Best Now, Best Ever

[tiger_rick]

I nicked this, I didn't come up with it. I've just applied it to wrestling. You have to answer who/what is the best at the current time and who/what is the best ever.

Male Pro-wrestler?

Female Pro-wrestler?

Promo guy?

Promo gal?

Finishing Move?

Theme Music?

Dream Match?

Company?

TV Show?

PPV Concept?

[RedTwoster]

Fun, but very tough topic

Male Pro-wrestler

NOW - it’s either Will Ospreay, Bandido or Hangman Page and I can’t decide who to pick. Bandido is probably the best from an in-ring perspective, but he doesn’t have the mic skills of Ospreay and Page, and to me that matters. Ospreay probably beats Page in terms of ring work, but Page beats literally everyone in terms of promo work. I don’t want to give a cop-out answer, so I’ll pick Ospreay, but it’s by a hair’s breadth. Hangman is my personal favourite either way.

EVER - probably Shawn Michaels. I was very tempted to go with Bryan Danielson, Kenny Omega or even one of my ‘now’ picks, but if I’m honest with myself, I still think HBK edges it. I’d love to have seen him wrestle the other five. It’s an enormous shame that he came out of retirement to face Undertaker and Kane in that shitshow, and not Danielson.

Female Pro-wrestler

NOW - Another tough one - Mercedes Mone, Toni Storm and Iyo Sky are the three top contenders for me. Toni is obviously the best character, but I’d still have to go with Mercedes. There are very few people I enjoy watching in ring more than her, she’s great.

EVER - Honestly, I’d probably still go with Mercedes Mone. After her terrible match with Britt Baker, she’s delivered consistently to the point I’ll watch a show just to see her matches. I know I’m going to enjoy it, she’s fantastic. Toni Storm is the best female character ever, though.

Promo guy

NOW/EVER -  I hate to be boring, but it’s the same answer for both. Hangman Page. He’s the most believable promo ever - he’s the only wrestler I can think of who actually comes across as a real person. He’s absolutely incredible.

Promo gal

NOW/EVER - Another ‘same for both’, and it’s Toni Storm. For another performer, her Timeless gimmick would be played for laughs and nothing more, but she manages to do what she does while still having enormous depth. 

Finishing Move

NOW - The Buckshot Lariat. I’m a fan of finishers you can hit quickly, and Hangman is so good at hitting these at a time when it actually matters from an emotional perspective. 

EVER - As left-field as this might sound, the Clothesline from Hell. This looked absolutely brutal, particularly when used against a smaller wrestler. Some finishers don’t really look or feel like they could finish a match, but this not only feels like it could finish a match, but also finish the recipient.

Theme Music

NOW - Hangman Page. Even typing this, gives me goosebumps - its return at All In Texas, the entrance with Dark Order - it’s such a powerful theme, I love it.

EVER - I very nearly went for Hangman again here, but instead I’ll go with Bobby Roode’s Glorious. 
 

Dream Match

I’m assuming you mean match that hasn’t happened as opposed to a dream match that has?

NOW - CM Punk vs Kenny Omega - I’m going with a match featuring two active wrestlers as my ‘now’ pick. I’d love to have seen the two of them wrestle, and this could theoretically still happen, I just can’t imagine it ever will.

EVER - Bryan Danielson vs Shawn Michaels. I’m going with two retired/semi-retired wrestlers for my ‘ever’ option, and while I guess they could still wrestle now, I’d like to have seen them both fight at the height of their abilities. A more left-field option? Dominik Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero. For the feud alone, this would have been great fun. I’m genuinely sad that we never got to see adult Dom interact with ‘his dad’ on screen.

Company

NOW - AEW. For all its flaws, it’s easily my favourite company right now.

EVER - I very nearly put WWE here since it’s what got me into wrestling, but I’ve disliked its output just as much as I’ve enjoyed it during my time as a fan. Objectively I guess it is the ‘best ever’ purely for its longevity and popularity, but from a personal standpoint I’m going to say…Lucha Underground. A company that tried to do something truly different and largely succeeded. It’s probably not a bad thing that it died when it did, it never had a chance to feel past it.

TV Show

NOW - In 2025 it was Collision. So far, in 2026 it’s probably Dynamite but both AEW and WWE feel a bit tepid right now so it’s hard to say.

EVER - Smackdown, from late 2002 until early 2004. That’s what got me into wrestling and I found it so exciting. While aspects of it have aged badly, it’s always going to hold a place in my heart to the point I have to answer this one subjectively.

