We’re well underway in bringing you our very own top 100 wrestlers of 2008.

The concept was simple. Six of our very best writers sat down and discussed names to be put on a preliminary list for the Top 100 Wrestlers of the Year. That preliminary list totalled to around 145 names, stretching from wrestlers in the WWE to TNA to PWG. Those six writers then drew up their own personal Top 100 and from here, the scores of each wrestler were tallied based on their placement in each writers list. It was as simple as that.

If you’ve missed earlier pieces, you can find them below:

- Click here to read who we voted in places 91-100
- Click here to read who we voted in places 81-90

Now for places 71-80:

71. Angelina Love

Phil Lowe: The better half of The Beautiful People. As I said in last week’s list, I love the gimmick. For me, Angelina is the more convincing of the two in the ring.

Michael Campbell: Like Velvet Sky, she’s great in her gimmick, but not a polished performer. That said, they’ve both made improvements and can be very enjoyable. What she can, she does well, and should have a good run in TNA.

Mark Bright: I voted for her low down the list, clearly a better worker than her partner Velvet Sky which is reflected by the ranking. Although if this was top 100 gimmicks they’d both be significantly higher.

Dan Short: As mentioned before, the Beautiful People is a hot act in TNA and Angelina plays her part just right. I honestly don’t have much to add as she has the same qualities as her partner Velvet Sky.

Martin Smith: Average wrestler with a great gimmick. I actually think Velvet Sky carries this group, but what Love does well is play a good second fiddle. Will be an interesting 2009 for the group.

72. Kota Ibushi

Phil Lowe: If he stays free of injury, 2009 could be a big, big year for Ibushi.

Dan Short: Ibushi is having a bit of a breakout year as his wrestle anything anywhere style has started to get some global notice. An impressive showing in ROH as well as regular appearances in NOAH and Dragon Gate is only the beginning to what could become a very memorable career for him. As long as the injuries don’t mount up.

Michael Campbell: Ibushi is one heck of an exciting performer, Be it in Ring of Honor, gaining some valuable touring experience, or in Japan, for DDT taking on the ridiculous American Balloon, he shows a wealth of potential. Right now he’s benched with injury, but he should be looking forward to a great 2009.

Martin Smith: You’d like to think Ibushi will have a great 2009. Fingers crossed he continues to improve his impressive repetoire.

Mark Bright: The worst wrestler in the world when it comes to finisher overkill, to the point where his stunning athleticism and natural talents make it tough to watch his matches all the way through. If he cuts that out, he’d be potentially one of the best in the world.

73. Taylor Wilde

Phil Lowe: Decent enough in the ring, but TNA’s Knockout division would miss her if she ended up leaving the company.

Martin Smith: Ridiculously bland character. Was nowhere near ready to fill the shoes of Gail Kim and the crowd simply didn’t care for her push. Feud with Awesome Kong was wasted and only put a halt to the growing potential of the womens division in TNA.

Michael Campbell: Taylor’s not the best all-round performer yet, but she’s working hard and improving continually, and was earmarked early for a big push in TNA, taking the Knockouts title. Hopefully that success didn’t come too soon in her career.

Dan Short: Well, being a champion is somewhat of a good thing. Only her reign occured during the period when the Knockouts division started to dip. She seems well enough ability-wise. We’ll see what happens.

Mark Bright: The gap in quality between herself and Gail Kim was reflected both on TNA’s television as well as on this list. Good fundamentals but doesn’t connect with the public, even TNA’s live crowds who tend to pop for everything.

74. Jamie Noble

Phil Lowe: I loved his feud on Smackdown with Chuck Palumbo and felt at the time of the draft that it could have led to more. Unfortunately for Custom Chuckie P, WWE chose to do nothing with him. But Noble has been entertaining and the stuff with William Regal has been solid. I wish WWE would use him more regularly.

Martin Smith: When given television time, Noble is very entertaining. Would be a great manager for someone, but he can still cut it in the ring. Should be a good 2009 for him.

Mark Bright: With his backstage agent role he’s pretty much got a job in the WWE for as long as he wants it, but still has both the drive and the ability that small feuds with Chuck Palumbo and William Regal were highlights of WWE’s programming this year before being mysteriously dropped.

Dan Short: Holy cow, did Jamie Noble just been put into a televised program? That’s incredible! Noble is pretty much at the point where his role in WWE is to put guys over, so it’s nice to see him doing stuff.

Michael Campbell: Noble’s enjoyed increased prominence in the past three months or so, and although it’s amounted to little, is at least featured in a storyline of some sort. Can still have a great match, and is one of the most underrated WWE performers in recent years. It’s sad that we have to turn back to his brief run in ROH to see a fully developed, world-class Noble match. Next year I’d give him a role as partner,/mentor for Bourne.

75. Ted Dibiase Jr

Phil Lowe: I’m not sold on him at all. Its largely down to creative. He and Rhodes are supposedly young up-and-comers but dress as if they’re in their mid-30s and it does nothing for their gimmick. That said, he’s the one of the trio (including Manu) who will likely make it as a singles star.

Dan Short: Ted seemed to have been placed in a spotlight position rather quickly. He can talk well enough, but I’m still wondering if he will hold up ability-wise in the long run. We’ll see just where he’ll be able to go from here.

Martin Smith: Pushed far too soon in my opinion. Has star written all over him, but whether or not he can rise to the occasion is debatable. I very much doubt he will headline the company for the next ten years, so I’m hoping WWE cut back his relatively big push.

