BECKY LYNCH
When the Royal Rumble went off the air this past Sunday, was there any real doubt that The Man would top the FITE Rankings?
Over the course of a two-day period, The Irish star took on Smackdown Women's Champion Asuka, lost an incredibly entertaining and hard-fought battle, found a way to enter the Women's Royal Rumble match, defeat long-time rival Charlotte Flair and then went face to face with Ronda Rousey in one of the most raw and emotional segments in recent Monday Night Raw history! Whew! What do you get for the woman who has just about everything for her birthday this week? The top of the FITE rankings and more importantly, a WrestleMania main event.
SETH ROLLINS
WWE's resident architect has earned himself a WrestleMania main event position, challenging Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.
After a tremendous performance in the Men's Royal Rumble, Rollins officially ended his feud with Dean Ambrose and took the fight to Lesnar on Monday Night Raw. Even after being laid out with half a dozen F-5s, Rollins does what all great heroes do. He rose to his feet and challenged the bully, Brock Lesnar, and asked if that was all he had to offer.
Rollins will be offering quite a few memorable moments as he marches into WrestleMania this April.
DEAN AMBROSE
The former WWE Grand Slam Champion shocked the world this week when word came out that he had turned down a new, five-year agreement with World Wrestling Entertainment. The shocks continued when WWE acknowledged the news reports and announced Ambrose would exit when his contract expires this April.
So, Ambrose went from losing to Seth Rollins to becoming one of the most talked about personalities in professional wrestling. What does life look like for Jon Moxley when he sheds the skin of Dean Ambrose and moves forward? Does he return to death matches? Is Japan an option? Will be going All Elite?
Time will tell, but in a business where creating true buzz is a weapon as powerful as any piledriver, Ambrose showed his muscle this week, beating once again to the sound of his own drum.
BROCK LESNAR
The WWE Universal Champion doesn't get paid by the minute and that showed this week when he dispatched Finn Balor in under ten minutes – but what a war it was!
Brock showed a rare side of himself, fighting from behind after taking a pretty impressive physical beating from the Irish star to score the victory, then moving on to laying waste to his WrestleMania challenger, Seth Rollins. Brock stood tall at the end of his match Sunday and at the end of Raw Monday, but his ring wars against Balor and Rollins have just begun. Lesnar doesn't get paid by the minute, but for creating the moment, something he does over and over again, F5 by F5.
DANIEL BRYAN
The New Daniel Bryan continues to accentuate his new attitude. This past Sunday at the Royal Rumble, Bryan added another victory against AJ Styles, a new follower in Rowan and a new "sustainable" WWE Championship.
As Bryan's new role continues to evolve, he will head into the Elimination Chamber against a slew of challengers, espousing his views and creating all sorts of chaos in the name of protecting all sentient beings.
LOW KI
As Major League Wrestling prepares for its next major event, MLW Champion Low Ki is poised for battle, facing challenger Tom Lawlor in Philadelphia. Ki has been a ferocious competitor, taking out the likes of Konnan and Shane Strickland in recent months. In Lawlor, Ki has the type of challenge he craves, someone who has fought his way to the title shot, a fighter who will push Ki to his limits and beyond.
Will Low Ki retain not just the championship but his 15-year undefeated streak in MLW? Tune in soon on FITE to find out!
JEFF COBB
The Nature Boy's baby girl came THISCLOSE to becoming the first second generation star to match the Royal Rumble excellence of her father, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair. Had it not been for the shocking appearance of Becky Lynch, The Rumble would have been Flair's guaranteed ticket to WrestleMania.
Even in the loss, however, Flair put on one of the best in ring performances of her career, battling to the bitter end against arch-rival Lynch. The emotion and fury boiled over to Smackdown this week with Flair attacking Lynch yet again.
Flair is one of the definitive personalities of WWE and if anyone is going to be the first woman to stand triumphant in the main event of WrestleMania, they are going to have to reckon with her greatness.
FINN BALOR
The Demon's two week run at the top of the FITE rankings comes to an end, but not for lack of passion, emotion or work ethic.
Truth be told, Balor's loss to Brock Lesnar showed valor and allowed a window into the ferocity that the international star that is seldomly seen. Balor may have tapped out, but like Rocky Balboa, he fought with all his heart the entire fight – and that only exemplifies his street credibility and his respect among pro wrestling fans.
The former Universal Champion has all the momentum in the world heading into pro wrestling's busiest season.
KEN SHAMROCK
The former WWE Intercontinental Champion and UFC Hall of Famer has had a storied, controversial career where he has shocked the world again and again.
This weekend, Shamrock returns to the world of professional wrestling, live on FITE, facing Tom Lawlor. For Shamrock, it's a moment in time where he not only steps back into the past but attempts to forge his future against a popular competitor with similar professional accomplishments.
It's fitting that the Ultimate Bar Brawl event will feature no ring and have an underground, gritty feel from Atlanta, GA. The World's Most Dangerous Man has come home.
ASUKA
No one is ready for Asuka, but all the hype and buzz for the Smackdown Women's division has been focused on everyone but the woman who proudly held the gold.
When she won the title, the talk was Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. This weekend, going into the Royal Rumble, the foregone conclusion was that Becky would walk out champion. Instead, The Man walked out with nothing but a loss on her resume.
Asuka and Lynch had a classic battle, but in the end, Asuka scored the win and issued the reminder that no one
By: Mike Johnson
Every week here at FITE, we feature the Top Ten ranked personalities in the world of professional wrestling. Unlike other combat sports, pro wrestling cannot be measured in just wins and losses, especially when the drama and excitement of the genre is specifically based around not just the physical performance, but the excitement level created by its combatants. Thus, our top ten measures the most newsworthy performers in the business, who's momentum drives not just their own career paths but the promotions they compete for.
Mike Johnson is the lead reporter for PWInsider.com and has been writing about professional wrestling since 1996. He can be found on Twitter @MikePWInsider and MikeJohnsonWrites.com.
