9. Jay Lethal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WALWU4dH1QU
Jay Lethal was once a TNA flameout. Before 2015 he was more known for his Ric Flair & Macho Man impressions than his work inside of the squared-circle. That all changed when he became ROH champion in 2015 and carried the belt for over a year. In 2016 Lethal showed his versatility in and out of the ring. His promo skills, not the knee brace commercials, are some of the best you’ll find in the indies (lisp aside).
Lethal recently dropped the title to another member of our Top 10 list but that doesn’t mean he’s cooled down. A recent match against former WWE star Cody Rhodes proved that he has what it takes to compete with that style of fighter and you can expect the WWE to take notice.
At only 31-years-old, Lethal is ready to make the jump into NXT and reach the next level of showmanship. Expect Lethal to be featured in NXT at some point in 2017.
8. Hiroshi Tanahashi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXWHtGlFI2E
At the age of 40, Hiroshi Tanahashi is showing no signs of slowing down but unfortunately for WWE fans, he’s showing no signs of leaving NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling). Tanahashi was first explained to me as the NJPW version of John Cena. He’s had a decade long run at the top of the promotion but unlike Cena he boast a long history of putting over NJPW’s “next guy.”
He’s received more 5-star match ratings from pro wrestling writer Dave Meltzer than anyone not named Flair and his multi-year feud with Kazuchika Okada all but guarantees him a few more before he’s all said and done.