PPV Concept

NOW/EVER - The Royal Rumble, it has to be. Even when I gave up on WWE, I’d come crawling back for this each year. Wrestling should be fun and on the whole, the Rumble match usually is.

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

Male Pro-wrestler?

Now Dominik Mysterio. No one gets it like Dirty Dom does. 

Ever. Terry Funk. Whatever you want Terry could be the perfect foil for it. 

Female Pro-wrestler?

Now. Rhea Ripley

Ever. Manami Toyota

Promo guy?

Now. Drew McKintyre

Ever. Steve Austin. 

Promo gal?

Now. Toni Storm

Ever. Toni Storm

Finishing Move?

Now Bronn Breakker Spear

Ever. Stone Cold Stunner

Theme Music?

Now. Where Is My Mind. Orange Cassidy. 

Ever. Demolition. 

Dream Match?

Now. Konosuke Takeshita v Gunther

Ever. Eddie Guerrero v Dominik Mysterio

Company?

Now. None. There is so much I both like and dislike about AEW and WWE that neither are my favourite and I don't watch much of anything else. 

Ever. Dragon Gate. I've spent more time watching Dragon Gate than any other promotion. 

TV Show?

Now. Best TV show is an outdated concept. The best thing about modern wrestling is the YouTube highlights that can be the gauge on whether you should watch a show or not. 

Ever. It probably is Raw. I base this purely on watching contemporaneously. 

PPV Concept?

Now/Ever Royal Rumble. Everything has been hammered to death but the Rumble still stands out. Shame it will get the Saudi stink on it this year. 

[DCW]

Male Pro-wrestler?

Now: Hanger or Ospreay. I enjoy Sheamus' matches too, but he's not on the two lads level. If Bryan was still actve I'd have him tops.

Ever: Very close between Shawn and Kurt Angle, but ol HBK just about edges it for me. Crying shame Kurt received such a shite send off when he retired. 

Female Pro-wrestler?

Now: Toni Storm

Ever:  Mickie James was ace back in the dark days and was still very decent the last time I saw her in that Rumble. 

Promo guy?

Now: Hanger again

Ever: Stone Cold Steve Austin. Had the ability to be believable or funny, and the funny was not in a very rehearsed way like The Rock tended to come across. That sit down with JR and Rock just before X7 with the 'I need to beat you Rock...' promo is just about perfection in content and delivery. 

Promo gal?

Now/Ever: Toni Storm

Finishing Move?

Now: Auld Randy's RKO is still the business.

Ever: Stone Cold Stunner. Prime RVD's frog splash was also a thing of beauty, but the practicality of the stunner wins out.

Theme Music?

Now: Punk's Cult of Personality.

Ever: Austin's original glass smash.

Dream Match?

Now: Punk v Cody, generally as it's one of the few big box office matches left.

Ever: Bryan vs Kurt Angle. The two lads wouldn't have much of a working neck left after, so maybe for the best it never happenned!

Company? 

Now: I don't watch any company enough to have a favourite.

Ever: I was a proper brainwashed WWF fan growing up and the majority of my fondest wrestling memories are from the fed.

TV Show?

Now: Again, I mainly watch clips from all shows on Youtube, haven't watched a show from start to finish in a decade or more.

Ever: Has to Raw. Friday night's on Sky Sports when 'Thorn in Your Eye' kicked in could not be beat.

PPV Concept?

Now:/Ever The Rumble match  is about the only PPV I will watch in full every year.

Edited January 14 by DCW

[Lorne Malvo]

Male Pro-wrestler?

Now - Hangman Adam Page. I've mentioned before it took me longer than most to get on board the Hangman train - even though I loved the Omega tag title run and eventual feud he was never a Top 5 guy for me. But the Swerve storyline transcended wrestling and saw him become one of the best characters in all of media. He's brilliant.

Ever - Bryan Danielson. Just an absolutely ridiculous body of work. Him beating Swerve for the title may be the absolute peak highlight of my entire time as a wrestling fan.

Female Pro-wrestler?

Now - Mercedes Mone. I've loved her ever since the early NXT days but feel WWE hampered her a lot with some truly awful booking, but the past year in AEW she's shown just how good she is.

Ever - Mercedes Mone. See above.

Promo guy?

Now - Eddie Kingston, nobody is more believable. 

Ever - CM Punk. Always found him red hot on the mic and his promos were always littered with cool lines. 

Promo gal?

Now - Timeless Toni Storm - I could do without the constant innuendo but that aside she's funny as fuck but also really good at selling the stakes of a match.

Ever - Timeless Toni Storm - see above

Finishing Move?

