Jim Cornette on ESPN's 30 Top Wrestlers Under 30 List

[@zak725]

Honestly not the worst list, certainly better than anything uncle Dave can come up with

[@yourfriendlyneighborhoodsm4708]

Right. If I had any issues with the list, it would be where people are listed rather than who’s on the list. But overall, very solid list

[@DavidOwen-yv8wz]

If it was Meltzer’s, he’d honestly have Omega, Orange Cassidy and the young bucks on it.

[@michaelgray4218]

Yeah, I agree. That's true.

[@TT-df9hp]

Dave's list would mostly consist of Japanese wrestlers people have never heard of.

[@davidholzer4155]

​@@DavidOwen-yv8wzthey're over 30

[@jlyt18]

knowing that vikingo was 4th, it was hilarious hearing jim momentarily sing mark's praises for how good the 1st 3 spots were

[@GregHuffman1987]

i was thinking Bron then.... from frisson to fizzle

[@teecakes]

Mark is a true #mark he's gonna give lucha-libre and Ladies'-Strong-Style from Japan a nod in the list for worldwide top spots, the ones at the top have won more championships and sold more tickets, plain and simple it's that objective tbh

[@MrRjh63]

Not that he isnt reckless but much like Osprey i feel like Jim's first time seeing them(Vikingo&Osprey) vs Kenny Omega slanted his view of them a bit.

[@jlyt18]

@@MrRjh63 i dont think he was that harsh on ospreay, i think vikingo deserved the backlash just off that 450 botch

[@staalhard666]

@@jlyt18 yea, let's judge a talent on a botch.Undertaker must have been the worst wrestler of the past ten years going by those standards. Vikingo was the mustsee wrestler for his entire MLW run

[@theboxingboy7422]

Man to where dominic mysterio was 18 months ago to now is crazy. The guy went from being reys sidekick to being one of the most featured guys and on ppv posters and stuff

[@redroversk]

they smartened up and realized he'll never be as good a babyface as his dad, so he'd be better off as a shitheel

[@theboxingboy7422]

@@redroversk yeah he plays the chicken shit slimeball heel pretty good

[@monabear7287]

Irony bc he's only about 5'8+. Look at his footwear. But he's great at what he does.

[@kurtisbased183]

@@monabear7287if dom is 5’8 then mjf is 5’5 lol

[@Dr_C_Smith]

More a character than a worker, though… fingers crossed he can grow into the work a bit more eventually.

[@chrisgrissom3610]

Hearing Corny say the phrase, "bout it bout it" made my Saturday afternoon

[@davey3884]

That's kinda sad

[@brokefolkfabrication]

Master P is pissed

[@ShaneOfThe6]

Hell yeah rewound that shit twice

[@timloss87]

It made mine as well

[@brokefolkfabrication]

@@chrisbutler1668 ice-cream man belongs in prison since 1997

[@john_blues]

Jim is correct about Liv. That was her that had the hardcore gimmick.

[@redroversk]

oh, you mean "the miracle kid"?

[@jaritime1406]

She did i thought people only watched her matches in hopes things popped out coz she cant pop a crowd all th womens matches is why people DVR wrestling so they can skip it

[@john_blues]

@@jaritime1406 "in hopes things popped out" 😂

[@onelunglarry]

wrong about logan paul tho

[@Tumeg2108]

No that was Alexa bliss with bray Wyatt.

[@ironuzi7112]

Jim was 20 when he debuted in Memphis wrestling as a manager. Some states at the time he wouldn't even be old enough to buy liquor.

[@williammitchell4417]

Lucky he didn't start in Alabama... Some counties are dry as a bone. Hey Tammy!!!

[@jamirimaj6880]

the 80s being 40 years ago already will never not shock me sigh

[@walterclark3198]

Rhea Ripley is excellent in the ring and she can work with anyone. Her matches make sense and her promo's are great.

[@monabear7287]

And I'd gladly baby her up anytime.

[@DaewoOoOoOoOo]

You are completely wrong

[@walterclark3198]

@@DaewoOoOoOoOo How?

[@cantv1906]

Her promo are solid but definitely not great

[@DaewoOoOoOoOo]

@@walterclark3198 She's one if not the worst women's wrestlers of the last 5 years.

