Top WWE Wrestlers of 2013

Usually these lists come out before the New Year but who cares. These are in no particular order (except for the first two).

Antonio Cesaro and Sammy Zayn
These two are lumped together because they put on a fucking clinic in the 2013 match of the year.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x13hktl_antonio-cesaro-vs-sami-zayn-2-out-3-falls-match_sport

There is a lot of great shit in this match. My favorite part is that Zayn actually blocks the sleeper holds with his hands. It is such a subtle thing to do but makes a world of difference in the theatrics of the match. These two guys are artists in the ring and I am looking forward to their upcoming year.

CM Punk
Punk had a fantasitc first half of the year. Longest modern WWE championship reign in history. Best match at Wrestlemania with Undertaker. DESTROYING The Rock on the mic. However, his feud with Heyman marked the end of his fantastic year. He was relegated to feuding with nobodies causing the end of 2013 to be a disappointment for Punk fans. However, his match with Seth Rollins on the NYE edition of RAW has sparked hope in my heart for The Second City Saint.

Dolph Ziggler
Speaking of disappointing ends to 2013, Dolph Ziggler has certainly gotten the short end of the stick. He finally earned a legitimate title only to have it taken away by a nasty concussion at the ends of Jack Swagger. To make matters worse, he's been getting buried and it's not because of his wrestling ability. There is some nefarious backstage politics affecting Ziggler's carrier and it's bad. Despite all this, Ziggler is still the must watch performer of all the events. Ziggler truly steals the show and let's hope in 2014 he steals another title (not IC or US hopefully).

Daniel Bryan
While I am not a fan of Bryan's recent striking form of wrestling, I still think he's a badass in the ring. When he chooses to do actual wrestling, it's a thing of beauty. Also, this tiny goatman is so over with the fans, it is insane. I remember his first NXT appearance thinking this dude was lamer than Alex Wright, but, holy crap, he has come a long way. If the WWE has any fucking clue, they will give him a title reign that lasts longer than a week.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins)
These guys nearly did it all this year. Since their arrival last year at Survivor Series, they have made quite the impact. Roman Reigns is being positioned to be the next top card draw for the WWE; he is a fucking animal out there. Seth Rollins clearly has a chip on his shoulder and he is letting people know it. His match with Punk on RAW was great and the bumps this guy is willing to take are Ziggler-esque. I am hoping he makes it out of the WWE's treacherous midcard vortex. I love watching Dean Ambrose but I am afraid he is not going to make it in the WWE. He reminds me a lot of Punk (similar bodies, animated in the ring, great mic work, not Batista) and I hope that he can get enough crowd love to help carry him further.

Dishonorable Mentions
HHH
HHH and Steph have taken every opportunity to use their power to put HHH over as some great wrestler. On Night of Champions, there was poll for greatest WWE champion, and HHH was on it and The Rock wasn't. I recall Steph referring to HHH as one of the originators of the Attitude Era despite him not becoming  a relevant top card wrestler until the tail end of it. Jim Cornette put it best when he said "He is the guy that works with the guy who draws the money".

The Rock
His in ring ability has certainly diminished as well as his mic abilities which hurts me the most. Also, giving him the strap was a slap in the face. Everyone knew he'd drop it to Cena at Wrestlemania. It reminds me of some shit Hogan would pull which makes me sick

John Cena
I like Cena but he is clearly trying to get in on Daniel Bryan's spotlight. Bryan does not need your help Cena; he is already super over. Constantly name dropping Bryan in promos and offering him matches because you are a "good" guy just makes you look desperate. If you want to get DBry over, turn heel and actually feud with him.