We’re well into the top half of our countdown as we bring 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
- Click here to read who we voted in places 71-80
- Click here to read who we voted in places 61-70
- Click here to read who we voted in places 51-60
- Click here to read who we voted in places 41-50

31. James Storm

Mark Bright: I really like him. By far the better half of the Beer Money tag team, I like the gimmick, I think he’s a decent promo guy, and I think TNA should build the tag team division around this team as heel champions.

James Mustoe: Has not had the definitive singles match like he did last against the former Braden Walker, but has still contributed solidly throughout the year, in TNA’s only consistently well booked tag team, along with Robert Roode. Storm could be a viable singles competitor if TNA wants to book him that way, but is probably safer in the company in his current role.

Phil Lowe: I’m a huge fan of him. I love the tag team with Robert Roode and still maintain that if TNA for some reason ever let either of these guys go, they’ll fare well in the WWE. The character is great and he’s very good in the ring as well.

Dan Short: James Storm sure is having a hearty laugh at the expense of his former America’s Most Wanted partner. Being more technically sound helped as well as a rather ingenious pairing with Robert Roode made for Storm getting greater recognition and praise. Even when he goes solo, does alright for himself. He’s made the beer-swigging redneck character work wonders, with some help from Jackie Moore, and it’s apparent he’s got singles glory set in his future.

Michael Campbell: A belting year for Storm, who’s shown hidden depths, and along with Robert Roode, has been TNA’s equivalent to Miz and Morrison. I don’t think the tandem has a huge shelf life though, so next year will be very interesting. Certainly has the character and talent to go far in the singles ranks.

Martin Smith: A very good worker and a solid wrestler. His teaming with Robert Roode has been a lot better than I originally thought it would. That said, I think it may very well run its course next year. Storm has a bright future in TNA and I hope he takes a hard look at his former America’s Most Wanted partner who thought the grass was greener on the other side. He may never reach the top tier of the company but a solid push in the midcard would do him well if he was to break up with Roode.

32. Santino Marella

Martin Smith: Fantastic gimmick but very poor wrestler in my opinion. The guy should be a manager of a stable. He’s done some great stuff this year but my overall thoughts are – where is this guy going next year? Has he been pushed too soon? His teaming with Beth Phoenix was gold, but you have to wonder if that’ll continue this time next year. However, it was a good year for Marella.

Mark Bright: The most entertaining character on TV, and if his ring work could match his entertainment side he’d be the best in the world. But unfortunately his in-ring really sucks, and it’s not just the goofy character.

Dan Short: It’s hard to not like his gimmick, which was made even better with the addition of Beth Phoenix at his side. He plays his role so wonderfully that it easily elevates him into being a top level athlete almost by default. He had a nice little run with the Honk-A-Meter during his recent reign as Intercontinental Champion, but WWE ended up screwing things up in the end. This is where I have a bit of concern. Where does he go when the gimmick gets worn out?

Michael Campbell: Santino’s as-rough-around-the-edges as they come. But he’s a superb entertainer. His union with Beth Phoenix has been the most consistent thing in the WWE this side of Chris Jericho. Many sneered when he won the IC Championship- but the fact that he was so over, and entertaining, brought a little bit of excitement over his defences, and a sense of fun rarely seen these days. Ending the wonderful Honk-a-meter so quickly and indignantly (to William Regal… really????) was an incomprehensible error on Vince McMahon’s part. I’d have this guy win Money in the Bank next year.

Phil Lowe: Sucks as a wrestler, but the character is just awesome. Just a shame WWE had a change of direction and dumped the Honk-A-Meter way, way too early. The character still seems fresh enough; however once it eventually grows stale it’s hard to see what happens to Santino.

James Mustoe: An awesome comedian who has been booked to look hopeless in the ring. One of the few consistently entertaining parts of the RAW roster and his appearances always raise a chuckle. I hate to admit it, but his Intercontinental Title run, while undermining the already damaged belt’s prestige, had loads more potential than WWE allowed it, and the blow off to the Honky Tonk man angle felt like a bit of an anti-climax compared to the year long run they could have done.