[@j.b.595]

Jim’s DISGUST when he heard Vikingo 🤣🤣

[@marvinleong5902]

He is disgusted that he was rank number 4 over guys like Bate, Bron, ILJA that he saw and liked 😂😂

[@shellbacksclub]

Cornette was right about Liv!

[@digitalstatictv]

In 2014, I heard the same argument. We had 8 guys on the WWE roster - Zayn, Neville, Rusev, Wyatt, Rhodes, Ambrose, Rollins, Reigns - all sitting at 28 or younger, freshly called up from NXT, all with a lot of talent in a variety of different ways. Saying those 8 should be the future of the company. It's kinda crazy to think how all that went in the last 10 years.

[@Gothy420]

Unfortunately, Vince was already losing his mind around then.

[@sweetpetergeda]

All could never be the future of the company 😂. Every era has 1 major star

[@hiryu619]

as someone who started watching STARDOM back in January, it was good to see Giulia & Utami on the list

[@gordonarmstrong2208]

I was listening to this list and internally screaming “WHERE IS DARBY ALLIN?!!!” until I went to Wikipedia and realised Darby turned 30 this year…

[@dutchsl222]

Sammy also just turned 30 or he would have made the list for sure

[@northleedspoppa]

I did the same It was cus I forgot he's dog shit

[@matthewl3002]

I love Darby. For as bizarre as his character is, it’s authentic and he’s a master of selling and using his size (or lack of) to his advantage

[@anonymousbo0318]

​@@dutchsl222😂 Sammy is garbage

[@walterclark3198]

@@matthewl3002 I feel like Darby Allin is a new different kind of version of Sting. He has the cool face paint and is very exciting in the ring. Darby can wrestle and definitely would of made the list if he was under 30.

[@JohnMcVay1]

Brian, Jim was correct. Liv Morgan was doing that gimmick for a very short time where they had her jumping iff of stuff in backstage brawls bc she was extreme. She would smile & look crazy, etc.

[@petebagwell6666]

Yeah because of a chuckie TV show and it was cringe

[@JACQUEZ23]

​@@petebagwell6666yea no

[@petebagwell6666]

@@JACQUEZ23 I know yeah

[@Ramekink]

When i was listening to the podcast yday it hit me. If youre not a huge perv and don't live your life through being a wrestling fan on twitter Liv and Alexia can pass by as the same girl.

[@CockyBalboa]

Can’t blame Brian for forgetting that fr.

[@vinceraven1501]

Giulia could very well be the Char of Japanese women's wrasslin. Luvs me some Utami Hayashishita, she's like the newer version of Io Shirai & her battles with former UFC/MMA fighter Syuri Kondo are off the charts.

[@convictionnotice1]

Funny as it may sound, Impact IS doing as good as it has been. Obviously not seeing WWE/AEW numbers, but they are selling out the venues they go to, have been going overseas, and have been getting consistently good reviews. Don't sleep on Impact!

[@herecomesdatrain]

People like cornette sleep on impact because of that wrestle house shit and that Ethan page fighting himself aka karate man. Sucks he thinks like that.

[@coryfusting9294]

Impact has been fun for the last few years. At least they seem like they're trying

[@arashabdullahdawudcharlton5548]

Zzzzzzzz

[@smarkslowplay3512]

Lmao Impact had 1.5milly viewers in 2009/10. Get outta here with your bullshit

[@israelbautista2623]

Part of the problem is that the last time Cornette tried to watch Impact Don Callis was booking it. He’s part of the reason they did all the goofy shit in 2020 After he left Scott took over and they for the most part have done all the serious shit. I mean for Christ sake Frankie Kazarian and Eric Young both left money on the table in Aew and wwe respectively to go back to Impact

[@trakficjam17]

Jim went ballistic at #4 on the list 😅😂

[@Brando-Lee3725]

Bandido is great ! Dude is strong as an ox compared to a lot of Lucha guys , can still fly and has a unique look . The English barrier hurts them which is true , but if you have seen enough matches of his you know he is very talented .

[@bizieb23]

When you start at #1 there is really no reason to hear the rest

[@Yoni123]

That Mid South mid-80's roster was incredible

[@wwedbzguy]

Was initially surprised that Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara were left off this list, not realizing that they both just turned 30 this year. Wonder where they would have been placed if this list came out a year ago.

[@Bowler6611]

Thanks, you saved ME from having to write this. I was waiting for Darby, I thought he was like 22 or 23 years old 😮! And I thought Sammy had just turned 25 years old.

