Wrestlers of the Month January 2026

 I would like to begin this article with a bit of background and clarifying information. I created a point system for myself based on my own match ratings for wrestlers of the year ranking purposes, will be using this points system to rank my top 15 every month. These will (try to) come out every first Friday of the month. Now an odd thing that you won't think about is what matches count for the month. For me personally am only counting, matches that happened during the month and aired before the first Friday of said month. My reasoning behind this is matches are taped and aired later all the time and cutting off the air date at the first Friday gives me time to do the math and write this article. Now any matches that do not count for wrestler of the month will of course count for wrestler of the year. Final match count that goes into these rankings is 323 matches.

Will list the points break down here before we get into the rankings:

0-2 = -1 (-.75) Point

2-2.5 = 0 Points

2.75 = 1 (.75) Point

3 = 2 (1.5)

3.25 = 3 (2.25)

3.5 = 4 (3)

3.75 = 5 (3.75)

4 = 8 (6)

4.25 = 10 (7.5)

4.5 = 12 (8)

4.75 = 14 (10.5)

5= 18 (13.5)

(The Numbers in parentheses is the weighted point total for six man tags at .75 value)

Let me start by shouting out two maestros who only worked one match this month who are still beyond exceptional: Santanico and Solar had one of my favorite matches of the year this month despite being 76 and 69 respectively, just shouting out two legends for still being great. Now onto the list proper

#15 Templario 30.25

Templario establishes one of two themes of this list, a fantastic in ring start for CMLL despite my gripes with their decision making and Americanization of their product through the AEW partnership. Templario has managed to shine in his singles opportunity opposite Bandido as well as holding up his end of the many, many tags CMLL works. He's been maybe a quieter part of the CMLL rudo vs tecnico formula but holds his end of the bargain without completely taking the shine of others.

#14 Miku Kanae 31 points

Kanae is mostly here for fantastic performances in tag matches. In the T-Hearts one night tournament, she showed out, and the LLPW tag match is still one of my favorite matches of the year so far. She marks the beginning of the other theme of this list, Joshi had an amazing month of wrestling, as they often do in January due to many big shows and tons of touring shows to begin the year properly. She has shown great fire in all her matches, especially the Sareee match from Shanghai and she kicks really hard. Which is about all I need to enjoy a wrestler but her evolving and becoming a complete wrestler has been awesome to see.

#13 Konami 32

Konami has one of my three 5/5 rated matches of this year vs Rina, (more on her later), just absolute wrestling emotions done expertly. The match was excellent in what was an awesome in-ring month for H.A.T.E. The preview tags she has been a part of have also been amongst my favorites of the year, highly recommend the one from 1/19. Excellent work all around in her title reign. The Rina match though, is over half her points and is one of the most emotional matches of the year so far.

#12 Yutani 35

Yutani is off to an awesome year as a rudo. He is an utter bastard in tag matches who has come a long way in-ring wise. CMLL has many great rudos, some who we will see later, however Yutani is right there with them and is working his way far up the card, often times being opposite Sky Team which is a huge sign of how CMLL views him. Highly recommend the Coliseo tag from 1/10 and the Guadalajara 6 man tag from 1/6. Still looking for the true standout singles match but the Xelhua singles from Puebla is quite good.

Tied #10 Sareee 36

Sareee has continued to be Joshi's premier freelancer working all over the place this year from Stardom to Marvelous to even Shanghai. Sareee's standout match was the main event of the T-Hearts show near the start of the year. She has been more exceptionally consistent than other worldly this year, but every match she has had has been good to very good while wrestling a very busy schedule. Her demolishing stardom rookies has been very fun and worth watching for sure.

Tied #10 Bandido 36

Bandido has turned into one of the best old school "you just want him to conquer the villain" babyfaces in wrestling. Is it all perfect? No, not all, still don't love the 21-plex as a finisher and he can struggle when singles go long. He is, however, just a great babyface. You just want him to do well cause he is unbelievably earnest in his matches. Him being around the red hot CMLL crowds all year has also helped massively in shining a light on his best attributes. Singles with Templario was amazing and tagging with Mistico vs Averno and Barbaro was awesome, would also love to shout out his match with Jake Something in Warrior Pro.

#9 Atlantis Jr. 38.5

Another tecnico who has managed to consistently standout in the CMLL tag main event formula putting on consistently great performances in this role. He has stood out especially when he is the focus for the technico team, but has also excelled as the tertiary focus and made the others shine in his stead. One of the biggest compliments I can give a wrestler is knowing their role within any given match and Atlantis Jr. has been an exemplary example of this.

