2023 has proven to be quite the wild year for pro wrestling. WWE continues to thrive after the first year of creative under Triple H's vision, AEW is on track to have the biggest wrestling event of all time with All In at Wembley Stadium, and there is plenty of great wrestling outside of the two major companies as well.
It's a great time to be a wrestling fan, and for wrestlers, they have more options than ever before for where to perform. While there is surely a debate as to what exactly qualifies a wrestler for being considered "underrated," we'll be looking at their booking compared to their talent, if fans consider them as good as they really are, or if their presentation matches the quality of wrestler they are. Looking at these factors, these are ten of the most underrated wrestlers of 2023 thus far.
10 AJ Styles
It feels like a bizarre thing to say, with him being quite the decorated WWE Superstar by now, but it feels as if WWE has simply forgotten about AJ Styles. While the man was dealing with an injury in early 2023, the last two years have been much of a nothingburger for The Phenomenal One. Reforming The O.C. alongside Gallows & Anderson, with the addition of Mia Yim, the group feels as if it has no direction whatsoever, with Styles just being slotted into the lower midcard on Smackdown. For a man regarded as one of the best wrestlers alive, his booking and presentation no longer feels to match the wrestler AJ is. He can absolutely still go in the ring, which makes WWE's lackluster presentation of Styles all that more baffling.
9 Lee Moriarty
Arriving on the scene in AEW in 2021, arguably the strongest year of the company's history in terms of popularity and excitement, Lee Moriarty was one of many new faces to sign on with All Elite Wrestling. Out of the gate, he seemed like an exciting young prospect that was being taken seriously, with singles matches against Bryan Danielson & CM Punk happening quickly. In 2022, he would be tossed into The Firm, which became dead in the water following Punk's injury and suspension, throwing whatever plans they had for Punk vs MJF & The Firm out the window.
Recently, Lee found success in a tag-team alongside Big Bill, with the two having fun chemistry together, though Bill has since moved onto teaming with Brian Cage, while Lee has settled into the ROH singles division. It remains to be seen where his ceiling is in AEW, but based off his performances in 2021 and the glimmers of greatness he's shown, Moriarty could wind up being a big deal if given the chance.
8 YOSHI-HASHI
Having struggled for most of his career in New Japan, often seen as one of the weakest members of the entire roster, something changed in YOSHI-HASHI when the fans went away in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. It was like a brand new wrestler took over his body, as YOSHI-HASHI began delivering some of the best performances of his career, showing undeniable fire as an underdog babyface, something that he has continued to build and improve upon over the past three years. Becoming a staple tag-team wrestler in NJPW, YOSHI-HASHI has certainly earned the right to be called one of the most underrated stars in wrestling today, still fighting to break the stigma attached to years of awful performances as he is now a fan-favorite in Japan.
7 Master Wato
When Master Wato first debuted in NJPW, it was in front of no fans, as he was promptly attacked by DOUKI, who at the time, was nothing more than a jobber in New Japan. 2020 & 2021 were rough years for Wato, as it appeared that he was simply not ready for the spotlight in the Junior Heavyweight Division. However, he has since turned it all around, rising the ranks throughout 2022 before really showing why the company saw something in him with a great performance at 2023's Wrestle Kingdom before winning the Best of the Super Juniors, though he would fail to win singles gold.
6 KiLynn King
Making a name for herself on AEW Dark during the Pandemic Era of shows, KiLynn King would officially sign with Impact Wrestling earlier this year, forming a new tag team alongside Taylor Wilde, with the two adding some much needed fresh air to the Knockouts Tag Team scene. The duo quickly won gold, and despite mainly showcasing herself in tag matches, KiLynn King has shown signs of greatness in her performances. She has not been given many singles opportunities just yet, but she is certainly a name fans should keep their eyes on, as she could turn into a true breakout star in the next year.
5 Mina Shirakawa
After spending the first years of her wrestling career in Stardom being booked as just a pretty face, Mina Shirakawa has had an incredible past year, dazzling fans with her glow-up as a singles wrestler thanks to a feud with Saya Kamitani that saw Mina eventually win the Wonder of Stardom Championship.
In that time, she also left her old faction of Cosmic Angels, and debuted a new group, Club Venus, that saw her introduce fellow fan favorite wrestler, Mariah May, to the Stardom fans. While Mina's run as champion was unfortunately cut short, a bad booking choice, she had rebounded and remains popular with Stardom fans, though she deserves more recognition for how great she has become in such a short time.
4 Chad Gable
One of the true breakout stars during the rise of the Black & Gold Era of NXT was none other than Chad Gable. Making waves as part of the American Alpha tag-team alongside Jason Jordan, Gable appeared to be one of the next big things in the company, drawing massive comparisons to a younger Kurt Angle, with his Olypmic Wrestling background and pension for comedy. Unfortunately, things would go awry for Gable, with him being booked like the butt of the joke for years, with the Shorty G character doing massive damage to how fans perceived him.
2023 has proven to be a career turning point for Gable, as he has once again gotten to show his comedic talents while thriving in-ring as a wrestler. It has taken some time, but Chad Gable feels like he is on the rise once more, after being undervalued by WWE for far too long.
3 SANADA
Despite winning the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship after leaving Los Ingobernables, joining the Just 5 Guys faction in the process, it still feels like SANADA had not garnered the respect and attention that he deserves in 2023. Shocking the world by defeating Kazuchika Okada to win the world championship in NJPW, SANADA's reign thus far has provided some great matches, namely with his defenses against Hiromu Takahashi & Yota Tsuji, which left Japan thrilled. For those who have yet to hop aboard the SANADA hype train, the time is now, with him putting in some of the best work of his career despite receiving little fanfare about it.
2 Trey Miguel
Trey Miguel has spent most of his time in Impact Wrestling working as a babyface, first with The Rascalz, and then as a solo act. In late 2022, Miguel would capture the X Division title once again, though he would find new life in a heel turn that saw him really expanding his strengths as a wrestler.
Looking to his 2023 so far, Miguel may have lost the X Division Championship, but he has continually put in some career-definining performances throughout the year with a number of show-stealing matches across Impact's biggest shows of the year. With Zachary Wentz having returned to Impact, The Rascalz have once again reformed, as the team now looks to find tag team success in Impact Wrestling.
1 Athena
Known as the American Joshi, Athena is most known for her run in WWE under the name of Ember Moon, where she broke out in NXT before failing to find her footing on the main roster. She arrived in AEW in May 2022, entering a lengthy feud with Jade Cargill before landing on the ROH Brand, where she now reigns as champion.
While ROH is a much more niche show than AEW, it has given a number of wrestlers on the roster more of a place to shine, with Athena being the best example, as she has been putting in some of the best character work of her career as the dominating heel champion of ROH. On top of that, Athena now holds one of the best women's wrestling matches of 2023 under her belt, thanks to her amazing title defense against Willow Nightingale at Death Before Dishonor.
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