[@monabear7287]

I remember Scott Hall's line. A senior successful wrestler, one I cannot recall (could'veveen Mr. Perfect), told him after every impactful move you do, stop and stare them down, as if to say look at you now. Look what I reduced you to with just one move.

[@amorfati4927]

Man we lost Mr. Perfect way too soon

[@MADGUNSMONSTER]

Jim's snicker at 26:06 at the mere mention of an Impact Wrestling Championship was low key funny AF.

[@hosepipe]

The equivalent of a SMW title.

[@pip5193]

This easily one of my favorite cornette videos. A perfect combination of jokes and knowledge 🔥

[@walterclark3198]

Magnum TA was such a great talent and I always wonder what his career would of been if he never had that car accident. But Magnum is still alive and lived his best life with no regrets. What more can you ask for?

[@matthewl3002]

NWA and eventually WCW Champion

[@RichLuciano1]

As a kid he was my second favorite behind Hulk Hogan, but everyone I knew had Magnum TA at #1. A former JCP talent told me they think he would've been bigger than Hogan.

[@phenompy]

About el Hijo del Vikingo, everything Jim said about him would perfectly describe what people used to say about Rey Mysterio early on his WCW run.

[@Mecanotech]

Ok

[@phenompy]

@@Mecanotech I'm just saying, he's very young and obviously very talented, sky is the limit if he gets set through the right track.

[@el-youtub3r402]

Oh my... give it a rest. Vikingo is a choreograph dancer who only marks for that shit think he's good

[@jwconglomerate332]

The problem is with a lot of these people is they don't have contemporary opponents that are really worth their status to help propel them even further in their excellence.

[@Ingenuity009]

Jim's his funniest when he just drops one in there without notice. "Awe's 14 belts"😂😂😂

[@a.r.s978]

With modern sports science and medicine an athletes “prime” is lasting into their mid 30’s now. An ACL tear today means a 2 year process of healing physically and mentally when it was a career ender in the 90’s.

[@scotthemond5750]

I know it’s not Jim’s style but Aussie open are definitely stars in the making

[@GrumpyOldGamer9221]

I nearly spit out my coffee as I heard Jim's reaction to Vikingo. ☕😂

[@TheMagnificentMongoSlade]

People forgot that ESPN based this on current success, which explains why Vikingo, Dominik, Liv being ranked where they are.

[@chriskay1449]

Except Liv isn't having any current success and only proving she is made of glass while walking out to mostly silence.

[@phillysfinest215]

Liv hs her own documentary out on peacock tho

[@redroversk]

sounds like it was based on Facebook likes

[@god_hand576]

Liv in the past two years ha accomplished alot. Her recent injuries and movie hiatus has clearly stopped but she did do alot the past two years

[@OWlsfordshire]

Doesn't explain Rhea not being placed at #1 though. MJF has been irrelevant his entire title run. Now he's doing a comedy gimmick with 97lb Adam Cole.

[@kingofnewyork8092]

Liv Morgan and Jordynne Grace being higher than Deonna Purrazzo is absolutely insane.

[@cypher515]

And Statlander not even being on it properly.

[@pukkiparty4043]

Never heard of 2 of those people

[@kingofnewyork8092]

@@pukkiparty4043 Which ones? The only one's that can actually Wrestle.

[@kingofnewyork8092]

@@cypher515 Facts that's insane too.

[@JoeRodBx]

I feel you on jordynne but Liv Morgan is in the major leagues winning titles, she should be higher based on the criteria

[@jovanss2361]

Julius Creed is a future world champion. He has to get the promo down but his athleticism is unreal

[@ARM2314-]

Is he that fat jar headed guy on the wwe 2k23 roster, in a blue singlet I just skip past him

[@mikem10481]

I'm appalled that Bron Breaker is No.6. Should be on the main roster right now. I would have had him dethrone Gunther as I.C. champion, after Gunther has broken the record.

[@hosepipe]

They should bring Rick and Scott Breakker in with him

[@mikem10481]

@@hosepipe You mean Steiner.

[@ananyaraizada7657]

Same here. I also feel he should beat Gunther in his debut

[@essbee387]

Is that what you'd do is it?

[@CockyBalboa]

He may want to wait until they want to bring up Cora Jade.

