These days the professional wrestling industry varies quite substantially to the one we knew from the Attitude Era, or even before then. The wrestling style has evolved, and many wrestlers are experts in a specific kind of wrestling. No matter the style of wrestler they are, there is one thing in common on this list amongst them and it is that they’re Canadians.
It is also worth noting that these are some of the best modern Canadian wrestlers so do not be surprised if some of your favorites are omitted from the list. However, to add recognition to the history of this sport in Canada, here are some honorable mentions of all-time greats like Bret Hart, Christian Cage, Edge, or Chris Jericho
Canada is Always a Win?
Many people consider some of these wrestlers to be the best or at least their favorite superstars of the year, of the decade or even ever. It might be hard declaring who actually is the best wrestler in the world, but there are people who bet on who will win the match in WWE or AEW. Even though the winner is predetermined in advance, you cannot shake off that feeling that betting on wrestling is almost like playing good online poker games. You can never be sure if what you just did will get you the win, but you can get good at it and win more often than not.
Brock Lesnar
First things first, Beast Incarnate makes our list, because of its popularity and unique in-ring style. In addition to being a great professional wrestler, Brock Lesnar is also a good UFC fighter and a farmer. He had some awesome matches against John Cena, and Seth Rollins, or even his r-ending rivalry with The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns, especially their last encounter at SummerSlam 2022 with the tractor incident.
Brock Lesnar was also a UFC Heavyweight Championship with two successful title defenses, a IWGP Heavyweight Champion, seven-time WWE Champion, a 3-time WWE Universal Champion, a King of the Ring and Royal Rumble winner, and a Money in the Bank holder. He did a lot in WWE, always aimed for the highest prize, and that is why he is on this list.
Kyle O’Reilly
He is an undisputed star, one of the best tag team wrestlers of the modern era, and an elite star of his caliber. Kyle made his Ring of Honor debut in 2009 and that was the start of his ride to glory. He teamed up with Adam Cole in a tag team, and formed reDRagon with Bobby Fish which later evolved into the Undisputed Era when they all went as a group to NXT in WWE.
As a stable, they had one of the most memorable runs in NXT history with Kyle O’Reilly being a three-time NXT Tag Team Champion alongside his former friends Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and a new friend Roderick Strong. He also won Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic in 2018 with Adam Cole Bay Bay. Even though his career wasn’t focused on a single reign, he was always the workhorse of any group he could find himself in and busted his ass off to be one of the best tag wrestlers on the planet.
Kenny Omega
One of the best to ever do it, the god of professional wrestling, the Wrestling Observer’s Wrestler of the Year, the megastar in NJPW, AEW, a champion in so many promotions it is hard to count, he likes to be that damn good in North Carolina, he is Kenny Omega. Without further introduction, Kenny Omega is one of the best wrestlers of all time, with all of his accomplishments and 5 star matches or even above 5. His rivalry with Kazuchika Okada being one of the best if not THE best series of matches between two wrestlers ever.
He’s done it all and now as the EVP of AEW he is feuding with Jay White and the entire Bullet Club Gold, and Don Callis. Even though he never made it to WWE or even NXT, he is still a living legend.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
It may be unfair to slot them both into the same position, however, their careers and paths have been intertwined for like forever now. Right now, in 2023, they are the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions after defeating the Usos at WrestleMania 39. They have been teaming up since 2007 in Ring of Honor, and then ending up fighting one another. It was later repeated in NXT. They both are destined to be friends and enemies forever in the confines of professional wrestling.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn also accomplished a lot in WWE itself, with Kevin Owens being one of the first WWE Universal Champions, a former United States and NXT champion and now the Tag Team Champion. Even though Sami Zayn was the NXT Champion and a multiple time Intercontinental Champion he never held the main WWE title in the Main Roster. However, it might be all still in his future, especially after his recent rivalry with Roman Reigns, when he main evented Elimination Chamber 2023 fighting for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
All in all, there are a lot of great Canadian wrestlers, and we wouldn’t be able to highlight all of them on a list like that, but we wanted to focus on a bit more modern side of wrestling, but not the future. That’s the topic for another day.
