 By Jared "JJF" Jackson-Ferrans The professional wrestling business is known for being international, with great competitors coming from all over the globe. That said, in my personal opinion, the best in the business come from the United Kingdom. Whether the likes of Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid in the '80s, or more recent figures such as Fit Finlay, William Regal and Nigel McGuinness, the UK has been producing quality wrestlers for decades, and through Regal and Robbie Brookside, have been producing new stars in WWE's Developmental facility, NXT. So here it is: another JJF Top 10, the pure best wrestlers to come out of the United Kingdom that are currently active.  Starting off with #10, we have Mark Haskins, best known for his appearances in the TNA X Division. There is much more to Haskins than his high flying ways, however, and his matches recently have shown a technical side to his game in RevPro and IPW. His match with Davey Richards in RevPro in particular showed a side to Haskins that I'd never seen before. He's more than just a shooting star press, and his matches prove it. Moving on to #9, we have the WWE's bare knuckle brawler, King Barrett. If this were a list of the best talkers, Barrett would likely be number one, but alas this is about ring ability. Barrett is above average, but injuries have slowed him down and he hasn't had any standout matches like most of those on this list. With that said, when healthy he can be counted on for solid matches on a consistant basis, and deserves more than he gets. Hopefully with his recent decision to leave after his current contract is up, we can see more from the former Nexus commander.  At #8, we find Nick Aldis, formerly known as Brutus Magnus in TNA, now signed to the still yet to debut Global Force Wrestling. The native of King's Lynn, England has a solid technical base and a style that can work well with almost anyone, but his title reign in TNA left a lot to be desired. With that said however, the former member of the British Invasion is a solid worker who can likely be a good centerpiece for GFW, if it ever actually gets off the ground. We find our first Scotland native at #7, Drew Galloway. Galloway's WWE stint was always solid, but his indy and TNA work, specifically with Kurt Angle, has impressed fans, and Galloway has definitely grown and improved since leaving WWE. The former Chosen One doesn't look like he'll return to WWE any time soon, he may be better off without the company.  At #6, the list gets villianous with Marty Scurll, one of RevPro's standout performers. One of the most unique technical performers on the indies, Scurll is a top heel everywhere he goes, and he's one of the stars that is poised for a U.S. breakout, like some of his fellow Brits. Scurll is an expert at working the crowd, whether as The Villain, or his previous Party Marty persona, and can be a great addition to any company. Coming in at #5 is Wales native Mark Andrews. At just 5'7 and 150 pounds, Andrews is easily one of the smallest men in wrestling, but his heart and ability make up for it. Andrews is one of wrestling's true underdogs, and he proved it by winning TNA's British Bootcamp reality show over much larger competitors, and has been a fixture in the X Division ever since.  Flying in at #4, we have the ageless Douglas Williams, who was a star in the TNA X Division and TNA Tag Team Division. At age 43, Williams is still performing at a high level in his home country, and has shown no signs of slowing down. A case could be made for Williams being the best wrestler in the world over age 40, as he continues to amaze fans with his technical ability and stamina. At #3 is the most decorated man in NXT's history, Neville. The Man that Gravity Forgot is one of the most dynamic and unique competitors in the WWE, and though the main roster move has yet to translate in championship gold, he's had fantastic matches with the likes of Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and John Cena, and should he work on his mic work a bit, there is no stopping him from succeeding in the WWE.  #2 is the Aerial Assassin and newest member of Chaos in NJPW, Will Ospreay. I've been hyping up Ospreay for over a year now and hopefully with his recent TNA apperance and his signing with New Japan, people will start to take notice. His offensive style is incredible, seamlessly blending technical wrestling with high flying moves, and at only 22 years old, the sky is the limit for him.
And......the #1 Active British Wrestler is....... Zack Sabre Jr. This really shouldn't be a surprise if you read my Indy Injection on him. Sabre is a two time winner of the Bryan Danielson Award from the Wrestling Observer, and it really isn't hard to see why. The reigning PWG Champion and 2015 Battle Of Los Angeles winner has a fluid style that cannot be matched, and has put on great matches against the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura, Roderick Strong and Prince Devitt. He deserves to be called the best active wrestler from the United Kingdom. Plugs Archive SEE ALSO: "JJF's Take - The Unsung Heroes of WWE NXT"
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Archives
January 2022
|
RSS Feed