[@zari5291]

27:15 dude Jim never fails to crack me up 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@DyeSportingNetwork]

Lol 😂😂

[@MrItzreal]

17:38 they put Liv Morgan above: JAMIE HAYTER. TONY STORM. KRIS STATLANDER. Dude this got me heated!

[@acelarson911]

Deonna is the real deal, so underrated by the casual fans and a lot of wrestling fans in general, Impact gets a bad rap unfortunately

[@vonVile]

Impact gets a bad rap because news outlets would rather kiss Tony Khlown's ass. They've always had a grudge against it.

[@ananyaraizada7657]

Impact has the best women's division in the world

[@neilbiggs1353]

I think it's interesting that two of the women on the list felt like they had to get away from WWE booking. Deonna and Toni Storm both left as soon as they could, though at least Deonna went to somewhere she could work, AEW has far too many sub NXT women's wrestlers...

[@nbaldwin45]

@@neilbiggs1353and Jordynne had the opportunity to go to WWE but decided against it

[@GregHuffman1987]

i hope jim is right about Rhea Ripley as she would be amazing in film. imagine her in an A24 flick

[@phoenixfaze1]

How is Jamie Hayter not in the top 10?

[@stevenblakesley]

One of the rare times that AEW was extremely underrated on this list. Hayter and Storm should be top 10 easily

[@nbaldwin45]

How many amazing matches did she have before she got injured? I’m a big fan of her but think she still hasn’t hit her prime. She’d do much better with better opposition

[@ReallyBigBrother]

Carmello and Wes Lee had one of the most underrated matches ever earlier this year

[@dvon1097]

The top 3 are pretty perfect. They are all 3 prodigies and generational talents

[@abbott.0]

Wait a minute, Storm is 27? Thought she was 35... and wait, Grace is 24? Looks like she's 40!

[@herecomesdatrain]

The jordyanne grace surprised the hell out of me.

[@CockyBalboa]

She looks to be at least in her mid-thirties.

[@sbz88]

Sol Ruca is a name to lookout for in NXT. She's really good.

[@voxextremos22]

I just hope she stays healthy

[@mysteriousblack629]

Yeah I been high on her too hope she stays healthy but otherwise I like her

[@chrishernandez3699]

Already has injuries and her career barely started. Not a good sign.

[@DavidOwen-yv8wz]

Not only is Ilja Dragunov way way too low, l don’t share Jim’s pessimism for him, l think he will definitely be in main events. Everything l’ve seen him in is main event level, and the top guys will be falling over themselves to work with him.

[@00DeadZ]

What main event .... WM .. SS ... RR 😂 no He is a indie style worker that lacks star tools ... he will be a good hand

[@dallas317]

He needs to team up with Gunther, and maybe they can do something with him once the fans get behind him.

[@JoseFlores-xc7wu]

The fact that he has a victory over Gunther is ridiculous that is why Gunther would never be WWE world's champion cause he got beat by a pasty white midget

[@kurtisbased183]

@@dallas317no he doesnt, he’ll just drag him down. gunther is an established top guy

[@crisramos940]

I think he can be a very valuable midcarder, with the right push, right timing, the right alignment of stars and the right gimmick could work his to the top like Kofi Kingston, Daniel Bryan, The Miz, etc.

[@scottmcginn2169]

Any wrestling journalist with the first name "Mark" should seriously rethink their career

[@LongLiveRockAnRoll]

Doesn't AEW have a guy called Mark something who's nickname is "Smart"?...says it all really.

[@valitsemllaluokanavahyvaks3556]

@@LongLiveRockAnRoll Smart Mark Sterling is the dudes name.

[@maskedninja876]

The phrase "I've seen young Master Bate before" could be taken WILDLY out context as a sound clip!😭😭😭

[@jamesburgess2k]

I'm assuming Liv Morgan is high on the list is because she has a LOT of crossover potential. WWE constantly pushes her on the red carpet of any movie premieres/award shows along with Bianca and Becky, and she already has a few TV credits due to her WWE connection. Jim talks a lot about Rhea going to Hollywood in a few years, but if you look at the "look" of all the upcoming actress who are popular with Gen Z, Liv Morgan would fit in perfectly. I can easily imagine her in a starring role in a shitty Netflix show that'll only last for 2 seasons.