Mark Bright: I really like him. For all the halfwit comparisons between Mr Kennedy and a young Steve Austin made by various WWE announcers who clearly have no clu what they’re actually watching over recent years, Dibiase is the guy they should be saying those things about. The chances of him growing into a main eventer in the years to come are very high in my view.

Michael Campbell: For me, Dibiase’s a marginally more complete performer than his partner. However, their standings in this list both show off the great strides they’ve made together, and also the limited chances either have had to really stand out. I wouldn’t say next year will be the year for these guys (and it shouldn’t be…give them time), but 2010 should be big.

76. Yuji Nagata

Phil Lowe: Other than his match at the start of the year with Kurt Angle, I’ve not seen an awful lot of the guy!

Dan Short: After a strong showing against Kurt Angle to start the year, Yuji spent most of the year on the shelf recovering from a stroke. He came back in fine form, taking head in the New Japan vs. ZERO-ONE MAX fued. Way to go Yuji!

Michael Campbell: Nagata deserves to be on this list, because until his being rushed into hospital in February, he was one of the hottest guys in Japan. And since we’re including late 2007 in the eligibility for this, I thought it important to recall how he kicked off the year. Plus, NJPW’s association with TNA helped make him more visible a player to American’s perhaps unfamiliar with the guy. Not as good a year as 2007 for him obviously.

Mark Bright: Excellent match with Kurt Angle aside, I’ve not seen too much from him, but what I have seen has shown an excellent performer far more at home in a main event level role than the late 90s WCW jobber.

Martin Smith: Great wrestler. Glad to see him recovering well from his health problems earlier in the year.

77. Hernandez

Phil Lowe: Good worker but if/when TNA decide to split LAX I fear he’ll suffer and won’t get over as a singles guy.

Dan Short: Hernandez has done alright given that LAX has been pulled every which way this year in TNA. It sounded to me like the ROH fans treated him fine, so the year wasn’t bad for him at all.

Michael Campbell: Hernandez has totally exceeded expectations in TNA. How far he will go could be hindered by Homicide’s continual doubt within the promotion. But he’s a likeable, reliable performer at his weight and size.

Martin Smith: Fantastic talent. One of the best “big guys” in the business. Only problem is, if TNA break up LAX, he’s finished in the company. Lack of mic skills will hinder this guy in the future.

Mark Bright: Excellent big-man style wrestler who should be far higher up TNA’s cards than he currently is.

78. Cody Rhodes

Phil Lowe: See Ted DiBiase, but remove “will likely make it as a singles star.” I’m not overly keen on Rhodes at all at this time.

Michael Campbell: It seems to be taking forever to get this storyline with Priceless, and Randy Orton going properly, when the correct time seemed to be about two months ago. Cody’s improving a great deal as a performer, and enjoyed a nice role in the second half of the year, but needs to be working longer matches on PPV.

Dan Short: Cody has improved since first coming in last year. He still has a ways to go, but what he has shown thus far continues to highlight the promise of what we can expect from him in the years to come.

Martin Smith: Needs a new make-over quick. Looks like a throw-back from the eighties. Other than that, good on the mic and good in the ring. Singles push sometime next year would be interesting.

Mark Bright: Good promo skills, kind of bland in the ring although obviously a good athlete.

79. Necro Butcher

Phil Lowe: I don’t get him. I don’t rate his work and I don’t understand why fans like watching him.

Mark Bright: Really good brawler, really good at believing in his character 100% to the point where even smarky ROH audiences buy into it as something more than just a guy with no shoes playing a role. The issue with him is that I dont’ see how far he can go long-term by things that are either shocking for the sake of shocking, or were passe a decade ago.

Martin Smith: Haven’t watched him for a good number of years so can’t comment fully.

Dan Short: This has been a fun and interesting year for Necro Butcher. His feature in both ROH and PWG, as well as his upcoming appearance in “The Wrestler” have brought him to greater heights of popularity. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s realized two wonderful dream comedy matches against Kikutaro and Hollywood Stalker Ichikawa over the summer.

Michael Campbell: Necro is someone that people either seem to love, or just don’t get at all. While I get him and the purpose he serves, I’m still not a fan. But he has rose to greater prominence throughout the year, by being a staple of ROH, and was also part of RVD’s return match to wrestling. There is a place for him, but he’s best In small doses.

80. Kaz

Phil Lowe: Very talented wrestler. I thought he would be higher up the card by now but this is wrestling and this is TNA. For me, Kaz is up there with Robert Roode as one of the young guys in the company who if booked right could main event PPVs.

Martin Smith: Absolutely loved his work with Raven and the new flock gimmick they had going in TNA. After leaving that, he looked superb and ready to be pushed to main-event level status. Fantastic ladder match with Christian Cage made me think of Kaz as a younger RVD. Then TNA went and rammed him down our throats and put him in a piss poor tag team with Eric Young. Rumoured return as “Suicide” is exactly what it says on the tin – career suicide for a fantastic and very under-rated talent.

Dan Short: Kaz was just getting started in getting quite a push in TNA when his injury happened. That really sucks, too, because he was putting on some really good matches during the first half of the year.

Michael Campbell: Kaz’s is a uniquely talented guy who connects naturally with audience, but has been hindered by both injury, and the insistence that TNA have, on making him look like a complete tool. Hopefully they realize his true value.

Mark Bright: Good ladder match with Christian, good crowd connection, good charisma, bad booking. TNA always booking him as the mystery man in PPV matches, and the guy who becomes number 1 contender to various titles but never winning them essentially puts him in the Kane role, but without the great first 6 months Kane had that guaranteed he’d be over forever.