Best male WWE wrestlers in the world 2023
Our comprehensive round-up of the 10 best male wrestlers in WWE in 2023.
WWE continues to find itself in a rich vein of form. Despite the controversies and upheaval that have caused chaos behind-the-scenes at the company over the past number of months, WWE’s on-screen product is as strong as we’ve seen in decades.
The absurd depth of the men’s roster is playing a big part of this success, with dream matchups popping up on premium live events and engaging, expansive storylines regularly making Raw and Smackdown can’t-miss entertainment.
Compiling this list of the 10 best male main roster superstars was no mean feat. We broke a mental sweat comparing the in-ring abilities, on-mic skills and storyline successes of the major players – while also trusting in the intangibles for each superstar – to finally arrange this definitive ranking.
We’re sure there will be parts of this list you’d change, especially with the likes of Brock Lesnar, Bray Wyatt and Rey Mysterio all missing out, but it’s too late now.
RadioTimes.com brings you our complete round-up of the top 10 men in WWE wrestling right now.
Read more: Best WWE wrestlers of all time | Best female WWE superstars 2023
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10. Drew McIntyre
The first British WWE champion nearly missed out on this list altogether. After carrying the company on his back throughout the pandemic, McIntyre has slightly dropped off the top of the mountain, despite standout moments like his title bout at Clash at the Castle.
He makes the cut here over the likes of Jey Uso and Austin Theory because of his multi-layered frenemies relationship with Sheamus. Not only have these two elite pros put on some incredible matches, but the likes of Karrion Kross, Gunther and Solo Sikoa have all benefitted from sharing the spotlight with the Scottish Warrior during their intertwined rivalries. We’ve still more to see from Drew.
9. Edge
The Rated R Superstar would have been way up this list 10 years ago, but it’s testament to the superstar Edge that he’s even in contention here. His comeback has been truly remarkable and he is making the most of every opportunity he has left.
Everything Edge does is opera. His storylines are drama and he bleeds raw emotion. He’s all grit and bite and history and fire and injustice and you feel every beat of his heart in the ring. Every Edge match feels like we’ve stolen something back from the universe. May we have him for all the time he lost and more.
8. Kevin Owens
KO keeps finding new ways to make us care. This iteration of the Prizefighter is one of the most passionately supported faces in the company, with fans backing him all the way in his never-ending fight against the Bloodline. It’s an ongoing rivalry which has provided some of the most emotional and entertaining moments in recent years.
Right now, he’s a hero people feel good about supporting. With his unique appearance, impassioned promos and badass entrance music, he’s cultivated a persona people love to love. Owens is special because you know he could flip all that in an instant and turn into one of the most sadistic, hated heels around.
7. Finn Balor
The Prince, The Demon, and the first-ever WWE universal champion, Finn Balor has proved his worth time and time again. It therefore shows just how incredible a moment the Irish star is in that the main roster has never seen him better.
Balor has always had the ability to put on a five-star classic with anyone in front of him, but the level of venom in his storylines and promos has never been this high. The Judgement Day light up every show they’re on and when they’re around, we want to see Finn in the ring. He can go anywhere from here.
6. Gunther
We’re sure if we stood overlooking the coast in Penzance and Gunther hit one of his trademark chops on the east coast of the USA, we’d hear it bounce off the Cornish cliffs. The Intercontinental champion’s wicked strikes are the perfect entry point for anyone wanting to see just who Gunther is.
A powerhouse in the ring, the Ring General is incredibly athletic for his size and capable of pulling out match of the year contenders at an immense rate. WWE UK fans saw some of the best of Gunther during his record setting NXT UK Championship reign, but his Intercontinental title reign has been almost as impressive. His battle with Sheamus in Cardiff was just one of the many matches in which Gunther has proved he is ready for anything WWE can throw at him.
5. Sami Zayn
Comparing the crowd reactions Sami Zayn got in the build-up to Elimination Chamber to Daniel Bryan’s historic YEStleMania run is the highest compliment we can give. Through hard work, a tenacious appetite to improve and a pitch-perfect understanding of the situation he is in, Sami has managed to become one of the most emotive, supported faces WWE has seen in years.
His ability to turn, on paper, underwhelming storylines into unbelievable entertainment (who thought he’d help Johnny Knoxville steal the show at WrestleMania 38?) has earned the trust and respect of the WWE Universe and in the past year, he’s cashed that in. This business can, at times, be a meritocracy and Zayn has earned all the limelight he’s getting.
4. Bobby Lashley
Over the past three years, Bobby Lashley has turned himself into a true top-of-the-card, all-dominating superstar. He may be an immense physical specimen, maybe the most impressive physical athlete on the roster, but Lashley has grown into much more than his acts of strength and speed.
Whether it’s leading the Hurt Business or ruling a title division, whether it’s being the goliath people are trying to slay or the unstoppable force fighting back against injustice, Lashley has shown his versatility in providing quality and entertainment in any role he’s given. Perhaps strongest as the cocky, suited and booted smug heel he finds himself as today, The Almighty will succeed and thrive wherever WWE takes him next. He’s that damn good.
3. Seth 'Freakin' Rollins
The past few years have been truly transformational for Seth Rollins. During COVID, his Messiah gimmick lit up the Thunderdome, before he remixed it into The Visionary in a barnburner of a rivalry with Edge. He’s now in the form of his life, garnering crowd reactions like nobody else in the company and putting on show-stealing performances with anyone he’s placed inside the squared circle with.
In the past year, this butterfly has stretched his wings. Rollins’s drip has become stuff of legend, his feud with the next person in this list elevating both men and somehow, he’s managed to make his WrestleMania match against a YouTuber one of the most anticipated across the whole weekend. Seth’s choir is singing his song and we’re so excited for the next verse.
2. Cody Rhodes
The son of a son of a plumber has gone through being Randy Orton’s understudy, playing an intergalactic comic-book supervillain and shooting his own indie company to the stars before now returning to the company so close to him and his family. Cody Rhodes is here to finish his story and it’s the one people want to see most.
Cody can tell his story better than anyone else in the company. He has a remarkable ability to emote the pain and suffering and injustice he’s endured and is enduring and this has led him to be the only challenger worthy of facing Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. Few share his strength for elevating a segment by working the crowd in the precise way it needs. Cody has an astonishing understanding and love for the business which shines through in all of his work.
This is just the start, the rebirth, for Cody Rhodes and we can’t wait to be along for the ride.
1. Roman Reigns
Roman’s Greatness On a Different Level catchphrase works and endures because it’s the truth. When he says that he’s in GOD Mode or when Paul Heyman calls him the modern GOAT, there’s really no arguing. Everything the Tribal Chief has done in the past 1,000+ days has resonated on a higher level than anything else in WWE.
The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion has dominated in a way never seen in the modern era. He formed and spearheads The Bloodline, the most influential faction since the Attitude Era. Reigns’s on-mic quality and in-ring excellence has set a sky-high bar for all others to try and reach. His iron grip on his family, those championships, and the top spot in all of WWE doesn’t look to be slackening any time soon.
Roman, we acknowledge you.
Who is the best male superstar in WWE?
While WWE is currently blessed with a collection of the greatest athletes and storytellers the industry has ever seen, Roman Reigns undeniably stands head and shoulders above them all.
He has dominated the company for several years, headlining every major premium live event and keeping the top titles away from every challenger. Reigns sets the bar, the pace, and the tone of WWE and everyone else just has to keep up.
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