My Top 5 Jr Heavyweights

Hi guys,

I've always been pretty vocal about my love for Jr Heayweights/ Cruiserweights (whatever you want to call it) and I've been pretty vocal about their treatment in some companies(https://wrestling-chatter.blogspot.com/2019/01/heavyweight-v-jr-heavyweight.html). In a world where there are so many amazing wrestlers in this category, I gave myself the impossible task of picking my top 5. Just a quick note, there are so many amazing ones that this list is always changing!

1. David Starr
There was no way I could have a list on the top Jrs and not have David Starr on the list. Even though Starr has won Heavyweight titles, he prides himself on his stance and is probably the most prestigious Cruiserweight champs (Rev Pro) in the entire world! I think that's why he's at the top. He prides himself on being one of the most well rounded Jrs I've seen with his style perfectly blending mat wrestling and a little bit of that good old high flying. He uses this hybrid style to go up against some of the biggest heavyweights in the world like Walter, Ishii and Rampage Brown and he puts up one hell of a fight that most people probably didn't expect. Starr also has this natural charisma about him from his amazing entrance to the way he holds himself in the ring! This, combined with his amazing in-ring ability, makes him so entertaining to watch. Some of his stand out matches for me were obviously those with Walter, the fatal 4 way at NJPW Manchester last year and his bout against Jonathan Gresham at PWG. As well as seeing him live a fair few times, I've also been lucky enough to meet Starr and he's one of the nicest people ever (especially considering how socially awkward I was). Starr is one of the best examples of how diverse Jr heavyweights can be and how your size is never a hindrance!

2. Kip Sabian
Even though Kip Sabian tweeted me saying that he was 7ft and weighing 280lbs, I was assured that he still classes himself as a Jr so I can still put him in this - phew! Like Starr, he's not been limited by his Jr class size and has fought everyone who comes his way as well as holding both Cruiserweight (Rev Pro) and Heavyweight titles (IPW). However, once you see him in the ring, he's pure Jr through. Watching Sabian, he flies through through the air with such ease but is also a proficient striker and technical wrestler. Being trained by the famous Knight family has given him such a versatile style. Some of my favourite matches of his have to be his ROH bout against Flip Gordon and the triple threat for the IPW title against Mark Haskins and PAC. What makes Sabian so unique and the perfect embodiment of a wrestler is that, as well as being amazingly gifted in the ring, he has such an amazing personality that shows in his matches. He's superbad, he's super good looking, he's super talented and he know's it. We all know it! Also, I am always pretty bias towards anyone who looks that damn good in a leather jacket (because they're not appreciated near enough). As one of the newest signings to AEW, it's about time the world appreciates Superbad Kip Sabian and he's definitely one of my all time favourites!

3. El Desperado
I could have put so many of the NJPW Jrs on this list but, for some reason, I have always been drawn to El Desperado from the first time I watched him in the ring. Desperado obviously has the amazing skills of any Jr with the way he flies across that ring and the flexibility which lets him do some of the craziest things I've ever seen. However, at the heart, he is still Suzuki Gun and combines his athletic ability with sneaky tactics and basic grappling and strikes that the faction is renowned for. Then, on top of all that, Despy is one of the best and purest heels in the division, but in the weirdest and best way possible. If you just watch last years BOSJ tournament, you saw his obsession to beat his competitors and he did it with such flair. Also, he's part of one of my favourite ever feuds with Hiromu Takahashi - it's the perfect love/ hate relationship and I never get tired of watching their matches with this fascinating chemistry that border's that of an old married couple. He is a heel, but in a way that you can't help but love him - it's twisted really but he's just memorising and overall one of my favourites in the whole company!

4. Tony Nese
205 Live has always been full of some of the best athletes in the world, but I knew which one would make the list. One of the OGs from all the way back at the Cruiserweight Classic, the Premier Athlete knew that he deserved to be there and, with a chip on his shoulder, he set out to prove that. 'Move like a Cruiserweight, Hit like a heavyweight,' could not be more true. Watching Tony Nese in the ring is like some sort of spectacle and sometimes its hard to guess that he's not a heavyweight. He uses his strong frame and has some of the hardest strikes and most deadly knee's in the business. However, put Tony on the top rope and he comes out with these amazing moves from moonsaults to literally anything under the sun. Apart from some amazing stuff on the independents, some of my favourite matches have to be his no DQ match against Noam Dar and of course his WM match against Buddy Murphy. It took a long time (too long imo), but Tony Nese is finally champ and I can't think of anyone more deserving and long may he reign. Tony may have 8 reasons why he's better than everyone else, but I can probably find a lot more (of course his abs are one of them)!

Credit: @TonyNese Instagram

5. Jonathan Gresham
When I first started wrestling, I will admit that I was never a fan of submission wrestling. However, Jonathan Gresham is one of the guys that really changed that for me. Gresham is one of the biggest examples that Jr/ Cruiserweight wrestling has evolved because he perfectly combines this traditional and amazing mat wrestling (which also makes me laugh sometimes in the best way) but also goes up top and flips off that top rope with ease. Everything he executes, from his amazing octopus hold to a shooting star press, is pure perfection and like a work of art. If there's a stand out match, out of so many, it's whenever he's in the ring with Zack Sabre Jr because both are so proficient in their art and it's like a technical masterclass. As well as being such an accomplished singles competitor, he's also an amazing tag team wrestler with the likes of CCK and puts on some amazing matches full of wrestling and character. I just want to be BFFs with Gresham and that's always a good thing for a wrestler, it also helps that he's doing it for all the short people out there going toe to toe with giants (I mean ZSJ is like over 6ft). I'm hoping that, after his amazing showing at the Honor Rising tour this year, we'll see Gresham in the BOSJ tournament! I would call Gresham a legend, because he's a veteran, but he's still got so much left in him that the world is still his oyster.



Extra: I wanted to put Will Ospreay on this list because he is one of my all time favourites. However, it's only been announced that Ospreay is in this year's BOSJ so I'll add this little section at the end! Ospreay was one of the first wrestlers that really got me opened my eyes to what wrestling could be away from WWE. He had this daredevil style and has recently combined the mind blowing moves he's renowned for with some pretty hard hitting stuff like the Hidden Blade. Ospreay was one of those guys who helped to elevate Jr wrestling and really showed the endless possibilities it has as well as the essence of story-telling which some people disregard in these high risk matches. To me, he is THE Jr Heavyweight!

I know there are so many amazing Jrs I could've put in the list from the Jushin Thunder Liger, Taiji Ishimori, Hiromu Takahashi, Chris Sabin to the amazing guys on 205 Live and across the world in promotions like CMLL. This just goes to show the standard of Jr's in the world. Jr Heavyweight wrestling has changed so much from just being high flying spots to combining everything we love about wrestling.

I hope you enjoyed another top 5 list of mine and like always, like/ comment/ share and follow me on my social media (@Wrestling_Chat on Twitter and Wrestling Chatter on FB and WrestlingChatter96 on IG)!

Until next time,

Bye!