The new wrestling season is upon us!
While WWE’s WrestleMania event isn’t the pinnacle of every wrestling calendar, it’s American wrestling’s spiritual Super Bowl. Post-Mania represents a good reset in professional wrestling, like the start of a new season for the sport. As such, now is a good time to check around the world and see how the wrestling landscape looks with the first edition of BSP’s promotional power rankings. Professional wrestling is currently in a creative and monetary boom period, with many promotions producing some of the best shows they’ve ever put on. There have also been a few misses in recent times.
A few ground rules before the rankings. Developmental promotions, i.e., NXT and ROH, won’t be considered for the rankings. The purpose and fortune of these developmental territories are inevitably tied to their parent promotions, so their successes and failures get rolled in with their parent promotions. These monthly rankings are mostly based on product quality, a subjective metric. Still, some consideration is given to real-world developments or vast changes in the various ratings metrics and attendance numbers. This first list accounts for what promotions have done since roughly the new year to the beginning of May, but future lists will include more month-to-month minutia.
Least Honorable Mention: AAA
I guess it was fun while it lasted, depending on who you ask. WWE announced the purchase of the second biggest wrestling promotion in Mexico, Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, over WrestleMania weekend in April. While no one is crying over a promotion that decided “Notable Prick” Alberto Del Rio winning the AAA Mega Championship was a good idea in 2025, the sale represents a net loss for the wrestling world. An independent promotion going through a bad stretch can still pull things together and get back on track. A company that sells its soul won’t ever be able to buy it back. Just ask Progress and Evolve.
The sale will likely be positive for the product the promotion puts out, there’s nowhere to go but up. The Vinkingo and Laredo Kid’s of AAA will be fine. The Chessman, Niño Hamburguesa, and Los Psycho Circus types? They aren’t as safe. We’ll see if new ownership will be a boon for the promotion or if they become “NXTAAA” and lose anything unique the promotion had to offer.
Most Honorable Mention: DPW
The Deadlock boys put on the best Mania weekend independent show in the tradition’s history, or maybe not, brother! DPW Title Fight In Vegas is a show you should go out of your way to see. Jake Something’s unfortunate injury left the DPW World Championship vacant, but the predicament gave the DPW roster an opportunity in disguise. The 12-person elimination match to decide the new champion was fantastic and gave a great moment to the well-deserved winner. The rest of the show was excellent from top to bottom. From a surprisingly engaging proving grounds match with a surprising finish to the brutal Sin City street fight for the tag titles, this show delivered.
DPW is one of the best American indie promotions going, and has been for a while. If they continue their excellent run, they may end up on the proper list sooner rather than later.
Other Honorable Mentions: MLPW, Marigold, Dragongate
10. wXw
Mainland Europe’s top promotion, Westside Xtreme Wrestling, is a name indie wrestling fans are likely fond of. wXw is the home to many of Central Europe’s unearthed gems and was the home promotion of wrestlers like Gunther and Ilja Dragunov before they made their way to WWE. They hold the 16 Carat Gold Tournament every March. The most recent edition of the tournament was excellent, and the winner and current wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion, 1 Called Manders, is the perfect embodiment of the promotion despite his American heritage.
The matches are generally excellent, especially at the top of the card and the tag division when NJPW excursionists Young Blood are involved. While it would be better if they had an actual women’s title back in the mix, wXw has a good thing going at the moment.
Best of wXw: 16 Carat Gold Tournament
Worst of wXw: Viral table spot botch from 16 Carat Gold Night 2
9. AJPW
The former shining star of Japanese professional wrestling is quietly having a resurgence. The house that Giant Baba built, All-Japan Pro Wrestling, has had a tough rebuild since the exodus that created Pro Wrestling NOAH. There were some dreadful years, but that time seems to be behind them. Their resurgence is a few years in the making, but they are reaping the benefits of some smart long-term booking and a few stalwarts hitting their stride.
While Davey Boy Smith Jr winning the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship last year was certainly a choice, Yuma Anzai in 2024 and Jun Saito at the beginning of this year were surprising yet excellent choices to hold the prestigious belt. The old guard of Kento Miyahara, Suwama and the Saito Brothers is coming to an end soon. In preparation for that transition, AJPW has steadily built up homegrown products like Anzai, Ryuki Honda and Ren Ayabe as future faces of the promotion. The 2025 edition of the Champion Carnival has been an underrated edition of the famous tournament and is shaping up for an exciting ending.
Best of AJPW: Building and trusting homegrown talent, most of the time
Worst of AJPW (Legitimate): Continuing to push Davey Boy Smith Jr as a main event talent in 2025
Worst of AJPW (Personal): Making me accept that Shotaro Ashino won’t ever win the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship
8. TNA
TNA’s resurrection is nothing short of a miracle. The promotion that could survive the nuclear anihilation of the planet is getting its groove back. TNA reentered the wrestling zeitgeist with a bang and a name reversion in January 2024, but had a rough few months afterwards. Between firing Scott D’Amore, hiring Tessa Blanchard and waiting forever to pull the trigger on TNA’s biggest star in years, Joe Hendry, they lost a lot of good will with fans.
