I’m sure some of you have heard references to the different styles of wrestling 
without really understanding what they mean. For instance if Catch As Catch Can is referenced it means they are talking about the using hooks and holds to control the body in a Greco Roman Style in order to force positioning and perhaps submissions. Watch an old match where the guys control each other with armbars and headlock takeovers to see a good example of that. The X Division Style refers to a fast paced action match full of high spots or stunts, and some say limited psychology. If someone refers to Japanese Strong Style they’re talking about a more hard hitting style where you take and deliver actual physical punishment in a worked way in order to showcase the warrior spirit so highly admired within the Japanese culture.
So how would the WWE style be described?
How about as Shawn Michaels.
When you hear people within the WWE talk about how HBK is the greatest ever that’s essentially what they are referring to. At being a WWE wrestler no one, particularly as a baby face performer, ever did it better. Only Ricky Steamboat could even really be thrown in the argument I’d say. It’s about having a match with deliberate pacing knowing when to pick it up and when to slow it down depending on the story and the crowd while not necessarily emphasizing much true physical punishment or directly playing to the crowd but engaging them in the story, and training them to expect certain spots at certain times to get a pop such as Shawn Michaels kip-up after a flying forearm or the occasional truly punishing blow.
So we’re going to try and judge who is best at it on the current roster as of August 2012 at this style, keeping in mind it’s limited to current active main roster WWE performers, so someone like The Undertaker or Triple H who don’t perform regularly or a TNA performer such as Jeff Hardy isn’t eligible. Also keep in mind this is opinion, and some better workers are being kept off the list for workers better at the WWE style
10. John Cena – He can look clumsy, and be out of position, and his timing is suspect but he’s had a bunch of matches you grudgingly must list as good, or even better than good. So why is that? He came up in and has worked the WWE style against many masters of it and has learned it well to often overcome his shortcomings. He may not be able to go compete in Japan but he’s good at the one style he needs to be
9. Kofi Kingston – Kofi is one of those guys who I look at and think they’ve never really improved, but it’s largely again because he doesn’t have to. His natural athleticism and smoothness combines to allow him to consistently put on a good WWE match against a variety of opponents while not doing too much to steal the show, which is what they want from him
8. Tyson Kidd – With 11 years of performing around the world and 6 years in the WWE style Tyson, still only 32, has a solid base to do most any kind of match within the WWE they want him to. Many of the best workers of the style like Tyson aren’t main eventers, but the guys important for making the main event guys look good because they are gifted enough to do it. Tyson also shows in ring charisma and unique moves
7. Randy Orton – Orton is highly respected for his in ring work by former wrestlers, current guys and journalists. Why? He tells the exact kind of story in ring WWE wants with great timing and positioning. You won’t see Orton pulling the kind of crazy physical stunts off a ladder you saw from Jeff Hardy but instead he tells a solid story getting the crowd to react just the way he wants them to
6. Chris Jericho – Y2J is a great example of what the WWE style can be because he was a 9 year veteran who performed in Smokey Mountain, Japan, ECW and on National TV for years in WCW but when he came into the then WWF he had a great deal of trouble adjusting to their style until X-Pac helped him out to understand it. Now he’s a veteran hand who plays the role of putting people over while teaching some of the finer points of the WWE style to the younger guys
5. Primo – How good is Primo? When the WWE made a huge investment to get 
Sin Cara the 1st guy they put him in the ring with on RAW was Primo. He’s never going to be much more to them than he is now, but he’s a tremendous in ring talent with perhaps an even more tremendous passion for the business who always gives his best
4. Daniel Bryan – You know all those styles I listed at the top of the blog? Catch Wrestling? X Division? Strong Style? Daniel Bryan can do them all at a top level. Many think he is the overall best worker in the world for that reason, and he’s great at the WWE style too, just not the best in my opinion
3. Dolph Ziggler – Dolph gets compared to a lot of previous greats, and deservedly so. He has tons of every intangible in ring and has been trained only in the WWE style allowing him to master it since signing a contract with them coming out of a great amateur wrestling career at Kent State
2. Rey Mysterio – Rey is a marvel. Watch him in WCW then watch him in his 1st WWE televised matches and you can see how after only a few dark matches to prepare he had already adjusted his style to fit what the WWE was looking for. Perhaps the 3rd best babyface performer they’ve had at their style after the aforementioned Michaels and Steamboat
1. Christian – This man is simply a master story teller. Christian has taken his years of learning and studying the business to become everything the WWE needs in a ring general. Always with a solid match and capable of having it with seemingly anyone, and using what happened the match before to continue the overall story while building a new chapter Christian can be put in the position of making someone look good while also making himself viable. He has the WWE style Psychology down like no other
Place thoughts and opinions in the comment section below or let me know what you think via Twitter at @Mo_WeTalk or email me at mo@wetalkpodcasts.com and make sure to check out We Talk Wrestling the podcast for the best and funniest wrestling podcast there has ever been here