33. Keiji Mutoh

Martin Smith: Always a solid wrestler. He remains one of the true great wrestlers in the sport and he slowly but surely is cementing his legacy on the business. He will no doubt have another great year next year.

Michael Campbell: Every time you think Mutoh is done, he somehow rises again. At his age, with his injuries, it was almost inconceivable that he hold both All Japan and New Japan gold. But he did, and as usual, was involved in a host of bouts that fans have considered highlights of the cards he’s appeared one. Surely this is his last big run though.

Phil Lowe: Despite his age, he’s still superb and a true legend in the wrestling business. You have to wonder just when he’ll have to call it a day though.

James Mustoe: This guy is just incredible. It seems like every year people are ready to write him off, but Mutoh continues to defy time to remain a top level player on the Puroresu scene. Winning the Triple Crown yet again, Mutoh is certainly someone I would not bet against for 2009.

Dan Short: 2008 proved that Keiji Mutoh is one of the most acute students of the business. Once again, he managed to figure out how to reinvent himself in a compelling way that fans truly believe he is just right to hold a world championship. And not just one title, either. He becomes only the second wrestler in history to hold both All Japan’s Triple Crown Championship and New Japan’s IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at the same time. That right there says that Keiji Mutoh is truly one of the finest athletes in the business. Mutoh was one of the smartest, wisest, and most talented individuals in wrestling this year and he holds the proof.

Mark Bright: Although I’ve not seen THAT much of him this year, what I have seen I’ve really liked. OK so you’re not getting the 1989 version that was spectacular but I actually like the fact that he’s changed his style with age instead of doing a Hulk Hogan-like tribute to when he was good by trying to have those matches as an old man.

34. MVP

Phil Lowe: Despite currently straight up fallin’ on Smackdown (sorry), MVP can still become a main eventer in the WWE. Obviously things behind the scenes have led to his push being turned into him being buried each week, but when (or if) he gets back in favour with the right people, he could quite easily be back where he was at the time of his awesome feud with Matt Hardy.

Dan Short: Things started off fine for MVP, engaging in a feud with Matt Hardy and was looking to experience a great push into being a main event player. Then something obviously happened that caused his stock with the company to falter. He’s still projected as a focal wrestler on the Smackdown! roster, but not as much as he could of and probably should have been. And he’s been generally the most improved wrestler. Hopefully this is just a minor bump for his sake.

James Mustoe: A real hard grafter who has all the potential in the world has been pretty much jobbed out by the WWE towards the latter part of the year due to an ill advised Wellness Policy remark. Provides consistently high quality matches on Smackdown TV, and has also shone when allowed too when featured on PPV. Feud with Matt Hardy, which was last year’s feud of the year in my opinion, was blown off in an anti-climatic manner, and while Porter still brings the goods, WWE really needs to capitalise on him and do something positive next year!

Martin Smith: I fear for MVP and his future in the WWE next year. He started the year brightly but since then, he’s just dipped and dipped. The problem is who do you feud him with? His feud with Matt Hardy cemented his status as a true upper tier guy on the roster, but since then, he’s had no-one to face. I wouldn’t mind him starting a team with someone, but this guy deserves his shot. If he doesn’t take his chances next year, MVP could very well be gone.

Mark Bright: In the ring I think he’s very talented, and wish that his backstage issues didn’t result in him being treated like such a jobber. A good heel, who can have good matches with a wide variety of opponents, and if booked better I still think he has all the tools to be a future main eventer in WWE.

Michael Campbell: What a rotten latter part of the year for Porter, for whom it started so well. He’s been jobbed out and made to look like a fool, thanks to the company’s self -destructive and needless fixation on hazing and showing “who’s boss”. He’s talented enough though, and was over enough, that he should be able to recover. I hope so, otherwise it’s a horrible waste, and for someone whose feud with Matt Hardy really elevated his stock.