[@madbrowniac7871]

She is facially and physically reminiscent of Miss Margot Robbie.🤔💃🎤🎥🤼‍♀️ Incidentally is Jim channeling The Ghost of John "Coach" Tolos from The WWF back in the day?😂🎤🎾🏈🤼‍♂️B.W.

[@userjim83]

If her best asset is her ability to go and do something outside of wrestling then thats not a very good endorsement of making the list of the top wrestlers under 30 tbh

[@jamesburgess2k]

@@userjim83 I just gave the rationale they probably used to put her that high on the list, I never said I agreed with it. ESPN is more of a entertainment company than a sports one, so you can sense why they'll view sometime like her as having more "breakout potential", compared to the ones who show their potential in the ring or cutting a promo.

[@userjim83]

@@jamesburgess2k i wasn’t actually criticising you i was commenting that if thats her best asset she shouldnt be on the list of best wrestlers under 30 However now you mention it, Brian literally read out the criteria and crossover or breakout potential wasnt mentioned at all, in fact the guy stated future/ potential wasnt a criteria so i probably should have been criticising you for making a daft comment

[@jamesburgess2k]

@@userjim83 popularity was the literally the first criteria mentioned. The phrase "crossover potential", is directly correlated to their popularity in and more specifically, outside of wrestling spaces. Which she already has, given how much WWE has pushed her in any non wrestling media events they get invited to. It's not a knock on her to say she's very popular with Gen Z (Rhea is literally becoming a legit Tiktok celebrity, bigger than any other wrestler), and that a company like ESPN would absolutely recognize how valuable her marketability would be if she indeed becomes a bigger star in the WWE.

[@jetth9892]

Impact male talent got shafted. Chris Bey, Ace Austin, and Trey Miguel are definitely above Jungle boy, Liv Morgan, and some other names on this list.

[@pukkiparty4043]

Never heard of any of them, that’s probably why they dont make it

[@nbaldwin45]

@@pukkiparty4043wait, did YOU make this list?

[@MrShadowSmith]

​@@pukkiparty4043but then vikingo and yamashishita🥴 or whatever shouldn't be included too

[@pukkiparty4043]

@@MrShadowSmith no idea who they are either 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Peter_Thornton]

As someone who is not under 30, I wish these publications would do lists like 40 over 40. I think that would be way more fun- especially when it comes to wrestling.

[@redroversk]

yeah or guys that can have a great match, but aren't part of the zeitgeist yet

[@Ramekink]

It'd be overtaken by Mexico. Atlantis still going strong

[@DeInevitable]

Hikaru Shida is actually 35 but she looks like she's in her 20s

[@theonetheonlyjoey]

Jim was right about Liv having the hardcore gimmick for a while, I know there are already a few comments saying this but just wanted to add another one

[@jpowers55]

I wish they had done this countdown from the bottom to the top. Who reviews a countdown starting with #1?

[@Tumeg2108]

I literally work for ESPN and didn't know the abbreviation 😅. I call Espen when I'm talking to co workers

[@cjtquk]

Imagine an all time list of wrestlers who where great before hitting 30. The Rock would definitely be no.1 but others could be Brock Lesnar from 2002-2004 run, John Cena being the face of WWE before hitting 30. Randy Orton had several world titles before 30. The Giant (Big Show) in WCW. I'm sure there are many more that belong there too.

[@northleedspoppa]

Terry Gordy and art Barr

[@Getwright-]

Im suprised Jim didn’t mention the OVW kids, besides Batista. If you swap out Sheldon Benjamin for Batista youve got 4 right there.

[@GoodOldCinema]

​@@Getwright-It's ShelTon. Not ShelDon. 27:32

[@LongLiveRockAnRoll]

I remember Rock and Triple H at the Summerslam ladder match, JR said they were both in their mid to late 20s (which seemed old to me at the time) but considering they were both WWF champions in next 12 months that would put them at 1 and 2 for that era.

[@cjtquk]

@@LongLiveRockAnRoll Triple H was 29 at summerslam 98 so he was 30 when he became champ a year later.

[@dayoungsta94]

The fact that Nathan Frazer and the Creed Brothers didn’t make the top 30 list is insane considering who actually made it (Frazer didn’t even get an honourable mention and he’s better half the people on this list)

[@XantroyX]

I don't know how many of you are up on NXT or even if she is under 30, but I saw Lola Vice for the first time a few weeks ago, and she instantly became MY favourite future prospect... She is UNBELIEVABLE! She really does have everything! If there is ever a designation above megastar, she will be it. You heard it here first.

