Csonka’s Top 6 Performers to Watch in 2017

Welcome back once again to column time with Larry. Today I want to do something a little different, not discussing matches, but instead looking at some of the talents you should be keeping an eye on in 2017. At the beginning of every year, there are always a few wrestlers I make a point of taking some extra time to follow for various reasons. Today I want to share a list of talents that I will be following closely in 2017, and suggest that you keep these names in mind if you’re looking to expand your viewing. This won’t be the usual “I hope Sami & Cesaro gets pushed” type of column, just a small group of talent that for various reasons piqued my interest, so enjoy and have a good time.

6. Deonna Purrazzo: We start off our list with 22-year old freelancer Deonna Purrazzo. Purrazzo is the definition of an independent wrestler busting their ass, working anywhere and everywhere in order to gain valuable experience to improve. While you always here about people bitching and moaning about “not being used” or “not getting booked,” Purrazzo is always hustling, making appearances for ROH, TNA and NXT. She’s one of the heavily rumored talents for the WWE Women’s tournament that may happen in the summer. Purrazzo has grown a lot as a performer over the past few years, catching the eye of Stardom, where she is touring right now. Purrazzo doesn’t get the attention of a Tessa Blanchard or a Rachel Ellering; she’s not the daughter of a famous wrestler and wasn’t trained by Lance Storm. But she has an awesome work ethic, knows she’s far from perfect and just works the hustle to improve. Watching the improvement she’s made since May of 2014 to what she’s capable of doing now has been cool to see.

5. Jonathan Gresham: Jonathan Gresham is one of those guys that legit makes me excited when I see that he’s on a show that I am about to review. Whether it be a 5-minute ROH TV match or a 20-minute classic in Beyond with Zack Sabre Jr; I get excited to see the man perform. Gresham is another guy that works a lot of places; Beyond, Evolve, ROH TV, TNA One Night Only; he gets around and gets a lot of looks. He is a great hybrid cruiserweight, he can fly, he can grapple and can work with just about anyone with ease. He can work as a star, he can work tags, and he can be the guy that’s just there to put someone over and make then look good. As previously mentioned, he’s worked shots with ROH & TNA, I don’t know if they’ve offered him a deal or if he’s happy being a freelancer, but either company would be lucky to have him if they can sign him. In TNA he would bring a different style to the X-Division, in ROH he’s worked with a lot of their guys and slides in like a natural fit when he works their TV.

4. Dragon Lee: Next up is Dragon Lee, I heard of Dragon Lee by following the Cubs Fan’s Lucha Blog on Twitter, make sure to follow him, he’s the #1 source for lucha news. He had a spectacular series of matches with Kamaitachi (now going by Hiromu Takahashi) including a barnburner at last year’s FantasticaMania. Lee is now upping his profile, working ROH dates as part of the partnership with CMLL, and is also working more NJPW dates, including challenging Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title on February 11th. Lee is one of the most gifted highfliers going today, putting on some really spectacular performances. Like others on this list, he’s a guy that instantly makes me excited for any show he’s on. I look forward to seeing him as much as possible in 2017.

3. Kota Ibushi: Kota Ibushi is on this list simply because he is a strange dude that fascinates me to no end. Many North American fans got their real first taste of Ibushi during the WWE Cruiserweight Classic, a tournament many considered him the MVP of. But Ibushi didn’t win because he didn’t want to sign with WWE at this time.

Triple H: “Hey Kota, you ant a contract? You’ll be the face of the new cruiserweight division?

Ibushi: “I have to think about it, call if you need me for the Dusty Classic.”

Kidani: “Hey Kota, want to come back to New Japan and play a live action anime character in the Dome’s opening match?”

Ibushi: “Fuck and YES!”

I’m not saying his choices are wrong in any way, I find Ibushi to be a completely fascinating individual, who sees the world of wrestling very different than most people. Ibushi sees himself as an artist, and when it comes to wrestling he wants to do what he wants, when he wants to do it, where he wants to do it and with the people he wants to work with. He wants personal satisfaction, he wants to have fun and he’ll have his fun working random WWE shots, wrestling as Tiger Mask W or he may go back to wrestling the blow up doll. Who the hell knows, and that is why he interests me. Will he just be this wacky journeyman, or will he finally return to NJPW and do some stuff with long time friend Kenny Omega? I honestly have no clue, but I am excited to find out what the future holds.

2. SANADA: SANADA was set to be the next great Muta protégé, the big star of WRESTLE-1 and potential TNA star. But sit went sideways for SANADA; I feel that WRESTLE-1 never really made him the guy, even though that was allegedly the plan. And then he was sent to TNA on his learning excursion, where they did very little with him outside of making him a Dollar Tree Muta Clone. And the reason that was so bad is because it limited him as a performer; his best TNA stuff was against Austin Aries, they had great matches together because SANADA was working like SANADA, and Aries knew how to bring out the very best in him. WRESTLE-1 failed with SANADA, TNA failed with SANADA and numerous other promotions (WWE, ROH) missed a chance at him when he was stuck in the US with nothing to do but work GFW events. He returned to Japan as a freelancer, but then arrived in NJPW in April of 2016, joining Los Ingobernables de Japon. The move to NJPW was the right move for him, and his addition to Los Ingobernables was easily for the best. SANADA was always a good in ring performer, with a tremendous upside. Working in tags against the top names was essential to his growth as a performer, and his potential was realized in the G1 when he faced fellow Muta protégé Tanahashi in one of the best matches of the tournament. The follow up match was also excellent, with SANADA looking like a top star in both outings. His evolution and growth throughout the year, on top of those performances, has now raised questions about his future; can he be a top guy? Will SANADA climb the ranks and move into the top 5 or 6 mix in the next few years? I think that 2017 will be a big year for SANADA, and may give us a real preview of his future potential in the company.

1. Matt Riddle: There are a handful of guys in wrestling that when they are announced for a show make it an instant watch for me, and Matt Riddle has become one of those guys. For Riddle I am drawn to watch him for several reasons; his rapid improvement, his consistently great matches, the fact that he brings something fresh to the table as far as matches, layouts and the overall vibe to his matches. Also, his laid-back “bro” personality is infectious; where some may come off as an asshole, Riddle just feels like a cool dude you cold hang out with and laugh the night away. For those that do not know, Matt Riddle has only been wrestling for two-years (He’s worked under 100 matches, something like 95) and if you haven’t been watching him you need to start now, because Matt Riddle is the mother fucking truth. Everyone likes to talk about Kurt Angle and how quickly he took to wrestling, and he did, but Angle was not working at the level that Riddle is at this time; to say he had one of the greatest in ring rookie years of all time would not be an understatement. He has made the transition from MMA almost effortlessly, and Gabe Sapolsky’s EVOLVE deserves a lot of the credit for how they brought him along slowly, against quality workers in short matches, gradually upping the degree of difficulty in opponents, match layout and time in the ring. Riddle may become the heir to the throne that Chris Hero left behind when he returned to WWE, and I am more than ok with that. Matt Riddle needs to just keep doing his thing, keep having great matches and if he ends up in WWE down the line so be it. But for now, I love watching Riddle in EVOLVE, Beyond, and everywhere he works. And I will keep watching because for me Riddle is a must see performer.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia.”