35. Alex Shelley

Michael Campbell: Alex Shelley is woefully underrated by fans and critics alike. I’d position this guy as one of the top guys in his weight bracket anywhere in the world. He really has it all. I doubt those who claimed Sabin was better in the ring have actually seen his singles matches outside of TNA, where he has been allowed to show his unique, quirky mixture of cutting-edge light-heavyweight flying and often super-logical and respectful chain wrestling. He’s also phenomenal on the Mic, and is practicing a gimmick that where TNA to allow it, could be a huge draw for the company.

Martin Smith: Let me get this straight – Shelley will never be better than when he was Kevin Nash’s sidekick a few years back. Then, he was cocky, cool and the guy everyone loved to hate. Think Chris Jericho in WCW. Now, Shelley has the cocky gimmick, but it is the annoying cocky gimmick which makes you think – “ah, what a dick”. I think he is great in the MCMG but the team often scream bland at me. Sabin, for one, needs to get an attitude. Shelley has the ability to become a huge star one day, but my only fear is that TNA booking will destroy this dream. A great worker with a very solid future.

Phil Lowe: The more talented of the Machine Guns who, like a number of younger talents in TNA, has been ridiculously misused over the past couple of years. Is he the best wrestler in the world? No, but he’s got a ton of charisma and is part of a great tag team. I hope he gets a real push in 2009, either with or without Sabin.

James Mustoe: My low (high?) ranking of him is not down to his skills or lack thereof as a wrestler, rather that he has been underutilised or just plain ignored in TNA for most of the year; he has shone when allowed to in TNA and more importantly ROH but could do so much more if allowed.

Mark Bright: TNA really should capitalise on him. He’s probably the coolest guy on the roster, and if TNA want to appeal to a younger crowd then him and tag partner Chris Sabin really should be used better. As a team they probably have the slickest double-teams in the business, but like MVP you always hear stories of him having backstage issues that leads to him not getting the push his talent deserves.

Dan Short: Of the Motor City Machine Guns, Shelley is the more acute in technical wrestling. Because of that, he makes it more exciting and unique than the vast majority of wrestlers today. Shelley also has little trouble pulling out a good match against any one when he gets a chance to. It’s too bad TNA has been doing rather terrible with their booking of him and Sabin. They have two of the finest pound-for-pound athletes on their roster and still don’t know what to do.

36. Jay Briscoe

Michael Campbell: Aside from their success in ROH, Jay and Mark also enjoyed a GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Title run- a remarkable achievement, even if they were merely transitional champions. Personally, I ranked Jay a few places higher than his brother, because he’s proven to be more adept in singles matches, and also was the one left to carry storylines while Mark was injured.

Mark Bright: I actually voted his brother Mark significantly higher, because I feel he connected with the crowd better. Their popularity in ROH creates something of a problem, because their gimmick suggests natural heels, but they are booked as babyfaces because they’re so wildly popular. I still hate the finisher overkill in their matches.

Martin Smith: Feels like this guy has been going years, and then you look at his age and realise he could be going for another thirty years. Of course, injuries could very well cut this down and down. He is, however, one of the finest talents outside of TNA and the WWE.

Dan Short: The more technically sound of the two; Jay once again had to face a period of going solo with his brother sidelined. Jay has done alright in the process, feuding with the Age of the Fall as well as having a pretty darn spiffy singles match with Austin Aries in PWG. The Briscoes together are easily a fan favourite combination and can pull out some great matches when it counts the most. Still, some of their routines have been getting rather repetitive.

Phil Lowe: Perhaps the better of the two Briscoe brothers in the ring and another solid year for Jay in Ring of Honor.

