Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has compiled a tentative top ten list of the best wrestlers of the past decade. He has gone through the newsletter’s annual awards in a number of different categories over the last ten years, awarding ten points for first place down to one point for tenth place, to generate lists based on consistent performance. The awards are voted on each year by both the newsletter subscribers and industry insiders.
The results are as follows:
Wrestler of the Decade:
01/ Kurt Angle
02/ Kenta Kobashi
03= Keiji Muto
03= Chris Jericho
05= Samoa Joe
05= John Cena
07= Mistico
07= Shawn Michaels
09= Yuji Nagata
09= Bryan Danielson
11/ Edge
12/ Chris Benoit
13= Hiroshi Tanahashi
13= Eddie Guerrero
13= The Rock
Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Decade:
01/ Bryan Danielson
02/ Kurt Angle
03/ Chris Benoit
04/ KENTA
05/ Kenta Kobashi
06/ Shawn Michaels
07/ Samoa Joe
08/ Eddie Guerrero
09/ Nigel McGuinness
10/ Yuji Nagata
11/ A.J. Styles
12/ Chris Jericho
13/ Toshiaki Kawada
14/ Naomichi Marufuji
15/ Takeshi Morishima
Best Box Office Draw of the Decade:
01/ Mistico
02/ John Cena
03/ The Rock
04/ Kenta Kobashi
05/ Bob Sapp
06/ Kazushi Sakuraba
07/ Steve Austin
08/ Naoya Ogawa
09/ Brock Lesnar
10= HHH
10= Tito Ortiz
12/ Mirko Cro Cop
13/ Chuck Liddell
14/ Keiji Muto
15/ Georges St. Pierre
Best Tag Team of the Decade:
01/ Ultimo Guerrero & Rey Bucanero
02/ KENTA & Naomichi Marufuji
03/ Chris Harris & James Storm
04/ Mark & Jay Briscoe
05/ Kevin Steen & El Generico
06/ Matt & Jeff Hardy
07= Team 3-D
07= Eddie & Chavo Guerrero
09/ Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley
10= Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan
10= Robert Roode & James Storm
12/ Edge & Christian
13/ Paul London & Brian Kendrick
14= Hernandez & Homicide
14= Masato Yoshino & Naruki Doi
14= The Miz & John Morrison
14= Eddie Edwards & Davey Richards
Best Interviews of the Decade:
01/ Chris Jericho
02/ Ric Flair
03= John Cena
03= The Rock
05/ Kurt Angle
06/ C.M. Punk
07/ Mick Foley
08/ Edge
09/ Quinton Jackson
10= Christian
10= Paul Heyman
12/ Santino Marella
13/ Eddie Guerrero
14/ Jim Cornette
15= JBL
15= Dana White
Most Charismatic of the Decade:
01/ John Cena
02/ The Rock
03/ Chris Jericho
04/ Eddie Guerrero
05/ Shawn Michaels
06/ Bob Sapp
07/ Steve Austin
08/ Tito Ortiz
09/ Kurt Angle
10= Brock Lesnar
10= Kenta Kobashi
10= Edge
13/ Ric Flair
14/ Perro Aguayo Jr.
15/ Quinton Jackson
MMA Most Valuable of the Decade:
01/ Randy Couture
02/ Fedor Emelianenko
03/ Wanderlei Silva
04/ Chuck Liddell
05= Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
05= Mirko Cro Cop
07/ Georges St. Pierre
08/ Tito Ortiz
09/ Matt Hughes
10/ Brock Lesnar
11/ Anderson Silva
12/ Quinton Jackson
13= B.J. Penn
13= Kazushi Sakuraba
15/ Frank Shamrock
Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, 2 August 2010 (subscribe here)