[@JCWFED]

Well Lola definitely has some sort of future if used right i mean first of all she is an eye catcher her moves are believable to some extent due to her background but one thing slowing her down is the way she was booked at first just kind of losing but hopefully she can get or climb up the ranks to get to a championship

[@Voysh2Voysh69]

Valerie Loureda was entertaining as an MMA fighter when she was in Bellator. She became a viral social media model for her looks. But she’s super cringe in WWE, especially when they make her do the “IM LATINA!” scream before she does the stupid running hip attack in the corner.

[@JCWFED]

@@Voysh2Voysh69 that’s something I agree with it’s cringe and all but I think she will be able to improve along the way..hopefully And also when she says stuff like “you cant handle this Miami heat”

[@XantroyX]

@Voysh2Voysh69 She's been wrestling for 5 minutes. Nobody has their character locked in this early in their career. She's had 2 or 3 televised matches on NXT so far... Let it go! She's certainly an attractive woman, but that's not what popped me. I saw someone who could talk, has immense natural charisma right out of the gate, she has a legitimate fighting background, yet unlike some others she is undeterred by the entertainment aspect of pro wrestling and is obviously a born entertainer. She has near perfect footwork, impecable strikes, AND she looks like that... Few people could mess this up. The girl's money.

[@Voysh2Voysh69]

@@JCWFED dude imagine ANY other WWE star saying something that ridiculous before they do their finishing move. “IM IRISH!” or “IM SAMOAN!” Instant cringe.

[@Ramekink]

It's pure insanity than Viking is higher than Bron or Dragunov. The inclusion of Liv and STARDOM ladies shouldve been a giveaway

[@Murphs5621]

I knew Jim was going to flip his lid at Drugunov listed at 26

[@michaelgray4218]

MJF, Austin Theory an Rhea, so far the list is very Good as all 3 are Excellent 🙂

[@darthraider450]

Note that Hook was not on this list or even mentioned in the “Honourable Mentions”, and Hook held the FTW title until last month. That is how badly Tony has fooked his run.

[@marvinleong5902]

Neither did the Gunns and The Acclaimed

[@KevinD9694]

@@marvinleong5902Colton is in his early 30’s, same with both guys from acclaimed. I’m surprised Austin wasn’t mentioned as he’s 28.

[@TheMistaRich]

Brians "Konnan" is my new favourite thing 😅

[@lovelywaz]

Jim turned on ESPN guy faster than Big Show has ever done in his entire career! 😆😆😆😆

[@stevenly-s1k]

Kaito kiyomia should be higher on the list the man has won 2 world champions and is a excellent wrestler

[@MattCapizzi]

Utami and Giulia are actually a draw. Giulia much more than Utami, and I'd really like to see those numbers from the gates of the US events they were on, but until Jim sees them, how's the man supposed to react? Also, wrestling is big business outside the US and he really only sees and reacts to them from the perspective of the US market. I can also see why ESPN, an "American international basic cable sports channel" wanted to accurately represent the #2 biggest wrestling market so accurately. Another thing I totally disagree with Jim about and yet still look for his opinion on stuff ESPECIALLY if I disagree with him.

[@Desirsar]

Back in the 80s, all those guys named would have been on a list like this... None of them had big world titles.

[@MJfp6lx]

😂😂😂 Austin Theory reminds me of Drew Mcintyre. He was pushed too soon. This whole storyline reminds me of Drew Mcintyre being pushed with the IC title as the next "Chosen One". Ended up being abondoned by fans and critiqued over his wins. Got released. Drew reinvented himself and proved himself on his current run. Whoever booked this title loss for Theory should be given a raise. His last 20 matches have all been snoozefests. The crowd is pindrop silent during his matches and specifically on his spots. That means he's under the critical eye of the fanbase and that's a rough place to be in. Its good that he lost the title and now can work his way up from the mid or lower card getting organically over with the crowd.

[@marvinleong5902]

Theory would fare better as a baby face like when he was in The Way in NXT

[@staalhard666]

Not pushed too soon. He's a midcard title holder/contender. I just wished they'd let the guy go all out on the mic, instead of his current Pokémon villain delivery. It's so dumbed down and downright intelligence insulting. Your typical VKM crap.