The working relationship with WWE, which has been in the works since Mickie James appeared in the Royal Rumble as Impact Knockouts Champion in 2022, began in earnest in 2024. The partnership, which grew stronger in 2025, has been an insane development given the history between the two promotions, but it’s been great for TNA’s bottom line. Rebellion sold around 5000 tickets, the best gate the promotion has seen in years.
While being the best it’s been in years, the product on television still leaves a lot to be desired. Mike Satana and Mustafa Ali’s feud has been exceptional, but Hendry hasn’t had a real storyline to sink his teeth into since winning the world title. Masha Slamovich is an incredible worker, but her title run is falling flat, and her next opponent is Victoria Crawford, formerly Alicia Fox in WWE. The Knockouts tag division has only two teams. Two.
For every piece of good news or great show, TNA somehow finds a way to shoot itself in the foot. Such is life for TNA.
Best of TNA: Mike Santana and Mustafa Ali feud, the whole thing
Worst of TNA: No one but AJ Francis attempting to catch Leon Slater on his dive at Rebellion/the depth of both Knockouts divisions
7. NOAH
Pro Wrestling NOAH is sailing murky waters at the moment, but is sailing successfully for now. The famous green-mat promotion had a few tumultuous years, but has been steadily righting the ship since CyberAgent acquired the promotion in 2020. Since the new year, NOAH has been on a heater.
Ozawa, a member of the ultra-cool Team 2000X, shocked the world by defeating heavyweight ace Kaito Kiyomia and winning the GHC Heavyweight Championship at The New Year 2025. He is unlike any other GHC champion in history, but it’s working great, and he’s an incredibly compelling worker. Galeno is a future superstar of this business, and Yo-Hey recently picked up a cathartic GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship victory, ending Eita’s fun reign with the title. NOAH has had a decent working relationship with WWE in recent years, and Omos had a fun excursion there a few months ago (although it should’ve lasted longer).
Best of NOAH: Team 2000X is one of the best stables in Japanese wrestling
Worst of NOAH: Omos vacating tag titles without losing them/his time in NOAH being so short
6. TJPW
If K-Pop were a pro wrestling promotion, it would be Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling. CyberAgent’s best wrestling promotion and the second-best joshi promotion going, TJPW’s colorful cast of characters and unique presentation sets them apart from other joshi products. Miu Watanabe is the purest, most likable face in Japanese wrestling. Her match with the purest, most likable face in American wrestling, Willow Nightingale, at Grand Princess ‘25 was another notch in already impressive resumes for both women. Their Las Vegas shows over WrestleMania weekend were a success, and they’re coming back to the States in July.
TJPW, belying its cutesy mystique and frequent comedy matches/spots, has some of the best women’s wrestlers in the world on their roster. Even after losing the best wrestler in the promotion’s history, Yuka Sakazaki, to AEW, they are still the home of top wrestlers like Miyu Yamashita, Hyper Misao, and “Big Kaiju” Shoko Nakajima. Under the pink glitter wrapping, TJPW is home to a combination of frequent unexpected bangers and some of the most emotional character-based storytelling professional wrestling has to offer.
Best of TJPW: Hyper Misao and Big Kaiju’s tag championship reign
Worst of TJPW: Miu Watanabe’s big match losses piling up
5. CMLL
The oldest wrestling promotion in the world is about to enter a very tumultuous period. Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, Mexico’s top promotion, operates very traditionally. While WWE’s acquisition of AAA may cause some headaches, CMLL will remain true to itself and offer the lucha libre entertainment fans have come to expect. They still boast top stars like Místico, Titán, and Templario, and future greats like Atlantis Jr and El Triángulo.
CMLL has battled well against its rival since the split that created AAA in 1992, and is poised to stay on top of Mexico’s wrestling scene. CMLL’s Friday Super Viernes might be the best weekly wrestling show on the planet. CMLL continues to take full advantage of its international partnerships. Its partnerships with NJPW, MLW, and AEW have done great business for CMLL. Último Guerrero, Místic,o and Los Depredadores all hold or recently held MLW championship titles, continuing a common trend of CMLL wrestlers winning gold in partner promotions. They even have international pop stars stopping by to catch a show.
Best of CMLL: Quality of weekly Super Viernes shows
Worst of CMLL: Flip Gordon in big 2025
4. NJPW
The Goto Revolution is here. New Japan Pro Wrestling is going through a transitional period. Thanks to Hiroshi Tanahashi retiring and Tetsuya Naito leaving the promotion, the new era of NJPW that’s been creeping up for the past few years is about to begin. Hirooki Goto finally won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship and will lead that transitional period. He serves as the perfect foil for the younger generation trying to lay claim to NJPW’s vaunted “ace” position.