Now - The House Call, the way Swerve delivers it just looks brutally brilliant everytime.

Ever - As loathe as I am to give the boring bastard any credit, the RKO is excellent. Instantly recognisable, simple and its at the point now where even non-fans know what an RKO is. 

Theme Music?

Now - Hangman Page - Brilliantly suits the character and always gets the blood pumping before a big main event.

Ever - CM Punk - Cult of Personality - Absolute banger and suits the performer perfectly.

Dream Match?

Now - Darby Allin vs Orange Cassidy - my two boys who have still somehow never been on the opppsoite side of the ring to each other. If this doesn't main event a PPV someday then Tony Khan has indeed fumbled. 

Ever - If I had access to a time machine, prime Bret Hart vs prime Bryan Danielson would've been the absolute bollocks.

Company?

Now - AEW, I don't think it will ever reach the 2019-2022 heights again but it still does wrestling better than anyone else. 

Ever - AEW. While I don't think I would've ever been a fan without WWE 2001 getting me hooked, AEW came along at a time when my interest in wrestling had never been lower and pretty much saved my fandom. It also genuinely kept me sane during the pandemic with some red-hot shows. The first few years of AEW were almost cult-like for how heavily invested I was in absolutely everything.

TV Show?

Now - Dynamite, it's not exactly firing on all cylinders at the moment but the only other wrestling shows I watch weekly are Collision which is fine and ROH, and if you think I'm voting for that you're having a laugh.

Ever - Dynamite - Again, Dynamite 2019-2022 is almost like a safe space comfort watch for me. 

PPV Concept?

Now - N/A I only really watch AEW and ROH PPVs now and none of them have a real concept or theme. At a push maybe Worlds End as its the Continental Classic finals and I love the CC, but the rest of the card is usually quite weak and thrown together.

Ever - Royal Rumble - Easily the best gimmick match in wrestljng history, it's no surprise the vast majority of wrestling companies do a rip-off of this. 

Edited January 15 by Lorne Malvo

[Supremo]

Bret Hart. Bret Hart. 😉

[tiger_rick]

Answering my own questions like a big mark.

Male Pro-wrestler

Now - Hangman Page. Incredible all-rounder. Good at everything. Wrestles and talks with heart and just begs you to support him. Like the best ever, he's incredible at the little touches.

Ever - Bret Hart. The absolute best. A super worker. Incredibly conscientious. You can watch him 30 years on and see something you never noticed before. Yet the big spots and finishes are all etched in your mind. Had the best match in the history of the WWF/WWE. Kickstarted wrestling's last boom. The absolute best.

Female Pro-wrestler

Now & Ever - Toni Storm. Might dispute ever if I was bigger into Joshi but I'm not so Toni is the most incredible performer I've ever seen. A great wrestler and promo but with a fantastic feel for her surroundings and her fan base. Easily the most current pro-wrestler. 

Promo guy

Now - Hangman. He's incredible, isn't he? His best stuff gives a feeling few can match. Love Eddie Kingston and CM Punk as talkers but Hanger is up a level.

Ever - Incredibly difficult but I think it's Jerry Lawler. In an era of great talkers, he was a level up and continued long after he was a world class worker. Bret Hart's 1997 run is some of my favourite promos ever too. 

Promo gal

Now & Ever - Toni again. In terms of ever, I do really like Becky Lynch's stuff back in 2018/19 and Sherri and Sunny were always effective promos as managers.

Finishing Move

 Now - Probably the Buckshot, it's tied into some good memories. I do like a good cutter though so if I watched the maga guys, I might say the RKO.

Ever - Tombstone, maybe? Not a fan of the guy but the move is awesome. Even if it did end Hulk Hogan's career. RIP. Love a Sharpshooter, the stunner, diamond cutter and a Sid powerbomb.

Theme Music

Now - I'll say Cult of Personality even if I haven't seen him in a few years. He's still active and it's a great theme. That hitting on his AEW debut was incredible.

Ever - I think it's Demolition for me too. It's utterly perfect.

Dream Match

Now - Punk v Hanger. Needs no explaining. Why'd you ruin everything, Phil?

Ever - Bret vs. Kurt around 2003 or Bret vs. Bryan Danielson anytime. They'd just be incredible. For something more story driven, I'd still love to see Austin feud with Goldberg in 2001.

Company

Now - AEW. Saved my fandom. Even if they're pissing me off at the moment.

Ever - WWF 1989-1998. I could happily watch anything from this period at any point on on any given day and have a good time. It's also fascinating how many changes, stories, scandals and "eras" there are in 9 years. Love and miss WCW though.

