: 13th Place
 |
| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Points: 892
Ballots: 13
Highest Vote: 11th Place (Bryan Heaton)
Last Year's Ranking: 34th Place
 |
| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Points: 904
Ballots: 14
Highest Vote: 7th Place (Rizz, Joe Punk)
Last Year's Ranking: 39th Place
 |
| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Points: 930
Ballots: 16
Highest Vote: 11th Place (Jarred Giles, Joe Punk)
Last Year's Ranking: Not Ranked
 |
| Photo Credit: NJPW1972.com |
Points: 933
Ballots: 14
Highest Vote: 5th Place (Cosmis)
Last Year's Ranking: 33rd Place
TH: Honestly, the Liger feud was one of the best bits of wrestling all year. Being able to draw the rowdy out of the legendary retiree was one of the best accomplishments in his storied career. Additionally, he even brought in those interstitial tag matches; the tag with ZSJ against Okada and Tanahashi was the best match on the G1 Final Show.
 |
| Photo Credit: Grenwail |
Points: 969
Ballots: 13
Highest Vote: 7th Place (Mat Morgan)
Last Year's Ranking: Not Ranked
TH: Deppen's manic presence elevated every match he was in this year, whether in Chikara, Beyond, or anywhere else. He's compared to Chuck Taylor a lot, but I feel like his command of his frenetic pacing makes him a better in-ring worker.
Adam Blount: Tony Deppen could have a good match with anyone. Not just a good match, but a match that makes them look like a star. I was shocked to see just how much tony could do. So many styles, so many opponents. Deppen rules.
 |
| Photo Credit: NJPW1972.com |
Points: 980
Ballots: 13
Highest Vote: 7th Place (Chris Striegel)
Last Year's Ranking: 56th Place
 |
| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Points: 988
Ballots: 16
Highest Vote: 5th Place (Brandon Kay)
Last Year's Ranking: 19th Place
 |
| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Points: 1010
Ballots: 16
Highest Vote: 10th Place (Rizz)
Last Year's Ranking: 48th Place
Scott Raychel: How many times do I have to tell you this dude’s one of the best god damn wrestlers in the world? He didn’t have much of a 2019 but he had a fantastic throwaway match with Aleister Black that didn’t even reach ten minutes, yet was one of the best put-together matches of the year. Cesaro just rules, man. Give him the world, already.
 |
| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Points: 1010 (ranked higher than Cesaro because of higher high vote)
Ballots: 18
Highest Vote: 5th Place (Andrew Hewitt)
Last Year's Ranking: 31st Place
Joey O. Man, I cannot stand Roddy Strong's character...except when he's in the ring dishing out knees and backbreakers left and right.
The TWB 100 plows ahead tomorrow!