Tied #7 Rina 39

Rina is the other half of the amazing match with Konami, and somehow, at only 19 years old is wrestling several decades beyond her years. Her and Konami had an incredible match with callbacks to the late amazing Hana Kimura who was important to both wrestlers in it. She was also a stand out in several tag matches, one opposite Konami was especially good, as was the one on the 31st tagging with Saya and Konami opposite Sourei, SLK, and Syuri. A fantastic wrestler who probably should have beaten SLK for the white belt late last year and who could be the ace of Stardom going forward.

Tied #7 Hazuki 39

Hazuki has been in a weird spot in Stardom since she returned in that she puts on absolutely amazing matches, but also isn't used very far up the card, nor does she win a ton of matches due to the politics of the situation. She is, however, incredibly reliable to put on a good match with just about anyone in any situation and I really enjoyed that she has become more of a free lancer in recent months allowing her to get more opportunities else where. The stand out match for her in January was for sure vs Mei Seira but I will also heavily recommend a real good match with the still pretty green Olympia.

#6 Mirai 45

Mirai is the definition of absurd peaks without a ton of matches. Everyone above her has 10+ matches rated for the month of January whilst Mirai only has 7. They are almost all exceptional matches (with the exception being the most recent tag in TJPW and a just good affair with the Great Sasuke.) The Hiroyo Matsumoto match is likely my favorite of hers so far in the year, but the singles with Chanyota and Sareee are also great, the tag in LLPW is amazing, and the Arisu Endo match is pretty damn good. Just a banner month to start the year for Mirai. If she wrestled as often as the ones above she would've been #1.

#5 Soberano Jr. 49

Now we are in the stretch I would like to call, CMLL runs 6 times a week and somehow these guys are able to deliver 3-4 times a week at a very high level. Soberano has been in or near the main event since returning from injury, mostly feuding with Mistico, but he has been absolute dynamite as a rudo all year no matter who the tecnico is. If there's a Soberano match that has happened this year its most likely worth watching. My picks for my favorites are likely the 1/10 Coliseo main event and the 1/12 Puebla main event. Just fantastic uses of the dynamics built upon by a hot crowd and a great tecnico vs rudo clash.

#4 Barbaro Cavernario 52

See everything I wrote about Soberano and apply it to Barbaro. Amazing rudo who was consistently excellent all month. The separation between the two is simply the amazing singles match Barbaro had with Mistico. He has delivered in every role asked of him leading to amazing singles tags and trios work from CMLL's resident caveman. Having an incredible start to the year as one of the main rudos to fill main event slots that is not a Guerrero.

#3 Mascara Dorada 56.75

Funnily enough my points system was weighted specifically to combat the consistent sky team 3.5/5 main event that I thought would lead to the members of Sky Team running away with it this year, and yet here we are and they are firmly near the top. Now to be fair, he has been excellent in both singles and tags that all consistently deliver upon the promise of fantastic matches. The lighting matches with Titan and Stuka Jr. especially. He's been consistently delivering as one of wrestling's premier high flyers. A fantastic wrestler who is really starting to come into his own especially in Singles action as he was already great in Tags.

#2 Xelhua 59.75

Xelhua is almost the antithesis of Dorada in many ways - a luchador felt outside of time delivering upon a classical style of Lucha is spectacular to see. His ascension up the ranks of CMLL at just 21 years old is a sight to behold. Moving more and more into main event positions and delivering every single time, but he also delivers lower down on the card as well, an exceptional tag with Stigma vs the Cavaleras as an example. The standout match is of course the Lee Moriarty match and the subsequent tag on the following Sunday.However every match he has had this year is worth watching, truly an amazing worker destined for big things.

#1 Mistico 65.5

Who else could it be but Mistico, he is delivering high level matches, is a walking sell out wherever he goes, and is working an insane schedule. Just a truly absurd last 18 months for Mistico. Stand outs are numerous but the best one is the aforementioned Barbaro match. However just about any Sky Team main event, especially opposite the Guerreros is worth watching. The Averno match in Guadalajara is definitely worth watching if a tad long. Just watch it all to see an old school ace who works his formula to utter perfection night in, night out.

This wraps up January's wrestlers of the month. My hope is to do these once a month usually on the first Friday of said Month but this month was just a tad chaotic so I didn't finish watching everything till early on the 6th. Hope you enjoy, and if you have any questions or want to know where someone ranks who did not make the list, drop a comment on the blog or on twitter.

EK out.