TV Show

Now - Dynamite. 

Ever - Raw 1997. 

PPV Concept

Now - All In. Incredible shows that have felt huge for the company every time.

Ever - Probably the Royal Rumble as a concept, even if they've spent the last 12/13 years absolutely shitting on it to the point that someone who adores it hasn't even watched the last 2 and only watched the 2 before them a year late to update the stats. 

[Devon Malcolm]

I haven't watched any new wrestling for nearly a year now so half my answers are based on who I liked before I gave up on it (again).

Male wrestler

NOW - Sheamus. When I consider what a boring bastard he was when he first came to WWE and compare him to what he'd been like the last few years with almost constantly enjoyable matches, it's amazing really. Enjoyed him every time he did something.

EVER - Bret Hart. I mean, he was my first favourite when I started watching WWF because I couldn't stand Hogan and Warrior and he always had good matches. I was a workrate pervert right from the outset

Female wrestler

NOW - Stephanie Vaquer. I think it helps a lot that she always looks like she's enjoying having matches but she just seems about as natural in the ring as I've seen from anyone, regardless of gender, for about 15 years. She's brilliant. I hope they haven't been fucking her about.

EVER - Charlotte Flair. Look, I just really like her matches. Leave me alone.

Promo guy

NOW - Sami Zayn. Absolutely perfect mastery of controlling the crowd and narrative, no matter what role he's playing.

EVER - Steve Austin. He soured his legacy with the what WHAT shit that still haunts us to this day but at his peak a great, no frills storyteller.

Promo gal

NOW - Liv Morgan. Practically out of nowhere she became absolutely superb on the mic. Turning her heel was one of the few things WWE got right the last couple of years.

EVER - Toni Storm. Art. Limitless potential. Perfectly executed.

Finishing move

NOW and EVER - RKO. There are and have been flashier moves. But if you protect even the simplest, you can make it seem like a killer. 

Theme music

NOW - Jungle Boy. I heard they brought back Baltimora, the only thing that was ever interesting about him.

EVER - Brad Armstrong ffs.

Dream match

NOW - Lyra Valkyria vs Stephanie Vaquer. Did they do it yet? If so, link please.

EVER - Kurt Angle vs Bryan Danielson. Obviously.

[lorenntqof]

Male wrestler: Current – Roman Reigns. Ever – Ric Flair.
Female wrestler: Current – Rhea Ripley. Ever – Manami Toyota.
Promo guy: Current – CM Punk. Ever – The Rock.
Promo gal: Current – Becky Lynch. Ever – Dusty’s a cheat, so Trish Stratus.
Finisher: Current – One Winged Angel. Ever – Stone https://tropical-casino.com/ Cold Stunner.
Theme: Current – Seth Rollins. Ever – nWo theme.
Dream match: Current – Okada vs Reigns. Ever – Austin vs Hogan.
Company: Current – WWE. Ever – WWE (WWF).
TV show: Current – SmackDown. Ever – Nitro.
PPV concept: Current – Money in the Bank. Ever – WrestleMania.

Edited January 17 by lorenntqof

[gmoney]

Male Pro-wrestler?

Now - Kenny Omega, though with the caveat of if he's healthy

Then - Randy Savage

Female Pro-wrestler?

Now - Mercedes Mone

Then - Another caveat, I'm pretty ignorant of Japanese women's wrestling in general, so it's obviously only based on what I know, but I was absolutely blown away by Asuka when she arrived in NXT and there were points where she was the best in the entire US. I even sought out matches from her Kana days in Japan. I've never seen someone's who's work I've enjoyed so thoroughly in every single movement. She's slowed a bit now, and she's not featured a lot anymore, but I still think she's ace.

Promo guy?

Now - CM Punk

Then - Steve Austin. Mid 96 - 99 I hang on his every word and intonation 

Promo gal?

Now - Toni Storm for both

Finishing Move?

Now - Styles Clash

Then - Stone Cold Stunner

Theme Music?

Now - Cult of Personality

Then - Real American

Dream Match?

Now - Maybe points to my lack of interest in the current product of any company that I can't think of a single match that gets any blood in it. 

Then - Bret Hart vs Kurt Angle

Company?

Now - Probably AEW just about at the moment, but I'm sour on it. It's just not quite as shite as WWE. 

Then - WWF from 88-92

TV Show?

Now - Dynamite, I guess

Then - Raw - 97 - 98

PPV Concept?

Now - Royal Rumble

Then - Royal Rumble

Edited January 16 by gmoney