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1. Orange Cassidy (AEW, 36) - It still baffles me in the best possible way that Chuck Taylor's weird hungover/lazy friend has become a legit TV ratings draw and merch selling machine. His series with Jericho was great and his match with PAC was outstanding, but he held his own with Rey Fenix in an absolute bonkers TV match, had great TNT title matches with Brodie Lee and Cody, and a great PPV match with John Silver. He's a great worker with uncanny body control and effortless charisma, and lightning in a bottle for AEW. And for real, that match with Fenix should get more love. Holy poo poo. Fenix is the best in-ring wrestler in the game right now and OC didn't look outclassed for a second. 2. John Silver (AEW, 29) - Another case of lightning in a bottle. Who knew the Meat Man had such a big personality, or that much babyface fire? BTE definitely brought out the best in Silver's personality, but he's been consistently delivering in matches too, and he could be a major breakout star in 2021. Much like OC, he also spits in the face of conventional ideas about size in relation to star power. It doesn't matter that Silver is short, because people like him and want to see him. 3. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 39) - Eddie is a guy who's deserved a big moment on the national stage for a long, long time, and IMPACT doesn't count. I was worried that he'd end up as a tragic case of a very talented guy who got stuck in the indies due to circumstance, but luckily AEW signed him and of course he became a huge part of the show. His mic work is the best in the game and a steady paycheck means he can take better care of himself; he's already moving around easier than he was when he first signed. His matches with Cody and Mox were fantastic and he's got plenty more to do in 2021, and I'm so happy he's finally getting his moment in the sun. 4. Chuck Taylor (AEW, 34/35) - Everything I said about Eddie applies to Chuck, another guy who I thought would never get a moment in the sun. Chuck is so good and so funny and secretly a workhorse, and he proved it this year when Best Friends carried the tag division on their backs during most of the pandemic. Not to mention that insane parking lot fight with PNP that main evented an already-strong show and knocked it out of the park. The thing about following indy wrestling is you get attached to certain people and follow them wherever they go, and you hope that they find success before their bodies give out. I definitely feel that way about Chuck, and Eddie, and OC, because they've been entertaining me for well over a decade now. Seeing him main event a big wrestling show on cable and deliver big time felt great, and being a wrestling fan doesn't always feel great, ya know? 5. Sonny Kiss (AEW, 26) - Whenever the future stars of AEW are brought up, it's always MJF, Jungle Boy, Sammy Guevara, Adam Page, Darby, and now Ricky Starks in that conversation. I feel like Sonny Kiss should be mentioned alongside them. He's improved a lot this year (his strikes in particular look vicious), his team with Joey Janela is really fun, and there isn't a more sympathetic babyface in the company. He's definitely someone to invest in for the future and I hope AEW realizes that. 6. Colt Cabana (AEW, 40) - Colt's a funny guy and an indy comedy wrestling mainstay, but he's also underrated as an in-ring worker; he's got great psychology and a low-risk World of Sport style that's still interesting to watch. He's also willing to stretch his character a bit, and his current Dark Order storyline is proof that he's more than just a comedy guy. Plus, the Brodie tribute show proved that he can still go hard in the paint when he needs to. WWE really didn't know what they had when they signed him (a fun midcard act who can have good matches with everyone for years, then retire into coaching/training), but AEW does and they're better for it. 7. Hikaru Shida (AEW, 32) - Shida has been a workhorse this year, basically carrying the workrate end of a floundering women's division by herself and having good matches with drat near everyone. She can be both valiant and vicious when the situation calls for it, and she's also an exceedingly generous worker to the point where Anna Jay, Leyla Hirsch, and Abadon got jobs after wrestling her. Her current feud with Abadon is letting her show some personality and character, and she's hitting a nuanced, scared-but-determined note that's hard to pull off in wrestling. She should have been featured on TV way more in 2020, but she's still the ace of the women's division and that's worth recognizing. 8. Britt Baker (AEW, 29) - Britt went from being a dull, underwhelming babyface to one of the most engaging heels in the company this year, and continues to improve in the ring as well. Her dynamic with Rebel is hilarious and as the women's roster grows, she has more entertaining feuds on the horizon. Her beef with Thunder Rosa already feels like a big deal, and I personally enjoyed her feud with Big Swole and the cinematic match it built to. She's on the trajectory to lead the women's division in 2021, and I'm looking forward to that. 9. Thunder Rosa (AEW/NWA/Mission Pro, 34) - Rosa seems bound and determined to elevate women's wrestling through her efforts in multiple promotions, including the one she runs, and she's doing it. She's a great worker, a good talker, and a natural locker room leader. Her match with Shida was tremendous, recent matches with Priscilla Kelly and Lindsay Snow were excellent, and she put on bangers with Allysin Kay and Serena Deeb in 2020 as well. And she's unselfish in that she wants to train and promote more female talent as a benefit to the business. 2021 should be a great year for her. 10. Abadon (AEW, ?) - For a rookie, Abadon has obvious confidence in the ring and a character that she's committed to protecting. Her presentation is gross and grotesque in a way that wrestling rarely is, and she's improved a lot since her Dark match with Shida. Whether she'll be a main event star or not, who knows, but she could be a unique and marketable attraction simply because no one else on the roster looks or carries themselves like her.
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Jan 1, 2021 22:39
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| # ¿ May 15, 2024 07:47 |
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I haven't seen much of Maki Itoh's work but her match with Su Yung is tremendously entertaining. Her schtick seems really versatile and if nothing else, being a pro wrestler is probably healthier on the body and psyche than being an idol.
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Jan 26, 2021 15:30
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