James Mustoe: The marginally more talented Briscoe brother has enjoyed another superlative year. His tag matches with Mark have been of such a uniformly high standard that some people have accused them of becoming stale. This isn’t true really as being good all the time is a marker of greatness and the brothers have been equally awesome in the admittedly over exposed hardcore brawls with the Age of the Fall in the early part of the year, as well as more scientific matches with Dragon Gate Stars and the Motor City Machine Guns in the Summer.

37. Kensuke Sasaki

Michael Campbell: Aside from touring the US with Ring of Honor, Sasaki has had a benchmark year in Japan. Raising the NOAH heavyweight championship (in a great match against Takeshi Morishima), he became the first guy in history to wear the top belt in Japan’s three Premier promotions. He’s been remarkably consistent too, and is still tremendously exciting, not being as broken down as several of the other biggest Japanese stars. His protégé, Nakajima, is starting to steal the headlines though, and hopefully he knows when to step aside.

Phil Lowe: Not seen a huge amount of him this year. Solid in the ring, but can’t say I’ve ever been a huge fan of his.

Dan Short: Bringing the family over from All Japan to NOAH was an interesting transition and it appeared to work out just fine. Their instant rivalry with the modified Burning unit was quite fun and Sasaki himself become the first man to have ever held New Japan’s IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, All Japan’s Triple Crown Championship, and now NOAH’s GHC World Heavyweight Championship on separate occasions. He’s still a quality athlete and a great sportsman to boot.

James Mustoe: Stalwart Japanese main eventer and leader of the Kensuke Office held two major Puro titles in this voting period, losing the Triple Crown to Suwama in April 2008 and then winning the GHC Crown from Morishima in a decent match in September. First defence of the latter title against Mohammed Yone was one of the most entertaining NOAH matches I’ve seen this year, and Sasake also had a good match against Roderick Strong in ROH’s Tokyo show. Also had a strong showing in the Champion’s Carnival, but disappointed against Claudio Castagnoli in his first American appearance in ages at ROH Glory by Honor.

Mark Bright: Not a fan. Just a random Japan heavyweight “hit people really hard” guy.

Martin Smith: Haven’t seen Sasaki as much as I’d have liked this year but we all know that this is a very good wrestler. Had a fine year in Japan and his star continues to shine.

38. Chris Hero

Dan Short: This was nothing short of an awesome year for Chris Hero, being involved in one of the best feuds with Human Tornado, putting on great and dramatically compelling matches every time out, and claiming the PWG World Heavyweight Championship. And all of this happening in the first half of the year. He followed up with more great matches against the likes of PAC, Necro Butcher, Bryan Danielson, and a Match of the Year Candidate with Low Ki in the final round of this year’s Battle of Los Angeles tournament. And this was just in PWG. He has been having a fun run in ROH as part of the Sweet N’ Sour Inc. group and his various trips around the globe have been fantastic. Quite frankly, I think Chris Hero was one of the best wrestlers in the year 2008.

Mark Bright: Whacky goofball heel Chris Hero is great, one of my favourite wrestlers to watch. Angry, pissed off serious Knockout Kid Chris Hero really sucks. So for the first half of the voting period, he’d had been way higher if he’d kept that up, but if we do this poll again next year and he stays with the serious stuff I can see him way down my list, perhaps not even voting for him.

James Mustoe: His new more serious character hasn’t really done anything for me, as I much preferred his more comedic stuff with Sweet and Sour INC. Has still had good matches in ROH with Albright, Stevens and especially the underrated cage match with Nigel McGuiness at Breakout. I can’t really see him going much further than he’s already gone in (in ROH at least) in 2009.

Martin Smith: Awesome wrestler. I used to be huge on Chris Hero and although I haven’t seen him loads this year, he has had a great year. He won the PWG World Heavyweight Championship and has established himself as a top guy outside of the WWE and TNA. He had a good run in ROH as well and has had a very good year. If TNA wasn’t so one dimensional with the talent they looked for, Hero would fit superbly on their roster.

