Matt Hardy Names These WWE & AEW Stars As The Top 5 Active Wrestlers

With a multitude of major wrestling territories out there today, it can sometimes be difficult to decide who the best wrestlers in the world are. However, TNA star Matt Hardy did just that on a recent episode of "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" where he counted down his top five wrestlers in the world today.

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Kicking off Hardy's list is the current AEW World Champion.

"My number five would be Swerve," said Hardy. "I do really think he's come into his own... his positioning in AEW is a huge reason for doing this, but I also think he's been to hold up his end of the deal and has been able to produce when it comes to this position."

Hardy credited AEW and Strickland for making him a credible world champion. Hardy says that since he became world champion, Strickland has had a different "aura" around his character where he carries himself differently.

Moving further down Hardy's list is his number four entry, which goes to the current AEW International Champion MJF.

"I decided to go with MJF because I do think his essence throughout AEW has been phenomenal," said Hardy. "Almost more than anybody he represents what AEW is in many ways. He is the face of AEW in many ways." With specific references to his work with Chris Jericho and CM Punk, Hardy compliments how MJF has grown throughout his time with AEW to become a certified main eventer for the company. Additionally, Hardy says that MJF understands different styles of wrestling and can adjust depending on the match and storyline at hand.

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Third on his list, Hardy selects former Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. While Hardy acknowledges that Reigns is currently off television, he believes that his inevitable return will only make him bigger than he already is. "He almost seems like he's a star big that he's almost beyond wrestling right now," said Hardy. "He's a big entertainment star and when he comes back as a babyface and is leading a Bloodline against the current Bloodline, brother, he is going to be OVER in all caps."

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Hardy further compliments Reigns' mainstream appeal, having previously appeared in movies and frequently appearing on major talk shows.

At number two, Hardy selects WWE star and former World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.

"Seth has been doing great work on WWE TV for a decade," said Hardy. "He's one of the guys that has just carried the company... Seth is always able to step up and step right into a role and put the company on his back and move forward." Specifically, Hardy admires Rollins' willingness to "step outside of the box" and reinvent himself as needed. "There's no one who is consistently at having great matches than Seth Rollins."

Hardy likens Rollins' current character of Seth "Freakin'" Rollins to a former version of himself, believing that Rollins currently has similarities with V1 Matt Hardy in the early 2000s. Hardy elaborates that on-screen, Rollins' character seemingly believes he is the best in the world and tries to be a slightly less conventional character, similar to how Hardy did in his V1 days.

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Finally, Hardy's number one wrestler today is the current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.

"He is the guy right now that is the face of WWE," said Hardy. Hardy complimented Rhodes' ability to become the face of the company, likening him to John Cena in some ways but crucially different in one.

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"He is a lot less polarizing than John Cena was," Hardy continued. "Cody is universally beloved in many ways, he's great at what he does."

Rhodes' journey to the top was derailed in 2023 when he controversially lost to Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 39. While this upset many, Hardy believes that helped Rhodes' stock rise overall.

"That year of him not winning the title also put a lot more sympathy on him from diehard fans," Hardy. "At the end of the day, Cody Rhodes right now is the top guy in pro wrestling."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.