Ren Narita is refining his heel tactics and looks poised to be the number one heel of NJPW. Yuya Uemura is a dark horse for top face, while Yota Tsuji and Gabe Kidd will spend their time bouncing back and forth as the ultimate tweeners. Shota Umino is the wild card. Once positioned as the unquestioned next “ace” of NJPW, a year filled with lackluster performances and being overpushed without many accolades to show for it has left his future murky. Regardless of who NJPW decides is the next one up, they need to spend the rest of the year leading into Wrestle Kingdom building them up.
Factions are due for a shakeup. Los Ingobernables De Japon and Chaos are done, and United Empire looks like they will join those two soon. It’s a great time to crown your new main event scene as leaders of the factions of the future. That, and the always great Best Of The Super Juniors tournament, should make for an excellent summer for NJPW.
Best of NJPW: Hirooki Goto finally won the big one and made this writer cry
Worst of NJPW: Shota Umino’s… whole deal/putting the tag belt on Jeff Cobb only for him to leave immediately
3. Stardom
World Wonder Ring Stardom has the best wrestling product not put out by the two major American promotions worldwide. The Marigold exodus, getting bought by Bushiroad and the aftermath of the pandemic, forced Stardom into a rebuild. They rebuilt magnificently and came into 2025 already flying high. Saya Kamitani and Tam Nakano had one of Stardom’s best feuds in recent years, culminating in a match of the year candidate at All-Star Grand Queendom 2025. Starlight Kid is finally fulfilling her star potential, and her run with the Wonder of Stardom Championship has been excellent.
Speaking of All-Star Grand Queendom, this year’s edition was a top-three Stardom show of all time. It saw the emotional culmination of multiple careers and stories, and the final six matches should be studied by every promoter on how to book a show. While the final three matches will get the most attention, Suzi Suzuki and Mei Seira deserve their flowers for a brutal No-DQ match unlike anything Stardom puts on.
Stardom is on fire, but it will have major gaps to fill in its roster in the coming months. Nakano, Mayu Iwatani and Thekla are all on the way out. It’s a lot to lose at once, but Stardom has the talent to weather the storm and keep putting on classic shows.
Best of Stardom: Tam Nakano and Saya Kamitani watch the stars as the world fades to black
Worst of Stardom: 58-year-old Yumiko Hotta defeating Rina at All-Star Grand Queendom
2. AEW
AEW is regaining that feeling it had when it burst onto the scene in 2019. Inconsistent booking, a bloated directionless roster and incidents like Brawl Out ended the honeymoon period wrestling fans were in with AEW since its inception. The in-ring product was still top-notch thanks to the depth and talent of the roster, but something was missing. Since the beginning of the year, however, AEW has recaptured some of the things that made it unique.
AEW let plenty of wrestlers leave in recent months, clearing the way for new signings like Josh Alexander, Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight. Heel Ricochet is a revelation, showing more personality than he ever did in WWE. The women’s division, once viewed as a weakness of AEW, now seems to be a strength. “Timeless” Toni Storm has the best gimmick in the world and is AEW’s unquestioned top star. Despite an abundance of heels teams at the top, the tag team division feels rejuvenated. Will Ospreay, “Hangman” Adam Page and Swerve Strickland all feel like “ace” level talents for AEW.
There are still a few negatives AEW has to work through. The Death Riders and Jon Moxley’s AEW World Championship reign have long outstayed their welcome. ROH is still being overutilized on main roster AEW shows while being underutilized as a developmental territory. The women, while talented, generally don’t get enough airtime.
All in all, though, things are looking up for AEW.
Best of AEW: Quality of Men’s and Women’s Owen Hart Cups
Worst of AEW: Jon Moxley’s world title match booking
1. WWE
WWE is in the most precarious position it’s seen since Triple H took over as head of creative. They have spent the past two years on top of the world. While all of professional wrestling is in a golden era, WWE’s product over the past few years has been a breath of fresh air compared to the end of Vince McMahon’s run. There haven’t been this many wrestlers in WWE that feel like main event players since the mid-2000s, and the in-ring work is shining in a way it hasn’t been allowed to for years.
Despite the good run, cracks are beginning to form in WWE’s creative output and structure. The Royal Rumble winners shocked everyone, but the booking of Elimination Chamber and the build to WrestleMania was lackluster. WrestleMania weekend was up and down, and the weekend showed everyone in WWE needs a little more PR training. After adding women’s midcard titles to Raw and SmackDown, WWE is starting to rival CMLL for title belts without giving adequate time to most of their existing championship divisions. John Cena’s retirement run and record-breaking 17th championship reign are bogged down by a poorly executed heel shtick that’s at least 12 years too late to be interesting.
Despite some of its faults, WWE is the most captivating it’s been in years and is the most financially successful it’s ever been. WWE’s current hot streak doesn’t have to end anytime soon. Triple H and the creative team must tread carefully to keep the momentum WWE’s built.
Best of WWE: Trio of insane triple threat matches over WrestleMania weekend
Worst of WWE: Cena/Cody WrestleMania main event and WrestleMania week PR
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