Phil Lowe: I still really like Hero, who continues to be one of the more reliable, talented and consistent wrestlers working the indies. The comedy stuff is much better suited to him than the Knockout stuff though.

Michael Campbell: For me, it hasn’t been the smoothest year for Mr Hero. I mainly enjoy his work in Ring of Honor, but for the first time there, he’s seemed lost in the mix. I don’t care much for his Knockout gimmick, especially when so many others hit visibly harder and more dangerously. The very little I’ve seen of him in PWG has looked great however, but I’d like to see his character back to its most entertaining in ROH.

39. Mark Briscoe

Michael Campbell: Mark’s been hindered by injury (as usual) but regardless, has had an abundance of superb matches added to his collection. He’s going to be one of the most prominent figures in my ROH top 50 Matches of 2008. I’m hoping under the new regime in ROH, that the Briscoes’ characters are exploited to their full potential. But while the tag division is so strong, they’re guaranteed a good spot.

Dan Short: I have to ask – what is it about the Briscoes and their incredible ability to get themselves injured outside the ring? That foot injury Mark suffered from his motorcycle accident was nothing short of sick. Despite that, the Briscoes are still very popular with the fans and when they are healthy can really make a go at putting forth some pretty cool matches. Even if some of their routines are getting old and tired, they can still turn it on when it counts.

Mark Bright: See what I wrote for Jay. They’re basically interchangeable, except I think Mark is better at getting babyface sympathy, especially when he bleeds.

Martin Smith: Like I said with his brother Jay, these guys seem to have been around forever. They’ll always be up there with some of the best highflyers. My only fear with these guys is: How long before enough is enough?

Phil Lowe: I fear that this time next year, we’ll be writing about Jay as a singles wrestler while Mark watches on from the sidelines. With the injuries he gets, surely it’s only a matter of time before Mark has to call it a day for the sake of his health?

James Mustoe: See Jay Briscoe. Mark is more suicidal though, hence the lower score.

40. Kevin Steen

Martin Smith: Always a solid performer, Steen has had another interesting year this year. His partnership with El Generico was a huge success. I’m hoping this guy can break out a bit more next year and become a singles star.

Michael Campbell: Steen has enjoyed remarkable development this year. Competed in NOAH, enjoyed success in PWG, and most significantly in my book, raised the ROH tag team titles with El Generico. Had great singles matches with a variety of opponents, and more importantly, some wonderful tag outings, against the Motor City Machine Guns, Age of the Fall, the Dragon Gate guys, and many more. Needs better direction in his promos, but he’s been improving considerably and demonstrates a genuine humour. Hard-hitting athlete, but it’s tricky to figure what’s next for him, as I don’t see ROH building around him.

Phil Lowe: In the minority I’m sure, but not a fan of Steen’s. He’s not bad in the ring, but for some reason I just never enjoy watching him. Dan won’t be happy with me saying that I’m sure!

Dan Short: Haven’t seen much of Steen in Southern California since he became a dad and would rather remain close to his family up in Canada. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t have an eventful year, as he and El Generico really tore it up on the tag team scene and claiming both the PWG and ROH World Tag Team Championships in the process. Even his newborn son, Owen, got his first singles victory as the expense of PWG Commissioner of Food and Beverage Excalibur.

Mark Bright: The odd couple tag team with El Generico is fun to watch at times, but Generico is so much better as a singles underdog babyface that it seems like a waste of him. As a singles guy they tried the patriotic babyface thing with his Northern Navigation match against Nigel McGuiness on ROH’s Canada debut, and it was probably the best singles match Steen will ever have, because the circumstances all fit for him and Nigel is great.

James Mustoe: Promised to have a breakout year in ROH in 2008, and while he hasn’t reached those heights, he has still had a great year, contesting a thriller with Nigel McGuinness as well as notable hardcore efforts with Necro Butcher. His entertaining team with El Generico finally won the ROH gold and is right up there with the Briscoes in terms of consistent match quality in US tag team wrestling.