WrestleRanks Guides

A guide to the major wrestling promotions.

Professional wrestling is not one global league but a patchwork of companies, each with its own style, history, championships, and audience. WrestleRanks tracks the most prominent promotions across the United States, Japan, and Mexico. This guide introduces each one so the rankings make more sense when you see wrestlers grouped by company.

AEW (All Elite Wrestling)

Founded in 2019, All Elite Wrestling quickly became the largest challenger to WWE in North America. AEW built its reputation on athletic, hard-hitting matches and a roster that blends homegrown stars with established names from Japan, Mexico, and the independent scene. Its weekly programs and stacked pay-per-views make it a constant presence near the top of the rankings, and its championships — from the AEW World Title down through the tag and trios divisions — change hands often enough to keep the picture moving.

WWE

WWE is the most globally recognized wrestling company in the world, the promotion most casual fans picture when they hear the word "wrestling." Its flagship brands run weekly television and produce the industry's biggest spectacle events. WWE emphasizes larger-than-life characters, long-form storytelling, and marquee championships like the Undisputed WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship. Because of its scale and production, WWE storylines tend to drive a lot of week-to-week ranking movement.

NXT

NXT is WWE's developmental and proving-ground brand, where future main-roster stars are made. The in-ring style often skews faster and more competition-focused, and the brand has become a destination in its own right, even crossing over with outside promotions for special events. For rankings purposes, NXT is where you watch prospects rise before they break through to the biggest stages.

NJPW (New Japan Pro-Wrestling)

New Japan Pro-Wrestling is the premier promotion in Japan and one of the most respected in the world. It is the home of "strong style," an approach built on stiff strikes, mat-based grappling, and long, dramatic main events. NJPW's IWGP World Heavyweight Championship carries enormous prestige, and its tournaments are legendary among hardcore fans. The company's wrestlers frequently rank highly on pure in-ring merit.

TNA

TNA has long been a major alternative in the United States, known for its X-Division — a fast, high-flying, weight-limit-optional showcase — and for a tag team and Knockouts (women's) division with real depth. After years of evolution, TNA continues to develop talent and stage events that feed directly into the rankings.

CMLL and AAA

Mexico is the heartland of lucha libre, and its two biggest companies are CMLL and AAA. CMLL (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre) is the oldest professional wrestling promotion in the world still operating, steeped in tradition, masks, and family lineage. AAA (Lucha Libre AAA) is more modern and television-driven, famous for high-flying spectacle and cross-promotional star power. Both feed a steady stream of luchadores into the global scene, and their championships and trios traditions are central to Mexican wrestling.

ROH (Ring of Honor)

Ring of Honor made its name as a workrate-focused promotion that prioritized in-ring quality and helped launch many of the biggest stars of the modern era. It maintains a respected set of championships, including a six-man tag division and a pure-wrestling title that emphasizes classic rules and technical excellence.

Stardom

Stardom is the leading women's (joshi) promotion in Japan and one of the most important women's wrestling companies in the world. It is known for athletic, emotionally charged matches and a deep roster of homegrown stars. Stardom's prominence is a big reason the modern women's scene is so strong — a topic we explore further in our women's wrestling guide.

Why promotion matters in the rankings

Grouping wrestlers by promotion in the Editor's Ranks tab lets you compare like with like and follow how each company's hierarchy shifts week to week. Many wrestlers also appear across more than one promotion, and WrestleRanks accounts for that so a star who works in multiple companies is represented properly. To see how all of this turns into numbers, read how our rankings work.