Wrestling

Almost as good as Roll Call at the Tokyo Dome

January 14, 2024

Everybody who comes to Cageside Seats has an opinion about what’s going on in pro wrestling — Wrestler Rankings are where YOU let us know YOURS.

Cast a vote in the comments. Give us the five performers you think entertained or impressed the most in the last week, and feel free to talk about why.

We also have the outcome of last week’s voting, the results of which make up our annual competition for the Cageside Cup, given to our Performer of the Year.

This week, we’re voting on nationally televised and internet streaming pro wrestling shows that took place Jan. 7-13, 2024 — Raw, NXT, Powerrr, Dynamite, Impact, Fusion, ROH on HonorClub, SmackDown, Rampage, Level Up, Collision, Battle of the Belts IX, New Japan’s Battle in the Valley, TNA Hard to Kill, and everything else I’m no doubt forgetting.

But first, here’s the outcome of last week’s voting, and how those results changed our annual competition for the Cageside Cup.

Never change, King…

The new IWGP World Heavyweight champ leads a top ten that includes three wrestlers whi shined at Wrestle Kingdom 18, including the man who slayed the American Dragon and the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight titleholder.
His win over a game Daniel Garcia further proved AEW’s main event is about to become his house. But the Mogul might need to share it with the guy from Don Callis’ Family who beat one of the company’s Young Pillars during the week in question.
NXT’s men’s Breakout Tournament made a splash even before he won gold, and we were impressed with the cowgirl who beat a former Women’s champ to put her to work at the ranch.
We’re always ready to live, laugh & love with Judgment Day’s newest member. But seeing the woman who beat Becky Lynch at ‘Day 1’ here is a bit surprising.
A Devil and two Top Guys helped AEW close out the Rankings.

The CCWR: 2023-24, Week 40

1. Tetsuya Naito
2. Kazuchika Okada
3. Swerve Strickland
4. Oba Femi
5. (tie) Fallon Henley
5. (tie) Konosuke Takeshita
7. R-Truth
8. Nia Jax
9. Adam Cole
10. (tie) Cash Wheeler
10. (tie) Dax Harwood
10. (tie) El Desperado

Points in our weekly Rankings determine the ongoing annual one — which will determine who wins the Cageside Cup next April. Full details on rules and scoring HERE.

Where absolutely nothing changed in the Top 10…

The Cageside Cup Performer of the Year Standings – through the Week ending Jsn. 7

1. Orange Cassidy – 123.5
2. IYO SKY – 62.5
3. MJF – 57.5
4. Jey Uso – 57
5. LA Knight – 56.5
6. CM Punk – 51
7. (tie) Gunther – 46
7. (tie) Eddie Kingston – 46
9. Samoa Joe – 45
10. Jay White – 43.5

Ready to do it again? You can always check the “how to” here if you need it, or ask a question in the comments. The main things you need to know are you have five spots on your ballot, you can’t put the same person in two of them, but you can split a single or multiple spots between multiple wrestlers. Now…

Let’s have those ballots! We’ll take it from there, and see you back here in a week for the results and another vote!