Maven Huffman, the winner of WWE’s first season of Tough Enough, has weighed in on one of wrestling’s most debated topics, releasing a video on his YouTube channel ranking who he believes are the top 10 best professional wrestlers in the world right now. A former WWE superstar, Huffman stated he was drawing on his nearly 25 years of experience to create his list. “My list is open to all wrestlers from every company: WWE, AEW, TNA, and even independent wrestlers,” Maven said at the start of the video.
The list began with a look at the future and a nod to veteran talent. At number 10 was WWE’s Bron Breakker, of whom Maven said, “It is obvious he comes from a lineage of superstars and even Hall of Famers… The only thing I think holding him back now is just the repetitions, just the experience”. AEW’s Thunder Rosa ranked at number nine, with Maven praising her character work. “She has a flair for the dramatic and is truly one of my favorite gimmicks going today… Every time there needs to be a good facial reaction, making you the viewer at home care about the action taking place in the ring, she is completely on point”. At number eight, Maven selected veteran Shelton Benjamin, stating, “I’ve told you he’s the most athletic superstar I’ve ever been in the ring with”.
Two third-generation wrestlers with vastly different career trajectories occupied the next spots. TNA’s Tessa Blanchard was named number seven in a move Maven called “a little bit controversial”. He elaborated on her skills, saying, “Tessa’s aggression level in the ring is only part of the reason she made my list. Her smoothness, her ring psychology, her facials, and her ability to get her character over, it’s second to none”. He concluded that “Tessa truly has nothing standing in her way but herself”. At number six was Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. Maven praised his journey, stating, “Cody Rhodes is truly blazing his own trail. He is proving to the world that he’s not a last name, he’s not there for any type of nepotism”.
The middle of the list featured a surprising independent name and a dominant WWE superstar. The number five spot went to VSK, whom Maven called “probably the best wrestler you have never heard of”. Maven recounted seeing him live, saying, “I got pissed at this man because in a match he had with Matt Cardona, it took him five minutes to do every move in my arsenal plus more and do them better”. At number four was WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Jade Cargill. “Jade has that ‘it factor’ about her, that aura that she carries transcends not only in the ring, but outside the ring… Jade is someone that I believe you could actually build an entire division around,” Maven said.
The top three began with two wrestlers Maven credited with reinventing the modern wrestling business. At number three was Seth “Freakin” Rollins. “In the wrestling business, two things matter, and that is in-ring talent and ability, and the out-of-ring entertainment aspect. And truly, nobody melds the two better than this man,” Maven stated. The number two spot went to Matt Cardona. Maven praised his impact outside of major promotions, saying, “Matt Cardona truly laid the blueprint for all wrestlers, myself included, to show that there is a life outside of one of the big companies… He helped invent the modern day wrestler, the wrestler that uses social media as a tool, not as a crutch”.
For his number one pick, Maven named AEW’s MJF as the best wrestler in the world today. He explained his choice by focusing on the star’s unique ability to blend reality with performance. “My number one wrestler embodies what it is that I love about professional wrestling. He blurs the lines between real and fake, between scripted and authentic,” Maven said, before showing a clip of an intense MJF press conference. He concluded, “There is not a single wrestler who can elicit that reaction from me, and that is why MJF is the best wrestler today”.
Maven Huffman’s Top 10 Wrestlers
10 Bron Breakker
9. Thunder Rosa
8. Shelton Benjamin
7. Tessa Blanchard
6. Cody Rhodes
5. VSK
4. Jade Cargill
3. Seth “Freakin” Rollins
2. Matt Cardona
1. MJF
