He began the year on the fringe of the IPW championship scene, honing his craft and biding his time until opportunity knocked. He ended it as the IPW NZ Heavyweight Champion - 2009 is the year Vinny Dunn really became "The One."

Arguably the most popular wrestler in the country, Dunn's ascendancy to the top spot in IPW is mirrored by his rise to the top spot in the NZPWI 10. With defining moment after defining moment in 2009 including a stunning "Fans Bring the Weapons" victory to take the Championship, Dunn, who is now seconded by NZ great Peter Lane, seems destined for a massive 2010 - and beyond.

A year of highs and lows keeps "The Deal" Dal Knox from occupying the top spot in the NZPWI 10. Injuries have kept him out of the ring but not out of the public mindset, because in 2009 Knox earned a notable individual honour.

"The Deal" was listed in the PWI 500, an annual rundown of the best wrestlers in the world. His 326th placing put him near King V, who had just ended his stint in WWE, and Sharkboy of TNA.

Featuring in the 20/20 documentary special in late 2009, Knox became the poster boy for New Zealand professional wrestling, and will hopefully be returning to the ring sooner rather than later.

It was a relatively quiet year for the fifth placegetter in our list, but when that man is Jon E. King, we must underscore the word "relatively." King is still arguably the most gifted wrestler in the New Zealand scene and one of the most decorated in the modern era.

He pursued opponents and opportunities not directly related to IPW honours, but for his own means. This made him a threat to anyone in the company, not just the man with the gold. It remains to be seen if King will look to shower himself in glory in the coming year.

KPW’s franchise player, H-Flame, makes it to the NZPWI 10 for the fourth year running as the first of our Wellington-based wrestlers, holding onto the #7 spot from 2008.

H-Flame is instantly recognisable as the face of KPW, having represented the promotion as its champion for most of 2009, including on their television show, Off the Ropes. H-Flame remained undefeated for much of 2009, taking on all challengers before losing the KPW Championship in tainted fashion at the end of the year.

His combination of good looks and impressive moves such as the H-Bomb and the Nuke make H-Flame stand-out performer at KPW shows, whatever match he’s involved in. Look for H-Flame to go after the KPW Championship in 2010 in an attempt to become a two-time champion.

He mightn’t have managed to win the KPW Championship in 2009, but Jonnie Juice certainly won the respect of the fans. Juice set a high standard for himself over the course of 2009 which sees him return to the NZPWI 10 for the first time since 2006.

Fans mightn’t like the man, but they can’t help but be impressed by what Juice can do in the ring. His fluid style sets Juice apart from his peers, capable of having a good match with just about anyone - as he demonstrated over 2009 when wrestling in various singles, tag and even title matches.

Whether he’s brawling, flying, grappling or just antagonising the crowd with his manager, Queen Hollie, KPW fans won’t soon forget seeing Jonnie Juice in action.

Travis Banks has seemingly done it all in NZWPW, wrestling for the Right 2 Challenge, main eventing one of its marquee shows and winning the NZWPW Tag Team Championships with partner JC Star all in his rookie year!

Blending strong-style moves with a sound technical base, it’s not hard to see why Travis’ fans refer to him as “The Peak of Perfection”.

If he continues to wrestle at the same pace he set in 2009, look for Banks to crack the NZPWI 10 for 2010.

It's hard to believe that Brian St. James was a chubby kid sitting in the front row of Impact Pro Wrestling events just a few short years ago. St. James hit the gym, trained hard, and is now one of the most promising young prospects in New Zealand professional wrestling.

Currently honing his craft while tagging with partner Curt Chaos, you'd think it'll be just a matter of time before St. James looks at branching out into a successful singles career.

With a genuine yearning to improve at every outing, and a bonafide mean streak, St. James seems destined for glory in the New Zealand Scene.