[@dwlc4288]

Carmelo Hayes does everything like the Viking but better. Plus he can on the mic. Also I would've put Toni Storm over Liv Morgan.

[@akamiguelsanchez9985]

Comparing Riho to Adrian is god damn gold😂

[@bigsteve8921]

Baseball players peak around 29 to 34. Thing is therr is usually the huge huge drop after 36

[@Wooderz245]

I heard Cody Rhodes say on the Broken Skull Sessions that a wrestlers peak is usually 36-42. I think that's more or less on the money by and large.

[@marvinleong5902]

Taker reaches his peak around 41, 42, when he has best matches with Angle, Batista, Edge around the later 2000s so Cody is right.

[@theuniverse7227]

Cornette is a Trick fan on the low 😂

[@marvinleong5902]

The future of WWE and AEW is bright with guys and girl's like Dom, Theory, Bron, Melo, Dragon Lee, Rhea, Liv, Creeds, Roxanne, Tiffany for WWE, MJF, Jungle Boy, Hook, Gunns, Starks, Hobbs, Hayter, Anna Jay, Yuta etc for AEW

[@josephstewart6836]

Wow I didn't realize Roman was 38

[@Beanz06]

And you thought he was under 30

[@josephstewart6836]

@@Beanz06 nope. But it's weird to think he's been on the main roster for over 10 years. Time flies so I just thought the was younger than that is all

[@msmjsiajdgdhsjajahgshsjaje8990]

@@josephstewart6836i think the article got it wrong about roman, his in ring work was always great but just terrible ideas like making a 6’3 samoan badass get beat up the entire match when he shouldve been beating up his opponents

[@markrichardson8793]

​@@msmjsiajdgdhsjajahgshsjaje8990 The article is right babyface Roman was a fail that's common knowledge, Roman said it himself he didn't hit his stride until 3 years ago in his mid 30s.

[@Nitemerican]

“Speaking of prison” amazing AAA transition 😂

[@ButWhatIfItIs]

It was all off to a great start for Jim until 10:59 😂 Edit - some were questionable but it wasn't offensively bad. Loads of names who were rightfully on that list.

[@NotSOBBB23]

The oh for fuck sake at the 4th entry had me dying

[@danialhashmi6078]

Carmelo is great, gives me aj styles vibes. Better promo too.

[@tamesthegame4468]

Impact wrestling mentioned nice 🎉❤

[@walterclark3198]

I like Carmelo Hayes and i like Austin Theory. I think they will both be champions on the main roster sooner than later.

[@90sctv]

Well theory had been a champion on the main roster for almost a year

[@walterclark3198]

@@90sctv That's right and he just lost the title to Rey Mysterio on Friday night smackdown.

[@walterclark3198]

@@90sctv Who in your opinion are the future stars in the wwe?. I think it's Austin Theory, Rhea Ripley, La knight, Bron breakkker and Carmelo Hayes. I also like Cameron Grimes and Santos Escobar.

[@90sctv]

@@walterclark3198 i would also add Gunther too and always been a fan of Dijak and ilja. Shocked that Dijak hasnt been utilized as a bad ass yet at the main roster. The retribution gimmick with Ali is close to the top of the list for worst gimmick in recent time

[@walterclark3198]

@@90sctv Yeah Gunther is really good.

[@stonedViking304]

🤯🤯thank you Jim…I learned what ESPN stands for today 😂 I really never knew that…hell I never really thought bout it

[@johnnygrind77]

Hearing Brian try to pronounce Utami's last name is always a treat! I always wonder if Corny knows that Stardom is where people like Toni Storm, Thunder Rosa, Ruby, etc. got their experience. I will admit that between AEW's choices from DDT and the way WWE stereotypes Asians is why Jim feels the way he does.

[@archaontheeverchosen7980]

That and let's be honest with ourselves people skip women's matches. Every ppv we watch my friends say skip it. Other then a few women they are terrible even a lot of the ones you listed in our opinion.

[@archaontheeverchosen7980]

I guess when weebs are not being cringe elsewhere they come to watch Japanese wrestling it adds up at least.

[@ModernDayRenaissanceMan]

I would google the names & introduce myself to these people. So Jim... Yeah. Your audience does.

[@randomlyfactual1943]

If you think about it, Dominic should have been #1 with a bullet. He is hands down the best heel in the business right now.

[@LuisLopez-jm7xs]

I love the takeshita praise

[@jeffreymoscardelli8428]

And Arn Anderson at 29 was looking 59😂😂

[@WyattHolliday]

Arn Anderson was already 40 when he was born.

[@Lalo_thr]

I'm Mexican and I don't even think Vikingo is the 4th best wrestler in the world, under 30 or not. I got downvoted on reddit for saying that too

[@redroversk]

pretty damning stuff, barely anybody knows who these guys are outside of wrestling, MJF and Rhea are probably the closest things to stars on that list

[@monabear7287]

Liv, Bron, Luke Perry's kid...

[@CockyBalboa]

⁠@@monabear7287 yeah, no one outside of wrestling fans would know those ppl.

[@duckmercy11]

No one knows anyone currently in wrestling unless it's the Rock, Cena or Logan Paul. That's it.

[@noahgardner1852]

“What do you think about the future of wrestling as it appears on this list?” “It’s fucked”

[@saleemholman6349]

Mjf over mami idk about that I luv both but rhea is def in a league of her atm js.

[@pleaseshutup7053]

So good she keeps missing ppvs

[@saleemholman6349]

@@pleaseshutup7053 like that’s anything new for wwe

[@darkwarrior1194]

It would make for an interesting segment if you showed Jim some Stardom clips, most of the girls can put amazing matches, with amazing storytelling and some psychology to them once you look over the "kawaii" weird stuff the weeabos tend to like. The Tam Nakano vs Natsupoi cage match was some of the best wrestling i've seen the last few years

[@NotThatJonesShow]

Impact is starting to run bigger venues and are having higher attendance rates than usual the last few months and the actual quality of the shows are fantastic the women's wrestling especially they're probably the best women's wrestlers in the world to watch right now they have better matches and feuds than pretty much everyone on Dynamite

[@nybxcrotona]

Out of the "minor leagues", Impact is starting to run international shows, which shows some degree of popularity and success to their name. I can't recall NWA doing that as of yet.

[@nbaldwin45]

@@nybxcrotonathey’ve always had a loyal fanbase in the uk So I expect their upcoming tour here to do pretty well

[@duckmercy11]

Their women aren't remotely as good as Stardom.

[@duckmercy11]

​@@nybxcrotona NWA ran shows in Mexico and Australia, but I think the former was a joint effort with AAA and the latter was part of a Smashing Pumpkins tour.

[@NotThatJonesShow]

@@duckmercy11 and stardom is only good to you because it's Japanese and no one watches it

[@vonVile]

I can't believe ESPN got Masha Slamovich's name wrong. Also the list didn't have from Impact; Ace Austin, Chris Bey and Trey Miguel. They could have removed some AEW talent for them.

[@nybxcrotona]

I'm surprised myself. IIRC, PWI has put Trey Miguel on their top 100 list, and he's got a title to his name in Impact. Ace and Bey got rep in Impact and NJPW, so that's a surprise too.

[@nbaldwin45]

Great point. All 3 are fantastic talents. Wes Lee got a mention but Trey Miguel was the true diamond of the Rascalz

[@Giveme1goodreason]

Damn 245 views in 4minutes. Some of us need lives…. Not me though I have Cornette videos to watch.

[@cameron3578]

Bots. Most KZbinrs use them, it's just the nature of the beast honestly.

[@JDotWill]

I agree with the top 2 100%. Theory I’m not mad at in the 3rd spot. But my personal Top 10 would look a little different

[@Pupsterization122]

Logan Paul should be higher than vikingo and Takeshita. Also mjf has dropped stock in my eyes, don’t see wwe paying him a bag anymore

[@vycanismajoris6871]

*Takeashit

[@RoboTities]

Mjf is in the second hottest angle in wrestling get off the drugs

[@_The_Journey]

I hope to be on this list soon💯 a 23 year old 3rd generation Luchador debuting next month! I truly hope to entertain all of you one day! Please remember the name El Chivo 🐐

[@johntarver5684]

Kerry Morton should be on this list!!!

[@mynameisjeff830]

Ace Austin and Chris Bey isn't on this list but Daniel Garcia Wheeler is?

[@john_savage]

Shida just turned 35. Certainly doesn't look that old.

[@supermanXL]

35 isn’t old

[@michaels.2981]

hearing clips on KZbin while waiting on the podcast to fully download & actually play